A/N: Hi! Welcome back, I'm excited to reveal chapter 3!

Also, my beta reader helped me fix up chapter 2, so go check that out (not like I can tell, my view count on FF is broken for some reason).

Now, there are a few questions, but they will be left until the end, so time for reviews:

snipervtk4: No, he…technically does not? Admittedly, I took a few creative liberties concerning some of the SHD Tech so they can work better in writing rather than in-game where the SHD Tech just does as it says so yes, he can heal, but not automatically, not to mention one of those 'creative liberties' is tied to a very important item to The Division universe. Not to mention that I explained in the last chapter that things like Talents won't work in the same way that they do in-game but I probably didn't elaborate on that well-enough. Sorry.

In essence, Talents, weapons or armor, are a…representation of the Agent's skill he gathered in his time as an Agent. Attributes, Core or otherwise, are modifications made to his weapons to be better. I'm sorry if I confused anyone, but this is as best as I can put it. Another way to put it is that Talents and attributes even the playing field between the denizens of Kivotos and the Agent. Granted, they won't be explicitly named or anything nor do they play a role in the fic, but I felt like I had to do this.

Now, transportation will vary as Mateo doesn't have a license and I don't really know any Tom Clancy vehicles but don't worry about his stamina, he'll be fine, he's used to it. Though this isn't post-Dollar Flu so he'll take the bus or train when he can.

And thanks, I hope you enjoy these chapters!

GoldStar77- True, but Mateo will hold strong! Possibly…

Golden Saint of Domination- Not sorry. Thanks, trying to pin down a personality for ISAC was hard but I hope I got it right. Mateo has a plan, does he know it? Not at all, but it'll be fine.

Hutakata- Thanks, I definitely will continue it. It will definitely be a funny one. As for his enemies…we'll see.

That's it for reviews, there are a few questions at the end and other things, so check those out!

Now, onto the story!

The breeze hits my jaw, the patch of skin usually covered by a gas mask now gone, leaving the skin sensitive to the slightest breeze. I can feel my body tight from my seated position, shotgun in hand while leaning on it like a pillow while I blink away the exhaustion, yawning as I stretch. "ISAC?" I mumble.

"Yes?" The AI answers, his voice ever so comforting in bleak times and hard situations.

Except… "Where are we?" I ask the AI, looking around as I try to remember the dream I had.

Honestly, teenage girls with halos with the capability to endure barrages of gunfire and even tank rounds, what the hell am I dreamin' up?

"It is currently six in the morning," the AI explains, materializing in front of me in all his glory and pointing out the alley, "and Trinity should be directed that way. Where I suggest you stop by and get some first aid by the Remedial Knights, or to at least change your bandages."

Watching the holographic version of ISAC drop his hand, he turns to me, directing a worried look at me as I release a sigh. "...So, yesterday wasn't a dream?"

"Nope!" A melodious and starkly feminine voice with a slight choppiness to it speaks in my audiometric earpiece and then bits of data begin to coalesce, finally taking the form of a young girl with a ribbon, blue hair, and a blue uniform and a white skirt, her eyes glinting in excitement as she smiles, her blue halo now a pair of pink hearts as she speaks. "Sensei, you should check out ISAC's Brick," I burst in laughter but cover it up while turning to the side, ISAC doing the same as Arona continues, innocent as always, "there's so much space, so many monitors, and so much space!"

I stare at the young AI before looking around in the alley I was resting in, worlds cleaner than the alleys of cities like D.C. or the houses of the Heartlands and shake my head, it seems like I took up a troublesome position. "Right, let's go back to SCHALE. ISAC, set a waypoint."

"Sensei! You're still injured!" Arona points out, looking weirdly guilty for something that was my fault. While admittedly, it'd take a lot to break the plates and pierce the kevlar of my vest, the rest of me is fairly exposed, specifically my arms and legs. Which is how I got a shot to the leg, nothing too bad. Thankfully I managed to stop the bleeding but have yet to get medical attention.

Though, I prod the wound and flinch, the pain coursing through me before I sigh. Admittedly, the wound isn't anything to really worry about, despite Arona's worries. It'll close up at some point at a rate far faster than normal but still not too noticeably.

With that said, I bring out my backpack, reaching into it and bringing out what I'm looking for. "Here it is."

A Hive, the pod-shaped gadget glowing green as I activate it. A second later, a flurry of micro-drones converge on me and begin to inject stimulants and medicine into my body, fixing it up and giving me a pick-me-up as I jump up and stomp the leg with the closed injury. Seeing how there's a glaring lack of pain, it seems like it worked. Though…

I check my backpack, noticing how my Bulwark ballistics shield is littered with bullets, the Seeker Mines are missing along with an assault turret and my Firefly. I'm running out of SHD Tech.

"It seems like our stockpile is beginning to dwindle." ISAC points out. "We might have to requisition help from Millenium's Engineering club."

"ISAC, we're here to keep the peace, not feed the students with more tools to commit violence." I admonish the AI who simply shrugs. Admittedly, the technology I've seen is simultaneously advanced or familiar, which is a strange mixture. I could feel the resignation and reluctance bubble up as I thought of what I needed to do. "ISAC, do we still have the schematics?"

"Yes." ISAC said, confirming that we do, in fact, have the schematics for a variety of high-tech weapons, with some of them being explosives. While I might have experience working with delicate machinery, I was also an engineer for cars, not whatever these things constitute as.

I'm gonna lose my finger, I swear.

"Oh? What schematics are you two talking about?" Arona butts in, tilting her head in curiosity. ISAC turns to me and I just nod, I'm fairly sure I can trust Arona with schematics for tools of destruction. "Hmmm…" Arona hums, holding a hand to her chin while closing her eyes.

While she was thinking, I stood up and began my trek towards my new school building. I take a tentative sniff and scrunch up my face. Not the worst I've ever smelt but also not something to put off for any longer.

"ISAC, what's the status of Kivotos?" I ask, tilting my head to the side as maps and diagrams begin to appear in my sight as I reel from the information overload. "Slowly please."

"Affirmative." He spoke, reverting to his usual tone of voice, "Kivotos has returned to its previous state of ruling, most riots and insurrections have been quelled and the academies are currently in the process of reconstruction. If anything, according to previous reports compiled by the GSC and the users of MomoTalk, it's more peaceful than it's ever been."

"Good." I mutter, turning both ways before jogging across the street. "Wait, MomoTalk?"

"It's how students are able to interact with each other while posting things!" Arona pipes in, walking beside me while giggling at the schematics of SHD Tech, probably worlds less advanced than what's available here, "This is awesome!"

I hum as ISAC seeps in. "Basically Twitter."

"Gotcha." I nod, checking my Smart Watch displaying the time as I sigh. I miss my phone.

"In fact, the SCHALE website is experiencing a large amount of traffic and the MomoTalk account has been steadily rising in followers." Arona notes as I quirk a brow.

"Why's that?" I ask, looking around in paranoia as I continue.

"You've been getting tagged a lot. It seems like discourse concerning your...eye color?" Arona asks, confused.

I couldn't help but stop hearing that, turning to Arona, who's not physically there and making me look like I belong in an asylum. "My eye color? Not the guns or anything like that?"

"They're curious about that too." Arona confirms, "But most are centered around a video that surfaced last night in the midst of your rampage."

What? While the memory is somewhat blurry, I remember enough to know that what I did barely constitutes a rampage, mostly just a sweep of the general area of SCHALE. "Really?" Arona's holographic form nods. "It couldn't be that bad."

"The students are having trouble believing you were alone. They swear that there were at least three or four more people with you." Arona points out. "And that one of them could turn invisible!"

Ah, that must have been the Assault Turret. "They also have trouble believing you're halo-less." She pouted while glaring at me. "You took a slug to the chest! And a shot to the leg and just kept fighting!"

"Just one?" I ask, turning to ISAC who nods in agreement.

"It was fixed a bit later." ISAC confirms as I nod.

Say what you want about war, but it really forces progress in ways to kill the other guy and keep us alive. The body armor I'm wearing is an amalgamation of plates and kevlar.

Arona is still pouting. "Anyway, here's the video."

A screen appears in my lenses, blue instead of orange as my eyes widen. "This is pretty nice. Good work."

Almost bashful, Arona scratches the back of her head while chuckling.

I take a moment and lean by a wall, playing the video as it starts up.

It was shaky obviously done by a phone as the thug places it a ways away, revealing a broken store as they laugh conspiratorially. Finally, it showed a girl with a bottle of alcohol. The other two laughed as they egged her on.

A second later, a burst of gunfire rang out, knocking down one of the girls before a second and third burst rang out a second later from different directions. Silence overtook the silence as nothing happened for a second.

The last thing that was seen was a boot step in front of the camera as another followed. An adult wearing a heavy backpack armed to the teeth as he looked back, revealing a pair of eyes glowing orange.

It was then that I noticed that it's actually a compilation when it cuts away to somewhere else, from higher up on a building as a group of thugs are firing at an area, filled with sniper fire and assault rifle fire. Behind them was a large pillar of smoke, gray and rising up.

I could recognize the Assault and Sniper Turrets in the midst of the gunfire.

From behind, like some unholy angel, an adult appears, a familiar M870 in his hands as he unloads into the gang, knocking them down and then cutting to another.

With each clip, my understanding increases. As an Agent, all of this is normal, it's expected for an Agent to use everything they can for an advantage. Back in D.C. my gadgets centered around solo missions but after I was done with that and my other missions, I took up the habit of taking care of enemy strongholds. So I was usually loaded with SHD Tech. But these girls aren't used to doing that. They're used to straight-up gunfights, not gunfights with a sprinkle of psychological warfare.

…

"Scary." Was all I said as I pushed off the wall. "And I'm guessing the discourse is between whether my eyes are orange and glow or are brown." Arona nods in confirmation. "You know what? I'll just leave that aside. I'm hungry and I need a shower."

Once I'm in front of the building, I enter, the door locking behind me as I ask ISAC, "Hey ISAC, where's the shower?"

"...while the roof is reserved for aerial vehicles in an underground garage. Above that garage is the Crafting Chamber among other things. The building is split into two areas, one is the Office area and the other is the Residence Hall. Both are full to the brim with a multitude of amenities for you and your students! While the Residence Hall is for anyone, it's mostly for students, whereas your room will be above the Office." Arona prattles on as I step into the aforementioned penthouse, wearing a set of basketball shorts and black shirt deep in my Go-Bag. I'm going to need to get some more clothes.

Still, all that she's saying is interesting. I peer at the Shittim Chest in my hand with Arona's voice coming from it as I stare at the schematics being shown. My eyes strayed from side to side, unused to the lack of HUD from my ScanTek lenses. I open the door to my penthouse, revealing a large room with a large bed in the middle being directed at a large TV and a few couches in front of it.

It had its own showers but I'd feel uncomfortable with all the pomp in this place. I stopped by before entering to leave my Go-Bag and weapons, the bag resting there as I nod. "Right. Time for some spring cleaning."

The first thing I did was bring out a large tarp, laying it out on the floor as I begin by placing my guns on the floor. Correct, guns. First is my M4, then an M870 before being followed by my M9 and finally my TAC-50. Ammunition was next, a varied variety from the magazines I looted followed by special magazines and shells. I take a second to glance at the phone left for me by the GSC at the progress of moving my files over to the new one. With a deep sigh, I prepare myself for the painful part, the SHD Tech.

Currently, I am missing an Assault Turret and the Firefly frame is a mess. I tend to stay away from the Chem Launcher and the Hives out of habit, usually falling back on Pulse and a Ballistic Shield to get me out of most situations.

I muttered out loud, looking to the side and expecting to see a list but I had my ScanTek lenses off along with my audiometric earpiece so no ISAC, instead, I had Arona.

"Sensei," the AI piped up from the tablet, "it seems like you're missing a bit of ammunition."

I hum, confused as I look at the Shittim Chest propped up on a book, the virtual girl looking in curiosity, "How'd you know?"

She sent me a mischievous giggle, "You were talking out loud. But if you need somewhere to put away your guns, there's a section in the Armory for your personal armory."

"Really?" I ask as the blue-haired girl nods, "Good to know. Now...where can I…"

I lost my train of thought, going silent as I lost myself staring at the tarp. Not the materials, just the tarp.

After a few short minutes, Arona speaks up, "Sensei?"

I shake my head, sighing as I continue, "Sorry. Lost my train of thought."

My time as agent has irreparably fucked me up big time. This large window offers a view out into the city leaving me paranoid as I continue spotting possible openings. My hands were beginning to clench and unclench in peace.

This peace wasn't mine to enjoy. This isn't even my world.

But they asked for help.

At those words, my body relaxed, the words like a mantra that's kept me alive in my time as an Agent and kept me going forward. Usually at the cost of my own body.

I shake those thoughts away and sigh. "It'd be good to secure the area around SCHALE."

"Sensei, how many of your gadgets do you usually have on you?" Arona asks suddenly, causing me to blink.

"Ummm, I guess, two or three?" I turn to the cases of weapons I keep on me. "If I put these in the Armory I'll open up a lot of space for ammunition and for the other gadgets."

"Right! Enter the Crafting Chamber at your digression once you're done here." Arona said, her image moving excitedly as her halo becomes green.

Speaking of, the insides aren't up to par. My paranoia is increasing exponentially.

Whatever, I rub my eyes once more as I begin moving my equipment around and nod. Idly muttering my movements, as Arona records them somewhere.

By the time I'm done, I'm wearing my thigh holster with my M9 on it, carrying the case of gun components before entering an elevator.

Going down, I'm welcomed to a garage with a large number of vehicles, unrecognizable except for their classification as I follow Arona's instructions.

My eyes widen as I gape, spotting a familiar box near the wall of mounted weapons. "...No way."

It's my stash box, I know it because on top, with blue spray paint, is a square. Something I did to differentiate the boxes between Agents. Excitedly, I pry it open as I begin to move stuff around, familiar weapons come to mind as these were the weapons I was supposed to use and give out should it be needed to the area I was going to be relocated to.

I remove my M870, resting it against the open case as I reach in for the Cuelebre, a M870 shotgun with an inscription in the bottom.

Treasure your life. Defend it with this.

Shaking my head, I place the Military M870 into the box before slinging the Cuelebre over my shoulder. I look into the box and hum, I'm not replacing my M4 any time soon, so maybe I can switch out my Officer's M9? Nah, I'll be fine.

With a nod, I close the box after dropping off the cases of weapons I had with me, before stopping by to grab ammunition to fill up my own bag, now lighter without all the boxes in it.

Next, I went to the Crafting Chamber, speaking with Arona. "Hey Arona, how're the lenses looking?"

"Sadly, Sensei, ISAC-senpai doesn't know how you still have your eyes." Arona answers frankly, "They're old and outdated, but don't worry, you'll get new ones!" Arona says, winking while showing a thumbs up.

"...Right." Admittedly, her words hurt a bit. I'm attached to those lenses, they've been with me for three years. I've practically slept with them.

…

Yeah I'm fairly sure you're not supposed to do that. I can see the reason in Arona's words. As much as these eyes of mine show me cursed things, they're also quite useful.

"Still, I've been curious about something." I mutter, turning to the room where the SHD Network node is located. "How did she know about my TAC-50? Much less upgrading ISAC."

It's been bothering me this entire time. How? How did the President know about ISAC? Or even the SHD Network?

One of those is far easier than the others. The SHD Network is a network that piggybacks off the Sanctum Tower to connect to different points of data.

Still, for holding something so important, this room isn't very well-protected.

For someone who knows all of the aforementioned facts, the room is woefully under protected. Sure, it's in the basement and well-ventilated…

Hmm, SHD safe houses had door handles but the doors themselves didn't open unless an Agent had their Smart Watch. Maybe I could do something similar here?

I leave the idea for later, walking back and towards the Crafting Chamber as I open the door.

"Right!" Arona pipes up from under my arm. "Now head towards the terminal and we can get started!"

I listen to her, sitting on the rolling chair as I turn the terminal on and from it, a menu pops up as I quirk a brow, "Huh?"

"Ta-dah!" Arona sang, popping up from the edge of the terminal as she pushed herself up. "Welcome to the Crafting Chamber! Here we can build anything our hearts desire, so long as it doesn't breach contract," she adds under her breath before turning to me with a bright smile, "furniture, SHD Tech," wait a sec, "special ammunition, and more!"

"So...a 3D printer?" I ask, turning to the chunk of stone floating ominously in the middle of the room.

"No!" Arona says, pouting and looking like I personally offended her somehow, "This? This is better. Try it out!"

Feeling skeptical, I begin moving through the terminal, looking for something to print. While usually, I'd feel uncomfortable with the knowledge that this has knowledge of my SHD tech, Yuuka's calculator barrier, or Q.E.D., is leagues above the Defender Drone, the only feature that makes it superior is the fact that it has a chance to deflect the bullets.

Regardless, I found what I'm looking for, ScanTek contact lenses. I tapped it and before I knew it a gentle thrum came from the stone, causing me to squawk as I duck behind the desk while removing my pistol from its holster.

Finally, the thrum became a fine whine, resembling a jet warming up before it just stopped.

Peeking over, I see the terminal has the words 'Complete' on it as I look towards the stone.

There, under the stone, is a set of contact lenses, slowly, I reach towards the case and inspect it. My Smart Watch beeps to my surprise as I turn my wrist to look at the wrist.

Connection Established to ScanTek.

I look away, dismissing it as I continue to stare at the contact lenses in silence.

"Sensei?" Arona worriedly asks in my silence.

"...Jesus Christ, this isn't a 3D printer."

I could feel the smugness radiate from Arona.

Half an hour later, my Go-Bag now filled with special ammunition and SHD tech, I calibrate the ScanTek contact lenses and sigh, placing the new audiometric earpieces back in as I stretch. "ISAC?"

"Here." ISAC's voice pops up as I nod.

"Good. The HUD for this is way better than last time." I note out loud in my office, spinning in the office chair.

"Thank you. Arona was very helpful in that subject." ISAC says, causing Arona to chuckle.

"Ehhh~, I didn't do that much." She says, appearing in my sight as she sits on a chair.

He wasn't wrong. Everything felt smoother, clearer.

"Now all we have to do is wait for something to come to us." I mutter. "While we're here, we might as well… Arona, show me our inventory." I say out loud, bringing out the Shittim Chest as I turn it on.

"Alright~!" Arona cheerfully said before flickering out.

A spreadsheet appeared, detailing our munition, vehicles and other odds and ends.

I was looking through it because it seems like Rin decided that I should have a day to get settled in.

...Yeah, this isn't working.

"Arona, do you have a limit to how much you can produce?" I ask and she appears in my peripherals.

"I do," she points upwards and a bar appears with a bit of it missing from the end, "I only have so much energy before I can't do anymore."

"Good. ISAC, run a simulation of the surroundings to find the best locations to set up ammo boxes in the surroundings." I tell ISAC, the AI getting to work.

"Umm," Arona speaks, looking anxious and a bit scared, "Sensei, do you think someone's going to attack the club room?"

My nails hit the desk, clicking in anxiety as I try to explain my thoughts to the young and childish AI. "Arona, I've done this song and dance enough times to know that nothing is absolute, even if we may want it to be so." Memories of the Black Tusk's invasion coming to mind. "In the end, we can only hope for the best, but plan for the worst."

I understand better than most the futility there is in fixing something that's broken. Every time I'd liberate a settlement or town from attackers, I'd only find out later that they were practically going through a civil war or were cleared out by attackers. Even when I was in D.C. the thought always lingered in the back of my mind, why try to fix something that's broken? What's worse is that it wasn't some gaming system or even a rebellious government. It was an entire system that caused the Outcast, the True Sons, the Hyenas, the Rogues, all of these were fucked over by a system that put them there and propagated by a mercenary outfit.

But I wasn't trying to be a hero. My parents raised me in a tumultuous time, where they had to work two jobs to keep up with the bills and care for me and did a damn good job of it to the point that I barely noticed it. I just wanted them to rest safe, knowing that I'm alive, but that the world they're in is the one they came into.

I already failed there.

Shaking my head, I sigh, closing my eyes to rest them for a second. Finally, I open them and smile. "Still, that's mostly paranoia talking. Arona," I turn to the short AI, "I know we have only known each other for a few days, but have faith."

"…" The AI stays quiet, looking down before peering up with a lightly mischievous smile, "That we'll be attacked?"

"Ha!" I bark out a laugh and lean back, "Ya ain't wrong. But I'm not getting at that." I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees, interlacing my fingers, "Just have faith that I know what I'm talking about."

Arona just smiles fondly, nodding, "Mmh, Sensei, I will."

"Good, 'cause I don't."

"What?" Arona piped up, suddenly looking a lot less sure than she was a few seconds ago.

"Simulation Complete. Would you like to reinforce the inside or outside first?" ISAC pipes up as I hum.

"Let's go inside first. Your room needs reinforcing along with the crafting chamber. Then we'll go outside and leave a few ammo boxes." I say as ISAC recedes.

"Hey! Sensei! What do you mean by that? Sensei!" Arona tries to get my attention but I make the choice of ignoring her.

I've never been more thankful for being an engineer than today, even if it usually left me to be the one to make SHD Tech before I left for D.C.

Tightening the screw on the reinforced door inside a workshop(aka an empty room with two benches pushed together) I glance over to the laptop, lines of code on it as I sigh. "Right, moment of truth."

Beside the doorknob, there's a gap with circuitry and machinery behind it. With a heave, I raise it up, leaning it against the bench as I sigh. Slowly, I extend a hand, resting it on the handle. Pushing it, my Smart Watch is then scanned by the piece of machinery as my HUD displays the words 'Scanning' on the machinery.

Finally, it clicks and I sigh in relief.

Though the mechanism to push the door open didn't activate. "Oh come on!"

Grumbling, I turn to the laptop. Scouring the lines of code and then spotting the discrepancy. "Damn it, I got the opening time wrong."

It seems like I put in the wrong amount of time for it to open. Now it'll take three minutes to even start opening. And if I just scan it again it'll restart the countdown.

Just to experiment, I do the process again and I see the countdown increase, confirming my thoughts. "Well, better than nothing."

At most, the room will need to be cleaned if anything else. It'll be a travesty if I need to enter the room.

But for a reinforced door for the Crafting Chamber and ISAC's node it'll work.

Now, I bring out the next component, a screen and a keypad. These two are simpler as they have no actual connection to the opening of the door, but to give the illusion.

First, I connect the scanner found in the door to the screen. After trying it again, the light becomes orange with the words 'Welcome SHD Agent' on it.

But here comes the fun part.

I copy and paste the chunk of code once, removing the lines of code corresponding to the formation of the letters 'Welcome SHD Agent' and instead make it so the entire screen flashes one color.

"This is going to be hilarious." I mutter, catching Arona's attention.

"What are you doing?" She asks while figuratively leaning over my shoulder.

"What not angry anymore?" I ask the girl as she quickly realizes she's supposed to be angry, crossing her arms and pouting to the side. But she still glanced over to see what the code was about.

Idly, I set the most noticeable code I know to be the code.

1234

"Really Sensei?" Arona asks, exasperated.

"You say that now…" I trail off as I set that to be green.

After connecting the keypad with the screen, I type out the code. The screen lights up green.

I then proceed to copy and paste the code multiple times and begin replacing the color with a different one corresponding to a different set of numbers and a few other surprises with the help of ISAC.

After a few problems here and there, the program is done. All I need to do is create a wireless connection to the screen and…

Done.

Like a kid, I turn to Arona. "Let's get this set up."

An hour later, I have the door replacing the old one, the keypad on the wall, and the screen at the top.

Excited, I do the first, twisting the handle as it scans the Smart Watch, the wires and scanner hidden from sight, and nothing happens until three minutes later, the door slowly opening on its own and the words 'Welcome SHD Agent' flashing orange.

"Alright!"

I wait and the door closes, locking with a loud click.

"So, what's the keypad for?" Arona asks.

Smiling like the devil, I inserted the code '1234'.

Arona was clearly bored as the light up top lit up green after three minutes but the door didn't open.

"...Huh?"

Next up, I inputted a different code and this time it was a blue light, then a different one made the light become red.

On and on, I input different codes as they turned into a variety of colors.

There were only two differences, to spice it up and return to my old world.

If there's a screen, DOOM will be seen.

Inputting the code '6666' the screen showed the menu of the original Doom before blacking out as I hit 0000.

And just for giggles, I inputted the code '9999' and music began to play. Specifically, 'Bad Apple'.

Slowly, Arona's eyes widened and her eyes began to glow, her halo green as her smile threatened to split her face. "This keypad isn't even connected to the door."

Arona begins to giggle as I follow her example, "J-Just imagine, 'Oh, what's this door?' and just try everything but fail."

Arona straightens up, puffing her chest out and giggling, "O-oh, this-this is some heavy firewalls, but I got through! Let's see, th-this will work!" Her face straightens out, turning to the door and making a show of looking impatient. "What? But I used the right code!"

"Move over, let me try." I joined Arona to make this situation more humorous. "Hmm, I see, it's this!"

Inputting a random code, the color lit up gray and I fell to my knees. "Damn it!"

Arona's laughs begin to taper off as she says, "I can't wait for someone to try."

I agree, nodding as I return to the workshop, I still have another door to program.

The sun filters into the office, revealing my sprawled form on a couch, sighing as I go over the plans and mapped areas.

Every room has a security system in some way or another, basically emptying the energy. Drones, Fireflies, Hives, Turrets, Seeker Mines, Jammers, and Decoys, all of it is ready to be activated at my word and turn the SCHALE club room into a fortress. Even now, I can see the camouflaged turrets deactivated hidden.

Tomorrow, I'll start reinforcing the outside after completing a few jobs.

"Hey Arona, how're the missions looking?" I ask the AI.

"Requests have been piling in, it's getting a bit difficult to keep up with them as some are redundant and others are just plain impossible." Arona says.

"Hmm," I hum, "do… we have any other responsibilities? Like lessons and such?"

"Well," Arona starts, "as an extrajudicial investigation organization, you can hire students from different schools to assist you. And yes, there are time slots for lessons."

"What about applications, have we gotten any?" I ask and Arona is silent for a second.

"We do! We've also gotten a request for classes tomorrow." Arona notes as I nod.

"Well...We have paperwork tomorrow so let's leave that for tomorrow afternoon. Ask the applicant when they have time." I say before quirking a brow, "And who asked for classes?"

"Um, it seems like a student from the Valkyrie Police Academy?" Arona says, my face contorting into one of distaste at the mention of police.

Now, I know not all police are bad. But, my experience with cops was never a good one even before the Dollar Flu spread. Especially since most of the ones I talked to after the outbreak thought I stole my Smart Watch from the corpse of an Agent, or even thought I was the one who killed the Agent for the watch.

My opinion of cops isn't good, at all. But…

I stare at the files on the Shittim Chest, revealing the information of the girl, one Nakatsukasa Kirino.

They're just kids…

I can't treat them like I would the feds back home.

My face relaxes as I look at their files once more. "So, what do they need?"

"It says here they'd like help with their accuracy." Arona says, as I look at their files, my eyes sticking to the blue-haired and pink-eyed as I hummed, not sure I believe that.

It felt like looking at a mirror if I was four years younger and still in school, constantly procrastinating and lazy without a care in the world. Granted, once I joined the SHD that attitude never left, I was just a lot more motivated when it came to things centering around becoming a better Agent.

Anyway, how did I meet these girls?

While the events from last night have all blended together like they usually do when I go for a clean up, a part that stands out is stark white hair.

Right, I remember now.

"Argh, we're pinned down! Requesting backup!" A white-haired girl yells into a radio from behind a patrol car that's being pelted by bullets.

"I don't think that's going to work." Fubuki says, ducking down after firing a few rounds at the thugs pinning them down. "Everyone's already busy enough. So let's relax, here," Fubuki says, reaching for a box and bringing out a circular sweet with a hole in the middle, "have a donut."

"Don't want one! That doesn't mean we can't try!" Kirino says, peeking out and aiming down with her revolver and firing a few rounds, hitting anything but her target. "No!"

Before she could be knocked out by a bullet, Fubuki pulled her back, "Be careful." She warned, Kirino's eyes widening with newfound respect.

Though that quickly disappeared when Fubuki added, "I'd rather not have to drive on the way back."

Kirino slumped forward, tears edging her eyes as she muttered, "Damn it, give me back my respect."

Then, they heard it. A bullet whistling through the air followed by a loud bang that caused everyone to turn.

They didn't find anything, the thugs worried because of the rumors they'd heard while Fubuki and Kirino quickly shook off the shock and fired.

Before the thugs could move, they began to hear a second set of ammunition, crisp and clear, not to mention an impressive rate of fire, as they heard some of the thugs yelp.

Fubuki and Kirino could recognize the weapon as an M4 usually used by the police but no one responded.

Then they saw him, a halo-less adult ducking behind cover before peeking out, spraying a thug's body with hot lead before aiming at another with a burst of gunfire knocking them down with impeccable accuracy and reaction time. He reaches for the magazine but jerks back as a round hits his shoulder.

"No!" Kirino yelled, running forward and aiming at the thug along with Fubuki, both of them aware of why they're so durable and not in a rush to find out what happens when a halo-less person is shot.

But that didn't happen, instead, he whirled around, shooting the thug with quick pulls of his trigger as singular bullets hit the thug, knocking her out at the last round.

That was when another group entered from the alley, the adult whirling around and replacing his M4 with a M870 as he pulls the trigger, his body absorbing the recoil and catching the thugs in its spread as they tried to move or fire but were caught in the spread of the second shot, pumping the forend and the ejected shell clatters on the ground as he fires once more.

At the fifth shot, he sling his shotgun back, going for his M9 and nailing a thug peeking over her cover in the head before aiming at the next thug, with a grenade in hand and primed to throw, his M9 going off and nailing the thug in the arm, dropping the grenade.

A second later, it went off and the thug was sent flying, finishing off the group as he holsters the pistol.

Kirino and Fubuki were in shock. This was the first time they'd seen a halo-less adult but this is also the first time they've seen someone use multiple guns with deadly efficiency and accuracy.

By the time they tried to go to him, he was gone. They'd later find out that the person they saw was actually SCHALE's Sensei.

By some twist of fate, Kirino would find the section of the SCHALE website to request classes first and managed to get the earliest time.

Fubuki would find an opportunity to slack off.

Yeah, that was fine.

"How're my clothes?" I ask Arona. "I think it's time I get some fresh air."

Some food would be nice too

Do I even have money?

I pat myself down, trying to find something to use as currency but find myself stone cold broke.

Though my hand does reach for my pocket in my shorts. It's my old wallet, still working despite it being years.

Opening it, it reveals High School Mateo and a debit card, broken but something else gets my attention.

I pull out a card, a credit card, that I really don't want to touch. It feels...off. Like it was a hot summer day but the cold breeze finally came around. It...made me feel complete.

In the end, I put it away and patted my pocket. "Right, not touching that unless I can help it."

That leaves me with the same problem. No money and I don't think I should use the Crafting Chamber to make the currency here.

...Is Rin busy?

Rin rubs the space between her brows inwardly groaning after the series of meetings they've had, each one as unproductive as the last with a variety of Student Councils.

Ever since yesterday when they left Mateo in SCHALE and finding out the rampage he went through in the night each meeting has been more exhausting than the last, the adult worrying his students.

Not to mention, she just wants the time to actually process everything, from the disappearance of her friend and leader to all the changes in the GSC because of her status as missing. It's all been one thing after another and she just wants to curl up in bed and sleep.

Sighing, dispelling all her worries with the exhale while placing her thumb through the fingerprint reader, she opens her eyes to her office, watching as the adult summoned by the GSC President was seated on her desk in basketball shorts and black shirt while in body armor with his gas mask on and a backpack with a shotgun, an assault rifle, an anti-material rifle, a bandolier of what looks like grenades of a variety of colors and a launcher peeking out.

The silence between them stretches out as Rin looks back and then whirls back, her usual stern visage cracking under the incredulity of it all, reaching into her pocket to open an app and looking through it when she comes to a realization. "Wha-How did you get in here?"

"Don't worry about it." He says, uncaring as he hops off the desk. "On another note, some of the guards are getting sloppy. You should look into that."

Rin's eyes twitch at those words, they are if they somehow manage to miss a six foot lugging around that much equipment. "What about the cameras?"

"Ok, that one was a miracle." He admits, shaking his head to Rin's mounting frustration. "But, that's enough about me, what about you? How're you holding up?"

At the genuine care and worry in his voice, Rin stops, his brown eyes genuine and his brows furrowed, his lack of visible mouth not at all hiding how emotional he is.

Sighing, Rin straightens her back, "I'm fine, just the workload is a lot more than I'm used to."

Mateo nods, closing his eyes and holding a hand to his chin, "Paperwork. Formidable opponent indeed."

"You probably have your fair share of experience with it." Rin says, sitting on the rolling chair of her office. "You are an adult."

"Barely." He admits, "I was an Agent, didn't have time for things like paperwork and stuff."

"You've mentioned that term before, what's it mean?" She decides to ask, curious as to their new teacher.

"…" He doesn't say anything, just looking at the ceiling with a complicated expression. "I… I know how to explain it, but I don't know how to portray the severity of my position." He looks at her and she blinks, his eyes looking through her and everything before blinking into a more relaxed look. The look he had in his eyes sent shivers down her spine.

"I saw you joined at around sixteen?" Rin noted a bit of confusion in her expression. "I...don't have the entire picture, but considering you don't have a halo, I'll have to guess no one else has one from where you're from. Isn't that a bit young to have a Service Record?"

"It wasn't the army or the police. It was a… civilian agency. We were supported by the government and were technically federal agents, but...bah!" He finished, slapping his leg as he sighed. "We were trained by the military but we aren't an elite unit. Our directive was to work outside the law should there be societal collapse or an institutional breakdown."

Rin's mind froze and so did her hands at the words, turning to him as her eyes caught a glance of scars on him. He continued, ignoring her look, "We were planted in communities, interacted like normal, whatnot, but we'd train by taking high-level classes, usually overseen by military personnel. We were supposed to stay hidden until we were 'activated'. As you can see," he motions to himself, "our society did in fact collapse."

"Oh." She said out loud and his expression became amused.

"Yeah, 'oh'." He says to her embarrassment, "It's a thing of the past at this point. I'm here in this new gig with a bunch of cute girls around me. It's practically paradise!"

Her pity was gone a second later as she glowered at him in disgust and he just laughed it off.

"Anyway, I just came to check up on you. See ya." He says, walking away as she sighs in exasperation. Though he quickly whirled around as if realizing something.

"Also, I'm broke."

Rin wished for a sane and normal world.

Munching at a ration bar, I sigh, that conversation with Rin not having gone well, but I have money, and that's all that matters. It feels embarrassing asking for money.

Taking a sip from my canteen, I raise the binoculars I have around my neck as I peer through it and into the decrepit building, littered with graffiti of incredibly rude names and subjects as I hum. "Steel blinds, TAC-50 will make too much noise but maybe I have time to get my M44? No. Range…" I set down the binoculars and aim at the location with the holo optic of my M4, ISAC displaying a number in my ScanTek as I hum. 200 meters but there's other buildings around it.

Ransom. In other words, a hostage, those are familiar. Though how these girls could be taken ransom is a mystery beyond me. Back in DC, getting to a hostage would consist of shooting all the hostage takers before anything can happen to the hostage. I guess the situation here is the same.

This request was fairly late, all things considered, a worried sister. Usually, I'd go in, finish it, and get on but I have two other requests to take care of right now and I have the time.

It's not like I feel uncomfortable sleeping in the bed of my own penthouse or that I feel like I'm being suffocated being in the building.

Anyway, I'm in shorts, a shirt, everything usually used by a Division Agent, and all that's left is one last piece.

From my backpack beside my feet, a whirring sound begins to sound as the Tactician Drone flies high, its yellow light trailing through the air as I hope it's not shot down.

Miraculously, it's not, it goes to the apex of the area as the forms of the thugs and my target are outlined.

"I don't have all night this time. So," I reach over and grab the TAC-50 from my backpack, "let's do this quickly."

Slowly, I aim at the outlined forms of the thugs outside, simulating the environment mentally as I instinctively move the anti-material rifle to hit their center of mass. The girl is either laughing or on the verge of crying, so I release a breath and let it all calm, the only sound heard is the slight breeze.

I pulled the trigger, the recoil kicking the buttstock into my shoulder as I heard the whistle of the bullet cutting through air before the bang. Meanwhile, my target felt the bullet hit and nothing more.

Pulling back the bolt, a spent .50 BMG cartridge clattered on the ground, before pushing the bolt forward as their shocked forms froze.

I aim at the second form, pulling the trigger as the round pierces the wall and hits them as I pull and push the bolt, another .50 BMG cartridge following its brother on the floor, the tied up girl panicking as she pushes herself to a corner.

I aim at my next victim, still frozen, before pulling the trigger once more, their body falling next.

For the entire magazine, or four more rounds, that's how it went, picking off confused thugs from the first round as they tried to find me.

Well, they did, they tried to shoot at me, but 200 meters is a long distance, especially when you don't have a clear shot or an anti-material rifle that can pierce through most materials and then some, not to mention a Drone and a helpful combat analysis AI.

To me it was like shooting fish in a barrel but for them it was like trying to hit a fly with a pistol. I could be hit, but my position and weapons make it so doing so is practically impossible.

I replace the magazine with a new one and aim at another thug, pulling the trigger as a bullet with enough force to leave a row of grown men headless hits her stomach and only knocks her out. A twinge of guilt coursing through me before ignoring it. They might be thugs, but they're also dropouts.

Speaking of, I wonder how these girls learn without teachers.

I pause mid pull of the bolt and come to question whether what I'm doing counts as enacting my responsibility as the Advisor to SCHALE. But they passed Arona's requirements so it must.

Pushing the bolt, I begin humming a song under my breath. Replacing the second magazine with a third as I peer into the scope and aim at the retreating thugs, panicking as I release a sigh. "Good."

The Tactician Drone doesn't pick anything else up, which means I'm in the clear.

Jogging my way towards the captive, I hum in thought, or more like emptiness, as I wonder how my supplementary lesson will go.

...I should hurry, actually.

I run towards the captive and manage to free her, escorting her back to her school.

As much as I'd like to meet Hasumi or Suzumi, I still have two more requests to complete. So waving away the students, I continue on my way.

I glance at the empty magazine in my hand, frowning as I stow it away in my Go-Bag, if I remember correctly, there were a few auto-loaders at the armory. Still, that last request was nothing less than a mess.

Turns out, my target was in three different locations because someone went and robbed a shipment of some weird chicken thing for some reason and were thinking of reselling it at ridiculous prices. Sadly, I managed to get two but that last one was gone by the time I got there, leaving me to deal with an ambush.

In the end, I won but I'm tired.

I sigh, stretching as I yawn. This time, looking to get a good night's sleep.

…

I wonder, do we have food?

Bringing out my phone, I look at the app with the money I was given by Rin via a bit of begging and the reward for saving the city. Humming, I wonder if I should get something quick.

…

Nah, I'm way too tired.

With that, I begin my trek to the SCHALE building.

A/N: Well what do you guys think? My beta reader UnknownSixth points out that the way I write makes it so only those that have played both Blue Archive and the Division can enjoy it, but what do you guys think?

Anyway, with that done, I have a question I want to ask. How would you guys feel about adding a bit of romance in this fic? I have a poll up on my profile but you guys could leave your thoughts in the reviews. Will the Agent's courage and sweet words charm these students and lead to something or will it lead to nothing? Regardless of the choice made, I might add a bit of romance anyway, but it won't change the focus of the story in any way aside from making it more interesting. Possibly.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this and I hope you continue to do so. Have a nice day!