Far East Branch Headquarters - Sakaki's Office

In the following days, the Den was abuzz with excitement. Following the Director's return to Headquarters, an announcement was made. The Aegis Project was progressing as planned, and with continued efforts, results could be expected in the very near future. The news had boosted morale, sending all teams into a frenzy as members scrambled to collect more cores and resources in the hopes of pushing the project to completion as soon as possible.

Lenka Utsugi was spearheading the charge. After being summoned into the Director's Office, he had been spending increasing amounts of time in the field gathering whatever materials were required of him. With Lindow still missing in action and Utsugi's desire to move the Aegis forward, he had been more than willing to assist Johannes in his personal missions, much to his son's frustration.

He had warned him not to trust that man, but Lenka was Lenka. While his intentions were admirable, his radical ideas towards Aragami eradication could sometimes prove problematic. Of course, Soma's beliefs hadn't been so different not too long ago. He too had viewed them as ravenous monsters with no further purpose than extermination… but through Shio, his views had started to change.

Despite her species, she was becoming more human by the day. In her time at Headquarters, he had watched the child grow and learn, mastering language and diversity, human social structure and norms, to an extent. Through him, she had even learned to sing, although that was a decision that he had quickly regretted.

Now, she was learning to dance.

I'm a problem, I'm a p-problem.

I'm a problem, I'm a p-problem.

A woman's voice rang through the speaker system in the doctor's office over an upbeat tempo. The song had been chosen by Neo, naturally, and Soma couldn't have picked a more fitting song for the troublesome pair. Five members of the squadron sat on the couches, watching with awestruck expressions. In the center of the commotion was Shio and Neo.

Shio smiled, enjoying their dance as Neo did the same. Together, they bounced, spun, and swayed, their arms and legs moving in tandem as they performed their synchronized routine. Despite her clumsy movement patterns, she was a surprisingly proficient dancer. She kept in nearly perfect time with her instructor, never missing a step, even throughout her complex footwork. It was truly astonishing to watch the two of them.

As their song came to an end, the pair ended their performance in matching mirrored poses.

Kota nearly leapt from his seat in utter amazement, his excitement reaching fever pitch in an instant. Alisa and Sakuya joined celebration, applauding the pair. Ichiro remained silent, simply watching them with an affectionate smile. Soma said nothing as well, although he did regard them with amused interest. He never thought he'd live to see the day he'd watch an Aragami dance. Shio looked around the room, her eyes regarding everyone with curiosity.

"It was good?

"Good? It was amazing! You're a great dancer, Shio! Who woulda thought?"

"Great job, Shio!"

Surprisingly, Alisa quickly followed up on Kota's compliments. Apparently, the two of them could agree on some things… so long as those things were involving Shio. Sakuya smiled and nodded in affirmation.

"I'm truly impressed. I didn't think she'd be able to learn so quickly… Neo must be a fantastic teacher."

"Not really… this is actually the second time we've practiced this song."

"What?!"

Nearly every person in the room startled at Neo's admission. Even Soma had a surprised look on his face. Shio was a fast learner, certainly, but there was no way that she was that fast. Considering how wobbly she was on her feet; he was honestly surprised that she could do it at all. Naturally, it didn't take long for Kota to voice his concerns.

"But… wait, I don't get it. How is that even possible? I mean… no offense Shio, but you're almost clumsier than I am."

"Indeed! An accurate observation, Kota. You are correct, and I believe there is a perfectly scientific explanation for it."

Having received an opportunity, Sakaki quickly delved into a lecture regarding Aragami cohesion which surprisingly, everyone took interest in, including Kota.

"While I'm sure that Ms. Tachibana is certainly right about our New Type's teaching capacity, her progress has surely been helped along."

"Uh… I'm not following." Kota tilted his head, curiously.

"While Shio is certainly capable of learning at an impressive rate, it seems that that speed is amplified specifically when working with Neo. I believe this is due to a phenomenon known as 'mirroring.'"

"…Okay, I'm lost."

"You see, Aragami cannot speak. Well, besides Shio of course. Yet they communicate with one another, no different than you and I. Take the Ogretail, for example. Each Aragami functions as an individual lifeform. They possess no social structure and yet, they are capable of hunting effectively as a pack unit. I have reason to believe that this is occurrence is one in the same."

Alisa gaped at him.

"W-Wait…are you saying that Neo and Shio are communicating… telepathically?"

"Hm… Not quite. As you know, Oracles commune with one another. This is what allows them to create larger, functioning specimens such as Aragami. As each cell works in unison, it safe to assume that they give off some form of energy signature or signal. And Shio is picking up on that signal. It is more akin to follow-the-leader if you will. Each Aragami is capable of following the other, moving either in unison or in cascade. But regardless of which method they choose to follow, they are following all the same. Each creature mirrors another, a pack leader, so to speak."

Kota gasped, as realization suddenly hit him.

"Which is why one Ogretail always attacks first!"

"And the rest soon follow. Correct!"

Alisa shook her head. This was all too much to process.

"So then, what determines the alpha? If Aragami have no social structure it follows that they have no chain of command."

"Precisely! Which is why I believe that they operate following patterns of adaptation, rather than authority. They function in an ever-changing dynamic, each capable of following the other as the situation requires."

"Hm…"

Alisa's eyes slowly drifted to the pair of them. Both were giggling uncontrollably, swaying back and forth in a playful manner. That most certainly seemed to be the case. While Shio had been mirroring Neo during their dance, Neo was now mirroring Shio during their rest. Their communication went both ways, allowing them to change leadership as necessary. It was a primitive form of operation, but simultaneously highly effective.

"I see. This explains everything."

At his muttering, Paylor turned his attention and smiled in his direction, curious about his possible find.

"Hm? Something you wish to share, Soma?"

"I've seen this before. During Spring Thunder. Neo and Shio synchronized to herd our target into Fujiki's trap."

"That's right! They were awesome! I was wondering how Shio was so good at coordinating her strikes on our first mission. She was probably mirroring Neo."

"Precisely! And utilizing this communication, Aragami can work together either using either simplistic individualized strategy, or even more complex methods, such as 'chaining.'"

"Sorry Doc. You lost me again."

"Using one Aragami, the alpha, as a base, the others can follow along to mirror it, resulting in herd mentality. Or, they can follow each other, creating a chain reaction. Observe. Ladies, would you care to demonstrate?"

Sakaki nodded towards the two women on the floor, who ceased their merrymaking as the doctor addressed them. Nodding, the New Type turned and made her way toward Ichiro, Shio following behind. Beckoning him with her hand, she asked him to stand. Curiously, he complied, rising to his feet and watching her closely. He wasn't sure what she was hoping to accomplish and didn't know what she wanted him to do.

But she offered him no direction. She simply stared at him, observing him intently. She sense the atmospheric shift as she began to crumble beneath her unblinking eyes. It bothered him when she watched him like this, and she was using it to her advantage. After a few moments of her scrutinizing gaze, he grew uneasy. Running his hands nervously through his hair, he tried to diffuse the tension between them.

The moment he lifted his arm, Neo did the same, running her hands through her own violet locks. Behind her, Shio followed, her pale fingers lacing through her white strands.

Curiously, Ichiro dropped his arm and stepped to the side. The women followed. While he had no Aragami blood in his veins, with Neo, he didn't need it. She knew him well enough that she was capable of following his movements by sight alone. Growing amused with Neo's little game, he tried to confuse her. He feigned slightly to the side, before quickly shifting and spinning in a circle.

But Neo knew him too well. She predicted his plan, and watching his feet, she followed his motions, shifting and twirling around. Behind her, Shio did the same. Kota watched in utter disbelief as the three of them synchronized to near perfection.

"No way…"

The others watched in amazement at the display. By now, they had grown used to watching Neo and Ichiro moving in unison. But to see Shio involved in the process threw them all for a loop. Their ability to follow one another many implications, including plenty on the battlefront. Access to chaining gave a new layer of power to their team structure. Two highly synchronized God Eaters was bad enough. Three would be terrifying.

Having finished her demonstration, Neo left Ichiro to return to his seat and wandered towards the fringe of the group. She still didn't like having so much attention, and so distanced herself from the center of it. But her movements slowed as Sakuya began to voice a concern.

"But wait… this doesn't make any sense."

"Hm… Which part don't you follow, Ms. Tachibana? Was I not clear? I thought I was clear."

"No, no, the explanation is fine… but the problem is your samples."

As Sakaki raised an eyebrow, Sakuya continued.

"What I mean to say is, how is this possible? Your theory is perfectly sound, but there's a flaw in your logic. Only one of them is an Aragami. Neo is human."

"Yeah… that's a good point. What's that about?" Kota turned his attention to the doctor as well, Sakuya's question intriguing him.

Neo's body went rigid. To her side, her childhood friends similarly tensed. That's right. While Soma and Ichiro knew of Neo's origins, Sakaki had learned through documentation and Alisa through resonance. But neither Sakuya nor Kota were aware of Neo's Bias Factor. As far as the two of them were concerned, she was just an eccentric New Type with access to a unique attack set and bad fashion sense.

Neo, Soma, and Ichiro remained still. Soma cursed silently in his head as Neo grew fearful. Ichiro tried to wrack his brain for some form of explanation or excuse but drew a blank. None of them were quite certain what to do or say. And when Shio spoke, all three of them nearly had a heart attack.

"Human? But… um… but Neo is friend!"

A chill ran down her spine, as a pair of eyes drifted in her direction. She couldn't risk flight without drawing suspicion. She couldn't think of what to say and feared that if she spoke, her nervousness would give her away. Kota smiled and shook his head slightly, only adding to her concern.

"Well, sure. All of us are friends here, but…"

As her sides, Neo's fingers began to twitch. Beside her, Soma shifted his weight slightly, trying to narrow the distance between them. He noticed her movement and knew what it meant: she was feeling threatened. Watching the situation deteriorate, Sakaki quickly intervened.

"I believe what Shio is trying to say is that the two of them are very close. Out of all of us, they do spend the most time together and it seems that she views Neo as perhaps a role model of sorts."

"Hm… yeah, I guess that makes sense. Those two are really close…"

Neo gave an inward sigh of relief, silently thanking Sakaki for a disaster averted. Interestingly enough, Paylor's words had been truthful. As the only three of their kind, Shio, Soma, and herself shared a unique bond simply by virtue of their kinship. Among the three of them, Shio and Neo were both females. Or at least, that appeared to be the case where their Aragami was concerned. As such, she seemed to view her as a guide and protector sorts. She had bonded with her in the way that one would an older sister.

"So I guess in a way… Shio has almost become human."

Sakuya regarded the happy child pensively, as she observed the two of them. She had come so far in such a short time and at this point, she was far more like the five of them than Aragami. Were it not for her distinctive features, she would be nearly indistinguishable from a human child.

"So I did really good!"

"Yes, Shio. Very good."

Kota smiled and patted her on the head.

"Yup! You're basically one of us now, eh Shio?"

"Heheheh!"

As Shio laughed sheepishly under their affectionate gazes. The First Unit laughed and joked with one another, commemorating her tremendous progress. The only exception was Neo, who stood slightly away from them with a darkened expression. Having danced her sorrows away with her new blonde acquaintance, she had nearly forgotten why she was so upset in the first place.

Slowly, moved carefully behind Soma and looped around towards the doorway, eyeing them carefully. Distracted, none of them took any notice. With a bitter smile, Neo slipped out of the room and into the hallway.

. . .

Far East Branch Headquarters - Mess Hall

After escaping from the office, Neo made her way to the lower floors in search of something to eat. All of their moving around had made her hungry and with no one to stop her, she had wandered into the Mess Hall. The room was moderately empty, as it often was this time of day, much to her liking.

Not one to dawdle when it came to her food, Neo made quick work of gathering her meal, piling various items inches high onto her lunch tray. There was meat on the menu today, one of her favorite things to drown her sadness. At least that's what it appeared to be. She wasn't entirely sure, but she was far too aggravated to care. Settling on an table towards the back, she carefully balanced her large tray.

Dropping it front of her, Neo grabbed her utensils and began to engorge herself with her various food items. For a few minutes, her table was silent, save for the clinking of her fork against her plate. And for the first time, she realized, she was lonely. Having spent her life in relative solitude, she had come to accept that it was simply to be her existence. With Ichiro by her side, she had never really been truly alone…

But now with him gone, enjoying his time with her more cooperative counterpart, she felt an emptiness that no amount of sustenance seemed able to fill.

As her fork began to slow, she sighed. Perhaps it would have been better had Ichiro never faltered in his task. She would have preferred a painless death to suffering amongst the living. Why had he spared her? What purpose could he possibly have for wanting to keep her in this broken world?

Her expression hardened as her mind began to wander into a very dark place. She began to wonder if the rest of them would simply be better off without her. Perhaps…

Gazing absentmindedly forward, Neo's hand began to move on its own. Gripping her knife, she slowly slid the utensil towards her other arm. Oguruma had trapped her in her shell, but maybe her chains could be broken. With her limitations weakening every day, it was possible that she could override his commands. Maybe. Just maybe.

Curious, she bent her wrist, pointing the blade towards her skin. Her eye narrowed and her teeth clenched as she focused. She concentrated all of her energy into one single motion. The knife trembled in her hand as she willed its movement with all her might… but in the end, she lost. The knife fell to the table with a clatter as it slipped from her fingers, leaning against her tray. It seemed that some lingering effects of her conditioning still remained. How irksome.

"Oi, be careful with that."

The corner of Neo's mouth twitched at the sound of a familiar voice. What was he doing here?

Lifting her gaze from the table, her blue eye met with green ones. It seemed that her Team Captain had found her. Though why he felt the need to approach her, she had no idea.

"You could cut yourself. You know?"

Neo did know. That had been precisely the point.

"I'm aware."

Lenka blinked, slightly taken aback by her curt response. It seemed that their sixth member still wasn't very fond of him. Of course, that didn't come as much of a surprise. Following their brief introduction in that very hall, the two hadn't really had much time to interact with one another. And as she rarely traveled without her protective companion and generally refused his requests for missions, he had gotten little opportunity to rectify it. After noticing her vibrant locks upon his arrival, he decided to take this chance to finally change it.

"That's um… quite a bit of food there."

Neo said nothing. Returning her attention to her meal, she disregarded his presence. It seemed that not much had changed since the last time they had spoken. Unfortunately, Soma wasn't present to act a buffer this time. He would need to open her up on his own.

"Do you always have such a large appetite?"

"Yes."

Lenka grinned slightly, observing the woman as she shoveled food into her mouth. She had responded this time. It was a single word, but still more than he had managed to coax from her the last time.

"I guess you do use a lot of energy, running around the way you do."

"Probably."

She responded again. He was making progress. His brows furrowed as he scoured the corners of his mind, trying to find a point of conversation intriguing enough to hold her attention. From his few interactions with her, Lenka had learned that leaving her in silence for too long would give her time to lock up again. He needed to keep her engaged with him.

"I'm surprised. I'm not used to seeing you alone. Hamasaki is busy I take it?"

"Obviously."

"I see. Well, if you're not busy, we could always -"

"No."

Ouch…

Neo shot down his request before he could even finish vocalizing it. Apparently, she was still adamantly opposed to working with him. It bothered him a little, but at the very least, she wasn't trying to separate his torso from his head. Which was actually a huge improvement.

"Alright…"

Having run out of ideas, Lenka fell silent. Neo continued to inhale her food, grateful for the peace and quiet. Frowning slightly, he watched as she focused entirely on her plate, disregarding him almost happily so. Was she still upset about the bedroom misunderstanding? Surely, she had moved on from that little mishap. Or maybe not. If so, this woman could hold one hell of a grudge. Sighing, he gave in. If he wanted answers, he would have no choice but to simply ask her outright.

"Neo… do you have some kind of problem with me?"

"Yes."

Blunt…

"Oookay… Mind telling me what it is?"

"I don't like you."

Pulls no punches, does she?

"I… I see. I understand. I guess…"

"Good."

Lenka was utterly floored. He had to give Neo credit. She said what she meant and she meant what said. She really didn't like him, and she wasn't subtle about it. At all. Deflating slightly, he decided that for now, it would be best to simply observe her. If she hated him that much, then prodding her would only make it worse. He had learned that the hard way with his other moody teammate.

The two sat in silence, Neo relentlessly attacking her banquet and Lenka simply watching her do it. It was actually impressive how quickly she could consume food without making too much of a mess. And she ate so ravenously… it may even be more accurate to say that she devoured it. She must possess, he assumed, a metabolism that would put even the fastest marathon runners to shame. More surprising still was her size. She was such a small person. Where on earth did she put it all?

In front of him, Neo was beginning to grow irritated. She had felt his gaze since he sat down and she wasn't pleased with it. For the moment, she had been willing to ignore it, her growling stomach too angry to care. But as she neared the end of her massive meal, her patience was near its limit… and she hadn't had much of it to begin with. As the last of her meal vanished into her mouth, Neo dropped her fork, placing her hands forcefully on the table to emphasize her frustration.

"What?"

Lenka could practically malice in her tone and see the anger radiating from her skin.

Her tension was so palpable that he was beginning to grow slightly agitated himself. What was her problem? He had done nothing to her with the exception of his first mistake and he made sure it would be his last. Following the incident, he made a point to follow her advice, treading very lightly around the New Type. He had been relatively patient with her, giving her space due to her volatile nature, but this was getting ridiculous. Surely, such a small incident couldn't warrant this level of hostility.

"Okay seriously, what is your -"

Hm?

Squinting, he slowly swept over her facial features, taking careful note of every detail. Something about her didn't seem quite right. Her nails dug into the table, but her hands were shaking. Her tone was laced with rage, but her voice wavered. Her glare was hard as stone, but she wasn't looking at him. She was looking through him.

She wasn't being vicious towards him. She was simply venting her pain and he was the closest thing to her. She wasn't upset with him. She was just lashing out. Having spent enough time around Soma, he recognized redirected aggression when he saw it. She was hurting, and her rage was a mask to hide it. Before he realized it, his question had changed as he voiced his concern without thought.

"Neo, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"…You're lying. You're upset."

Her expression confirmed his suspicions. The momentary surprise on her features told him that he was right. Neo said nothing, but her glare intensified, threatening to freeze him into a solid block of ice. A shiver ran across his skin as their eyes met. Had it gotten colder?

"Fuck off."

Sighing, Lenka shook his head. He recognized this routine from Soma as well. She was pushing him away, trying to ward off his advances with belligerence. She needed someone to acknowledge her, but he knew better than to corner her completely. If he pushed too hard, she would flee and likely be even more difficult to approach a second time. He would have to find a way to cajole her, bringing her carefully out of her shell on her own terms.

"Okay."

Her eyebrow raised, slightly surprised by his forfeiture. He was actually going to leave her alone? She wasn't expecting that. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, her tense posture loosening ever so slightly. She was on high alert and her guard was up, but at the very least, she wasn't fight or flight.

As the table returned to silence, her gaze fell to her empty tray. Left to her own devices, Neo's mind began to drift again, leaving Utsugi in the Mess Hall and traveling many floors above. She couldn't shake the feeling of absolute rejection as Ichiro had quite literally tossed her aside, while having no qualms with accepting the Aragami child. In fact, both of her friends seemed to have developed a preference for her. And though that wasn't unexpected, it still bothered her. In fact, it did far more than bother her… it hurt.

Her eye trembled as her she began to drown, once again, in her sorrows. Lost in her own head, the cracks were starting to show. Neo wouldn't call out for help. He knew that. But he also knew that while she would never ask for it, she wanted it. While she would never seek out companionship, she hated being alone. She needed someone, but she wouldn't reach out. So instead, he would come to her.

Slowly reaching forward, Lenka placed a gentle atop her own in a gesture of solace. It wasn't enough to be overwhelming, but enough to solidify his presence in her mind. He wanted only to let her know that he was there, should she need him. Neo bristled, attempting to hiss her indignation at him… but she didn't have the strength. She was far too tired. Her threatening growl sounded more akin to a low whine.

As her voice failed her, she instead shot him a venomous glare, sending the message that her vocality couldn't. But surprisingly, he didn't respond in kind. He simply smiled at her. That same kind, compassionate smile that she had come to know over so many years. Just like Ichiro. Just like Lindow. Just like…

Then something happened.

Her entire body tensed, eye widening as her mind left her. The hall faded away, morphing into a barren desert wasteland. No longer in her seat, she was running. As fast as her legs could carry her, she ran. Her hand clasped around another, as they rushed through the carnage surrounding them. She could see a woman. Brown hair billowed in the wind as they ran, her brown eyes looking back at her with pained concern as they approached a motorized bicycle.

She felt pain. She felt despair. She felt regret.

In front of her, Lenka reacted similarly, his teeth clenching as he found himself sitting on a lab table. His legs dangled off of the edge as a familiar-looking man placed a needle into his arm. The image lasted for only a moment as the same face appeared again, bloody and fearful, crouching against the wall of a airplane cabin. His body trembled as he looked up at him, eyes filled with terror. Then, he appeared again, cold and still laying calmly in the snow.

He felt pain, He felt despair. He felt regret.

With a pained gasp, Neo tore her hand from Lenka's, severing their connection. The knife on her tray, left forgotten, quickly became a weapon as her arm tore across the sharpened edge.

"Tch…"

"Whoa! Are you alright?!"

Lenka watched as she gripped her arm with her hand, trying to stop the bleeding. As crimson stained the white surface of the table, he jumped to his feet, rushing to aid her. Moving around the table, he pulled a handkerchief from his bag and took her injured arm… which was a big mistake.

Neo hissed and leapt away from him, rejecting any further contact and ripping her arm from his grasp. Annoyed, Lenka pressed forward and followed her. While he did his best to respect her boundaries, he would not sit idly by while she bled all over the floor.

"Neo, hold still. I know it hurts but we have to stop -"

His sentence was cut short as he quickly backpedaled, avoiding her claw-like nails as she swiped at him in a familiar gesture. As he moved away, she maneuvered around him, rushing for the side door.

"Wait!"

He had barely made two paces before she accelerated, vanishing into the stairwell within a matter of seconds. She disappeared like a phantom leaving behind only a bloody handprint on the door to signify that she was there. On the other side, she rushed down the flights towards the lower floors, refusing to look back. She didn't know if he would follow her, but she couldn't run the risk. And as her skin fused together beneath her fingers, her eyes narrowed as she was reminded yet again, how far she was from human.

With no hope of catching the spooked New Type, Utsugi sighed and resigned himself to cleaning up her mess instead. As he gathered towels to wipe the blood from the table, his mind drifted to the image of violet hair crossing the distance within a few bounds. He had never seen any human being move that quickly. She was truly astonishing.

She was also pained. As the image the light-skinned man appeared in his mind, he began to wonder who that person could have been. Their connection had been weak, showing only images of her past, with little in the way of context. He couldn't pinpoint any specific detail but from what he had felt, he must have been very dear to her. Her father perhaps? It seemed unlikely as they shared no resemblance whatsoever. He did however, bear a striking resemblance to another. Where had he seen those features before…?

From the entrance of the Mess Hall, Ichiro watched as Lenka went about wiping down the tables, a pensive expression on his face. A few minutes after Neo's departure, he had noticed her absence and taken his leave to find her. Without finding her in either of their rooms, he began searching the lobby and the side halls, trying to locate her. What he had not expected was to find her in the Mess Hall, with their Captain of all people.

Irritation rose as he saw their clasped hands. He knew that the two of them weren't very close. In fact, he would go so far as to suggest that she hated him. But while they shared no affection for one another, they did share something else: they were both New Types. And he had recognized the tell-tale signs of a resonance occurring between them.

But he had no way knowing what exactly he had seen. He knew only that Neo had bolted, fleeing the scene after severing their communication. Narrowing his eyes, he turned and made his way to a nearby stairwell to head off his New Type before she disappeared again. The incident had confirmed his suspicions.

Utsugi was definitely going to be a problem.

Note:

Song is Problem, Becky G