Far East Branch - Lobby

Following the successful completion of the Tandoor mission, Sakaki and his team got to work analyzing the extracted core. Ichiro joined them, conducting his own experimentation in the process. In the meantime, God Eaters bustled to and fro, collecting resources when and where they could. Soma had returned to the field, searching for remnants of the Alda Nova. Kota, Alisa, and Sakuya conducted field operations, while Lenka took a short time away, concerned for his ever-growing stigma.

Neo went on about her own business, aiding members of her team when necessary and wandering the halls in between. After their mission, Neo had become slightly less hostile toward their Team Captain. She no longer evaded him in the halls of the Den or hissed at him when he attempted to make conversation. She even went on a couple of missions with him in their spare time, much to his and Kota's relief. It seemed that the two of them were finally getting along… to some degree. All in all, the New Type found herself keeping busy.

And it seemed that her work would never end, as the sound of a familiar voice caught her attention.

"Oi, Neo!"

Turning her head, the woman found the source of the call, a familiar blonde head with reddish brown eyes. "Karel." She acknowledged him, pausing her gait as he approached her. "Did you need something?"

Catching up with her, he paused, taking a moment to absorb her unusual attire. "As a matter of fact, I do."

Spinning completely around to face him, Neo inclined her head in curiosity. She remembered this God Eater well, the one who taught her about Fenrir Points and how to use them. She owed her entire wardrobe to his assistance and as such, had promised her own in return should he ever have need for it. It seemed the gunner had finally come to collect his debt.

"So, there's this target I've been wanting to hunt, but it's pretty tough. You want to lend me a hand? We split the rewards half-half. Not bad, right?"

Neo shrugged, regarding him with curiosity as he spoke. She couldn't care less about the compensation, having more than enough Fenrir Points than she knew what to do with. But she couldn't pass up the opportunity to get out of the Den. "Gladly. What's the mission?"

"Dark Shimmer. Fallen Ouroboros."

"Hmm…" She fell silent for a few moments in contemplation. An Ouroboros alone was a steep task to undertake. A Fallen was even more so, with divine rays and resistance to all of her elements. Perhaps she could ask Ren for assistance. As a talented combat medic, his skills would be highly beneficial to them should she run into any trouble.

Karel crossed his arms, growing impatient with the New Type's silence. "So, what's it gonna be? You in?"

"Alright." Neo nodded her head, deciding that she would accompany him with the support of her new comrade.

"Fantastic." At her agreement, Karel took his leave. He had his own preparations to make. Pausing, he turned back to her. "This one's tough. Don't forget to prep for it, got it? There's no point in bringing you along if you're not up to scratch."

"I will be fine." Neo assured him, locking her blue eye with his own. "Ren and I will meet with you at the loading dock."

"Riiight. Well, see you then." The God Eater paused, his brown eyes sweeping once more over her fascinating attire.

A small, black top covered her chest, with netting over the vast majority. Her midriff was left exposed and a small black skirt wrapped around her waist. Connected to it was a purple guard on her left side and beneath were two sets of leggings, one black and one of netting, with black sandals on her feet. Her arms were covered only by long black sleeves with purple armguards and black gloves. And around her neck, as always, was her vibrant blue scarf. What had possessed her to dress as a kunoichi was beyond him. But it was her money, and she was free to spend it as she pleased. Turning once more, he strode off towards the shop to gather supplies.

. . .

Later in the evening, a heavy sigh escaped him as Ichiro sat tiredly on the lobby sofa. He couldn't get the image of Neo's frightened expression out of his head. Granted, it was his own fault and he had no one to blame but himself. Misguided as it may have been, he had made an attempt on her life. And as far as he could remember, he had never actually given her a reason why. She was right to be afraid of him. He had spent almost his entire life by her side as her closest friend and most trusted confidant… and he had betrayed her.

'Heh… And they called her a monster?'

"Grh…" A quiet groan rumbled in his throat as he gripped his head. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as the dark thoughts began to return.

'Damn it… not now…'

Leaning forward, his fingers clenched in his hair as he tried to regain control. His vision blurred, fading between crimson and grey. His teeth clenched and his shoulders trembled, ragged breaths racking his body. He wouldn't give in. He couldn't give in. She needed him. He tried to focus, the image of Neo's smiling face grounding him to the present. He could feel his tremors slow as his vision began to clear, returning the world from its blood red hue. Incidents like these were now commonplace, and becoming increasingly more frequent with each passing day.

Sighing, he leaned back against the cushions. He needed to make more headway in his research. He needed to find a suitable compound. He needed to…

"Damn, what happened to you?"

His eyes slowly opened at the sound of a familiar voice. Shun's brown eyes stared back at him, holding a mild hint of genuine concern. When had he arrived? "Nothing. I'm fine."

"You sure? You do look a little pale." Gina's white hair appeared in his line of vision, joining Shun with a look of concern.

"Yeah… Yeah, just tired."

"You look it."

"Gee, thanks."

"Hehe…" Gina chuckled, taking a seat across from him on the other couch. "So, where's your other half? It's not like you to be hanging around here alone."

Ichiro rolled his eyes, sitting up from his position and resting his arms on his knees. "We're not attached at the hip, you know…"

"Oh, yeah? Could've fooled me." She smiled, tossing him a metal can. "Here. You look like you need it more than me."

Ichiro lifted his hand, catching the tossed beer with a grateful nod. It wasn't often that he consumed alcohol of any kind, but at this point, he needed the distraction. Popping open the cap, he took a long sip of the beverage, wincing slightly at the bitterness.

Shun grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Nah, she's out with Karel. His crazy ass wanted to take on a suicide mission, and I told him no way. So, he called her."

"Suicide mission?" Ichiro raised an eyebrow, a hint of irritation lacing his voice. What was she doing this time?

"Fallen Ouroboros."

"What?!" The guardian groaned, his patience wearing thin. A Fallen Ouroboros. A divine monster with resistance to both of Neo's elements. Was that woman trying to get herself killed? Shaking his head, he gave up. Perhaps she would be alright. It was true that the elemental matchup was unfavorable, but Ouroboros were slow, lumbering creatures. Massive in size and almost laughably sluggish, it would lucky if it could land a single strike against the nimble New Type. And Karel was a Sniper Sergeant. If she did perchance find herself in any trouble, he was capable of using recovery bullets.

Gina, in contrast to Ichiro's frustration, practically howled with laughter. She found the situation hilarious. "Why would he even go after something like that anyway?"

"You know Karel. Anything for some Fenrir Points. Crazy capitalist." Shun muttered, shaking his head at the foolish man.

The woman stretched, leaning back against the cushion. "Yeah, but you can't deny the guy makes a fortune. Between his field operations and his 'rare finds' market, he's making bank. Hell, lately, he's been making a killing off of Gunter alone."

Ichiro lifted an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Gunter?"

"Oh, yeah. Chocolates, candies, wine, you name it. And that stuff's not easy to find. It's not cheap either."

The veteran frowned slightly; a bit taken aback by this new information. The man had been after Neo since before his return and was far from subtle about it. What he hadn't expected was for him to go to such lengths. Gunter's reputation proceeded him as a Casanova of ridiculous proportions, with women of all units, including the one sitting right in front of him. He wasn't surprised that Neo was giving him a hard time. Ichiro had warned him as much. What did surprise him was that he was still trying.

'Come to think of it…'

"Iiichiro." Gina's sing-song voice got his attention, blinking at her playful grin. "We lost you there, lover boy. You alright?"

His brows furrowed at the nickname, finding it tiresome as well as extremely vexing. How many times did he have to tell people? Taking another long gulp of his beer, he decided not to humor her.

But Gina simply laughed, shaking her head. "I'm only teasing. Seriously though, relax. I'm sure she's fine. Gunter acts like an ass, but he's not all bad."

Ichiro paused, his brow lifting at the mention. He had been spending a tremendous amount of time learning about the German God Eater, determining whether or not he posed a threat. Yet he had never thought to go straight to the source. As the opportunity had presented itself, he decided he may as well make the most of it. "That's right… Gunter's your ex, isn't he?"

Shun snorted, shrugging his shoulders. "Pfft, everyone is that guy's ex at this point."

Gina barked with laughter, nodding her head in agreement at his blatant jab. "You got that right! Well… except for Neo, apparently. He seems pretty determined on this one."

The veteran frowned, swirling the can in his hands. "I've been meaning to ask you, Gina. If you don't mind."

"Shoot."

"About Gunter… What is he like, so to speak?"

"Well, he's a generous lover. Gotta give him that." Gina smirked, earning a scowl from the veteran and an agitated sigh from Shun. Her mirth faded slightly at the look on his face, wondering for a moment if she had gone a bit too far. "Haha! I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I'll stop messing with you. I assume you mean, what kind of person is he?"

"Yeah."

"Hard to say. We weren't together very long, and we kept things pretty casual. He tends to keep people at a distance, but he never struck me as a bad person. Bit of a dumbass sometimes."

"Yeah. I can see that."

Gina raised an eyebrow at his short response, her smirk fading at his darkened expression. "You're really shaken up about this, huh?"

"He's involved with Neo. It's my job to be concerned." Ichiro shrugged, trying to rein in his frustration. It wasn't Gina's fault her ex-boyfriend was getting on his nerves. Besides, he spoke the truth. As her guardian, it was quite literally his duty to keep her in line and out of trouble, which often involved knowing where she was and who she was with, to assess the danger level of the situation.

"Yeah, so I've heard. You're like her caretaker or something. But… I get the feeling there's more to it than that."

Ichiro said nothing, refusing once again to humor her in any way. The rumors surrounding him and Neo were untrue, regardless of whether or not he wanted them to be.

Sighing, Gina shook her head. "Seriously. I don't think your friend is in any danger. Gunter can be a dick, but he won't go out of bounds."

"And if he does?"

The woman shrugged, shooting him a bored expression. "…Kick his ass?"

"Ha!" Ichiro let out a howl of laughter at her bluntness. It was certainly something he had considered doing on multiple occasions.

Shun snorted, joining the veteran in his merriment. "Damn, I'd pay Fenrir Points to see that."

The guardian shook his head. "Yes, well, let's hope it never comes to that."

"Yeah. Otherwise, we'd lose another God Eater." Shun paused for a moment, observing the other man. "So, wait, you're telling you're literally her watchdog?"

"I wouldn't put it so crassly, but more or less."

"Oh, man… is that why you're always following her around? Damn, that sucks."

The veteran sighed. "It's not so bad, really. It mostly just involves keeping her out of trouble."

Gina smirked. "Sounds pretty difficult to me."

Shun stared incredulously at her. "Difficult? It's freakin' impossible!"

Ichiro only shook his head. "Yeah… you're probably right about that."

Gina sighed. "She's one hell of a soldier though. And so are you, for that matter. That stuff you did at The Great Barrier Breach? I don't think I've ever seen anyone pull a stunt like that. You guys are nuts! And people say I'm crazy."

"Yeah, I've heard people say that. Not entirely sure why though."

Gina rose to her feet and waggled her eyebrows at him. "Go on a mission with me and find out. We're leaving in a few, if you wanna come."

"Eh, no thanks. Maybe another time. I need to get to the lab, and chances are Neo will be back in -"

True to her habit, Neo strolled through the doors, looking bloody and sated. It seemed their mission had gone well, but he couldn't be sure. He contemplated calling out to her, but quickly thought better of it. If she was feeling uncomfortable around him, it would be best not to press her.

Following his gaze, Gina smirked once again. "Yeah, I can see you've got your hands full already. Good luck, Romeo!" Waltzing away, the Sniper headed towards the doors with Shun right behind her.

"Yeah… thanks."

In the doorway, Karel entered shortly behind Neo, sharing in her amusement. "You're insane, you know that?"

"Perhaps. But the target was secured."

"Yeah… I may have to call on you again sometime. That mission was way easier than I thought it would be." Karel paused for a moment, a thought crossing his mind. "You know, a long time ago I heard a rumor about some God Eater that took down an Ouroboros all on their lonesome. Even back then, I wasn't a fool. I thought it was a load o' crap, but now… Heh, now I don't know. Maybe you could."

Neo shrugged, looking briefly to the man behind her. "Not likely. Without Ren, I would've been far less effective."

The blonde stared at her with a confused expression. Who was this Ren person she kept talking about? As he swept his eyes up and down her drenched form, he began to wonder. Perhaps she had named her God Arc. Plenty of soldiers around the Den did things like that. "Well, anyway, thanks for the help. I'll send you your cut tomorrow morning."

Neo shook her head. "Keep it. I don't need it."

"Suit yourself." Karel shrugged, turning and making his way toward the Mess Hall.

Neo went her own way, heading towards the elevators before coming to a pause. She could see her guardian sitting tiredly on the sofa. Excited, she sprinted across the lobby hall, all but launching herself at the veteran. "Ichi! I'm back!"

"Wh-Wha?" Ichiro startled, hitting the back of the couch as the woman landed on his lap, sitting happily over his waist. Her reaction was the exact opposite of what he'd expected, confusing him as the young woman wrapped her filthy arms around his neck. It seemed that all of her earlier fear and discomfort had been forgotten, having no presence outside of that specific context. While that certainly boded well for him at the moment, it was a problem that would most certainly need to be addressed. Eventually. For now…

Aggravated, he grabbed her waist to lift her off of him for what felt like the one hundredth time. "Neo, how many times… wait, what are you wearing?!" As his hands felt smooth, bloody bare skin, he realized that she was dressed, yet again, in another one of her unusual getups. While it wasn't uncommon for her to dress in outlandish outfits these days, her clothing selections weren't typically so revealing. Not that he was complaining…

"It's called kunoichi garb." Neo replied matter-of-factly, without a care in the world.

"Yes, but - ugh." Sighing, he gave up. There was simply no reasoning with her sometimes. Banishing the impure thoughts from his head, he carefully moved her off of his lap.

Neo tilted her head slowly to the side. "What's wrong, Ichi? You don't like it?"

"Of course, I like it. It's just - never mind." With a defeated sigh, the veteran shook his head. It wasn't worth the argument, and it wasn't like she would understand anyway. If there was one thing that woman was in social situations, it was oblivious. Turning his head, he averted his eyes, trying to hide the color rising to his pale cheeks. "A-Anyway, how did your mission go? Successfully, it looks like."

Neo bounced happily on the couch, still riding on the high of her earlier Burst. "Very much so. Thanks to Karel and Ren, I didn't get a single scratch."

His breath hitched at her words as she recounted her heroic tale. Ren. There was that name again. A name belonging to a mysterious person that had apparently captured Neo's interest. At her first mention during Fifth Element, Ichiro had scoured the Norn database, both under and above ground, for any information regarding the enigmatic solider… but all of his searches had come up empty. And as he watched Neo turn her head and smirk towards a nearby wall, his mind slowly started to wonder. "Well, I'm happy to hear that. You certainly look like you had fun."

"I did!"

"Wonderful. Now please, stop bouncing. You're making a mess. Better yet, take that off. You're getting blood everywhere."

"Okay." Neo nodded her head, noting the gore dripping onto the couch cushions and the floor.

But to his horror, the New Type did as he wished… reaching for the yellow tie beneath her breasts. "Wha - N-No! Not here! Upstairs!"

Dropping her arms, Neo shrugged. Hopping to her feet, she made her way towards the lift and hopefully, the showers.

Sighing, Ichiro fell back against the couch. What was he going to do with her?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

New costume unlocked!

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