Soft light of early morning filtered into Hiro's private room on the second floor, casting a pale glow over the neatly organized space. He stood in front of the mirror, his expression calm but focused as he inspected his reflection. His uniform, meticulously laid out on the bed behind him, was the next thing he turned to. With precise movements, Hiro smoothed the fabric of his jacket, ensuring every crease was sharp and perfect.

He pulled on his gloves, adjusting them to cover the small Xanadu badge hidden beneath his left-hand glove. Everything about his demeanor was controlled, but beneath the surface, his mind buzzed. This wasn't just another day—it was the beginning of something bigger.

"Stay sharp. No mistakes," he muttered to himself, the words a quiet mantra.

After zipping up his jacket and giving himself one final look in the mirror, Hiro moved to the hidden compartment beneath the floorboards. With a soft click, the board lifted, revealing his twin orbal pistols. Sleek and black, the guns were finely tuned for rapid orbal shots, and each had a small, curved blade attached under the barrel for close combat.

He disassembled the weapons with practiced hands, inspecting the orbal circuits with a keen eye. Everything had to be perfect. The pistols weren't just tools; they were extensions of his combat style, designed for both long-range precision and quick, silent strikes. Each piece was checked and cleaned before he reassembled the pistols with a satisfying click.

Once the weapons were whole again, Hiro gave them a brief spin in his hands, testing their balance. The weight was familiar, comforting. He holstered them under his jacket, making sure they were concealed but easy to draw. A few extra orbal cartridges went into a hidden pocket of his jacket—always prepared.

Finally, Hiro reached for a small dagger, sleek and deadly, which he slid into his boot as a backup. Fully equipped, he gave the room one last glance, ensuring that nothing personal or revealing was left behind. No mistakes. No traces.

Hiro stepped toward the door but paused, hand resting on the handle. For a moment, the calm composure wavered. The silence of the room seemed to close in on him, reminding him of what lay ahead. His grip tightened on the handle, hesitation creeping into his mind.

Could he pull this off?

He let out a slow breath, steadying himself.

"One step at a time," he whispered, as if reassuring himself.

As Hiro stepped into the hallway, his surroundings began to blur. The solid brick of the SSS building wavered, morphing into the crumbling, cold stone of Xanadu. The warmth and familiarity drained away, replaced by the sterile, mechanical environment of his past. The soft glow of the hallway lights flickered, casting long shadows across the white tiles that now stretched before him, swallowing the wooden floors of the present.

His breath hitched. The faint scent of oil and metal seeped into the air, and suddenly he was back in the clinical corridors where he and the other kids had been held. The familiar hum of the orbal radio came into focus, a constant reminder of the surveillance they had lived under—an ever-present force controlling their lives. The small flower beside the radio withered in his memory, much like the hope they had clung to in those cold, lifeless halls.

Hiro clenched his fists, his fingers curling tightly. The cold, smooth tiles beneath him felt all too real. The distant sound of laughter echoed in his ears, hollow and haunting. The other kids, their voices replaying in his mind, mixed with the hum of machinery. Their shared suffering in Xanadu, hidden behind feigned smiles and mechanical sounds, weighed heavily on his chest.

His vision wavered between two realities, the present teetering on the edge of the past. He could almost feel the walls of Xanadu closing in, suffocating him, dragging him back to a place he no longer wanted to be. His heart pounded against the memory, fighting to stay rooted in the present.

Instinctively, his hand drifted to his left glove, fingers brushing against the cold metal of the Xanadu badge hidden inside. The familiar weight grounded him, the sensation pulling him back to reality. It wasn't just a relic of his past—it was a reminder of how far he had come. His breathing slowed, the sterile tiles beneath him fading back into the warm wooden floors of the SSS.

He stood still for a moment longer, his hand lingering on the badge. The past still lurked in the back of his mind, but it no longer held him captive. With a final glance around, Hiro released his grip, letting the calm settle over him. He straightened, his focus sharpening as he stepped forward, leaving the weight of Xanadu behind him—for now.

Hiro was able to enter the main part of the SSS building after descending the stairs, the new environment, again, a stark contrast to the one he'd left behind. Holding onto his promise to Theo, the young man approached the table where the rest of the SSS was already waiting.

"Morning Hiro," Lloyd said, "Ready to go?"

Hiro managed a small nod, still processing the shift from his earlier memories. "Yeah, ready as I'll ever be."

Randy leaned back in his chair, grinning. "Good to see you survived the early morning."

Tio, quietly observing Hiro, raised an eyebrow but said nothing, her sharp gaze catching the faint tremor in his hand before it steadied. Elie smiled at him warmly, perhaps noticing but not calling attention to his lingering unease.

"You sure you're alright?" Lloyd's question, though simple, carried a weight that only Hiro understood fully.

"Yeah," Hiro answered, forcing a smile. "Just… a long night."

"Join the club," Randy chuckled. "But hey, nothing like a fresh start to shake off yesterday, right?"

Hiro gave a small nod, focusing on the task ahead rather than the memories that still clung to him. Crossbell was his new battlefield, and this time, he wasn't fighting alone.

It was odd, but the fact that he wasn't fighting alone wasn't comforting to Hiro in the same way it would be to a normal person. In fact, it unsettled him more than anything. He was used to operating alone, with no one to rely on but himself. The idea that someone else might have to carry his burdens or be dragged into the darkness of his past gnawed at him. Trust wasn't a luxury he'd ever really been able to afford.

Trust meant vulnerability. Vulnerability led to mistakes. Mistakes could be deadly.

He glanced around the table, his gaze lingering on Lloyd, Elie, Randy, and Tio. They trusted each other, and their bond was palpable—unshakable even. But for Hiro, it only highlighted the distance he still felt. Could he ever fully be a part of that, or was he destined to always remain an outsider, forever haunted by his past?

Randy's voice broke through his thoughts. "C'mon, Hiro. Don't look so grim. We've got your back, alright?"

Hiro forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, I know."

But deep down, he wasn't so sure. The fight ahead wasn't just against the enemies in front of them—it was against the memories that refused to let him go.

"We don't have anything strenuous today," Lloyd informed him, his tone deliberately light. "Just a couple of extermination requests in the Geofront. I thought it would be good to focus on those today to give you an idea of how we work, while keeping things in your wheelhouse."

Hiro nodded, but something about Lloyd's words made his skin prickle. "Keeping things in your wheelhouse." The idea that this was just routine work felt too simple—too easy. Even if it was supposed to help him integrate with the rest of the team, the familiarity of the task stirred something darker within him. Extermination work was what they used to throw at him back in Xanadu. Eliminate threats, clean up the mess, and move on. But in those moments, it wasn't just monsters he had been dealing with.

He pushed the thought down, focusing on the present. This wasn't Xanadu.

"Sounds good," Hiro replied, his voice steady even though his mind felt a little more distant. He glanced at Tio, who was watching him quietly, as though trying to read something beneath the surface. He was sure she sensed his unease, but she didn't press.

"Don't sweat it, man," Randy chimed in, clapping a hand on Hiro's shoulder, though Hiro stiffened slightly at the unexpected touch. "Geofront stuff is routine for us. We'll show you the ropes, and you'll get a feel for how we handle things as a unit."

A unit.

The word clung to him. Xanadu had taught him to act alone, to move without relying on others. Yet here, the SSS operated like a family, leaning on each other in ways that felt foreign to him.

They trusted each other to the point of dependency.

Hiro's gaze flickered to Elie, who was smiling warmly, the soft reassurance of her expression standing in stark contrast to the battle-hardened cynicism he carried.

"Ready when you are," he said, keeping his voice controlled. The last thing he wanted was to show any cracks.

Lloyd motioned to the door. "Alright, let's head out. We'll keep it simple today, give you time to adjust."

As they walked out of the office, Hiro couldn't help but glance back for a second, catching his reflection in the polished glass of the door. For a moment, he didn't recognize himself—standing amongst them, part of a group that relied on each other.

But as the Geofront loomed ahead, Hiro knew that the real test wasn't just battling the monsters. It was battling the idea of trust.

It was time to head out, whether Hiro was ready or not.

The air in the room seemed to shift as the group prepared to leave, each member moving with a sense of purpose. Hiro took a deep breath, pushing down the knot of anxiety forming in his chest. He could feel the weight of the day pressing down on him—not because of the mission itself, but because of what it represented. Being part of a team, relying on others—those were new challenges he wasn't sure how to navigate.

Lloyd gave him a reassuring nod. "It'll be fine, Hiro. Just stay close, and you'll get the hang of it."

Hiro managed a small nod in return, though his mind was elsewhere. He adjusted his jacket, feeling the familiar press of his concealed weapons. The orbal pistols and dagger were comforting, tools of a trade he knew far too well. The thought of extermination work brought a strange sense of normalcy. Killing was easy. Teamwork? That was the real test.

As they made their way out of the SSS building, the streets of Crossbell opened up before them. The bustling city, alive with its mix of technology and old-world charm, seemed to move at a different pace than Hiro. He felt as though he was walking through it, detached, the familiar sights barely registering.

He walked a few steps behind the others, eyes scanning the city around them, but his mind still lingering in the wasn't the Geofront itself that unsettled Hiro. He'd never been there before, but the concept was simple enough—an underground structure filled with monsters to exterminate. That part, at least, felt familiar. Eliminating threats was something he'd been trained to do since his earliest days. The idea of dealing with those creatures? Almost nostalgic.

But extermination wasn't the problem. What weighed on him was the fact that this wasn't a solo mission, and every step he took with the SSS reminded him of that.

It wasn't like fighting alongside Theo, VIII, or any of his other 'siblings' from Xanadu. With them, there had been an unspoken understanding. They moved as one, each instinctively knowing the other's role, strengths, and weaknesses. There was no need for trust—it was simply efficiency, bred from years of shared survival.

But the SSS wasn't like that. They weren't bound by the same brutal past. Here, trust was something offered freely, not earned through shared trauma. It felt strange, like trying to fit into a mold he wasn't shaped for. As the group made their way through the streets of Crossbell, Hiro couldn't help his attention being drawn to his new team-mates. His training kicked in before he'd fully realized what was happening.

First up was Lloyd; He had the sharpness of a detective, someone who could break down complex cases with ease. But Hiro couldn't quite pin down what Lloyd would be like in battle. He carried himself with a quiet confidence, a readiness that was hard to ignore. Hiro wondered if Lloyd's skill in deciphering cases translated into combat. Was he the type to take charge in a fight, or did he rely more on strategy? There was an edge to him that hinted at something Hiro hadn't yet seen.

Hiro's gaze shifted to Randy next. At first glance, Randy seemed like an easygoing brawler, his casual demeanor hiding any serious intent. But Hiro could sense something beneath the surface—an edge. The way Randy moved, the way he held himself, hinted at someone with real combat experience. There was a fluidity in his steps, a relaxed precision that wasn't just for show. Hiro couldn't shake the feeling that Randy had lived a life far removed from the carefree persona he projected. There was more to him than the others likely knew.

Hiro's attention shifted to Elie next. There was a certain elegance to her movements, but they weren't born of the same hard-earned experience he'd come to recognize in fighters. Her steps, though measured and deliberate, hinted at someone who wasn't used to direct combat. She didn't have the same raw instinct the others had, and Hiro wondered if she'd ever faced the kind of violence he was accustomed to. She seemed determined, but determination alone wasn't always enough in a fight.

Finally, Hiro's gaze landed on Tio. Out of everyone, she was the hardest to read. She didn't carry the physical presence of someone who fought on the frontlines, but there was something sharp and calculating in her eyes. Hiro had seen that kind of precision before—cold, analytical, the kind that could break down a situation and dismantle it without even stepping into the fight. Her intellect was likely her weapon, and in a battle, that could be just as dangerous as brute strength. She reminded him of some of the kids from Xanadu.

Even without knowing Tio's past, Hiro could sense there was something more to her than just her intellect. The sharpness in her eyes, the precision in how she operated—it was reminiscent of the kids from Xanadu, the ones who had been shaped by dark forces beyond their control. Whatever Tio had gone through, it had left a mark, and Hiro could feel that weight in the way she carried herself. Intellectually, she was right there on the same plateau, and that made her someone to watch.

She gave him a kind of chill he'd only ever experienced when fighting alongside his 'siblings.' It wasn't fear, but a deep, instinctual awareness that she was someone who could match him, not in brute force, but in cold, calculated strategy. It reminded Hiro of the intensity and focus that defined his days in Xanadu. Tio wasn't just sharp—there was a weight behind her gaze, something more than just intelligence. Whatever it was, it made Hiro uneasy, but also intrigued.

They seemed like an odd choice for a department, all things considered. Hiro couldn't shake the feeling. A detective, a laid-back fighter with an edge that hinted at something deeper, a noble with no real battle experience, and a girl who gave him the same chill his Xanadu 'siblings' did. It wasn't the lineup he would've chosen for the kinds of missions he was used to. They were bound by something different—trust, camaraderie—but Hiro wasn't sure if that was enough in the world he came from. Could they handle what was out there?

Hiro had been so absorbed in his analysis of the team that he lost track of time. His mind had been working on instinct, slipping into the old habits of assessing every detail, every strength and weakness of his surroundings and companions. By the time he wrestled himself away from those instincts, they were already entering the Geofront, the threshold of the mission just ahead. Reality snapped back into focus, and Hiro reminded himself that this was no longer the world he came from—yet, old habits die hard.

"It shouldn't be too far," Lloyd said, glancing at the map in his hand. "The request said it was in the first area."

"I'll scout ahead," Hiro said, falling into old habits as he darted off at speed without waiting for a response.

"Hiro, wa—aaaand he's gone," Lloyd sighed, shaking his head as he watched the young assassin disappear into the Geofront's winding corridors. The rest of the team exchanged glances, knowing it would take some adjusting to work as a cohesive unit with someone like Hiro.

Tio folded her arms, "Reckless. He'll draw out everything ahead of us at this rate."

Randy grinned, "And he probably thinks he can take them all, too. He's got the speed, but he'll need more than that to handle this place."

Lloyd sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He's fast, but this is the Geofront. Coordination's going to be just as important as raw speed."

Elie nodded, her voice soft but resolute. "Let's make sure he doesn't get himself into a corner. We'll need to back him up, whether he likes it or not."

The team moved forward, ready to face whatever chaos Hiro had likely stirred up ahead.

But Hiro didn't have the same limited thinking as most people. Where others might search for an elevator or stairs, he used his agility and reflexes to navigate his way down through a combination of vent tops and walls, scaling the Geofront with a precision born from his past training. His movements were silent and fluid, making use of every inch of space around him, blending speed and stealth in a way that felt instinctual—something honed by years of survival.

Mid-descent, Hiro unclipped his twin emerald orbal pistols from their hooks on his jacket, his eyes tracking the movement of nearby monsters. Without missing a beat, he fired off several precise rounds of orbal energy, each shot hitting its mark. The glowing bolts of energy struck down the creatures with ease, his movements seamless as he continued to descend. The blasts illuminated the darkened vents briefly before fading, leaving nothing but the sound of his landing as he pressed forward.

Back with the SSS, Lloyd didn't look amused as he heard the distant sounds of orbal fire.

"Great. He's already making noise," Lloyd muttered, his brows furrowed in frustration.

Randy, leaning casually against a nearby wall, chuckled. "Gotta admit, kid's got style. But subtlety? Not so much."

Tio sighed, already bringing up her tactical orbment. "If he keeps this up, he'll attract every hostile creature in this section."

Elie smiled sympathetically at Lloyd. "We'll catch up soon. He just needs some time to adjust."

Lloyd sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he watched the others prepare to move. "I guess this is what the files meant by 'one-person army.'"

Randy chuckled, giving Lloyd a playful pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, and here I thought we'd seen it all. Kid doesn't waste any time, does he?"

Tio, ever analytical, added, "If he keeps this up, the monsters will be the least of our problems. He'll draw everything in this sector straight to him."

Randy laughed, "And in a twisted way, the thought probably gets his blood pumping."

Elie smiled faintly, trying to keep the mood light. "He just needs to adjust. He'll learn to work with us, eventually."

Lloyd exhaled, nodding. "Let's hope so. We need to catch up before he brings down the whole Geofront."

They pressed forward, the distant sounds of Hiro's steps fading into the darkness ahead. The Geofront felt still, but unease settled over the group—a quiet reminder that it was likely their troubles were just beginning.