Far East Branch Headquarters – Veteran's Floor

Terrance strolled quietly back to the mess hall deep in thought. He couldn't get the look on Soma's face out of his mind. He was so angry all the time it seemed, and for a moment, he had really thought that the older man was going to take a swing at him. He wasn't sure what he had done wrong to earn his ire. But he was certainly one that he would need to look out for. Entering the room, he noticed a few members of his unit deep in conversation. Curious, he put aside his thoughts and approached.

At their table near the back, the members of the 3rd Unit spoke amongst themselves. Sharing stories and mission details, and a little bit of gossip. Once the pair left the room, they had swapped theories and ideas as to what may be going on beyond their strategic discussion. The consensus among them was that the new kid was simply starstruck; it wasn't all that unheard of for newer members to become enamored with the tales of the unerring marksman. Typically, before they uncovered the person behind the rifle.

"Whatever, man. Either way, that kid is a real piece of work," one of the members said.

"Yup, it's always the quiet ones. He seemed a little timid to me, but apparently, the kid's got balls. Hanging around with Reaper?"

Caleb shrugged. "I mean, to be fair, the kid can't shoot for shit. I'm not surprised he sought out the best in the branch."

The other soldier snorted. "Tch, I don't care if she's the best in the universe. You couldn't pay me enough to even sit in a room with her."

Otto shook his head in disbelief. "Yeah, Terrance is something else… Seriously, I just don't know about that kid."

"What about me?"

The topic of conversation flopped into a chair at the table, a look of genuine curiosity on his face. The table grew silent for a few moments, the different members looking at one another, as though they weren't certain what to tell him. Finally, Otto broke the silence. "Hey, new kid, let me ask you something."

"Sure."

"What's up with you and Reaper?"

"Huh…? R-Reaper? I don't —"

"He's talking about Neo," Shun interjected.

"Oh! Neo… What do you mean?"

"You're always hanging around her."

"Well, yeah… she's been training me. She's been helping me with my combat skills. Helping all of us."

Otto didn't buy it. "Yeah, and what about after that? I noticed you two getting dinner earlier. And Caleb mentioned he saw you guys in the Den lobby sitting off by yourselves. Don't think we haven't noticed, these last few days you've been following her around like a lost puppy."

"W-Well, I mean…" Terrance paused for a moment in thought. "She's just… she's really knowledgeable. And she answers all of my questions," he insisted. "Most of the other soldiers just get annoyed with me…"

"Uh-huh…" Caleb mumbled.

"What? She does. Plus, she's really good! The best in the Far East, I hear."

"Yeah, Reaper is a lot of things," Otto complained. "Including batshit crazy. You shouldn't be spending so much time around her… it's better to keep your distance for your own sake. Unless you want another one of those." He gestured to his face, taking note of the vicious scar.

"Huh? Neo's great. I mean, sure, she's a little impatient… and kind of sharp… and maybe just a little bit terrifying when she gets mad. But she's really nice. Most of the time…"

"Nice?" Otto barked. "Yeah, and I've got a combat copter to sell to you." His jab earned a collection of chuckles and laughter from the table.

But Terrance didn't agree, his curious face shifted into a frowning one. "She is nice... You should really get to know her, Otto, she's sweet. And gentle, and kind —"

"Gentle?" At that, Otto nearly dropped his fork on the table. This guy had to be kidding. Clearly, they had been interacting with two very different people. Beside him one of the other members chuckled.

"Oooh… I see what's going on here."

Terrance blanched. "Huh?! Wh-What? What do you see?"

"I get the feeling you're more interested in the woman teaching the class than the lesson itself."

"Huh?! Wha — what's that supposed to mean?!"

The other soldiers laughed, taking his reaction as confirmation. "Haha, look how red he is! Looks like the rookie's got a crush on his senior."

"Wh-What?! I —"

Otto scowled, nudging the other soldier with a sour look. "Knock it off… don't even joke around like that."

"I wouldn't waste my time," Shun added. "Pretty sure she's still dating Gunter. Good luck getting her away from that guy. Even Hamasaki hasn't been able to."

Terrance frowned. "R-Really? I thought the two of them seemed kind of distant…" he shook his head, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Hey, stop it! It's not… she's just… I'm learning a lot… from her…" He couldn't stop the blush from forming, his pale face turning a dusted pink. The other soldiers snickered, poking fun at him with lighthearted jabs.

But Otto wasn't laughing. He was watching him, eyeing the way his face turned brighter than his hair. The way his hands were fidgeting, fingers tapping nervously against the table. The fact that he didn't deny their allegations. He barely even tried. The pieces finally came together, and his eyes widened. The fork finally slipped from his fingers, clattering against his tray. "Oh, my god, are you for real?"

"Huh?! What?!"

"You cannot be serious. Her? Of all people?"

Terrance fumbled, shrinking away from Otto's vicious gaze. "I-I don't know… I told you, she's nice… A-And, you know… she's really cute…"

"Cute?! She's a fucking psychopath!" A small murmur of assent rippled across the table along with a series of nodding heads. Most were in agreement; the primary exception was Shun. At this point, he wasn't entirely convinced that Neo was necessarily unhinged. Just really. Freaking. Weird.

"Hey! That's not nice." Terrance frowned.

"Don't talk to me about nice. Do you have any idea what she's done?"

"As far as what?" Terrance looked around the table, taking in the various expressions of his fellow soldiers. "What, like… You mean her kill count?"

"Yeah, and then some. Pretty sure that guy's family is still getting reparations…"

"Huh? Reparations for what?" The boy looked hopelessly confused, trying to figure out just what was so problematic about his mentor.

But Otto didn't have the energy to explain. Instead, he shook his head. "Look, kid. For your own good, stay away that chick, alright? She's nuts. The only battier than she is, is her pit bull."

Yet another wave of agreement rippled over the group, along with a few nervous chuckles. But Terrance wasn't laughing. His eyes narrowed, fingers growing still as he addressed his senior. "Hey." Otto blinked. The sound of his voice unnerved him; it felt like something shifted in the air around them. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the look on the rookie's face was unsettling. Like there was something there, bubbling beneath the surface. Something about the look in his eyes. "Don't talk about her that way." A tense silence fell across the table, the soldiers looking at each other uncertainly. Shun was just amused, watching the situation unfold. Until now, he had always viewed Terrance as kind of a wuss. To see him growing a backbone, and to Otto of all people, was wildly entertaining. "I don't know what your problem is with her, but you should put it aside. Whatever her issue is, maybe it's because you're so mean to her. Take the time and talk to her. She's nowhere near as bad as you think." With that, Terrance rose from his seat, excusing himself from the table. The group watched him walk away, a collection of raised eyebrows and curious smirks.

When he disappeared from sight, Otto shook his head. He was mean to her? Sure, it was no secret that the two had a dangerously tense relationship dating back to Lindow's disappearance. And while he had certainly made his fair share of rude comments, he had never hospitalized her. She couldn't say the same. And here Terrance was telling him that he was the problem; that all of their disputes could be resolved by simply talking it out? The kid was clearly out of his mind… But that was his issue to deal with. Otto had said his piece. If the kid wanted to play around in the lion's den, that was his business. And he had better not come crying back to them when he got mauled. "Tch… whatever."

At that, Shun burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Oh, yeah. That kid's got it bad."

"Sure looks that way," the soldier beside him agreed, shrugging his shoulders and returning to his pudding.

Unlike his comrades, Otto wasn't amused in the slightest. But oddly, he wasn't angry either. He was simply… baffled. He just couldn't understand it. It seemed like no matter how much destruction that woman caused; it didn't seem to matter to some people. Was it willful ignorance? Were they all delusional? Or were they just as unbalanced as she was? Perhaps they were just naïve. Or maybe… it was even a coverup; agents spread across the branch to guard her and keep the peace. At this point, it wouldn't surprise him. Nothing seemed all that farfetched anymore after what he discovered. He expressed his confusion with a pointed roll of his eyes. "What the absolute hell…? Hamasaki, Gunter, and now this kid? Seriously, I just don't get it. What is it with that woman?"

Shun shook his head. "No idea."

Caleb shrugged. "He'll learn if he sticks around long enough. Just better hope he's as lucky as we were."

"Whatever… it's not my problem." And it wasn't. Soon, he would have nothing more to do with any of it.

. . .

That was the last Otto had spoken to Terrance, or to anyone for that matter. Upon receiving his summons from across the seas, he had been focused solely on sorting out his affairs. His first order of business had been sending a message to one of his closest friends. He didn't know if the other man was going to listen to him. He didn't even know if he was going to answer his call. But he had to try, if only for his own sake. He was walking back across the room, a pile of clothes in hand when the bedroom door slid open.

Gunter blinked, eyes darting around the disheveled room. If he were being honest, the word 'room' was arguable, as the area looked far more akin to a warzone. Clothes were strewn about the floor; supplies were tossed haphazardly onto the bed. And beside them was a large suitcase which contained a decent number of the bedroom's previous contents. "Um… what the hell happened in here? It looks like a tornado came through."

"Ah, sorry. Bit of a mess at the moment."

"Yeah, no kidding. Is this what you called me over for? I'm not helping you clean again. I told you that was a one-time thing."

Otto scoffed, tossing another folded shirt into his case. "No need. I'm not cleaning… I'm packing."

"Packing…? You going on a trip?"

"No, I'm being transferred."

Startled, the veteran balked. "Wha… You serious?"

"As a heart attack."

"Why?"

"Because all hell's about to break loose, and I'm not sticking around to see how it goes down. When the big dogs leave, I'm going with them."

"What dogs? What the fuck — what are you talking about? Where are you going?"

"I'm getting the hell out of dodge… I'm going as far away as possible, and if you're smart, you will too."

"Otto, you're not making any sense."

Squeezing in the last pair of pants that would fit, he closed the case with a loud snap. "Listen… I'm not even supposed to say anything, but I'm doing anyway because I don't want you to get hurt." He paused. "…Any more than you already have."

"Okay, seriously, you are freaking me out. What the hell is going on, man?"

With a sigh, his friend finally turned to face him. "Specimen 13."

Gunter felt his blood freeze in his veins. The name was vaguely familiar. He could recall hearing Ichiro mention it during their evening briefing. His first thought was denial; surely, they couldn't be talking about the same person. That was what he wanted to believe, but the name was highly specific, it wasn't likely he could be referring to anyone else. If that were the case, then how was that possible? The entire area had been under lockdown; they had scouted the entire area more than twice over. There was no way he could have possibly gotten that information, unless…

Shaking his head, Gunter quickly recomposed himself; face falling into an indecipherable mask. Feigning startled confusion, he stared back at him wide-eyed. "…Specimen what now?"

"That's her real name. Specimen 13."

"Who's real name? What are you talking about?"

Shaking his head, Otto reached downward and pulled another case from beneath his bed before preceding to pack it. "Listen… your girlfriend — or whatever she is at this point — she's bad news."

So, his suspicion was correct. Continuing the act, Gunter narrowed his eyes. "Otto, how many times do I have to tell you to lay off?"

"Lay off? That sociopath nearly killed you. And me, for that matter, and you're still defending her?"

"Otto…" he warned, voice dropping to a dangerous octave.

The other man wasn't having it. Instead, he heaved an exasperated sigh. "Look… you're in love with her. I get it. Believe it or not, I know how that feels… but Gunter, this woman isn't who you think she is… You have no idea what she is capable of."

"I know a lot more about her than you think."

Otto still didn't give in. Instead, he dumped the last of his socks into the case before turning around. Gunter felt his body grow stiff; he had never seen such a serious expression on his comrade's face. It was beyond desperate, almost pleading. "Please, just listen to me. I'm telling you this because you're my friend, and I care about you… and gods know if I don't look out for you, almost no one else will. Least of all yourself."

He wasn't sure what to do. Saying anything further in response was too dangerous, he didn't know how much information the other man had. At this point, he needed to figure out what he did know, who else he had told, and most importantly… where he had learned it. Finally giving in, he crossed his arms in defiance. "Alright, fine. Let's hear it."

"I'm not sure how much I can say. I don't know how much of this is confidential, and I'm not trying to piss off the higher ups at Fenrir. Hell, I may have already said too much. All I can tell you is this. Reaper, Neo, Specimen 13, whoever the hell she is, she's — she's not normal. She's been lying to you, to all of us. And I'm willing to bet money Hamasaki has been too."

"Lying about what, her name? So what?"

"Not just her name. About everything. That woman, she's… damn it. Look, here's the important part, and I am begging you, for your own sake, believe me. That woman is dangerous. The fact that we escaped with our lives is a miracle, and the next time, you might not be so lucky. I'm not going to tell you to be like me and put a literal ocean between you, but you need to stay away from her. I mean it. If you don't, you're gonna wind up dead. Or worse."

Gunter frowned, trying his best to hold his composure. His mind worked rapidly, trying to figure out the best course of action, what he would be most likely to do in this scenario. If he didn't know all that he had learned. Shaking his head, he sighed. "Look, she's unstable… at this point, even I know that. But —"

"Unstable? Gunter, she's not even human!"

His entire body froze. "What… Wh-What are you talking about?"

Otto ran a hand over his face, pacing around for a few moments deep in thought. He was torn. Torn between secrecy and his loyalty. If word ever got back to Fenrir that he had blabbed, the consequences could be severe. But if he didn't, he may lose his closest friend forever. The thought of Gunter's mangled body, eyes gazing unseeing pushed him over the edge. "Ugh… fuck it." It was worth the risk. "Okay. After Lindow's wedding, I did some digging around Aegis, in the old director's office."

"You broke into Schicksal's office?!"

"I didn't break in; it was already open. Besides, the guy's dead why does —" Otto shook his head. "That's not important! I found these documents. Or medical reports, I don't know what they were. I only skimmed over the profile, but trust me, it's fucked up."

"Okay, fine. Let's say I believe you. Let's say you're right. What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I don't know… leave the branch like I am, find a hide out until these people come get her. Whatever you choose to do. Just stay safe.

"I'm not leaving the —" Gunter paused. "Wait… what did you say? What people?"

"I don't know, they wouldn't tell me. They just thanked me for my service and paid for my relocation."

Gunter's blood ran cold. "Otto… what did you do?"

. . .

Far East Branch – Veteran's Floor

Inside the ex-corporal's room, Soma and Ichiro conversed through the terminal screen. The younger veteran took note of a group of lab coats wandering in the background before continuing to speak. "So, you found what you were looking for?"

Ichiro nodded, a look of relief gracing his features. "Yes. Once I bring these back, Neo's Arc should be done within the week. And with these reagents, I should have everything I need."

Soma smirked. "That's good. You think it'll work?"

"I'm not sure, but there's a very good chance. For what it's worth, I think Neo's hunch was right. Never would've expected an idea like that from her."

"Yeah, she's good for that. Her intuition is impressive."

"No kidding. Speaking of, how's she doing? Not causing too much trouble, I hope."

Soma shook his head. "She's actually been pretty calm, all things considered. She knows you'll be back this time, so I guess she's being patient."

"That's good to hear. You know… I really think she's starting to get better."

"Yeah. To be honest, I was worried none of this was gonna work. But if it does, maybe she'll finally have a chance to —"

"Ichiro!"

Soma nearly leapt into the air as Gunter burst into the ex-corporal's room. He looked like a maniac, hair poking wildly in every direction. His chest heaved with haggard breaths, whistling air through his dry throat. He looked as though he had sprinted across the compound. "You need to — huh?" Then, he paused, realizing the person standing in front of him was not the one he was looking for. "What the hell…? Soma? What are you doing here?"

"Me? What the hell are you doing here?" Soma snapped. On the other end of the terminal, the other veteran sighed.

Hearing the sound, Gunter turned his attention to the terminal behind him. There, he was startled to find the person he had actually been searching for staring back at him… through a computer screen. "What in the world — where are you?"

"I'm in Europe…"

"The hell are you doing over there?"

Ichiro shook his head. "I'm gathering some crucial components — Gunter, do you need something? This conversation is rather important…"

"Well, this is more important!"

Ichiro groaned with exasperation. It seemed they had spoken too soon. "What is it now?"

"Neo's research. Your documents, or information, whatever you have on her."

The other God Eater rolled his eyes. "Gunter. For the last time, the compound is unstable. Until I can find a neutralizing component —"

"I don't care about that!" He cut him off, earning a startled look in response. Soma stared, exchanging a brief glance with his teammate through the screen. Gunter Haas was many things. A philanderer — previously at least — a bit careless, difficult to deal with, and as he was in the middle of proving, a royal pain in the ass… but never fearful. The word wasn't in his vocabulary. Yet his panicked tone and terrified expression said otherwise, bringing both men to a concerning realization that something was very wrong. And that he had mentioned Neo only made it even worse.

Ichiro's expression hardened, his attitude shifting from one of irritation to concern. "What's wrong?"

"I came here to warn you. Don't come back to the Den. Stay there with Neo and keep her safe."

Ichiro blinked, exchanging a confused glance with Soma who answered. "The hell are you talking about? Neo's resting in her room."

"W-Wait, what? You mean she's still here at the base?!"

"Of course, she is. The operation was covert. I told you; I only came here to get…" Ichiro's voice trailed off, eyes narrowing. "…Warn me? Why, what's the matter?"

"You need to get her on the first transport out of the Far East before it's too late. You need to run."

"Run from what?"

"He told them! I don't know how he knew to look on the island, but he found out and he told them. He told them everything!"

"Who? Who told who what?!" Soma's patience was exhausted.

"Otto! He told the Americans your location. He told them about Neo, he told them all of it!"

Soma's scowl twisted into a glare. "…What?"

"Look, just calm down," Ichiro reasoned. "Let's not fly into a panic, alright? If we act rashly without thought, it's only going to raise even more suspicion, especially if it turns out to be a bluff. Now, what did Otto tell them? You're positive he learned the truth about her?"

"Ichiro, he called her by name, Specimen 13. He said he found some paperwork or something at Aegis. I don't know if he handed it over to them, but I definitely know he told them."

"That bastard…" He had been wondering where the rest of her documentation had been. Johannes must have had it in his office. Why the hell was he snooping around over there?

"Where the hell is he?" Soma growled.

"No idea. Last I saw, he was packing his bags for the first flight out of here. Said they thanked him for his service, paid to relocate him… By now, he could be anywhere."

Ichiro scoffed. "Those people don't pay for service. They paid to keep an eye on him, and to keep him quiet."

"I'll kill him," the other veteran nearly snarled, looking ready to burst into flame.

Gunter shook his head. "I'm inclined to agree with you, Soma, but we don't have time. If you don't get Neo out of here, they're going to kill her."

Shaking his head, Soma crossed his arms. "Alright, so we need to move. How much time do we have?"

Ichiro shrugged. "I'm not sure. It depends on how long ago he told them… Did he tell you anything about that?"

"No, nothing. He wouldn't go into any more detail."

"So, we're running blind." The guardian heaved a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on. "Alright, we need to strategize. Fenrir is powerful, but they're slow. For something of this clearance level, they'll want to be extremely careful. It will take a while for them to send operatives to you."

Soma nodded. "Yeah. For once, their bureaucratic bullshit may actually work out in our favor. We should have enough time to get her to you. You can decide where to go from there."

"Sounds like a plan."

"How quickly can you organize a transport?"

Ichiro shook his head. "Covert international? Probably about 32 hours or so at least. That's assuming we already have an aircraft fueled. I can call Sakaki, see if he can push it through as high priority."

"Uh, guys?" All three men jumped, the two in the room spinning around to the face the doorway where Kota stood peeking through the door. "I don't mean to —" he paused, taking note of his previous captain in the terminal and the blonde veteran in the center of the room. "Oookay, then. Yo, Gunter. What up, dude?"

"What is it? We're kind of in the middle of something here," Soma pressed.

"Ah, right." Kota refocused, stepping in and shutting the door behind him. "Well, sorry to interrupt, but uh, something's going on in the lobby."

"Something? Something doesn't tell us anything, Fujiki."

"I don't know. It's some kind of visit with the bigwigs or something. There's all these guys in suits and an escort, it's weird. It seemed important, so I came to see if you knew anything about it…"

"They're already here?!" Gunter croaked.

"Damn it!" Soma spat. "They're already ahead of us… they must have been planning this for weeks."

Ichiro's eyes narrowed. "Planning an executive visit there at the branch, unannounced?"

Soma's expression mirrored his comrade's. "Yeah. And not even two days after you left."

"There's no way this is a coincidence."

"Not at all."

"Goddamn it, Otto…" Gunter's fists clenched.

"There's no time for pointing fingers, the damage is already done." Ichiro shifted his attention, addressing the redheaded gunner. "Kota, did you get a glimpse of who's down there? We need to know what we're up against."

"He actually looked kind of familiar. Blonde, tall, had a fancy eyepatch. I think I heard someone mention his name. It was Gerald, or Garret… something like that."

"What? How the hell is he even involved in this?!" Soma spat.

Ichiro frowned. "I'm going to assume from your reaction that you two are familiar with each other… doesn't sound like good news."

"It isn't. If he's come here himself, then we're already too late. With someone of his level involved, there's no way we can organize a transport now. He's probably already locked down the exits, the floors, and grounded all air traffic."

"So, you're saying we're trapped? All we can do is sit here and wait for their goons to storm the place?" Gunter asked.

Soma shook his head. "They're not gonna storm, it would draw too much attention. Knowing him, he's staged some other reason for his visit. He's gonna hang around for a while and scope the place out. They'll have eyes and ears everywhere. If she so much as steps a foot out of that room, we're done for."

"So, it goes without saying, there's no way she's escaping the branch now…" Ichiro muttered, eyes tinting into a yellow shade.

Gunter frowned. "Well, maybe we don't have to… We just need to get her out of the Den. They can't search the whole Far East, it's too expansive. Maybe we can sneak her out somehow."

"And how the hell are we gonna do that?" Soma snapped. "Weren't you listening? They'll have people at every door."

"Yeah, but what if they don't notice her? You said Neo mutates. That means even if they know who they're looking for, they won't know what she looks like, right?"

"Yeah, unless Otto told them," Ichiro reminded.

"Oh. Right…"

Soma scowled. "That doesn't matter! She has a ridiculous wardrobe, violet hair, and a golden eye. Even to someone who doesn't know her, she's gonna stand out like a Kongou in the cafeteria. And maybe you've all forgotten, but the Nova is still roaming around out there. If that thing finds her…"

"You have a point there… We would have to send her with an escort of some kind," Gunter muttered.

"We can't," Ichiro sighed. "Chances are, they'll need to camp out for a few days, and that would require approval and authorization. And even if it didn't, it would draw too much attention."

Soma growled. "Hamasaki's right, he'll have access to the database. They'll be able to follow their tracking beacons, it'll lead them right to her."

"So, we're between a rock and a hard place. Either Nova finds her, or they do… the outcome is the same." Ichiro groaned in frustration. "But Gunter's right. However perilous it may be, our best course of action is an evacuation. Aragami can be traced. We know where it's been, we can send her as far away from it as possible. At least with the Nova, she can remain hidden. In the worst case, she can probably outrun it… But there's no escaping them inside the Den, it's a giant prison."

"Even so, there has to be some way to get her passed them…"

"We can create a diversion?" Kota suggested.

"It would have to be a hell of a distraction," Soma muttered. "Enough to shake the whole base. Even then, we've still gotta get her passed any number of eyes without getting caught."

Gunter commented. "Don't forget we have to divulge the plan to her too. She doesn't have any clue what's going on. And we have to do it without alerting anyone and pray that no one overhears."

"That's doable. Soma will explain the plan to her in sign. It's silent, so unless they're in the room with them, no one will hear… er… see. And even if they do, the likelihood of anyone understanding is almost nonexistent."

"So, how do we get her out?"

Kota looked between the three veterans, pondering their best course of action. They needed to stage a large enough scene that it would draw everyone's attention and allow Neo to escape, all while avoiding the people who, at that point, would undoubtedly be searching for her. "It would almost be better if we could hide her in plain sight. Blend her in with the other God Eaters, but…"

Soma sighed. "Except we've already established that's virtually impossible."

The scout sergeant narrowed his eyes at the angry veteran, deep I thought. Then, they widened. "No… no, it isn't. Guys, call Hibari. I have an idea."

. . .

Far East Branch Headquarters – Den Lobby

"Paylor Sakaki. Apologies, Director Sakaki… I see you're moving up in the world."

In the Den lobby, Paylor stood near the entrance wearing a tight smile. "Quite. I could say the same to you, Garland. Let us do aside with the formalities. What brings you to the Far East on such short notice?"

Sakaki's question was met with a coy smile. "After my brother's sudden death, we had thought it prudent to keep a closer eye on your division. This particular branch is a hub for Aragami activity it seems."

"Indeed, it is."

"And now news has reached me of another strange phenomenon taking place in your neck of the woods. Bias Fields, and a novel creature? The researcher in me couldn't pass up such an opportunity."

"Ah, so it is curiosity that brings you to our doors," Paylor's smile faltered. "I cannot say that I blame you, I would do much the same."

"Glad to see we are on the same page."

"I take it that means you'll be residing with us for a time?"

"Only long enough to collect some samples."

"Of course, of course. Then, please, allow me to offer what little knowledge I have on the matter."

"Thank you. That would be most appreciated."

The two men spoke quietly with one another, discussing the happenings of the branch over the past weeks. Engrossed in their conversation, they remained unaware of the operator wandering around in the background. At the mission desk, Hibari lifted a hand to her ear, listening carefully into her ear pierce. Her eyes widened, shifting to the man in white before slowly nodding her head. Typing into the computer, she checked the maps, searching for an appropriate opportunity. Luck was on their side. She found one. "Understood."

"Ah, so this is a pilgrimage of sorts."

Garland nodded. "Indeed. We can never be certain where the next menace will strike. In that case, it is best to —"

His words were cut off by the deafening sound of the Aragami alarm. Red lights flashed, Hibari's voice blaring over the intercom. "Emergency! We have a Level 2 Deusphage sighting near the north wall! I need all members of the defense unit to intercept! I repeat, we have a Level 2 Deusphage sighting!"

As the sirens screeched, Garland turned his head as God Eaters all around them sprang into action. He watched as different soldiers dropped their activities and bolted, heads of blonde and pink hair the first among them. He watched them bolt through the door, fixing their ear pierces in transit. His eyes glanced over the soldiers as they went, looking carefully over each and every one of them. "Hmm…"

Turning back around, he paused as another group made their way through, a head of white hair and a black eye patch, a head of wavy blonde hair, and a blue hoodie. He watched as they tore through the lobby, zipping passed at breakneck speed. When the last of the soldiers disappeared through the metal doors, the alarms faded, and he shook his head. "Never a dull moment, is there, Paylor?"

The director shifted his gaze to the operator, taking note of her expression while she typed. The moment their eyes met; it all became clear. Sakaki gave a quiet chuckle, his lips pulling back in a knowing grin. "Hehe… I'm afraid not. But regardless, I hope that you enjoy your stay."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be… enlightening." The sound of approaching footsteps drew his attention, slowly striding down the metal stairs. Garland turned his attention, leaning around the doctor for a better view of the straggler. But to his surprise, he saw a vaguely familiar face strolling toward them, with a bright yellow shirt, platinum blonde hair, and a black tie hanging lazily around his neck. "Soma…? Well, this is a surprise. I haven't seen you since you were just a boy."

"It's been a while… Uncle."