Black rain fell from the sky, turning silver when the Moon managed to peer from between the gaps between buildings. Even at such a late hour the streets of Arc City were busy. Forms bundled up against the rain illuminated by the neon lights of the night. The world may have been turned on its head, but still life moved on. People could only huddle in their homes and wait for the end for so long. Eventually they faced down their fears and emerged into the brightness of danger. It was a risk to keep living. A risk that loomed in the shadows and in the light. The Honkai and far worse were ever-present. All they could do was live. A chance to defy the dangers. To stare down those threats and declare "I will live each day as best I can."

A Dim Sum restaurant with unreliable flickering signage invited people to come in from the cold, grab a bite to eat and wash aware the fears of the day with plenty of alcohol. There was a pleasant warm damp that spilled out from the door, the portal blocked with thick fabric tassels that reached just short of the floor.

Inside was equally inviting. Wooden tables in various private booths divided by head-high partitions, sturdy seating ringing the booth walls, options for meal displayed on electronic menus built into the furniture. The bustling noise of the kitchen was omnipresent; clattering utensils, the hiss of oil or steam, rough voices calling out orders to be done or those ready to shift. All manner of folk packed the restaurant. Office workers out late, those coming off night shifts, students with no other place to go and one final group. Lastly were the sort that found safety in the public eye. Hiding in plain sight was a cliché saying. But that in no way diminished the truth.

Two more patrons parted the fabric tassels, taking in the slightly foggy and very warm air of the restaurant. Both were dressed in jeans, sturdy boots and jumpers. One wore an anorak, the other a stylish leather jacket. A waiter waved to them and shouted for the pair to take a seat wherever they could manage. The two made to move, before the figure in the leather jacket stumbled and nearly fell. Their companion quickly pulled them up and led her to a free table for two in a cosy nook. Once seated the pair pulled their hoods back and unzipped their outwear. The damp warm of the restaurant was more than enough to shake off the chill of the night.

"So why are we eating here?" the woman in the anorak asked, pulling her twin silvery braids loose.

"This is the safest place in several kilometres. Very little electronics in the area. I'd prefer not to have to bail half-way between pork buns."

The woman in the leather jacket tipped her head to one side and then the other, shaking out her stiff neck. The air smelt briefly of a fresh storm. Her long black hair was done up in a milkmaid braid and held in place with a thunderbolt shaped pearl clip.

"I'm honestly a little surprised," Mei admitted, "I never thought I'd see the day when Kiana wasn't desperately diving in whatever direction food lay."

Kiana shrugged.

"I don't have much of an appetite right now."

Mei rolled her eyes. Though the gesture was somewhat dismissive, she still wasn't lacking in empathy. The woman reached out and gently tapped Kiana's fingers where they lay on the table.

"They are not going to turn into ravenous zombies just because we're sitting in the same restaurant as they are," she assured the girl in a low voice.

Kiana's eyebrows shot up. Mei gave a knowing smirk.

"I've spent long enough with you to have a good guess at what you're thinking. Now let's drop the serious act for twenty minutes and get a meal."

Delicate fingers danced across the electronic menu, Mei ordering several dishes. Her last order was stymied by Kiana as her own hand flashed over the menu at inhuman speed and blocked it.

"You're underage," Kiana pointed out.

"In some of the places we've been it was legal to have a drink."

"And here in Japan the drinking age is 20."

Mei's sigh was over-exaggerated. But she did as her friend asked. Kiana entered a few options of her own and finished it off with an ice oolong tea for the pair. As they waited Mei did her best to strike up conversation.

"I'd honestly hoped you had moved past your moody, broody character change. You cannot carry this guilt on your back forever, dear Atlas."

"Atlas?"

Mei snorted.

"We both know you played the fool well at St Freya. No need to keep up the act now. We're both past pretending to ignore our past."

Kiana snorted in turn. Chin resting on palm, arm on table, the silver haired woman watched Mei with wary eyes.

"I think I preferred when we weren't so antagonistic toward each other."

"We aren't. I've just got more of backbone and you have a fatalistic desire to swing your baggage around when it suits you. If memory serves you were all purpose and inner strength when facing down Raven. Same when you tried to kill me back in the shopping mall. I suspect for much of the time when you and I were apart you've been the same assertive, honest and driven Kiana that lay obscured by her doltish persona."

Kiana's face twitched between several emotions. It settled on concern. If Mei had wanted assertion, she was going to get it, regardless of own preferences. Kiana was the one to reach out this time and grip Mei's hand with both of her own. Her head tipped a touch to one side, as though picking out a tune in the background hubbub of the restaurant.

"You still haven't recovered, Mei," Kiana made the frank assessment.

"Pff, I'm fine."

"Stumbled and fell for a laugh?"

Mei sighed loudly.

"Not my shining moment. It's more of a horse and cart problem. The cart is too weak to be drawn at the speed the horse wants."

"What you did was unprecedented," Kiana admitted.

Mei shrugged and very gently pulled her hand back. She flexed both hands before gripping them tight enough to turn her fingers white.

"I never want to feel what Durandal inflicted upon me again. I'm tired of lying to myself and falling further behind. It just took me a long time to find my answer. I've been avoiding myself for far too long. I'll do what I need to and take what I need. You all matter to me so much. So much I'll do things the rest of you baulk at."

"You really do and do not sound like Mei-senpai."

Mei shrugged.

Waiters began delivering several trays. Mei was quick to tear into them, barely taking the time to chew. Kiana was more delicate, though no less ravenous in her consumption. Their tea was quickly drained and a second round ordered. For two otherwise petite looking girls, they could pack away a meal with gusto that surprised the wait staff. Satisfied with the meal, the pair sat back and rubbed equally happy tummies. Mei's eyes flicked once to the top of her head. Kiana understood.

"Why Arc City?" Kiana asked.

"Same problem. Horse and cart. My body just cannot handle the core inside of me. It's taking everything I have not to fly apart. I need to see Dr Tesla. She'll have an idea of what to do."

"Tesla is in Arc City?"

"Our original plan led us here with the Ningyo. Try to trace further clues on your whereabouts along with whatever other intel we could get on Jormungandr. I also needed to start exploring how to improve myself. Dr Tesla has been here ever since."

"Aren't we putting Tesla in great danger?"

"Tesla has been in danger since she joined AE. Schiscksal doesn't like traitors. She's survived for decades. Anyway, the entire city is in danger with our presence."

"Schicksal and Jormungandr on the hunt."

Mei nodded and continued.

"The Immortal Blades were in the city when I was here last. I don't feel like facing Rita or Durandal again anytime soon."

"We're still not strong enough."

Mei's face split into a slightly crazed smile.

"I just don't want to kill potential future allies."

Kiana looked ready to correct her friend. What held her tongue was the contrast between Mei's smile and the look of absolute confidence in her eyes.

"That's a reunion we can save for later," Mei added wickedly.

"We're not killing anyone, Mei."

Mei shook her head.

"It's kill or let them kill millions. That's the choice you made before."

"I chose to protect everyone."

"You were more than happy to put Raven down. These aren't people that can be reasoned with."

"I only drove her back. They're still human."

"Some of them less so than others."

Kiana summoned her ARC Serratus pistol from Void space. The weapon was pointed toward Mei.

"I'll not kill anyone."

"And there's the fundamentally moral and honest part of you I like."

"Don't make me, Mei-chan."

"Fine," Mei muttered.

The trigger was pulled once. Any noise of the weapon firing was vented into Void space. The bullet passed through Mei before materialising in the next partition. The patron was struck in the back of the head. Mei moved so fast she was able to catch their head before it slammed hard into the table. She gently rested the woman on the furniture and looked her up and down. Kiana peered over the partition. Fortunately, nobody in the restaurant was yet to notice the strange occurrence.

"Rubber bullet," Mei surmised. "You really are a gentle soul."

"What do we do with her?" Kiana whispered.

"She's a spy. What else?"

Kiana's flat glare bored into Mei.

"Fine, fine. You know I wasn't serious. I jammed all electronic communication so they don't know about us yet. She's more machine than human. I could just sent a jolt through her. Enough to scramble any digital storage along with her short-term memory."

"They'll know we're here."

"They will know that someone was here. Better that than everything else."

Mei didn't wait for consensus. Lightning briefly crackled from where her hand held the woman's head. The smell of ozone was quickly overpowered by moist pork buns. Mei tapped an order into the woman's electronic menu for a very large stein of beer. Kiana had already paid with cash by the time she was done. The two left via a side-entrance and kept to the alleyways. After a little over 100 metres Mei stumbled again before falling onto the wet bitumen ground. Kiana was at her side in instant.

"You idiot," she cursed, "It's getting worse."

"Oh?" Mei replied, feigning ignorance with faint amusement.

"You were more in control when we fought."

"Oh stop complaining."

With sublime strength Kiana lifted her friend up and supported her on one shoulder.

"Come on, where's Tesla?"

Mei reached for Kiana's collar and mad a tugging motion.

"Jangle, jangle."

Her chuckle was thready, pain a clear undertone. With wordless gestures she guided the two toward their destination.