AN: Sorry for the delay, I am a forgetful one!

Seira IV – Indian Ocean, 30th January, 22:15

"They sure don't make places like these anymore," M-21 muttered as they searched the place. From everything, it seemed like a late seventies base - it had belonged to the 7th Elder. The man who had killed Seira's family. Calling Tao, they managed to get the emergency generators to run, which powered up the base enough to have light and... to actually connect to the Union Network. Acceptance pending. The screens lit up. The First. The Third. A thirteenth. All the other spaces were dark. No one was there to occupy them. Next to Seira, M-21 breathed a sigh of relief. Then Ignes' distractive manoeuvre had succeeded?

"Who are you?", Haydn asked in the identity of the First Elder. "How did you find this place?!"

"My name is Seira J. Loyard. I am here on behalf of Lukedonia." She couldn't say how she found it though, could she? "A companion of mine found the base for us."

"Lukedonia has official contacts," Haydn pointed out after First whispered in his earpiece. Unless... they wanted to speak to them directly. "What does Lukedonia want?"

"... Assistance in recovering our Lord from the werewolves."

A few moments of silence. "Can you elaborate?", Third asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"Without our Lord we are without direction. We want her back, and are willing to ally with the Union to those ends. Ally. Not just tolerate as we have been."

"... Are you saying that your Lord is a prisoner of the werewolves?", Haydn asked to confirm what they just heard. "None of the reports we received, including the Second Elder's retelling of the events, mentioned this."

"That is correct. Erga Kenesis di Raskreia is currently held as prisoner of the werewolves." The werewolf lord hadn't said anything?

A few moments of silence. So the Second Elder had actually lied to them. "And now you ask for our help?", Third asked. "After your people killed the majority of our Elders?"

"I would like it noted that that was an escalating situation where you kept sending Elders, and we had to kill them to defend ourselves. And that wasn't Lukedonia itself but our allies, acting on their own behalf. Furthermore, three of your Elders were traitor nobles and subject to execution by our laws to begin with. Also dealt with by those allies, and not by Lukedonia."

"Even recent events aside, you are asking us to attack the people of he Second Elder... who is, in fact, coincidentally absent tonight."

"Attacking is an unfortunate side effect. We just want our Lord." Besides. "Wouldn't you have to face off against him eventually anyway? The amount of infighting I've heard happens there would make it necessary in order to defend yourselves."

"And what exactly can Lukedonia offer?"

"Our Central Knights and the aid of our Clan Leaders. For battle, anyway. Any reward will need to be determined by the Lord after her rescue."

First rubbed his head. This was... He mumbled into the microphone that connected him to Haydn. "Please wait a minute," he said, again, in his role of the First Elder. In private, First turned to his colleague. "What do you think?"

As they waited for the First Elder to speak up again, M-21 shuffled at the silence of the Elders. Crombel.. was he here? Was he listening? This was... more than just stressful.

"It could be useful. The nobles have never been particularly threatening to humans," Third mused. Not like Second and his werewolves were. He could easily see the benefits of this.

Thirteenth's screen lit up. "And what would the point of this be? If you're weak enough to need the Union's help, you're too weak to be of use to us anyway." A united front was bad, and Crombel would do anything to stop it.

M-21 flinched at the voice. Crombel. This was Crombel. without even the slightest bit of doubt. This was Crombel and he felt sick. "Are you strong enough to fight the werewolves by yourselves?! You would have done so already! You got nothing anymore. Not even your noble scientist."

"We have me. And I have all of the data that Ignes Kravei left behind before her death." Crombel needed no help in making his side of the Union strong. And would have no trouble taking down Second.

"Ignes Kravei is alive. And she is on Werewolf territory right now," M-21 corrected. First froze for a moment. Then that meant the Union's best researcher... was with Second Elder now. He now had all the access to the technology he had wanted so badly. "This sounds like a complicated situation," Haydn said. "Third Elder will meet you in person, where you will discuss details of this possible alliance."

"Thank you. Where should we meet?" Good. Seira had at least secured the possibility of alliance.

"In Mexico. At the Don Martin Lake. In one week," Third decided. Fine. If he had to go, he would choose when and where.

"I'll make sure we're there."

"Come alone." This was still dangerous. "... It is not a coincidence that the Second Elder is absent just the day you call, I assume? And your access to this base?", Haydn inquired.

"... Confidential."
"I see. Can your inside source provide any other information?"
"I do not know. Their position is precarious, from what the messenger said."

"We will be unable to take up contact again with them," M-21 said calmly. That was probably what they wanted to know.

"We are told that their Lord has every intention of finishing us off. So any alliance will need to happen before then," Seira insisted.

"Well. We are going to discuss this in person next week," Third assured.

"Thank you." She turned to M-21. They were done here then, weren't they?

The Third and First Elder's screens went dark - and M-21 stared at the screen of Thirteen. Where Crombel sat. Would he just... hang up? Did he recognize his voice? No. He probably did not even remember him at all.

Crombel waited a bit, seeing if they'd say anything more, before he too hung up. M-21 was there, with the nobles. If he wanted to recover him to take a look at his progress first hand, he'd need to interrupt their meeting.

M-21 let out a shaky breath when all of the screens went dark. Takeo pressed the red button that was meant to end the call on their end too. "... shit... did this go well or not?"

"We were promised a meeting." Though, going alone... she didn't like that. She didn't even know if he meant Seira specifically, or if M-21 was meant to go along as well.

"... I think we should not go alone," Takeo admitted. "Union is Union. I bet they will not come alone either."

"We?" She blinked. "I'd assumed that I would go alone. You all will come as well?"

"Yeah. I am coming." M-21 nodded.
"... and I will go to." Takeo crossed his arms in front of his chest. "We could pick up Tao along the way and... maybe even one of the nobles."

"Let's go back. Then we can call Ser Gejutel and see who would be best to take."

"Yes." Takeo patted M-21's back. "Well done. You... handled it well. Both of you." Because he felt like both of them needed to hear this.

Seira blushed and hummed. She loved compliments.

Crombel II – South Korea, 30th January, 22:45

This whole new situation was quite... interesting, to say the least. And dangerous. If all parties ended up weakened by this, Crombel would profit. But a strengthened Union and the nobles back on their feet again? Bad. Aris and Yuri entered the conference room quietly. Their master looked tense, as though he'd just received bad news. It would be best to wait for him to speak first.

"It seems that the Union has decided to ally with the nobles, of all people."

Yuri's first thought shot through the graceful beauty of the Loyard Clan Leader. Would he get to see her again? He hoped so. Aris just nodded, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"Aris. You will go and stop the meeting from happening. Kill them. Send a message that this can't happen."

"Huh?" Aris blinked. So they'd actually step in?

"Doctor Aris. I've taken great pains to leave your mind intact. I know damn well that you know what will happen if this alliance goes through." He wouldn't be able to take on the nobles and the last of the Union alone if they were together. They needed to fall if he was to see his new world through.

Right. She still responded with a cute little pout. "Who's coming? I think I need more people than just me and Yuri."

"Take a few of the toys you made. I don't have any other resources to spare right now." But he would soon. He grinned. Yuri knew better than anyone that the corpses they made were to be brought back. And he'd make sure Aris knew as well.

Aris nodded. Ignes had left really awesome data, though it had taken a bit of time to get similar results. She would never copy research after all. And then Crombel really made some amazing additions. A dreamy sigh. "Okay. When and where?"

"Don Martin Lake in Mexico. A week from now."

"Oh Mexico!" She clapped her hands. "I thought everything interesting happens in Korea."

"Speaking of- Yuri. You're with me. There's something we need to investigate while Aris is busy." He'd heard M-21's voice. So his 'home' would be unguarded during the meeting in all likelihood. A prime opportunity to invade and take all that information the impressive blond was squirrelling away for himself.

Yuri nodded while Aris skid off with false cheer. He stepped closer to his boss. "What do we do?"

"We're going to go obtain data again. Whatever Mark missed last he was there." Yuri had to remember how much everything had improved from what they'd wound up getting.

"... You mean Frankenstein's house? That's quite a risky venture."

"M-21 will be at the meeting." And where M-21 was, the other two would be as well. Possibly the two strong ones too. "If it's inhabited, we can just fall back. But we can't afford to miss an opportunity like this when there's a chance that it's unguarded."

Yuri nodded. "Understood."

"Good." He smiled. His plans would all come together once this pesky little alliance was dealt with.

"Do I need to prepare anything?"

"Bring Mark. And whatever dolls Aris doesn't take with her."

"Understood. We'll be ready." He turned around to take his leave. Maybe he could catch a glimpse of miss Seira's room when they were there.