Far East Branch - Lobby

The following days brought a great deal of confusion to the Den. As promised, Karel's advice had served Neo well. With her newfound knowledge of the Norn's purchasing system, the young woman had commissioned an entirely new collection of clothing, specially crafted by the Far East's engineers themselves. Licca had been tasked with leading the project, finding herself both annoyed and amused with the extravagant request. Comprised of multi-layered, dense-fibered fabric infused with Oracle cells, Neo had requested clothing that she could wear without fear of tearing… at least, not as easily. And, to top it all off, every set came with a matching pair of gloves.

In the end, leaving Neo to her own devices while clothing shopping proved to be a reckless and dangerous oversight. As she had little fashion sense and even less impulse control, she had ordered essentially some of almost everything in a huge array of colors. Her order had been so massive that she was receiving her deliveries in waves as the resources became available. And, as luck would have it, the members of the 1st Unit had been charged with collecting them. This led to a near doubling of her guardian's workload and resulted in a scolding large enough to match.

Now, after days of waiting patiently for the first delivery and 1,113,270 Fenrir Points later, Neo was resting on one of the Den's couches with her teammates, completely ignoring the strange looks she was receiving.

Beside her, Alisa inclined her head pensively in response to Kota's question. "Hmm… I don't think we'll know who was right until long after this is over. But I think I'll be able to hold my head up high and tell my children about it. That their mother and her friends saved the planet together. And every time I look up at the moon, I think I'll tell them about little Shio."

Kota grinned, nodding his head vigorously at the thought. "Yeah, you've got that right. My kids will know that their papa was a hero! It'll be awesome!"

"You can say that again." All three heads turned towards the newcomer, bouncing toward them with a spring in her step. Plopping down on the other section of the couch, Kanon beamed at them. "You guys saved the world! You'll definitely have some stories to tell your kids someday. Especially you, Neo!"

Her suggestion earned a silent stare in response. She gently tilted her head, uncertain as to why she was being called on specifically. "…Why?"

"Well, I mean… you know. You're the only one of us who's ever lived outside of the wall. I'll bet you've seen all kinds of things that none of us could ever imagine. You'll have plenty of stories to tell them, that's for sure."

"Not likely."

"Huh?" Kanon blinked, taken aback by her snappy response. Perhaps she didn't want her children in the field. Or perhaps she didn't want children at all.

To Neo's side, Kota was even more surprised. "Eh? Oh… I get it. I guess you're not big on kids, huh? I don't blame you. I'm still having a hard time with my little sister, you know? With all the Aragami going missing, I've been hanging out at home sometimes. And see, Nozomi seems to have this friend who's a boy… and… you know? I'm an understanding brother, right?"

His ranting was received with utter confusion. The New Type didn't have the slightest clue what he was talking about. She had plenty of friends that were males and in fact, they made up the vast majority of her social circle, Kota included. Regardless, she decided to allow his rambling, not wishing to interrupt him when he was so excited.

"Ahh! I won't admit it! I'll beat up any guy who gets close to my sister! I'm never gonna let it happen! Same goes for my daughter too!"

Alisa rolled her eyes at him as Kanon shook her head in exasperation. Then, the Russian New Type scowled, narrowing her eyes at him. "You're an idiot."

"Wha?! What do you mean?!"

Kota's confused expression was immediately rewarded with a scolding from his teammate, which quickly descended into their usual bickering. As they bantered back and forth, The New Type between them slowly lowered her eyes to the floor. Their voices faded into muffled warbles as her mind wandered, dark thoughts seeping into their place. She could hear the words of the researchers, clear as day, as they muttered quietly amongst themselves. They discussed lab results and hypotheses no differently than casual small talk. As though they hadn't violated her only moments before.

The specimen has proven fertile, but unable to safely carry an embryo. Her cells devour viable zygotes, recognizing them as foreign bodies.

At this rate, we may have to look into alternatives.

Yet another result of her cursed biology. A body that couldn't reproduce. But it was just as well. In truth, Neo was eternally grateful for their failure and the children she would never have. Even if it were possible, she wouldn't allow it. Any offspring she bore would run the risk of carrying her unique Bias Factor. Then, they would be subject to study and experimentation. They would be treated as lab rats, suffering the same fate that she had years ago. No. There couldn't be another. There would never be another.

From her position, her pink-haired colleague began to frown. "Hey, Neo… you okay?"

"Hmm?" Her violet hair jostled as she shot upright from her slouching position. At some point, they had ceased their conversation and were now watching her with worried expressions. How long had she been silent?

"You… got kind of quiet. Something on your mind?"

She received no response once more as Neo simply stared at her. She observed her with curiosity, taking note of Kanon's unusual fascination with her. Whispers slowly raised into shouts as the darkness returned. It had been many years since she had thought of such things… and their conversation had resurfaced those fears. She had thought herself relatively safe in the Far East… but what if she was wrong? What if this had been their intention all along? What if Sakaki was studying her, learning her, in the hopes of finding an answer? What if…

'Huh?' Her body tensed at the sudden sensation of skin brushing against her fabric. Beside her, Alisa gently laid her hand atop Neo's gloved one. A silent offer of comfort. Her friend must have known what she was thinking. She knew her past, her thoughts, and her greatest fears. She must have realized their discussion was upsetting her. And just as quickly as it began, she brought it to a close, changing the subject from frivolity to scientific.

"Speaking of free time, I wonder what's been going on with that lately. You know how there aren't many missions to defeat larger Aragami recently? I heard it's because of cannibalism."

To her side, Neo's eyes widened and her expression perked up. Her head inclined towards her in genuine interest. "Cannibalism?"

Crisis averted.

"Mm-hmm. They'd find their targets shredded to pieces. It's so strange… I wonder what type of creature is doing it. Didn't you say you saw it, Kota?"

"Yeah, it was bizarre. When we got there, it was gone, but it did a real number on our Quadriga. Thing was literally torn apart…"

"Is that so? I wonder…" Neo's voice slowly trailed off as her mind drifted once again to other depressing thoughts.

Since waking from her coma, the New Type had been stuck inside the Den. Any and all attempts to escape had been thwarted by her guardian and surprisingly, Soma. Her most recent attempt had brought her face-to-face with the moody veteran, who had been waiting outside of Ichiro's bedroom door. The failed get away had resulted in a scolding from both God Eaters and a threat of imprisonment if she didn't behave herself. The two of them were finally working together, it seemed… and it frustrated her to no end.

While her recovery had gone relatively well, she still hadn't been authorized to return to combat. But ironically, the reason had little to do with her injuries. A visit to the training room had revealed another unfortunate side-effect of her Overdrive: her God Arc itself. Upon attempting the simulation, Neo discovered the worst residual effect of them all. Her God Arc had rejected her. No longer compatible with her weapon, she had been forced out of commission, leaving her to roam the Headquarter halls while her teammates took to the field.

Noticing her souring mood, Kanon interjected in an attempt to lift her spirits. "Well, look at the bright side. Personally, I think it's a good thing. Thanks to that, I get more time for my hobby. It's great! Speaking of which! I made a new cookie creation! It's called a Blast Cookie! You wanna try it, Neo? You like sweets, right?"

Her blue eye widened in surprise at the sudden offer. While she was far from pleased about being stuck at base, she couldn't deny her sugar craving. A tasty treat might be just the thing to take her mind off her woes. Opening her mouth to accept the offer, she found another voice replacing her own from behind.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Looping around the couch, a familiar blonde head of hair appeared in front of them, a mischievous smirk on his face. "I'd rather you didn't blow up my girlfriend, thanks."

"Oh, come off it, Gunter! My desserts aren't dangerous!"

Nodding, Kota offered his agreement. "Right! They're cookies, not bullets."

"Hey!"

Ignoring Kanon's puffed cheeks, Gunter turned his attention to Neo with a playful wink. "Seriously, watch out for this one. The last time she made cookies, she put three of our guys in the ward."

"That was one time! And it wasn't even my fault. Sakaki said those ingredients were - hey, that's beside the point!"

As Kanon glowered at her teammate, Alisa shook her head at the display. Having never tried any herself, she wasn't sure whether or not the gunner's cooking was to be trusted. It was equally possible that anything she made could either uplift or hospitalize. But if anything could handle it, it was Neo's cast-iron stomach. Certainly, she couldn't cause too much harm.

Growing tired of his teasing, the gunner frowned and crossed her arms. "What do you want, Gunter? Surely, you have better things to do than insult my cooking."

"Of course. My business is with Neo." The God Eater in question tilted her head slightly, which Gunter took as a sign to elaborate. "I came to make good on my promise. That is, of course, if you're still interested."

"…Huh?" The other three God Eaters turned their heads, observing their New Type with curiosity.

In the center of their inquisitive gazes, Neo remained silent. For a moment, she wasn't entirely certain what the Long Blade wielder was referring to. Her mind quickly rewound, trying to pinpoint whatever it was he was talking about. And after a few moments, the image of chocolates entered her mind, along with the note hiding underneath of them.

"When you're feeling better, I can take you out to get more."

Along with her gift, he had offered to take her out again, as well as provide her with even more sweets. Such a suggestion brought joy to Neo's heart, as she could think of nothing more rewarding at the current moment than sinking her fangs into something delicious. The New Type had to pause a moment to stop her lips from pulling into a smile and revealing her extended teeth. "Later."

A very Neo answer.

A cheerful smile and a nod of his head was all he offered. Flowery words were useless against her, as Gunter had previously learned. "Looking forward to it. Well, I gotta run. Tatsumi's getting on my case again."

"He wouldn't be if you'd stop slacking off!" Kanon frowned, glaring at her teammate.

Gunter, of course, ignored her prodding and instead focused his attention entirely on the violet-haired object of his interest. "Later, Neo." Taking his leave, he started to stroll off. But after three steps, he turned, sweeping his eyes once more over the New Type's unusual getup. He wasn't sure why she had chosen to wear a schoolgirl uniform, but he certainly wasn't going to complain. "Nice outfit by the way. It looks good on you." After saying his piece, he wandered off further into the lobby.

Behind him, the four God Eaters watched him leave in silence. But the peace lasted for only a moment before Kota leapt from his seat. Gunter's spiel had reminded him of his own mission, which he was dangerously close to running late for. "Actually, I gotta run too. Lenka's waiting for me. See ya!" Rushing off towards the mission desk, he gave a quick wave behind him, leaving the three women to themselves.

Alisa shook her head at the display. His scatterbrained tendencies would never cease to amaze her. The only thing more unusual was the conversation that she had just witnessed moments ago. And at that thought, she quickly turned to the woman sitting beside her. "Wait… what was that about? Are you going out with Gunter again?"

Her friend simply shrugged, offering no explanation. "Later."

Kanon smiled, her eyes lighting up with joy. "Well, that's perfect! What better time than now? You're not doing field ops at the moment, so you've got nothing but time."

Alisa nodded in agreement, leaning back against the sofa cushion. "She's right. Why not have some fun? It should take your mind off of things for a while. Besides, it'll be nice to get out of the Den for a bit."

"Right! Go spend time with your…" The thought trailed off suddenly, as the gears began to turn in the gunner's head. While it hadn't occurred to her in the moment, the words Gunter had spoken became crystal clear now that the excitement was over. "Wait. Wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Did he say girlfriend?"

At Kanon's mention, Alisa found herself blinking in surprise as well. He had most certainly said the word… and Neo hadn't denied it. When on earth did that happen?

Beside her, the New Type simply shrugged. She wasn't sure why the two of them were so surprised nor did she understand what the problem was. She had lots of men that she considered acquaintances and friends, Ichiro and Soma the closest of them. It shouldn't be a concern that Gunter wished to count himself among their number. Of course, he was far from earning the same level of trust as the other two. But at the very least, he hadn't given her any reason to actively avoid him. Besides, he had offered to bring her more chocolate. Why wouldn't she accept his offer?

Kanon gaped at her. "I… I don't believe it."

. . .

City of Mercy

Wandering through the deserted streets, Ichiro, Soma, and Brendan swept their eyes carefully across the landscape. With Neo out of commission, her guardian had been taking on her added responsibilities. And, as of a few days ago, those now included collecting extra resources as well as cores for her to feed on. In addition, when he wasn't hunting for Neo, he found himself assisting other God Eaters as well.

Today, Brendan had required some backup, as Kanon, Gunter, and Tatsumi had supposedly been preoccupied. "Hey, thanks again for helping out. I'm supposed to be making it up to you guys, but…"

"Don't worry about it." Ichiro shook his head, silencing Brendan's apologies. He didn't mind lending his aid, and he saw no need for the North American to repent in the first place. Beside him, Soma remained silent, keeping his senses sharpened for any approaching Aragami. After his near run-in with a cannibalistic predator, the veteran couldn't be too careful.

This time however, his searching wasn't required. Within a few minutes of their departure, he felt the familiar pull of an Aragami presence approaching. Their target had found them. And as the sound of loading artillery reached his sensitive ears, he began to turn.

"Guard!" Lifting his tower shield, Soma braced himself for impact alongside of his colleagues.

The other two quickly followed suit, creating a protective barrier as the missile soared towards them. Their feet slid in the snow as the rocket collided with their makeshift wall, and the rumbling footsteps that followed quickly led to its collapse. Scattering, the three men bolted in different directions, evading the Quadriga's massive feet as it charged through their formation.

Its heavy footfalls halted as it slid to a stop, its weight dragging it through the ice. But as it turned, it came face to face with three approaching threats. The God Eaters were ready for it. Soma and Ichiro went low, targeting the monster's front legs with a synchronized sweep of their large blades. It stumbled forward, kneeling into the snow as the third charged forward.

He raised his Buster Blade for a critical strike into its open chest cavity. But its weight made his strike too slow, the blade bouncing off of the armored torso as it closed. He didn't have time to attempt a second as the target reared up on its back legs, poised to crush him. A careful deployment of his tower shield protected him, absorbing the impact as the legs came down.

On either side, Brendan's teammates recovered and took to the air, lifting their Busters high above their heads as they targeted the Quadriga's missile launchers. Their strikes landed, tearing through the appendages. It wasn't enough to unbind the cells, but it was just enough damage to stagger it, sending it into a blind rage.

Steam erupted from its vents as the monster roared, turning its body to face Soma. His shield blocked another incoming stomp, holding him in place while the launchers loaded missiles. But behind it, his teammates came to his aid, swinging their own weapons against its back legs and halting its continued assault.

The trio began to rotate around it, twisting and turning its head with every fall of their weapons. While three Buster Blade users certainly lacked the mobility for a faster opponent, their heavy-hitting combination proved an excellent matchup for the large tank-like creature. With its slow, lumbering form, it couldn't move quickly enough to keep up with the smaller, faster-moving targets.

And it was precisely that quality that Ichiro used to his advantage as he turned. Shifting course, he slid beneath the target, spinning full-circle, and sweeping the two front legs as he passed. In front, Brendan followed up with a crushing blow, leaping into the air and dropping his sword against its skull. Startled and stunned by the double-attack, it shuttered and fell forward, leaving its cavity open and vulnerable.

This time, the killing strike was successful as Soma rushed forward and drove his God Arc deep into the Aragami's chest. With a thunderous roar, the monster sagged and fell to the ground with a loud thump. In front of it, the veteran eyed his white weapon, watching as it pulsated and devoured the Quadriga's core.

"Nice! You two make a good combo. I'm glad I asked you." Brendan chuckled, letting his God Arc rest in the snow. "I can see why you take the top spots."

Soma swung his blade over his shoulder. "Tell your team to stop slacking off. Where are they anyway?"

"Hard to say. Kanon said she was taking some time off. Tatsumi is probably chatting up Hibari. Gunter is probably -"

"Chasing after Neo." The veteran couldn't hide his scowl or the irritation in his voice. Brendan shrugged in response, but his silence confirmed his suspicions. While at this point, he had grown accustomed to his antics, he was beginning to grow curious. He figured that by now, they would have gone their separate ways. As far as he knew, the womanizer never stuck around for more than a few weeks at best. This was going on months. To top it off, it seemed like he was doubling down, increasing his efforts. It was strange, to say the least.

Shifting his eyes, he turned his gaze to his fellow veteran who, surprisingly, wasn't paying attention to either one of them. Rather than weigh in or even acknowledge the mentioning of the New Type, he was staring intently at his God Arc.

Ichiro carefully swept his eyes up and down the blade, examining every crevice. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he turned the weapon over and studied the other side. His face pulled into a frown, noticing claw marks across the shield component. Had Neo caused them?

'Hmm…' Lifting the blade, Ichiro deployed his shield, watching intently as the weapon shifted. Then, he retracted it, furrowing his brow as it stuttered. The weapon hitched, pausing for only a moment before returning to its original form. His functions were slightly delayed. It seemed like it was damaged.

"Something wrong?"

Soma's voice interrupted his thought process. Turning, he lowered his blade. "No, just checking something." He ignored the veteran's suspicious scowl as his eyes lowered once more to the worn blade. Perhaps she had done more of a number on it than he originally thought. Or maybe the endless workload was finally taking its toll. Turning, he made a mental note to speak with Licca about it at a later date. "Let's get back. Who knows what kind of trouble she's getting into."

Silently, Soma followed, slowly running through the possibilities as they returned for exfiltration. Behind them, Brendan shook his head. It was amusing to watch the pair. He never thought he'd see the day when they finally got along.

. . .

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Fun fact: Much like the last chapter, these numbers are not random. I actually went through every clothing variant and color Neo would have wanted and did the math. Also, I have been getting some questions regarding Neo's clothing, so I have put together a gallery of her wacky outfits. I will label each accordingly and add to it with each chapter one appears.

Neo's outfits: h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/imgur -.-c-o-m /a/oRN8qWj