Far East Branch - Training Room

Ice-Cold Glare was a success, the remainder of the group returning to the Den with Brendan in tow. Headquarters was abuzz with excitement, everyone celebrating the return of their 2nd Unit Vice Captain. Gunter and Annette welcomed him home with open arms. Tatsumi was strangely absent, having left the Den with a pair of comrades to find him. Everyone else was nearly just as relieved, with Kota suggesting the idea - which was quickly shot down - of another Den-wide celebration.

Following the dog pile of members that nearly suffocated him, Brendan was transported immediately to the Sick Bay for a thorough examination. He had suffered quite a few injuries throughout the whole ordeal, including a sprained wrist, a cracked rib, and a generous number of lacerations. All in all, his condition was nothing that couldn't be fixed and he would likely be cleared for field operations within a couple of weeks. The only stipulation was that he was to remain on bedrest in the ward for a few days so that they could monitor his condition.

Once the excitement died down, the other members went to work continuing their daily operations as usual. Members of the 2nd, and other units, came to visit Brendan during his time off, mostly to brief him on all that he had missed. They discussed the current standing with Lindow's search, happenings around the Den, the recruits' improvement, and what new food items were available on the menu.

Members of the 1st Unit went about their own business, occasionally making visits, training, and conducting field operations. A few members decided to take some time off, Lenka to ration his medication supply and Ichiro once again citing health concerns. The other members of his unit were beginning to grow worried about his increasingly frequent absence, but few could catch him outside of the laboratory long enough to question him.

Soma and Neo took to the training room to practice mirroring skills, which of course, wasn't going as well as he'd hoped.

The practice, for the time being, consisted of multiple low-level simulations, to work on their communication. They had attempted over four different scenarios with enemies of different types, as well as dry runs where they simply ran around the arena like a couple of wild animals. Every attempt had ended in failure, and it wasn't looking like improvement was anywhere in the near future. Much to Soma's ever-growing frustration at his inability to do so, Neo didn't seem to have a problem mirroring him.

Soma glared at her, watching as she flawlessly copied his motions. He took two steps to the left and watched her follow. He tried jumping in the air and found her soaring overhead with him. Even foolish actions such as clapping his hands and spinning in a circle were mirrored with absolute precision. Losing his patience, he instead lifted his hands. He signed out a message which, to his aggravation, she also mirrored in response.

"This is frustrating."

Lowering her hands, Neo sighed. She wasn't really certain how to help him. They had tried almost every scenario she could imagine at this point, and they weren't having any luck. "I'm sorry, Soma. I wish I knew how to better explain it, but…"

"It doesn't make any sense."

"Of course it doesn't. That's why I can't explain it."

Some gave her an annoyed look. "No, idiot. I mean that I can't figure it out. We have the same Bias Factor and the same biology."

"I don't know. We've tried battle simulations and basic motions. The only thing that remains is -"

"No."

Her remorseful look shifted into an aggravated one at his immediate rejection. "You didn't even let me say it…"

"I'm not dancing."

Neo rolled her eyes, stalking towards him with purposeful steps. "We could just try it."

"No."

"It doesn't even have to -"

"Not gonna happen."

"If you would just -"

"What part of no don't you understand?" He snapped, his arms crossing defiantly over his chest.

Neo sighed. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to."

"That's a stupid reason."

"And this is a stupid discussion."

"Ugh!" Neo threw her hands in the air, her patience exhausted. "Look, you're the one who wanted my help."

"I didn't think it would be this complicated."

"It's not!" Neo groaned, trying to figure out how best to explain it to him.

"For you, apparently. Evidently, it's something I can't do." He grumbled, his irritation masking his true emotion as the New Type paced slowly around him. In reality, he was envious, though he wasn't willing to openly admit it. The fact that he was the only one proving incapable was beyond aggravating to him. Even Hamasaki was capable despite being entirely human. Granted, it was a result of his own experiment, and he could only mirror the source of it, but for some reason, it still bothered him. It seemed so petty, but somehow, it really got under his skin.

"I told you, Soma." Neo paused, stopping in front of him. "Mirroring isn't something you do. It just is."

"And what the hell does that mean?"

"It means, it's just something that happens. It isn't a skill or a learned ability. It's like… a force of nature. It's instinctual."

Soma lifted an eyebrow at her explanation, giving some thought to her suggestion. It wasn't farfetched. Neo and Shio both functioned almost entirely on instinct, one Aragami and the other with pitiful self-control. Hamasaki, like himself, seemed to function more on thought in general. But that often disappeared whenever Neo was involved. Perhaps it was because he was giving so much effort that he wasn't succeeding. Even still…

"So, what, you're saying it just happens on a whim? You have no control over it whatsoever?"

"Hmm… I wouldn't go that far. The action itself can be controlled, but it's not -" Neo sighed, growing stumped as she tried to think of the best possible way to describe it. "It's almost… like a resonance. It's just something you feel."

"Explain."

"It feels like… The same way we sense Aragami with our Oracle cells. Mirroring is no different. You're just doing it in reverse." Neo took Soma's hand in her gloved one, gently pushing him away. He didn't resist, stepping back as she moved him. "Rather than reaching out…" Her grip tightened, slowly bringing him back towards her and drawing him near. "You pull them in."

Soma stared down at her, his face pensive as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. It was true that he possessed the ability to sense Aragami, but he had never really given much thought to how it actually worked. As she described, it was something that just happened with or without his direction. Much like blinking and breathing, it was simply a part of his natural function.

"Think about it. If our senses are sending a signal… then mirroring is receiving one." Neo slowly moved their hands outwards, unlacing their fingers and placing them palm to palm. Her eyes looked up at him, staring into his azure pools. She had never really noticed just how blue they were, like little oceans constantly filled with rage. The two stood stock-still, neither one of them daring to move a muscle as they took in each other's presence. Her senses alighted, feeling his as his own Oracle cells did the same. Growing curious, she slowly tilted her head.

Soma watched her, taking in her multicolored eyes. The two shades were such a nice contrast, her royal blue complementing her gold. Her pupils were like his, so human-like and yet not human at all. Their unusual shape had always bothered him as a child, serving as a constant reminder of what he was. Yet somehow, in her eyes, it didn't have the same effect on him. Looking into her gaze didn't bring anger or scorn. It brought him comfort and peace. They were beautiful and unique.

For a moment, his mind drifted back to his strange dream. He could feel her body wrapped carefully in his embrace, her eyes staring hypnotically into his own. They were just as enchanting then, exciting feelings inside him that he never thought possible. He remembered he had wanted to gaze into her orbs forever. He wanted to feel her skin beneath his fingertips. He wanted to… what exactly did he want to do?

It was at that moment that reality came crashing down around him. He was no longer in his hazy dream world, but in the training room. And the Neo standing barely an inch from him was very real, not at all the woman of his dreams… or maybe she was.

Wait. Where the hell did that come from?

A glance downward was enough to shatter all of his focus, realizing their compromising position. He felt every blood cell in his body rushing upward, turning his tanned skin a fiery red. He stepped away from her, wrenching his hand free with far more force than he intended.

"Wait."

"This isn't working. We'll try again another time." He muttered, turning away from her.

"But Soma -"

Her words went ignored as he strode towards the doorway, leaving the baffled New Type in the center of the hall. He had to get away from this woman. She was driving him insane. At this point, in more ways than one. Hamasaki had warned him that she had little understanding of personal space, but he hadn't ever expected that to apply to him. And what's worse… he didn't mind it. Groaning, he threw open the doors and stomped down the hall.

Behind him, Neo watched him go, taking a few moments to ponder her thoughts. He had been in such a hurry to escape their session, he hadn't even noticed his own head tilting alongside of hers.

. . .

Far East Branch - Sick Bay

Brendan sat tiredly on his hospital bed. With nothing more to occupy his time other than his teammates, he found himself staring at the walls. In a way, he was glad for it. He hadn't really understood the true extent of his exhaustion until lying down on a warm bed. Now, he was enjoying the silence, his mind drifting lazily along. Perhaps he would take a nap.

…Or not.

The tranquility of the room was shattered by the sound of a sliding door. The Vice Captain took a deep breath, fully prepared for the next wave of 2nd Unit members to greet him. But instead, a small silhouette entered his periphery, certainly smaller than any of the ones he had grown accustomed to. Turning his head entirely, he nearly jumped as he came face to face with the last person he expected to see.

Following her session with Soma, Neo found herself with free time and decided that she would pay Brendan a visit. She was apprehensive to do so, given his frustrating habit of staring at her, but in the end, her morals won out. It was only right to go and check on his condition. She owed him that much. Striding across the room, she stopped in front of him with a look of minor irritation. "…You alright?"

"…Huh?!" Brendan startled, utterly floored by her sudden concern. It was extremely unusual for the New Type to speak to him at all, let alone seek him out. In fact, up until this very moment, she had been going to outlandish lengths to avoid him. Any and all attempts at socialization resulted in flight, with her maneuvering around him and quickly disappearing from sight. He had simply come to accept that Neo didn't like him for some reason or another, which considering her volatile nature, wasn't entirely surprising.

Yet here she stood before him in the Sick Bay, of her own accord, inquiring about his health. He couldn't help but consider for just a moment that she was a hallucination. Perhaps the Prithvi had hit him harder than he thought…

"Are you alright?" Neo repeated, sounding even more irritated at having to repeat herself.

"Uh… Y-Yeah. I'm a little banged up, but I'll be fine. Eventually."

"Why'd you do it?"

"…What?"

"Kanon tells me you chose to be the bait. Why?"

A bitter chuckle rumbled through his chest, his eyes lowering to his hands. "Redemption."

"For?"

"For everyone. The people here are all nice so they won't mention it, but I disgracefully came back from the Ark Project… That's why I took up the rear guard, and here I am."

Neo watched him silently for a moment, taking the time to process his explanation. Then, she crossed her arms and glared at him. "…Imbecile."

Ouch. Tatsumi was right. This woman was painfully blunt. "Yeah… I was confident of living a smarter life… but I copped out. Like a coward."

"And that's why you're stupid." Neo snapped, earning a look of utter confusion from the Vice Captain. "You shouldn't blame yourself for wanting to live. You should blame yourself for the people you'd leave behind."

"…What?"

"You're kind. You have done and do good things for many people. Don't throw your life away."

Brendan fell silent, his eyes growing wide at Neo's assertion. He had never thought to hear such kind words from the New Type. Sharp as knives, but kind nonetheless. His gaze raised to hers once more, bringing back that unnerving familiar feeling. She had described his actions in past tense. She even acted as though she knew him, only increasing his suspicion that he had seen her before.

Noticing his staring, Neo turned her head, much to Brendan's disappointment. It looked like she was going to flee again. Before departing, she reached a gloved hand into her coat pocket. "I brought you something." She muttered, shifting his expression from sadness to curiosity. Her hands shifted around, trying to get a grip on the mystery gift as she pulled it from her jacket. She almost had it when the wet surface slipped out of her hands. Neo cursed her frictionless gloves as her container slid from her fingers and clattered to the floor. "Damn it." Kneeling, she quickly gathered the rolling cup before it could escape underneath the bed. Gripping it carefully with both hands this time, she lifted her gift to the veteran. "Here."

Brendan gently took the container from her. "Thank you. That's very…" His words trailed as he looked over her crouched form beneath him on the ground. It was a familiar scene that he had witnessed once before. Then, as he caught a glimpse of her golden eye, he knew. "Wait… It's you."

"What?"

"For so long it's been bothering me. Ever since I saw you, I felt as though we had met somewhere before. I wasn't sure, but… I remember now…"

. . .

Sitting in the grand entranceway of the headquarter lobby, Brendan sat idly on a corner sofa and watched the world go by. He was fifteen, compatible, and ready to start combat training as soon as he received his new God Arc. Having been in more than a few brawls throughout his youth, he was already acquainted with hand-to-hand combat. It was fighting gigantic fire-breathing monsters that he was concerned about. Even still, he was happy to lend his aid to the cause and looking forward to making the world a better place.

To celebrate, he had collected a small container of ice cream from the Mess Hall. It remained untouched at his side, as he had gotten distracted upon reentering the main hall. It was still so unreal to him. Inside of Fenrir's walls was almost otherworldly in comparison to the world outside. The realm of the God Eaters. So this was where he was to spend his days…

With a goofy grin, he reached for his ice cream, finally ready to partake of his frozen treat… or at least, he had tried to.

His hand patted curiously around the cushion for a few moments, finding nothing in the way of food items. Startled, he looked down at the couch only to find the surface empty. His ice cream, along with its spoon, was gone. Perplexed, he placed his hand beneath his chin, trying to retrace his steps over the past few minutes. Surely, he hadn't left it behind. No, he was certain he had it in his hands when he sat down. Before he could ponder further, his thought process was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a small clatter. It was coming from behind the couch.

Standing, he slowly walked around the sofa, taking a peek behind the furniture. The couch wasn't a large one, more akin to a lounge piece than anything else, positioned slightly away from the wall. And in the space in between, he was startled to find movement. Hidden within the crack was a little girl with brown skin, jet black hair, a golden scarf, and a mouthful of dessert. His dessert. Apparently, she was the culprit and had already devoured more than half of it by the time he noticed her.

The little girl scarfed down her pilfered meal, oblivious to the curious pair of blue eyes watching her. It wasn't until he stepped forward that she noticed him, his movement catching her attention from the periphery. Slowly, she looked up from her sugary sweet, mouth falling open at the sight of him.

Brendan offered a curious smile to the young girl. She was clearly nervous, and he wasn't certain why she was hiding nor why she had stolen his ice cream. She was a tiny little thing and couldn't possibly be a day over nine. Or perhaps she simply looked very young. It was impossible to tell. Had she been separated from her parents? "Hey… What are you doing back there?"

His question was met with silence, her mouth slowly opening and closing. She attempted to speak, but no words came out. Perhaps she was shy. He knelt down to match her level, startling as she scuttled away from him, pressing further against the wall. Why was she so afraid of him? "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm not mad about the ice cream. You can have it if you want." He offered, rather pointlessly considering that she had already consumed more than half of it.

But the gesture was still appreciated. He grinned as her face split into a cheerful smile, all prior nervousness forgotten. Lifting her hands, she made motions with them in a gesture that he didn't understand. It looked like sign language, but Brendan couldn't be entirely sure. How unusual. Was she deaf? He was about to ask her when the sound of heavy footsteps quickly disproved his theory. At the sound of the rushing feet, the little girl jumped, shrinking into the crevice as shouting sounded throughout the entryway.

"Damn it, she got away."

"I told you not to leave her with Hamasaki's kid. Now she's escaped."

"Find her!"

Brendan looked over towards them, lifting an eyebrow at the sudden commotion. He didn't have a clue what they were yelling about, nor who Hamasaki was. But apparently, his kid was going to be in a lot of trouble. Shaking his head, he turned back to the little girl. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach.

Her earlier mirth was gone, replaced with a look of abject terror. Her entire body was shaking from head to toe and her eyes were wide like little moons. And considering their color, it was a fair comparison. In fact, he hadn't really noticed until that moment their unusual shade: one brown and one gold. Eyes that, at the moment, were clouded with brimming tears.

As her lip trembled, Brendan frowned. They must be looking for her. He wasn't sure what would happen to her if they found her, but from the way she curled into a tiny ball, it couldn't be good. Thinking quickly, he lifted a finger to his lips, telling her to be still. Standing, he strolled his way towards a blonde researcher looking frantically around the room. "What seems to be the problem?"

He turned to him with an impatient expression. "One of our patients has gotten away from us. Have you seen her perchance?"

Brendan quirked an eyebrow at his response. He wasn't sure what kind of patient she was, but he had never seen anyone react so strongly to any form of medical examination. "Uh… you're not talking about a little girl are you?"

"Yes, precisely. Have you seen her?"

"Oh, yeah. She ran through here a little while ago."

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know. She ran into the stairwell and disappeared. Haven't seen her since."

The man scowled, muttering quietly to himself. "She must be heading towards the core storage… let's go." The other researchers shuffled towards the stairs at a brisk pace, with the blonde turning briefly back to him. "What's your name, soldier?"

"Brendan Bardell, sir."

"Samuel. Thank you for your assistance." He offered a grateful nod before following after his colleagues.

Brendan frowned as they disappeared, waiting until their footsteps became quiet echoes. Had he mentioned core storage? This day just kept getting weirder and weirder. Shaking his head, he returned to the couch, kneeling before the little girl who was still trembling on the floor. "Don't worry, they're gone. I'd get out of here if I were you. I'm not sure when they'll be back."

The little girl stared back at him, still and silent as the grave. Her tears began to slow as his words sank in. Then, she lunged forward with enough force to nearly knock him off his feet. Her little arms wrapped around his midsection; her face buried into his shirt. He grunted slightly at her grip, wondering how such a small child could possibly be so incredibly strong.

Releasing him, she waved her hands once more in yet another gesture that meant nothing more to him than gibberish. Then, she looped around him and bolted off towards an opposite stairway. She was gone. As the door swung closed behind her, Brendan took a moment to marvel once more at the unusual child. Apparently, she was ridiculously fast as well. Shrugging, he walked back around to sit once more on the sofa hoping that she would be alright.

. . .

Brendan blinked, the memory coming back to him clear as day. How could he have possibly forgotten? They had met before, many years ago in the North American Branch. She looked very different now, with violet hair and a blue eye in place of brown. She was older and more mature, now a young woman rather than a child. She had even changed out her golden scarf for an azure one. But it was her without a doubt. Her golden eye was a testament to that. "We met before… about seven years ago. You were that little girl, weren't you?"

Neo said nothing, her eyes boring into his in utter silence. Her piercing gaze tore right through him, evaluating him. Now he was absolutely sure. While it was better hidden, he could tell that she was nervous. She held the same uncertainty that she had as a child.

Then, he suddenly realized. "Is that… is that why you came to find me?"

Finally, the New Type responded with a nod. "You showed me kindness that day. I was returning the favor."

Brendan winced slightly at the sharpness of her tone. She spoke in such a bitter manner… as though kindness were something foreign to her. "I can't believe it's you. I'm a little surprised to see you here in the Far East. I'm glad you're doing well."

"Likewise." Standing, Neo turned and made her way for the door. Now she knew he was alright, there was little need for her to remain. Her debt was repaid. She paused, hand on the button, as his voice reached her once more.

"Neo, wait!"

Turning her head, she watched him.

"Back then… you were speaking sign language, weren't you? What did you say?"

Neo blinked, her expression softening slightly. Then, she grinned. "Thank you."

His question answered, she pressed the button and stepped through the door. She was gone. Brendan watched her go. He could almost see the little girl strolling out into the hallway, vanishing almost as quickly as she appeared. Slowly, he looked down at her gift, taking a moment to examine it. Finding a small, attached spoon on the side, his eyes grew wide.

It was a container of ice cream.