Russia Branch – Veteran's Floor

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Neo's eyes moved, centimeter by centimeter, following the rotating hands of the clock on the wall. Bugarally was playing idly in the background. The sounds of gunfire and cheesy lone-ranger dialogue filled the room, but she tuned them out. After watching nearly one hundred episodes, she just wasn't interested anymore. She was finding it increasingly difficult to be interested in much of anything in recent days.

It had been nearly four weeks since she had left the Far East, thrust into a new world filled with new people and new things. Though admittedly, Neo hadn't experienced much of any of it as she was forbidden to leave her room outside of extenuating circumstances. Yet oddly, she found that she didn't mind the internment anymore. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Honestly, it wasn't even the confinement to her room that bothered her so much as the isolation. She was bored, yes, dreadfully bored, but more importantly, she was lonely. Ichiro made a point to spend a few hours with her every day, but for the most part, he was generally occupied. His work was important. She was raised by a scientist; she was understanding of that. But it still didn't make her solitary time any easier. The only other contact she had was —

A knock at the door.

Neo barely turned her head, already identifying the visitor by her light raps against the metal surface. It slid open revealing exactly who she had expected, walking into the room with a grin on her face. The small container in her hands didn't escape her notice. "Hey, Alisa…"

"Hey, Neo. How are you feeling?" Alisa asked, making her way over towards the bed. She frowned when the other New Type shrugged, seemingly disinterested in conversation. Pressing forward, she stood before her friend, watching cautiously for any reaction; a silent request for permission. Neo gave it, scooting to the side to make room for her on the bed. Alisa sat down, holding the container toward her with a sad smile. Neo took it, reaching for a water bottle resting on the bedside table. "Ichiro was talking to some of the brass today. He says we can leave the compound if you want. Go on some missions?"

"Mn." Neo grunted. A noncommittal answer. Instead, she tossed the pills back, washing them down with a large gulp of water. A routine she had grown familiar with. It wasn't ideal, but it beat getting put to sleep with anesthetic.

"Neo, I think you should come with us. You haven't, you know… 'eaten' in a while… it might do you some good."

"Heh." Neo chuckled at that. The idea of indulging the inner monster seemed far from good. Doing so had landed her in this position in the first place. Alisa grimaced, hearing the bitterness in her voice.

"Neo, please. You shouldn't stay locked up in here all the time. It's not healthy for you."

"Leaving isn't healthy for everyone else."

Alisa paused, eyes wide. That was not the response she had expected. Despite appearances, the other New Type was surprisingly self-aware. It seemed that on some level, she understood the hazard she posed to the people around her. Specifically, the ones that she cared about. The thought pained her; Neo remaining in isolated confinement of her own volition. Was that why she was being so cooperative? Because she didn't want to hurt them? "That's not —"

"Don't tell me it isn't true," Neo interrupted, halting her friends attempts to comfort her before they began.

Alisa sighed. So, her assumptions had been correct. Left to her own devices, Neo had had nothing to do but sit in her room and think. To ponder over the past few months and all that had happened. The people she had hurt, Ichiro and herself included. Wallowing in guilt, her friend was spiraling, lost in her own head. "Neo, you weren't in your right state of mind."

"Am I ever?"

"Neo, stop." Alisa turned, curling her legs and facing the other woman on the bed. "You can't keep beating yourself up over what happened."

"Of course, I can."

"Fine. You can, but you shouldn't. Neo… it's true that you are troubled. You need help, but that doesn't make you a bad person. You aren't the monster you think you are."

A sharp chortle was her response. Her flickering gaze didn't escape her notice. Alisa frowned, taking her hand in her own. Neo didn't move, sitting perfectly still, even has her soft fingertips brushed along the sharp claws' edge. "You aren't… I know you don't want to hurt people, Neo. That's why you haven't tried to escape your room. Let's face it, we both know you could."

Again, Neo didn't respond. She simply stared blankly at the corner of the wall. The glassy expression in her eyes told her that their time was almost done. Once Neo shut down, there was no retrieving her. So instead, she squeezed her fingers, reassuring her with the warmth of human touch. "I won't force you. But you really should come out with us. At the very least, please talk to someone, even if it isn't one of us. This isolation won't help you." Sliding off the bed, Alisa moved away, taking one last look at her friend. "I'll be back later, okay? If you need anything, just ring my phone?"

A slow nod told her she was listening. It seemed that was all she was going to get out of her. With a sad smile, Alisa turned and quietly made her way from the room.

As the door closed behind her, Neo sighed and looked around the room, taking in the furniture and objects and necessities she had grown accustomed to during her stay. Still many times more comfortable than the containment chamber she grew up in. This room had far more to offer, the only things shared between the chamber being a bed, a dresser, and a Norn terminal in the corner of the room.

At the very least, please talk to someone

"…"

Neo paused, eyes focusing on the large red machine standing against the wall. Her eyes narrowed slightly as pondered, a multitude of thoughts drifting through her mind at the sight of it. Then, she grinned. She had an idea.

. . .

Far East Branch – Sakaki's Office

Another day, another exhausting afternoon of scouring the desolate landscape. After receiving Neo's diagnosis, there had been radio silence for the days that followed. It wasn't for lack of trying. Soma had reached out both to Hamasaki and Neo herself, but he had yet to receive an answer. Even messages to Alisa had seemingly gone ignored. The fact agitated him to be sure, but the very thought of Neo in a psychiatrist's office, writhing against her guardian after an inevitable episode was enough to quell his frustration. Keeping in touch for now was likely the farthest thing from any of their minds. No, their priority preventing Neo from killing someone.

Even still, the silence bothered him. To keep from going mad, he had focused his attention on the Remnant Facility and core collection. Anything to keep his mind off the current situation. And after doing all he could bring himself to do for the day, he returned to what was quickly becoming his new domain. On this day, however, he was surprised to find an occupant inside.

"Soma! How lovely to see you. I shall be out of your way momentarily."

The veteran lifted an incredulous eyebrow at the eccentric doctor, taking note of his cheerful smile. It took a few moments for him to absorb and register his words. When he did, he let out a frustrated sigh. "This is your office, Old Man…"

"Be that as it may." The doctor smiled, returning to his file cabinet with renewed vigor.

"What are you doing?"

"Just forging some documents. Pay me no heed."

Soma paused, freezing in place the moment the words reached his ears. The fact that he could say something so corrupt with an even tone and smiling face was utterly disturbing. It made him begin to question whether or not he should be concerned about his current position as head of the branch. Only the thought of Neo hiding overseas changed his mind. Shaking his head, he placed his bag on the floor and took the familiar path back to his computer.

Taking a seat, he entered his credentials and took a look through his email and documents. Nothing new, aside from a handful of findings from his previous missions. Unusual Oracle readings, Aragami disappearances, Aragami multiplication… Strange. His fingers had just started striking the keys when the sound of Sakaki's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"So, did you enjoy the ceremony?"

"…What?" Soma's movements came to a halt.

"The wedding. It was nice."

"Yeah. I'm happy for them."

"Young love is such a beautiful thing."

"Sure." Soma answered with what he hoped was a tone of finality. He was very busy and had little time for small talk. Sakaki, of course, didn't seem to care.

"You attended the reception, yes?" Soma grunted in response. Perhaps if he stopped giving him coherent answers, he would quit whatever game he was playing. "It was quite nice. Neo is a splendid dancer, is she not?"

Soma froze. The clacking of keys silenced. How did he know about that? Was he at the reception? And more importantly, where the hell was he going with this? "Yeah. She's fine."

"Is she fairing well?"

"Don't know. Haven't heard from her."

"I see. I suppose I figured you would."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Sakaki supposedly found what he was looking for, removing the files from his cabinet, and sliding the door shut. Once closed, it locked with a resounding click. "Nothing at all. Just that you seem to enjoy her company… and vice versa."

His answer was silence. He could see the gears turning in Soma's head as he looked up at him from his position at his old desk. His mouth pulled into a straight line, eyes narrowing with an eyebrow twitch. It was clear that he was giving thought to his words and doing so was causing him some distress. The scene was painfully familiar. Like father, like son. Finally, Soma shook his head and returned to his work, his navy hood hiding the blush Sakaki knew was there. "Come off it."

The doctor chuckled and made his way toward the door. He had seen this story play out once before. He could only hope that his son had better communication skills than his father before him. If not, perhaps they would find a Fida Ferrell to help them along. Or maybe not. Only time would tell. "Very well. I suspect however, that you may be hearing from her soon. I'm sure Neo is just as —"

"Goodbye, Old Man." Soma snapped; this time leaving no room for argument. He didn't know what the doctor was going on about and at this point, he didn't care. Only that he was disrupting his concentration. Sakaki only shook his head, stepping through the door with a knowing smile. The moment he disappeared, he let out a frustrated sigh.

Rubbing his fingers over his eyes, Soma tried to regather his thoughts. The doctor had always been a dreamer, that was nothing new. But it wasn't like him to have such an interest in Neo outside of research and discovery. Or maybe it was, and he just never voiced those thoughts to him. He'd like to think that his prodding was a result of genuine concern, considering his history with Neo's parents. But he couldn't help but feel he had an ulterior motive. The doctor must be up to something. He was always up to something. Even so, he couldn't help but share the doctor's supposed concern…

It took only a few minutes for the veteran to realize that it was not only Sakaki interrupting his train of thought. Never mind interruption. No, at some point, the cars had derailed, spiraling off somewhere into the abyss. Focusing didn't seem to be an option, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why. He tried to keep his mind on the task at hand, and for a short while, it would work. But inevitably, over time, he would find himself drifting through his emails and hitting Refresh, hoping to see a new one appear at the top of the list. And each time it didn't, his heart would sink.

Frustrated, Soma scooted back from the desk and gave a sigh. Maybe he was just tired. He had been working overtime for a while and it might be time for a break. After a rest and some coffee, he would find the motivation to return to his work. His mind made up, he powered down his systems and willed his tired body to move. He had just risen from his chair when a quiet beep drew his attention, sounding from the terminal in the corner of the room. It was a sharp, clipped sound, sounding off at rhythmic intervals. It was a sound he knew all too well from the evenings of his childhood.

It was a video call.

Suddenly reinvigorated, Soma found himself walking briskly from his position, crossing the room in four strides. His fingers moved instinctually, gliding across the console and answering the call. The window opened to a black screen. His eyes followed the spinning circles around and around as the connection established. Then, finally, an image appeared. And for the first time, he felt a familiar levity wash over him as he saw the face he had grown so accustomed to during his youth, staring back at him through a computer screen.

"Hey, Soma. How was your day?"