-Rei-

She was waiting outside of the meeting room where Setsuna and Takashi were meeting in. No one else was allowed inside while they discussed the daily intelligence reports, but judging from Setsuna's face when she left the meeting, it didn't go so well. Rei was about to follow Setsuna when the other woman headed towards the elevators when a stern deep voice stopped her.

"Hino-san, a word, please." Takashi called her in and she knew that despite the word 'please', this was by no means a request.

"Have a seat Hino-san." Takashi instructed her to take the only other seat that was available in the room and she sat down as told. "I have reviewed your service log and I have noticed that you have still a lot of vacation that you haven't taken. Any reason for that?"

"No, sir. It might have slipped my mind to take time off." Rei tried to explain herself. They had always been so busy and with the trips they had taken earlier with Haruka's group, it felt like that she did somehow get some rest.

"Slipped your mind? Don't you think that a senior intelligence officer in administration should be capable to stay on top of such banal matters?" Takashi asked her rhetorically.

"Of course, sir. I am deeply ashamed of my failings, sir." Rei apologised.

"No need to apologise, as your grandfather has already assured me that such a mistake will not occur again. I suggest you go and thank your grandfather in the coming two weeks of leave that has been approved for you, starting tomorrow." Takashi stated as he stood up, which was Rei's sign to get out.

"Of course, sir. Thank you, sir." Rei stood up and bowed before leaving the room.

Outside she let out a deep sigh. It had been a long time since the last time she was called in for a reprimand, but it made it no less intimidating by any means.

Rei made her way downstairs to Setsuna's office where the older woman was already sitting at her desk with Minako by her side.

"Before you go off for the next two weeks, make sure to update Makoto on all your duties and to leave instructions for her to cover your position in the meantime." Setsuna instructed her the moment she reached the front of the desk.

"Makoto?" Rei asked surprised.

"Yes, Makoto. Any objections?" Setsuna asked in return.

"Well, this work is very detail oriented and I would think that Ami might be more suitable for that." Rei raised her concern.

"Not possible. She has already been sent to the children's hospital due to an emergency that needs her expertise and from the looks of it she will be stuck there for a while." Setsuna waved off. "I have already sent for Makoto and she should be here in an hour, so please have everything ready for her. Minako, go with Rei and supervise the handover, I have got a few things to attend to and don't want to be disturbed for the rest of the day." Setsuna sent both of them out.

"What happened this morning?" Minako asked her but Rei but Rei could only shrug.

"How you have seen her, is how she exited the meeting, just more pissed off." Rei informed the blonde whose look turned concerned.

"Well, it must be stress." Minako just mumbled before she returned to her usual cheerful disposition. "Oh, I envy you for your vacation. Be sure to rest up a lot so you come back all fresh and energised."


-Michiru-

"Have a seat. There is probably a lot you want to know and we have all been on our feet for the past 24 hours. I do not need anyone collapsing here while the medical facilities are not up and running." The blonde motioned over to a plain table that had a few chairs standing around it. "I am Tenoh, Kumiko. Haruka's aunt." The blonde explained as she was removing the beard and they were sitting together while Riko was readying the ramen for her. "I suppose that is what you wanted to know." Kumiko chuckled low.

"How come I did not read about you anywhere, and I mean anywhere. I searched all databases for every scrap of information on Haruka and nothing ever came up about you." Michiru asked bluntly.

"You cannot read about someone who does not exist, or in my case, has been deleted. Technically seen, I am no one. Itadakimasu." Kumiko shrugged before starting to consume her food.

"Why were you deleted?" Michiru continued to ask.

"That is my fault." Riko chuckled.

"No, it wasn't. It was my choice." Kumiko interrupted before Riko could continue.

"My family has a very strict lineage rule as well as…code of conduct. I refused to comply and here we are." Kumiko had a finality in her voice that signalled the end of that discussion.

"You must forgive Kumiko, she is not used to regular dialogue. Since after the time she was in charge of you in Germany, she has not been in many regular social settings where social skills would ne required." Riko teased the blonde.

"Hey, I socialise just fine with you." Kumiko argued.

"Because you are my bear." Riko pushed the bowl closer to Kumiko who continued to eat. "We were quite young when we got together. In high school we started to train together and one thing led to another. We had no real plans, first and foremost we were stand ins for our brothers. I was your father's back up, and luckily him being off cycle to take over any real duties, meant that all I had to do was learn to defend myself. Kumiko on the other hand as stand in for Haruki, did not really qualify to stand in for him, since she is obviously female and the Tenohs only let males inherit duties. Not that that is something that would stop a Tenoh to do her calling, as you might have noticed." Riko continued.

"What about Haruka? She is the mediator now and she is obviously not male." Michiru interjected.

"Technically, Haruto would have qualified with no issue, but Haruki had foresight and reformed the way the mediator was chosen. So instead of letting that seat be filled by someone with birth right, he argued and changed the rules to merit based and election confirmed. Obviously, Haruka is qualified and was chosen." Riko explained.

"Why didn't Kumiko-san stand for that election?" Michiru asked.

"Because no one without lineage backing could enter the selection. Either you have lineage, which for me was deleted, or you have an organisation big and influential enough to support your candidacy. I just didn't feel like calling another crime syndicate to life would be particular constructive in the bid to keep the world safe." Kumiko explained.

"Haruka did not support your candidacy?" Michiru asked surprised.

"Technically, Haruka, nor the rest of the world, is not even supposed to remember my existence. They were very young when I was banished by my father for choosing against a traditional marriage and producing potential heirs." The words were melancholic with a slight undertone of bitterness. "Be that as it may. I did my best with all I have to always make sure she was taken care of and looked after as your aunt made sure of that for you." Kumiko chuckled sombrely.

"So why are you here now?" Michiru asked in a more empathetic tone.

Before Kumiko could reply, the sound of the elevator draw their attention to it and a small built person with a determined gait came out of the elevator towards them.

"We have a problem." She stated gravely as she came towards them.


-Ami-

Just past midnight, she received an email from the agency with her official transfer papers to the hospital in which her mother was working. She had neither requested it nor was she informed of the reason for the transfer, but judging from the wording, she wouldn't have much choice but to adhere to the order either way and so Ami grabbed her basic equipment bag and headed to the hospital at the crack of dawn. It was a welcomed change to the usual ride to work to be able to walk instead, despite the November chill. It gave her time to let her thoughts roam as she walked the familiar streets of her neighbourhood. She noticed that a few more cameras were installed since the last time she had passed by. She made sure to walk as slow as possible without drawing attention, because she knew that tomorrow, she would redo this walk with detection equipment in her bag instead and would need all the time she could get for proper analysis. Eventually she arrived at the hospital where she was welcomed by another doctor who guided her straight to her mother.

"Welcome Mizuno-sensei, Mizuno-sensei is waiting for you in the Quarantine Department." Matsumoto-sensei greeted Ami in a calm but hurried manner.

"Thank you for having me." Ami replied as they sped walked through the hallways to the department in question.

"Just wait here." Matsumoto instructed her and Ami waited patiently in front of the closed door. Not many moments later, her mother turned up, only plainly dressed on in her usual white coat.

"Good you are here. Come with me." Satomi instructed Ami as she led her daughter into the small but very well isolated ward in the centre of the hospital. "I can't stay long, but grandma is here to bring you up to speed. Be sure to not lose a single word about what is going on in here with anyone." Her mother said in a very serious tone before ushering her into another room with a big glass wall in front of which her grandmother was standing, looking in. "I have to go and see my other patients mum. I will be back as soon as possible." Her mother kissed her grandmother on the side of the head before heading out again.

"Good morning Ami-chan. I am sorry that I had to call on you so suddenly, but we have a very important case that needs all our attention." Wakana greeted Ami.

"Good morning Wakana-baa. Mum seems tense." Ami commented and her grandmother pointed to the glass wall.

"She has been looking after her all night." Her grandmother explained.

"Isn't that … Sumiko-san….Usagi's mother?" Ami asked concerned.

"Indeed. She has been poisoned and we have not figured out the poison so far. So, this is where you come in, since your mother still has regular patients and other matters to take care of." Wakana explained.

"I understand." Ami nodded with apprehension and got to work.


-Mamoru-

He knew that it was a longshot, but this day only came once a year, when he turned up at a specific restaurant in Shibuya that overlooked the area.

"I am being expected, just tell her Chiba, Mamoru is here." He just stated to the man at the reception and was led in after the other had made a quick call.

The restaurant was empty except for one table where Haruka was sitting and enjoying a steak while overlooking the skyline.

"Aren't you worried that you are so predictable?" Mamoru asked her as he sat down opposite to her.

"Aren't you worried what might happen to you, coming here all on your own?" Haruka asked in return unfazed.

"I have nothing to fear, there is nothing I can lose." Mamoru countered.

"Are you sure about that?" Haruka mocked him as she had another piece of her wagyu steak.

"You are underestimating my reach." Mamoru growled.

"You mean your dad's reach." Haruka snickered.

"I could have made arrangements for you to be killed right here, right now, if I had wanted to because only I know that you come to meet Hiroko here, every year, a day before her birthday. You could be ingesting poison right now." Mamoru stated cold. He had not come to be mocked, he had come to get something confirmed.

"Uh huh, and yet I am still very much alive and fine because you could not know if your sister is turning up as well and if you might be poisoning her as well. It is a long standing reservation that I have made for decades. Anyone could have known this if they knew anything about me." Haruka replied calm.

"I didn't come to be disrespected. I came to see it with my own eyes and to hear it with my own ears. Did you….did you….take care of my sister?" Mamoru's knot in the throat became unbearable as he noticed that the table Haruka sat at had only a single place set, the one that she was using. She was definitely not expecting anyone to be eating with her.

"Who else could have?" Haruka asked him icily back which irritated Mamoru even more.

"As a sign of my appreciation of our past and respect to my wife, let this be my warning to you, that you won't get away with it." Mamoru sneered.

"I am disappointed in your weak performance, but I guess I could not have expected more from you, you are off your game and oblivious to your surroundings." Haruka took her cane and pointed to his chest where a red dot was resting. "Let it be my warning out of respect for your wife and our past, do not get involved in matters that you do not understand, because it won't just be you who gets hurt. A Family is a precious matter that should be cherrished and protected at all times." Haruka scoffed back.