Slash.

Purple and yellow oracle cells in the form of scales flew through the air with each strike. A devious smile graced her lips as she managed to greatly incise the Psion's defenses. She rolled while tightening her grip on her Wild Swd: Yang II.

It was all new to her, the lightness and agility that she felt; the way that she no longer needed to hold the weapon with two hands. She was faster, capable of hacking away in speeds that she could never achieve with her scythe, regardless of how she trained.

It felt liberating. In such as sense that her stress was fading away. It was exhilarating. She felt as though she could lose control. She wasn't entirely sure, what to do with her freehand, now that she could wield the Chi-You wing shaped blade in one hand. It was awkward at first, hanging by her side or instinctively to reaching to hold the smaller blade.

After defeating and struggling with the Gboro-Gboro, she found the rhythm and managed to get used to the blade.

Thrust.

A glimmer of bright purple broke through, indicating the destruction of the Aragami's bond. It roared in anger, facing her as she finished slashing and stabbing the tail. She dashed, narrowly missing the amphibian's fangs that caused it to flail. Charging at her once again.

Her previous actions had caused her some distance from the enraged creature, an idea crossed her mind as she watched the Psion charge at her. She flashed her teeth in excitement, further taunting the Kabbala-Kabbala. In response, it opened its mouth, preparing to dig into her flesh. She switched to her gun, an upgraded Kurogane Blast Gun.

"Come at me, Fils de pute." Just as the Psion was mere inches from her, she pulled the trigger. In an instant, the bullet exploded within the creature's mouth, leading to its demise. Fortunately, the core wasn't that damaged, it could still be collected.

She dodged a bullet with that one.

She huffed and shouldered the oversized gun over her right shoulder. Staring at the defeated cluster of oracle cells, that slowly disintegrated into the air.

"Stare right into death's face, child."

"You really are a reckless idiot!" A blunt object had hit the back of her head, although it did not cause pain, it still took her by surprise. She was certain that she knew who the gruff voice belonged to. She muttered a curse before turning around as she rubbed the back of her head.

Behind her was Gil, Blood's mother hen. An annoyed look was plastered on his face, eyebrows furrowed under the shadows of his cap. His clenched teeth had been exposed as his eyes held a sharp glare. A few steps behind him was the Captain and the youngest.

"That's the 347th time that you said that." She joked, without much humor. This earned an even more angered expression from her companion.

"Why are you always getting yourself into trouble?" Brynn rolled her eyes at this, she didn't need another lecture.

"For the record, I did fine."

"Yeah, and if your luck runs out?"

Luck. The one thing that she didn't want to hear and didn't need to hear from a fellow comrade. He was questioning her.

Her eyes narrowed, lips pressed into a thin line before answering, "A vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire." She spun around and walked away, ignoring the people that had been calling her name as she stomped away. Her shoes leaving footsteps on the snow as she earned more distance from her team. She didn't know where she was going.

But she definitely did not want to be there.

The gun hung loosely over her shoulder as she walked on, it was the same place where she 'recklessly' controlled the God Arc Soldier, the same place where she met the Nessa girl. She chuckled at the thoughts with amusement.

This place was where she had done most 'reckless' things and where her 'luck' seemed to be working quite well. So far, she was still alive.

She needed to be alone, or at least, in silence. Usually, she would be capable of ignoring the older male's words, even teasing him that she was growing on him or that he was falling for her. This would, ten out of ten, earn her a smack to the back of her head or her ears to be violently pulled at.

But it was what he said that irked her; luck. It was him questioning her ability, questioning what she was doing, did he not have fate in her? She knew what she was doing, she was sure of it. She made sure that every move that she made was well calculated.

Or perhaps, she was in denial. Defending her brazen actions.

She stopped in her tracks, satisfied with the distance that she put between her and her comrades. Glancing at the infinite blue and white that the ocean, land, and sky provided.

Pressure. She was pressured. Ever since she had been entrusted with the position of Vice Captain, her insecurities began eating away at her. Self-doubt that she never took note of before. She strove to become better, to be able to do something that would benefit their unit.

She didn't want them for her to be careful just because it would be detrimental to Blood. Those words, even if she were to disappear, Blood wouldn't be affected at all.

She was incompetent. Those words kept crossing her thoughts more often now, when she would wake up, in the middle of a mission, as she was eating, and before she would sleep. It would dampen her mood, but she would try her best to mask it.

It started with comparing herself to the newest recruit, someone who was tactical and strategic. Well versed in planning and analyzing the team's weaknesses and strengths. Applying the profound knowledge to the battlefield. The small voices in her head began whispering those things to her, especially when the girl in question would attend to meetings instead of her.

Then it would get worse, she would question her experience. Her ability to converse with the members of her team, the strength that she had when fighting with Aragami (this resulted with her pressuring herself to train more), even the way that she wrote reports.

She was lacking.

Inferior.

Weak.

She could never be like their captain; strong, independent, professional, tactical. She stuck out, as the biggest burden. Even her recklessness was dragging her teammates down. She groaned upon realizing that she was just making everything worse. Running a hand through her unruly hair.

She didn't know what to do.

"'A win without risk is a triumph without glory.', I see that you've been reading Corneille, Vice Captain." A voice broke through the deafening silence, stopping her from drowning in her thoughts.

'Save me.'

She ignored him, her eyes continued to scan the view in front of her. Skies were slightly darkening as time passed by, their silent streak carried on.

"Would have been a nice place to reside in if the Aragami Outbreak never happened." A small smile crossed Brynn's features.

Home. A place to reside in. A peaceful place.

A place that she never knew, and never will.

"Never been a fan of the cold, but the view is beautiful." The cold brought her an uncomfortable feeling, not physically, but something that would shake her deep inside her. Not that she paid too much attention to it, she could live with it. Although, she was also physically affected by the cold, she learned to bear with it.

Something heavy and warm draped over her shoulders, her eyes widened and lips parted momentarily at the action. She spun around in surprise, caramel colored eyes locking with grey ones. She took the opportunity to study the eyes, she had only done so once and couldn't help herself but look deeply into them. Searching through the lustrous color, swirling onyx black and tinges of gold at the edges. She had no idea how it was possible for someone to have such a peculiar, yet lovely shade of grey.

"Captain?" Her voice was doubtful. Unsure of what had just happened. Not once has the Captain exhibit such actions and she never expected him to actually do something like this. The gesture was enough to rid her of the thoughts that were bothering her earlier.

'Save me.'

He gave a gentle smile, reaching over to fix the jacket that was hanging loosely over her shoulders. His eyes avoided hers, but the small smile never left his lips.

"I know that you aren't exactly resistant to the cold." He explained, the blonde girl began to take note of his appearance. He was left with his white button-down shirt and purple cardigan. A smirk etched itself on her lips.

"I thought that I was the one who was cold." She remarked after taking note of the number of layers he wore. Julius, sensing what she was trying to say, gave one of his rare smirks.

"Well, it's because the number of layers you wear are simply not enough."

She rolled her eyes, "Not my fault that I didn't have the chance to change out of the Blood Uniform." She gestured to what she was wearing, the uniform that revealed her thighs and the cloth stuck to her skin.

"Do not be offended, Vice Captain. You look well regardless." He gave a small smile before it drew into a fine line, "But do wear clothes that conceal you more." What prompted him to say this was the stares that a few men in the base had been throwing at her. He knew the kind of look, of course, he would never tell her that was the reason. He didn't want her to be offended, but of course he disliked the looks that the males were giving her.

She wasn't a meal. He wouldn't let this pass. Perhaps, a subtle threat would be enough.

He was taken aback when the girl started laughing with mirth. A faint pink blush dusted his cheeks upon realizing that she may have misinterpreted what he had said.

She may have thought that he was a pervert.

He watched in dismay as the girl leaned against the short blade's handle, trying to recuperate from the fit of laughter that she had earlier. Although he was worried, and embarrassed, he was glad that he managed to improve the girl's mood. As though the dampened mood that she had earlier was completely forgotten.

He hoped for that, he noticed it. Although the girl tried to hide it, there was no way she could mask it from him.

"Although it was due to my chagrin, I am pleased that I managed to uplift your spirits, Vice Captain." A small smile replaced the boisterous laughter from earlier. He noticed the small twitch in her lips, she probably recalled what had happened earlier.

"I am certain that Gilbert is just worried." He paused for awhile, "We're worried." He corrected himself. Seeing the girl audaciously face the Psion on her own, without even waiting for them to arrive, had nearly given him a juvenile heart attack. He was not able to brief her properly regarding the Aragami that they would be facing.

But she did fine.

"You're going to call me reckless, too?" He nearly flinched at her words, not exactly sure what to say.

Did he find her reckless? No. He didn't, he wouldn't have entrusted her the position, he knew that she was already like that before. That wasn't the first time that she pulled off a stunt like that.

That was her. He couldn't change her, he believed that she was capable of taking care of herself.

Noticing the sad look that the female was giving, he immediately responded, "No, I have never once doubted you, Vice Captain." There was a look of shock in the girl's face as she looked up at him. He continued, "I believe that you are capable, despite your actions seeming brash, you know what you're doing. You are merely acting to your instincts. Possibly, muscle memory." He added, answering as honestly as possible.

"Although, we cannot help but feel worried." Brynn bit her lip in response, he knew that whenever she did this, she was confused, "We care for you, and we do not want anything to happen to you."

Despite how he tried to comfort her, the flash of sadness did not go unnoticed by him. Was there something wrong with what he said?

"Because it would be detrimental to Blood, right?"

He figured it out, perhaps his words from last time had been to harsh. Too cold.

"Simply because we don't want to lose you. You are - how do I put this correctly." He paused for a bit, unsure of what to say. He feared hurting the girl, certain that she was currently sensitive to certain topics.

Finally finding the words, he added, "You are family." He nearly panicked when the her eyes began to become watery at his words. He wasn't sure whether it was because she was hurt by them or pleased. He got his answer when the girl tightly hugged his waist, burying her face into his chest as she broke down sobbing.

She knew that she was being out of character, she was a moody person, but breaking down was never something that she had done in front of somebody. But, the insecurities had been building up, along with the fear and irritation. The worthlessness that she felt had been put aside by the words that came from the Captain's mouth.

She longed to hear that she was actually wanted, that she was actually someone that was worthy of being cared for. She found it ridiculous of how emotional she was being, but she couldn't help it.

A hand ran through her hair, as she felt a chin over her head. She knew that she would be embarrassed by this later on, but she also knew that this was something that she needed. She wanted the reassurance.

'Save me, save me.'

And the Captain had just provided her with the reassurance that she needed. The past few days, she been trying to hold it all in. To ignore everything. Putting up a mask, that she was okay and that she was trying to be strong.

Only one person saw through that facade however.

"If you come with me, you can become stronger and protect other people from Aragami, don't you think that would be nice, child?"

"You are to rise above them, do not let them drag you down."

"You are willing to refuse your salary? For that troublesome Vice Captain of yours?"

She couldn't help but gasp, pulling away. She stared right into the other's face as there was shock in his expression that mirrored hers. Before she could speak, he had cut her off.

"I apologize for making you feel unwanted or uninvolved whenever Ciel and I would have meetings. I figured that you would be tired from all the reports that you've been shouldering for me. You've been lifting off the tremendous weight off my shoulders ever since you became Vice Captain. I am truly grateful for all that." Would that mean, that he saw or felt whatever she was feeling?

Were these randoms visions that she had been getting, an effect of her Blood power?

Before she could respond to, the crunching of snow underneath feet had caught their attention. The other half of their team had appeared, causing them to slowly break away from each other. Brynn noticed the amused look on the tallest one's face.

"Did the Captain finally knock some sense into ya?" She was taken aback, wasn't he upset with her? Instead, he was fully approaching her without hesitation. "Anyways, I'm sorry for being so harsh on your earlier, kid." He brought a hand to his cap and pulled it down. "Just stop worrying us so much."

Ciel nodded in agreement, however, she knew that they couldn't stay in the area for too late, "Captain, shall I call for extraction?" Julius merely nodded in response, turning back his attention to the girl, clad in his trademark jacket.

He couldn't help but notice she looked, despite him being a lean man, the jacket still appeared to be oversized. It made her look look like a child. Yet, adorable and charming.

His eyes widened, fortunately, it had not been noticed by the girl in question as she was busy discussing with the taller male. He slightly flinched at his thought, he couldn't be having thoughts like this about his Vice Captain.

It would be unprofessional.

The blonde male had been snapped from his thoughts, when he felt someone slightly nudge his shoulder. He looked and took in the caramel colored eyes that held the usual mischievousness, there wasn't a trace of sadness.

It made him glad.

"Thank you, Julius." A faint smile crossed her face as she said those words, it had been matched by the male.

"Do not hesitate to approach me, Vice Captain. We are all here for you." With that being said, they followed the other two who had given them some privacy. They were making their way back to the extraction point.

The four members of Blood managed to arrive at the den in one piece. No casualties or any more arguments. The flight home was silent, most of the members had been lost in thought or doing their own thing.

"There's something that I have to give to you, Vice Captain."

The captain's words had repeated in her thoughts, it was stirring her curiosity awake. She knew that the curiosity needed to be satisfied soon or she wouldn't be able to focus on her missions.

Luckily, they were given the rest of the day to rest.

"Brynn!" The orange-haired operator called her out as she was making her way to the Captain. Her stomach had been complaining since the beginning of the mission. The last time that she ate was when they left Friar. She definitely did not have a good feeling about whatever the operator wanted to tell her. With a sigh, she resentfully made her way towards the counter.

"Good afternoon." She formally said, pressing her stomach against the counter's cool edges. The operator gave her a knowing look, she held back the urge to cock an eyebrow.

'Why is she looking at me that way?'

Her thoughts had been dismissed when Hibari spoke, "The director has requested for you to proceed to his office. He wants to discuss some things with you." Brynn's lips shaped like an 'o'. What could the old man want at this time?

Whatever it was, she knew that it wasn't good.

She nodded in affirmation, although she was hesitant, she knew that she had no other choice. She hated these situations, when she knew that she couldn't decline. It had been happening to her a lot lately.

Other than that, it was the director of the branch after all. He seemed peculiar, but was probably better than the troll that was named Grem.

She cringed at the thought of the cruel dude. And the smoke fumes that surrounded him, she didn't like him. She just found out that he cut off Julius salary after all.

Well, he didn't accept it, but technically, if he didn't put her in the Brig, then he wouldn't have cut it off, right? Whatever the case was, she loathed the guy, he treated them as if they were tools.

As if they were replaceable.

"Noted, would that be all?" She asked, prepping to head to the Executive Floor. The operator shook her head no before giving a sincere smile.

"That would be all, you look good in that jacket, by the way."

Realizing why the girl was looking at her so strangely earlier, she began to remember whose jacket, the one she was wearing, belonged to. She made her way to the elevator, her face flushed at the thought.

'I should have it washed before giving it back.'

'I need your love before I fall.'