"It's safe for you to walk around now, Serenity. It always was, to be blunt."

"No… You only have two. That's not enough! What if-"

"…you accidentally touch someone. You're far too considerate and self-depreciating for a Hassan," Hundred Face sighed and crossed her arms over her battle attire.

Quietly, she observed her worried friend as the younger assassin sat on the side of her bed. Serenity felt ashamed, even though she knew the older woman was just teasing her; The small smirk said everything. The young Hassan fiddled with one, thing strap of her white nightdress while keeping her gaze aimed at the closet. With another sigh, the older assassin shook her head and gave a reassuring smile to her friend. Serenity looked back quietly as Hundred Face attached her signature mask.

"We'll continue this discussion later so Cursed Arm can assist me in scolding you," she joked. A small smile formed to break Serenity's solemn expression. "I'll be sure to keep a lookout for the necessary ingredients during this sortie. I hope your afternoon isn't too boring without us."

"Safe travels," Serenity wished softly as the older assassin waved goodbye. In respect for her wishes, she went into spiritual form instead of using the door. Both of the older Hassans were very respectful and caring for her, not just through kinship but the comradery they shared in the past singularity. It had been a difficult several months, but they managed to keep their villagers alive until Chaldea's surprising arrival. They had been a blessing to all of them, but possibly not more than Gudao, Gabrielle, and Mashu were for her. After so long, she finally got to feel the warmth of another without risking their life.

Still, she wished for more, but her body was a roadblock.

It was the main reason she was so hesitant to leave. The village was open air, and she could simply avoid almost everyone to keep them safe. Enclosed hallways and packed rooms made her nervous of accidentally killing one of humanity's remaining human defenders. To the chagrin and sadness of those closest to her, she continued to lock herself away thanks to the body she disliked so much. She still saw herself as a lethal assassin, no matter how many times she was reprimanded by the older Hassan. Even with an antidote finally forged, but so little amount, she was beyond concerned of the possibilities.

At least she didn't have to be so worried with her newest discovery. Serenity quietly looked to the closet with a tiny smile. "It's okay... She's gone now."

Two robotic eyes popped out of the closet to gaze at her in a stacked orientation. They looked around warily before the irises blinked. Its eyes wiggled up and down happily on its arms, making Serenity giggle before the machine revealed itself. An unpainted, stainless steel sphere floated out of the closet, being sure not to wrinkle any of her clothes. It was different from the rest of Chaldea's robotic workforce, yet the eyes' design and the spherical body mimicked them. It was a tad smaller, yet hovered just like them without a visible thruster. The ball with eyes hovered in front of Serenity, bouncing in the air gently to make the assassin smile.

"…Do you want to watch me draw again? I know I did for you yesterday, but…"

While the widened pupils stayed locked on her, it shook its eyes up and down.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Fragment 32: Song of Deliverance

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Serenity moaned softly as she shifted in the warmth of her bed. Opening her eyes slowly, she eyed the alarm that beeped on the screen of the video intercom. There was no need for her to wake up early, but she made it a habit after watching her villagers for so many months. With slight irritation, she groaned quietly and glared at the offending machine. She didn't want to get out of bed to turn off the device, yet the noise wouldn't stop otherwise. As she closed her eyes with the discomforting sound still echoing in her room, she silently wondered how modern humans dealt with such a maddening contrap-

There was a click followed by silence.

Her alarm did not have any automatic shut off functions enabled, or at least, Gudao and Gabrielle never set that for her. She opened her eyes in confusion, only for her to slowly start sitting up in her bed. She kept her blanket folded around her, even though she wore her typical white night dress, as she stared at the unusual robot. It retracted a small, mechanical arm from the video screen back into the left side of its spherical body, identifying it as her savior from the early morning racket.

As its panel shut, perfectly concealing its retractable left arm, the robot turned to Serenity. Quietly they looked at each other as she waited for it to speak. Silence followed for several moments before a minute rolled over on the video intercom's clock. Serenity looked around her room quietly in confusion, which was slowly mimicked by the robotic sphere that continued to hover silently. Realizing it wasn't going to be the first to communicate, she cleared her throat softly.

"Um… hello. I haven't seen a robot like you before…"

It remained silent, but its eyes moved in what appeared to be a curious fashion. Serenity blinked. "Hello?"

The robot remained quiet. The silence persisted as Serenity grew more confused. She exhaled softly as her curiosity grew. "…can you understand me?"

To her surprise, the robot's eyes nodded up and down in a mimic of a head nodding. There were no beeps or noises typical of the other Chaldean machines as it simply hovered. Its eyes continued to stare into her ebony orbs, adjusting its irises occasionally, yet quietly, to view her. Compared to the usual Chaldean housekeeping robot, this one was far different and, besides its inability to speak, even acted strangely. A little confused, but with a growing curiosity, Serenity pressed forward with her inquiries.

"Are you able to talk?" she asked. The robot quickly shook its eyes to the sides. That explained everything. "No, um… speakers, I think they're called?"

It shook its eyes again. "…How about a name?"

She giggled as the robots' eyes shot up like it had a realization; The movement was comical to her. Quickly, the robot hovered to her, taking the assassin by slight surprise and concern. It floated near her face and turned its body around to reveal a number. Before she could read, but to her amusement, its viewing arms shifted to the sides to allow the irises to look at her from around its body. Getting her small fit of laughter under control, she looked around on the unpainted black panel to note a simple white designation. Chaldean robots all had one, but they were all cleanly labelled and not written. This one was likely a new, unfinished design.

"R1-N4?" she read quietly. The separated eyes nodded up and down from their respective sides, making her smile. It certainly was a curious little robot. "That's a little bit complex compared to the other robots."

Its eyes seemed to droop at her comment, and she frowned. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean that like an insult. All the other ones I've met had names like people… You don't have one yet?"

Eyes still drooped, it shook them in disagreement as Serenity looked over the designation again. The robot turned itself around and fixed its eye orientation. She looked at the still seemingly sad robot as it looked at her with eye-arms in a wedge setup, reminding her partially of how a snail sees. As its eyes stayed focus on her, her own expression lit up hopefully. Its eyes raised slightly, seemingly taking interest in the new development as it waited patiently and silently.

"How about I give you a name?" The robot's irises shot as wide open as possible in seeming excitement, before nodding up and down swiftly. Serenity giggled, noting that this robot had a much wider range of expressive emotion than any she had ever witnessed. "Okay… but first, are you a boy or girl?"

The robot blinked its irises, before tilting its entire body slightly in confusion as if it were a large head. She sighed and smiled softly. "…Sorry… that wasn't a yes or no question… Um, left for boy, and right for girl?"

After reorienting itself, it shook its eyes up and down before moving floating more to her right. It moved its eye-arms to emphasize the point further. She smiled. "So you're a girl… If that's the case, then…"

The robot hovered a little closer to her, seemingly eager at hearing an answer. It made Serenity show a tiny smile as she placed a finger to her mouth in silent thought. The numbered designation seemed rather basic, which meant it wouldn't make for a great name in the least. She could still work with the letters provided. It was just a matter of if the R or the N would be a better- Her eyes widened slightly as she looked to the robot. "Um, do you mind turning around one more time… please?"

Nodding its eyes in confirmation, the robot spun to reveal the designation one last time. R1-N4. With a small smile, she pieced the idea together in her mind before smiling softly. Seeing the expression once more, if turned around and looked at the assassin with a tilt of its entire body. Serenity giggled softly at its expressiveness once more before nodding.

"How about… Rena? The one is more like an I than an E, but it's how I pronounced it in my head..."

She looked back at the robot and smiled happily at its reaction. It was bouncing in place in the air and nodding enthusiastically with its eyes. Glad the machine liked the name so much, she nodded before her eyes widened in disbelief. It quickly floated up to her and rested on her blanket-covered lap. It stared up at her with wide irises, and she marveled at how surprisingly light the machine was. Hesitantly, she reached out with her hand and slowly rested it on the cool, metal surface. It wasn't the warmth of a human's touch, but it was something that felt alive she could touch. She smiled as it wiggled its eyes-

Both irises hastily shivered and turned to the door as a knock came. "Serenity? Are you awake?"

It was Cursed Arm, who usually came to check up on her in the morning. He was early today. Quietly, she watched Rena's eyes darting around the room in panic. Was this little machine not supposed to be outside? It was possible it was hiding as a runaway. Quickly realizing its plight, she stared towards her closet and felt her mind race. She looked down and met the irises of the newly named robot; A fleeting thought made her ponder how it could look at her with such recognizable fear and concern.

"Um, can you hide in the closet maybe? I know there's not much room, but…"

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ III ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

It's been nine days since she discovered Rena. Since then, the robot has been hiding in her closet when guests would come. Thankfully the machines didn't have any magical signature, nor did this model seem to have any way to give its location away to any scanners. Her mood had been much higher because of the little robot, who gladly kept her company in exchange for seeking sanctuary. The occasional companions and masters did notice her raised spirits, but only seemed pleased and not curious. She felt bad about keeping her little friend a secret, but she couldn't simply part with it now.

The robot was an incredible companion. Rena sat on the bed beside the servant and moved its eyes to watch the assassin's movements. As Jeanne's soft singing voice echoed from a gifted, digital music player on the bed, Serenity's drawing hand glided across the tablet. She thoroughly enjoyed Gabrielle's gifted tablet, especially since it saved paper resources yet allowed her to keep all her artworks in a revisable format. Not that it seemed like she needed to touch up her work any further as far as the robot was concerned.

Butterflies filled her current work, and the cartoon depiction held a style of innocence and childish imagination. Looking into Serenity's current artwork was like indulging in a fantasy, where her vibrant colors and designs carried a sense of wonder. Her favorite subjects to draw were the things she wished to be able to touch someday. They were a far cry from her earlier works, which were easily seen as morose and questioning. It was obviousher own optimism had come a long way in a month, and her skill in drawing had only improved with it.

One of her newer works had recently been enlarged and was hanging within Salon de Marie, though she had yet to personally see it. One day she would.

"Do you think I put too many butterflies in this one?" she asked quietly with a smile. Rena scanned across the screen before shaking its eyes. Serenity sighed, though the smile remained as she continued working. "I wish you could talk… I'd love to hear your voice."

While she didn't feel like she was talking to herself, the sound of the human voice was always beautiful to hear. There were so many wonderful things in the world she loved to experience, though she had to indulge in anything that didn't involve a touch; It was likely the reason she was so adept at drawing. Even if it made her a better artist, she still wished to appreciate that lost sense in its full capacity.

Her appreciation for the sights and sounds would always be strong, but to be able to finally touch what she wished would be an immeasurable euphoria. Interacting with Gudao, Gabrielle, and Mashu was just a simple taste, and she yearned for being among the other servants to finally enjoy the Chaldea they spoke of. She couldn't say how badly she wished to sit in the salon without fear of harming someone, and listen to Jeanne's wonderful singing in person-

~Hello, how are you? Have you been alright?~

Jeanne's cover that had been playing had quickly shifted to a piece of another one. Serenity blinked in surprise before turning to the music player. "Rena…?"

The song switched again. ~Here I am this is me. There's nowhere else on earth I'd rather be.~

Her eyes widened further, like her smile, as she marveled at Rena's adaptation. It had inserted a control cord, that protruded from a hidden panel, into one of the device's input slots to control the player directly. With its newfound command, it quickly searched through the song library for something matching its inquiry and played it. The silence that followed allowed it to make small pieces of conversation. Granted, it seemed it didn't have perfect control, and could only really cherry pick one song at a time to let it run. It was still far better than nothing.

"A little creative yourself, aren't you?" Serenity asked with a giggle. Its eyes bounced up and down in blissful agreement. Its eyes swiveled to look at her drawing.

~Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?~ Apparently it could only shift as quickly as the player, and even still, it was limited in options.

"I understand what you're really trying to say, but it wasn't perfect," she mused quietly. It drooped its eyes, making the assassin sigh. "I'm sorry it's not working so well…"

~Don't stop believing.~ Serenity giggled. The robot looked to her friend as it kept shifting through the songs. It kept probing, moving from song to song silently as she searched test. Serenity watched quietly as it continued the examination hopefully. Slowly, the twin eye-arms drooped.

Serenity gave the dejected orb a solemn smile. "It's alright… you tried. There was only so much you could do when they only started recording Jeanne's recent performances…"

She pet Rena's chassis as the robot continued to look at the screen. It detached gently itself from the music player after returning the device to the interrupted song. Rena's irises quickly opened again before looking at Serenity with a hopeful glance. She followed the machine's eyes to the drawing tablet as Rena waved its control cord around the device. The assassin's eyes widened in curiosity before quickly saving her current work. She minimized the window and brought up one of the writing applications. 'Why didn't we think of this sooner?'

"Do you think it will work?" she asked quietly. The robot quickly hovered and scanned the side ports of the device. It quickly looked dismayed upon finding no control slot for its outdated cord. Serenity smiled in reassurance before fiddling with the device. It was her first time opening the app, but she was able to find the virtual keyboard for Rena to type on. "How about this?"

The machine parked itself in its previous spot beside the assassin, and opened a panel for one mechanical arm. Rena stared at the rough implement and shook its eyes, clearly not wanting to scratch the servant's gift. The robot looked dismayed once more as it concealed the arm again, only to stare with wide irises at Serenity's hand. Manipulating her cord, Rena quickly wrapped it around Serenity's finger, and gently moved it to the keyboard. Slowly she began typing with Serenity's hand, but quickly got faster.

*I think this could work. I'm sad it stops you from drawing though.* Serenity smiled at Rena's first inquiry as the robot looked at her with widened irises. She nodded at her mechanical friend. "If it means I can talk to you now, I'm okay with a few drawing breaks!"

With a growing smile, Serenity watched the little robot typing its sentences out. While the assassin would still much prefer the sound of voice, especially since she couldn't draw, she could at least have a conversation with her little robotic friend now. Glancing at the clock, she silently ensured the laundry robot wouldn't be arriving anytime soon as her friend finished its first inquiry. With a soft smile, she looked down at the new sentence before blinking, and blushing profusely. "R-Rena!"

*Do you want me to stay by your side or hide in the closet while you take anal?*

Rena looked exceptionally panicked as it stared at Serenity in what appeared to be total surprise. Swiftly, it moved her finger rapidly across the keyboard to type the next statement. *I meant a nap and not anal. I see why humans dislike autocorrect.*

Serenity blinked as her blush faded, before she started laughing happily. The robot beside her closed its irises and wiggled them, making it seem like it was laughing too. Serenity stifled her laughter and smiled at the little robot. This could definitely work better than just yes and no questions.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IV ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"I still feel bad you have to be with me the whole time… You have your own life to live."

"We Hassans will gladly watch over each other, Serenity. You know this," Hundred Face stated with a hint of exasperation. Reassuring her was a daily chore. Still, she smiled at her friend. "Let's not forget, I did volunteer to be your carrier."

The quieter assassin simply nodded as she followed Cursed Arm and Hundred Face soundlessly, though she appeared far more uncomfortable than her compatriots. Besides her paranoia of poisoning, part of Serenity's uneasiness was caused by her wardrobe, which covered almost all of her body except her face. The pink turtleneck's sleeves ended to reveal white, silk gloves. Her white yoga pants covered every part of her legs. In comparison, the male assassin only wore comfortable gray slacks, while her older companion sported a white tank top and blue jeans.

She sighed quietly as the trio approached the alchemical room. While Cursed Arm didn't need to come, Hundred Face was practically tied to Serenity's side since she carried the antidote to her poison body. Should any incidents occur in Chaldea, she would be the one to react immediately to save the victim. While many servants would be fine with a delayed response, it was the employees that had Serenity in complete concern. Thankfully there had been no incidents yet. Hopefully today's meeting would bring better news about the developing charm since it was a far more promising solution.

The rooms mages barely gave them extra attention before returning to their own designated research. Clicking of glass and the bubbling of liquid filled the room as usual before a caster quickly appeared from around a shelving unit. "Ah, Serenity… Thank you for coming. You didn't need to come yourself if it makes you uncomfortable."

Serenity shook her head gently as the caster walked to them. "I wanted to try going out today."

The older Hassans parted to her flanks as Paracelsus approached them in a modern lab coat. His hands were folded in front of him as he gave a reassuring smile to Serenity. Since her arrival, he had been only kind to her after an incredibly long winded apology for his actions during a past grail war. While she understood the specific master was more than just questionable, he was adamant about helping her case directly with the assistance of Medea. Had it already been that many weeks since he vowed to make amends?

She nodded quietly, and he simply continued. "We had enough new material to start producing several more doses for the antidote. Unfortunately, the ingredients necessary to forge Medea's suggested charm have been exceptionally rare on our sorties."

"I understand… Thank you for trying." She meant it. So many were going out of their way to help her, and whether it was a safety issue or for her happiness didn't matter. Just the idea of finally being able to enjoy the facility and hold more people would be a reverie. As great company as her newfound robot friend was, she still craved the ability to truly live in Chaldea. "Is there anything else, Paracelsus?"

He gave a solemn smile and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. You three still have the list, as do the masters. If you find any of the ingredients…"

"We'll certainly obtain them," Cursed Arm acknowledged with a small nod.

"Without a doubt," Paracelsus nodded and smiled to the three. "I'll get to work right away on the next syringes. I should have a second ready after lunch, so you may feel free to pick it up when needed. The rest of the doses should follow shortly over the next week. I will be here all day if you need me, as I agreed to give Madame Blavatsky a proper introduction to this room today."

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ V ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

The cafeteria was as noisy as usual, and only grew a little quieter when Serenity walked in for the first time since her arrival. While noticing the change in atmosphere, she kept a constant vigil of her own exertion. Any body fluid would activate her poison body, and in large enough concentrations, evaporated perspiration could be potentially dangerous. It was part of the reason she always trained downwind as much as possible. She was simply that concerned about- A crashing sound caught their attention, and she initially feared it was her fault.

Thankfully, it wasn't.

"Fou!?" came a surprised yet frustrated male voice from a nearby table. For the moment, the cafeteria turned its eyes to a table by the wall. Gawain got up from the ground and dusted off any possible dust on his white suit. On the table in front of him, the furry familiar stood proudly with its face in Gawain's cupcake. Its eyes glinted mischievously at the knight after just startling him, and it almost appeared like it knew exactly what it was doing after they watched a specific movie three days ago. The knight sighed as his red-haired comrade chuckled.

"Chaldea's fluffy mascot just wished for a snack. It is sad to lose a treat, but there are plenty more," the knight reassured. In contrast to Gawain's white, Tristan sported a black version with a red vest and no jacket. With closed eyes, he turned towards the newly arrived assassins in slight surprise. His long hair waved behind him in a motion that would make beauty models beyond envious. Quietly, the light skinned man bowed to them, and the older Hassans bowed back. "Good afternoon, Hassans. Please do not mind our situation."

Hundred Face chuckled as Fou continued to munch on the dessert while Gawain righted his chair. Tristan turned his attention to Serenity as the cafeteria returned to its usual commotion. "Serenity… I must apologize directly. I was under the severe influence of the Gift of Reversal. My actions of that day were dishonorable, regretful, and unbecoming of a knight. I hope you accept my apology, but regardless, I will do my utmost to make it up to you."

"Sir Tristan…" Serenity began quietly before smiling softly. "Thank you… but even if I did wish it, I don't know what you should do. I simply hope we get along this time."

The knight paused and looked to her with closed eyes. The sides of his mouth barely twitched before he nodded slowly. "I understand. You are evidently a forgiving and kind person. If you do require me to make amends, I remain willing. Please feel free to seek me out, so I may redeem my true honor."

"Or one of us, Lady Serenity. We'll be sure to find him for you," Gawain nodded with a small smile, before quickly turning back to glare at Fou.

"Kyuu?" It practically smirked back as the Hassans bid farewell to the knights. They moved to a nearby table to sit in peace.

Upon hearing her name again, many eyes looked at her in curiosity, though many more in sympathy. Her situation was well known throughout the building, and while she appreciated the concern, it didn't make her feel better about the situation. Even just revealing her face made her concerned for the wellbeing of others, and a bourka would have been a safer decision.

Hundred Face was having none of that line of thought as she purposefully chose the younger Hassan's wardrobe for her. Little did the more assertive assassin know, Serenity had been more concerned she would accidentally discover Rena when she was picking. Thankfully, that wasn't the case, and she only had to make it through lunch to ease her reservations.

"What would you like, Serenity? I'll get it for you so you don't need to worry about a panic attack," Hundred Face smiled at her friend. Noting the slight concern, she sighed lightly and patted the small medical pouch on the side of her hip. "I'll be quick so the antidote isn't too far from you. Promise."

"Okay… Um… I'll let you decide this time then."

"Ohh, a little daring?" Hundred Face joked mischievously, making their male friend chuckle. "I'll be right back then. Coming, Cursed Arm?"

"I may as well. You'll be fine waiting here, Serenity?"

"I'll be alright…" She replied softly with a tiny smile. Cursed Arm nodded and got up from their table. As they disappeared towards the lunch line, Serenity fell quiet and listened to her surroundings. She could hear various tables talking about her, though nothing bad. The amount of concern made her feel warm, but at the same time caused her insecurities to rise again. She truly was that fearful of accidentally harming someone in the facility. Even walking around in spirit form had proved nerve racking, much to Hundred Face's chagrin. Serenity was silently glad the female Hassan had a lot of patience under her brash appearance.

As she silently contemplated how the other identities of Hundred Face may be, she sensed someone staring at her. Her abilities and wits as an assassin allowed her to pick it up easily, as she needed to understand all the signs correctly for her specialized method of killing. Getting as close as possible to her target and understanding humans' emotional signs went hand in hand. Slowly, she turned her own curious eyes towards the direction of the presence and met eyes with an employee a few tables away. He looked far more disheveled than usual, but still smiled and waved in a friendly manner towards her. She smiled softly and waved back.

She watched as he casually turned back to his table and fixed the tie on his uniform. Iskandar and El Melloi had been watching him quietly, along with two other employees at the table. The sun-kissed, blonde female and tanned, black haired male, both with Lodgistics Division ties, glanced to each other. The servants looked to each other with arms crossed in front of their respective battle attires before raising eyebrows. Iskandar smirked, while El Melloi shook his head with a tiny frown. Serenity turned back to her table in a show of disinterest, but quietly kept her hearing pointed in that direction.

"Oho? Interested in Serenity, are we, Tyler?" Iskandar asked with a teasing smirk. The two other employees at the table turned to their friend with curious looks while the caster returned to a blank expression. To no one's surprise, Tyler simply shrugged and sighed.

"I mean, if you want me to be honest, yes, she's very cute," he admitted casually as he yawned. Serenity was used to receiving that kind of compliment.

"You'll likely die if you made a move…" El Melloi said quietly, though not subdued enough for Serenity. She knew he didn't mean it in dislike, but the truth still hurt. "That's Hassan of Serenity."

"I figured that was Serenity," Tyler replied calmly as he rubbed his eyes. "While I'd introduce myself to the poor girl, right now I'd be worried of falling asleep on my feet. This whole mess right now has Anton and I in the dumps."

"Funeral service is before lunch tomorrow, right?" the female employee next to Tyler asked. He simply nodded his head.

Serenity had heard about that incident this morning. A seemingly aggressive employee from the Science Division was being kept in the brig, though not in a sealed cell for a magus since that security was excessive. Using his own knowledge, he attempted to hack the security robot through the bars over an undisclosed amount of time. It had failed spectacularly early last night when he crossed the wrong circuits, and caused the robot's self-defense protocols to activate at their highest level. Since the dozen models in the prison section were the only armed machines, the employee quickly met his end through gunfire. It was the first employee death since Fuyuki.

"I thought Damien only had another month in the brig, though," a male employee noted quietly. Tyler nodded slowly again.

"I mean, I never got along with the guy, especially for what he did to Anton… but he didn't deserve death by robot," the dark-skinned employee said before yawning. "Now Da Vinci has Anton, Babbage, and I checking all of the robots for any… possible malfunctions to calm the antsy mages down. All of them. It's nice being under her direct command sometimes, but sheesh…"

"Mages will be mages," the caster grumbled with a small smirk, making his king laugh heartily. "To make your search expand outside of the prison robots…"

Tyler shrugged. "Paranoia is fun... Misunderstanding things is a pain, you know the deal. So now we've been checking all of them since nine last night without sleep, and I have yet to find the prototype that seemingly vanished from the electronics storeroom… Please don't tell the mages about that one, they'll probably flip… Don't tell Da Vinci or Babbage too for that matter. I didn't tell them."

Slowly, Tyler blinked and yawned again before running a hand down his face. "…Speaking of which, why the hell did I just reveal that? Keep the secret, aight?"

The rest of the table laughed, causing even the exhausted Tyler to laugh as well. Serenity was far from laughing, and much further deeper in concern and panic. Her little friend was a prototype robot, which explained why it seemed so incomplete. Still, Rena was a sense of extra comfort for her alongside her companions. She couldn't simply just give it back, especially at the thought she had been touching the robot with her bare hands and arms. What if that employee touched it and got himself killed while her fellow Hassans weren't nearby with the antidote?

"Serenity, are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I'm fine…" she answered quickly to the familiar voice.

The assassin looked up at Cursed Arm's mask as he casually sat down. Exact to their word, they had quickly returned with lunch as Hundred Face slid a pair of tacos in front of the younger woman. Serenity eyed the meat, but doubtlessly trusted her friend to make triple sure it was not pork. The aroma smelt enticing, but not as spectacular as what the masters delivered for her every night for dinner. Her stomach quietly rumbled at the thought of tasting tacos for the first time. Still, it did not distract her from the worry in the back of your mind.

"True to our heritage, I will make sure you spill what has you worried once we're finished eating," Hundred Face declared with a small smirk.

Serenity nodded quietly as her older friend picked up one of her own tacos to begin eating. The toxic assassin sighed quietly, and reached for her lunch. She may as well enjoy the meal before breaking the news she would not join them in the library later.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VI ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"I knew it wasn't your usual insecurities. You've been a lot more cooperative and almost gleeful lately," Hundred Face noted as she sat on Serenity's couch. Cursed Arm nodded in agreement as he quietly set the books they were interested in on the coffee table. They would have preferred reading next to the bright windows of the library, but their friend's inquiry made them change the plans. The young assassin was quietly glad her fellow Hassans shared a strong sense of kinship.

"Well then…" Hundred Face began as she crossed her legs comfortingly on the couch. She waited patiently as Serenity quietly removed her oversized sweater to reveal the shortened, hot pink tank top beneath. "What has you so concerned you wanted us in your room before telling us?"

"It will be a secret among us," She declared in a voice a little louder than her usual. This made Cursed Arm and Hundred Face stare at each other curiously.

"A simple request," Cursed Arm noted as he sat on the couch. His tall and lanky nature made it a rather amusing sight. "At your leisure, feel free to tell us."

Serenity smiled gratefully as she placed her balled up sweater in her lap. As the two Hassans gazed at her quietly, she couldn't help but feel glad she had such a strong connection with her fellow assassins. If sharing a title wasn't enough, their continued support even after the end of the singularity proved the loyalty among them. Both on and off the battlefield, they were some of the closest-knit fighters, and their teamwork was more than worthy of admiration. No doubt existed between them, and they could always be truthful with each other, so Serenity would endeavor not to break that notion. If she could rely on anyone besides the masters, it was them.

"It's best if I showed you…" she spoke softly before turning to the closet nearby. "Rena! It's okay to come out. They'll keep you secret, I promise."

The older Hassans turned to the closet in time to see the robot's twin robotic eyes pop out and look at them. They blinked in surprise before it hesitantly hovered out of the closet and moved towards them. Quietly, they observed the unique robot as it shifted its eyes between them in curiosity. Without a motion or beep, it bounced its spherical chassis in the air without moving its eyes, making Serenity giggle. The two Hassans looked to her as she muffled her laughter.

"That's Rena's way of saying hello. She can't talk because she's a prototype… or I think that's the reason."

With a nod of its eyes, Rena agreed with Serenity before turning back to the other two Hassans. Cursed Arm nodded. "Well then… Nice to meet you, Rena. I am Cursed Arm, and this is Hundred Face. Our titles are strange, but we prefer to be called by them."

Its eyes bounced up and down in acknowledgement, bringing a smile onto Hundred Face's now amused expression. "Kinda cute like you, Serenity."

Serenity smiled at the compliment as Rena quickly hovered towards her. It parked itself in its usual spot by her side. Without hesitation, it rubbed an eye affectionately against the assassin's side in greeting, making her giggle once more before she pet the top of its body. "She's been keeping me company since I found her in my room ten days ago. Please keep her secret. Rena's special to me. I'm even the one who named her."

Upon hearing the words, the robot's irises widened in appreciation as it bounced lightly on the bed next to her. Cursed Arm noted its direct contact to Serenity's now partially exposed midriff, and silently understood why it kept a polite distance. Even though it did not speak, he could see a higher form of artificial intelligence even compared to Chaldea's normal robotic workforce. It even seemed very open to expression, especially with how close it kept to Serenity in particular. He silently wondered if it would have done the same to them if anyone else kept it secret.

"Though, I am curious. Just keeping it secret wouldn't be enough to worry a Hassan… Someone's actively looking for Rena, aren't they?"

Serenity nodded in confirmation, making Rena's irises widen and face her in surprise and concern. "There's an employee looking… It's selfish, but I don't want her to go."

"We'll help you keep her a secret," Cursed Arm agreed without hesitation. Hundred Face nodded with a smirk. "We will make sure Rena stays safely with you."

Rena quickly bounced up and down on its spot in the bed, before slowly stopping upon realizing Serenity wasn't smiling. Her eyes were glued on the door, quickly followed by the other Hassans' pairs, as footsteps slowly approached. Quickly, she looked down at Rena and was met with a firm yet fearful nod. The robot swiftly flew into the closet and hid itself in its usual spot. Hundred Face quickly took a position next to the door as Cursed Arm disappeared into spiritual form. Serenity remained on her bed as the footsteps stopped on the other side. There were a few seconds pause, before quiet beeps came from the other side of the door, followed by knocks.

"Hello? Is any servant inside?" She recognized Tyler's voice.

"Hello," Serenity answered loud enough to hear. She swallowed quickly. "Do you need something?"

"Miss, sorry to be a bother, but would you mind letting me in? There appears to be a robot hiding in your room."

Serenity looked to Hundred Face. They both nodded. "Are you sure? I haven't seen one, and they're rather large."

"I'm certain, miss. This one's a little smaller, and my robotics scanner is definitely indicating it's here. Serial number and everything."

Serenity looked crestfallen, which only made Hundred Face steel her resolve; Like hell she would allow someone to take Serenity's piece of happiness away. Silence continued as Tyler knocked on the door again. "I'm sorry, miss, but I need to enter the room to retrieve the robot. I hope you're decent."

The door unlocked, but neither Hundred Face nor Serenity answered. The younger assassin felt her voice catch in her throat at the bewildering audacity, only for the door to slide open and reveal Tyler with one hand over his eyes. Hundred Face waited at her position at the door for him to step through, clearly disgusted he would open it before receiving an answer, yet he didn't. Their eyes widened a bit when they silently heard the employee counting to ten. Upon reaching the last number, he sighed in relief and cautiously took his hand away from his eyes.

"Nothing thrown at me… cool. Sorry for opening the door too fast, miss. I'm unbelievably tired and wasn't thinking too properly," he yawned, yet his eyes remained closed. Slowly he opened them. "I can't figure out how you serva- Oh. Hi, uh, Serenity."

Serenity blinked and stared at the employee as he looked with terribly exhausted eyes at her. "Um, hello… I don't believe I know your name."

"Tyler Fields," he nodded slightly before yawning. "Wow. I'm surprised I did that without passing out. Anyway, I'm sorry, but there is a robot in your room."

She looked hesitantly to the closet for a brief second, and was glad Tyler was far too tired to notice the glance. "…Are you sure your scanner is right?"

He nodded slowly, though this time with some suspicion. "Yea. Babbage and Da Vinci co-designed this one. It definitely detected the prototype robot hiding somewhere in-"

He was speaking far too loudly in an open corridor, which made Hundred Face groan. It silenced Tyler instantly. "Uh… do you have company?"

There was a knock against the wall, followed by a reappearing Cursed Arm further down the hall who knocked twice in response. Tyler noticed neither.

"Yea… and you're joining them now, kid," Hundred Face growled as she quickly turned into the corridor and swiftly dragged Tyler into the room after placing a hand over his mouth. To his credit, he didn't drop the scanning device. Cursed Arm swiftly dashed back down the hallway and into the room as the door slid closed behind them. Now caught in an arm lock, but not daring to make a sound, Tyler looked around the room as the male assassin casually plucked the scanning device from his tired hand.

"Sorry about this," Cursed Arm stated quietly before giving his eerie laugh. Serenity sighed, realizing that probably did more to unnerve him.

To her surprise, it did nothing noticeable. "Oh wow… So, do you Hassans have a cool mafia thing going on? Cause this is pretty mafia, let me tell you…"

"Look, kid," Hundred Face began with a small sigh. "We're not going to kill you or anything, but we definitely need you to keep a secret."

"Uh…" Tyler started quietly. "I mean, it's not like I have a choice so… I'm all ears?"

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"I just want to be sure I'm straight on this, because I'm tired as hell," Tyler groaned in his seat on the couch. At least he hadn't been held in an armlock by a servant for the past ten minutes. "So… you made friends with the prototype robot, and are requesting it doesn't return to the storeroom?"

"Yes," Serenity confirmed while Rena shook its eyes up and down beside her. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping... but please, it would mean-"

"Sure?"

"That was almost too fast…" Cursed Arm deadpanned behind his mask. The Hassans stared at Tyler in bewilderment as he simply shrugged, meanwhile Rena looked overjoyed judging by its bouncing. "Is there a reason you're so willing to cooperate?"

"You mean besides a wimpy human having to 'fight' three assassin class servants if I don't?" Tyler joked with a small smirk. Serenity and Hundred Face cracked tiny smiles at least. "Seriously though… I'm about to hibernate for a week at this rate, but I'm not tired enough to fudge the details. The robo- I mean, Rena, likes being around you, so that's cool. Friends are great. It's a prototype that never saw the assembly line, simple as that. No idea how she turned herself on... but I'm sure no one else will miss the little ball considering it's been in the storeroom on shutdown. I am the only one who noticed so… I don't see a real problem."

"No problem? You're the employee who tiredly spat out the secret to his lunch table," Hundred Face added with an exasperated look. Tyler simply smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "How are we supposed to know you're not the only one looking now?"

"Almost no one goes into that particular storeroom besides those with Da Vinci's permission... which is only Anton and I," he explained while holding back another yawn. "Iskandar and El Melloi can keep a secret… and those two friends of mine won't care since it's not their problem. It's mine. No one wants more work."

Serenity tilted her head ever so slightly in curiosity. "But won't you get in trouble?"

"Well, yea… there is that. But if we all keep the secret, no one will know… I hope," Tyler murmured the bit at the end. Cursed Arm put a lanky hand on his shoulder, which made him twitch in surprise and concern at the unusual feeling. Truthfully, the combined aura of the two older Hassans was a little unsettling, but Serenity's own was rather inviting, even alluring, and served to neutralize the feeling.

At the very least, the male Hassan seemed pleased and cordial. "If you keep it a secret for Serenity, we will not inform your boss."

Tyler sighed in relief and checked his watch. "Awesome… if that's the case, I don't need to worry about Da Vinci murdering me. I've seen how she gets with Roman… Anyway, I hope none of you mind, but I need to go and take whatever nap I can before I get to work again. This current workload of mine is a drag."

Turning to each other, the Hassans quickly nodded in approval. Tyler sighed in relief, and total exhaustion, before wobbling to his feet. Thankfully, Cursed Arm steadied him. "Thanks, dude… I almost fell asleep on that comfy couch."

"Um… Tyler? One last question, if you don't mind." He turned to Serenity as she pet the chassis of her friend. Her eyes looked uncertain yet hopeful. "You said you, Anton, and Babbage were checking the robots… Can you figure out why Rena can't speak?"

Tyler paused and blinked before scratching his head. "I can check tomorrow after we inspect the last of the workforce. If it's a hardware issue, I can do it. If it's software, we may have to bring my friend Anton into this since he's the genius with coding. I can come back tomorrow either way if you'd like."

Her smile doubled, as did Rena's seemingly enthusiastic expression.

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Serenity, with some careful assistance from Hundred Face, had cleaned Rena's chassis of any possible residue from the assassin. True to his word, Tyler returned the next day to do a check. The pair were quietly thankful Hundred Face didn't have to stab him with the antidote syringe after he started touching the floating robot. Rena hovered in the air as Tyler loosened his tie. Hundred Face stood casually in a navy sports bra and gym shorts while holding the flashlight for the employee. Serenity sat still on the bed in a set of light gray sweats, making reassuring eye contact with Rena whenever its eyes shifted her way.

"Sorry if it's taking a bit… I never did this with a robot still online," Tyler murmured as his hands worked within Rena. Its eyes would occasionally try and peer in, making the employee chuckle lightly. "Sheesh, that curious about what's in you? I don't think I'd want to see my organs in an operation or anything."

"Thanks again for doing all of this," Hundred Face nodded with a tiny smile. "It's very kind of you."

"Eh, don't worry about it. I like being helpful to people. Feels good to be kind, you know?" He waved off the compliment with a small smirk and a motion of his hands, just as something clicked within Rena. Soon, there was another click and Tyler sighed.

"Hell… That's what I was worried about. Her hardware looks fine and connected. She's got speakers and everything, but I bet she's missing the system drivers… and she's a unique model. We'll have to get Anton involved."

"Is there any other way?" Serenity asked quietly. She made direct eye contact with him, making Tyler blink twice. Then a third time.

"As much as I can't say no to a pair of deadly puppy dog eyes, the alternatives here would be to tell another one of the programmers. They're not bad dudes or anything, but they're quite the yappers if you get what I mean. At least Anton doesn't gossip, even if he has come quite a way thanks to Fran."

Serenity looked uncertain, but made quick eye contact with Hundred Face and Rena. She sighed. "…Is he available?"

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Nearly an hour later, and a lot of convincing, he had returned with Anton in tow. After exchanging pleasantries and the entire situation, Anton immediately got to work while playfully complaining how Tyler forced him into this. Hundred Face rested on the couch and watched the two employees for any sign of Serenity's signature poison. Serenity also kept watch in concern for them and her robotic friend. There was also tangible curiosity involving the two employees' situation.

"For the record… we're in unfathomable trouble if Da Vinci finds out about this," Anton chastised with another shake of his head. He readjusted his glasses again in an attempt to hold back the small smile Tyler was edging out as he held the flashlight for him. His friend chuckled and shook his head.

"Your secret grin says it all… Geez, bro. You punch a supervisor and suddenly the thrill of risk excites you. Should I still blame myself for not helping faster?"

Anton carefully began moving the electronic stick with loaded drivers into Rena. "Do not… Though if you still feel bad about that, you can help Fran decide the color of the couch for our room. She likes the idea of a sofa, but I'm bad at picking furniture."

"And you think I am?" Tyler shot back incredulously. "I don't play Sims or anything. Closest I've ever come was requesting an easier-to-fix couch after Brotoki and Broskander broke the last one going nuts to the Barbra Streisand song on Just Dance Three… Hey, don't give me that look. It was funny as hell, and almost worth having that type of tournament banned for a month. There's another at the end of the month if you want to watch that comedy."

Anton simply shook his head and chuckled as he took a step away from Rena. He chuckled as the robot shifted an eye to look inside at the small stick. Tyler held the flashlight in place so it can continue looking, as Anton turned to Serenity. "The drivers should finish downloading in a few minutes. It'll take a bit since it incorporates different languages… though, that's if Rena's model accepts the drivers in the first place. I apologize for the delay."

"It's alright," Serenity nodded, then quickly looked back to lock eyes with Rena. The robot blinked at her, but showed no signs of stress of any sort.

"I must ask… why would Da Vinci be mad about Rena going missing?" Hundred Face asked from the couch.

Tyler looked to Anton with a blank expression, though he hoped that his friend would confirm the prototype sitting in the vault really was just a stored piece of technology. "To be perfectly honest… R1-N4 is an early, expensive model with Babbage and Da Vinci's collaborative personality design. They're trying to see if they can make the robots more lifelike, since designed personalities can only go so far. They act alive, but they don't actually live if you understand. Rena's been sitting in the vault for the past month simply because they're concentrated on some other secret project temporarily. It seems they were also testing a new mana-powered levitation system…"

"So… what you're saying is…" Tyler was looking very pale.

"We're fundamentally hiding our boss' personal project from her. Yes, Tyler. Rena is practically a confidential experiment in techmaturgy."

"I thought it was… Oh hell," his friend groaned, making Anton chuckle. Tyler groaned. "I'm glad you find it funny at least… I thought Rena was neglected…"

"Temporarily. It was a safe assumption since Rena always was on that top shelf, except when they needed to do work on the robot. Only reason I know this much is because Fran and Da Vinci had a small discussion involving its personality design."

Rena gazed towards Serenity with a concerned look, which was returned in equal measure. Hundred Face looked like she wanted to comfort her younger friend, but obviously her options were limited. She sighed. "Serenity… I'm sure it will all be okay. We're all helping you."

Tyler, previously resigned to his fate, suddenly looked a little more confident. "Yea, we're all in this together, right? I'll vouch for your innocence, Anton, I swear."

Anton shrugged and nodded, seemingly alright with the idea. Serenity smiled at the three who were helping her, and quietly wished Cursed Arm wasn't with the masters on a supply sortie this afternoon. It's partially why her smile faded upon feeling a servant's signature coming down the hallway. The employees couldn't feel it as Tyler continued to outline his small plan for them. With his back to the door, he simply continued to explain as it slid open, and made his companions eyes widen. Since he had been looking at Rena, he missed all of their expressions for the moment.

"…and if Da Vinci catches on, we just have to keep our cool and explain the whole thing to her properly."

"Hmm~? Pray tell, what are you explaining to me, Tyler~?"

With a confident smile still firmly on his face, the employee turned around to see his boss smiling in amusement at him. As she hummed quietly to herself, she placed her own personal scanner onto a pouch on her black pencil skirt. The inventor placed her hands akimbo as it took him an extra second to realize it really was his boss standing before him in a red button up. How did he miss the familiar step of heels? The current awkward pause was a combination of her different attire, glasses, and his complete and total denial this was actually happening already. Yet the smile still remained on his face as Anton stepped forward.

He began calmly. "Da Vinci… I assure you, there's a legitimate reason that your project is currently-"

"Oh shit, Da Vinci! It's not what you think I swear to god!" Tyler quickly panicked, completely forgoing the plan.

Da Vinci laughed with Hundred Face. Anton stared at his friend, absolutely flabbergasted. Serenity and Rena shared an uncertain, depressing look with each other.

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With tangible concern, Serenity waited within the Robotics Hanger with her fellow Hassans nearby. It had been two days since Da Vinci found out, though her amusement and attitude about the whole situations had thrown them off guard. She had been keen on negotiating the idea of letting Serenity keep Rena for conditions that would be detailed in this meeting. Anton had gotten off lightly in terms of Babbage's punishment, which was simply a scolding from the steaming servant. Tyler wasn't as lucky, though the punishment could have been more severe from the strict caster.

The three waited in their battle attire, just having arrived from another supply sortie which thankfully got more ingredients for an antidote to Serenity's poison. The deployment two days ago had been enough to create five more of the tiny syringes, and coupled with the current count, Serenity was relatively confident about walking around Chaldea. Hundred Face was still beyond exasperated the younger Hassan felt guilty for the needed escort, but despite being quiet and seemingly timid, Serenity could also be stubborn.

Da Vinci finally appeared in her formal battle dress, though her gauntlet and staff were gone. Hundred Face stopped leaning on the nearby wall as an employee walked by with a standard robot in tow. Da Vinci nodded towards the three of them as Serenity stepped forward to the inactive assembly line eagerly, but cautiously. "Da Vinci… You said there were conditions for me to have Rena?"

"Two conditions, to be precise. So I'll cut right to the chase for you," Da Vinci spoke calmly, with her usual, soft smile. She raised one finger in the air quickly. "First, I'll do a weekly checkup on her that should only take a few minutes, just to make sure everything is alright. A fair condition."

Serenity nodded slowly. It seemed like an easy enough request, so the second one had to be a lot more demanding. Sensing her small dread, Da Vinci simply chuckled. "Second… So long as you are in Chaldea, Rena must not leave your side. Training grounds, dinner… anywhere. Rena must accompany you."

The assassin looked back at the other two in surprise at the last condition. Hundred Face stared back curiously and hopefully. She even dared to give her younger friend an optimistic smirk at the insinuation. Da Vinci's hum all but confirmed it as Babbage clanked into view from around an assembly machine further away. "You are testing her personality design for us, to see if she really does live and grow like a person. At the same time, she fills a very valuable niche to you, freeing Hundred Face from her voluntary position."

"That's right! I'm the one that will be carrying the antidotes for your poison from now on, Serenity!"

"Rena?" The young assassin's eyes widened in surprise and delight as Rena swiftly flew towards them. Her exposed metal now sported a new coat of lilac paint that matched its friend's hair and eyes. It looked relatively the same from the outside, though a few new panels that seemed to be hiding things were place systematically around the unit. Serenity was more concerned with the sound of its voice, which was so perfectly spoken, she even lacked the robotic undertone of the other machines. "Rena! Your voice… it's wonderful!"

"Isn't it?" It asked happily. It sounded similar to Marie's, yet a touch higher pitched. "I'm really glad you liked it, but I'm even gladder I don't have to interrupt your drawing to talk to you! Oh! And I can play music on my speakers in case you don't want to drag the music player around! I have all recordings so far!"

Serenity laughed at the sheer enthusiasm of her robotic friend as it bounced happily in front of her. Babbage finished his approach, being sure his large form didn't bump into any of the robots being repaired nearby, or the employees. He calmly nodded. "No robot leaves this facility without my approval, so Rena required upgrading to better suit your needs. She's perfectly matched for the task at hand."

"She's equipped with a delivery system for the antidote that responds in seconds flat. You can still carry the other emergency syringes with you, or you can give them to Paracelsus to make much more ammo in the newly-tuned dosage," Da Vinci added with a hum. "Besides that, Rena's also capable of sanitizing anything you think you might have… contaminated, I guess we can say. We also changed her set of arms to be more appropriate for handling items."

"While we do appreciate the chance to test out our collaborative project, it is reassuring to know it helps another servant in the process," Babbage proclaimed with a hiss of steam. The lone eye of the armored suit looked down at the much smaller robot. "Be a good girl and follow your directives. Serenity is as responsible for you, as you are for her."

"I won't let you or my friend down, old man!" the robot called out, making Da Vinci and Babbage look to each other. The inventor blinked and laughed.

Babbage just shrugged, surprisingly. "A plain enough nickname. It is different from the legions of robots that call me Omnissiah, at least."

"Thank you… all of you," Serenity spoke softly as her eyes teared up a bit. There was still the worry of hurting an employee, but with the charm under development and her friend now a dedicated medical assistant, that dream seemed so much closer. "I don't know what to say…"

"Oh no! Serenity, I'm not equipped with emergency tissues!" Rena exclaimed as it bounced around Serenity's face in slight panic. They laughed at its antics.

"You're welcome. I hope Rena does not need to use the delivery system. Have a good day."

Saying what he needed to, Babbage nodded to the group and began his retreat to the backroom. Da Vinci watched him go before turning back and smiling. Rena was currently being hugged by an overjoyed Serenity, and judging by its irises, the robot was just as enthused. Hundred Face and Cursed Arm came closer, but kept the safe boundary distance as they joined the quiet conversation. Da Vinci nodded in acceptance at the event before slowly backing away to return to her own work. That was, until Chaldea's most laid-back employee came by while pushing a cart full of spare robot parts.

She smirked. "Only three more days of extra manual labor, Tyler."

"Ah well, at least someone's happy, so I'm cool with it," he chuckled back as he passed the Hassans. "Bonus for not missing a tournament either!"

"Thank you again, Tyler, and sorry about the extra work," Serenity greeted with a small wave. Rena quickly flew over to the engineer.

"Yea! Thanks for helping us both!"

"Ah, don't mention it. Glad I could help," he laughed in content as he unconsciously patted the robot's sides. Serenity's expression immediately fell as Hundred Face's eyes widened. Even Da Vinci stared at him in shock and concern as Tyler looked around fearfully at the group. The young assassin gasped as Tyler wobbled on his feet, staring at his hand in complete realization of what they were worried about. "Oh… Oh shit, this… really hurts…"

"Tyler!" Serenity panicked, now feeling helpless and terribly guilty.

"I've got this!" Rena's irises quickly flew open as its eyes rapidly flashed red. "Don't panic, I'm a professional Medbot!"

Before the employee could ask, as his breath felt a little strained, a panel opened up on the upper right side of Rena. With the sound of a compressed air canister firing, Tyler soon found a tiny syringe lodged into his arm. He gasped loudly and stared with wide eyes at the needle protruding from him. Its contents had instantly filtered into his system on impact. Slowly, he collapsed to his knees, and his unaffected arm smacked into the cart with spare parts, causing it to clatter loudly.

Every employee and robot nearby was now looking at the commotion as Da Vinci quickly came over to check his vitals. To her approval, Rena had beaten her to the punch, and was doing a deep medical scan with one eye. Serenity waited in fear that the first incident would end in failure, but as she watched her friend work and Tyler's condition, she slowly calmed down. There was even a small, relieved smile that began to form.

"Organs functioning properly. Breathing rhythm stabilizing. Brain waves passive. Blood pressure returning to optimal levels. Traces of foreign material… zero. Wow, that antidote works quick! It's also nearly done clotting any hemorrhaging!" Rena exclaimed happily as both of its arms extended and reached into another new panel. It pulled out the contents and began to sanitize itself with the newly unveiled device. Serenity, while still a little shaken, looked incredibly relieved as Rena turned to the female caster. "Da Vinci. Is fainting part of it? It is not in my list of poison symptoms or antidote side effects."

Da Vinci shook her head in serious concern as Anton ran over from his office in alarm. The inventor pulled the projectile syringe out. "No… he shouldn't have fainted."

The newly arrived programmer simply stared at his unconscious friend, noted the protruding needle, and smiled. Da Vinci, still concerned, raised an eyebrow. "Anton?"

"Yea... He'll be fine," Anton proclaimed, drawing the attention of the four servants and robot. He took the silence to continue, but quickly apologized to Tyler beforehand, much to their curiosity. "Tyler is terrible with needles. Phobia grade terrible. Roman or Jekyll likely kept it confidential."

"Oh~?" Da Vinci asked. Her relief swelled as she quickly chuckled. "Hm… perhaps I'll relinquish his punishment after I call for Jekyll to provide a full medical evaluation."

As Anton and Da Vinci worked to get his friend into a more comfortable position, Rena hovered over to Serenity with enthusiastic eyes. "See? Nothing to worry about anymore. I still have twenty more shots! So let's go explore Chaldea and have fun together, Serenity! No more of that worrying stuff!"

Serenity looked back at Tyler and slowly smiled. She glanced back at her fellow Hassans and enjoyed their delighted expressions, even if Cursed Arm's was harder to identify. With a sigh of relief, she turned back to Rena and nodded with one of the brightest smiles she's had in recent memory. "Yes. There's a lot I want to see, and I'm happy you'll be accompanying me!"

Rena took a quick glance back at Tyler before turning back to Serenity. "…I'll be much more careful about the whole sanitizing thing too, I promise… But the darting thing was really, really fun! If I ask Da Vinci nicely, do you think she'll give me different ammo for my autoloader?"

Serenity couldn't stop giggling.