Honestly, this chapter is a mixture of a filler as well as a look at what Mirai would have been like, had things turned out differently for her. It does contain aspects of the series, still, but also several smaller aspects that were my own. Also, wasn't there a time gap in the series somewhere? Like, a year passed? I can't remember where I saw it, but I'd had plans to make a few chapters(like, two.) ENTIRELY from my mind, which would have aided in the process of adding romance AT LAST. But, because I probably overlooked it, it may be too late. Sigh. Oh, well.
A special thanks to 666EnergizerBunnyfromHell for helping(sorta, even though I chose my own idea in the end...) me decide(again, sorta) on which path I would take this story down! And, thanks for all the reviews you've posted in the past and even recently! Just thanks for being an incredible follower! And, no, there is NOTHING you can do to make me continue writing! MUWAHAHA~! That is, besides leaving those wonderful reviews~ They always brighten my day~!
And, of course, a thanks my other various fans and reviewers! I do greatly appreciate everything my small fan base has done and said! I do so love you all~!

PS: Things may be a tad confusing, since Mirai IS different now. Don't worry, this won't last but for another two chapters, at most.


"Ah…" I yawned when I woke. I felt as though I didn't get enough sleep the night before, even though I went to bed fairly early. "Oh, well. It's another day!" It had been my motto for a long time; greet each day with a smile, and the day will smile back at you. I've stuck to that vow for as long as I could remember.

I stood, glancing around my overly fancy room. Because I lived with who I did, my room was extremely extravagant. Imagine it like this; aspects of the room were painted so finely, that the pastel colors looked like something that could only be portrayed beside a God. Decorated around my room were beautiful pastel purples, blues, pinks, and even oranges. Somehow it all blended together so well that it looked natural. The room itself was huge, and the decorations around the room fit the style, each holding some varying trait that resembled the theme of the room. Bright pastels seemed to be entirely suiting to me, as I often found myself spending time in this room. If I had to describe my room with a word, I think Spring would do suit it just well. No matter how I looked at it, Spring came to mind when I saw the colors. I smiled at this. Spring had always been my favorite time of year, because of the flowers, colors, temperature, and overall beauty. That being said, Fall was drawing near, which held its own form of beauty.

Not that any of this mattered, really. It was just a thought that generally tends to form when I see my room.

I maneuvered to my closet and went to grab for the door, only to miss. Oh, it's already open… Strange. I stared for a moment, at my hovering hand, before dismissing the strange event and grabbed at a simple gown. The dress was simple enough, and in its own way, elegant.

The sounds of voices talking outside my room lured me in. Though it was rude to listen in on people, I was curious. I opened my door as quietly as I could and listened in on the conversation. I seemed to have come through during the middle of a conversation.

"How many more of you are there?" This was Principal Lee's voice, my current caretaker while my parents were abroad at sea.

For a moment I heard nothing and wondered if he was talking on his phone. Then an unfamiliar voice spoke. "None, now…" The voice was sad, even I could tell this much. "There is no one else left. The organization owns many research facilities. There's no telling how many of their experiments are running around. My comrades and I were from just one of many labs. From M-1 to M-100, there were 100 of us. After years of experimentations, the only ones alive… were us; M-24 and I."

Things fell silent from there. I made a move to leave my room, but stopped the moment I heard voices again.

"Master, would you like to go visit the children." Master? No doubt that was Lee's voice… Why was he using such a word?

"I am sorry about those children." That voice from before spoke, the one that sounded sad and unfamiliar.

"It's a shame regarding your companion. If he hadn't earned time for us with his own life…" Lee spoke. His words shocked me.

"He also… wouldn't regret what he did. He was always soft on children. He used to say this to me: that he felt as if he had younger siblings before he became an experimental subject… 'So you seem like my younger brother, call me Hyung(Older Brother) from now on.'" He paused. "Che. He can't even remember his name…"

"You said that you guys were sent here to retrieve the coffin?" Lee.

"Yeah. We ended up here while chasing after the coffin that was stolen from the organization. I don't know what the coffin is. It didn't seem important to the organization judging from the fact that only us two were sent after it. If they thought of it as an important object, they would've sent top-class-agents, not us." That sad voice spoke.

"If it was you two carrying out the mission, what were the other two doing here?" Lee.

"They came because we weren't showing much progress in the mission. They said they came because they just happened to be doing a mission nearby. And then Dr. Crombel started to take an interest." An image of me in strange attire flashed in my head.

The image appeared to be from my perspective. What I assumed was me, sat, presumably, against a wall with my knees drawn to my chest. My arms rested on my knees, and my head on my arms. I wore long, black pants and a strange, revealing gray vest. Below me was a dark floor, and from what I could see beyond my hair, the room was unfamiliar and dark. I blinked hard and the image was gone.

What was that? I pondered silently. It was likely some image I remember seeing from a movie, and I somehow placed myself in the position of the character. Heh, it was probably from some strange dream of mine. I shook my head and continued listening.

"Dr. Crombel?" Lee questioned.

"Yes. He's known as the best in experiments involving DNA alteration like us. I only know that he's in quite a high position within the organization but not in detail. He was the one who supervised our experiments as well. It couldn't be helped that Crombel took interest in the fact that Jake's regeneration ability was deteriorated by your attack."

"Where is the person called Crombel right now?"

"There's a branch of the organization not too far from here. He's there because he came for some kind of experiment. You're not thinking of…"

"It's troublesome to have someone taking interest in us. And the organization would know about your disappearance. If there's someone who knows about what happened recently, this kind of stuff will happen again anytime. And next time, after preparing everything in a careful and organized way… Above all… the children could be in danger from now on."

"Hey, aren't you being too hasty about this? Even if it's just a branch base in Korea, the security there isn't something to be taken lightly." The room fell silent for a moment. "Heh… Guess it's just needless worry."

"If this Dr. Crombel is as influential as you say, then it is highly likely that the news hasn't been widespread. That is why we must act quickly to reach him before he takes off."

"You're probably right. But don't think you can kill him so easily. Dr Crombel is one of the organization's top executives, after all. There's no way they would let such a VIP go anywhere without rendering it a complete safe zone."

"Right. Did you see him with any bodyguards when arriving?"

"I don't know, but it's possible that he didn't have any extra bodyguards since Mary was with him."

"I guess we have no choice but to go ourselves, then. If you could tell us the location and a map of the area…"

"No. That's unnecessary. I will be going as well."

"Will you be alright?"

"Even if it's just one base, I can't pass up this chance for payback. And… There might be information on my comrades."

"Then shall we prepare? We leave in an hour." Principal Lee spoke last.

I wondered what I was to think of this. It sounded like something so far beyond my knowledge. It seemed almost unreal, like something out of a movie. But, knowing Principal Lee and his underlying occupation of-almost- a policeman, it was likely to be some sort of business relating to the murders around town. After all, the suspect, from my knowledge, had yet to be caught. With a sigh, I dismissed the thought. Today was not a day for such depressing thoughts! Not when I woke in such a great mood!

I stepped forward and peaked around the corner of the hallway into the living room. I feel that if my hair weren't so impossibly long, I could have gotten away with it.

"Mirai!" Lee stepped forward and greeted me. I nodded and looked around the room, before stepping forward, completely into the living room.

Inside were three men, only one of which I recognized; that being Principal Lee. "I wasn't expecting you to have company…" I blinked slowly at the two attractive strangers staring back at me, suddenly self-conscious that I was fairly underdressed in comparison. While dresses were able to hold some bit of class, this one was just a simple gown. I currently wore a simple dress so 'light-blue', it could only be described as the color of snow at midnight. The dressed reached just below my knees, and if I moved just right, would flow beautifully.

I examined the man nearest to me. His hair was a dull silver, just as were his near lifeless eyes. I assumed this was the man that spoke before, that sounded so sad. He wore dark gray pants with a fancy white shirt with a collar and black suspenders. He leaned against the wall to my left.

Principal Lee, who wore a black suit as usual, stood several feet away from him, but closer to the window. And beside him was a man with black hair.

The man had black hair bore intense, crimson eyes. Now that was unique… He wore the same attire as my school, so I took this as he was a new student at the school, as I would have noticed him before. He bore a cross earring on his left ear.

I looked back to Principal Lee. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?" Even to me, my voice sounded small and frail before these three very attractive men.

"Of course not!" Principal Lee walked up to me, his usual smile plastered to his face. This lightened my own mood and I smiled back. He placed a hand on my shoulder and pushed me forward. I followed easily.

"Mirai, this is M-21. He is an old acquaintance of mine." Principal stood be before the man with the silver hair. I blinked.

I squinted up at him and placed a hand on my chin, the other reaching across my torso, my hand on elbow. "A code name, huh? Interesting…" I smirked and extended my hand out to him with a smile. He glanced from me to my hand, then back. "My name is Mirai. It's a pleasure to meet you!" With hesitation, he grabbed my hand and shook it. His grip was loose and firm at the same time. It was strange. I learned how to determine a lot from a person by the strength behind a handshake. From him, I determined he was strong and set in his ways, but frail. Perhaps he lost a friend, as he seemed to hint at earlier…

We released each other's hand. I nodded at him before turning to the other man, certain I would be meeting him next. He turned to me and stared down at me.

For a moment, I felt recognition and smiled involuntarily, about to utter a name I quickly forgot. "Eh?"

"Mirai?" Principal stood beside me and looked down at my confused expression.

"It… I'm alright. I just thought for a moment that I knew him…" I blinked, then shook my head. "Strange." I lifted my hand much like I did with M-21. "Hello! My name is Mirai. It's a pleasure to meet you!" I smiled up at the man, waiting for him to shake my hand. It took a moment, but he repeated the gesture, but seemed uncertain as to what to do next. I grasped his hand and shook it, showing him the proper gesture.

Much to my surprise, his grip was strong when he returned the grip. Granted he was uncertain to do when he did grasp back, I could tell immediately how powerful this man was. Not only was he powerful in terms of strength, but as well as mentality. He was so absolutely certain of himself that it was impressive. Of course, he seemed to lack some knowledge… Was he foreign?

"This is a cousin to an old friend of mine. He will be living with us for a while, as well as M-21." Principal Lee spoke from beside me.

"My name is Cadis Etrama Di Raizel." I blinked when the black-haired man spoke, directing my attention back to him. Yes, definitely foreign.

"Oh, my… um… May I call you Raizel?" I asked politely.

"You may call me whatever you wish." I smiled at this.

"Well, Principal Lee, if I'm not being a bother, may I cook something? I'm pretty hungry." With a look of particular trust, Principal Lee smiled at me.

"Certainly!" I nodded and walked off to the kitchen humming a small tune. I hovered around the kitchen, uncertain as to what to make. In the end, as I usually did, I decided on ramen.

"Oh!" I gasped lightly and skidded off to my room at a leisurely pace. I walked back out with a ponytail in hand. "I almost forgot…" I laughed lightly at myself, conscious of the three men staring at me as I put my hair up in the ponytail. I glanced to the side, confirming my suspicions. "What? Have you never seen a girl put her hair in a ponytail?"

To my surprise, Raizel shook his head. I stopped midstep and stared. I blinked slow and hard. "Really…" I glanced in front of me at the floor. "That is interesting. Well, this is what it looks like, Raizel." I modeled for him, which caused me to laugh, and Raizel to fluster. "Now, now, I wasn't teasing. I was being serious!" I sighed. "Anyhow, back to cooking."

I glanced at the three. "Does anyone want ramen?" As I kind of expected, Raizel lifted his gaze and stared intently at me. Why did I expect this…? That's twice now… "That makes one. Anyone else?" When no one responded, I shrugged. "Just two, then. I will make it quick, Raizel. Please be patient."

With a click of my tongue, I turned and pranced to the kitchen to resume cooking. While preparing a simple meal of ramen, I began to sing, hardly fazed with the knowledge of the most attractive men I'd ever seen watching my every move.

I paused in my singing and grinned. I resumed singing, but in English this time. I only knew a select few songs in English, but I knew enough. This particular song was called Born to Die by Lana Del Rey. I grew to like the song because of the singer's voice.

As I expected, the three were stunned to find I could sing, let alone speak, English. Raizel seemed vaguely confused, most likely unable to understand me, while M-21 looked openly surprised and confused. Principal Lee simply looked surprised. I wouldn't find it too hard to believe if he could speak English.

I grinned at them and continued singing and cooking.

M-21's POV

She was different. Not just in looks, which had changed drastically, but so much about her personality was different. Of course there were aspects that were similar, and others that hadn't disappeared, too. I wondered what exactly was removed from her mind to bring out such a drastic change.

For starters, her hair that once reached just above her shoulders now reached to the lower portion of the back of her thighs. In just a matter of minutes her appearance had changed so drastically. Her features changed, as she now appeared more mature, and significantly more attractive, as even I had to admit. She looked older, though only by two or three years, likely because of the long hair. Her eyes changed from a blue-ish-gray to a more distinct shade of blue. She even seemed to grow taller, though not by much. And unlike her frame before, she now appeared to be at a healthy weight.

I knew for certain that she no longer remembered me or any aspect of Frankenstein's real affiliations, or even of his master. If she didn't remember me, she wouldn't remember M-24 or of any of the time we spent together. And if she didn't remember M-24, she certainly wouldn't remember his death.

While Mirai stood in the kitchen, singing a song in a language I couldn't understand, likely English, I approached Frankenstein.

"Why did you erase her memories?" I questioned. I wasn't demanding the information. If he didn't want to tell me, I wouldn't pry. Frankenstein stared at me for a moment before deciding to answer.

"As you've noticed, Mirai isn't human." He started. "When I saw Mirai in this new form, as she is in now, I could sense what she truly was. She is much like you, in one aspect."

"Like me? You mean she was experimented on, too?" I was shocked to learn of such a thing. She never once let on to such a thing…

"Sort of. She was born the way she is, but her abilities were experimented on and locked away, most likely while she was young. I would also find it very likely that the two she considered her parents weren't her biological parents. Either they killed her real parents or simply kidnapped her, much to her ignorance."

"Is this why you erased her memories?"

"Not quite. When she regains her full potential, she will likely become a danger. Those with her abilities can be dangerous. I simply repressed her memories to buy some time." Frankenstein glanced over at Mirai, examining the differences in her features. "The changes in her weren't as drastic as they could have been. Despite several differences in her overall self, she really is the same person." He looked back to me. "This isn't permanent. As you've noticed, not even a full twenty-four hours later, my power is already starting to slip. She will regain her memories, and when she does, she is likely to gain her full potential as the being she truly is. When that happens…" Frankenstein trailed off. I concluded one of two things could happen, and only one would end well for her.

"But there's a chance to stop it?" I wondered what she truly was. Was she truly a Noblesse? Of course not. I would have sensed it, even if it had been sealed. That, and Noblesse have crimson eyes. She could always be a half-breed; and because her abilities were suppressed, perhaps her aura was, too.

"There is. It will take a while, but it is possible. All I need is time to perform some research."

"Research?"

"Oh, yes." Frankenstein grinned wickedly, a strange glimmer in his eyes. Suddenly, his attention was caught by something Mirai had done. Had her memory already returned?

I turned to her to see her holding a bowl of nearly-completed ramen. When Frankenstein shouted her name, she jumped, dropping the bowl onto the floor with a shatter. She cried out, reflexively throwing herself back, away from the steaming mess. She looked up at Frankenstein looking as though she were about to cry. Looking at Frankenstein, he held the exact same look.

"Yes?" She murmured at last, looking down at the steaming mess on the floor. Her voice sounded small.

Frankenstein remained silent for a moment, before speaking. "Do you have any idea what you were singing?"

"Eh? Well, um, sort of?" Allowing my bangs to cover my eyes, I stepped back. This is what he was worried about?

"Then you must realize how inappropriate that song is."

"Well, not exactly. I understand a few of the lyrics… The only thing I can really do is pronounce the words. I only understand a few lines. I had the lyrics translated so I could understand them… though I've already forgotten most of it. Was the translation wrong?"

"Of which words do you remember the translation?"

"The chorus, mostly. But not all of it. And then a few words, here and there. I really just like it for the voice. It sounds nice… Surely there are worse songs out there…" She trailed off, her voice going silent. She flushed and turned to the side to grab a towel.

In the process, she stepped on a shard of the broken bowl and cursed.

She glanced down at her now raised foot and grimaced.

Frankenstein wasted no time in aiding Mirai. "I'm sorry about the mess…" She trailed off as Frankenstein led her to the couch beside me. I stepped to the side to allow them room.

Looking at Frankenstein I noticed a soft expression there. It was surprising, but understandable. Someone like Mirai was able to draw the affections of those around her without even trying.

"Principal Lee, let me go clean-" Mirai started.

"I will do it." I spoke. Mirai stared up at me, wide-eyed.

"But it was my mess! I should be the one to-" I cut her off.

"Do not worry. I don't mind. After all, I will be staying here. I may as well earn my keep."

Mirai looked as though she wanted to continue fighting but stopped herself with a sigh. "Alright. Thank you, M-21." She smiled up at me, giving me a smile she never did before her memories were suppressed. It looked like a genuine smile, one of which never experienced pain or loss. This made me feel guilty somehow.

Frankenstein remained hovered over Mirai, a bandage mysteriously in hand as he began to patch the bleeding cut on her foot. It didn't look long, but it was deep. She grimaced when Frankenstein pressed gauze against the wound.

"I know. It's almost over." As I made a move to go clean the kitchen, I noticed Raizel was watching Mirai intently. Was he also attached to her? No, that was unlikely. If it was as Frankenstein said, and Mirai really wasn't human, she was likely to have regenerative abilities. She would heal quickly. How would that be explained to her?

Or, maybe those abilities would be suppressed as well? Only time would tell.

I turned to the kitchen and started to clean.

"Oh, Raizel, I'm sorry." I heard Mirai speak suddenly. "That was going to be yours."

I glanced over at her to see her gazing in this direction. Her eyes made contact with mine and she smiled. Then her expression changed entirely, to that of fear. She turned her head to the side, allowing her hair to cover her expression after a few moments. From what I could see, she looked confused and startled.

I wondered what memory she saw this time, as that was likely what it was. Considering how the previous two relayed, it must have had something to do with me. Or was that simply a coincidence? I wouldn't know.

The most astounding thing of all was that she fought to keep her memories. She didn't want to lose them of the time she had spent with M-24 and I. In many ways, I felt almost relieved to hear that. In another aspect, it was also a relief to know she forgot. I wouldn't have to see her cry like I did on that night. I wouldn't have to see her cry, that is, until she regained her memories…

Mirai's POV

Again, I saw a vision of something, or rather, some people, I was previously not familiar with. I saw an image clearly of M-21. Beside him stood a man I was not familiar with, however. He was massive in size, but clearly because of muscle, and not an issue of being overweight. His eyes were such a light blue, they almost appeared white. His skin was a shade of light pink, but that was surely caused by a strange lighting. The two were laughing, staring down at, because of the image, what I guessed would be me.

Something like this wasn't normal. I've never had strange images of people I've never met, or strange recollections of strangers, either. Was I falling ill? Yes, that was likely to be the issue.

I turned from M-21, whom I had been staring at during the vision and stared confused at the couch beside me. I'd never heard of an illness that could do such strange things to people…

I shook my head. Even if I was sick, I didn't feel sick. So why ruin the day with a few strange occurrences? That was nothing to be afraid of.

With a shake of my head, I smiled and looked up. "W-why are you all staring at me?" I shrank back against the couch when I noticed each of the three were staring at me. "I-I was just thinking…" I attempted to lie.

"Of course. You just fell silent for an unusual amount of time. I grew worried." Principal Lee smiled beside me, clearly referencing my liking to talk to him about anything and everything.

"Heh, that happens when I think, you know." I smiled lightly, then looked over to Raizel. "If you would like, I can make you another batch. I want to try out my ability to cook ramen! I'm sure I'm still good at it!" After all, it had been a while since I had last cooked, as Principal Lee began to enjoy cooking.

"That won't be necessary." Principal Lee spoke from beside me. I looked over at him, worried.

"It's because I made a mess, isn't it?" I acted as though I might start crying at any moment, knowing full well how much he hated messes.

"No, no, nothing like that!" Principal Lee raised his hands, reassuring me with a smile. "We have to go to out for a while. We won't be back until late, though."

"If it isn't too much to ask, may I come?" I asked.

"That is…" Principal Lee paused, thinking for a moment. "You may come along to visit Shinwoo and his friends, it you'd like. After that, we will be coming back here.."

"Ah. I see. Wait, why are Shinwoo and his friends in the hospital?" For a moment, I could have swore I saw a reaction from Principal Lee and M-21.

"I thought I told you? Shinwoo protected his friends from a car by jumping in front of it."

"What?! That's horrible! Is he alright?!" I stood, hardly aware of the cut on my foot anymore. It didn't seem to bother me anymore, which was fine by me.

"Mirai, Mirai, calm down! He's alright. They all are." I exhaled and smiled. "Because of Shinwoo's near inhuman body and abilities, he survived with minor injuries. Yuna and Ikhan sustained very little injuries, too."

"Good. That's good to hear." I laughed, knowing full well just how inhuman Shinwoo could be. He was far too skilled with combat to be considered human. "Do you mind if I trail along and wish my luck to them?"

"Not at all! We're about to leave now, so get ready."

"Yes!" I ran around the couch and off to my room to grab a set of shoes. In a matter of seconds, I chose a simple pair of sandals that seemed to flatter the dress just fine, but I'd never really been one to understand fashion. Not that I really needed such a skill, anyhow. Fashion was never something that interested me. I just liked being comfortable.

I skipped back out to the main room. "I'm ready!" I reached back and pulled the ponytail from my hair, allowing it to fall full length behind me. I placed the ponytail on my wrist so I could bring it with me.

"Let us be off then." Principal Lee spoke, a basket of fruits in hand. I glanced at them and smiled. Getting out of the house would be nice for a while. I've been holed up in here for much too long.

With a nod, the four of us left the house, Principal Lee first, followed by Raizel, M-21, and me in the back.

I examined the areas around Principal Lee's house, noticing several people following their everyday lives. I don't understand what was so intriguing about it, but their calm, ignorant selves bothered me. Their ignorance to what… exactly? I ignored this thought and focused on following the three before me. Each of them was taller than me, but not by too much.

It took us a short time to arrive before the hospital and make our way to the correct room.

Inside were three familiar faces: Shinwoo, Yuna, and Ikhan. I felt relieved to see them smiling, no matter how awkward things felt; and things felt awkward.

No matter how I looked at it, I didn't belong here. I wasn't friends with them. Sure, we've engaged in small talk in the past, but we were far from friends.

The greetings spread around weren't spread to M-21 or me. The three seemed to be familiar with Raizel, even going so far as to call him Rai. I personally would have thought of Rai as too familiar for me to even consider calling him such a thing; after all, I only just met him.

"Wow~ you sure bought a lot, Principal Lee. You didn't have to buy this much." Shinwoo's unmistakable voice rose as he ate an apple. I watched him as he ate, looking as happy as I'd ever seen him. This made me smile lightly. Shinwoo mentioned that the food present was too much even as he continued to eat, not seeming even remotely convincing. "What are you doing, Rai?" Shinwoo questioned as he leaned over and grabbed a banana. "Here. Eat up. I can't finish it." He handed the fruit to Raizel, who grabbed it, in what I noticed was an especially elegant manner. He held it before himself between his thumb and fore-finger.

I didn't notice until now what amount of elegance this man held. It intimidated me, somehow. I could practically feel it resonating from him, when I actually paid attention.

"How is everyone feeling?" Principal Lee spoke from beside Raizel, which drew my attention from Raizel, to him.

"We will be able to leave soon, but Shinwoo is…" Ikhan hesitated.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! This is nothing." Shinwoo spoke, his mouth full of random foods. I chuckled ever so lightly at this, drawing M-21's attention to me. I lifted my hand and passed it off with a shake of my head and a sway of my hand.

"You did a wonderful deed, Shinwoo. Jumping in front of a car like that for your friends." Principal Lee praised Shinwoo. "There aren't a lot of people brave enough to do what you did."

"Haha… Hearing you say that much is kind of embarrassing." Shinwoo laughed lightly.

"Don't do something like that again. What's the point if you get hurt trying to save us?" Ikhan sighed.

"That's right, Shinwoo. We're really thankful, but seeing you like this is really painful." Yuna spoke, her voice soft.

"Hey, it's better if the healthiest guy gets hurt instead, right?" Something in Shinwoo's expression worried me. It made me think he would easily do anything to rescue his friends. Granted, such a trait was especially wonderful to have, but also extremely dangerous. "I got away with only this much since I have a strong body. If it were you guys…"

"SHINWOO HAN!" Ikhan and Yuna shouted at once, which caused me to jump. My heartbeat picked up significantly, and as a result, I found myself breathing heavily out of that momentary fear. M-21 glanced at me with a raised brow. I laughed, flushing at my reaction.

"You guys would break something just from tripping. That's why…" Shinwoo was cut off.

"It's not that bad!" Ikhan yelled.

"Yeah, that's a bit…" Yuna started.

"What do you mean 'that bad'? Of course it is!" Shinwoo joked.

"Kuh. You…" Ikhan growled.

"Hahaha. Feel free to be awed! You need to be like me to walk away with only these scratches!" I laughed at the three's bickering. "Anyway, they're…"

M-21 and I both looked over to Shinwoo to see him, Ikhan, and Yuna staring at us. No doubt they didn't recognize M-21, as he was new around here, but did they recognize me at all? I know we hadn't really talked anytime recently, due to school being out for so long, and even before then, but it hadn't been that long.

"He's a co-worker. And of course you should know Mirai." A co-worker? Why didn't Principal Lee explain it like that to me earlier? I shrugged. It wasn't any of my business in the first place. And, of course he would have to be, otherwise he wouldn't be permitted to accompany Principal Lee to his businesslike matters. Same with Raizel, no doubt.

"Oh, Mirai!" Yuna recognized me first. Well, of course she did. She always did. I smiled at her and raised a hand, waving lightly.

"Mirai? Oh, I remember now!" Shinwoo thought for a moment, then raised a finger, emphasizing his thoughts. Shinwoo grinned.

"Ah, me, too!" Ikhan smiled over at me.

I waved at them, too.

"I don't remember your hair being so long, Mirai. I mean, I know it's been a while, but has it really been that long?" Yuna questioned, to which I shrugged. From what I remember, my hair had been this long for quite some time. Maybe I just never really paid much attention…

"Oh, I came to wish you each a safe, quick healing." I stepped forward, beside Principal Lee, and bowed ever so slightly.

"Haha, thank you!" Shinwoo smiled, his good arm scratching the back of his head in minor embarrassment.

I nodded lightly before straightening.

"It's time for us to leave. Make sure to get some rest." Principal Lee spoke, clearly ready to proceed to his next destination.

"Huh? Already? Stay a bit longer. Rai, stay the night and leave tomorrow." Shinwoo looked at Raizel as he suggested this.

"Yeah, we can play all night long!" Ikhan and Yuna smiled lightly.

"It's fun to hang out without getting caught by the nurses." Shinwoo grinned. "Huh? Aw… You're going?"

"Come again tomorrow." Yuna spoke gently.

"Rai. Make sure you come tomorrow! We'll be waiting!" Shinwoo called out as the four of us left the room. I glanced back and waved at the three with a smile.

Sensing tension, I momentarily paused in following behind the three. I noticed Principal Lee and M-21 staring at something in Raizel's hand. Oh, it was the banana… Does he not know how to eat it? That sounds so like him. I chuckled at this.

Much like the walk to the hospital, the trip back was short. I walked immediately to my room and cracked my door just enough that if I listened hard enough, I could hear the three discussing their plans in the next room. It was as I thought, they weren't investigating the murder cases. It may have something to do with business, but it wasn't of what I believed Principal Lee wanted me to believe. This was a plan to infiltrate some union.

"The base is located beneath a building owned by the organization. Everything is normal until the 3rd level down. After, it's completely different." M-21's voice rang loud and clear to me, as he was closest to my door, though nowhere near close enough for him to discover me, at least to my knowledge. "The regular elevators only go down to F3. The labs are located from F4 to F8. The stairs, hallways, and elevators; virtually everything within the facility are all monitored by live cameras."

"How do we get down to the base?" Principal Lee asked.

"Although it only shows up to the third level, the elevators can go down to the fourth. There is another elevator on the fourth level that goes down further."

"The security on the fourth level should be tight." Principal Lee's voice held obvious thought.

"Yeah, the real fight starts from the fourth level onwards. Each level afterward is packed with the organization's guards. All the guards live on the fourth floor. Our priority should be to strike the fourth floor first, where most of the guards are located."

"And where will we find Crombel?" Again, there was that name that sparked some sort of memory earlier. I grimaced at it, remembering the image of myself sitting in a dark room. What was that image from?

"His office is in the eighth level. At the very bottom." I heard nothing for a moment, then slight shuffling. "Don't tell me you're headed there now?"

"Shouldn't we finish something like this while we take our walk?" Principal Lee's voice bore confidence. Or was that knowing? Did he know I was listening? I backed away from my door and preoccupied myself momentarily with anything.

When no footsteps approached my door, I exhaled silently and listened to the silence outside.

"I… I am going as well." The unmistakable voice of M-21 declared.

I finally heard footsteps, but they were growing quieter; harder for me to hear in my position. Then they stopped. I slowly opened my door, but it creaked anyhow.

Immediately, I stood upright as though I had business for stepping outside. I acted surprised to see the three at the door. "Oh, are you on your way to do business, Principal Lee?" I asked.

"Principal Lee? Didn't I ask you to call me Lee, since you're living with me now?" Principal Lee lectured. "Yes, we are on our way to investigate the local happenings. Stay inside and if anything happens, call me." I nodded, not that anything would happen, and if it did, well, I wouldn't be here to know it, now would I?

"Yes, Principal Lee." With a sigh, Principal Lee turned and waited beside M-21. Before them stood Raizel, not a foot before the door. I paused in my retreating to my room and watched them.

Raizel slowly raised a hand to the door. Meanwhile, Principal Lee seemed focused while M-21 seemed tense. Was something wrong? When Raizel opened the door, rather slowly and dramatically at that, Principal Lee started clapping, much to M-21's surprise, and Raizel's approval.

"Wonderfully done, Master." There was that word again… And, again, the disturbing images appeared in my head. With a but of a grunt, I turned from the three and shoved those images from my head. How crude… I'm sure it was something other than that. Of course it was something other than that.

I stalked back to my room, shutting the door behind me, and immediately changed into black pants and a long-sleeve black shirt. I grabbed my hair and placed it into a pony tail. I grabbed my hair again and maneuvered it into a bun, tying that together, too. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. I looked different, but not so different that I looked like a different person. I sighed and grabbed a black bag of mine, placing inside a hat, my cell-phone incase a need arose for it, and a few other-possible-necessities.

I quickly made my way outside, just barely able to see the three walking off in the distance. The three turned out of my sight. I stalked after them.

With much difficulty, I followed the three. Along the way, I discovered something about these three: they could perform seemingly impossible stunts. The first stunt that surprised me was each were capable of jumping an impressive seven stories, landing easily on top of a building. Somehow this stunt wasn't as surprising as it should have been, and it almost seemed normal to me. The second stunt that surprised me was their ability to jump building to building, even with massive gaps between. The most surprising part of it all was that they seemed to do it so easily. It didn't even seem to scare or exhaust them in the slightest form.

Yet, here I was, exhausted from running my fastest to be able to follow them on the streets.

Were these three even human? I huffed to my self as I bent over, catching my breath with difficult as the three stood atop a building, staring down at another.

Just as I managed to catch my breath, the three, much to the ignorance of those around them, jumped lightly onto the ground, landing such magnificent grace. I straightened, waiting to follow after them.

M-21 appeared to hesitate and speak, using gestures with his hands. Principal Lee glanced back at him and grinned. He stopped for a brief moment, then continued on. He still appeared nervous. Before the three walked inside, M-21 glanced around. The door then closed behind them, leaving me outside, unable to see. I took this time to run forward.

I slid carefully into the building, ensuring I stayed beyond the eyes of the three. Thankfully, the three seemed distracted by something; a door? M-21 appeared nervous, glancing around, while Raizel was watching an automatic door. Principal Lee watched Raizel carefully.

I blinked slowly. These three

I watched, hardly able to stifle a chuckle as Raizel approached then moved away from the automatic door several times. M-21 seemed surprised, while Principal Lee almost looked… ashamed.

The three stood by the door for some time, M-21 still glancing around. Several times I had to busy myself by looking at the stores around them, keeping them in sight. I didn't pay much attention to the stores I entered, just that I could keep an eye on the three as they stood in the same general area.

At last, M-21 spoke, saying something to the other two. Raizel turned from the automatic door and walked to M-21, who seemed vaguely stupefied. He spoke again as he led the two in a general direction. The three stopped before an elevator. I took this time to place a simple hat on and follow after the three slowly. I snuck up the best I could, acting as natural as possible, until I found myself close enough to not only hear their discussion, but easily be discovered. So I turned from the three and listened in.

"It's too quiet?" Principal Lee questioned.

"They should have been alerted to our presence a while ago. It's too strange for there to be no movement on their part." M-21 clarified.

"Then… we just have to go and see for ourselves…" Principal Lee's voice held a grin.

The three continued into the elevator. I stepped back several steps and ducked behind a wall before hearing the doors closed. I moved around and examined which floor they went onto, even though I wouldn't need to see it; I already knew. After all, the three did have a heavy discussion in the living room, which I overheard. I knew exactly where they were going.

It would just take me some time to follow.

Which, when I did I was very nearly discovered. I arrived just in time to find the group entering a room. I ran forward as quietly as I could and stepped behind the wall, out of sight. I held my breath, certain they heard me and waited for them to approach me.

When I heard nothing, I peaked around the corner to see the three turning into a room. This is too easy

I stayed where I was, certain they would have to come out eventually. I was correct, actually. The three exited the room and continued down the hall to the elevator at the end. As M-21 said before, there was an elevator that would take them down further. Of course, they were headed to the absolute bottom. They were on their way to meet a man named Crombel.

Just as the doors started to close, I staggered forward and fell to my knees, holding my head. With a sharp pain in my head, I saw yet another image that shocked me.

This was of the same man as before that stood beside M-21. His skin was still pink, and his eyes almost white. This time, rather than laughing, he was smiling with remorse. He was turned from me, but his head turned to me. His eyes were closed and a grim smile on his face.

A smile like that could only mean one thing. It was time to say goodbye to a loved one.

Even as the image disappeared, I stared at the ground, appalled. Even when the stranger appeared in my mind, I felt extreme sadness. I could even go as far as to say I felt as though I missed the man. I recovered myself slowly and stood.

This was not the time to consider what this meant. Not when I had to trail after those three. I knew where they were headed. I knew where I needed to go. And go I would.


See? More of a follower leading back into the main story. I'm thinking some stuff is gonna go down in the next chapter, OR I'll have the next chapter include a brief aspect of the main story(M-21's fight vs the Infected) then have the rest be my own idea... I'm actually thinking the second idea suits best. But the chapter after that, chapter eleven, things will continue with the story from then on.
Did everyone enjoy a brief look into M-21's POV? I hope I stayed well enough in character with him... He's quite difficult to master...

Anyhow, this chapter was dedicated to 666EnegizerBunnyfromHell! Yes, you! You deserve to have a(nother?) chapter dedicated to you!
Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Thank you for reading!