"Who are you, human?"

If her actions weren't enough, the growl in the girl's voice conveyed her disdain. Despite the rather distracting sight of a flaming sword pointed at him, Aviar found himself staring into the eyes of the armor-clad girl. They were narrowed, hard, and burning with irritation, but something else lied beyond the flame-colored irises. Something he identified as a wall, a mask concealing her true emotions.

Nevertheless, other priorities occupied his mind once he remembered his situation, specifically the mystical weapon being held at his neck. Even though the sight of a girl sporting armor and holding a magically-conjured blade was familiar, it kept his muscles paralyzed and joints locked up. His breath grew shaky and ragged, heart rate soaring to newfound heights.

Anything is scary if it threatens your life.

Aviar tried to force words through his dry mouth, but they instead sounded like pained chokes through his clenched teeth. His mind raced with a million thoughts and fleeting questions, unable to think of anything to say even if he could speak. Her glare easily overpowered his widened gaze, and he felt completely at the mercy of the girl in front of him.

Her brow furrowed, and she raised her flaming sword into the air. Aviar's eyes squeezed shut and his body tensed as the weapon swung downward. He could feel the heat of blade narrowly miss and cut right by his face. Moments after, the shockwave of an explosion cracked through the air, fierce winds rushing past them and coating the two in the dust of the collapsed building behind them.

Reopening his eyes, he saw the girl point the sword at him again, eyes burning with even more fury. "If you value your life, then you'll answer my question," she spat, her lips morphing into a scowl. "Who are you, human?"

The attack broke Aviar free of his frozen state, feeling returning to his muscles and joints loosening. He threw his arm forward in protest, pupils sufficiently narrowed. "Wait! Just wait a minute!" he cried. "My name's Aviar Dinistro! You don't need to attack me!"

The girl remained silent, but something shifted in her eyes when she heard his response. She lowered her weapon, no longer holding it Aviar's neck, but keeping a firm grip on the handle. "Very well, Aviar," she replied, still staring him down with a deadly gaze. "Why did you come here?"

Her eyes shrank into slants. "Have you come to kill me, as well?"

Aviar's face froze in place, mouth agape and eyebrows raised. Kill… you...? his mind echoed, completely unable to comprehend the question. In what world is the defenseless boy the one who kills the armor-clad girl wielding a sword that's made of fire? This one, apparently. "Hold on, that's not why I'm here!" he hastily declared.

Aviar's words failed to placate her, and her furrowed brows remained. "All you humans have ever done is tried to kill me. Why would you be any different?"

"I…"

Before either of them could react any further, their heads were drawn to the sounds of multiple jet engines that echoed in the air. A bunch of black dots lined the sky, steadily growing larger as they approached the two of them. When they were close enough to be identified as human figures, they unleashed a barrage of gunfire right onto the girl, sounding similar rain on a tin roof. Very loud rain on a tin roof.

Aviar stumbled backward, landing on his rear as attempted to avoid it. The girl merely extended her free hand forward, and a wall of flames burst from the ground in front of her, absorbing the storm of bullets. "They never learn…" she remarked. Dropping the flame wall, she swung her sword and launched a wave at the flying figures, who parted to avoid it.

They turned out to be people wearing what looked to be black hi-tech mechanical suits, the yellow glow of their winged attachments flaring out from behind them. "Team!" a male voice yelled from the front most soldier. "Deploy all weapons and fire everything you got! Let's take out Cataclysm right here, right now!"

The compartments on all their suits opened, and unleashed a hellfire barrage of missiles, artillery shells, bullets, and other explosive ordnance at the girl they called 'Cataclysm.' She leapt into the air and swung the flaming blade, sending a fire wave into the missiles. They detonated and caused a chain reaction of explosions that brilliantly lit up the sky, blowing up the entire assault.

Aviar scrambled to the elevated edges of the crater, taking shelter by the piled concrete and shyly watching the spectacle. She is a Medium, alright, he concluded. But why are they attacking her? Is this why she thought I was going to kill her?

Landing in the crater, Cataclysm conjured a fireball in her hand and hurled it at the flying soldiers, splitting into a hail of smaller ones. "Evasive maneuvers!" the leader shouted, and the troops scattered as the onslaught of fireballs exploded around them, sending them into disarray and even dropping a few out of the sky.

The leader groaned as he stood on the pile of rubble he landed on, one of his jetpack exhausts smoking and sparking. "Firefly 1!" he yelled as his fellow grounded soldiers started to rise. "Get your ass down here and show that Rogue what you got! Airborne troops, give her support while the rest of us get out of the danger zone!"

From inside the crater, Cataclysm turned her head toward the shouting man and launched a fireball at him. Right before it collided with him, something cut through the projectile, causing it to explode in a pulse of fire. Once the smoke cleared, the interceptor was made manifest: someone wearing a similar battle suit and wielding a green energy blade, a mass of blonde hair sprouting out from the back of their helmet.

Kickstarting their jetpack, Firefly 1 sped into the crater and swung at Cataclysm, who deflected the strike with her own weapon. "You again…" she hissed at the figure, who dropped to the ground. "Come back for more?"

"This time, it'll end with you dead!" the soldier proclaimed, turning out to be female. The Medium deflected the laser sword, and sparks flew as they exchanged blows. Cataclysm's meaty swings were easily parried by Firefly 1's handling of the saber, the glowing light leaving a trail as it sped through the air. The soldier ducked under a swing and swept her opponent's leg. With a flurry of cuts and a rising slash, she sent the Medium flying backward.

The flying troops opened fire, sending a rain of bullets and a few missiles at Cataclysm. A fire barrier rose to block the assault, and she dashed at Firefly 1 with a sweeping slash. Flying away from the swing, the soldier fired a grappling hook at the Medium and rocketed toward her, kicking her to the ground.

Firefly 1 gripped Cataclysm by the throat and pounded her into the ground. She soared around the battle arena, dragging the Medium through piles of broken concrete and asphalt. Flying into the air, she hurled her opponent back into the ground. She reactivated her laser blade, letting out a scream as she descended upon Cataclysm, about to plunge the sword into her chest.

The tip of the saber collided into a dense fire barrier, barely managing to hold as the blade tried to force through it. The energy swirled around the contact point, and burst into a small explosion that flung Firefly 1 away. Cataclysm climbed to her feet, hair a complete mess, and using her weapon as a support. She glared at the soldier who hovered above the ground, panting through gritted teeth.

Cataclysm picked up the flaming sword, and swung it diagonally in front of her. Flames plumed outward from her feet, and she burned with newfound vigor. More gunfire and missiles zoomed toward her, exploding at the fire wall that rose to protect her. The soldier equipped a handgun in her offhand, and raced toward the Medium.

With their ally nearby, the airborne assault ceased, and Firefly 1 took a swing at her opponent. She deflected, but a shot in the chest caused her to stumble backward. The soldier continued to twirl the laser sword, catching Cataclysm's swings while mixing in gunshots and breaking her guard. Unable to keep up with the soldier's strikes, Cataclysm was pummeled with a full combo of swings and shots. She was flung away, and her flaming sword dissipated when she lost grip on it.

Cataclysm lied still on the ground, her armor chipped away at various pieces with a large crack in her breastplate. A trickle of blood ran down her face, curving away from her shut eyes. Firefly 1 chuckled sinisterly and sheathed her weapons. She tapped the side of her helmet, and spoke. "Cataclysm won't be getting up. At least not anytime soon. Let's scratch her off the list and we'll… wait… never mind, she's not down."

Firefly 1 directed her attention back at the Medium, who had risen to her feet. Flames encircled her, and her long hair billowed in the air currents that were created. Cataclysm motioned her arm, the circling flames burst outward into a pulse, her armor also repairing itself. Her figure bristled with newfound vigor, her face almost appearing to glow. "Hmph," she regarded, conjuring a ball of flame in a clawed hand, spilling with lava-like liquid fire. "I guess you caught me off guard."

The soldier grumbled. "Give me a minute," she uttered. She swung her arm in a diagonal arc, and the green laser blade rematerialized in her hand. Dashing to her opponent, she unleashed a flurry of slashes that deflected off the fire barrier that rose in front of her. Cataclysm thrust her arm forward, grasping Firefly 1 by the chest. Rising her into the air, the Medium's entire arm became coated in the liquid fire, and it erupted into a fiery explosion.

Firefly 1 and her weapon were flung away by the blast, the surrounding floor becoming covered with splotches of liquid fire. Crawling to her knees, the soldier's entire suit sparked with green electricity, and a growl filtered through her mouthpiece. "You damned monster…" she snarled.

Cataclysm responded by plunging her hand into the ground. Vibrations shook through the ground like an earthquake, emitting a distinct rumbling sound and displacing loose rubble. Glowing orange circles emerged all over the battlefield, inciting Firefly 1 to speak into her helmet. "Everyone! Retreat!" she called, taking to the skies.

Aviar watched as all the assortments of random smoldering spots burst into geysers of lava and stone, causing a massive chain of smaller explosions across the crater, launching fire and rubble in every direction. Face rendered completely pale, teeth clenched, and eyes stapled wide open, he could only watch as the disaster encroached upon him. A massive fireball formed at the epicenter, and it swelled outward, threatening to consume all it met. Including Aviar.

Black flashed across his vision, and all consciousness faded away.


Fleeting awareness swirled around Aviar's mind, drifting in and out like the shore's tides, and hanging on the thin edge of wakefulness and sleep. His sight, or what he thought was his sight, only presented a formless mass of white, as if a flashlight was shining in his eyes. Attempting to look around, he flexed his neck to examine the surroundings, if they could be called that.

Just the white background, and nothing else. Even his own body vanished amongst the blankness. He could hardly feel his limbs, or what direction he was facing.

"Where am I?" his voice called out into the void, materializing more from his thoughts than any movement of his mouth.

Greetings. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.

That voice easily penetrated through the misty blankness of the realm, like a foreign thought invading Aviar's mind. It echoed over itself, reverberating with a metallic shroud, but still sounded like it belonged to someone. A pair of dark ellipses formed in the white void. They gave off the appearance of eyes, like staring into the empty sockets of a mask, or skull.

Who are you? Aviar thought, no longer making the effort to speak.

Who I am is irrelevant. Allow me to ask a more compelling question: what is your name?

My name? Aviar echoed. To him, the voice's inquiry felt strange. It didn't sound like a greeting or friendly small-talk, but rather a fundamental questioning of his own sense of self. His attempts to dart his eyes away failed, since the black ovals stared back into him no matter where he looked. With an air of hesitation, he answered the question. My name is Aviar. Aviar Dinistro.

Yes, you would believe that. However, I don't think your alias is suggestive of your identity. Don't you agree?

If Aviar's face could be seen, then it would've been gawking at the disembodied voice. Its implication was not at all unfamiliar to him. Rather, it was a road he traveled down many times before. Aviar knew that his name was an empty title, just a label to be referred by. Pondering it, wondering about his origin and true name… it reminded him of…

No. He refused to remember it. It was best to keep that buried. Unearthing it would only cause more pain, he was certain of it. How do you know that? he demanded, feeling as if his private space had been invaded.

Have you ever wondered that, Aviar? Who you really are? Where you came from and why you exist? Why you were different? Above all, what your purpose is here?

True. All of it was true. This voice created a knife composed of all his deepest desires and cut him open with it, shedding light on all he kept buried. It was there. That… terrible blackness. He could sense it encroaching upon him, reaching out with its many limbs, ready to pull him into the emptiness. The feelings coursed through him, the awful feelings stemming from the void in his soul. Powerless, worthless, without meaning, without home, without purpose...

Dammit! Make it stop!

His will was broken, any and all opposition gone. He surrendered himself, no longer caring who or what this voice was. If it knew anything about him, that would suffice. Aviar gazed into the black ovals, viewing them as his savior, the light at the end of tunnel. A spark of hope was restored, and that abyss began to shrink away.

Who… am I? Aviar asked once his thoughts cleared enough to form a sentence. It resembled a cry for help more than a proper question.

I'll leave you with a clue. Shido. Remember that name, and you'll be on your way to figuring out who you are.

Wait—!

Before Aviar could protest any further, the eye sockets disappeared, and the world dissolved away into nothingness. His little awareness slipped away, and he was dragged into the pit of his own subconscious, as if something forced him into slumber.


The sunset spilled over the horizon, shining beams of soft orange light over the landscape. A gentle breeze kicked up, blowing chilly winds through the air and rustling the leaves of nearby trees. A ledge provided a nice viewpoint, overlooking the city it was raised above. A girl stood on the walkway, looking beyond the guardrail and staring out at the tiny clustered buildings, her eyes distant and thoughtful. She clutched a large stuffed toy resembling a loaf of bread.

"So, listen…" the girl began, turning away from the scenery. "I've been thinking, and it's better that I don't exist at all."

Aviar marveled at the girl, unable to do anything else. Unexplainable waves of recollection coursed through him, even though nothing reigned familiar. The surroundings felt like his home, like he'd been there all his life, but he couldn't recognize a thing. Gazing at the girl, he swore he never saw her before, but his heart burned with remembrance. He knew for a fact that this never happened to him, but everything screamed at him that it did.

"Don't say that!" he demanded. His voice sounded odd, foreign, like it wasn't his own. Despite that, he already knew what he was going to say, like a nagging thought in the back of his mind. It was like looking back on a memory.

"We're fine! There was no spatial quake today, was there? You didn't ruin anything!"

The girl tightened her grip on the stuffed bread. "Yes, but… that doesn't mean there won't be one the next time I appear. Once I go back and fall asleep, I won't be able to control myself."

Her voice. He liked the sound of her voice, but her words irked him. It irritated him to see her like this, and he desired to change that. He wanted to see her smile, but he didn't know why. Was it even his desire?

"Fine, then I guess you just can't go back!"

She gasped.

"Have you even tried? Just once. Just try staying here!" he continued.

"Even if I did, there are so many things I don't know about this world."

"I'll teach you whatever you don't know," he assured.

The wind grew stronger, and started to billow her skirt and long plum hair. "Then, I'd need food and a place to sleep. What if something happens we're not prepared for?"

"I'm going to take care of you. If something comes up that we need to deal with, we'll deal with it."

"Are you sure?" she asked, her tone dropping. "Am I even allowed to be here? Is it okay for me to be alive in this world?"

Aviar already knew the answer. "Yes. It is."

"You're the only one would say that to me," she stated. "Humans like them… they don't want to risk it. They don't want something as dangerous as me nearby."

Aviar's teeth grinded against each other. He didn't understand the passion fueling him, or why he cared so much for this unfamiliar girl. He never felt so disconnected from himself, like he was inhabiting a different body from his own. Nothing was identifiable, but everything remembered him. He even questioned if the emotion that rushed through him was truly his own.

"I don't care about them!" he shouted. "I don't care how many people reject you. That doesn't change the fact that I accept you, and I don't want you to leave! Even if the whole world rejects you, I'll just accept you even more!"

The girl could only stare at him, unable to form any more words. He reached his palm toward her. "Take my hand," he ordered. "That's the only job you have right now."

Her expression softened, and a smile started to curve on her lips. Her eyes grew shiny, glossy, welling with happiness. She reached one of her hands toward his, and the joy on her face made him complete, almost accomplished.

As if he knew what was to come, his eyes shifted to the background of the scene, over to the overhangs of the nearby hills. He noticed a small, discreet flash of light from the distance. A muzzle flash.

"Tohka!"

Without having a say in the matter, his entire body lurched forward in a spring-like action, shoving the girl away. Almost instantaneously afterward, an unnatural force propelled him back. It punched straight through him, cleaving a massive, searing hole in his torso. His body collided with the ground, a gaping void present in his breast. However, the untold pain didn't feel real or genuine, like he was looking at it in hindsight.

The world collapsed as Aviar's consciousness was violently ejected from it.


"Huah!"

Aviar's entire body jolted into sitting position, heaving air in and out of his lungs, and adrenaline pumping through his system. His hands ran all over chest, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he found that his torso was still intact. The adrenaline wore off, and his heart rate slowed. With the danger assessed, he took some time to look around, finding himself in his new bedroom. "Hehe…" he chuckled. "Just a dream."

He fell back into his bed, staring up at the blank ceiling. His body sank into the mattress, and all his stress left him. Man, that was weird. Talking to that girl felt so odd, like it was extreme Deja vu. Then there was that voice who seemed to know me… talk about strange.

Aviar's mind continued to wander in the memory of the black eye sockets and purple-haired girl. As he turned his head, he noticed the alarm clock resting on the nearby desk, displaying in large red numbers "2:00 PM."

Wait, it's two?! he thought as he squinted at the time. Sure enough, the numbers stayed the same no matter how he adjusted his eyes. Did I really sleep for that long? No, Shadow would have dragged me out long before then. So… why is it…

Like an epiphany, the answer struck him. His memories of the events that occurred earlier that day flooded through his mind like an opened dam. That's right! he mentally declared. I remember. I met that Medium girl in the crater, and then she got attacked by those flying people.

At the thought, Aviar gazed at his surroundings, taking note that he was lying down in the comfort of his bedroom. Did I go unconscious? he wondered. He rested his head on the pillow, letting out a sigh. Last thing I remember was that chick fight, so I must have. So, how did I get back home? Did Seraph find me?

Aviar settled on that conclusion for a moment, but it spurred a new train of thought. If Seraph took me here, then that means she's home. If Seraph's home, then Shadow will be home, too. And if Shadow's home and I'm asleep, that means…

The door to Aviar's room uttered a low creak as it opened. His pupils narrowed, and a cold sweat overtook him, very familiar with what that sound signaled.

Please have mercy.

"Rise and shine!" a vivacious voice chanted, its owner leaping onto Aviar's bed. They twirled their feet on top of him, hopping across his different limbs and dancing on his torso. Nerve endings from all over his body fired, convulsing away at every sensation that struck him. His body bent and contorted in many different angles to avoid the assault. "Ack! Hey, ha ha! Stahp!" he chortled, writhing away from all the prodding underneath the covers.

His plea fell on deaf ears, and the merciless attack continued. Aviar giggled uncontrollably at all of his ticklish nerves being stimulated, which unfortunately encompassed most of him. In a final movement, Aviar jerked away and sprung into a sitting position, swatting away at the assailant. "I'm awake! I'm awake, stop it!"

The aggressor stopped their attack, and Aviar was able to get a clear look at them while he caught his breath. They were bent over in laughter, but still clearly recognizable. A girl of similar age to him stood on his bed, wearing pants and a black t-shirt. "Gahahaha! I swear, that will never get old!" she declared, her laughter ceasing.

"Hi, Shadow..." Aviar responded wearily. "Glad to see you're back to our usual routine."

With her composure regained, Shadow brushed aside her shoulder-length copper hair and reopened her eyes. Her lips curved into a smug smile as she looked down at him, glints of mischief sparkling from her blue-grey eyes. "Of course! I wouldn't let you off the hook that easily," she declared, nudging him with a foot to emphasize her point.

Aviar rolled his eyes at her. "I was already awake. You didn't have to do that."

"But it's so fun to make you squirm!" Shadow chuckled. "It's what I look forward to whenever you sleep in."

He let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead at her comment. At least one of us is enjoying ourselves he thought. "Anyway…" Aviar began, turning his gaze back to his friend. "Do you mind telling me what happened?"

Shadow looked upward while tapping a finger on her chin. "Well, Seraph and I found you unconscious at the crater, so we took you home and let you get your beauty sleep. There wasn't much to miss, really." She twirled her feet as she jumped off Aviar's bed, causing him to twitch away.

Aviar pulled the covers off of him and rose to his feet, not bothering to question the plaid pajama pants or how he got into him. He yawned and stretched, achy pains biting into his limbs, probably from being launched onto asphalt. "You feeling alright?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah, just tired and sore," he answered. "Crazy dreams haven't been helping much."

Both exited the bedroom, and hovered at the top of the stairs immediately to the right. "What a coincidence!" Shadow proclaimed, smile spread across her mouth. "I had a pretty weird dream last night, too."

"You did?"

"Yeah. There was this redhead in a burning town, and she was all huddled up and calling out for her brother… I think, I dunno." Shadow's eyes lit up as her mouth stretched into a grin. "Hey, think the universe is trying to tell us something?"

Aviar scoffed while shaking his head. "Probably not."

His friend laughed in response to his immediate dismissal. "I was just teasing you," she said while gently punching his shoulder. "Let's go downstairs. Seraph's waiting on us."

The teen sighed as he watched Shadow race down the stairs. As he started to descend them, he could hear her distant voice coming from the dining room. "Guess who's awake?" she announced as Aviar emerged from the stairwell.

"No thanks to you," he retorted.

A new figure was already sitting at the table, a woman in her 30s. She had long multi-shaded blonde hair tied up into a long ponytail, cascading down her white tank top and ending at her brown shorts. She dragged her fingers across an electronic tablet lying the table. A mug sat by the tablet, steaming rising from the brown liquid it contained. Upon Shadow's announcement, she looked over at Aviar, smiling at him through her glasses.

"Hey Seraph," he said, feeling relaxed at the warmth of her expression.

"Good morning, Aviar," she chuckled, taking her fingers off the tablet. "Happy to see you're doing alright."

Shadow strolled over to the table, lowering herself into a chair by Seraph. The woman in question jerked her head toward the chair across from her. "Why don't you take a seat and come join us?" she invited. Aviar obliged, heading to and sitting down in the open chair perpendicular to her.

Seraph reached underneath the table and tossed a folder in Aviar's direction. She raised her mug to her lips as Aviar took it. It was fairly large, and had "YGGDRASIL" printed across the top. His finger ran along the edge and flipped the folder open, revealing an aerial photograph. His eyes narrowed at the content, reigning very familiar to him. It was the girl coated in flames, clad in vibrant armor.

"Hey, that's the girl from earlier," Aviar stated, looking up from the picture.

"She's what we call a Rogue Medium. Or Rogue for short," Seraph explained, lowering the coffee mug from her mouth. "We only know two things about them. One, they are incredibly volatile and destructive, far more powerful than your average Medium."

So, she wasn't a Medium he thought, recalling the display of her abilities that led him to the initial conclusion. "And two?"

"We don't have a clue where they come from or why they exist," Shadow answered, folding her arms across her chest. "They just pop up out of nowhere without any rhyme or reason, and when they do, a lot of explosions tend to happen. People don't like them very much."

"Does she already know all this?" he asked, pointing a finger at Shadow.

"Yep," she answered. "Seraph filled me in on everything while you were out cold. Think you're the only one who's been having a weird day? Think again."

"Hmm..." he mused, thinking back to the encounter. The mention of 'explosions' jogged his memory. He recalled following the GPS on his phone, and dashing down the road only for the white flash to occur, the massive purple sphere expanding outward and knocking him off of his feet. "Wait, are you saying the blast that created the crater happens when one of these Rogues shows up?"

"No, not quite," Seraph immediately dismissed while waving a hand. "That explosion is a complete mystery. It's got everyone's heads spinning, but some people have been throwing around the term 'spacequake.'"

"Do you think a Rogue caused it?"

"Possibly, but we simply don't know enough right now. I wouldn't worry about it."

"If you say so," Aviar yielded. Taking his hand, he slid the photograph away to reveal another one underneath. This one depicted a team of people flying in formation, all wearing identical battle suits in a black color scheme. His eyes widened when his memory suddenly clicked, reminding him that they were the soldiers that arrived at the crater. Particularly, he recognized the one with blonde hair spilling out the back of their helmet.

"Hey, I remember her," he said, tapping a finger on the soldier. "She was the one who fought the Rogue at the crater."

"You're not wrong," Shadow replied.

"These are the Firefly Troops, a special forces group serving under the Helfarke Division of Halo's military," Seraph described. "Whenever a Rogue is located, they are dispatched and fly to the location to deal with the issue."

Aviar raised an eyebrow, slowly lifting his head to meet her brown eyes. "You mean they kill them?"

Seraph remained silent, reaching to grab her cup and sip her coffee. Shadow didn't respond either. Aviar's mind jumped back to the girl, vividly recalling her face and the displeasure in her flame-colored eyes. "Have you come to kill me, as well?" her voice echoed.

He marveled at the new information that had just been dumped on him, taking ample time to let it soak in. His thoughts ran wild about these Rogues, imagining what their scenario must be like. To be suddenly born into the world without an explanation. The girl appeared in his mind again. "Who are you, human?"

Her tone sounded so accusatory, acting as if he had wronged her in some unknown way. However, with the way she handled the word, it sounded as if she didn't truly comprehend its meaning. She didn't know who or what she was, and how little danger Aviar posed in comparison. She was scared, lashing out at a world she didn't understand. He hated it. He despised that feeling: the lack of understanding or purpose. Merely thinking about it turned his stomach, let alone imagining someone else having to experience it.

"Although, there is another way to take care of these Rogues without killing them," Seraph declared. Aviar's head snapped upward, his train of thought derailed at the sudden announcement. Shadow's pensive mood was also broken, and her trademark smile returned, like she knew what was to come. "And how do we do that?" Aviar asked.

"Glad you asked," Seraph grinned. She reached into a pocket on her shorts, and pulled out what looked to be a circular emblem. After Seraph placed it in front of him, Aviar picked up the badge, made of a thin and lightweight metal. It displayed an image of an ornately-drawn tree, with numerous twisting branches. Underneath it, the roots formed similar patterns, and completed the full circle shape of the engraving. "Welcome to Yggdrasil."

"Yig-say what now?" Aviar parroted, looking up from the metal etching.

"We're an organization that works to assist Mediums. Specifically, those in human territory," Seraph elaborated, still wearing her smile. "I happen to be a member."

"A high-ranking one at that," Shadow added.

Aviar remained silent for a few moments, drawing in a breath and releasing it, clearly trying to process the reveal. "You said the move was work-related," he said. "Is this the… expanded explanation?"

"It is, indeed. My superiors have assigned me to Metroplex City, and now it's my job to help the Rogues that show up here," Seraph responded. "After all, they are still Mediums, even with all their quirks. You do want to help them, correct?"

Aviar didn't answer immediately, but nodded to communicate his feelings. "Yes," he declared, looking up with newfound energy burning in his brown eyes. "It's horrible. To just show up on this world with nobody to turn to? No one should have to experience that."

His eyes turned to Shadow, who was snickering behind her hand. He raised an eyebrow at her poorly-contained amusement. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied, dropping her hand and revealing her grinning mouth. "It's just so funny to see you all serious like that."

"Whatever," Aviar dismissed, rolling his eyes at his friend's antics.

"Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you're supportive of our efforts," Seraph said.

"No problem," he answered. Extending his arm toward her, Aviar offered the tree-engraved emblem back to her.

"It's yours, actually," Seraph informed him, earning a confused glance from the teenager she addressed.

"Mine?"

The older woman leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, a half smile forming on one side of her mouth. "Yep. That is your official badge. The reason why I was so happy to hear your approval was because I already planned for you to be assisting me on this mission. Your agreement just makes things a lot easier on me."

Aviar eyed her suspiciously, remaining silent as he studied her face. Seraph's expression didn't waver, and she gladly held eye contact with him as he did his examining. "So… I don't really have a choice in the matter?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Shadow affirmed, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin on them. He eyed her closely, staring into her silvery-blue eyes as she merely smirked at him. It was written all over her face. She already knew what was coming, and she was very much anticipated to see his reaction. That kind of cheeky look spelt disaster on Aviar's end, but he didn't feel the same uneasiness as he normally did. Perhaps it would be fun for him, too.

He stared down at the emblem he held between his fingers, spinning it around and running his thumb over the intricate tree engraving, taking note of all the different notches and trenches. Somewhere deep inside of him, sparks of excitement fluttered into view, and his worries seemed to dissolve away. In some way, he felt thrilled at the turn of events, and he wondered what was to come.

"Welcome to Yggdrasil, Aviar."