Summary: Munakata Aneko's promotion to the head of Saber Squad 2 has spread like wildfire in SCEPTER 4. The teen has only been part of the Blue Clan for the last year; is this a sign of nepotism?

Aneko was looking over some paperwork she had to bring to Otou-san before her debriefing, when she heard some of her fellow Clansmen speaking nearby.

"You know Munakata's kid, right?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, Captain's daughter?"

"I heard she's being nominated to head Saber Squad 2. In fact, today's the day she's taking over that Squad."

"What?! Already? She's only been a Clansman for a year."

"Guys, should we really be saying this? I mean, she is our boss' kid…"

"Oh, shut up, I know you've been thinking the same thing!"

The blue haired nineteen-year-old paused, realizing that the people speaking were only a handful of feet away around the corner, so she quickly hid in a nearby closet, and just in the nick of time.

"I know, right! Do you think it's nepotism?"

"I dunno, hard to say. She's an absolute monster in a battle."

"Tsk, I know. The other day, Shigihara-san said that she nearly broke his armor when they were sparring the other week. Munakata-san's stupidly strong, she really is like a monster."

"HOMRA's Lioness is her mom, isn't she? I mean since Captain is married to our rival clan's leader."

"Yeah. Think she gets her freakish strength from her? Our Captain's the Blue King, but I heard that he even got pummeled by his wife last year. Sent him flying through a building."

"Scary."

"All of the Munakatas are terrifying. Remember the time Munakata-sama tried to do one of his Clan bonding sessions?"

"Ujihara-san nearly fainted…"

Aneko waited for the voices to fade, her ears straining to catch anything else. She cracked open the door slightly, affirming that no one was there, and got out of the dark closet.

'Coming out of the closet was never this easy,' she thought idly.

Clutching her papers to her chest, the woman made her way through the halls, wasting no time in idle walking.

She thought things were getting better.

At least, she hoped that things were getting better.

Aneko sighed, going through the halls at a brisk pace.

The teenage Munakata had joined SCEPTER 4 only a year ago, under Otou-san's recommendation, though she used the proper channels to join the Clan.

The Munakata didn't want to get into the lauded Blue Clan through nepotism, not really. She wanted to help people, wanted to give a helping hand to people that were unable to control their powers, and to protect the order of the world.

It wasn't a vanity thing; it wasn't meant to be done just because she was the Blue King's daughter. Since she applied, Aneko had yearned for the chance to prove herself.

She didn't want to be known as the Clansman who had been shoehorned into the program due to her connections.

Didn't want to be seen as a person who didn't have to lift a finger to be one of the Blue.

Of course, she had to deal with the scrutiny of the Clansmen who weren't as tenured as her father's Saber Squad 1. Had to deal with the looks and the whispers of Clansmen who didn't know her at all.

Aneko almost didn't notice her arrival in front of the Captain's office door, shaking out of her stupor after a moment of recollection.

She knocked and waited for her Otou-san to respond.

"Come in," came the voice of her father from behind the door, and she gripped the doorknob.

"Captain," she greeted a little stiffly, her papers shifting slightly when the violet eyes of Munakata Reishi met her red.

"Ko-chan," he said back, his gaze going down to the stack, "Paperwork."

"Yup," the woman agreed, coming in and setting down the forms on the desk, "Kusanagi-senpai said that she wasn't going to deal with more paperwork, since your signature is needed to go through."

"Seri-kun sent you, then," Reishi sighed, before he stood up, "Is there something bothering you, Aneko?"

Aneko's shoulders squared, her spine going ramrod straight as she looked at her father. She didn't want to bother him with her petty concerns, and by now, she should've been settled already.

After all, she was the Child of SCEPTER 4.

Reishi didn't miss his daughter's slightly slumped shoulders (or at least slight for her. Aneko made it a point to always stand with proper posture befitting a Blue Clansman) when she walked in, a cloud of gloom almost visibly hanging over her head.

Aneko took a step back, meeting her Otou-san's eyes for the first time since she entered.

"Ah," she said half-heartedly, her lip pulling back slightly in an expression of embarrassment, "Maybe?"

The Blue King went around his desk after pushing his chair in, gesturing at his daughter, "Come, it's around noon. A good time for tea as any."

"Hai, Otou-san," the young woman nodded, her shoulders relaxing before she followed to fetch the necessary supplies.

Aneko loved it when her Otou-san offered her tea, especially in Tsubaki-mon.

Usually, Reishi would always act like the proper King he was in front of others, even with Aneko present in the room.

He might've been a King, but he always had time for his daughter.

Before long, Aneko was sitting in seiza, holding onto a teacup with the slightest blue glow of aura protecting her fingertips from the hot surface. The woman took a long sip, noting that her Otou-san had brought out her favorite Oolong tea.

It was kind of a ritual, and Munakata Reishi always seemed to know which tea was needed for the occasion.

The two Munakatas didn't speak for a few minutes, taking in the aroma and the taste of the tea.

Aneko liked how they had a moment of silence, honestly. It let her mind relax, and stopped all turbulent emotions that were boiling away under her skin.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Reishi asked, and the question startled the clanswoman when she nearly dozed off in an odd half meditation.

"Uhm…" Aneko mumbled into her tea, "Yeah…"

"Hm."

Violet-blue eyes observed the blue haired teenager in front of him, Reishi catching how Aneko shrinked back when he asked. The topic must've been a serious one indeed.

"Mm…Otou-san?" Aneko asked shyly, looking up from her cup, "Do you think…" she trailed off, silently debating how to phrase her question.

"Yes?" Reishi prodded, a slight frown coming to his lips.

"Do you think me joining SCEPTER 4 back then…was a mistake?" the teen asked, and the man raised an eyebrow.

"Oya? Have some of the newer recruits been talking about you behind your back again?" he asked, and Aneko made a face.

"Ehhh…kind of," she said, after a moment.

"And what is their perceived issue of nepotism now?"

The King was aware that some of his younger non-Squad 1 members treated his daughter. Enough so that the Clansmen who knew Aneko when she was a little girl had heard the speculation. This isolated the young Munakata, with lingering stares and whispers behind closed doors.

While this wasn't a new issue, if it grew any larger, he'd have to assign Saruhiko-kun to the case, the black-haired man fiercely protective over his goddaughter.

"Yeah…I was on my way here when I heard some Clansmen talking about my recommendation to being the head of Saber Squad 2," Aneko admitted, "And that I've only been part of the clan for a little over a year."

The whispers irked her, the stubbornness of a Suoh rearing its head.

"You want to know if my decision to allow you to move up in rank relatively quickly is a mistake?" Reishi reiterated the admission into a question, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah. I guess I am."

Crimson eyes met violet, before the King answered.

"The exact circumstance of your promotion is not a product of favoritism, Aneko," he said, "Do not worry about trivial speculations when you are fully aware of the truth. You are my and your mother's daughter, a Suoh and a Munakata. And neither of our creeds allow anyone to make decisions for us. You remember them, do you not?"

"Suohs don't let anyone tell them what to do. And Munakatas never deviate from their chosen paths. But Otou-san…" the young woman trailed off, pouring herself more tea.

"I just can't help but think that…maybe I'm moving too fast. Like I said, I've only been officially part of SCEPTER 4 since I graduated high school. Surely, the other Clansmen are older and wiser than I am."

This time, Reishi sighed, setting his teacup down to the tea tray.

"Aneko," he addressed his daughter, folding his hands in his lap, "I know exactly what you're thinking."

Aneko bit her lip, and even though she wanted to look away from her father's eyes, she didn't.

"The day you entered this office, exactly one year, five months, and three days ago I already answered your question. You were meant to be here, and I am proud to say that you have exceeded my expectations of you. Your Okaa-san would say that my expectations are impossibly high."

Aneko did remember. Vividly.

Back then, getting into SCEPTER 4 was everything she ever wanted. It was unbelievable that only a year ago, she was still just a high school student.

March 23, 2028

Aneko knocked on the heavy mahogany door, her knuckles smarting at the action. She spontaneously left her school, making her way to Tsubaki-mon almost in a daze.

The teenager had a flat expression on her face, and while that was true on the outside, her heart was a mess, and her gut felt like it was full of rocks.

Just before she was let out, Aneko had gone to the mandatory career counselor session, where she and her classmates were asked about their plans after graduation.

To be honest, Aneko hadn't thought that far. She knew that she wanted to be in some sort of law enforcement, but her Okaa-san would've exploded if she brought it up.

She understood that her Okaa-san thought of her as her little cub, and if anything, that same sentiment made the red-haired woman even more protective of her daughter.

Not that Mika thought she wouldn't be able to handle being a Clansman, be it of HOMRA or SCEPTER 4, but the instincts of a mother always turned the feeling of protecting her child over the edge.

Mika knew that she had taught Aneko all she could in street fighting, and that Aneko was also a prodigy of the sword, going by the past reports from her kendo sensei.

Plus, the gymnastics courses Aneko had begged and pleaded for, going on for about a week before Mika couldn't take it anymore.

Aneko had all the skills needed for anything remotely close to protecting others, but she didn't know which path to choose.

And then the conversation had veered into how the pros and cons of each decision would affect her.

It was almost a half hour into that session when Aneko had realized that she was talking about SCEPTER 4 (or rather the lie of the General Affairs Division, Annex 4) had been going on for nearly the whole conversation.

The blue haired high schooler took a breath when she heard her Otou-san's voice from inside, opening the door.

"Aneko-chan?" Reishi had looked up, slightly surprised at the appearance of his daughter in his office, "What brings you here?"

"Uh…" the girl said intelligently, playing with her shoulder bag's strap, "I kind of just came over here on a whim, to be honest."

"I see," Reishi leaned back in his chair, and Aneko noticed that her father was shirking his duties. Again.

Let it never be said that Munakata Reishi couldn't be incredibly lazy.

Ah, the number of times she heard Azuki complain about his mom badgering his dad about how much Otou-san pushed all his paperwork onto his subordinates…

Reishi noticed that she had noticed the incomplete puzzle spread out on the table, a sort of standoff coming between the two.

Aneko was itching to berate her Otou-san for bringing out the puzzles AGAIN. Honestly, Reishi was lucky that Seri-oba didn't try to slice his head off. Seri-oba was one scary lady once she got into her red bean paste drinks…

"You have something on your mind, then," Reishi broke the stalemate, the silence disappearing with the words.

"Hai," Aneko nodded, before she bowed.

"Otou-san. I…I want to join SCEPTER 4!" she said in a rush, her red eyes glaring into the floor a little as she kept her bowed position.

"Oya?" Reishi's head tilted slightly in surprise, "And what brought this about? Raise your head, Ko-chan."

At the order, Aneko complied, shifting her bag because it had fallen slightly with her bow.

"Well, I was talking to my homeroom teacher today," she began, thoughtfulness creeping into her voice, "About what I wanted to do when I graduated."

Reishi studied his daughter's expression and saw everything he needed to see in a split second. He could feel his aura resonate with Aneko, especially when she said she wanted to join his Clan.

He always knew he and Mika's little cub was special.

Aneko reminded him of himself, at that age.

When he was eighteen, and just graduated from Shibuya High with Mika, he wasn't quite sure what he wanted to go into. He had a strange feeling of emptiness in his chest, a feeling that he was missing something vital.

He knew that Aneko was ambitious. Knew that she had also felt the calling to protect, to ensure the world's order was coming along.

Reishi himself didn't deviate from his paths, metaphorical or not. He trusted his own instincts, trusted that his mind and his feet would lead him to the right path.

And now, since Aneko was reaching eighteen in only a few months, it was her turn to make her mark on the world.

He believed she could do anything she put her mind to.

Aneko, even as a young child, always strove to be the best version of herself.

It was Aneko who wanted to start kendo practice. It was Aneko as a child who learned what parkour was and was obsessed with learning gymnastics after Totsuka-san had brought her to a circus.

Aneko was already equipped with everything she'd need to be a great Clansman.

He wanted to see who exactly his daughter was going to be.

What she'd grow to love…or grow to hate.

The path that she'd walk, with, or without him.

To see if her heart, and her cause is pure.

"If you wish to join SCEPTER 4, you have my full support," Reishi said, and Aneko seemed to perk up, as if she was relieved that he didn't say no automatically.

"Really!?" she beamed at him, and if Reishi didn't know better, he thought he'd go blind by the radiant joy the red eyed teen gave off.

"Of course. I understand that you decided in a split second to ask for permission," Reishi nodded, "I always had a feeling you would turn to the Blue when the time came, Ko-chan. Even now, at the beginning of your journey, you have all the necessary skills to move forward."

The girl dropped her bag, the things in it landing on the floor with a slight thud, and she leaned over the large desk in the room, almost pressing the meat of her palms into scattered puzzle pieces.

"You mean it!?" Aneko continued, and started to breathe a little harder with excitement, "I mean, I thought…"

"This is your life, Aneko," the Fourth Blue King affirmed, "And you are welcome to choose any path you want. I never let others decide for me what I want to do. What I am striving for. You are the ideal child of the Suoh and Munakata creeds. You are, after all, my beloved daughter, Munakata Aneko."

Reishi got up from behind his desk (Aneko thought that he'd be too lazy to get up), walking over to her. He raised his arms out, and Aneko wasted no time in throwing herself at him, her arms wrapping around her Otou-san like an octopus.

She pressed her face into her father's coat, hugging him tightly to her, even though the buttons on his front started to press into her sweater.

"Otou-san," she said into his coat collar, feeling his hands raise to hold her back, "Thank you."

Reishi huffed a laugh, his breath tickling her ear. "Of course, Ko-chan. You have always been an ambitious child."

Aneko drew back, and it felt like the weight on her shoulders were gone.

"Oh, and uh…" she scratched at her chin, "Can we keep this from Kaa-san?"

Both Munakatas shuddered at the thought of Mika exploding at them before the paperwork was ready.

"…" Reishi didn't speak for a moment, "That may be the best course of action."

Aneko looked a little unsettled at the thought.

"Right…Um! I'll start filling in the application, I guess…"

Now

Aneko shook herself out of that memory, drawing herself back into the present.

"Have I addressed your concerns?" her Otou-san asked, and she readily nodded.

Aneko smiled at him and noticed that her tea was mostly gone.

"Thank you, Captain," she said, bowing her head, "I had forgotten that yes, you have given me an answer. Thank you, for reminding me."

Reishi huffed a small laugh, shaking his head, and reached to tilt Aneko's head up, letting go once her eyes met his.

"Walk forward with your head held high, Munakata Aneko, Captain of Saber Squad 2. I know you will make all of us proud. For even through adversity, we of SCEPTER 4 are men of the sword."

"Forgiving of neither war in the Sanctuary, nor chaos in the world. We will advance with sword in hand, for our cause is pure," Aneko continued, speaking from memory.

At this, Reishi smiled, his daughter mimicking him.

"For months, you recited that exact vow, until it became part of you. Continue to do your best, as you always have."

The young woman nodded, before she got out of seiza, putting her boots on to leave, before pausing.

"Of course, my King. I'll see you at home. And please, do your paperwork, or Kusanagi-senpai is going to kill you."

As Aneko left, she could hear her Otou-san mutter, "Kusanagi-kun complains too much…", before the door closed.

The woman straightened her coat, looking down at her feet, before she heard someone call out for her.

"Aneko-san! You can't be late for your first debriefing as Squad 2's Captain, you know!"

Turning around, Aneko saw Higashi Kuma run over, brushing back his bangs after they fell into his eyes.

"I'm coming, Kuma-san. I just needed a few words of wisdom," Aneko flashed a grin at her fellow clansman, before walking with him down the hall, and towards her future.

End Note: Dad!Munakata is my favorite.