A few hours had past since the failed hunt on Sabot platoon; they were long gone by now. All of them had logged off leaving the world of Gun Gale Online to continue its daily cycle of markets and players seeking out new challenges. It was as if nothing changed or happened. Rumours of squad wipeouts were a common place, however ones involving larger squadrons were rarer. These rumours would be heavily suppressed like a revolt against a regime.

Within the Glocken, past the main alleyways and grand bridges stretching over walkways, lay the city's maze-like back streets. These was the of black market of GGO, where players could trade valuable items for inflated prices or join the most hardcore of PvP squadrons. Many swarmed these streets like rats scuttling away from the outside world. However, there was even one place these refused to go. They actively avoided a street where red eyes would follow your every move. The creature wouldn't come out from the shadows, only puffs of smoke drifted into the clustered skies above.

One player entered the street without hesitation. He was mostly covered by a thick, black cloak covering all but above the mouth. Yet again the red eyes glowed from the shadows. The player turned to face the glowing balls of hatred without a flinch and gave a simple nod.

"I suspect your little 'hunt' went well, Patriot?" Came a robotic, deep voice from the darkness of the alleyway.

"In some ways, more than anyone could ever ask for. I know that this 'Sinon' has joined forces with a player named 'Sabretooth'. They escaped, but the information gathered was worth more than a bounty. The report will be sent when I have the payment."

The red eyes came closer until the body entered what light there was from a blue neon sign above them. Much of the figure was dressed in black robes and bandages that covered the arms. There was no face, only a mask that showed a lifeless husk. Though quite a bit smaller than Patriot, the player's presence still echoed greater.

"How unfortunate of this Sabretooth to join with her." The other player harshly spoke, "Anything else?"

"This Sabretooth and I have history in GGO, as we both know all too well. Anyway, our history stretches back much further than that. Back ten years. I was betrayed by him after he fled from his responsibilities. He had destroyed many lives that day, including those who should have been on the trigger. Your records should be able to identify him in the real world. During this past decade I've forced myself to forget, to the point of forgetting even his name. However, I know when I see him."

A moment of silence passed before the figure continued after a breath of smoke, "You have served your purpose. This player will be brought to justice by my hand. As for payment for you and your squadron 'Guns of Liberty', I will send a colleague who will transfer the funds."

Patriot turned away with a smile and began to walk away. He raised a hand. "Don't underestimate 'im. He wiped out some of my most loyal squad members. Kill him for us all, Death Gun."

"Over here… Over here, officer! Hurry!"

A flurry of steps fled from the shouting. Down a darkened alleyway, the steps faded into the light of a mainstream road. Three fled, never to return. They took their bags and worries with them. Within a flash, they had vanished. Nothing remained of them, only a single figure huddled to one side. On the verge of tears, all the figure did was weep. Their blue bag was flattened and laid to rest beside the lifeless grey wall.

A girl had been left by the escapees, broken and forgotten for now. The only warmth she had was a simple black scarf wrapped around her neck loosely, commonly hiding within it for comfort.

"Are you okay, Asada?"

The figure responded to the call, raising their head and faced where the voice came from. The last of the tears had been shed, she was safe now. A boy, of similar age stood over her wearing a black cap and unbranded yellow jacket. A friend at last…

"I'm all right," Asada finally answered sighing in relief, "thanks, Shinkawa…"

Minutes passed painfully slowly. Still, there was comfort to be had elsewhere. Not too far away, there was a little cafe decorated outside with lush plants and adverts of the drinks to be had within. The shop just rested quietly as the daily chaos continued; it only blended in with the rows upon rows of shops and stalls that flooded the outskirts of the street.

Within, the cafe was nearly empty. All of the tables were spotless and contained only a single menu. A large mirror covered a single wall, reflecting everything that could be seen. An older man rested his arms upon the counter. He struggled to keep his eyes open, there was no customers in sight yet. A terrible sight for such a busy street. Even a white cat rested on the counter beside a red tray.

The girl blew onto her coffee, steam still gently rising, before taking a sip.

"I heard about the other day," the boy began, "you were a hero."

"The mission itself was a failure. All but me in the squadron were wiped out. Unless our ambush worked as intended, we can't claim victory…"

"But it was still amazing-" Shinkawa took a gulp of his drink before continuing, "They say that Behemoth guy, never died in a group fight!"

Asada was shocked by this. She placed her cup back onto a small plate with a tiny chink that echoed through the emptiness of the cafe. "He was that famous? I've never seen him in the BoB tournaments before though…"

"Of course not, a minigun is powerful but with sufficient ammo, it puts you over the weight limit. But, if he has support, he's invincible. A minigun is pretty much cheating with that firepower. They should nerf it more next patch..."

He took another mouth full of his drink, hand on cheek.

"They say my Hecate is a cheat weapon, too. Though it does have problems…"

"They're still nice problems to have, Asada." Shinkawa sighed again before drinking even more of his drink. Then, he asked a question: "What will you do for the next BoB?"

Without hesitation, she replied, " I've entered of course. The players in the top twenty, I have data on them from the last one. I will… aim for the high rank this time."

Her eyes hid behind a wall of reflected light from the dim lamps that surrounded the cafe. 'If I can kill all of my targets in the BoB, I can prove I am strong to others and myself. I'll not mention the others for now, looks like their involvement hasn't been mentioned yet. I'm sure they will turn up sooner or later in conversation. I'm sure I'll…'

"I see…"

Asada quickly rose her head in surprise. Her eyes became fully visible again, staring directly at Shinkawa. He remained emotionless. They did not make eye contact; his eyes fell to his drink.

"You're amazing, Asada." he continued in a monotone voice, "You have got that amazing gun and put enough points into strength to use it. I invited you to Gun Gale Online to help you, but I'm being left behind…"

Trying to cheer him up, she pointed out that he "reached the semifinals" in the last qualifier. This was in vain. He proceeded to continue with his small rant on 'agility-types' being weaker than others as certain weapons required strength values or higher. Thus, preventing them from using better equipment in tournaments. Concluding that there was no purpose of him entering the Battle of Bullets. She had to think of something to cheer him up, Asada couldn't stand having him looking like this.

"At least you can focus on your studies to become… a doctor, right?"

However, even with the major diversion of conversation, he didn't alter at all. His voice and arm remained just like how they were a few minutes ago. If he stopped breathing, he would make for a convincing statue. "Yeah, my family runs a hospital. I promised my dad I'd study medicine. I made the promise and I have to do it… I'm keeping up with the practice exams though. I'm fine. No problem, instructor!"

He raised his hand in a salute. Asada smiled a little. He was fine, just a little under pressure. As long as her new teammates weren't brought up, she could relax. She had no idea how he would react to her suddenly making a few friends. Best to keep it quiet for now.

"I do worry about you. Everytime I log on, I see you are as well. You ever not on?"

Cheerily, a surprise to her, a reply came, "I study during the day, I need breaks once in a while. Though agility builds cannot solo anymore…"

"You make enough for the connection fees, right?"

Suddenly, her attention was brought to a small wooden clock hung in her view on the other side of the cafe. 6:05. It was time to leave. Her nervous expression quickly faded. Asada grabbed her scarf, wrapping it gently around her neck, and a thin beige coat that fitted her perfectly.

"You make your own meals, don't you? Sometime, I'd like you to cook for me again."

Shinkawa began to smile once again. Her talk seemed to have helped him, as well as herself. The events nearly ten minutes old were now distant and easily forgotten. Though use to the bullying, Asada wished for it to fade. It had remained for a long time. If only she was stronger…

"Sure. Sometime." She answered after a pause. Yet again her glasses filled with light reflecting off the lens. The eyes became invisible for a moment before reappearing, "Thanks for the tea and thanks for helping me."

"I wish I could always protect you…" he replied, turning slightly to face a beautiful vase. Within a red pot, white and pink flowers sprouted from it, "Should I walk you home from school? So this stops happening?"

"I'm alright," came a quiet reply, with a simple shake of her head, "I need to become strong."

Later that night, Asada had reached her home. It was a part of a two story flat complex, in the middle of a quiet neighbourhood. The rest all looked the same, one could be forgiven to think they were going around in circles. Tokyo hovered in the distance, its lights dancing in the dusk. All of that organised chaos was now miles away, but close enough to occasionally hear the odd horn muffled. Along with non-stopping traffic, the events of the day could be left behind her as well.

She climbed the set of stairs to her room. Her green door welcomed her in, just like every other previous day. From her bag, Asada grabbed a key and unlocked her door (with a pin as well). The door slowly opened. She entered soon after, closing it behind.

"I'm home."

Darkness lay stagnant in the room. Barely anything could be seen except for some outlines of shelves and large objects. The moon shone dimly through the thin curtains, giving a slight blue haze to the window. It was all the same. Day in, day out. She welcomed the friendly darkness. None others were like this one. It didn't scare the ones whom lived there; the darkness would only float about until the lights flickered into life.

Asada pulled on a thin black cord that hung from the ceiling. The room burst into light. Darkness vanished within an instant, forced to hide under cupboards and closed draws. A huge singular light had been embedded into the ceiling, it gave the room warmth and light like a fire gently lapping at small logs under a starry sky. Under the new light, she hung her beige coat on a wooden door. Then, removed her red tie, placing it on her bed and unbuttoned the top few buttons on her long-sleeved shirt. Finally, she could relax…

However, something caught her eye. A matt black cabinet towards the corner of the room. Lifeless, it stared back silently, menacingly. A thought came to her. After the events of today, her defeating Behemoth, squading up with the others, meeting Sabretooth, could she hold that? It still remained within the cabinet, waiting for the perfect moment. Asada had dared not touch it, bad memories would always spring up. Then, downwards spiral from there.

"Maybe now..."

She reached for the top draw upon the black cabinet. Then, very carefully, pulled it out. Asada stared at the contents of the draw. Yes, it was still there… Beside some highlighters and sellotape, a model gun. One of those optical weapons from Gun Gale Online. A model pistol. It was only a model, couldn't harm a fly. To the touch, it felt real alright. She stroked the model. Already the memories began to return. Sweat began to gently trickle down her cheeks as the eyes widened. With much caution, she slowly grabbed it, raising it's barrel upwards. It was cold to the touch, metal untouched by warmth during its lifetime.

Blood pressure rose. She remained still, not blinking once and had her all attention focused on the gun.

Blood pressure rose. Her heart began to pump harder and faster. Memories were quickly coming back vividly; hands on a gun, blood everywhere.

Blood pressure rose. She began to panic. The memories overtook her. Her breathing became shallow yet the gun remained in her hands undeterred by Asada's sudden swing from calmness to uncontrollable dread. It was too much…

Asada dropped the gun in a scream, darting backwards and dashed right for the toilet. She left the gun lying on the floor as she fled. It hit the gun with a quiet tap before resting. The model gun was all too familiar with lying in wait, just like it had been for most of its life. It desired no future nor chance in being used, only to forever rest wherever it may be placed.

A few minutes later, a harsh flush came from the toilet. The deed was done; whatever she brought up could now be forgotten except… She failed. In the real world, holding a gun was still a task too much. However, the model was still there once she returned from the darkness. Without hesitation, Asada placed a white sheet over it and quickly grabbed the gun. Then, without looking at its black exterior, placed the model back within the same draw before closing it with a quiet thud.

She breathed a sigh of relief. The memories faded and she gradually calmed. Asada still had a long way to go. Slowly, she turned to face a mirror behind her. Her skin was as white as the walls that surrounded her. 'I look terrible…' this wasn't the first time and, judging by what just happened, may not be the last.

With a slow trudge, she approached her spotless bed and collapsed onto it. Nothing was working… She thought she could! But, yet again, no progress could be made. Could she ever be cured from her past?

"Save me…" she whispered, "Someone, save me…"

Tears trickled down her cheeks as she curled up into a ball. Defenceless, unable to forget, she remained still. Tomorrow, she wanted help, answers, anything to get her out of this deep hole. Anything…

Meanwhile, across Tokyo, a conversation had just begun. Past the skyscrapers and towers, sat a five-story building. It's concrete exterior blended in with the streets of other buildings across the estate. This one has no adverts decorating the outside and the carpark was mostly empty. It seemed nearly abandoned except for the occasional car underneath a street lamp. Within the blacked out windows, some people slowly drifted from desk to desk. They were on the night shift, haunting the rooms that stretched over rows of identical desks.

Above all of the groaning silence, upon the top floor, a single light on the ceiling was on. An office lit brightly against the darkened corridors and yawning workers. Within, a single man sat at his large desk, clicking away. It was Seijirou. Eventually, he stopped; then clicked once more. A new tab opened and an audio soundwave appeared on the screen. The wave danced as a voice from the other side spoke.

"Ah wonderful!" Seijirou began, "I'm glad you answered, 'Sabretooth'. Unless you want to be called by your real name?"

"No... Not yet anyway. I'm not taking any risks here. What do you want to know?"

Seijirou cleared his throat before answering, "I just wanted to know you plans and ideas. Akiyama gave me very little detail, though he did recommend you. So, you must know what you're doing, right?"

"Of course. I have my 'plan'. I intend to fight as a normal player within the Battle of Bullets. Then, proceed to fight this Death Gun in the finals. Hopefully I can more information on him or anything really. However, further updates will be extremely unlikely."

Shocked, Seijirou shook his head. "Why's that?"

"Any major progress on identification will have to been done in the finals, which is a few days away. Anything I uncover will be reported back that day, after the event. Death gun, the deaths beforehand, mystery behind the deaths. Hopefully, by then, it will be over."

"You having others help in your plan?"

"Unfortunately, more than I initially wanted. Subaru and Starbug were optimal. Now, another has entered: Sinon. She will prove useful in the operation. However, I don't want her involved, she doesn't deserve to be a part of this mess. Though she may be hiding a deep secret from me…"

"That bother you, Sabre?"

"Not at all. I have been hiding everything about me to nearly everyone. No one I fight with knows who I truly am, or even my name. I don't even fully trust those closest to me. Yes… That is one of my many problems. The shell closing me off to the outside world has become too thick. This will not only crack the shell, but I hope my past will be forgiven. It should have taken more from me…"

Seijirou, now confused, took a few deep breaths in before looking up at a clock. It was late, yet there was still much to do. "What do you mean 'taken more' from you?"

Suddenly, a video feed sprang into life. The waves vanished in an instant, being replaced by a head. Seijirou never saw anyone like this before. Unstyled brown hair sat upon his head, drooping slightly over his forehead. His skin was quite pale. Then, there was the eyes. Well, eye… The right one was a deep brown, the same as his hair. The other, did not exist. Where It should have been, was hidden behind a white eye patch. Red cracks radiated from the patch along with tiny red dots separating the skin underneath the patch to that which saw the light of day.

"I live with it everyday of my life." He started to explained, "I live with my scars and a fractured mind. Broken promises and crushed hope are my legacy. By eradicating a greater evil, I hope that I can be accepted back. I must prove myself, by any means."

The video feed cut off, leaving a shocked Seijirou still staring at the screen. Best not to interfere. He would get a full report on the situation in a few days. 'This 'Sabretooth' seems capable', Seijirou thought, 'just for the wrong reasons. Would doing this really help him?' He only sighed. It had been a long day and now all he need was a good night sleep.

Author's notes:

Panzer_Bros:

A balance of secrets and mysteries is a hard one, especially for myself. I've attempted to bring Sabretooth into the spotlight a little along with showing where this part takes place: the first proper introduction of Asada's past. I chose not to include much of it, or I would be simply copying off the show. If you don't know of her backstory, watch episode 3 of season 2. It isn't necessary but recommended if not watched yet.

Oh yes, I plan to share the main character spotlight between Asada and Sabretooth. Hopefully, giving a balanced perspective. Enjoy~