[Illyria Castle – Ky's office. Three hours earlier]

"God help us all. Guess I'll see you two in a few hours." The young King said as he ended the call. Leaning over his desk and rubbing his temples, Ky exhaled before he stared out the window. Aria's aggressiveness displayed today makes him wonder if meeting I-No of all people – and learning about the connection between her and the backup Jack-O – caused the attitude shift. The second possible conclusion he draws for this links to her retained powers – his brushes with Justice all those years ago and how she spoke to him bore similarity to her shift. He's thankful Dizzy didn't inherit her father's bad temper or alternate mother's rudeness.

"Why do you despise me so?"

"Isn't it obvious? You are the root of evil that threatens peace."

"Hahaha… So, you would call me 'evil'… when you yourself are human? Was it not you humans who desired me to become this?"

"What?"

"I am merely fulfilling the fate given to me. I was made to kill humans. For me, that is the correct, moral action given to me as a Gear… it's 'justice.' And yet you still call me evil."

"Enough deception! Do you expect me to accept you wiping out humanity for that reason!? If you intend to disturb someone's quiet joy and peace, I will protect them with my life!"

"I cannot reject what I am… hence…! So that I can live… I will fight with all I have!"

"Ky?" A monotonous voice broke through his train of thought.

"Ram? Why are you here?"

"I asked Leo where you were, and he said you're in your office." She hovers in, taking a seat on the arm of a nearby chair. "You were just speaking to Aria and Sol, correct? Why didn't you go with them when they left?"

"It's best not to rush into things. But I can't get what Ariels told them yesterday out of my head."

Ramlethal deciding not to have Elphelt tag along today was a good decision. The mere mention of their "mother" would send the younger into a blind rage. "She did tell us a lot, but I know she omitted some details. What would that be?"

"That they can prevent the end. It all has something to do with I-No and logically Chaos."

"Is that who was ripped out of her? She's his creation and she mentioned his prior name to us: The Original."

It doesn't take long for him to connect the dots. "He's actually…?" Ramlethal nods her head to confirm what she thinks he's about to say. "I don't exactly know what she meant, but they'd need the most help they can get."

"May I go with you?"

"I'm sorry, Ram, but no."

She rises from her seat to protest. "But I can help!"

"Surely public opinion of you here in Illyria has improved, but don't gamble it on a presence in the U.S. Besides, if both of us go," Ky stands up and walks around his desk to stand in front. "Who'll be here to lead our defenses? I promise the next international conference that calls for an Allied King's attendance, you can tag along."

"Until that day comes, I need to learn more and how to keep a conversation without El around. This is from everyone at home." Her arms wrap around him for a hug – her strength here equates to four people. "Good luck."

[War room. Ten minutes later]

"I'm leaving for the States."

Leo briefly takes his attention off the main screen to look in Ky's direction. "We'll hold it down here."

"Be ready for anything." How he carried himself and spoke during his days as a Sacred Order captain returned. "This includes the potential end of the world. We've survived a near-apocalypse before, we can do it again. I hope I won't be there too late."

"Thank you for the words of encouragement." As Ky departed, Leo noticed Ramlethal standing nearby. "Still here, Ram? Why didn't you go with him?"

"I told him I want to help," she readjusted and smoothed out the wrap around her arm. "And he requested for me to stay. He said something about my presence in the States being a bad idea."

"You're welcome to stay here and assist us," Millia chipped in. "Another pair of eyes could prove to be handy."

She thinks it over, figuring this would make for an excellent learning opportunity. "I'll take you up on that offer. What would you like me to do?"

"Take a seat next to Zato," Leo responds. "You can start by being his co-operator at this workstation."

Ramlethal nods and removes her cape, handing it Venus who acts as an impromptu hanger. After Eddie and Velva brought her a chair, she sat down, hands briefly hovering above a secondary set of key ring boards and eyes immediately fixing to the tri-screen setup. She put a set of operator's headphones on, both ends activating and automatically connecting. "I can do that." Before starting, she makes a quick call. "Hey, El."

A video screen pops up with her sister's image on it. "Yeah?" Elphelt sees Leo, Millia, and Zato behind her. The four exchange friendly waves. "Oh, hi everyone! Why'd you call me?"

"Tell Miss Dizzy I'm going to be at the castle all day."

[Illyria Castle – Leo's office. Three weeks earlier]

"Shut up! He's not done yet."

"Frederick..."

"My name's Sol. When're you gonna learn? You're a Gear Maker too... What was your name again? You make it sound like this 'Original' drove humanity to the brink of extinction... Well, what about you!? Created the Gears. Caused the Crusades... and even now, you're plotting something."

"But according to his story, the Gear Maker has been protecting us from the Universal Will this entire time."

"And so has the Conclave. But look where we are now. What've they done? Why is Ramlethal dead!?"

"I will not deny the sins I have committed... But, I have also not lied."

"Then why make the Gears!?"

"I couldn't prevent military intervention."

"You could've abandoned the project. Yet... yet you continued to develop."

"It was never my intention for Gears to become weapons of war. With the collective information system I've built, we can give orders to the weaponized Gears. We can stop the wars... In order to do that, I needed to be involved in its development. That's the reason why I've created Justice."

"It looks beautiful on paper, but I'm still not convinced... Why did you have to turn me... and even worse, turn Aria into Gears!?"

"For Aria."

"Wha...!?"

"You already knew... Aria's disease was incurable. And like you, I suggested we cryo-freeze her until technology could catch up. There might have been a cure in the future... I would've searched for it myself! But she refused... Why? So she could spend as much time as possible with you, Frederick. Aria was stubborn, and no amount of persuasion would convince her. But, I refused to accept that nothing could be done. That we had to watch her die... And I found the answer... The one way she would accept treatment. That she would be able to see you again. No matter how long she may sleep. For that to happen... you needed to become indestructible."

"Don't you DARE mess with me! Did you stop to think about what you just said!? Look around you! Mankind is hanging by a thread, and I... I... killed Justice... ...I KILLED ARIA!"

"Aria isn't dead."

"...What?"

"When Justice ran amok, we were able to save Aria's soul. Well, half of it... And that's me. Half of Aria. And when I can return to my vessel, Justice will revive, not as a Gear... but as a bonafide human. He's been living... waiting all this time... for this moment."

"No..."

[White House – conference room. Present day]

"You didn't come here alone, did you?"

"She asked me nicely, and I wouldn't deny her this opportunity. Actually, it was more I took her for a night out, and she decided herself after she learned about this. She's right behind that door, leaning back against the wall. Given our history as a trio of 'friends' and what happened after a certain awry activation date, I'd be scared shitless if I were in your place."

"You're the second person to tell me the same goddamn thing. She knows that I… unintentionally used her too?"

"You've got some balls for using me as the reason she agreed to cryo. And, well, everything else."

"I sense a strong murderous intent, and it isn't from you… Aria's here, huh? May I see her?"

"Request granted." Aria walked in and stopped to stand next to Frederick. Her hands were in her jacket's pockets, with her head slightly tilted towards him as she looked at the screen. "It's been a long time since the three of us were, well, together. How have you been, Asuka?"

On the other side of the call was the product of the uneasy truce. There she was. Physically the same as before with minor adjustments – namely her shorter, two-tone hair and she doesn't look dangerously underweight – but it was her. He hadn't seen either of his former friends – one of them anyway – since November, and yet here both of them are. He went the past twenty-two days without knowing what they've been up to, let alone how she's been holding up since revival. Part of him thought that she'd arrive still dressed in Jack-O's jumpsuit or that black equivalent he saw in the papers. Lab attire was out of the question, but what really set him back was her palette swapped ensemble. Asuka felt a chill run through his body, struggling to find the words he wanted to say. "…it worked… the fusion revival worked… that's amazing, but I feel highly conflicted about this…." he muttered under his breath. "Is it really you, Aria?"

"Huh, y'know, he asked me the same thing the day I woke up. Yeah," Aria tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "It's me. That terminally ill cytologist that you converted into humanity's worst enemy. Alive and well. Standing right beside the one you forcibly turned into the prototype Gear."

Hushed chatter from the Service agents standing nearby proves loud enough for the three of them to overhear. This group was partially comprised of the same men that stood nearby the PEOC yesterday.

"He was telling the truth?"
"She really is who he said? Holy hell."
"My money's on her and Sol."
"Is now the time to be saying that?"
"Sorry. I got excited."

Taken aback from the exchange and noting Aria's body language, Erica comments, "I can sense your justified animosity."

"You'd feel the same if you were able to fight back against the people who used you, wouldn't you, Miss Bartholomew?"

"If only, but what remains of them are under a new direction now." She's unsure if Aria actually knows of those who used her as a puppet and intended to kill her off. It was this morning that she "met" the reason why Erica's still alive, albeit in a highly informal manner. Chipp introduced himself and Anji to Aria after they were barreling down a highway and she saved his life – unfortunately letting who the four of them were chasing escape. The same group were close to who preserved Justice's body, of which their multiple revival attempts were thwarted by Sol and his group. Her past experiences with the Assassin's Guild and knowledge that a former member has taken it upon herself to rework the organization as a legitimate intelligence agency leaves a sour taste in her mouth.

"Anyway. We'll be up here playing guard dogs until the summit ends." Turning her back to the screen, she flashed a peace sign before heading out. "See ya soon."

"Aria, wait," Kreutz holds a hand out towards her as if he was there in the conference room with them. Luckily for him, she stopped to listen. "I have to know. What carried over from the merge?"

"That's for me to know," she turns around, firing a glare back. "And you to experience firsthand."

Desperate for an answer, he went for the last-ditch option. "…Frederick, do you know what she's capable of?"

"Yeah. I was unfortunately her test dummy, but I'm not going to share it. Doesn't feel good when you're out of the loop, now does it?"

"…I should've expected that…." Asuka could've sworn he saw the faint outline of not only the Gear mark, but a damaged halo hovering above. Fear and uneasiness further played tricks on him as a familiar reptilian suit of armor flashed behind her. "That's unlike the you I knew before… You're two people, aren't you? Which one's masquerading as Aria? Justice or Jack-O?"

[Guest quarters]

Returning to their designated room, Aria takes a seat at the bed's edge before placing her goggles over her eyes. At the press of a button, a fully detailed projection of the White House displays. While she's busy rotating the model and planning possible escape routes should the necessity arise, her partner sat next to her and took notice. "Got a map of this place already?"

"It'll come in handy."

Amused to a degree, he asks, "really pushing this navigator thing as far as you can, aren't you?"

She briefly laughs and smiles back. "Well, you did read that's how I'd place myself if we were in an adventuring party. Just so happens I'm the one you, as the campaign's protagonist, chose to romance."

"Can't recall one where the navi has such a fiery personality. And the ability to use fire."

"Alright, I'm the first girl that joins. I'm curious, okay?"

A tertiary voice chimes in with her panel seemingly misoriented. "Did you decide to throw being civil out the window? Because that's what I got from listening to your conversation."

"That's one way of looking at it."

"You humans and your emotions are weird. I wonder what Asuka's reaction to learning I'm still around would be." After swinging side to side in device's free space, Jack-O repositioned herself from dangling upside down to sit atop her familiar. She decided now's a good time to share her new finding. "Remember when I called you into your dreamscape?"

"How could I forget? Why do you ask?"

"I've been trying a new trick out." She mimes making a photo frame with her thumbs and index fingers. "This is something I got from the room you created." This projection contained the smaller of two portraits – a family of three, approximately dated for the late 2010s to early 2020s. Aria recognized herself as the woman dressed in a grey sleeveless blouse and black skirt, with a singular hair color. She's noticeably in better health, presumably cured of her infection and back to a healthy weight. Next to her was a still-human Frederick in a purple button-up shirt and black pants, and between them appeared to be a child with yellow ribbons in her hair. This young girl inherited her father's hair color and skin tone, where her soft features were attributed to her mother.

The mention of a dream-generated portrait caught his interest. He's aware she didn't have the privilege of growing up with a family back in her youth. Combine that with the off-putting feeling from waking up after time and body displacement, and the second person who came into her hospital room greeted her as her daughter. Carefully considering his actions and word choice, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder, slightly bringing her towards him. "Had none of this ever happened, that's how you think you, me, and Dizzy would've been?"

Aria remained silent for a moment before responding. "An ordinary family, without powers or genetic alterations. Can you blame me?"

"Not really. It's still unreal she's ours." Trying to make sense of how the baby that would've been theirs turned into the egg Dizzy hatched from made him question it all. Had he known she came to life during the five-year pocket dimension imprisonment, he thinks raising her himself branches directly to a completely different course of history.

"Do you think we would've been good parents? What with our workaholic lab rat tendencies and whatever health and workplace violations we were all exposed to in the complex?"

"Hey now, don't say that. I dunno about me being a good dad, but I know you would've been a great mom." He noticed a ghost image behind what they were seeing. "Is there an alternate version to this?" Flipping it around to see the variant, their placements remained the same. Differences included his clothing changed what he's currently wearing, and his smile's replaced with a small subtle one. Changes for Aria and Dizzy were that Aria's in a suit of pilot-like armor that resembles Justice – complete with a matching shade of blue visor, and Dizzy's physically older, retaining her half-Gear features and blue hair.

"There was another frame, right? With the group of seven? Do you have that one?"

Valentine nods and responds, "just a second." She retrieved it from her imaging test folder, ensuring Aria didn't see the one she brought to Sol's attention earlier. "Huh. That's new. It's changed since that night. That's from your doing, not mine." The larger image appeared – the noticeable difference is this one's from this era. Seated on the ornately detailed chair was Aria in her Luna gear, standing to her right was Sol. In order from right to left stood Dizzy, Ky, Sin, Ramlethal and her dog, Elphelt, and now Jack-O.

"I hate to admit it but seeing all of us gathered for something like this is nice." He hears her move to stand up, eyes following the sound after the projection closed. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna walk around," she answers as she nears the door. "I kinda want to find that wolf girl."

"Try not to take too long."

"Would you like me to bring you something?"

"Surprise me."

[Rooftop]

Unable to pinpoint the foe's location, Giovanna stops for now and keeps a mental note for later. She crouches to brush dirt off of her boots. "Whoever this intruder is, they're a good distance away from us." Rei follows the example, lays down with her front paws out, and emits a series of soft growls as her owner runs a hand through her fur. "Yeah, I know. She is pretty. The blue really brings out her hair."

"Hey."

Rei's ears perk up at the new nearby voice, with Gio's attention following. "It's you. Aria, right?"

"Yeah."

"Not sure if my bosses told you yet, but I'm Giovanna. This big furry ghost is Rei." She stands back up, stretching to straighten herself out. "What, uh, what brings you to the rooftop?"

"This is the one part of my prediction I hope ends up true. We'll be fighting together soon, so I want to at least talk before then. Just wanted to talk to the owner of the wolf that immediately approved of me."

"You can't argue against Rei's judgment."

"My sister's got a dog, and it likes me. Guess it's the same for big dogs."

"You got a sibling?"

Aria holds up two fingers for her answer. "Two, actually. You probably know one of them. Her name is Ramlethal."

One of Gio's brows raises in disbelief, stemming from the basis of physical appearance. Sure, she knows the woman in front of her was previously Justice, but she doesn't know what to make of this new information. "As in Ramlethal Valentine? The girl who declared war on the world?"

"…yep. She's fighting for humanity now, though." She nervously scratched the back of her head, thinking of how to continue the conversation. "This is gonna sound weird, but she and her little sister were made from me."

"Now that I have a better look at you…." The agent squints to study her appearance. She mentally redressed her in the original Valentine's outfit, complete with the large black hat and the white antennae. "You do look exactly like the first one from a year ago."

"I've been told. Gave my fia— partner a severe headache each time he saw her."

"You're kidding." A curious smile appeared on her face. "Sol's your fiancé?"

"Little by little, everyone's picking up on my story. Do you also know that I'm not exactly my original self?"

Thanks to her idea of an impromptu meeting yesterday, she's part of the small group that does. "The Gear Maker told us you were resurrected."

So, he did run his mouth about it. She had a feeling Asuka wouldn't blab to the media about that, especially after he had to ask if it was her. "Do you also know that there's another me?"

"What."

"She's kinda like my third sister, but looks identical to me, with an inversed hair color. Can't really risk her being detected because I know at least one person doesn't approve of my presence."

"Seven-foot tall, heavy-set old dude that looks like Neo Texas Santa? With a cowboy fashion sense – if you can even call that fashion?" She watches the other nod. "That's Goldlewis. He doesn't approve of me either, haha."

"But, if you'd like to meet her," Aria taps the side of her eyewear, activating one of the holo-screens. "She 'lives' in these."

"Hello. ~"

"Hi? Can she take a corporeal form too?" The assistant panel closed before Aria lifter her arms to allow space for a pair of appendages to appear. The limbs waved, disappearing before an entirely separate figure manifested – white jumpsuit, cracked halo, and all belonging to an identical body. "That's insane. Old bastard would've had a heart attack because he'd think he's seen a ghost." Giovanna watches the summoned servants interact with Rei, nuzzling their round faces against the spirit's thick fur. Rei flops on her back, prompting the servants to scratch her belly – tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth, her tail rapidly wags and one of her hind paws scratches the air.

"Looks like they get along. ~ Return, all of you." Valentine's minions comply, disappearing shortly afterwards.

"Rei's selectively friendly, but she's just a big puppy. She wouldn't hesitate attacking if she doesn't like someone. Or rolling over for a treat or tummy rub." She reaches into her pocket to pull out a dog treat, tossing it in her pet's mouth. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you split up control of the body? If the situation calls for it, Rei possesses me to give me a boost. Observe." Gio's skin turns bright green and her eyes white out on command. The wolf assumes a spirit form, top half remaining while the bottom becomes a ghostly tail. She maintains this state for a few seconds before returning to normal.

"Wasn't until today that we agreed on she takes over if I'm knocked out. Jack-O and I have a strange relationship."

"How strange?"

"If you really wanna know," the A.I. replies now back in her device. "I was Aria's other half. I'm also the key to her rebirth."

"I'm sure this isn't the strangest thing I'll ever hear." Giovanna glances at her watch, noting it's almost time. "The big meeting begins pretty soon. Wanna tag along for a quick tour?"

"Sure."

Media helicopters surround the White House's airspace, threading through the city's skyline and hovering above the front courtyard. Despite the group of protesters standing outside the perimeter gates, the meeting between the representatives for today continues as planned.

"As we've previously reported, it appears the Gear Maker will indeed be participating in G4. Originally centered around peace efforts, the summit was rumored to include an announcement of America's demilitarization and discussions of human-Gear coexistence. However, with the interference of the Gear Maker and the questions about security, the current plan for the conference is unknown. All we do know is that the whole world will be watching. Against expert opinions, each country in attendance has opted to converse with the Devil himself. Perhaps their curiosity has outweighed their common sense."

With the ambassadors from each of the four political superpowers present around the meeting table, Vernon walks to the front end and greets his guests. "Thank you for coming, everyone. Though the last-minute inclusion of the Gear Maker has changed today's schedule somewhat... The purpose of our meeting today remains the same. A new peace for a new era. And with our allied nations and the Gear Maker united around one table... I firmly believe that this day will be one for the history books. Now then, allow me to introduce you to the man who will be acting as our moderator in my stead." He turns around to draw attention to the screen behind him – image changing from the event's information and animated logo to who's hiding out in the PEOC. "The Gear Maker: Mr. Asuka R. Kreutz."

"Th-thank you."

"Is everything alright? You look like the ghosts of your past came by to haunt you."

"You of all people should know why I'm rattled, considering you gave her permission to come here! I'm just a little nervous, that's all. I don't intend to waste your time by introducing myself." He takes a nearby sheet of paper into his hands, starting to read it before something catches his eye. "Please turn to your pre-provided materials and — Oh?"

"Forgive me," Daryl interrupts. "I couldn't help but notice that there was no mention of certain recent incidents, so I went ahead and added that information personally. I attempted to maintain objectivity as best I could. I trust you'll find it agreeable."

"Much appreciated. But when did you have the time?"

"Haha, he lives up to his nickname." One of the older reps, a burly man with slicked back dirty blond hair and a thick mustache, remarks. Contrary to his physical appearance, he represents the Southern Hemisphere Oceania Federation. "People call him the King of Groundwork."

"They do?" The Third King's acting skills don't shine through here.

"He's awkward," the black-haired, slim knight named Ming Wei standing behind another older man – with neatly combed, right-parted white hair and a beard – added.

"Yeah," the Chinese Federation's lead adds. "Whatever I imagined, it wasn't this."

"May we continue?" Vernon cuts in. "We're not here to insult each other."

All those present skim the edited documents, with the man near the front-right starting, "this is most puzzling. This story of yours conflicts with history as we've come to know it and the incident reports we've seen."

"Indeed. According to these documents, you're more of a guardian angel than a devil."

"I'll give you this much: regardless of the veracity of what you've shared with us, you do have a way with words. This is incredibly detailed and easy to understand. Which raises a question." Daryl turns to face Asuka's screen. "If you merely wished to share this information with us, you easily could have written this up, signed it, tossed it in the mail, and been done with it."

Asuka simply responds with, "I believe that a file alone might have been somewhat lacking in credibility."

"Not to be rude, but I'm sure you realize that we can't take your words at face value either," the man with glasses continues. "So why risk a lifetime of imprisonment by showing up here? I must admit," he points in front of him, "it has us curious."

"That's certainly fair." Kreutz walks a distance from his initial standing point, pivoting about his left a moment later. "I'm here because... I have a request for all of you."

"A request?"

"That's right. Though having this conversation... ...may bring us rushing to our main point of order. Is that all right with everyone?"

Unbeknownst to everyone else in the conference room, the special duo of knights listens closely from their quarters, maintaining complete communication silence. Sol's laying down on the bed with his hands behind his head for support, staring at the ceiling. His statement about them sleeping through the event became redundant as Luna's busy reorganizing and updating her data collections. She's keeping a live mini map active, bearing similarity to her bounty radar. Her work comes to a halt when she hears the question – she instinctively holds a hand up to hover near her earpiece.

"How ominous. You make it sound like we should batten down the hatches."

"Very well, tell us."

On the second floor balcony, one of the posted agents spots two distant bodies closing in. He activates his comm, stating what's in his line of sight. "A suspicious man is approaching the front entrance. He seems to be accompanied by a soldier. Have you received word of this?"

A pair on the garden level spot Chaos and the armored soldier he's brainwashed, of which is wearing a dark pink bunny-like mask. "Moving to confirm." One begins running towards them. "Hold it! Who is that man? Where are you taking him?"

"Oh..." He stops before playing dumb. "Sorry to bug you, but could you tell me the location of, uh... ...every guard in the White House?"

"What'd you say?"

The agent that tries to pull their gun on him was too slow. Chaos lifted his open hand towards their head, quickly casting the same brainwashing spell. Unlike the agent he brought to the distant rooftop, this one's also given a dark pink bunny mask with monstrous teeth – decorated with a graffiti-styled white insignia that says "love you" in all caps. He lowers his gun, responding to the order given non-verbally. "Understood."

Chaos flashes a grin and a peace sign before pointing at Udo, the latter of which widened his eyes and dropped his jaw in horror. "That is a nice jacket you've got there. Mind if I take it?"

Placed atop the nearby table lay an antique text. Asuka, standing over it, gently moves his gloved fingers across the cover. "The Tome of Origin. As the name would imply, everything sprang forth from its pages. This book makes anything possible." Turning around and taking two steps in the opposite direction, he changes his train of monologue. "It granted magic to mankind. Crafted our future. And with it, the risk of our downfall. The Tome itself, however, has no will. It provides what is asked of it. Urging caution as it complies. Of course, its power is too great for mankind to wield. Under my authority as its current owner... I intend to dispose of the Tome."

All on the other side turn out of shock and curiosity, while one narrows their eyes in disbelief. The mustached man responds to this with, "we obviously understand the dangers the Tome poses. But is such an extreme measure necessary? Could we not conceal or protect it?"

"Perhaps, if not for those who would desire and seek it."

"The Tome has such tremendous potential," another includes. "It could help us build a better future. You would toss aside its value as well as its danger?"

"Value... What value could it hold that we currently lack?" Asuka takes out a piece of paper money. "For example, what value does this $10 bill hold?"

"You could treat yourself to a little something."

"Well, to the extremely rich, it's hardly worth the paper it's printed on," Daryl caustically comments.

"On the other hand, in the country of Valuepia... This one bill could feed an entire family for three months. Value changes based on where you stand. Before we seek out an uncertain future, we must attend to things in the present."

"Well, aren't you a romantic. Is this meant to be your atonement?"

"No, my venture. My final venture as a scientist." He leans over with his hands on the table's surface, one on each side of the Tome. "And so begins, at long last... ...my world peace experiment."

[Illyria Castle – war room]

An ambient humming noise fills the area, namely from the clacking of keys and sound effects from the multiple monitors and sub-windows opening and closing. In the time since she's joined the observation team, Ramlethal's presence acting as Zato's assistant while Leo and Millia stand close by did little to ease Rage's anxiety. "This is unsettling. I feel more anxious the longer things continue without incident."

"It's been several hours since all three Sol, Aria, and Jack-O left, but I-No shows no major signs of movement. That is if you don't count those songs she's been performing one-person concerts of. And nearly half that time since Ky left and didn't take Ramlethal along."

"You make it sound like the three of you are babysitting me," Ram dryly remarks and briefly stops typing. "I could've gone back home, you know."

"I didn't mean it like that. We appreciate that you wanted to help out, but you took my statement the wrong way." Leo listed off the others that could've gone with him, along with the reasons why they shouldn't. "Dizzy's mostly a pacifist so she's out of the question, and Sin and Elphelt are too trigger happy. I can't imagine our worries are baseless. I hate to admit it, but it's actually quite reassuring having you two here with us."

"You said all three of them. If I'm not mistaken," Millia adjusts her hat, brushing her bangs back into place. "This 'Jack-O' is the lifeform that previously inhabited her body?"

"That's correct. I'll give you the short version. She's who the Gear Maker created to bring Aria back to life. We thought she disappeared after the mission to rescue Elphelt, but they've been coexisting as one person."

"That's the answer to the question bothering me since yesterday. And matches up to what the Valentines told me last night." She recalls Aria's gadget seemingly activating on its own after passing out when she reviewed the incident footage. "She can also possess tech if it's linked to Aria? Interesting."

"Let's get back to the matter at hand, shall we?" Zato ceases his typing to bring their collective attention back to the original task. "King Leo. Do you know why I decided to come back to work here? Or rather, why my friend gave his all to protect the Post-War Administration Bureau? Millia and my subordinates do not fear judgment. In fact, we are… we're ready to accept it." Rage's insecurity subtly shows as she lightly holds her trenchcoat's left sleeve. "We did not choose this path to evade your punishment. If those who have sinned do not seek forgiveness," the blindfolded man clasps his hands in his lap. "Then, they're just like me... walking corpses. Lesser even than the lowest criminals. I came back because they wished to remain human."

Leo folds his arms across his chest, pointing his nose up away from the ex-assassins. His voice's laced with a bit of play when he looks back at them from the corner of his eye. "Does that mean I can mercilessly boss them around?"

Zato smirks to himself before rotating his seat towards the other. "By the way, what shall we do about the 'treasure?'"

"Leave it be. No matter what we find, it won't be something we can discuss today."

"I suppose you're right," Millia mostly agrees. "All we can do is leave things to the three of them and the on-site security."

"Hm?" Valentine's eyes dart towards the center monitor, flashing pinkish red with the same heart and dagger insignia from earlier. Her monotone voice brings their side chat to a stop. "…What is that?"

"What's wrong?"

"Well..." Multiple windows flash in rapid succession across the monitor, all with the same image dead center.

Whitefang slams his hands to the workstation's rightmost end. "What the hell is going on!?"

"The black box is opening."

"What?!"

Zato attempts to regain control by finding the perpetrator. No sign of a live offender comes to light. "We've been hacked. Someone has stolen the data."

"I don't care how, just put a stop to this!"

"No... It's already done." Ramlethal's able to spot this was planned out. "It would appear they set up the hack to display this now. For whatever reason, the responsible party wants us to see this."

A glitchy model hologram of the White House appears before the four, atop the basis of a large ovular shape. The center screen behind it returned to its prior, uncorrupted state, along with the building's "secret."

"Ram… Zato…." Leo uneasily begins, shocked expression telling all. "Tell me this is some sick joke."

Accompanied by a group of eight brainwashed Service agents, four of whom are wearing the masks with the other wearing the pink/black sunglasses, Chaos makes rounds. By this point, he's planted more of his agents in the central command room and nearby corridors. Outside the conference room, a wave's worth more stand by, awaiting his instructions.

"Hey..." one of the Pentagon's operators notices the offsetting silence. "I'm not getting any contact from the White House. Group 2, report."

"I'm not sure you know how tense things are getting in here but... You've got everyone on edge."

"I'd like to hear more."

"In that case..." the feed glitches out with red streaks running across. Audio skips as the jamming's main effect.

"…?" Vernon glances behind, then towards the other end. "Asuka?"

Everyone present turns to face the opening double doors. Two bunny agents stand at Chaos' sides as he applauds and greets the interrupted meeting. "What a show you've put on, Asuka."

"Identify yourself."

"Happy Chaos."

The intrusion's picked up on Aria's mini map – the meeting area glows bright red. "It can't be…!"

Sol quickly sits upright as he recognizes the perp. "That voice…!"

Aria runs to the door to open it, taking precaution not to dart out into a line of fire. She peeks her head outside, met with several mind-controlled Service members. She steps back to collect her thoughts, cracks her knuckles, and motions for Sol to ready himself for a fight. "Looks like we've got company."

He hears nearby footsteps, followed by someone trying to jiggle the door's handle. "First one's yours."

She gives him a smirk before slightly opening the door again, slipping her hand towards the agent's holster. "Sorry about this, Vernon." Kicking it open, she knocks the enemy back. Pointing the gun towards the others, she fires several warning shots at their feet before hurling the emptied model at another's head. She sidesteps after hearing her partner tearing the door off the hinges, using it as a battering shield to run through. "This way!"

Stalling for time, whether the ambassadors are aware or not, Asuka asks the intruder, "who are you?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about little ol' me. I suppose that's fair, given the state I'm in now." Chaos begins walking into the area, still looking at his former student. "Man, do I ever wanna have a nice, long chat with you. But that'll have to wait." He snaps his fingers to sever the connection. Each knight standing behind their dignitaries take defensive stances, with the Convict Hammer summoning his namesake weapon. "You really gotta look someone in the eyes to communicate. No more phone calls today."

Maintaining his composure while trying to reconnect, Asuka stops after nothing goes through. "Damn it... It's not connecting. Did he truly shut down the system on his own? But how is any of this possible? Not only did he know of Happy Chaos... He even knew my name." A branched off train of thought brought something to his attention.

"We'll be up here playing guard dogs until the summit ends."

"Oh no… how did he get past Frederick and Aria!?"

"World peace, huh? Neither optimistic sermons nor genocidal weapons have unified us just yet, I suppose."

"Hey, where are the guards? Who let him in here?"

"The guards? You mean like the guy who gave me this jacket?" He placed his left hand on the midsection. "Give the guy a day off. Yeah, so anyways, first I'd like to —"

"Perhaps you took a wrong turn." Stryper holds his gun towards his head, ready to fire. "The exit's behind you." All three of the shots dodged, he's easily turned in the blink of an eye. "Gaaaah!"

"What did you- !?"

"Stand back!" Ming Wei teleports to stand on the center table, with his hands folded behind his back. The two agents standing by Chaos fire rounds, all of which are deflected by an open palm. He's the target of a surprise shot off in his blind spot – collapsing backward after the pain runs through.

"Ming Wei!"

"No...!" Vernon shouts, looking at his turned bodyguard. "Stryper!"

"Oh, calm down. There's still time to save him. Provided you don't cut me off again, that is. Though to be fair, I did interrupt you guys first. That's on me." Chaos heads towards the Oceanian leader after offing his guard. "Let me try introducing myself again." He places the firearm in the other's hand, watching the panicked reaction.

"...Wh-what...?"

"That's a weapon called a 'gun.' When you pull the trigger, a bullet comes out. Those bullets kill people." He points across the table at Daryl – remaining unfazed, yet amused, at this. "Let's try shooting that scary looking guy right there."

"No! Th-there's no way I could ever...!"

"Oh," the gap between them lessens. "I'm quite sure you can. Just trust me."

"I can't!"

"I'm gonna count to three. And if you don't shoot by the time I'm done, everyone here dies."

"Please..."

"One."

"I can't do this, I won't."

"Two."

"You can't be serious...!"

"Thre—" At the last second, he points the gun and fires. However, the bullet misses the target due to interference, as his arm's now upright with the gun pointed at the ceiling. The hole in the wall wasn't close to the intended direction. Speechless, the "gunman" drops his hands down to rest in his lap, blankly staring ahead. "Way to go. You made the best choice you could, given the situation. Feeling better now, hm? Alright then," taking steps back to the front of the room, Chaos snaps his fingers to change the monitor's image feed. "Let's all give Asuka a hand."

What appears to be a green field appears, and all the leaders turn to see. Remaining in place, Vernon's first instinct is to ask, "...what is this?" as heart holograms appear above the table's surface.

His back still turned, he grins and replies, "world peace. Ready in just five minutes."

At a far-off military weapons base in a barren plane lay a fenced off area for a cross-section layout of five missile silos. The siren sounds, signifying an upcoming launch. Across the Pentagon control room's major tri-screen display, a red and black [!WARNING!] window displays. All present take instant notice, to where one of the younger staff members narrows her eyes at the sight. "What the…?"

Meanwhile at Illyria Castle, the same siren sounds, and the warning sign appears. All monitors on their end tint and flash red, with every operator briefly stopping their work to look on.

Hearing the typing in front of him, Leo wants to know the findings. "Now what?"

"An unregistered weapon of mass destruction has been activated," Zato and Ramlethal respond in unison.

"A weapon of mass destruction!?"

"Y-yes, sir!" One operator by the name of Trey yells out after straightening up in his chair. "We're getting a signal from the Level-5 sub-basement. It's a strategic weapon!"

"This is impossible. It's bypassed every protocol all at once."

Another operator – a woman named Alexis – shouts, "we're getting external interference!"

"It can't be..." Millia moves to stand behind her. "Is this the work of that hacker? What's the target!?"

Alexis's typing abruptly stops and her expression changes to shock once she knows the answer. "The United States!"

"Then cut the main power!"

"We can't shut it down or restart it!" Trey frantically works to the best of his ability, unable to produce any results. "We're completely shut out!"

"This is madness..." Leo raises his voice. "Do something about it! This is about to start another World War!"

Zato takes initiative to act, relaying the alternative course of action. "Prepare the auxiliary power source. It will be faster to do this manually."

"What do you plan to do!"

"We'll take care of this." He rises from his seat, holding a hand towards his assistant. "Miss Valentine, with me. You do know where it is, right?"

"I do." Ramlethal also stands, donning her cape after removing her headset and placing it back on the station. "I'll meet you there!"

Watching Ramlethal fly out of the war room and Zato assuming his shadow form to leave, Millia cracks a comment to Leo. "You and Ky made a good call hiring her."

The cross-section missile silos activate one by one, lights along the inner walls illuminating. Multiple additional missiles located at greater distances from one another launch. In one of the towns near the base, a crowd of civilians that spans multiple ages and races idly watch as the midday sky fills with strategic weaponry. A child flags their parent down, while an elderly couple directly follow the skyward trajectory.

From the topmost level of the control room, Goldlewis watches and shouts, "what in the Sam Hill is goin' on?!"

"Albatross has been launched!" A young brunette operator responds, wide-eyed and nearly panicking. "And without the president's authorization!"

"Have we been hacked?" Erica glances around the lower levels for any changes or if someone has the answer.

"But we just changed the damn launch code thirty minutes ago!" Goldlewis adds. One of the surveillance feeds picks up Chipp and Anji at the base, standing by and observing the sudden events unfold.

In the castle's main missile silo, Zato appears before launch. His rapid action of sending Eddie to destroy the missile with his spike form causes the object to safely explode. Ramlethal's hovering above the opening as backup but notices additional missiles outside of the castle's control in the distance.

Power restores to the war room as the lights return to normal. Trey sits upright and unclasps his hands, taking a sigh of relief and sharing, "auxiliary power activated. We've regained control."

Leo faces Millia, asking, "then it worked?"

"It did," she replies. "But only for the weapons in the castle. Brigadier," referring to the other's official position. "How's it looking up there?"

"Looks like every other weapon in Illyria has been launched…." Ram relays the information firsthand – she's high enough to see at least four enter orbit. Flying en route back to the war room, she parts with, "I'm sorry, but unless a miracle happens, I cannot safely stop them all."

"It's alright," Millia assures her. "Just come back here."

"A-alert!" Alexis interjects. "The United States has launched weapons... against Illyria!"

Live footage of the launch plays on screen. "The ultimate magic-based anti-gear weapon: Albatross. You guys dreamed that one up, right? I just fired 'em all."

"No way," the white-haired man yells. "You're insane!"

"Do you realize what you've done?"

"Duh."

Vernon looks down at the table's hologram in front of him. "What the hell is this?"

"If you press that button, the missiles will self-destruct. Press it, or don't." Chaos shrugs. "That's up to you. But if nothing happens in the next five minutes... We'll be starting over from the Stone Age."

A number of them circle above the Earth, faintly visible from the planet's surface. Daryl's the first to raise one of his hands, making a partial fist, before banging it down to press the holo. Somehow true to what they were just told, the Illyrian missiles detonate in space.

"I-It worked!?" The man seated next to him follows, applying the same amount of force. Vernon and the Oceanian man hastily follow, causing every missile to safely self-destruct in mid-air. The prior drops back to catch his breath.

"Congratulations." Chaos mockingly lauds the group. "You just created a world with no weapons."

"...What are you after!?"

"Can't you tell?"

"You didn't need to offer us that choice." Colin states while he avoids direct eye contact. "Was all this just to show off your powers?"

"Yep. But I'm not after your fancy watches and rings. So, whatever could I want?"

Still holding out in the PEOC and unable to hold external contact, Asuka's unaware of what just happened. "They don't stand a chance against him... He's a magic wielder with skills far beyond top class..." His heart skipped a beat as he realizes who Chaos might actually be. "There's no way he's...!"

Working at the station underneath the projection of Earth, the brunette operator reports, "all Albatross missiles have self-destructed."

Looking over her shoulder, the bearded chairman announces his thoughts to the rest of the team. "None of this makes any sense! This is a D1 order. Enter the White House and confirm the safety of the president! Now, dammit!" He turns around to look at Goldlewis. "Would you join them?" Without a word, the latter firmly nods, grabbing the chain to his massive coffin and departs.

"I have only one request. The book."

"Book?"

"Yeah. The one Asuka's got. Only problem is... The little rascal's hiding behind a door I can't open. And the only one who CAN open it..."

"...Is me." Colin calmly singles himself out. "And you expect me to just quietly obey?"

Chaos unholsters one of his guns, pointing it directly in front of him. "Do you need me to reintroduce myself?"

"I'll do it! I'll do it. So just stop." He stands up, sighing deeply before surrendering. "I'll take you to the Gear Maker."

"M-Mr. President...!" He dismissed the concern, reluctantly and slowly walking around the right side of the meeting table towards the room's front end. Once he was a few steps away from the door, he briefly stops to glare from the corner of his eye. He resumes inching forward, noticing something's off.

One of the doors is slightly propped open.

From outside the conference area to their guest room, a trail of unconscious agents and piles of shattered sunglasses line the hallways. Aria and Sol ready themselves for retrieving Vernon from the group. Lowering her voice to avoid detection, Aria catches her breath after fighting. "God. Damn. It. That must've been at least half of the Secret Service we just took out… I never want to see that shade of pink in my life again."

"Tch, you're telling me."

Out from her host, Jack-O calls upon a minion, whispering instructions to act as the explosive distraction. "It's been a while since I've done this, but now is the best opportunity. The blast from you should be enough while keeping the others safe."

Aria faintly remembers that ability, questioning the decision. "Is this a good idea?"

"You really forgot? They explode all the time, and it doesn't really hurt them." The faceplate shifts from neon green to blood red, happy expression turning mischievous. "Alright, your target's the evil horned one with grey skin, and a face that you'd want to repeatedly punch."

"Here. Take this." Aria creates a small ball of fire and lightning, handing it to the distraction. "Be sure to hold it right up to that ugly face of his."

Entering through the slightly opened door, the servant waddles in on its stubby legs. Undetected by the trio of agents, it levitates up to Chaos' level and taps his shoulder. He redirects his attention to see the seemingly harmless form, immediately saying the first thought that came to mind. "The fuck is this? A plush toy?"

To leave room for escape, Jack-O returns to the device. "Good. He took the bait." She holds three fingers up, counting down. "And now… tick, tick…."

"Vernon." He recognizes the voice as Sol's. "Step aside."

Miming a button press, her lips curve upward. "Ka-boom!"

The exploding servant blast succeeds in making him stagger backwards. What follows was Sol destroying the door, his punch sending Chaos flying across, slamming against the wall-mounted monitor's border. Aria effortlessly picks up the chairs and throws it towards Stryper and the pair of brainwashed agents. All three men missed their shots and are knocked back to crash against the walls. She gives the ambassadors and the remaining knights a peace sign before sticking her tongue out and pulling her bottom eyelid down with her middle finger to taunt. She assisted Vernon getting to his feet, holding on to his upper arm, and moving to start their escape. "Now's our chance! Run!"

After the dust settled, one of the remaining older men couldn't believe what happened. "Was that… was that Sol Badguy!? I must be imagining things, unless the rest of you saw a woman too."

"Your eyes don't deceive you. She's real and from Illyria," Daryl quips. "Though, I think if I were to share her true identity, none of you would believe me."

Chaos falls face first to the floor with a loud thud. As he's standing up, the gunmen recover from the surprise attack of desk chairs hurled at them, pointing to the doors. "She's still alive…." He placed a hand under his jaw to help in cracking his neck. "Now if it ain't the lovely couple from this morning. There's a pair of freelancers who take pride in their work. Good. Things are finally getting interesting."

Around the corner, Giovanna keeps her distance from the trio. "I'm so glad I'm not on her bad side. At least I found that first scent…" She runs from the area, covers their trail of bodies by piling them up, and blocking off the halls with makeshift furniture barricades. Rei attempts to remove a mask by biting down on the face and pulling back, applying pressure to the test target's shoulders with her paws. The failed effort causes the wolf spirit to angrily growl and rip an ear off the top. Gio's comm goes online, attempting to contact anyone. "Hello? Hey! Erica? Vernon? Aria!? Dammit! Nothing's going through." Picking up another intruding scent, she discerns it's of blood and steel. Whoever it is gives off an exceptionally stronger aura that surpasses hers. "Filho da puta. Foda-me de lado."

Running along one of the cleared corridors, the trio stops to take cover around a corner after hearing an unknown number of armed soldiers nearby. Colin stops to catch his breath as Sol checks if the coast is clear. "You two were just in time."

"J, is there anything waiting for us up ahead?"

"Aside from a bunch of doors that look identical? Yeah. Looks like we're in the clear here, but yikes." A cluster of moving red dots appear. "Four from the north but they're headed in the opposite direction."

The fourth voice prompts him to look for the source. "Hold on a sec, there's three of you?" He sees what he believes to be an A.I. assistant from Aria's goggles. "Is that –…"

Jack-O takes her eyes off the radar to wave. "Hiya. ~" Recovering from the small explosion, the same servant reappears on the screen, hugging its master. Their faceplate turns pink with hearts under its eyes as their wings flap in excitement. "There you are. Good job, little one. ~"

"That was your doing? I can't thank you enough."

"Save it for once we're outside." Sol signals it's safe to advance. Headed down around more corners, Aria runs across to the opposite side of the next cover area. "Where's the exit?"

"What!?" Colin didn't want to hear that. "I can't leave the other representatives behind!"

"You can't afford not to." Aria follows the lead to walk down. "It's all over if he gets his hands on you." She feels a hesitant tap on her shoulder, bringing her attention to the soldier that ran into view. The same deer in headlights expression between the two causes Sol to turn around. "Ah fuck." The lone enemy turns to face the trio, tilting his head to the right. The duo assumes defensive stances on both sides, with a scared half to death escort mission nervously waving behind them – still facing forward, he lowers the waving hand. Their foe points their crossbow rifle towards them, ready to fire. She gives him a knowing look before dashing backward to get Colin back into corner cover.

The first shot fired directly hits and pierces through Sol's right shoulder – blood splatters on the nearby wall and floor. Retaining his stance, every following shot misses as he slowly strafes before duck-rolling to the other corner. He recovers with his back to the wall, left hand applying pressure to the wound. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Removing his hand to see that nothing's changed, he mutters to himself in a hushed voice. "I knew it... It's taking me longer to heal."

Hearing the soldier walk down the carpeted hall, she notes, "it's the same energy from earlier." Aria dashes into view, creates a soccer-sized lightning ball, and kicks it towards their pursuer. "Think fast!" The target drops their weapon, shock streaks running across their body. She turns her head to the left, pointing towards the nearby bookshelf. "Bring that to me!"

Sol follows the request, pushing it next to her. He stands back as she places her left behind the furnishing, giving a forceful push to send it forward. The body crashes against the doors but isn't crushed as the bookshelf stopped to leave enough space. Seeing the back of the mask drop to the floor, he turns to her to say, "that's a little overkill."

Still crouched in cover, Vernon praises her actions. "Nice work!"

"It won't go as well if more of 'em find us." Sol cuts in. "Can we get somewhere safe?"

"S-Safe!?" Vernon lifts an arm to point at the ground. "We're in the White House!" His hand movements shift to holding his palms up. "The whole place is supposed to be safe!"

"Focus here! There's more coming our way!" Jack-O's radar changes to the White House's perimeter. "He's got even more guards everywhere. They're in the courtyard too." She picks up unknown aircrafts and a cluster of soldiers, unable to discern who's side they're on. "By the looks of it, a fire fight's about to occur!"

Two additional bunny soldiers run from around the corner, pointing at the three. "Shit! I don't care where we go," Sol leads the way by running into the left hall. "We just need to move!"

Oblivious to the events, another operator shares "Chairman, we're still unable to make contact with the White House."

"Send in Echo Team. Continue calling. And send reinforcements!"

Media aircraft continue to surround the airspace at safe distances. Unaffected soldiers run throughout the outer perimeter of the White House, with more standing guard, while two converse in front of a nearby police vehicle.

"This just in, we've heard that all of the magic-based missiles have self-destructed mid-launch! The government has not yet issued a statement, but it seems as though the army is investigating under the presumption that the launch was some sort of accident. However, the possibility remains that this was some sort of demonstration against G4. Security around the White House has –…."

Keeping their noise to a minimum, Aria, Sol, and Vernon semi-blindly crawl through the vent system. The two bunny soldiers from earlier patrol the corridor underneath, with the third that took shock and bookshelf damage catching up to them. "What the hell is happening here? Did he seriously follow us all the way from Illyria?"

"It's likely he's not alone either… The samurai must be here too."

Picking up on the exchange, Vernon asks, "you two already had a brush with him?"

"Yep." Aria beats him to the answer. "To keep it short: he and his 'friend' destroyed a city's center. We met him and the samurai during a high-speed chase after fleeing the crime scene."

Sol peeks through the grate to see the trio hasn't moved or noticed them. "Are you guys selling those uniforms at your gift shop or something? And where the hell are YOUR guards?"

Vernon sighs and holds his left index right above his brow's ridge. "...I saw it with my own eyes, but I still can't believe it." He lifts his head to face the pair. "Chaos has the power to manipulate people's appearances and minds alike. He's brainwashed our entire security staff."

"And we took down most, if not all, of them on the way here," she adds. "They weren't all wearing those. Some had sunglasses."

"You did what you had to. There's no way I can leave everyone behind. We need to let people know what's going on in here and call for backup. I'm not running until that's done."

"Trust me, if it were possible, they'd be here already. I even tried contacting Ky, but none of my calls connect. It's likely that all transmissions are being jammed."

Seeing the President exhale, hold the top of his head, and further crouch downward, an idea came to her. "What about a hotline that doesn't use magic? Isn't there a country that continues to use black tech?" She watches as he lifts his head up to smile directly at her and the suggestion.

"! That's right."

Sol recalls she's got an interest in visiting there sometime. "Zepp, huh. How can you contact them?"

"This building is an antique, you see." Colin points behind him to lead the way. "It's in the air command post."

Following closely, he cracks a comment. "You're a stubborn bastard, y'know that?"

"It's how I won the election, actually."

After they're out of the approximate area, one of the bunny soldiers looks up to hear something moving around. One volunteers to check, immediately exiting after they're spotted, and narrowly avoiding a laser. On either side of the luck spectrum, a small, white sentry robot's patrolling the vents.

"What's up?"

"That was a close one. There's a guard bot up there. They attack anything that enters their line of sight."

Chaos's soldiers continue to occupy the gardens. At the command of the Pentagon's chairman, a group with different uniforms and more armor runs to take cover behind trees across the street. "Echo Team reporting in. We've arrived at the White House."

"What's the situation?"

"It's the same as the footage." The distance fails the lead's vision – he can't see the masks on their heads. "Soldiers are continuing to patrol Area 4. It seems they're unaware of the situation."

"Make contact but use caution."

"Understood. Moving to make contact."

Back in the conference room, a tense dead quietness fills the room. The only sound comes from Chaos twirling around in one of the chairs Aria didn't hurl at his guards.

Daryl breaks the silence. "Shouldn't you be pursuing the President?"

"Wait," the chair stops spinning. "You can talk?"

"Yes, I believe I just did."

"Wow, you can even hold a conversation!" He gives himself a push to twirl around again.

"You seem quite comfortable for a man in a stranger's home." His calm demeanor maintained throughout the entire ordeal surprises the Chinese and Oceanian men. "I take it this is all going to plan?"

"Heehee. Not quite. A perfect plan never beats an improvised one. That's how I work."

"Clearly." The Chinese Federation's rep interrupts. "Normally a plan so brazen would never work."

"Normally... On that note," he leans on the desk. "Your knight will die if you leave him be. We got terrorists in the White House, just fired every WMD in the world, and yet no one's come to save you. The only chance of survival you all had left with someone else." He scans the others' faces for their reactions. "Are these 'normal' occurrences? Wake up already." Hooking an arm around the chair's backrest, he leans back and looks at the ceiling. "We left normal behind a long time ago."

Remaining in cover behind the trees, the Echo team lead signals for two of his teammates to run forward. From the lessened gap, a mixed group of Service agents and soldiers stand in front of the gates. The pair in front exchange signals before signing back to their superior. He leaves cover to approach a soldier in an identical uniform. "What's with the mask? We issued an emergency order. Why haven't you resp—…" He's shot down before finishing that sentence.

"Open fire!" Another commands the rest, all of which come out of cover. As one's got a grip on the fallen's gear to bring him back, multiple shots hit the target before a ceasefire's called. "What the hell...?" Across the street, all nearby enemies open their fire upon the team.

"W-we seem to be witnessing a firefight on the perimeter of the White House! It's chaos down there! There's still no official word about what's going on, or whether it's related to the weapons of mass destruc—"

A missile shoots down one of the aircraft. One of the remaining soldiers watches as it crashes down and explodes several feet away. He locates the source – a pair of bazooka-wielding bunny soldiers standing on one of the rooftop's corners. "No way...!" Another fires again, headed for a pair from the team.

Luckily for the two, the round's intercepted. They look up to see Goldlewis standing in front of them, missile in his hand. "...Mr. Secretary?"

Dickinson scoffs before throwing it back. "Hmph." A safe distance from the three, it explodes, leaving a smoke cloud obscuring their vision. With the massive coffin acting as an impromptu shield, he orders to those behind him, "fall back for now." Eyes darting to the incoming squad – all firing right at him – he raised his weapon before slamming the bottom to the ground. The top opens, casting a blue dome barrier to deflect all the shots. Going into a defensive position, his grip tightens around the chain.

Panicked, one of the Echo team orders the survivors of his team to fall back. "Retreat! Retreat!"

Watching from the control room, Erica's jaw slightly dropped. Standing next to her, sweat beads rolled down the chairman's face. "Unbelievable..."

Aria's crawling comes to a halt, listening to the chatter between a few of Chaos's guards. "Do you hear that? There's some goons below." She slips her fingers through the slits in the nearest ventilation grate, wiggling it free, and gently laying it off to the side.

"What are you doing? Stay with us."

"Sorry, but I've been itching to fight again." She's repositioned herself to sit along the opening, giving herself a little push to drop through. After landing safely, she looks back up to see both Frederick and Colin looking down at her. "Thinning out their numbers here would give us a better chance later on. Stay up there, unless you want to spend the rest of the day being Swiss cheese."

She just had to point that out. "I'm not gonna argue against that. My last one's barely healed." His eyes drift off to her left, seeing another body appearing. "But what's she doing out too?"

"Don't worry about it." The change Jack-O's made to her appearance is her hair is now styled into high twin buns. "They can't actually hit me, and any damage I sustain doesn't transfer to her. I think I've gained control over phasing states."

"Ph-… Phasing?" Vernon was caught off guard by the materialization. To ensure he wasn't hallucinating out of fear, he blinked hard twice. "But she was just in those gog—"

"Just watch."

A squad of soldiers patrolling the corridors spot the two, blocking from both sides. They ready their rifles, aiming right at Aria and Jack-O.

"Hey! Who the hell is that!"
"There's two of them!"
"Oh, I remember her! She's the bitch that dropped a bookshelf on me from earlier!"

"That's cute you remember me, but I'm already taken." Aria pretends to look around, faking disappointment. "Damn, there isn't another one here."

"You are DEAD!"
"Is one a fucking ghost!?"
"Who cares! Just kill them!"

Valentine feigns surrender, holding her hands up. "Oh no. What ever shall we do? ~"

"Employ non-lethal force," Hale replies as she holds her left hand up and reaches into the pouch with her right.

"Aria, they have guns and armor." Her acting skills successfully buy them time. "You have a baton and I have a freakin' pumpkin!"

"Yeah? And? The weaker agents might've worn those goofy-ass sunglasses, but it's not like these guys are any different than earlier." She points the baton-sized object towards one's head. "I'm getting sick of seeing these ugly-ass bunny masks! You, Vernon, and Frederick know I've already got a kill count too high for a single person. So," she faces the other. "Are you gonna help this time or not?"

"Mmm, okay. ~" She drops the act, laughs, and dons her iron mask with the neon green eyes illuminating immediately. "First, he copied my halo. Then there was this morning, and now designing those gaudy accessories. Alright, boys!" Five servants are summoned, with Dorpos's chain locking around her ankle. "Disarm them!" Jack-O orders her servants to fly toward the furthest, grabbing the weapons out of their hands. The miniature winged lifeforms bash the guards' heads with their shields, unloading the ammunition clips from the firearms taken after knockback – ultimately snapping the weapons in half to render them useless. She kicks the iron pumpkin around, knocking the unarmed foes backwards and into each other. Their screams fill the hallway upon learning the sphere's mouth opened to chomp down on the frontmost unfortunate target. Sounds from the destroyed guns and unloaded ammunition falling against the carpeted floor serve as ambient background noise.

The staff extends past the previously established limit to lodge itself in the stomachs of the two nearest soldiers. Forceful enough to break past the armored vests; a hair away from damaging the skin and internal organs. Aria sends a jolt of lightning through the metal, administering shocks throughout the enemies' bodies. She watches as they collapse, erratically shaking with electric streaks running across. "That'll leave a mark." She removes her eyewear and tosses it up towards the vent, knowing that it'll be caught by Sol – she glances up, winking and blowing him a kiss.

He responds by pretending to catch it and places the same hand on his cheek. "My heroine."

Resuming the fight, she yells out, "apologies in advance if y'all wake up sore!" She jabs the end into the next one's stomach, kicks their side, and proceeds to flip them over in an upward 180. Force from the slam against the padding caused them to bounce a few centimeters upon impact. Turning around to fend off the next, she sweeps at their feet to trip them, jabbing the one after in the stomach. She grabs their legs to fling them against the remaining enemies. Seeing more running towards the scene, her eyes begin to faintly glow blue as she flashes a cocky grin. "We've got more. Ready, Jack-O?"

"Hell yeah!" She steps beside her teammate, left hand tapping her shoulder, with her right fist raised. The two fist bumped before she removes the mask and points at the additional enemies. "Let's get 'em!" Jack-O sticks her tongue out, holding the tip of her thumb to her nose and wiggles her fingers to taunt. Aria mimics Sol again by placing her left hand upon her right bicep, flipping the bird with her right hand.

"Bring it on, you bastards!"

Above the two versus an increasing number brawl and the collective sound of the battered mind-controlled guardsmen groaning in agony, the President remarked on the turn of events. "I can't believe what I'm seeing. You're lucky to have her as a girlfriend."

"Heh," Sol shoots him a small smile. "To tell ya the truth, she's more than that."

"My second guess was that she's your wife."

"Almost."

"Fiancée? When this is all over, whoa!" He flinched and scooted back as an unconscious bunny soldier's launched upward from a high kick, head and shoulders lodged in the ventilation shaft's opening. Sol punches it back to floor level and the two continue watching the scuffle below. "Can you put my name on the guest list?"

"Is now the time to be asking about wedding invitations?" He responds with a hint of amusement in his voice. "We haven't even decided on a date yet."

"Right," he chuckles. "I'm getting ahead of myself." Colin continues observing the fight from above. "If the Pentagon or the Castle are watching, I hope they're enjoying the show."

Across the Atlantic, a castle operator detects an unusual activity spike in one of the hallways several feet away from the conference room. They called Ramlethal over and tapped into one of the cameras, despite the unstable feed from the jamming, watching a body launch across the way. Briefly scanning the surroundings past the static border, she located the responsible party. "You three may want to see this."

"Bring it to the main screen," Leo orders. Canned fuzzy audio of metallic clanging pairing with chain jangling give direct clues to the duo before they're identified. "Heh, look at that. Jack-O and Aria working together. Wait," ignoring the rapidly dropping bodies, he noticed someone's missing. "Why are they fighting without Sol? Did they get separated?"

A voice across the waters rings in to answer. "That doesn't seem to be the case, King Whitefang." Watching from the Pentagon's control room, Erica relays one of her operators managed locating two additional stationary heat signatures. By the body sizes and outlines, their photos appear with lines connecting to the positions. "He and the President are nearby, and it looks like they're in the vent right above."

The transmissions abruptly cut out before either side could've seen the end. "Dammit!" Bartholomew and Whitefang yelled in unison, each banging a fist on nearby surfaces. "We lost the connection!"

A final bunny soldier drops to the floor after receiving a direct hit to the gut, signifying the brawl's conclusion. "And that should be the last of them here." Aria gives her sister a thumbs-up. "We make an excellent team." She walks towards one of the bodies, gripping at the bottom of the ragdoll mask. She attempts to remove it with a few strong tugs to no avail. "These aren't coming off, are they?"

Jack-O orders a servant to do the same, hand placement mirrored, nearly ripping an ear off the top. "Nope. Doesn't look like it." She watches as it whacks at the head and torso with the flat side of their lollipop in frustration. "You're being overdramatic."

"Oh well. The beating we gave all of them should undo the brainwashing."

"Yeesh. My statement about you being horrifying still stands." Valentine takes the initiative to tidy up the corridor by piling up the unconscious bodies, with Hale following on the other end. "Then again, under the right conditions, the Moon can be a destructive force that's deadlier than the Sun."

"I'd rather not cause another near-mass extinction, thanks." Once the pathway cleared to their liking, Jack-O disappears to return, and Aria holds one of her hands up towards the vent opening. "Hey, could you give me a lift?" Dorpos reappears beside her, levitating to act as a boost platform. Sol grabs her hand to help, and once she was back in the airway, the iron pumpkin vanished. "Sorry for the broken property and the mess we made. Their bodies just flew in all directions."

Colin blankly stares in his bodyguards' direction before speaking. It takes him a few moments to decide on how to convey his reaction. "That… that was amazing!" A giant smile appeared on his face – expression akin to a gleeful sports fan meeting their favorite athlete after a win. "Don't worry about the damages. Furniture is replaceable, but you aren't. I'm glad I gave the okay for you, erm, two to come along now."

"Took the words right outta my mouth." Sol smiles at her before the two bumped elbows and he hands her back the goggles. Now's not the time nor situation for giving her a congratulatory kiss on the cheek, though he wants to. Unsurprisingly, she beats him to it. "Think you can pull that off again?"

"We can, but don't push it." She puts her device back into place, stretching her arms in front of her shortly after. "If you'd kindly, continue leading the way to this command room."