"So, what's on the schedule today, Noriko?" Classified asked as he sat down at the breakfast table.

"Let's see," Noriko slipped her hand into her pocket. A look of panic grew on her face as she began rummaging through her other pockets as well. " I can't seem to find my itinerary," she panicked.

"Okay, crew, since Noriko can't lord over us and the rest of the agents aren't scheduled to get here until tonight, today we're going to the lake!" Classified announced.

"WHAT?! I'm positive that wasn't on the schedule!" Noriko screeched.

"You're yelling again," Haven reminded the ginger.

"Is there a reason we're going there?" Nagisa asked curiously.

"Team bonding!" Classified smiled.

"Haven't we had enough of that?" Haven asked as she took another bite of toast.

"Well, you kids have fun! Tadaomi's taking me shopping," Irina smugly announced.

Karasuma raised an eyebrow at Jelavic in surprise. "Since when? I thought we were going with them."

"It's 'cause you two ditched us yesterday," Classified wiggled his eyebrows.

Jelavic suppressed a screech of frustration. "What?! I don't want to have to babysit any damn brats!"

The green-eyed girl gave her mentor a hurt expression. "Ms. Jelavic…!"

"Don't take it personally, Fia," Jelavic huffed, "I just wanted to go on a date with Karasuma. The only thing we've done since we got to the States is work!"

"It'll be fun," Classified grinned.

Karma shot a suspicious look towards the green-haired man. "What are you scheming?"


"You just wanted to send them on dates, didn't you?!" Noriko fumed at her partner as they watched their companions board the ferris wheel in pairs.

Classified leaned against the wall. "No, I did it so they could have a panoramic view of the city."

"Thank goodness, you're finally being responsible," Noriko sighed in relief.

"Just kidding," her partner smirked to her dismay. "So what if I did? Can't I have my fun?"

"I just… I had to watch you go through hell when the old team broke up… All the messy conflicting interests afterwards were a pain," Noriko sighed, "I still don't really talk to any of them."

"I wouldn't call it Hell… Maybe a daily dose of torment and suffering, but not Hell. If we believe Dante, Hell is so much better," Classified joked.

"I'm being serious here," Noriko gave him an unamused look.

The man sighed. "Trying to keep your feelings hidden isn't an advantage, Noriko. In fact, it can cause strife and tension within a group. Just look at our teammates right now."

"You're talking about Karma and Fia, aren't you," Noriko replied. "I think I'm starting to understand… maybe. But what if things go wrong? Then everything will be a mess."

"Suppressing your thoughts from your teammates begins to isolates you from the get go. If things don't work out, at least you tried. I realize it was hard on you when the team split, but it all worked out in the end. You get to interact with people closer to your own age now, which quite frankly is a good thing."

"What's that supposed to imply?!" Noriko glared at the man next to her.

"You need to lighten up." Classified responded as he swiftly melted into the crowd.

"Hey! Wait up!" Noriko cried as she followed him in. "W-where are you?!" Noriko began to panic as she looked around. "Why did everyone decide to come here today!?"


Karma and Fia looked at each other, a dusting of red on their cheeks.

"You… you look nice today." Karma looked away from the girl, his face burning.

"Oh, thank you," the red of Fia's cheeks darkened slightly from the bright pink they already paraded. "It's a bit warm, isn't it?" She readjusted her collar and dropped her gaze as Karma looked back at her. He was staring at her, she could tell, and it made her face heat up warmer than stewing hot pot in July. She brought her gaze back to his face as orange eyes darted to the painted ceiling of the gondola.

Karma whistled somewhat boredly, a quiet tune that made Fia giggle ("Hello, Shooting Star," for the win!). Hearing her voice, he shot her a curious look but she shook her head and shrugged with a small smile. He smiled back, rather awkwardly, which made the girl across from him smile more, even while her gaze stayed downcast to the floor.

"Oh, a heads-up penny!" Fia gasped as she reached for the lucky Lincoln. Leaning forward with a grin, Fia boasted the bronze coin where Karma could see and was about to lean back when the redhead whispered, "Fia, wait." She paused and glanced curiously as his face carefully approached hers.

He leaned in slowly, as to not move the gondola, and paused just as their noses touched. Karma gently cupped the girl's face as to keep her, appearing slightly startled, from moving away. He couldn't wait or hold back anymore - the frustration was infuriating him. "Fia…"

"Karma…?"

"You can't see anything either, can you?" he whispered into her ear.

Fia sighed. "Not at all…" She joined Karma in looking first to Karasuma and Jelavic sitting across from each other on her left and then to Nagisa and Haven on her right. The pair in the middle of the gondola felt strangled by the palpable, rainbow sherbert, bubbly "lovey-dovey aura" each romantic couple was emitting if it wasn't already bad enough that they were blocking the views of the only two actually interested in seeing the Chicago skyline.

Sighing, Karma fell back in his seat and shrugged in a "what can we do?" kind of way.

Fia smiled apologetically back at him with a shrug of her own. "We could use this opportunity to sneak off for ice cream before they come back to their senses."

"We have the chance for delinquency and you choose ice cream?" he asked bewilderedly.

"Or funnel cake~. Oh, or churros! Or cotton can-"

"On second thought, I'm not surprised-"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Haha, nothing," he responded with a grin. "It'll be my treat but you sure you won't burst outta your swimsuit at this rate?"


Haven walked out of the changing rooms in a two-piece. It was black with pink polka-dots and lots of ruffles.

"You kind of look like a girl now," Karma joked when he saw her.

"Shut up, Akabane," she shot the boy a glare.

Fia gasped as she ran up to her friends, followed closely behind by Nagisa. "Haven! You look so cute!" she laughed.

"My aunt traded it out for my wetsuit," Haven mumbled.

"So that's what you look like when you don't cover yourself from head to toe," Fia chirped cheerfully.

"You say that, but…" Karma pointed at Fia's outfit.

She looked down; she had donned a short-sleeved hoodie and a pair of white shorts. Fia blushed and pouted up at him. "I don't plan on going into the water though… Or using the swimsuits my lovely female relations stuffed in my bag… or getting another sunburn in unpleasant places for that matter!" Her face turned red.

"Where's that?" He laughed. "Looks like you already have some on your face there~."

Fia's hands instinctively crossed over her chest. "D-do you h-have to ask?!"

Karma laughed and threw his arm around Nagisa's shoulders. "What about you, Nagisa? You sure you aren't exposing too much?" the redhead teased, referencing the fact that Nagisa wasn't wearing a shirt.

"I'm a boy!" He protested, lightly elbowing his friend.

The four laughed together and headed down to set up their things on the shore. A bit further up the coast sat two men. One of them winked at the girls ogling at them while the other stared over the lake stoically.

"Come on, Tadaomi, enjoy the view. Look at all these chicks hitting on us," Classified grinned at them, causing an outburst of shrieks from said girls, before turning to his friend. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything important when I pulled you guys over here to help out."

"Not to worry. I don't do much of that work anymore and my boss suspects this group might have dealings in near us as well, which doesn't sit well with him. He was happy to send the help."

"I'm really sorry that it was on such short notice," Classified said.

"I must admit, I was surprised to hear about the break up. You were a dynamic team for years. What happened?"

"Oh look!" Classified pointed at some of the younger agents splashing around in the lake. "They look like they're enjoying themselves. Let's go join them."

"So, are you going to answer the question?"

"What do you want me to say? However I tell you, there will be a villain and I don't think that's completely correct." Classified gave a forced smile. "Well, to being bachelors forever, right?" Karasuma gave him a sideways glance. "Wait… You're married now…" Classified corrected. "To me being forever alone."

Suddenly, one of the ladies surrounding them came closer. "Hey, hot stuff," she winked at Tadaomi. Classified flung his arms up and gave his friend a look that clearly read why do they always fall for you? Suddenly, a loud screech could be heard throughout the beach. Everyone looked to the well-endowed blonde producing the noise as she raced towards Tadaomi.

"Um… ma'am, you might want to run now," Karasuma urged his admirer.

"Yeah," Classified nodded in agreement. "His wife is hella scary. But I'm free."

The woman looked at him in his neon green speedo with slight curiosity as she walked away. As she left, Irina jumped into Tadaomi's lap and jeered at the other woman. "Keep your hands and eyes away from him! He's already taken!"

Classified looked at the couple next to him. "That's quite the woman you got there Tadaomi…" he sweatdropped


"Who's that?" Karma asked as a girl with skin slightly lighter than the sand waved at them.

"That's Haven," Fia replied as she adjusted the colored towels under their umbrella to sit more comfortably.

"But isn't Haven ghostly pale?" he responded with a quirked brow.

"She has light skin, but she's only the color of death because she's almost always inside," Fia explained.

"Um… doesn't it look like her skin is slightly red as well…?" Nagisa commented.

"Haven, be sure not to get a sunburn," Fia warned gently. "I'll put on more sun block for you, come here."

"I think I've had enough sun for now anyways," Haven ran back and sat under the umbrella. She pulled her laptop, covered in a waterproof/sand-proof plastic cover, out of her backpack and began typing.

Nagisa smiled wryly and took a seat next to Haven as he wrapped his towel around the both of their shoulders. He pulled out a book and his notebook, scribbling something about Chicago's geography before opening his book to a worn black bookmark with a yellow smiley face.

Not wanting to disturb the peaceful couple, sighing contentedly against the other, Fia turned to Karma. "Where's Noriko?" she asked.

"Something about going to find her lost itinerary."

"Isn't that going to be impossible in a city of this size?" Fia's eyes widened in shock.

"Knowing that stubborn woman, she'll probably find it in the end," he replied lazily. "What about you?"

"What about me?" she inquired carefully.

"You haven't left this spot since we got here," he pointed out.

"Not true! I have scooted 6 and a half inches this way to stay in the shade!" Fia argued back.

"Not what I mean, you goof." Karma flicked the girl's forehead, an action which resulted in profuse whining.

"Um…" Fia faltered. "I guess… I can try to step in the water." She got up slowly and brushed herself off before lumbering slowly to where the waves were crashing over the shore. She let the water cascade over her feet and Karma began to smile - that is until her tiny silhouette began making a beeline back towards the umbrella.

Karma stood up and moved to intercept the girl by the waist halfway down the beach. "What's wrong?" he asked the girl with her eyes glued to her sand-caked feet.

"Nothing, I just…"

"Just?" the redhead asked softly as he let go of her form.

The girl sighed and shook her head. "I'm-"

"Fia's what?" Nagisa asked Haven with big blue eyes.

Haven's coal eyes flicked towards her boyfriend. "Afraid of drowning and thus deep bodies of water," she answered slowly. "I thought something was wrong when she never went canoeing with our group at camp, and my suspicion only increased when Benny invited us to Magic Waters and she adamantly refused. I wasn't planning on going from the start but I thought that Fia would at least enjoy it. It finally clicked when we were watching some dramatic survivor movie and one of the protagonists went over the raft during a storm. She drowned. Fia looked absolutely mortified."

Nagisa glanced worriedly down towards the auburn-haired girl, pulling off her hoodie and shorts carefully by the water.

"Are you sure about this?" Fia glanced at the redhead standing up to his waist in the dark water.

He waved her over with a grin. "Yeah, but I promise it's only half as cold as the arctic."

"I'm sure," she answered between nervous laughs. Her arms holding her body reassuringly, Fia carefully waded in as she kept glancing at Karma's outstretched hand. She grasped it quickly and clung to his arm like a child to her inner tube.

Karma smiled down at the girl. "I've got you - but now you can't get away. Nice bikini by the way, Fia~," he laughed as he sprayed some residual water from his hand onto her face.

"Eep! Hey, that's cold!" Fia pouted as she elbowed him. "And… thanks." She shivered as the breeze whipped past them. "Okay, you were right, it is like the arctic - can I get out now?" She looked hesitantly towards the safe, solid, and sandy shore, where kids were building sand castles under the warm sun.

Nagisa looked back towards Haven, who had gone back to typing. "Do you know why she's afraid of drowning?"

Haven shrugged nonchalantly. "No, I hadn't really thought to ask."

"I do know how to swim!" Fia protested as she reluctantly was lead into a crouching position in the water by Karma and willfully had to ignore the crisp, chilling crests swirling around her shoulders. She gripped the hands of the redhead sitting across from her tighter.

"Then what?" he asked patiently.

"I just… remember being little and tumbling into one of the ravines. I-It was so cold that I couldn't move and I couldn't fight the current and my sister she - she tried to come in after me but it was too strong for her too and we both went racing down and down. The river kept pushing me down and down and down into its icy grip and I hit rock after rock after rock. I-It was so cold I could hardly feel it but I could hear her crying too - or maybe it was my own, I don't know. She was finally able to grab me and we washed up on some bank somewhere but we we couldn't move we were so battered that we just had to wait… Wait until one of the search parties found us, shivering and on the brink of consciousness."

"…"

"I wish that it had just stopped there," she continued, "but I heard how they talked, said how it was just fate for me to lose my siblings like every other girl in my family does - that's just how it works apparently."

"What do you mean-?"

"But then we move to the States, away from all that, right? Felix takes me to a camp to make friends and on the very first canoe trip, I am last in line, the slowest of the slow, but that's okay because I was enjoying the view, right? I guess not because fratello was leading the line when my boat tipped and I was just too quiet or too far back to be heard any more. I wanted to call out to Haven and Earnest but they were power rowers and so far ahead… I thought I was going to die there… I was lucky that one kid was having a hard time doing more than turning in circles and spotted me! By the time Felix got to me, I was already under," she sighed.

"Fia…"

"The ocean terrifies me because… unlike the others… it can come in, chase you, and steal you away. The waves give you a brief moment of hope and then - then they drag you back forcefully, terrifyingly, and there's nothing you can do but hope, hope someone sees you, comes to save you, and doesn't get caught up in it themselves. It's so scary. It doesn't take more than a couple meters to drown, but I used to be able to swim that every day for fun. And it only takes a few minutes, a few moments… Isn't that… horrifying?"

Green eyes glanced forlornly at the shore where the incoming tide was eating away at the castle ruins that stood bravely in its wake. Karma let go of Fia's hands slowly and thought quietly for a few moments.

"Yeah, it is," he answered quietly.

"But then… Wasn't she terrified? When you and Karma fell into the lake last winter?" Nagisa asked tentatively.

The white-haired girl's fingers paused, hovering over her keys. "She might have been… Especially because we both became very sick after." Haven thought back to her fever, her tremor, her diminished presence of mind.

Touching her pruny fingers together, Fia moved her gaze back to Karma, staring intently back at her. "Ah, but I'm better now! A little… sort of… I mean, I didn't even realize how much time we'd spent here already!" His expression did not change. "I'm getting more comfortable, I think."

"You think?" he inquired.

"Y-Yeah! I mean, yes." Fia pouted. "Really, I am! I am! D-Don't you dare think that I'm not!"

Karma smiled. "I never doubted it."

Peridot eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really… All that air in your head would keep you afloat anyway, don't you think? I wasn't worried," he replied nonchalantly with a smirk.

"I suppose - HEY!"

Nagisa's cerulean eyes reflected a volley of sapphire spheres somersaulting through the saturated sky as Fia launched a wave of water at her red-haired companion. A smile played onto Nagisa's lips as he saw Karma fall backwards, black skull-laden swim trunks and kicking legs floundering high above his vermillion head. Karma jumped up quickly with a crooked smile and slapped the water, sending a storm back at Fia.

"Oh, they're up to their old shenanigans," Haven sighed.

Smiling cheerfully, Nagisa nudged Haven lightly. "But it looks like she's finally enjoying herself."

"Yeah, I'm glad…" Haven answered hesitantly.

"Well, what are you working on?" the bluenette inquired as he peered over her shoulder.

"Nothing." Haven shut her computer and placed it securely in her backpack. She slung the black strap over her shoulders quickly and got up. "I'm… Going for a walk."

"Huh? Oh… Want me to come with?"

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks though. I'll see you later."


The group walked into a Chinese restaurant and Classified walked up to the hostess. "Hi, is there a reservation for Mr. Xing this evening?"

"Yes. Please follow me." The hostess led them to a private room at the back of the restaurant. Outside, leaning against the wall was Noriko, looking exhausted.

"Where've you been all day?" Classified asked as he approarched her. The others went into the room.

"I lost my itinerary earlier. I was looking for it," she replied hotly.

"Did you find it?" Classified asked, curious.

"No, I did not."

"Well, you're here now. Enjoy the evening. I'm sure it'll turn up later." Classified assured her as they slid open the door and walked in.

"Koopa Kid!" Classified grinned as he approached the large man.

"No-Name!" Koopa Kid bro-hugged the smaller man.

"He's built like a lineman…" Fia mumbled to herself.

"How did we miss him in the last mission?" Karma asked.

"You might recognize him as one of the guards that night," Rosalina said as she walked by. "And he's not that large. You should have seen some of the men I had to sedate in Kenya. They were truly goliaths." She spotted a familiar face and called, "Monroe, darling!"

"Rosalina, it's been ages!" The two exchanged greeting kisses.

"I was on that recent mission though."

"That can hardly be considered meeting. We didn't even get the chance to talk."

"There was also the conference in Kyoto last year, we talked then. I must say again, your lecture on deep cover was riveting."

"Oh thank you, I'm flattered."

"You must tell me about that one incident you mentioned though. The one you said involved three guys, a small armory, and a retro gym outfit," Rosalina insisted. Irina sweat dropped.

"That one is still classified," Karasuma stepped in.

"It's a pity I can't tell you about it. I met this guy during that mission."

"A pity indeed. You always did get the missions with the best perks. Then again, I always felt that Lovro prefered you to me. Maybe he just offers you the better jobs."

"Now, now. You joined the government as soon as you finished training with him. It's not like you needed him to get your work."

"Jeez, the pomp and circumstance you two are emitting is suffocating," Princess Peach complained as she passed the two women. They responded by turning towards her, eyes full of fire. "There's the Rosalina I know." Princess Peach smirked and stuck out her tongue as she ignored the jabbering from women on either side of her.

"They're two of a kind," Nagisa sweat dropped as he watched the women attempted to throttle the girl.

"Lady Luck, we haven't seen each other much recently," Mario called.

"If I recall correctly, last time we spent more that twenty four hours together, our getaway car caught fire and we both nearly got thrown out of the CIA."

"Are you still holding that against me?"

"Mario, you were in charge of the car."

"It was just training. Besides we weren't even agents yet."

"You weren't an agent yet, which probably makes it worse."

"My papi says Italians are individualistic drivers," Fia chimed in.

"Italians are individualistic drivers," Mario explained.

"Then why did you volunteer to take care of the car?"

The door slid open and a very large man in military fatigues lumbered in followed by three others in suits.

"Oi, Beta, stand guard."

"Make Omega do it!

"I would, except she's incompetent. Why are you questioning my orders? I could report you for insubordination."

"Actually, sir," the girl began.

"I didn't give you permission to speak, Omega."

"Oh, yes, sir, sorry, sir."

"Still didn't have permission." He sat down in a empty chair, a subordinate on either side. The other twelve agents filled in the rest of the seats at the large round table.

Suddenly, a female waitress walked in and handed everyone menus.

"Good evening. I'm Amy. I will be your waitress tonight. Can I get you all started on some drinks?" she smiled at the group.

"We've already pre-ordered food. You should know that. With how much we're paying you, couldn't you at least pretend to be competent?" Red Baron scowled.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't realize that was your order," the girl apologized. "I'll get that right out for you." She came back momentarily with several other servers and placed the platters of food on the table. "I'm sorry to have bothered you. If you need anything please feel free to ask," the girl said as she left the room, sliding the door shut behind her.

"Now that the food's here, we can start the preliminary briefing," Red Baron began as everyone put food on their plates, "We are in the process of annihilating a syndicate that's primary focus is illegal dealings. It is mainly run by two families, one of which we have already brought down. We still need to halt all this organization's current transactions in this country. Each team will be given a few cases to close down. Alpha, give them the folders."

"Yes, sir." The man on his right got up and pulled a stack of manilla folders from his briefcase before going around the table and handing them to some of the members. The folders were opened and scanned through.

"How come only some of us got folders?"

"Because I don't trust kids," Red Baron grunted. Sure enough the only ones with folders were Jelavic, Karasuma, Koopa Kid, Rosalina, and Classified.

The older agents looked at the papers in the folders, mumbling and uttering small comments here and there.

"I presume you'll all leave tonight," Red Baron said as he got up.

"There's so much food, aren't you going to eat anything?"

"I'd rather not spend any more time with you idiots than necessary. Me and my men already packed their food to go," Red Baron sneered. Alpha and Omega quickly followed him, closing the doors behind them.

"Well, he's as pleasant as ever," Classified commented. "Also, we're not leaving tonight. His team is known for efficiency, but I bet you guys would appreciate sleep before we head out." The entire room murmured in agreement. "So, do you want to know what these folders say? I mean the information is kind of important." The young adults in the room gave the man a curious glance.

"Are you actually going to share the information or are you just joking with us?" Princess Peach snapped.

"Well, Red Baron just left for the Northwest," Classified replied. "Your team is supposed to investigate the Southwest for any clues to what this organization is up to. And my team is investigating the Southeast."

Princess Peach glanced at Rosalina and Koopa Kid with a guarded look, who were nodding in agreement.

"Peach, I think it would be better if you went with the other team for this project," Koopa Kid suggested.

Princess Peach's expression soured. "But I know the area the best out of all of you!" she protested. "I know the geography, the customs! I don't trust them and they probably don't trust me! I know this team, and I want to be with people I know will watch my back."

"You aren't even giving this other team a chance," Rosalina answered with crossed arms.

"Even if I did, it took me years to come to trust all of you," Princess Peach retorted.

"Then trust us when we say we think this is better for your wellbeing. Besides, I trust Monroe to watch your back." Rosalina flipped her violet hair and her gold eyes met sapphire ones.

"My wellbeing…" Princess Peach paused. "If you let me go with you guys, I promise not to let my emotions get in the way."

"Do you need a legal reason, Peach?" Koopa Kid asked reluctantly. Princess Peach gave him a quiet but defiant glare. "You have too many former connections to this organization. We can't risk having you recognized and our cover blown. It's too great of a risk to, not only this team, but also this mission if I allow you to come with us."

"Please understand, Peach," Mario pleaded.

Princess Peach, sighing in resignation, nodded and turned back to her plate.

"How do you use these?" Noriko asked as she held a chopstick in each hand. Her plate was forlornly bare.

"You could just use a fork. I'm sure they have some here," Nagisa said with a smile.

"But everyone else is using them. How do you guys all know how to?" Noriko complained.

"We're from Japan," Nagisa, Karma, Jelavic, and Karasuma answered.

"Do you even need to ask?" Haven asked flatly.

Fia smiled and pointed at her roommates. "No choice."

Classified laughed. "But of course that's classified."

"There's a Chinese restaurant near headquarters. Last person to learn had to set up ALL of the consoles 'till they were deemed proficient," Koopa Kid said as Princess Peach sighed begrudgingly.

"Of course, that wasn't a problem for us," Rosalina smiled. "We learned during our time in Taiwan."

"I had to set up game nights for two months, and I still don't see why skinning a pear with them was on the proficiency test!" Mario exclaimed.

"So, let's address the elephant in the room. No-Name, what's going on with you and your missus?" Koopa Kid raised an eyebrow. "I saw her at HQ the other day and she refused to tell me anything. Something about how everything with you is classified."

"Well, at least now I know why she dumped me," Classified shrugged and popped a shrimp into his mouth.

"It's not like she couldn't have expected this though. She knows what type of work we do," Princess Peach grumbled as she picked up another mouthful of noodles.

"Well, hey, now he's free for grabs. What do you think, Noriko?" Rosalina winked.

"No way am I dating this joker!" Noriko sputtered. "Besides, he's my boss."

"So what?"

"Rosalina, it'd be like if you had a relationship with Koopa Kid!"

"It's not like we haven't," the woman shrugged.

"If I recall, you insisted ours stay completely physical," Koopa Kid countered.

Princess Peach and Mario looked at the two in amazement.

"How… how did we not know about this?!" they asked incredulously in tandem.

"Oh, this was long before either of you were around."

"We had just joined the company ourselves."

After some hearty laughs and a heavy dinner, the group lowered their chopsticks, and a fork, together.

"Hey, can us leaders talk privately for a while?" Koopa Kid requested. The other agents exchanged looks and nodded, excusing themselves and moving to stand outside the doors by the indoor Koi pond "The younger agents, I want to get them out," Koopa Kid declared. His statement was followed by shocked silence.

Karasuma's expression became serious. "What do you mean by out?"

"After this mission, I want to give them all civilian status. I mean… I want to get them out before they can't leave. They're all so young and have so much potential. I want to get them out before anything too traumatic happens to them so they can live normal lives if they want. Rosalina and I have talked this over extensively," the burly man explained.

"I get the idea, and I'm not opposed, but not all of the agents can get out. The government pretty much owns Noriko," Classified pointed out, "And Karma, Nagisa and Haven are employed by the Japanese government, so that's not something we can do either. Unless you can do something about it, Karasuma?"

"Personally, Ir- Monroe- and I let the kids make their own choices as to whether or not they continue being agents." Karasuma said. "It's a matter of respecting their decisions." He rubbed the back of his head. "I do understand your reasoning though."

"I get that, but Peach hasn't exactly had the chance to experience a normal life. She'll stay 'cause it's the best thing she's known."

Classified smiled. "We'll see what we can do. They seem reluctant to change."

"Shouldn't the other second-in-commands and I be in here too?" Noriko asked as she walked into the room.

"Nah, we're done here~" Classified replied with bemusement as he walked past her. "Hey, maybe if you throw a coin into the pond, your wish will come true and you can finally guess my name correctly~." Grinning, the green-haired man strolled out, followed closely by Karasuma.

"Noriko, have a moment?" Koopa Kid called. "Have you been looking for your schedule?"

The ginger turned to look at the captain. "Yes, how did you know?"

"It was in Classified's pocket, but before you get angry," he stopped the shocked woman and continued, "I think you should consider the reason why he took it."

"I have no idea why that fool keeps messing with me," Noriko fumed.

"I know we don't work together very often, but you're usually clinging a little too fiercely to your schedule. The thing is, Noriko, not everything plays out by the book and I think Classified wants you to understand that. Agents need a certain degree of flexibility, which, frankly, you don't have at the moment."

"Hey, Koopa Kid, we're going to leave you behind. Rosalina said so!" Mario shouted. "Your boss-man says the same to you, Lady Luck!"


Left Brain: Never listening to Sandstorm with you again!

Right Brain: Awwwww! But WHHHHHYYYYYYYY? (OAO) (flails)

Left Brain: Because we were supposed to be writing, NOT dancing!

Right Brain: Fine! I'll just have my fingers dance while I dance~~ (- 3 -) Wait for it… (epic head bobbing)

Left Brain: And it'll be stuck in my head for the next ten hours… I thought the first ten were enough…

Fia: Waahhh, I got sand in uncomfortable places!

Karma: At least you don't have it up your nose (looks at her, unamused)

Fia: Bleh! You started it (sticks tongue out)

Haven: I hate sunburn… (applying ample amounts of aloe vera cream)

Nagisa: (sweat drops) Would you like some help with that?

Haven: (turns even redder)

Jelavic: Fia, why didn't you wear that bikini I picked out for you?! You would have dropped jaws!

Fia: Yeah… and all my dignity…

Karasuma: Now, Irina, we don't need to draw the extra attention.

Jelavic: (flatly) Ha, funny coming from you, lady-killer.

Karasuma: I don't know what you mean.

Narrator: Ok… Well then, next time we're heading south! Karma, pull out that accent of yours.

Karma: (dead-pan) How did you find out about that? On second thought… Hey, pardner, why don't ya stop yer yammerin' and get started on that next chapter? What'cha waitin' fer? All our readers are waitin' on ya.

Right Brain: (sweat drops) (T~~T) We're sorry! Left Brain's and my schedules are constantly changing so we haven't had much time to write!

Left Brain: If it's any condolence, we plan on a one-year anniversary short.

Narrator: Look forward to it~