Hey everyone! I have no excuses for the late update, other than..I'm stuck. I know where the story is going, but now how to get there. :( so sorry for the lateness. And for the kind of lame chapter.

This chapter is Cel-centric. She's going to play a major role in the story, so I want to explore her mind a little more.

Cel sat down with the team—her team, if she let herself think about it in a backwards, loose way. She was the MCRT supervisor, but Tezuka's team seemed to operate on some unknown set of rules specifically designed to frustrate their superiors. Even the main handler for the infamous Atobe team cast her looks of pity whenever they had a seminar on "team discipline".

"Alright, brief me."

Inui picked up all of the mission papers and began to list out the details to her in his monotonous voice.

"Eiji was introduced initially, due to his senior rank on the team and prior undercover experience. We had originally considered Tezuka or Fuji. They do have the most experience on the team. But they are also the most visible and likely to be recognized."

That was interesting. She hadn't known that. But the attempt couldn't have been successful, or Eiji wouldn't be sitting in front of her now, looking disgruntled. A quick glance around told her that Momoshiro was missing. Most interesting indeed. With his quick temper, he seemed to be the least suited for undercover work out of the entire team. Perhaps there was something she hadn't noticed.

"However, the initial approach was rebuffed. The Maiden group has been more selective than we anticipated, and they aren't looking for men of Eiji's type to work in the lower levels."

Kaidoh interjected, "However, Eiji approached from a non-direct angle. He contacted a subsidiary firm affiliated with the group. It is still possible that he has potential in another angle of initial contact. I doubt the higher-ups would see fit to consult the subsidiary hired thugs on their choices. They'll be in unrelated areas of expertise, anyway."

Inui nodded and said, "We then sent Momoshiro in to initiate contact. He was successful, and in the two weeks running, has insinuated himself into a stable position. The primary goal of today's meeting is to decide whether he should attempt to advance his role."

Inui snapped the portfolio shut, and Cel felt her own satisfaction snap into place as well. Everything was going well. She tapped a white tipped nail on the table, thinking about the situation. The rest of the team looked pensive as well.

Oishi interrupted the thoughtful silence, looking at Tezuka for permission as he did so. A little kick of irritation fluttered past her; who was the superior here anyway? She quashed it mercilessly. There was no time to deal with petty emotion, not when their entire operation rested on making sure Momoshiro getting a good start in the organization.

"I'm not sure what you know of the situation with the Tokyo groups at large, Cel, but Inui and—Tezuka went over the specific details with us before. I think while we still have Momoshiro in a good place, we should gather intel from that location before making another move. The risks involved in advancing this early are too great."

Cel pursed her lips as she considered his words. At face value, it made sense. Solidify Momoshiro's position before diving into anything else. If they moved too fast, they would risk exposure and therefore danger to Momoshiro and the operation, as well as lose out on potentially valuable information from the lower ranks. But something about Oishi's words made her pause in her thinking. He clearly had been about to say someone else's name. He covered it up well by saying Tezuka's name, but she was sure of it.

Her mind flipped rapidly through the other members of the team. Eiji was a possibility since he was part of the failed initial operation. He might have picked up something useful. Taka she dismissed without further thought. He had no connections to the underworld and was too softhearted to maintain them even if he had them. That left Fuji and Kaidoh. Fuji's background was ominously blank, and he was infamous in the department for it. Blank personnel files meant one of two things: highly ranked, former intelligence operative with a sealed government file, or highly ranked former underworld member under a protection contract. She marked Fuji as one to watch. Kaidoh had a history, she knew, but his files didn't indicate any particular notoriety or high rank. After a moment of consideration, she placed him third on her list. He was no longer active in the underworld, and Eiji had more fresh information at hand.

Decision made, she murmured her agreement to Oishi and took a backseat in the ensuing discussion of Momoshiro's continued operation and strategies for to advance his position in the future.

In her mind, she mulled over the few facts she had.

They had clearly felt that this case was somehow critical to them. To have gone so far as to proceed with the initial probe operation without her approval or knowledge indicated that they did not expect interference on her part. They wanted her to play the silent supervisor. In fact, if her reading of Oishi was right, they were deliberately keeping her in the dark when it came to the crucial decision-making points. She pursed her lips again, careful not to smear her lipstick. Somewhere along the way, Prince had burrowed his way into the team, making them obsessive and focused to this extent. How…Interesting.

So, what did you think? I've been more interested in seeing how the characters tick, so my writing seems to have leaned that way. If there's anything in particular you would like more explanation of or you would like me to explore more in depth, please let me know.

Please review! It really encourages me and tells me that I'm doing something right with this story. And if you DON'T like how the story is going, please give me your opinion and maybe some pointers on how to improve. Thanks!