Chapter 4

Hey, remember me? I certainly don't. Anyway, I promised you guys that I'd get the next chapter up within 3 months, and I've done just that with a week to spare. All jokes aside, I have no good reasons for why this took so long, and a lot has happened in my life between now and then. Mostly a combination of laziness, self-doubt, and school.

It's summer break for me, so I don't have to worry about school anymore. I won't set another time frame so I don't kill myself with stress again, but I'll make a serious effort to get the next chapter out as soon as possible. With all that aside, onto the story!


"...aph…"

zzz...

"Se... ap… ake… p…"

zzz...

"Ser...aph…!"

zzz...

"Seraph, wake up!"

zz..!

A surge of adrenaline shot through Seraph's system, causing her to jolt upward in her seat. Her head snapped upward from whatever object it was resting on, and she slammed her knees into the desk underside, rattling many of the objects resting on it. Scanning her surroundings, Seraph noted she was still in the comfort of her darkened office, breathing a small sigh of relief. With her eyes glued wide open, she flicked her monitors on and fitted the headphones blaring Aviar's voice onto her head.

"I wasn't sleeping. What are you talking about?" she insisted as she activated Aviar's line, organizing some of the clutter strewn about her desk.

"Jeez, it's like you're getting old or something," Aviar scoffed through his microphone.

"Hey, I've still got a few years to go. You're not allowed to call to call me 'old,' yet. Besides, I'm still young in spirit," Seraph retorted, sliding backward in her rolling chair and hitting the light switch to illuminate her working space. "Anyway, what's going on?"

Aviar turned his head to the side, stealing a glance at a girl sporting long and unruly fire-colored hair. Her arms were behind her back and she kicked at the ground as she stood in place, like she couldn't keep still. "Uhh… how do I put this?"

Clearing his throat, Aviar continued. "Long story short, the Rogue showed up out of nowhere and demanded that I show her around. Like, now."

Seraph remained silent, taking a moment to absorb and process the information. "Is Cataclysm with you there?"

Aviar first checked to see if the girl had moved from her spot, which she hadn't. "Yeah, she's waiting for me right now. Also, she named herself Caldera, and I think it's less dehumanizing to refer to her by an actual name."

"I hear ya," Seraph replied. Her hands reached for the keyboard and started to type. "We're gonna have to improvise a bit. Take her to the downtown area, and I'll get things sorted out back here. Should be plenty of things to keep you busy."

Aviar sucked in a breath. "Right…"


"Remember how we greet people?"

"Hmm…"

The two walked together on the sidewalk, the familiar houses of the residential area gone, and new unfamiliar buildings were coming into view. Aviar wore casual clothing, a jacket over a t-shirt with a pair. A stark contrast in comparison to his partner, who sported a pink dress and black sun hat. Caldera mused as she thought about the question sent her way.

"You… say 'hello,' right? Hello and bow?" she finally answered.

"Yep. Just lightly bow with your arms at your side, nothing too dramatic, and say hello while you do it."

Aviar stepped ahead of her and turned around to face her. "Ah, hello," he went, bowing to Caldera.

"Hello!" she replied, her bow far more exaggerated and speedy. Had she been any closer, she probably would've hit Aviar on the way down. "Yeah, like that!" he laughed. "Now, do you remember what to do if we don't bow?"

"It's uh…" Caldera trailed off, jogging her memory. "It's a… hand… shake, right? Handshake?"

"You got it! It's a handshake," Aviar congratulated her, extending his hand to her. She mirrored his action, but her hand felt more like a dead fish than a limb of living person. "Put more energy into it than that," he chuckled.

However, his laugh ended when he felt his hand being crushed in a grip far stronger than any reasonable person, and he tensed up. "Too much! Too much!" he cried out.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay!?" Caldera gasped as she released his hand.

Aviar groaned as he waved his hand around, gritting his teeth as he did so. "Yeah, I'm okay," he assured as he articulated his fingers. "You're a lot stronger than most people, so please be careful."

Against his own better judgment, Aviar extended his hand once more after Caldera nodded at his advice. "Now, let's try that again."

Aviar still winced as Caldera's hand closed around his, but it was much more manageable than the previous attempt. Shaking up and down, their hands parted and Aviar patted her on the shoulder. "That's how you do it! Still, watch that grip."

Turning to the side, he gestured toward the path ahead of them. "Ready to head into the city?" he asked.

Caldera's eyes darted around, looking as if she were contemplating the question. However, they returned to look back at Aviar under the rim of her hat. "Let's go!" she answered.


Amongst the growing crowds of people, a young woman stood up against a wall, a phone being held in her hands. She was wearing a blouse and a skirt with a peacoat pulled over it, along with a pair of short-heeled boots and long socks. A pair of sunglasses concealed her green eyes, and her long blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail.

In the relatively quiet environment, the voices of two individuals became rather apparent. The girl glanced upward just to see who was speaking, but her eyes became locked as soon as she saw who they were. A tall teenage boy in a jacket with dark brown hair, and a girl in a pink dress and black sun sat with brilliantly-colored hair.

She immediately recognized the boy as her classmate and occasional nuisance Aviar, but she wasn't sure about the second one. Remarkably like the Rogue she had recent encounters with. Pocketing her sunglasses, she snapped a photo of the two and fitted a device into her ear.

"This is Master Sergeant Cyrene Orion. Firefly 1 reporting in."

"Firefly 1, this is Captain Claymore. What do you have to report?"

"I believe that I've located Cataclysm's current position. I need you to run a facial recognition on the photo I'm sending."

"Just received it. Give me a couple seconds…"

As the line fell silent, Cyrene moved away from the wall and started to walk a few yards behind the two, making sure she had a visual. "Okay, it's a 98… scratch that, a 98.5% match. This is definitely the one we're looking for. However, these are very weird circumstances. We've never seen Cataclysm in a docile state like this, let alone acting friendly with humans."

The captain hummed a little over the line, and Cyrene continued to tail them. "I also don't understand the boy in this photo. Do you know who he is?"

"Aviar Dinistro, a classmate of mine. He was also with Cataclysm during the last two encounters."

"Ah, that's why I recognized him. I'm running a search because I seriously doubt he's suicidal enough to want to run into this Rogue on three separate occasions. You gave him the warning I ordered you to do, right?"

"I did. I suppose it wasn't enough to keep him away," Cyrene answered.

"Good. It's more important that he doesn't spread information, anyway. Hmm… ah, registered Yggdrasil member. That explains everything."

Cyrene growled at the mention of Yggdrasil. "What are Mediums doing with Rogues? Isn't Yggdrasil supposed to be focusing its efforts elsewhere?"

"I don't know. But if Yggdrasil's involved, it'll be difficult to deal with Cataclysm if she goes hostile. Based on the information here, it looks like Dinistro will be assisted by… Velia Amileen. Does the name ring a bell?"

"Another classmate," Cyrene grunted.

"What a coincidence. Anyway, with the current circumstances, our hands are tied behind our back. The most we can do right now is sit back and watch what happens."

The captain sighed and waited for Cyrene to respond. However, he raised an eyebrow when she remained silent for several seconds. "Firefly 1?" he spoke, making sure she was still online.

"Can we find Amileen's current position?"

The captain breathed. "I'll run a city-wide scan on the cameras and see if we can locate her. What were you thinking?"

For once during the entire exchange, Cyrene's perpetual frown twitched upward a bit. "I know a way we can take her out of the fight."


"Why are there so many humans!?"

Caldera's reaction to the massive crowds of people in the city was less than stellar, to say the least, in complete contrast to her initial feelings about the idea. When she and Aviar rounded the corner, she immediately freaked at the masses of pedestrians. She held one arm in front of her partner and the other ahead of her. "Get behind me, Aviar! I'll save us!"

"Stop it!"

Aviar interrupted Caldera's shouting, shoving her arms down. "What are you doing!? I'm trying to—"

"Shh!" he hushed, covering her mouth. Aviar managed to keep her subdued just long enough for a few peaceful moments to pass. A few peaceful moments to demonstrate that no, a full-out war was not ensuing. Using his free arm, Aviar gestured to the groups of people nearby. "See?" he started, removing his hand from Caldera's mouth. "No one's trying to attack us. It's safe, I promise."

Caldera remained silent, carefully watching with her flame-colored eyes. A couple was walking down the sidewalk, talking and laughing with one another. Her eyes narrowed and remained locked on them as they approached. She stepped closer to Aviar, obscuring herself with him and continued to watch with a cat-like glare. They stepped closer, closer, and closer until…

Nothing. They just walked by, not casting even an accusatory glance her way. Caldera's defensive glare instead shifted to a look of confusion, and Aviar laughed. "I told you not all humans were after you, didn't I?"

"Hmm…" was all Caldera uttered in return. Her eyes were still narrowed, and she wore a mild frown. Her expression stirred Aviar's memory to when they first met, reminding him of the same expression she once sent his way. He much preferred the happier and more cheerful side she had shown him, and he sighed.

Just give her time he thought. She's still new with people. Of course, she'll be afraid.

Putting his hands in his pockets, Aviar continued down the sidewalk as Caldera followed closely behind. She remained in silence as they walked, and Aviar allowed her to hide behind his frame. Her eyes still glared at whoever walked past them, expecting one of them to pounce at exactly the moment her focus lapsed.

However, just like before, she found that none had come to harm her. Or even expressed the desire to. As more and more people passed by, the more relaxed she seemed to be. Soon, her judgmental glares turned into looks of curiosity. Her scowl curved upward into a more neutral expression, and soon she was walking with Aviar rather than hiding behind him. He smiled when he noticed all those changes.

"Hey, what's that?"

Aviar looked upward to where Caldera was pointing and rose an eyebrow at the sight. A small shop was propped up amongst the other vendors and stores, but this one was conspicuously decorated with pastel pink colors and cutesy decorations. "Santa Monica Crepes…" he mumbled, reading the colorful sign. "It's a place that sells crepes."

"Okay, what are crepes?" Caldera asked again.

"I don't know…" he replied with some hesitation. Despite his experience with cuisine in his homeland, he had never heard of 'crepes.' He supposed it was something culturally unique to Halo.

Caldera frowned in response. "How do you not know? Aren't you supposed to know these things?"

"Whatever let's go check it out."

The two approached the shop and joined the small crowd of people at it. As they waited for their turn, Aviar made a mental note of the number of young women looking to buy crepes. Thankfully they didn't have to wait too long before their turn rolled around, and Caldera was already fawning over the plastic models showcasing the kinds of crepes on sale. If it hadn't been for her hat, she would've pressed her face against the glass. Aviar snickered at the sight. "Which one looks good to you?"

"I want… that one," Caldera replied, pointing a finger at one of the models with her face still incredibly close to it.

"Well, say that to her," Aviar proposed, gesturing to the cashier in the vendor. Stepping away from the models, Caldera approached the store counter where a woman in a white uniform stood on the other side. "Hello!" she cried to the store vendor, subsequently bowing to her.

"Hi there," the store vendor chuckled. "What can I do for you?"

"I want that one," Caldera declared, pointing at the model she was practically drooling over.

"Okay, can you tell me which one that is?" the vendor asked.

Caldera tilted her head. "What do you mean? I just said I wanted that one!" she repeated, then pointed at the vendor herself. "Give it to me, human!"

"Don't...!" Aviar interrupted, forcefully pulling Caldera aside and making her look at him. "...shout at people," he finished.

"Why not?" she retorted. "I was trying to—"

"I know, but people don't like it when you shout at them or demand things from them. Also, don't call them 'human.' That's not very nice, either."

Aviar took her hands off her shoulders. "Now, look at how I do it."

He turned back to the store vendor, resting an arm on the counter between. "I'm very sorry about that," he apologized, resulting in a giggle from the woman.

"It's alright," she assured.

"Thank you. Anyway…" Aviar trailed off, looking for the crepe Caldera was eyeing. "...she wanted a 'Gelato Caramel Nut & Cream.'"

"Ah, alright," the vendor replied, beginning to prepare the ingredients. "Do you want something, as well?"

Giving the idea a thought, Aviar nodded. "Make it two."

"Okay, that will be 860," she stated with a smile. Aviar reached into a pocket and pulled out a wallet, shelling out several paper notes and handing them to the vendor. Looking through the leftover notes, a drop of sweat fell down his forehead. I hope I don't have to spend much more money… he thought.

A minute or two later, the snacks were completed, neatly wrapped up in paper sheets and fitted into plastic cones. Aviar took both from the vendor and extended one to Caldera, who practically seized it out of his hand. "Now, what do we say?" he reminded her.

"Thank you!" she cheered, inciting a small laugh from the vendor.

"Thank you very much," Aviar followed up, giving the woman a wave as he turned away. As they resumed their path down the sidewalk, Aviar cast a glance towards Caldera. The way she examined her dessert like a foreign object made him snicker.

"It's yours now, you know," he reminded, beckoning to the crepe. "Go ahead and eat it."

Upon receiving the assurance, Caldera inched her mouth toward the snack little by little until she closed her lips around it. And when she did…

"WAAHHH!" she exclaimed, wolfing down the food in a succession of several swift bites. "This is so amazing! Do humans eat this all the time!"

Aviar's eyes were pressed into crescents as he laughed at Caldera's antics, not at all expecting the reaction she underwent. However, when he took a bite out of his, he found his own eyes widening at the snack. "Wow, this is really good! Why don't they have this back home!?"

Before his inner food critic could take over, he heard a beep coming from his left ear. "Hey, I'm back," Seraph's voice announced.

Having forgotten he even left it in, Aviar adjusted the earpiece. "Ah, welcome back. Managed to get everything set up back there?"

"Cleaned up all the stuff I dumped on the floor, managed to get the cameras hooked up again, and got my cup of coffee prepared. Ready to rock and roll, as they say."

"No one says that…" Aviar muttered, rolling his eyes. "Oh, that reminds me. Isn't Shadow supposed to be helping us out? I haven't seen her all day."

"By all technicalities, yes, but I sent her off on errands this morning. We didn't expect the sudden encounter, so she didn't take her earpiece."

"Can't you just give her a call?" Aviar suggested. "She's always on her phone, anyway. I doubt she'll miss it."

The line fell silent for a bit, causing Aviar to raise an eyebrow until Seraph's voice came through again. "You make a compelling argument. While I do that, why don't you fill me on all that's happened?"


Shadow sauntered along the city sidewalk, clad in sneakers, jeans, and a t-shirt as she carried a plastic bag that swung with her trade. Letting her short copper hair catch a breeze, she fished for her phone and opened her shopping list. "Sweet, just a couple more things and I'm done," she mentioned, pocketing the device. Casting her blue-grey eyes about, she scanned the city surroundings. "I'm sure I can find another marketplace somewhere…"

While her attention was distracted, she collided with someone in front of her, causing her to stumble. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Shadow hastily apologized after regaining her footing. However, once her bumping victim recovered, she received an unexpected response. "Velia? Wow, I didn't expect to see you here!"

Shadow blinked curiously, searching her memory for someone with a long blonde ponytail and green eyes. The face was popping up, but no names. "Have we… met? I swear I've seen you before," she eventually caved and asked.

The familiar-looking girl giggled. "I'm Cyrene, silly. We have the same homeroom at Trina High."

"Ohh! That's where I've seen you," mentally slapping herself for not knowing. "I'll be sure to remember that. I go by Shadow, by the by."

"Shadow… interesting nickname," Cyrene mused, smiling. "Anyway, I'm a little surprised to see you here, Shadow. What brings you here today?"

"Oh, y'know..." she began, lifting the plastic bag. "Just out on an errand run. Nothing too fancy. And you?"

Before Cyrene could answer, Shadow's phone began ringing in her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw Seraph's contact on the screen along with her picture. "Ah, I should probably take this," she mentioned, beckoning to the device.

"Don't answer the phone."

"Huh?"

Shadow's eyes shifted back toward Cyrene, and her entire demeanor had shifted. Her soft, smiling face hardened into a deadly scowl, her eyes glaring down at her. Even if she was only a few inches taller, she suddenly became an overbearing presence with that look alone.

"I know what you are, Velia, and I'm fully aware that you work for Yggdrasil. You and your friend Aviar."

With widened eyes, Shadow took a step back. "B-But how did you…?"

"Stay out of the Helfarke's business if you want to stay off our radar. We know you've been helping Aviar in his little encounters, and we're especially annoyed by your superior's insistence on getting involved with the Rogues. Aviar is with Cataclysm as we speak, but I bet you already knew that."

Shadow was too taken aback to retaliate or even talk. Her throat paralyzed in fear at the sudden news, and that she wasn't even there to help. All her instincts told her to flee from the oppressive gaze of Cyrene, but she felt like she wouldn't be able to escape if she did.

Noticing Shadow was remaining silent, Cyrene continued. "That being said, let me establish something. If you care about your life, then you'll stay out of this today. Don't answer your phone, and don't go looking for Aviar. Just go back to your errands, and the Fireflies with leave you alone. Fail to comply, and you'll become a prime target right next to the Rogues."

Finding the words to speak, Shadow spat through her closed throat. "Seraph wouldn't let that happen."

"Think I'm bluffing? Just try it and see where it gets you."

Shadow's eyes shifted toward the ringing phone that was still in her hand. Turning the screen upward, her thumb hovered over the 'answer' and 'decline' buttons. She met Cyrene's emerald stare and looked back at the phone. A frown crept on her face, and with a finger of shaky reluctance, hit the 'decline' button.

"Good choice!" Cyrene exclaimed with a clap, her face already shifted back to its soft, pleasant form. "I'll see you around, Shadow~" she cooed, spinning on her heels and walking away.

Once she was a good block away, Cyrene tilted her head and tapped the device in her ear. "Took care of Yggdrasil's little failsafe. That should give us a little more room to work with."

"Again, that's if we need to respond," the captain came through on the earpiece. "Anyway, I'll monitor Amileen's phone activity to make sure she stays quiet. Just get back to tailing them and we'll go from there."

"Already on it."


"Got some bad news," Seraph announced through Aviar's earpiece. "Shadow is not answering her phone, nor is she returning my texts."

A small band of sweat rolled down Aviar's head. "What do we do now?" he inquired, suddenly worried about the news.

"Just continue doing what you're doing, you're fine there. However, I'm more concerned about why Shadow's not responding. What in the world could this girl be doing?"

"Don't ask me. I hardly know what she's doing half the time, anyway."

An audible sigh came from the line. "I'm gonna see if I can find another way to contact her. You'll be fine, but let's hope that the Fireflies decide to chill it for today."

Their conversation ended, and Aviar continued to walk with Caldera. Before long, a faint rumbling noise emanated from the teenager, resulting in his partner to stare at him with a confused gaze. "What was that?" Caldera asked with raised eyebrows.

"Don't worry, it's just my stomach," Aviar answered with a laugh. Pulling out his phone, he checked the time. "Man, it's already 2 o'clock and I haven't since breakfast," he said while scratching the back of his head. "Probably shouldn't have eaten those crepes…"

"Really!?" Caldera exclaimed with wide eyes.

"No, no, I'm joking," Aviar assured, quelling his partner's sudden shock. "I'm a dessert first kinda guy, anyway."

He looked up and down the streets, stretching his eyesight above and around the crowds of people obscuring it. "But where can we find food?"

"There! I think…" Caldera cried, pointing a finger to place across the street. Aviar looked to where she was pointing, and sure enough, a restaurant was located there. He squinted as he read the sign on top of the building.

"I was gonna say, there was a Denny's across the street. I think it'd be nice for you to take her there," Seraph chimed in.

Aviar turned away, cupping his ear to respond. "I would agree, but there's a small little problem of 'I don't have money'."

"Pay attention."

"Huh?"

He looked back to where Caldera was standing, except she wasn't there. Heart rate kicking up, his eyes darted around until he located her: walking right across the street. With eyes widened and adrenaline pumping, he dashed toward her as a car barely tapped him, honking its horn. "Sorry!" he yelled and continued running where another vehicle almost ran into him.

"Doubly sorry!" he shouted again and finally arrived at the sidewalk where Caldera was waiting for him, entirely unscathed. His hands collapsed onto his eyes, drawing in heavy breaths. "Caldera… please…" he said between breaths. "...don't cross the street when there's no crosswalk."

"Oh! Um…" Caldera's eyes darted around as if she wasn't sure on what to say. "I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, bowing to him and holding it there.

"Yeah, that's how you apologize," Aviar chuckled once his breath was caught. He patted her head. "It's okay, I forgive you. You can stop bowing now."

"Aw, how cute. Go get her some food. You've always said you were a dinner date type."

Aviar rolled his eyes at Seraph's remark, turning away. "Didn't know if you were aware, but I don't have money!"

"What are you talking about? Yggdrasil gave us a budget to work with. We got all kinds of money for these things."

"Unless you have some magical way of getting it to me, it means nothing!"

"Aviar! How's it hanging, my dude?"

Raising an eyebrow, Aviar and Caldera turned their gaze toward the energetic greeting. Not too far down the street, the spiky-haired Omar came walking up as he waved.

"Oh great," Aviar grumbled as he looked away.

"Saw you from a ways down the road. Thought I'd catch up and…"

Omar trailed off as he caught an eyeful of Aviar's partner. He looked her up and down, noticing her outfit, flame-colored hair, and fiery eyes. A drop of sweat fell down Aviar's head as Omar's eyes turned to him, a grin starting to appear on his face. "Oh, what is this?" he cooed, pulling Aviar away and putting him in a headlock.

The rest of Aviar's body locked up, clearly uncomfortable at his touch. "Who knew the foreign transfer student had such a looker as his girlfriend. Are you on a date right now? This'll make for some great gossip at school," Omar continued with his toothy grin.

"She is not my girlfriend!" Aviar hissed. "She's an acquaintance, and we're not on a date. I'm just showing her around the city, that's all."

"Eh… still sounds like a date to me, bud," Omar shrugged.

Aviar wrestled himself out of his grasp. "Whatever, dude," he scoffed while crossing his arms.

"Anyway, if you two are heading to fun places, I have a little suggestion," the classmate announced. He gestured to a place down the street. "You should take her to the arcade. It's just down the road a few blocks away. Huge building; can't miss it."

"Thanks… but I can't," Aviar replied, giving a nervous laugh. "Kinda don't have money."

"Well, let me fix that."

Omar reached into his pocket, pulling out a leather wallet. The action prompted Aviar to reach out with his hands. "Please, you really don't need to—"

"Nope! Don't wanna hear it!" Omar exclaimed, interrupting Aviar. He walked up and shoved the wallet into the teenager's chest. "You go take her and have some fun, alright?"

Grabbing him by the shoulders, he turned Aviar around and shoved him towards Caldera. "Just give me the wallet back on Monday. Use as much as you need to!"

Aviar spun around to protest, but Omar was already jogging down the street, too far to be called after. He sighed, scratching his head and looking at the wallet. Opening it up, he thumbed through the paper bills. That's awfully convenient… he thought.

"Hey, there's your money," Seraph chimed in on the earpiece.

"Where were you during all that?" Aviar retorted.

"Same place I've always been. Now, why don't you grab that food you now have money for?"

He shook his head at Seraph's remark, looking to Caldera. She was staring in the direction that Omar took off. Her expression was wide-eyed, and head tilted. "Who was that?" she asked.

Aviar's eyes turned to where Caldera was looking, and Omar's figure growing ever fainter. "He's a friend," the teen answered.


Once the waiter had guided them to a table booth, Aviar sat down on the red leather seat. Caldera followed, sitting across from him. The waiter handed out a couple menus for them and pulled out a small notepad. "What do you want to drink?" he asked.

"I'll have some water," Aviar answered. The waiter wrote down his selection, his sleepy dark-ringed eyes not coming off the paper. "And for you?" he directed to Caldera.

"Um… I'll have a water, too," she replied with a nod.

"Okay, I'll get those for you as soon as I can," the waiter responded, barely audible. He brushed some of his bangs out of his face and walked away, feet dragging on the ground. To say he was sleep-deprived was an understatement.

However, Aviar pushed the thoughts of the waiter out of his mind and directed himself back at Caldera. "Good job!" he congratulated, reaching over and patting her on the top of her hat. "I'm so proud of you."

Caldera giggled from the attention she received. Aviar sat back down in his chair and picked up a menu and opened it up. "Now, let's figure out what we want to eat."

For the next couple minutes, the two peeled over the menu options while neither really had a clue what was on it. With the assistance of Seraph, Aviar picked out a chicken fried steak combo while Caldera went for a ham and egg sandwich, ignoring Seraph's remarks on the weirdness of eating breakfast for lunch. In the process, Aviar learned that Denny's was a worldwide chain and did not accurately portray Haloian cuisine. Caldera, on the other hand, got to see some other food categories beyond crepes.

Once they ordered their food, they patiently waited for it to arrive, without saying much. After a minute of awkward silence, Aviar whispered to Seraph. "What should I do right now?"

"I dunno, talk to her?" Seraph replied half-sarcastically. "Try to figure out more about her."

"Hey, Caldera," Aviar opened, prompting her to look at him. "Do you remember the day we first met?"

The Rogue widened her eyes a little bit, giving him a curious look. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, I was wondering about the spatial quake that happened that day."

"Spatial quake?"

"The explosion. The one that caused the massive crater where we met," Aviar clarified. "I was wondering if you… caused it."

Aviar swallowed a lump in his throat. He suddenly realized that he was afraid of the answer, and wanted to abort mid-way. However, he asked it anyway and crossed his fingers.

"Oh, that. No, that wasn't me…" Caldera answered, and Aviar let out a huge sigh of relief. "I was in that… neighborhood you said, and I noticed this huge purple thing appear out of nowhere in the distance. I went to go see it, but there was only a hole in the ground. That was when I ran into you."

"That's interesting," Seraph remarked. "I read a lot of theories going around that the spatial quake was caused by a Rogue, but I guess not. Still a weird phenomenon, though. Hey, imagine a medium with the ability to rip holes in the space-time continuum."

"I really don't want to imagine that, thank you," Aviar retorted under his breath. Putting a smile back on his face, he regarded Caldera once more. "I wanted to ask something else, as well," he began. "It's about your name."

"Caldera?" she wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"No, when I first asked you your name," Aviar corrected. "You said you couldn't remember your name when I asked you. Do you really not remember it?"

Caldera's face became downtrodden as her eyes shifted downward. "No, I don't," she answered, her voice much lower in volume. "I don't remember much of anything. Where I came from, or why I'm like this."

"What do you remember?" Aviar asked, leaning forward in his seat.

Taking a breath, Caldera sighed, and her eyes shifted away as she crossed her arms. Aviar could tell it was painful for her. "I'm not sure… the earliest thing I recall is some sort of black void. I didn't feel whole, or complete, but I still felt like I was there. I remember feeling… afraid. Afraid and alone, and like something was looming over me. That feeling only got worse, and it became unbearable. Eventually, I felt so afraid that I tried to fight back somehow and used all my energy to lash out at the force. When I did, I appeared here in a flaming crater, and soon those people attacked me."

Caldera shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with recounting the story. "That's all I remember," she finished.

Aviar remained silent for a few moments, still trying to process everything that he was told. "That's awful," he finally said, offering his sympathies. "I'm really sorry that happened to you."

She didn't respond, still looking away from him. Aviar sighed and turned his head. "You have any ideas?"

"I got nothing," Seraph responded. "Unless we get more information, we can't know anything for sure. What I can say is that there is definitely more to this than what she's remembering. On top of that, we still don't know what differentiates a Rogue from a normal medium, if there is any difference. Figure that out, and we'll be one step closer."

"Understood," Aviar replied, sliding a hand over his face. However, he spotted the waiter walking up the alley with a stand and large circular holder. "Hey, the food's here!" he exclaimed, and Caldera's face immediately brightened.

The two forgot about the previous conversation and took the opportunity to savor and enjoy the food they in front of them. Aviar was originally skeptical of the idea of a fried steak but found it quite delicious with the gravy that came with it. Caldera said that she loved her sandwich, but Aviar suspected she wasn't very difficult to please, anyway. They had fun talking during their meal, with Aviar constantly reminding her to chew with her mouth closed and not to speak with her mouth full. Regardless, he found it to be a relaxing experience.

With his meal finished, Aviar leaned back in his seat, sighing with a content smile. "Man, that was some good stuff," he said.

He looked over at Caldera and expected a similar reaction for her. However, she looked much different. She shifted a lot in her seat, and her eyes darted around, looking at the various waiters and waitresses traversing the restaurant. Aviar narrowed his eyes, not sure what was causing her odd behavior. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I… don't know," she answered. Her head spun around a couple times, looking around at the various other waiters and waitresses traversing the restaurant. "This is all so weird…"

"What's weird?" he continued, trying to find the source of her confusion.

"This!" she exclaimed, using two hands to gesture at the table they were sitting at. "Being… served!"

"Ohhh…" Aviar realized, following with a small laugh. "You're still not used to humans being friendly?"

"I've only known them as threats, but all of sudden everything changed today. It's all so unfamiliar, and strange. It's… weird!"

Aviar let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead. "Well, we've been over this, haven't we? Not all humans are malicious or want to kill. You've seen that earlier today, haven't you?"

"Patience, Aviar," Seraph reminded him through his earpiece. "Just try to think from her perspective and see why she would still be skeptical. It's a once bitten, twice shy kind of deal. It'll take a bit for her to warm up."

"I know," he muttered.

Aviar took a moment to think about what to say before continuing. "We have a saying: 'I'm only human.' The saying means we are imperfect, and that we always make mistakes, but we still try our hardest. I'm sorry that you had terrible experiences with humans, and I can't excuse what they did, but you can see that we all try to be good people. We all try to help and serve each other as best we can, regardless if we're successful. You can see that here, can't you?"

Caldera's eyes shifted down, and she brought her hands up from her lap and rested them on the table. She looked pensive in that pose, and Aviar hoped that he delivered his message well enough for her to understand. Her flame-colored eyes shifted back up to Aviar. She had a slight frown, and for the first time, almost looked sad.

"They treat me this way because they think I'm human?"

"No…" Aviar responded, his voice going low and trying to be comforting. "That's not it."

"Even if I do this?"

Caldera overturned one of her palms and held it open. A burst of flame sprouted from it, and Aviar reflexively shot a hand to cover up her palm so no one else saw. However, in doing so he knew he only proved her point and sighed in defeat.

"You said it yourself. Those humans tried to kill me because they're afraid of me and afraid of what I'm able to do. Only when I appear human is when they treat me like everyone else. I want to be a part of this world, I really do. But I can't do that as long as I'm not human."

"But… does that really matter?" Aviar finally retorted, causing Caldera to be taken aback somewhat.

"What do you mean?"

"Does it matter if you're truly human or not? You've seen it yourself, humans are good people who want the best for each other, even if we're flawed in certain regards. I told you I would show you that, and I have I not? Haven't you enjoyed exploring the world, and seeing how we are?"

He leaned forward, a serious look on his face. "Even if you're not human, you know that I accept you regardless. Maybe I'm rare in that regard, but you have comfort in knowing that at least I know what you are and I'm okay with it."

Caldera stuttered at his words, unable to fully form a response. "I… I-I don't know what to say…"

"Then don't say anything," he replied, a soft smile spreading across his face. "Hey, there's an arcade just down the street. I think it'll be a lot of fun. You wanna go here?"

She took a moment to respond, but Caldera smiled and nodded. "I'd love to go there."


In another spot at the restaurant, a waitress guided Cyrene to a table. It was some distance from Aviar and Caldera, but still within eyesight of them. "What would you like to drink?" asked the waitress as she handed Cyrene a menu. "We have tea, lemonade, soda…"

"Hmm…" the girl mused as she glanced over the menu. "Do you still have the pumpkin spice lattes here?"

"We do, as a matter of fact," the waitress answered with a smile.

"Great! I'll take that," Cyrene answered, regarding her with her own grin. However, her happy facial expression dropped as soon as the waitress left. She pulled out her phone and started to browse through it, often stealing glances at the two in the distant booth. "Are you still seeing this?" she asked from under her breath.

"I am, and it still confuses me," the captain answered through her earpiece. "We rarely encounter Rogues that remain docile for this long. Barring Templar, but that's a special case. What does that kid think he's doing?"

"If we want to attack, now's our chance," Cyrene declared, looking up from her phone and at Caldera. "Cataclysm is defenseless and vulnerable. She won't have time to retaliate if we take her out now. Requesting permission to mobilize."

"Denied!" the captain shouted from the other end, causing her to shrink a little in her chair. "We have strict instructions to attack only when there is a clear and obvious threat! We do not go rogue simply because we find it convenient! We have guidelines for a reason and attacking in broad daylight without warning will only lead to further disaster. We can't risk any more leaks getting out. I thought you learned that in your last suspension!"

Cyrene didn't respond to her chastisement, her eyes lowering from Caldera and back to her phone. "We've been over this, Sergeant. Don't become so hellbent on the Rogues and remember what your primary job is. Remember what I said about hunting monsters?"

Her voice was quieter than it normally was. "Don't become the monster you're hunting."

"Good."

The soldier didn't speak any further, her eyes dropping to the table. She hardly tried to thank the waitress when she brought the coffee, and she stared at the whipped cream dusted with cinnamon. Taking a straw, she swirled it around until the cream dissolved into the dark liquid. She adjusted the mug to where she could faintly see her reflection in the light and took a sip.