"This is Lungmen News Radio, bringing you breakneck feeds of events surrounding our Great Lungmen. We interrupt our weather forecast to bring you this breaking news. While the number of refugees from the fallen city of Chernobog has dwindled compared to yesterday, many of them still insist on breaking through the lines without following proper protocol. Just now, 3 refugees have already been detained, courtesy of Superintendent Ch'en-Hui-Chieh, and…"

"Well… Dr. Ren. Zenkichi gave me a summary of whatever you're planning. I gotta say, you better hope this Kevin pal of yours didn't end up getting caught by the feds yesterday. Would be quite the wrench thrown into our gears."

"Let's hope so. Hope they won't mind the refugees bringing pets along too. Otherwise we'd lose two of our friends."

- Ren and Baofu, talking over the radio news.

CHAPTER 4

COVERT ALLIANCES

10:53 P.M / Cloudy

Rhodes Island Ark, Meeting Room 2

"And with that, I believe I have fully explained the advantages of our companies forming an alliance, as well as anything that we require as our starting trade. Will you agree to my proposal, Ms. Kal'tsit?"

Kal'tsit remained seated in place with Philemon right across her, partaking in a long discussion that entails their contract of cooperation between Rhodes Island and Midsummers' Dream Laboratories. Enhanced surveillance aid, medical support of the mental kind, and the divulgence of a few weapon augmentation plans for Rhodes Island. Add that with the fact that Philemon has assured direct personnel aid during Rhodes Island's operations along with a lifelong contract until nulled by either side, and Kal'tsit found herself hard to refuse such a proposal that largely benefited Rhodes Island without much compensation. Such compensations involved two spots on the Ark for their branch office and lounge, along with permission to work on personal projects on the Ark with Rhodes Island's help. Kal'tsit narrowly eyed the CEO with suspicion, since his unpredictability is without question. A nod was all that was given as she relaxed herself.

"I will admit that what you are offering is very enticing, Mr. Kaleidus. Though, I have my reservations considering that your proposal will give us so much for so little."

Philemon closed his eyelids with a hum. "I understand your reservations, Ms. Kal'tsit. You can never be too hasty in agreements, especially when the proposal anchors more to the benefit of your side. I can assure you however, that what I propose stems from my genuine wishes."

If anything, it is Philemon's honest behavior that made Kal'tsit difficult to trust him. She however, only sighed once more. "Very well. If that is to be the case, then I accept your proposal, Mr. Kaleidus."

Philemon smiled earnestly, stretching his hand out. "Thank you, Ms. Kal'tsit. May our cooperation continue to bring further benefits to both our causes in the foreseeable future."

Both respective leaders shook hands, affirming their partnership. But, while Philemon still remains spirited from the success of striking the alliance, Kal'tsit still kept her neutral look, with slight fatigue seen in her eyes. That did not stop her however from trying to strike a new topic, especially since it's just the two of them now.

"Now that this matter is settled, perhaps you would indulge me in a question, Mr. Kaleidus?"

"But of course. I will answer your question to the best of my ability."

"Very well." With that in mind, Kal'tsit leaned forward, her hands crossed and eyes focused "How were your travels across Terra?"

A lift of the eyebrow graced Philemon's features. "I beg your pardon?"

"I simply wish to know more of your experiences. Is it too much for you to speak of?"

A knowing hum came from his lips before he nodded. "I see. To answer, I can say that my travels have brought me everywhere. Sargon, Yan, Minos, even to the lands of Sami. It is both an enlightening, humbling, yet lamentable experience."

"I am certain that experience applies to most wanderers, Mr. Kaleidus."

"And you wish to know why my experiences are especially like so. Is that not the case, Ms. Kal'tsit?" An on-point guess which made Kal'tsit widen her eyes very slightly. "Throughout my travels, I have concluded that this world is similar, yet different to the world I have come to know."

To most people, the man before her might be speaking of a theoretical bubble world of sorts, but Kal'tsit knew better. Silence wafted between the two before Philemon continued. "With that said, I am sure there is no further need to ask more questions, Ms. Kal'tsit. It would serve us better if we can get to the point. It is getting late, after all."

"Then I have no choice but to be frank, Mister… no, Philemon. You are not native to this world, are you not?"

The wordless nod Kal'tsit received was all she needed, yet it didn't stop her unease. "I see. Yet another foreigner who has set their sights in Terra. Tell me, do you like what you have found?"

At such a question, Philemon frowned. "Miss Kal'tsit, there is no use in hiding my displeasure at seeing what kind of world Terra is. The land we step upon is a land where despair and chaos have taken root, and even the strongest of bonds may shatter without so much as a simple thought. It is… wretchedly disheartening." Kal'tsit blinked as he heard the observer's answer, slightly perplexed by his thoughts. "My opinion aside, I must say that I expected a stronger reaction from this revelation."

Kal'tsit casted a discerning gaze at the man before her. "You who call yourself Philemon... you have no idea how many extraterrestrial beings have found their way to this planet. As far as they go, however, you are quite tame. Perhaps that might have something to do with the fact you are like a fish out of the water?"

"How sharp... it seems the weight of the secrets you hold really comes with strength and insight."

"And you are probably the most contradicting alien I have the misfortune of analyzing. Probably the most human inhuman I have ever known... right after Doctor." The chuckles that ensued after was not what she expected out of the observer, and she found it to be disconcerting. "What is it that you found hilarious in my words?"

Philemon's chuckles died quick and was replaced with a reminiscent smile. "I do not find your words to be a laughing matter, Ms. Kal'tsit. On the contrary, you reminded me of an acquaintance I have once met. A primly dressed man, wise and knowledgeable beyond his years." His eyelids were slightly lowered as he continued. "I remember when we held discussions on the nature of humans, gods, and demons. His views on such matters are truly eye-opening, and during that conversation, he said something that I remember to this day."

Kal'tsit's curiosity was piqued when such a topic was brought up, and she had to ask on the matter. "And what has he told you to last so long in your memory?"

Kal'tsit found herself drawn upon the subject, especially when it discussed such important matters. "And what is it that he has spoken for you to remember so?"

"As much as I would like to tell, Ms. Kal'tsit. It would be best if that is saved for another time. To bring us back to another topic, what do you think of the Doctor? I believe you've stated that he too is inhuman, like myself."

Kal'tsit stared pointedly at Philemon. "What I think of the Doctor and why I think so is not up for disclosure, Philemon. Rather, what is more important is your matter of involvement with him."

"Involvement? I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't follow the implication." Philemon quickly sensed an impending air of hostility from Kal'tsit, one that he hopes to blow away with answers.

"Then I will ask you this. How did you know of Dr. Ren's awakening?"

"I believe you can answer that question yourself, Ms. Kal'tsit, given that you have understood my origin. Rather, I believe that that question is but a preface to a more dire one, is it not?"

Kal'tsit grew annoyed, seeing as he had cut her off once more. "Then I will ask more directly then. You had some form of involvement regarding the new Arts that Dr. Ren has acquired, did you not?"

Philemon's expression stilled at the accusation thrown at him, but he remained firm in his reply. "I see that you have witnessed the footage that Ms. Dobermann has recorded regarding his awakening. I am sure you can conclude the name of his power from the words he uttered as he invoked it... the power of Persona. While I prefer that you conclude your own facts, Miss Kal'tsit, for the sake of fostering trust between us and saving time, I shall come clean."

The man in white soon adopted a dire face. "While the power of Persona can be likened to many advanced Arts you no doubt are aware of, I was the one who bestowed such a power to the Doctor of my own accord."

Kal'tsit anticipated anything that amounted to a dismissive reply or a lie coming from Philemon. A full-on honest admission was not what she expected. Still, she took the time to calm herself. While the honesty is indeed much appreciated, but his comparisons to advanced Arts made her even warier, even more when he claimed that she also knows. At the very least, it lends credence to his own claims of experience.

"While this may sound damning to your ears, Miss Kal'tsit," Philemon continued, "I have bestowed him this power during his recovery in the Sarcophagus." That made the lynx narrow her eyes. "But I assure you that this move was not done out of malice. I have sensed that while his body is renewed, his soul will as well. To ensure that he will be able to defend himself once he awakens, I have gifted him this power during his rest. I must confess however, that I had my own agenda while I did this."

This... meddlesome visitor was increasingly becoming more of a problem. Perhaps it was a mistake to keep ignoring him in all those years.

"You have been in this world for quite a while, Mister Philemon. You have seen things, grasped mysteries, and sought answers. I thought you were an observer, who would not carelessly bring change in an unchartered territory. Enlighten me then, why did you extend your foreign power to the Doctor?"

"It is to ensure his survival, and with the hope that he will recover all his memories, so I may learn more about this unusual world from him, as well as you."

Kal'tsit felt her lips were resisting the tug to frown. The visitor claimed his intention was to learn even more about this world and believed the Doctor and herself could help him to that end. He was even willing to invest his power for the Doctor's safety to further this objective.

Problematic. It was doubtful the visitor had any idea what kind of existence and how important the Doctor was. Kal'tsit had no idea what effects this visitor's gifted power could have on the Doctor, physically and mentally. She made a mental note to check on the Doctor with Warfarin and perhaps Closure later.

However, a more pressing concern was why? Or more to the point, how? Kal'tsit didn't know exactly how long Philemon had been in Terra. She estimated it was at least 13 years as that was the first time she had seen him. It was a reasonable amount of time to learn about the face of Terra and its workings, though nowhere near enough to learn of the truths buried in the dust and annals of history.

'I would know. Even ten thousand years weren't enough for me.'

It was reasonable the visitor had discovered clues leading to the deeper, darker mysteries of this world as well. Such things weren't exactly difficult to find, especially from an outsider's perspective, free from the biases plaguing an average Terran. But why and how did the visitor come to believe herself, and the Doctor, could have the answers he sought?

It was suspicious. Time might not have an effect on her biological appearance, but the same was true for the long lived races such as the Sarkaz, and some of the Elders. As far as the visitor was concerned, the existence known as Kal'tsit should not have stood out enough to make him look for her specifically. The Doctor too, should not have left clues or traces about his true origins.

A reasonable hypothesis would be the visitor's personal ability, distinguished from the laws of this world. Philemon mentioned about sensing the Doctor's body and soul being renewed inside the Sarcophagus - how he managed to know about its existence was another issue entirely - thus the most likely explanation was this sensitivity to the soul had given away something about Kal'tsit and the Doctor.

Kal'tsit wanted to scoff at the ridiculous notion. But it was the only reasonable explanation, so for now she would accept it.

"You believe the Doctor and I hold answers for the mysteries of this world." It was a statement, not a question. "I won't speak on Doctor's behalf, but you think too highly of me. I am not omniscient."

"Omniscience is not needed to know what needs to be done, Miss Kal'tsit." Philemon countered. "And you know enough." His expression spoke of absolute conviction that he was right.

A sigh. There was no dissuading the visitor, it seemed. "I will not affirm nor deny your belief. But for conversation's sake, I will ask. Why? What reasons a visitor like you would have to pursue the mysteries of a world not of your own?"

A conflicted look graced Philemon's face. "I must confess that my purpose in discovering these mysteries is to determine what I must do for the safety of my own world. The more I learn of Terra and its mysteries, the more I have come to realize that I must uncover them one by one if I am to finalize my plans for protection."

"Elaborate, if you will. As much as time permits us."

Philemon glanced at the clock. It is nearing 11:30 P.M, and even extraterrestrial beings need sleep as a human. "In that case, I shall attempt to keep it brief. What compelled me to come to this world as a visitor is due to Terra stretching its influence on my own world, in the form of an Originium meteor strike."

The reason alone made Kal'tsit lift an eyebrow in concern as he continued. "After months of study and technological integration of Originium, the inhabitants of my world have attained the capability of traveling to the land of Terra for further research. Through a dream, I convinced the benefactor of the Originium research to cease all operations into Terra along with further research, and I welcomed their sole scout into my fold as I went to see this world for myself. As a wanderer yourself, Miss Kal'tsit, I am certain you can understand that the discoveries I made only made the situation more ...undesirable."

Kal'tsit indeed can understand where Philemon is coming from, based on her own experiences of wandering the land for millennia. Considering the dangers that this land can offer, it was a reasonable and logical move on Philemon's part to prevent any more foreign incursions into Terra who may be ill-equipped to handle the situation. Why Philemon decided to recruit the scout into his group can be surmised as them being the only exception, though the how is purely in guesswork.

The most concerning part lies in how the Originium of Terra has managed to find its way into Philemon's world and made it into the hands of their researchers. Ending their research was altogether the correct move to ensure that the blight of Originium and Oripathy doesn't encroach upon another world, with the hopes that the Originium discovery was buried deep into the Earth, never to see the light of day once more. It's already the most concerning issue that Terra has to deal with, and it's imprinted into the land's annals of history.

Yet, with all that considered, one question continued to nag at the lynx. "While the provided backstory is appreciated, and your reasons noted, I fail to see how the many mysteries of Terra relate to your conundrum, Philemon."

To that question, Philemon adopted a frown. "In my travels in Terra, I have come to learn of the many entities that walk this earth who can be considered living gods. The Feranmuts, I believe your people have called them. The frozen horrors that lay at the Infy Icefields on the north and the infernal hatred within the Foehn Hotlands down in the south. The secrets that are buried within this dusty land and the deep oceans, along with what lies above this sky, imprisoning our world. It only enforces the fact Terra houses many threats that will devastate the world if left rampant, as well as the possibility to reach my own."

Philemon stopped to collect himself with a breath before continuing. "The Originium of Terra has already shown its capability to land astray in my world, and my observation into Terra has left me grateful that I stopped any further research into it way back. However, the circumstances that this discovery has caused has urged me to take the first step in preventing any further influences of your world into mine. The many mysteries and secrets that this world holds however has left me at an impasse on what must be done. To truly come to a decisive move, I must first paint a full picture on how to proceed, starting with ascertaining the individual natures of the Feranmuts who wander this world... which I'm sure you've made contact with some in the past, Miss Kal'tsit. The consequences would be destructive if the Feranmuts happen to dislike outsiders to Terra, or even worse, harbor malice and hatred strong enough to reach my world, with its own malicious demons."

Kal'tsit remained silent as Philemon finished his reasoning. His words on his travels became further enforcement that he is not slacking in the slightest in his journey to understand the world of Terra, so much so as to step into the icelands beyond Sami and the scorching lands of the south. One can only wonder what he has uncovered during his journey before he eventually settled down as a company CEO. His dire stance as he explained can mean that his journey is still not over, and he's still busy uncovering the land's mysteries even as he sits behind a table. Terra houses a great number of threats, yes. And gods forbid Originium isn't the only thing that can reach out into other worlds.

When it's all put under question, it is reasonable and logical for Philemon to think of a more concrete plan on how to proceed, especially when otherworldly matters are involved. The lynx herself is unsure if the Feranmuts as a whole hold the capability to extend their influences beyond Terra, much less the individual Feranmuts. She didn't even bother to deny Philemon's claim of her meetings considering what he himself is capable of. His honesty and transparence present an air of trustworthiness, but she knows that she can't trust him so easily. An outsider like him can be unpredictable, much like any god that she encountered.

Unpredictable he might be though; Philemon has made his stance on his issue clear along with his own piece. What is left is for Kal'tsit is to accept his reasoning and provide him help or deny him the help overall.

The current circumstances that her organization is dealing with however must come first.

"I will not deny that your reasons for doing all this are understandable, as well as your plans, Philemon. However, I am sure you are aware that Rhodes Island is currently handling the Reunion threat. As such, I do not have the time to discuss whatever secrets I have within me due to the duties I must perform. I will consider sharing my findings regarding Terra with you, but only if our organizational cooperation between Rhodes Island and Midsummer Labs proves to carry a positive influence for both sides in the long run, after the matter with Reunion is resolved. Are we clear on this?"

Philemon's expression softened after hearing Kal'tsit's words, relief washing over him. "Very much so, Miss Kal'tsit. I am pleased to know that you are willing to consider lending me your aid. Indeed, with the threat of Reunion looming over us, it would be prudent to deal with them first before anything else. It concerns both our organizations and the Infected after all. To allow them success is to stoke the fires of vitriol between both the Infected and Uninfected, something I am sure we both would not like."

The man in white turned towards the clock at the wall, ignoring Kal'tsit's stare. There're still a few minutes until the promised time. "It seems we still have enough time for one more question. As a show of my appreciation, perhaps you have a question that I am capable of answering?"

With such an opportunity presented before her, Kal'tsit chose to tackle a problem in the immediate vicinity. "To bring us back to the topic of Persona, I can see why you decided to give the Doctor such a power. However, we both know that great power not only comes with great responsibility, but it may also come with a great price. Does the power you grant offer a price of equal measure?"

Philemon gave Kal'tsit an understanding look. "I assure you, Ms. Kal'tsit, that the power of Persona comes with little risk to one's body and mind unlike Originium Arts. Even if the power of Persona is something of a gift that I bestow upon others. I have found it to be pivotal to better present the power of Persona as very unique Arts to the public, one that warrants great amounts of research. Through the efforts of the researchers under my employ, we have determined that the power of Persona is ultimately harmless. If you do not believe me, I can provide substantial proof for you in the form of medical records of one of our agents."

"Do you mean to say that this agent is a Persona user much like Doctor Ren?" The smiling nod from Philemon made the feline sigh. Philemon employing his own agents that he can better control and trust is much more preferred for him. "Very well. When will you be able to send a copy of the medical records?"

"Mr. Baofu should be able to deliver the copy of the agent's medical records in the following day, with 2 days being at worst."

2 days at worst. Given Philemon's position of power, such a small timeframe to send a copy of medical records for Rhodes Island's verification should be simple enough for him. The lynx has to be satisfied enough with what she has gotten from this discussion and let out a yawn. Philemon, noticing this, stared at the clock on the wall. It is now 11:30 P.M

"Well now, we seemed to have reached our promised time. Perhaps it's best that we tune in for the day."

Kal'tsit nodded slightly in agreement. "I assume you have been properly addressed in matters of lodging during your stay?"

"Of course. Your Operators have led me to the guest dormitories where I can recuperate in peace. With that in mind, I shall take my leave for the night, Ms. Kal'tsit. Once again, I thank you for agreeing to our cooperation."

"Likewise, Mr. Kaleidus. May you have a good rest."

With their farewells spoken, Philemon soon left the meeting with renewed energy in his step, having managed to finally secure full cooperation with the leaders of Rhodes Island. Kal'tsit on the other hand proceeded to slump back into her chair, fatigue washing over her after such a long day

"Philemon Kaleidus…truly… what are you?"

At the end of all of this, Kal'tsit had to note once more on how Philemon felt so human despite being an outsider. She may not admit it verbally, but she can feel that he and herself are somewhat similar in many regards. What with them being wanderers of the world who seek to unveil the many mysteries Terra has to offer, though for entirely different reasons. Yet, it was because of how human she was that Kal'tsit can't help but be wary around him.

Alas, those are matters for another time. What matters now is that Philemon and his organization now side with Rhodes Island, and they'll need all the help they can get against Reunion. With the Observer now dealt with for now, she now has to deal with another headache in the form of the Doctor, already making waves among Rhodes Island.

In the end, she was too tired to think more on the Doctor and his newfound reputation. Without so much as a word, she left the meeting room afterward, going back to her room for some well-deserved sleep.

- Take Your Time -

8:02 A.M / Sunny

Rhodes Island Ark / Hallway

December 27th, 1096

"Is there any reason as to why you have brought me out on this walk with you, Closure?"

"Ah, come on, Kal'tsit! Wouldn't it hurt to go out with a co-worker every once in a while, for breakfast? I know you haven't had one!"

A judgmental frown marred Kal'tsit's face in contrast to Closure's face featuring a mischievous jolly smile. The head medic was content enough just continuing her research on her lonesome if it weren't for the vampire engineer's intrusion. Still, after yesterday's fiasco of events, perhaps she needed this to lighten her head, even if she had to deal with her companion's antics.

"Still, never thought you'd be back empty handed. I thought that by the time you came back, we'd have ourselves a cooperative agreement with the Lungmen higher-ups. Next thing I know, the whole negotiation got called back, and it was Doctor's idea no less!"

A frown marred Kal'tsit's face as that fact slapped her on her cheek, something that Closure quickly noticed. "Come on, Kal'tsit. You're still sour over how your plan is overruled by the Doctor's? I don't really know the specifics, but it can't be that bad, right?"

"All I will say is that I dislike a long and thought-out plan being discarded by another one made on the fly much like everyone else, even if it was made by the Doctor."

Closure looked at her stoic friend sadly, as if she still held grudges that may very well be true to today. With her face shifting into seriousness, she decided to change the question.

"How about this? Do you think our rescue mission to Chernobog to save Dr. Ren was a mistake?"

Kal'tsit's frown faded slightly. "Considering the situation at the time, to enter Chernobog at the moment would not be a good move to make. However, we both know how much Amiya cherishes the Doctor. As soon as she decides on something, nothing can shake her resolve."

"Not to mention how the Elite Operators are in on this as well. You know, you could have put a stop to the whole operation during the meeting, yet you didn't cast a vote against it. Heck, you actually abstained."

Kal'tsit may not tell this to anyone, even though some people like Closure or Warfarin may catch a hint, but she had kept an unspeakable amount of hatred for the Doctor after the fall of Babel. As a close friend of the Sarkaz King Theresa, and perhaps the only person she has ever gotten close to out of her own will, the death of her had shook the lynx greatly. While how the Sarkaz King died is a mystery to the majority, the signs were clear to Kal'tsit that the Doctor himself had some involvement regarding her death, and she's never going to forgive him over that.

Hence, when the meeting was held to discuss the Doctor's rescue operation, 3 years after the fall of Babel and the rise of Rhodes Island, Kal'tsit was inclined to go against the idea of rescuing Dr. Ren. However, Amiya would definitely ask her why she's against the plan, and to say that her reason was because of her vitriol towards him would be unbecoming and unprofessional of her, so she chose to abstain. However, with how the Elite Operators favored the idea to bring Dr. Ren back into the fold, along with how far Rhodes Island fell to decrepitude in his absence, everyone had to agree that rescuing the Doctor from Chernobog is of the utmost priority.

"I'm thinking this. Did you abstain because you wanted to test Amiya, knowing that the operation will be approved regardless?"

Kal'tsit shook her head. "No. If Amiya ended up being tested regardless, then it was the situation itself that imposed it on her. It is her choice however to brave through the trials ahead, and all I can do is support her to the best of my ability."

"Well spoken, Kal'tsit. Though, kinda sucks that you have to take the full brunt of whatever happens next. I know Amiya's still too young and all for all that crap, but..."

"Everyone is bound to make mistakes down the road, Closure. What matters is that we made it out of the darkness. Now all we need to do is wait for the light at the end of the tunnel."

While Closure agreed with a nod, she followed that with a sigh. "Still, if the light at the end of the tunnel leads to me being unable to prank Dr. Ren ever, I may as well be in the dark like the vampire Sarkaz I am, thank you!"

Knowing the vampire well enough, Kal'tsit had to tilt an eyebrow over her exclamations. "What do you mean?" In response, Closure sighed even more.

"And this is why you should pay more stock to rumors, Kal'tsit. I had the pleasure of chatting with the Doctor a few times, and he's way chattier compared to back then. He actually jabbed at my teases and knows when I'm trying to prank him!" Closure chose to leave out Ren's fearsome moments as she continued. "It's as if his big brain decided to expand even more to the interpersonal section!"

Knowing Closure's standard when it comes to pranks, Kal'tsit had to admit that she was relieved that the Doctor can stop her pranks from even beginning. That fact was not enough to go off of to learn more during her absence, however. Their conversation was halted as they stopped at an elevator, and with a push of the up button from Closure, the feline doctor took the waiting time to probe for more questions.

"What else have you learned about the Doctor while I was away?"

Closure let out a proud chuckle. "If we're going to talk about that, then we're talking huge things, Kal'tsit. I've overheard a lot from the mill, and apparently Doctor picked up a lot of skills, and his popularity only skyrocketed since then!" Kal'tsit gathered her attention as Closure continued. "Like two days ago, I heard a few Operators talking about Vigna, that hardworking Sarkaz, having a rehearsal that day, and they're surprised to see Doctor playing the guitar with her. Once news broke out, a lot of people came charging to the Music Room to watch, and everyone agreed at that moment that the Doctor was good. Like, he has the makings of a rock star!"

Kal'tsit was equally amused and concerned by Closure's report on the Doctor playing music, but she refrained from commenting with Closure having more to say. "And then there's yesterday's breakfast. I came to the cafeteria for a quick meal, only to find a long line of folks saying that we're having Higashian curry and coffee for today's meal. I don't really care what meal I got that day, so imagine my surprise when I saw the Doctor manning the kitchen! He's been busy dishing out plates and glasses with our resident chefs helping out with distribution like a pro. You should have been there that time, Kal'tsit. I can guarantee that the taste alone will break you out of your poker face in a single bite!"

The feline didn't appreciate the not-so-subtle jab at her normal way of expression, but that was irrelevant compared to what she has learned of the unearthed Doctor from Closure. As far as her memories are concerned, the Doctor never had any capability for playing music and his cooking skills only goes as far as cooking instant noodles. And even then, the way he cooks them is very weird by human standards. While his newfound interests and life skills show that he is no-longer as self-absorbed in Oripathy back then, his excellence in both aspects as an amnesiac is unnatural.

"I see. Is there anything else you want to tell me about the Doctor?"

Closure lifted an eyebrow in response with a confused look. "Really? No comment on what I said earlier? I know cooking and music are good skills to pick up, but you're not even gonna point out how quick Dr. Ren learns that stuff? He's lost his memory for crying out loud, and it's only been 4 days!"

"I know well enough that his speed of learning them is unnatural, Closure. But in this case, we can only watch over him and observe. We both know that the Doctor is one who constantly works in his spare time in the past, and while he learns a bit too fast for my liking, to interrupt him in fostering such skills will only be detrimental to his overall health." Kal'tsit made a small nod. "Only when he does something concerns his health for the worse shall we interfere. Especially since he has chosen to enter combat with the other Operators."

Closure went silent for a bit, only to sigh as the elevator door opened at floor B1. "I guess if you say it like that, then there's nothing else we can do right now and let him do his thing. I'll keep a closer eye on him for you though, Kal'tsit. Dr. Ren handed a few projects for me a few days ago to work on, and he's probably going to check in every now and then."

"I appreciate it." Both women walked out of the elevator, heading to the cafeteria as their conversation reached a temporary lull. Operators come and go, fulfilling whatever duty they need to do today. Some greeted the two as they passed in a respectful manner, considering the two are part of Rhodes Island's top brass.

"Speaking of concerning, there's one more thing I gotta tell you about the Doctor, Kal'tsit. This concerns the Sarkaz Operators we have as well."

"Hm?" Kal'tsit looked at Closure once the words reached her ears. "What of the Sarkaz Operators? How does Dr. Ren fit into this?"

Closure went into silence for a moment, eliciting hidden concern from Kal'tsit. For the normally energetic mechanic to act so uncomfortably made her think. What exactly has the Doctor done?

"Well, you've already seen the operation records of the Chernobog Rescue Mission, right, Kal'tsit?" Kal'tsit nodded to the question, prompting Closure to continue. "Well, apparently during the escape, Amiya and Ace's team ran into a Reunion contingent, led by someone named Mephisto and Faust, I think. The reports should tell well enough. Anyway, I don't know what exactly happened before they clashed, but this Mephisto kid wanted the Doctor to join Reunion."

That was enough to cause concern for Kal'tsit. The recruitment attempt from the contingent leader was enough to tell that Reunion knows he holds great value. "I take it that Amiya and the others intervened shortly once the offer came down?"

Closure quickly shook her head repeatedly. "No. Rather, Dr. Ren himself came out with a speech that remained in everyone's hearts that day, at least according to the Operators who participated. He spoke about how Rhodes Island and Reunion are basically similar, from ideals to goals. Then he talked about how he didn't care whether or not Reunion found him. We find him, and he's gonna help us cure Oripathy even without his memories. Reunion finds him, and he's gonna march with them towards Ursus and tear the whole government down."

Kal'tsit's eyes visibly twitched as he listened to Closure describing the Doctor's presumably fiery speech. Kal'tsit knew that the Doctor had a propensity as a spokesperson due to past experiences, but even if he's an amnesiac or not, she's going to grill him hard for speaking so recklessly, in front of the enemy no less.

In the end of all that though, only a light sigh escaped the feline's lips. "I suppose we should be lucky that Dr. Ren ultimately decided to stand with us in the end. If he were to defect right then and there, it would be a huge blow for Rhodes Island as a whole. I cannot imagine the pain Amiya would endure if he were to betray us."

"Uh-huh. None of us want to see a depressed Amiya all day long. Too bad we're only getting to the concerning part of his speech."

"Please continue then. What else did the Doctor say?"

Taking in a breath, Closure continued her story. "Right after Dr. Ren proclaimed his intentions, he immediately decried Reunion for their evil actions and outright dubbed the kid's group as devils while telling them to fuck off from the spot! I can't even believe it when I heard it from the other Operators, Kal'tsit. I know that being called a devil is pretty much a simple insult for us Sarkaz. But imagine your entire Sarkazless group being called THAT by a single person!"

Even Kal'tsit was surprised by the sudden development of the speech. A speech that would denounce others and outright debasing them through insults is something that she can't imagine would come out of the Doctor's lips. Yet, with how serious Closure's expression is now, what she spoke of was fact, which is an even bigger concern in itself.

As if it's not concerning enough, Closure stopped in her tracks before continuing. "And that's not all. The kid Mephisto asked Dr. Ren what he would be if they were the devils. You know what he answered with?"

At that point, Kal'tsit braced himself, somehow feeling that the answer will not be good in the slightest. "What was his answer?"

"…He proclaimed himself as a Demon Lord, Kal'tsit."

Silence graced the two as they stopped in place, with Closure being wide-eyed seeing Kal'tsit's rare expression of pure unadulterated shock. To say that the fact that the lynx didn't expect what Closure said next about the Doctor was a massive understatement. To outright decry a whole contingent of Reunion enemies not made up of Sarkaz with a slur made of Sarkaz is concerning enough. But, to outright proclaim himself as someone bearing a title sacred to the Sarkaz, meant for descendants designated by the demon lords themselves is information that is way more than Kal'tsit can handle.

Anger threatened to break out of Kal'tsit's heart as she remembered who exactly killed her late friend, who now claimed that title for himself. The only saving grace is that because he is an amnesiac, he may not know what that title signifies and just declared himself so in the heat of the moment, consequences withstanding. However, if the Doctor actually declared himself as a Demon Lord with full conscience as to what in gods' names he is doing…

"Uhh… Kal'tsit? You holding up?"

Closure's concern snapped Kal'tsit back to reality. "I'm fine, Closure. But I will have to ask you. Can you confirm the validity of the rumors? Did the Doctor really say all this?"

The sighing that Closure did was not a good sign. "If only they're just rumors. Too bad the ones who started the rumors are the ones who also rescued the Doctor. At this point the rumor may as well be fact!" That did little to assuage Kal'tsit's concern. If anything, it made it worse.

"How far has his self-proclaimed status as a Demon Lord spread?"

"Well, considering that he declared that in front of our rescue team and an enemy contingent led by two Reunion ringleaders, by now, I'm pretty sure everyone in Reunion knows of his status now! I gotta admit, I like the current Doctor more than the previous one already, but I don't like this situation at all!"

Loathe as she to admit, Kal'tsit shared the same sentiment with Closure regarding the situation. While it won't be much of an issue when it comes to their own Operators, the same can't be said for Reunion who, according to the reports, hired Sarkaz mercenaries to act as their own contingent. Any news of a Demon Lord insurgence would no doubt rile the mercenaries who may still be loyal to the late Sarkaz King. Kal'tsit herself knew at least one person like so, and it made her wonder what went in her head when the rumors struck.

Worst case scenario, the news would reach the ears of the regent of Kazdel, brother of the late Theresa. The ramifications of his next actions would be greatly undesirable.

"We have to make sure this rumor doesn't spread any further than necessary, Closure. Though, that still doesn't touch upon the issue of the main offender. Where is the Doctor now?"

"Doctor already left the ship already for Lungmen to talk with Penguin Logistics. If you wanted to talk with Doctor earlier, you missed the chance already!" Kal'tsit clicked her tongue at the info, but her chance still hasn't slipped for today.

"Then we have to create a situation where he will have no choice but to comply. We will have a meeting the moment Dr. Ren returns under the pretense of gaining whatever information he has earned during his solo operation. Warfarin must be informed of our plans as well."

Closure's eyes widened as she listened to her friend's decisive planning, sighing in the end. "Okay, okay. I get that you want to handle this as quickly as possible. Frankly enough, I wanna know what Dr. Ren was thinking as well when he said all that back at Chernobog. Should we tell Amiya as well?"

Kal'tsit shook her head. "No. While it is important for Amiya to know this as well, it is still too early for her to understand the consequences of proclaiming oneself as a Demon Lord just yet. We will tell her soon, but not now."

Closure frowned when she heard Kal'tsit's words. Amiya's a good kid through and through, and she'd hate to leave her out of things that involve her. But, it's because that she's still young that she saw merit in the lynx's reasoning. "As long as you promise that you'll tell her one day, alright? I have a feeling that Dr. Ren will chew us out for leaving Amiya out anyway."

"He'll see things my way in that regard, I assure you."

"And how are you so sure? You don't even-"

The loud sounds of growling stomachs interrupted Closure's chiding, stilling her in place and making Closure blush, much to Kal'tsit's bored expression. "…Let's continue this on the dining table, okay?"

"...Yes."

Silently agreeing to feed their hunger first before any further planning and action, Kal'tsit and Closure marched towards the cafeteria for whatever food is available. While Closure is focused on grabbing her grub, Kal'tsit can't help but skirt back to thinking about Dr. Ren and his proclamation. Whatever went in his amnesiac mind to proclaim himself as a ruler of a whole race? How much of an amnesiac is he even?

Regardless, she'll have her answers when dusk comes by, when he returns from his operational escapade in Lungmen. For now, her nutrition comes first.

- Take Your Time

8:29 A.M / Sunny

Central Park, Lungmen

"We've reached our stop, Doc. Thanks for riding with Rumor Express."

"Hahaha. Appreciate it, Baofu."

Nodding his thanks to the Yanese driver, Ren made his way out of the velvet limo that is overly decked out to his taste, if the mini bar is any indication. The sun is shining brightly over Lungmen as people from all walks of life go about their day. Wincing his eyes, here in Central Park, the Doctor can see many Terrans from all walks of life go about their day. Businessmen rush along the streets, possibly because they're late for work, while others are enjoying their walks, with some exercising through mild speed jogs. One thing's certain however for him, however. Compared to Shibuya, Lungmen is far less jam packed, and he preferred it this way.

Still, Ren can't forget how he's technically in an operation, and that is to rendezvous with Penguin Logistics and strike a deal with the so-called Emperor to get their aid in discovering Reunion activity in Lungmen, all while making sure not to get the attention of the L.G.D. Any slip-up will result in failure and possible detainment, and he can't have that, not when Reunion is planning to attack the city at any moment

To that end, Ren has dressed himself for the occasion, requesting Closure early on for any spare casual clothing. Luckily enough, the mechanic was able to hook him up with some old Marthe sportswear, consisting of dark red track pants, a simple gray T-shirt with a small logo of the brand in white, and a matching black tracksuit with red and white stripes. Looking at himself now, he can imagine himself being a regular jogger looking for exercise, and he can't help but chuckle quietly at the thought. Maybe he should wear this for his daily exercise.

"Enjoying your current look, Doctor? Marthe has always been a leading brand in sportswear, and looks to me you're enjoying the feel as well."

Ren turned around to face Baofu, his arm resting on the open window. "Have to agree, really does feel nice wearing this. By the way, you're sticking around for my ride home, Baofu?"

"Hah. You wish, Doctor. I gotta run an errand for Philemon after this. Apparently that Kal'tsit pal of yours thinks that our "Arts" will screw with our systems, so now I gotta grab a copy of either my or Zenkichi's medical records just so ol' Phil can make a point. Can you imagine that?"

"Cut her some slack, Baofu. Most people don't know much our powers. Hell, I don't think we should even talk about this so much in public."

Seeing Ren's hesitancy, Baofu can't help but let out a chortle. "Relax, kid. Our Personas are pretty much a different brand of Arts anyway, though it may be flashier than any ordinary Arts. Anyway, Mind if I pass a word of advice before I buzz off?"

A short bit of advice never hurt anybody, and Ren was no different. "Shoot."

"Word of advice, free of charge then. Listen, Penguin Logistics may be a logistics paper, and technically they work like how logistic companies do, but how they operate is entirely any logistics company you've come across. Last I remember, counting Emperor himself, there's only 5 members of that company. Heard there was a 6th member based on the rumors I've gathered, but I haven't verified it myself. They do real good work, but they're a real bunch of troublemakers, so watch yourself."

Nothing beats advice based on experience, Baofu thought. Midsummer Labs has had dealings with the Penguins in the past, and all he can say that he's going to lose a few more hairs the longer he works in tandem with those troublemakers.

So it's understandable when he's slightly miffed when he heard Ren laughing. "What's so funny?"

Ren's laughter died out shortly before he replied. "Nothing. It's just that if you've known me enough, you'd know that I can handle troublemakers well. Zenkichi should be able to attest."

"Heh, that so? Looks to me I have some more work to do after this errand then. Now then, time for me to scram. I'll be seeing you later, Doc."

Ren gave Baofu a nod as the golden dressed man switched gears, but not before saying something first. "You know what, Baofu? I'll help you find out if the 6th member is true or not. What do you say?"

"You really gonna help me out like this, Ren? Alrighty. I'll count on you for that. Maybe if you succeed, we can strike an even fresher deal. What do you say?"

"Deal."

"Perfection. I'll be looking forward to the news then. See you later, Doctor!"

Smiling from head to toe, Baofu closed the window before driving away into downtown, leaving Ren on his lonesome in the mild sea of Lungmenites. With the ornate brick pathway in front of him, Ren decided to go for a walk with his hands in his pockets, partly to check his belongings being just his new phone and old wallet, the latter kept safely by Amiya and thankfully away from Closure, to make sure that they won't randomly fall off. Being an early bird himself out of habit, walking down the park was very refreshing for him.

And the voice that surfaced later on ensured that he had some company, at least.

'How typical of Kal'tsit to not believe anything at face value. I expect no less from the lynx.'

Ren decided to oblige the comment, taking the chance to learn more of his new co-worker. 'Face value? Since she's one of the top brass, and considering how bloody my awakening was, I'd say that she already watched my records, what she's asking for is understandable.'

'While I may be of the same mind as you in this regard, I have every reason to believe that her skepticism regarding your power will not fade so easily. Kal'tsit is not the kind of person to lose interest in what she deems as otherworldly matters.'

'You thinking she might have gotten Philemon to spill the beans?'

A grunt can be heard in Ren's mind in response as he continued his walk 'It may be so. She must have spared no quarter in gathering as much info from him about Personas. Though, whether or not she has deduced that Personas are alien in origin is an entirely different matter.'

Even as a co-worker, Ren can't help but wonder about Kal'tsit's capabilities if she's able to make Philemon tell her about Personas. Then again, Philemon can be loose-lipped when he wants, and based on yesterday, he seems to be greatly experienced when handling her.

Still, that doesn't excuse himself to be lenient. 'Damn, if that's the case, then I don't think anything is going to get past her unless we're extra careful.'

'Yes. Against Kal'tsit, you will need to tread carefully. She will probe you for an opening, then attack when there is a crack. Hence why you must maintain a well guarded demeanor when she aims for whatever secret you have. I'd hate for our association to end early because of her.'

'Got it.'

With the warning given, Ren let out a breath as he continued his walk, now heavy in thought on how to handle Kal'tsit should something important happen. Shadow clearly knows Kal'tsit well enough, so he has to take his word for it. Though, their interactions so far have only been when she came back to Rhodes yesterday, and Shadow looks to have a negative opinion on her. He'll have to form his own stance and opinion on her later on as they interact further. They'll be meeting each other a lot anyway.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by the scent of grilled food assaulting his nose, snapping his head frontward to find a snack stand selling what appears to be balls on a stick. Fish balls?

"Finballs… Get your finballs here…"

'Finballs. Well, pretty sure they're just fish balls. Well, wouldn't hurt to try.'

Cruising towards the finball stand, Ren called out to the stand owner once he's right in front. "Hey, mind if I have some finball sticks? They smell real good from far away."

The street vendor turned to face Ren, and on first glance, the Phantom Thief can tell that the person before led a rough life. His awfully pale complexion, the scars on his fingers, and his jaded expression, not to mention the large knife he held in his hand. His bear ears indicate that he's an Ursus, and his equally jaded eyes looked at him uncomfortably.

"Uhh...sir? Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing. Sorry." Ren was seriously hoping that he didn't notice that he was looking at his scars.

"Oh. I see." And thankfully, he didn't notice. "How many finballs, sir?"

"2 sticks, thank you."

"2 sticks? Well, you're the first guy to come over and buy something today, so how about an early bird offer? 2 for a freebie."

Ren can't deny such a good early bird offer. "I'll take it."

"Alright. Coming right up…"

Getting the affirmation, the street vendor fired up the grill before grabbing 3 prepared finball sticks, seasoning them in salt and pepper before placing them on the grill. For Ren, the smell of the finballs cooked over the charcoal brought about smells reminiscent to the vendors during Spring Festivals back in Japan, and the memories that flooded his head made him smile.

"So, what brings you to Lungmen, sir?"

His memories snapped away when the street vendor questioned him, prompting him to speak. "Just waiting around for a few associates of mine. Said they'll pick me here in Central Park."

"That so? Well, Central Park has always been a popular spot for meet-ups. Who's picking you up?"

A thought crossed Ren at that moment. Would it be fine if he told the street vendor about who he was meeting? Well, he may as well get info about them from another local. "Some folks from Penguin Logistics."

The street vendor raised his head away from the grill to look at Ren. "Oh, you mean those girls?"

"Girls?"

"Yeah. A Sankta, a Lupo, a Forte, and some other girl. You got a request for them or something?"

"Something like that, yeah. Heard they're quite the troublemakers. Is that true?"

The street vendor scratched his head while flipping a stick. "Well, I haven't really seen them much. If anything, they try their best to be good folks here in Lungmen. They do get into trouble, and they get into spats with the L.G.D sometimes, but they're not that much trouble."

"That so. Hum… What of their leader?"

"Leader? You mean the Emperor?"

"Yeah. Him. What do you know about him?"

The street vendor gave Ren a look as if he thought he lived under a rock. Nevertheless, he obliged after a sigh. "Well, he's currently Terra's leading rapper from Colombia. He has his own records company called Monster Siren Records and has a branch here in Lungmen. You can't miss it."

The colorful language he overheard from Amiya may be a hint, but the new info he received from the street vendor just made this situation a bit weird. Why would an equivalent of an American rapper famous all over the globe would need to set up a logistics company in Lungmen? He can understand if he wants to expand his influence further with a new business, clearly drawing a greater success. But, with the rumors of them being troublemakers, it's hard to pinpoint the reasoning. Maybe it's because of how they work?

"I'll keep that in mind." Before the vendor can say anything more, he cut him off. "Before you say anything, let' just say that I'm not that well-versed in Terra's music industry. Plus, this is my first time dealing with Penguin Logistics."

"...Right. By the way, sir, your finballs are ready."

The street vendor took the grilled finballs and placed them on a standard carton snack box for Ren to see. The smell alone was just as good as it was when he first came by. "Want some Szechuan sauce on them, or hoi sin?"

Ren had to note himself, Szechuan and hoi sin sauce exists, and probably any other regional parallels if the Japanese curry and Supremo beans are any indication. "On the light side, thank you."

After a drizzle of Szechuan sauce on his serving of finballs, Ren received the box from the street vendor. "Okay, that'll be 200 LMD for a 2-for-1"

"Alright. Mind holding this for me?"

The street vendor carefully held the box as Ren rummaged around his pocket, pulling out his wallet and taking out 200 LMD for payment, unaware of his inner thoughts regarding gold exchange ratios. "Here you go… What's your name?"

"...Jaye, it's Jaye."

"Jaye. Appreciate it. Name's Ren by the way."

The street vendor Jaye had no idea why this random guy, his name given as Ren, asked for his name. He had to admit that his delivery is as smooth as their trade of money and snack. He also had no idea why he decided to just loiter around in front of his stand instead of going his own way.

"Uh...Ren, was it? Aren't you gonna go find those Penguin Logistic girls?"

Ren looked at Jaye right when he was grabbing a finball stick. "I just wanna stick around for a bit. Been walking for a bit and figured I can take a break."

"If you say so. Long as you don't stick around right in front."

Keeping that in mind, Ren decided to hang by the side of Jaye's stall, much to the latter's minor amusement as he shook his head. Now that he has time for himself, Ren took a bite out of the finballs and…

"Hmm! This tastes real good. I like it."

"Happy you like it."

Ren simply nodded as he ate another finball. "Well, you clearly devoted yourself real well into this. I wouldn't be surprised if your stand is popular."

"Only at rush hours and evenings. Mornings like this are not that much."

"I see. Any regulars?"

"Regulars… Oh. Remember that Forte and Sankta I told you about? Normally they come at mornings for my early bird deals. I dunno how they found out, but-"

"Exusiai! Come on! We're gonna miss the early bird!"

Ren and Jaye's conversation was halted as they looked towards the source of the sound. From a distance, an orange-haired girl with short horns was busy dragging a redhead girl with a halo towards them. And, judging by the redhead's expression of resigned smile, she was dragged by the bull girl against her will.

"...Are they…?"

"Yeah. That's them. My morning regulars, so to speak."

Ren can only nod as the pair of girls ran towards Jaye's stall. By the time they've arrived, the angel girl was breathing heavily while the bull girl still had energy to spare. "Yo, Jaye! Remember me?"

"Uh...Miss Croissant and Miss Exusiai. How can I help you two today?"

"Come on now! Ya know why I keep on comin' to yer place, right? Two finball sticks! You gotta hit me with the early bird this time, I reckon?"

"Sorry. But no early birds as always. Only 2 this time." The mortified look on the bull girl's face was tempting Ren to snicker so hard. Luckily enough, he didn't fall to it.

"Haha. I'm sure you're close this time, Croissant. There's always next time though, right?"

"Exusiai, I've gone and suffered this setback 12 times in a row before. This makes it the 13th time! Can you imagine how sad this makes little ol' me?!"

Once again, the bull girl, Croissant's outburst was tempting him once more to snicker, knowing that he was the one who swiped the early bird promo from under her nose like the thief he is. The angel girl, Exusiai was busy placating her friend as best as she can, all with a cheery smile on her face. Watching the whole situation go down was all too amusing to Ren. He can clearly see why Jaye would call them troublemakers. If they're gonna be like that, Ren would have a hunch he'd get along with them and Penguin Logistics just fine.

After a minute of ranting and placating, thankfully away from the eyes of passersby, Croissant looked towards Jaye with a dejected frown. "Alright… who has gone and stole my early bird from me?"

While flipping 2 finball sticks, Jaye pointed towards Ren who was biting into his second stick, who then abruptly stopped and looked at the vendor with mock indignation. "Oh, so you're gonna sell me out like-"

"You!"

Ren's words were immediately cut off by Croissant, turning his head to find the bull girl pointing towards him with annoyance plastered on her face. "Ya got some nerves robbing my bird away like that! What's the big idea?!"

With such heated accusations, snarky rebuttals are the way to go. "Well, sorry for stealing your bird from under your nose, Miss Croissant. But too bad. Rules say that it's first come first served."

"Why ya selfish jerk! What kind of hog would go and grab 3 sticks for himself?!"

"Hey, you can't blame a visitor's curiosity. Turns out, this is some good stuff!"

"Sure they're tootin' good stuff, but 2 and an extra 1?! At least share us poor girls 1 at least!"

"No."

At this point, Ren was surprised that Exusiai didn't jump in to defuse the situation. That is until he eyed the angel girl behind Croissant and saw her shrugging. Before the bull girl can throw a raging fit his way, it was Jaye who came and saved the day. "Uh… Misses? Your finballs are ready."

Both Ren and Exusiai reflexively sighed at Jaye's call, but Croissant gave Ren the stink-eye which made him snort before she went back to Jaye's stall. When she took the box however, her eyes widened. "Hold up, 3 sticks?! Jaye, you scamp. You shouldn't have~!"

"Call this one stick a bribe. I can't have you driving any potential customers away because of your fits, after all."

"Hah? What in tarnation is that supposed ta mean?!"

Jaye only sighed at her direction, continuing his words. "You also need to pay up as well."

"Fiiiine." With defeat signaled clear, Croissant sighed as she turned towards her angelic friend. "Exusiai! Help a gal out here, would you?"

"Well, I happen to be broke today. So…" Exusiai's lifting of her own pockets made the color drain on Croissant's face.

"Really?! Dammit! I forgot my wallet back at the studio too! What are we gonna do?!"

The situation presented before Ren confused him, seeing both of them in a financial bind even though they're from an apparently famous logistics company. Though, this gave him an opportunity to get into their good graces. "Jaye. 200 for 3 like mine, no?"

Both Penguin girls and Jaye stared at Ren as he finished his second stick and pushing it back to the box. Jaye was quicker on the uptake however, and smiled. "You're gonna pay for them, Ren?"

"Yeah. Hold this for me." With his box in Jaye's hands, Ren pulled out his wallet and handed 200 LMD to the vendor, unaware of how the Penguin girls stared at him as he did so. As soon as he got his box back, he shifted away to Croissant's side.

"Hey… Aren't you the-"

Croissant's words are now cut off by Ren instead, and she didn't appreciate it at all. "Now, Jaye! I think it's best I take these girls away with me so they won't obstruct your business any further! See you later?"

"Alright. Good luck, and thanks for the business."

As they nodded their goodbyes, Ren grabbed both Exusiai and Croissant's hands and dragged them away from the vicinity of Jaye's finball stand. Exusiai's lofty words and Croissant's complaints were hushed out as he walked towards the fountain center. Only there did he stop and turn around, and Croissant already opened her mouth.

"Okay! We're finally here, and thankfully enough, we don't have to run all the way! By the way, thanks for savin' our hides back there! I know Jaye is a good guy and all, but there's something 'bout how he holds his knife that scares me!"

"Can't have my newest associates get into trouble at our first meeting, after all. Emperor sent you to get me?"

"Yep!" Exusiai responded with a nod. "Guessing this means you're the Doctor? Emperor really wasn't joking about the frizzy hair, huh? You look cool though!"

"Uh-huh, and you lookin' purdy fine with that sportswear! Thought you'd look a lot more official-like!"

"Not sure if I should feel happy or concerned, but thanks. Also, I'm donning this look so I won't look suspicious to the cops. You girls know what I'm here for, right?"

"Uh-huh! You're here looking for them unsavory types down there!" Croissant gave Ren a thumbs up before grabbing a cellphone from her pocket. "Lemme just dial up Boss here for a bit…"

While the bull girl was busy contacting her boss, Ren decided to eye the girls for a bit. Croissant was dressed in short hot jeans and a tube top that shows her midriff, with a leather coat covering her body with the logo of what he assumes to be Penguin Logistics' own. Exusiai in the meantime covers up so much more with a white zipped jacket with black sleeves, a grayish skirt, and stockings. Croissant is clearly the louder one of the two if their earlier banter is any indication along with her southern American accent. Exusiai looks to be the cheery one, having the air of an optimist and always happy to defuse situations when needed.

In fact, said girl was staring at him with a smile while Ren himself stared at her. "Hmm? What's up, Doctor?"

Ren himself adopted his own smile towards the angel girl. "Nothing, Exusiai...was it? I just wanna know what my future co-workers look like, is all."

"Haha. In that case, while Croissant here's busy calling up our boss here, why don't you ask me stuff about our company? Always happy to help!"

Once again, Ren can't pass off the chance to fish for info. "Well, hope I'm not burdening you too much then. Mind if I ask you about your members?"

"Oh? Which one? Barring our boss, there's around 4 of us active!"

"Hmm…" Ren was questioning Exusiai with Baofu's rumor in mind. Seeing her mention 4 members, Emperor excluded, means he has to inch slowly. "Give me a quick overview then, of each of you guys."

"Of course! One crash course of Penguin Logistics personnel, for your viewing pleasure!"

Ren soon prepared himself to listen to Exusiai as if he's listening to a lecture. With someone as upbeat as Exusiai drilling him, it should be easy to understand. Now that he's prepared and nodded, Exusiai raised a finger.

"Okay, so member 1! That's me, Exusiai, expert at covert operations and taking point whenever necessary! If you love guns, you get extra friendship points from me since I also love guns! If you love apple pie as well, then you're officially one of my best pals! If you want someone to guide you throughout Lungmen, I'm your girl. Also, good on you to pronounce my name ending with an -i instead of a -yey! I get people mistaking them at times, and it sucks, you know?"

Ren can't help but chuckle at how Exusiai went and stated her beloved things and food, as well as how she vented about name pronunciations. Something he sadly can't relate to "Then you and I will get along just fine, Exusiai. I may be neutral to apple pie, but I can appreciate firearms at its finest. I myself fancy pistols for use. I'll keep you in mind when I want a tour guide."

Exusiai's eyes shone and twinkled when Ren mentioned his pistol. "Ooh! Extra points for you, Doc! What kind of gun is it?! Can I see it?!"

"Hahaha. Well, I don't have it on me, so I can't show it. Besides, don't we have more important things to talk about? I'll see if I can show you my gun next time."

"It's a promise, Doc!" Exusiai nodded enthusiastically before pointing towards the frantic Croissant. "Next is member number 2, Croissant! You can probably tell she's the rowdy type based on your earlier spats, but she honestly means well! She's our company's guard, and she's very strong to boot! She's also got tricks for the trade, and I can safely say she won't bamboozle you for anything, if you don't get into her bad side at least!"

Ren looked at Croissant with interest. He didn't think that Croissant had a knack for business, and he certainly wants to know more about that aspect later on. For now… "And how strong is she?"

"Well, she normally carries a shield and hammer. When she whirls that hammer around, any poor guy caught in the swing is blown away! Let me tell you. Even by Forte standards, she's very strong!"

Ren made a mental note to not piss Croissant while she has her hammer without having a Persona like Shiva or Fafnir on board. With that in mind, the Doctor can only muster a wry smile. "Alright then. No pissing off Croissant on duty then. What of the remaining two?"

The ever so smiley Exusiai was happy to oblige. "That's easy! Member number 3 is-"

"Dooooc! Boss wants to talk to ya!"

Both the angel and human looked at Croissant who's waving at them phone in hand, before sighing together. "Looks like our crash course is brought to an abrupt end, Doctor!"

"Well, at least this means I'll be meeting your other two members soon enough. Come on."

The two met up with Croissant afterward, with Ren taking her smartphone and receiving the person on the other line. "Hello? Emperor?"

The voice that greeted Ren back was on the deep baritone side. "Ya damn well it is, Doctor. I ain't gonna waste any more money on Croissant's phone credit, so I'll cut it short and sweet. First of all, you have my thanks for saving my girls' sorry asses. Can't believe they made a racket so early in the morning."

"If anything, that racket helped me get to know your girls better, so there's that consolation. You wanted something, Emperor?"

"I want something? Normally I'd greet ya at home base, but right now I'm stuck here producing glory in the works. I want you to get your ass over to the MSR branch with my girls, and we can talk business there, capische?"

Ren looked towards Exusiai and Croissant before responding. "Alright, I'll be borrowing your girls for guides then."

"Church. And get over here quick. I'm a busy bird and the world ain't giving me enough time."

What Ren heard afterward was beeping, prompting him to end the call and give the phone back to Croissant. "Well, I'm gonna need you girls' help. Emperor told me to go the Monster Siren Records branch here and I don't have a ride."

A smirk can be seen on Croissant's face. "Really now? Well, yer in luck! Our ride's right by the southern exit!"

"There's a catch though, Doctor. Buuut, why don't you just see for yourself~?"

"Heh, lead the way then, girls."

Guided by the Penguin Logistics girls, Ren ran with them towards the southern exit. When he looked around, turns out this was the same place where Baofu dropped him off. Parked near the sidewalk were two bikes that have definitely seen use. Ren can fashion a guess…

"Here's our rides! Our own two bikes!"

"And no rides for ye. So, who do ya fancy being your riding buddy, Doctor?"

And his guess proved to be correct, and it made him smirk. "Thought this would happen, and frankly I already know who I wanna ride with."

The angel and bull girl looked at Ren with curiosity and anticipation, and the Doctor didn't keep them waiting. "I'll go with Exusiai, but she has to take backseat."

The winner of the choice jumped for joy. "Alright! I get to ride with the Dr. Ren!"

The loser however stared at Ren as if her confession got rejected. "Now that ain't fair at all, Dr. Ren! You're not picking this hearty gal AND she gets backseat too?! I smell preferential treatment round these parts!"

"Please, Exusiai looked far more pooped than you, especially when you're busy dragging her to get Jaye's early bird."

"Ya know, I'm still sour over yer theft. Ya did pay for us earlier, so…" Croissant can only sigh, unable to raise any further arguments. "Fine, just hope ya can keep up me. I'm hearty and speedy!"

"Deal."

Croissant proceeded to get on her bike, while Ren got on Exusiai's, with the angel girl herself on the backseat. Any juvenile not worth their salt would be going nuts over such an experience, and Ren is definitely old enough to remain composed. In fact, he took the experience with stride.

"Gotta say, Doctor. We've never really seen you ride a bike, yet you're so confident facing Croissant on a bike. You're not gonna keel over or something?"

"Let's just say I'm full of surprises. This might be one of them."

"Might, huh? Well, okay! I'm ready to be surprised!"

Ren is starting to think that Exusiai's upbeat nature is infectious. The more they interact, the more he feels like smiling. Smiling as healthier than frowning anyway, so he may as well give in. Croissant already guided her bike in front of Ren and looked back. "Ready to ride, Dr. Ren? Maybe I oughta slow down for ya!"

"If anything, I dare you to go fast. I ain't taking that jab lying down."

"Haha! Between you, me, and Exia here, I think we're gonna be best pals! Giddy up!"

With the two all up and ready, the group of three took to the streets, cycling at great speed akin of road racers as they made for Monster Siren Records. Ren can safely say that both Exusiai and Croissant are good noodles in his book. And to be honest? He's eager to meet the other two active members of this unorthodox logistics company and strike a partnership. He didn't forget about his initial goal, however, and Penguins Logistics will be a great aid to that cause.

Speaking of that goal, how are Morgana and Kevin doing on their end? Also, Exia? Is that supposed to be Exusiai's nickname?

- Take Your Time -

8:47 A.M / Sunny

Lungmen Slums

The Lungmen Slums.

Hailing from Ursus, Kevin never really knew how it felt to live in the slums of some great city, or if he even remembered how. He is however, well acquainted with whatever bullshit that comes with being Infected living on the backwater. The mistreatment, the racism, the ostracizing demeanor, and anything else bad that adds to that pile. While he may not look it, but he is not the type to simply accept every bad thing like a good boy. He tends to get into fights often because of said refusal to accept his conditions.

Reunion is pretty much the same for him. Back before Reunion went off the deep end, he was comfortable enough tussling with the Ursus officials as a freedom fighter, giving them arrogant saps a good one-two and make them bleed. Being able to actually fight back against the oppressors for very good reason is what made Reunion so satisfying to be in. The people in the organization weren't so bad as well, and he mostly stuck with the Yeti Squadron while he crafted his own jetpack from scratch. Their leader, Yelena, was also kind enough to teach him some frost Arts. While he didn't reach the level of firing spikes of ice to impale his enemies, at least it's enough to keep drinks cold for others.

Of course, all that went up in smoke the moment Reunion went from a ragtag group of freedom fighters to a full-blown terrorist group. While he's not against fighting against oppressive officials, it's a different case if he's supposed to kill the innocent like a bunch of madmen, even if the civilians dislike Infected. Thinking back, when he saw those Ursus girls being all bloodied and the behavior of his former squadmates, he made the right call to bail as soon as those crazy fucks got what was coming for them. And frankly, he was hoping more are willing to bail out like Faust and Crownslayer's group, Yeti Squadron especially.

Now he's in Rhodes Island, the organization that touched blows with Reunion and pretty much became foes overnight. His first mission? Find any traces and signs of his former organization here in a city he has never been to before. The briefing he got from that hardass instructor was clear enough. He has to pose as a refugee from Chernobog, gain entry in Lungmen through the Quarantine Zone without causing trouble, and find any traces of Reunion activity in the city. It was stuffy having to stand in a long line of refugees, and he only managed to arrive at the Quarantine Zone at evening. It didn't help the police in charge was an equally hardass person, but at least he made it through. As an Infected, he was transported to the slums in an armed jeep along with a fellow group of Infected. Night had fallen when he arrived, so the first thing he did was find a place to sleep once he parted with the other refugees.

With morning greeting him with its shining rays of sunshine, the former Reunion Airborne Soldier spread his arms wide when he rose from his slumber. Watching over him as he got over his body lag was a black collared cat. Someone he knew well from Chernobog.

"Morning, Kevin. Had a good sleep?"

Kevin repeatedly blinked at Morgana as he tried to get his bearings together. To be honest, he was happy he didn't have to go at this alone, and he was doing this with someone he's friends with. How he managed to get in was easy enough. The police officials were lenient enough to let him bring his pet cat along for the ride to the slums, on the condition that his pet doesn't cause a fuss during transport. Knowing Morgana, who is capable of acting like a prim and proper nobleman, the police officer may as well said nothing.

"Urrmh. Like I'm lying on shattered concrete. Could be worse."

Kevin looked back at where he slept, which is literally rubble out of concrete, cement, or whatever construction material that made the building they took refuge in. The Lungmen slums are as dilapidated as he and Morgana expected, while somewhat crowded in some parts. To avoid attention as best as possible, both Kevin and Morgana made camp at an abandoned building yesterday, which is where they're staying now.

Kevin himself was dressed for the occasion as a refugee from Chernobog. With how Reunion members are now easily classified with their white attires, going with his usual attire back in his Reunion days would be too risky. Such is why he is now wearing a brown cloak covering his black vest and white shirt, along with a tattered pair of brown khakis and boots. His face is also not covered by his mask anymore, fully revealing his moderately young and somewhat rugged looks.

Time passed as they shared the snacks they brought with them on the trip. Kevin may not a picky person when it came to food, but Morgana was a cat with a refined palate, refusing to eat anything that isn't high quality. It's a good thing he's willing to settle with grilled tuna chips, and he shared it with him every now and then. Lada actually wanted to cook something for the ex-Reunion member when news of the operation came out, but he respectfully declined her offer after much reasoning. What a thoughtful girl.

"Mhrmh… Pass me the water, please."

"Coming right up."

Opening his thermos, Kevin poured water into the hollow side of the cap for Morgana to drink. It was big enough to be a cup anyway. "Aaaah… Nothing beats a cold drink for every morning! So, ready for work?"

"Hold up. We gotta look at the map first."

With his large backpack sitting right where he was sleeping, Kevin rummaged through the insides, eventually pulling out a tablet as Morgana walked closer to him.

"What's that tablet for?"

"Well, they said this tablet contains a very thorough map of Lungmen. Hold up.

Kevin was not much of a techie, but he knew well enough to power up a tablet or a smartphone by pressing the power button long enough. Once it's lit up and running, he did a few taps on the tablet on where he thought is required, and an entire map of Lungmen is ready for them to view on the screen, delivered in 3D fashion. Looking over at his cat companion, he can see that he was amazed by what he's seeing. And frankly? He felt the same way.

"Woah… I've never seen a map like this before!"

"Me as well. Granted, we never had this much high tech stuff back at Reunion. Most of what we have are storage devices, and they tend to malfunction if they're battered too hard."

"Physical damage is the bane of any technology, really. Anyway, where do you think Reunion would make their entry in Lungmen, Kevin?"

Kevin took a look at the 3D map of Lungmen provided on the tablet. He had no idea how Rhodes Island is capable of creating such a thorough holographic map, down to the districts and lower sectors of the mobile city. If being at Reunion taught him anything, however, he's not going to ask about ambiguous sources, unless their cause will be undermined in the long run. The higher-ups were also kind enough of him to provide intel on city layouts and where the LGD are mostly stationed.

If last night's ruckus was any indication, the LGD would most likely increase security around the Quarantine Zones, which is currently the main entryway into Lungmen. Any terrorist worth their salt wouldn't dare to infiltrate through the quarantine zones with that in mind. The docks are also a no show because of the close proximity to the Quarantine Zone. The last place he checked is the western entrance which is in close proximity to the slums.

"They probably will enter through here."

Morgana peeked in to look at where Kevin is pointing, which is the western entrance of Lungmen. "Hmm… That honestly looks like a good bet, since it's close to the Infected slums, but how do you think they'll get in?"

"Maybe their entry ramp would be open as well? Security there is definitely far more slack compared to the eastern side."

Morgana shook his head. "While that would work, I'm sure there's still some security there. Knowing the LGD's competence, they'd run thorough checks and they'd probably be detained for questioning. Besides, we don't even know whether the western ramp is open or not. Is there some other way?"

Kevin looked back at the map once more, trying to find a plausible way for Reunion to infiltrate Lungmen other than the entry ramps and docks. He decided to zoom in to the area around the western side and rotate the 3D map, tapping on any plausible entry point. It did get complicated and confusing as he checked the inside workings of the mobile city.

When he looked at the sewage lines, a bright bulb went in his head.

"Morgana, I think I have an idea on how they can infiltrate Lungmen."

"Let's hear it then."

Kevin pointed towards the sewage lines that is currently zoomed in, and Morgana was visibly confused. "The sewage line? That's honestly a very good idea, considering the altitude. But, I don't really see how they'll…" Morgana went silent until something clicked in his head as he stared at the Ursus. "Reunion has an airborne division."

Kevin nodded in response. "Yeah. The airborne division most likely will be the infiltrators this time around. The problem is that which ones are invading." Kevin raised both his fingers as a count. "Reunion has two airborne assault divisions: Skull Shatterer's Darkclaw Airbornes and Patriot's Guerrilla Siegebreakers. My bet is on Skull Shatterer though since I doubt Patriot would want to send his elites out against us when Chernobog is still suffering from the aftermath. The Darkclaws are mostly meant for recon anyway."

Morgana nodded at the admission. "And I'm guessing you used to be part of the Darkclaw Airbornes?"

"Hm. Skull Shatterer was a good leader for us, but he can be a bit wired out at times. Eventually, us Airborne soldiers ended up being scattered about most of the time until it's time for another operation where we gather together once more."

"I see. How high do you think your jetpacks can carry you?"

"Honestly? For makeshift jetpacks, we can fly pretty well and fly long enough for an hour before it's time to refuel at most, provided we have no malfunctions. Plus, last I remembered back at Chernobog, the military bases had high grade jetpacks. They probably looted them afterward."

Morgana went silent for a bit as Kevin checked the route of the sewage pipelines. The sewage pipeline began at the lower level, and is practically a sprawling maze filled with ladders leading to the surface. Not to mention the stink and whatever waste is left down there. One of the ladders led to the southeastern corner of the slums, and if Reunion wanted to set up a forward base, that corner is his best bet.

The ex-Airborne Soldier wanted to call for Morgana, until he noticed the serious expression Morgana is wearing. He had no idea what Morgana is thinking of, but he's a smart cat. He's sure he's deliberating over whatever hypothesis he dished out as someone who once worked for their enemy. The only problem is whether Reunion actually acted swiftly in this regard. Any organization has to reconsolidate themselves after invading a town like that.

"If Reunion did go for the sewage pipes, where do you think they'll end up?"

"Here. I'll show you."

Morgana leapt to Kevin's side as he zoomed into the sewage lines. Luckily enough, the map viewer came equipped with drawing tools which he used to draw the possible route leading to the ladder toward the corner of the slums. Morgana attentively looked at the destination that Kevin drew up in deep thought, ending towards a ladder marked by a wide circle.

"The southeastern corner, huh? You're the best we've got when figuring out Reunion modus operandi, so I'll trust you on this. Wanna check it out?"

"Yeah, let's go."

After sorting out his belongings, Kevin slowly rose up, back pack in tow, and he found Morgana staring at him in discomfort. "For the record, do I have to get back in there? I don't like how stuffy your bag is."

"No need, Morgana. We're basically in the clear now. We can walk together."

Morgana let out a sigh, much to Kevin's limited amusement as they headed out of their temporary spot. The sun's rays shone on the narrow pathways of the slums as many people are on and about as morning dawned in. As the Ursus lowered his cloak, both Rhodes Islanders are aware that the slums are meant for the poor and the Infected, and the evidence is clear with most, if not all people they encounter wore clothes that border on rags, and how they can see black crystals growing out of their bodies on some of the slum residents.

Nevertheless, despite their conditions, the people didn't look sad or depressed in anyway. Of course, there were exceptions, but they continued on their lives as best as they can. People conversed, ate together, sold whatever wares they had, leading to a somewhat bustling atmosphere. There are even some children running about, playing tag without a care in the world. Kevin had to admit that the sight warmed him somewhat, seeing the Infected slum residents seemingly live out normal lives. The fact that they're Infected however is not lost on them, however. Who even knows how much hatred they kept in their hearts for the people outside?

"...By the way, did you remember the way to the corner of the slums, Morgana?"

Morgana responded with a shake of his head. Kevin can understand how he responded since in public, Morgana has to act like a normal cat. The problem is that Kevin himself didn't remember the way to the corner of the slums, and he'd call people insane if he's supposed to memorize a map as intricate as that, especially since the slums are a maze in itself.

"Shoot. Guess we gotta ask the locals then. Let's see…"

Kevin looked around as he surveyed his surroundings as he tried to find a local who won't shoot him down so easily when he asked. As he looked around, he felt something tugging on his cloak from behind. That was when he saw a child staring at him with curiosity, and he was pointing towards Morgana of all people.

"Mister? Is that cat yours?"

Kevin was admittedly taken aback for a few seconds from such a random question, much more from a random kid out of nowhere. He saw no harm in replying though. "Yeah. He's mine. You wanna pet him or something?"

The kid's eyes immediately lit up. "Oh! Can I, mister?! I wanna pet him, yes!"

Kevin looked at Morgana, and he was met with a look of confusion. There was opportunity in this, however, and he took it. "Yeah, you can pet my cat, only for a bit though."

A child's cheers of joy drowned out the sighs of a cat as said cat ended up being petted by said child. Kevin himself had to chuckle, because he was sure Morgana didn't like this development. He crouched down to the kid's height and watched him pet Morgana with glee, while the cat was in displeasure.

"Say, why did you get my attention anyway? Didn't anyone teach you not to randomly talk to strangers?"

The kid replied in a happy tone. "Well, big sister taught me that, but you don't seem that bad, Mister! After all, I get to pet your cat!" Kevin lifted an eyebrow at the mention of his big sister. If that's so, then this kid's older sister clearly didn't teach him hard enough.

"Right… Anyway, what's your name, kid?"

"My name's Pedro!"

Pedro. Kevin can only guess that he hailed from Siracusa. "Okay, Pedro. So, listen. Can I ask you something? I gotta go somewhere in the slums and I'm not really familiar around here."

"Oh? Are you new around here, Mister?" Pedro was still petting and scratching Morgana, all in the good spots if the cat's dreamy expression is worth anything.

"Yep. Figured I'd tour myself around the slums. Say, kid, do you know anything about the southeastern area?"

The stare he received from Pedro afterward gave the impression that he looks confused. "The southeastern area? That's where the junkyard is, and I heard there are some bad guys living there! Why do you want to go there?"

"Well, I did say I wanna tour myself, and that means going the full area of the slums." Pedro stopped petting Morgana and looked at Kevin with worry, which prompted the Ursus man to console him. "Ah, but you don't gotta worry, Pedro. I may not look it, but I'm a toughie, and so is my cat. Smart too."

Pedro's stare softened somewhat, and finally he smiled again. "Oooh! Really? You must be really strong then, Mister! I'm sure you can beat up any bad guy that shows up there!" Kevin let out an awkward chuckle at that, knowing that he'll end up having his ass saved by Morgana instead.

"Anyway. Can you help me out then, Pedro? All you gotta do is point out where to go."

"Sure!"

Under Pedro's directions, Kevin noted down all that he said into his mind. Turns out, their destination is not that far if the kid's words were any indication. All it takes is 5 minutes going straight while taking a few lefts down the road, and they should arrive swiftly. The ex-Airborne Soldier honestly preferred more detailed instructions, but again, Pedro's a kid!"

"Thanks a lot, kid. I'll be going now. You go and run along, okay?"

"Hmm! Stay safe, Mr. Kevin! And thanks again!"

Seeing Pedro run off into the distance left Kevin with a wry smile. It's a shame such an innocent kid will soon be drawn into their conflicts, and he honestly didn't want to see the kid, or any kid suffer. A sense of caring is a good motivator, he thought. Now he's driven to try harder in his mission.

"Meew…. Nyeew….Mrreow!"

A swift carry on the torso was enough to snap Morgana out of his stupor as Kevin brought him back to the ground. The feline looked at him in annoyance, and he can only sigh. How good was Pedro anyway in tending to cats?

"I know you're feeling good earlier, Morgana. But really, you're practically deflating. We still got things to do, you know?"

Morgana can only sigh at Kevin's reasoning, clearly realizing that he let his guard down too hard. Kevin himself was pleased that he got his bearings back. Now that everything is settled, the duo continued their trip to the southeastern corner, encountering more residents along the way just going about their day. The number of residents they encountered decreased the further they went east, however. Both Kevin and Morgana saw that as a sign that they're getting close. Pedro did say that there are bad guys living at the junkyard there, and knowing Infected thugs, Reunion will most likely corral them to their side, and conscript them into being their Junkmen.

After who knows how many minutes, a fenced gate of criss-crossing metal can be seen in the distance. If the mountains of scrap beyond it was any indication, it was clear that they have reached their destination.

"So this is the slum junkyard, huh? Well, definitely fits the description."

Kevin wasn't surprised to hear Morgana speak up. There's nobody in their vicinity after all. "Yeah. What are we going to do now?"

"What are we gonna do? Well, of course we gotta secure an infiltration route! We've already found Reunion's potential front base, so all we gotta do now is scout it out! It's even better since there's no one guarding the entrance!"

Kevin was all in to infiltrate the junkyard to see if Reunion actually managed to set up camp with seemingly low defenses. But… "While I very much want to do that, call me a coward or anything, but I want to stay here and remain on guard duty. You know how I used to be in the Darkclaw Division, and I know a few over there. We go in there together, and they'll notice me on the spot and it'll be hard for me to get out once I'm roped in."

Morgana stared at Kevin for a bit, and the latter had no idea what the cat is thinking. Maybe he's thinking that he has a point, or maybe he really thinks he's a coward. The cat proceeded to smirk however, much to the young man's confusion.

"Well, you do make a point. If you're gonna be here standing guard, then I hope you can do well, Kevin. As for me…" Morgana stretched his legs and let out a sigh. "I think it's time I really show my stuff! Been a while since I flew solo."

Kevin had to lift an eyebrow at that comment? "Been a while? You mean this wasn't the first time doing these kinds of stunts?"

"Hey, life at St. Peterheim was brutal, you know? Compared to rabid students fighting for food, a bunch of goons that won't eat me on sight is no big deal!"

Kevin's expression soured as St. Peterheim was mentioned. The rumors he heard back in Reunion and the state of the Ursus girls when he first met them was a cruel reminder of the atrocities that he supported, indirectly or not. Morgana noticed quickly and backpedaled. "Oh, sorry. Was that a sour subject?"

"Yes. But no need to say sorry, Morgana. That's all behind me, and now I'm here to stop whatever they're planning with you guys."

"That's the spirit. Keep a lookout for any Reunion soldiers that pass by, okay? I'm going in!"

"Good luck."

With Kevin's blessings, Morgana ran towards the fenced gate, climbing over it and making his entry. The Ursus meanwhile made himself comfortable, secluding himself behind a dark alley as a recon point which allowed him to look towards the junkyard and the path leading there. In his years as an Airborne Soldier, scouting areas has always been his specialty, especially with his jetpack giving him an eagle's eye view. He doesn't do grounded scouting as well as aerial scouting, but he gets the job done.

Still, now that he actually made himself comfortable in his spot, the prime problem for everyone standing guard. That being boredom. Luckily enough, Kevin still has plenty of snacks in his backpack, and now he's busy munching on a Golden Lord chocolate bar. It actually doesn't taste bad, and the addition of cashews gave an extra crunch. The comfortable position also allowed him to think hard on the condition of the junkyard. Places with mountains of scrap metal are practical gold mines for the Darkclaw Division members who built their own jetpacks. He's certain that some ditched them for official military jetpacks, but he remembered that some treat their jetpacks as if they're their prized creation.

Moreover, he's concerned over how there are no guards stationed over at the junkyard. Reunion has always placed guards over their outposts and bases, no matter how small the group. Has Reunion not reached Reunion yet? Intel did say that they were planning to attack Lungmen, but it didn't specify when. Did he actually guess wrong and they'd have the balls to march through the Quarantine Zone like the refugees? That'd be impossible! The anxiety over how they'd recon mission would end up yielding nothing was slowly eating at him.

"No...no. Gotta calm down, Kevin. Even if Reunion wasn't around the junkyard, that must mean that Reunion hasn't reached Lungmen yet. Either that, or… son of a!"

Letting out a loud groan of frustration, Kevin decided to quell his anxiety by doing another sweep from his hiding spot. The junkyard, once more , is devoid of guards. On the other side…

"...No fucking way."

A blue haired person wearing a white coat is approaching, playing with his yo-yo as he walked. Only one person could match the description from Reunion, but to avoid jumping to conclusions, Kevin hid away and waited for the time to literally jump him from his spot. The sounds of his humming indicated that he's unaware of what will happen to him, which is perfect. As soon as he crossed his spot, he pulled him in and restrained the incoming person, locking his right arm around his stomach while his left arm covered his mouth. The man in question struggled against him while making muffled sounds, but Kevin's Ursus constitution helped immensely in keeping him restrained.

"Keep it down, damn you! I don't want to get in trouble because of this!"

The restrained man's struggle died down quick the moment he heard Kevin's words, along with whatever words he's sputtering about. Kevin took it as a sign to remove his left arm from his mouth.

"Pah! I dunno why I'm treated like this so early in the morning, but talk about a surprise! Kevin, is that you I'm seeing?"

"Heh, could say the same for you, honestly. Is this really you, Ethan?"

The Savra in question stared up at Kevin from behind, eyes widening from the sight of his friend. "Huh! Well, I'll be. I never thought I'd bump into you here! Mind letting me go? That low-key strength of yours really hurts!"

Kevin abided to his friend's wishes as he let his Savra friend go from his clutches, allowing him to sigh in relief. He honestly didn't expect Ethan of all people to be here in Lungmen, and he's actually happy to see him here. The gray chameleon Savra in front of him was one of his best pals back in Reunion, always playing with his yo-yo and sharing stories of how people play hide n' seek with him, all of which end up being so predictable, yet so hilarious every time.

However, Ethan's presence basically confirmed Reunion's own presence within Lungmen, and that made Kevin raise his guard. Ethan is less impulsive than him when going with their own wishes, and he certainly wouldn't come here alone when order is returning in Reunion ranks. The only plausible conclusion is that the intel Rhodes Island acquired was correct, and now is his prime chance to ask about the enemy. He hated dubbing Ethan as an enemy and acting so guarded around him, but he's a man on a mission.

"Okay, as much as I want to catch up with you right now, I gotta ask how the hell you got here in the first place."

Ethan in the meantime decided to sit on the other side of the alley before replying. "Well, you can thank Skull Shatterer's guys. They got sent here to set up a home base and with all their talk of invading, I really don't want to take part in it. Still, the bigger mystery is how you ended up here, buddy."

Kevin didn't appreciate being put on the spot just like that, and he frowned in displeasure. "Let's just say that I got a bunch of new friends to help me get here. Very good friends, I assure you."

"Friends, huh? Say, those friends of yours wouldn't happen to be Rhodes Island, wouldn't they?"

Kevin immediately glowered when he heard the question. The menacing expression he had was a quick signal for Ethan to run damage control. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! I'm not asking you that just so we can bring you back to Reunion, Kevin! If anything, I want YOU to bring ME over to Rhodes instead!"

Kevin's sheer apprehension soon shifted into confusion at the confession. "Wait, you want me to get you out of Reunion? Why?" Ethan proceeded to frown at the question.

"If your hunch is the same as mine when you bailed out, then we both know that Reunion is gonna go under with how they're acting. I remember you telling me stories about Reunion was a bunch of freedom fighters back in the day. Freedom fighters certainly doesn't fit the description with them today."

"Yep. I know better than to end up being a terrorist."

Kevin had to agree with his friend here. He saw the signs of Reunion shifting to the bad end during the Chernobog invasion. Seeing Zima's girls being treated like trash and Morgana being tortured was just the nail to the coffin. He had no idea what Ethan was thinking when he made his mind up, but at least he's on his side now.

There was one issue with Ethan's timing though. "Hold up. Wouldn't you get into trouble for deserting? Skull Shatterer would blow a gasket if he found out."

"Haha. At this point, who cares if he did blow up in anger? Reunion's abuzz about your new boss being a Demon Lord and all that, especially since he kicked Talulah's ass." Ethan proceeded to shrug. "I didn't even get to do anything there as a Wraith and killing innocent folk ain't the kind of gig I signed up for!"

The Ursus had to facepalm at the comment. Even now, Ethan was still as nonchalant as ever. "Okay, fine. How about me, then? What did the folks over at Reunion say about me?"

"The Darkclaws did a headcount over their numbers, and they dubbed you MIA. Others thought you're KIA instead."

"Fantastic. Means I'm off their tracks for good. So, since you're officially a deserter, what are we gonna do now? You definitely got your own help, and I doubt Skull Shatterer would help out betrayers with how zealous he is."

To that question, Ethan smirked. "Believe it or not, someone from the Sarkaz merc compound helped me out. She even offered to help me out just for a drink!"

"Wait. She?" Kevin didn't personally know any female mercenaries back in Reunion, much less Sarkaz, but one person came to mind, and a look of disbelief was on him. "No. No way, you didn't actually ask her for help and got away for essentially free, did you?"

"Hee hee. I can hardly believe it myself when I asked! Yep! I asked-"

"W. Bomber merc extraordinaire. I'm so happy you're putting me in such a good light, Ethan~"

A voice rang out from out the alley, along with the growls and mewls of a struggling cat. Both Kevin and Ethan looked towards the direction of the feminine voice, and Kevin reflexively stood up once he realized what the silhouette was holding. Once the cat saw him, he stopped all resistance, looking utterly defeated.

"By the way, I gotta say that this cat really has a lot of spunk, snooping around like that. Too bad I have my way to handle good cats like these. Is this cat yours, Ke-vin~?"

W smiled sweetly as she spoke out towards the Rhodes Islander of the group, and he was utterly flabbergasted at the situation he's in. Kevin looked back at Ethan, who smiled and nodded with glee. There can be no doubt. W was the person that Ethan asked to smuggle him out.

And there are only four words he can dish out to him which perfectly describes his annoyance and disbelief.

"What the fuck, man?!"

Patchworking!

- Reworked Jack Frost and Walter's resistances and skill sets. Yep. If you've seen the elements written down, I'm reworking the system!

- Structured out a new elemental list that will be used in this fanfic onward!

Elemental list:

- Fire

- Water

- Lightning

- Wind

- Earth

- Light

- Dark

- Psychokinesis

- Almighty

(Ice is just frozen water, and those who resist nuke also resist fire, lightning, and earth by default.)

Review Reading!

MEleeSmasher: Well, perhaps not, especially after the massive stunt he did. Also, I hope you don't mean what I think you mean when you want to "Persona Ch'en off."

KwehViola: Hahaha. Probably! Perhaps when we get someone from Gaul!

nguyenan828: Starset, and a whole lot more from other franchises!

: Well, I'll admit that how I create Personas is based on what is going on in my head. You can be assured though. Some Personas you'll see later on can be quite outlandish in my head!

nahariyanash: Hopefully! Happy to entertain!

xplayacx3: Professional? Heh, I'm just some guy who's a writer for fun!

6 months. 6 months ever since my last chapter. I feel so sad for not being faster.

Hello, to you all, my dear readers. For starters, I'm deeply sorry for the doubly slow progress of this chapter compared to my newest one. University has pretty much prevented me from writing my new chapter for most of the time, though this time I'm having a way happier time now, and I grew to enjoy it. On top of the planning done for this chapter, my laptop has grown old and rickety. It ended up kicking the bucket 1.5 months ago and practically lost everything. My documents, my pictures, my games, everything. Imagine my terror when I realized that I didn't back my shit up! I very much wanted to cry.

I only managed to get my laptop good as new a few weeks ago, but that is also the time when exams rolled around. I can safely and confidently say that whoever gave the idea to write scientific articles for 3 subjects in 2 consecutive days should rot in the depths. Only after it was done and after a week long break, I resumed my work. Since I lost all data, I had to rewrite this whole chapter from scratch. After much writing, discussions, consultations, and trying to nail characterizations, my new chapter is now done for you to read. Thank goodness.

By this point, I'm pretty sure the quality of my writing has decreased, but as always, I leave the judgement of my work to you folks. And damn. Arknights has really progressed by a damn ton. By the time I publish this, it's gonna be 20 minutes away from coming to Kjerag. Also, English VAs! Now the R6 crew will no longer be singled out! Who are you most excited for?

If you've still stuck with me for so long, then I thank you deeply for your patience. The day I'll stop writing this is when I complete this, or when I die, and I don't even remember if I've said this already. I have many plans regarding this fic, and I haven't even touched chapter 4 and the Side Stories yet! I'm unsure if my next chapter will be published faster than this one, but I can assure that I'll maintain the quality as best as I can. I'll also do some background QoL and system changes too!

To end it off, I seek consul from you readers. Regarding 2-2, I'll admit that the timing of this is honestly pretty bad on my part, but I'm lost on how to approach this. A friend of mind recommended I scrap this whole chapter, and add bits and pieces of the exposition Philemon dished out in previous and later chapters. I agree with this, but I want to ask this to you, my readers. Should I follow through, or keep the chapter as is?

Leave your reviews and whatever questions you have about my fanfic right in the reviews section! And always remember!

Take your time.

May Kjeragandr bless you.