UNKD BORACAY (CVU Location)

In the end, Ali had to agree that he didn't know more than someone born of the clan would. Maybe that old Ancestor of the clan was simply a lunatic, or maybe he had simply misunderstood the workings of the technique he observed back then. "I'll leave up to you how to do what you want to approach the problem, Anakia,"

“Fan-%@#$-tastic.” Kaija thought to herself, the mark upon her back burning with a familiar pain as she glared at the intruder in her home, “How did I get here? A ninja breaks into my home trying to steal some of our $%@#, and he’s got my teacher pinned against the wall with some dark magic bull$%@#. Weirdest Part? I’m not even surprised by this.”

There stood the stranger, an unknown object in his hands and a woman pressed against the opposing wall by unseen forces. They were alone in that room, door locked, and that woman propped against the wall wasn’t just another coworker who meant little to Kaija. Her name was India. She was a parapleigic; her wheelchair dashed across the floor and her grey hair ruffled and disorganized by the force of the stranger’s power. Kaija’s eyes darted back and forth between the stranger and her operations instructor.

She debated coming down upon him and crushing him between her fingers, but right now, she wasn’t particularly interested in the man’s death. No, Kaija wanted nothing more than to see India safe and to be rid of this man whom held her life in the palm of his hands. Right now, brute force wasn’t going to help keep her safe. The young soldier clad in velvet and white considered her options before making a move. The few moments that she stood at an impasse with this man felt like an eternity in thought.

A single detail rang in the young girl’s mind. There were no alarms. The only people aware of this intruder’s presence were herself and India. Her eyes turned to a nearby camera, and the lack of a flashing light indicated that is was most likely malfunctioning. Obviously intentional. But, despite how much of a setback that this may have seemed to be, Kaija saw nothing but opportunity. She grinned for a moment before turning speaking with the strange man.

“I’ll make a deal with you, whoever you are. You went to an awful lot of effort to keep yourself from being discovered here today. I’m sure that you don’t want to have the UN hunting you on top of a disgruntled, mourning Kaiju, right? Well I want things too.” Kaija explained, “That woman that you’ve got propped up against the wall, I want her left alone. But I also can’t just let you get away without doing anything to stop you. So, how about we settle it the old fashioned way? You keep your magic to yourself and off of my people, and I keep it 6’11”. We fight, right here. You win, and I’ll let you leave with… whatever the hell you stole. Won’t say a word of it to anyone, and it will be as though no one noticed you. I win, and you drop it and leave. Either way, so long as you take my deal, no one will be looking for you and I get to keep my teacher, so it’s a win win. May the best man… or woman, win. What do you say, Xenon?”

@kaija:

The Mutant Maestro gazed at India, the two white eyes from his suit looking as though they were peering into the paraplegics very soul. Perhaps he was. The Crucible King did not turn his face towards Kaija, instead, thoughtfully folding his arms behind his vibranium back.

"I am sorry I took your limbs all those years ago, India."

His gloved palms clenched a little in slight internal sorrow. Xenon was not a mindless monster and had always regret disabling India permanently.

With a slight crease of his brow, the former King of Venezuela turned, feeling the sorcery within his palms slowly subside in the presence of this Kaija. Strange. He listened to her words carefully and truthfully did not care, the United Nations had not the means nor desire to waste their time capturing an elusive legend such as he. For a moment Xenon considered teleporting away....

With a sigh, the Mutant Maestro's vibranium claws retracted into his suit, his telekinetic aura dampened until it was no longer there, and his telepath field subsided. He mentally switched off the quantum shields upon his suit, and then looked this diplomatic Kaiju Defence Operative in the eyes, arms still aristocratically clasped behind his back.

"Deal."

-Crack!

Like a proverbial bolt of lighting the Shadow Sorcerer's left foot sprung up into the air like it was fired from a railgun, poised to smash directly into Kaija's exposed chin... Or so it seemed. Xenon was no ordinary fighter, no, he was a self taught grandmaster of tactical misdirection and unconventional close quarters combat. Years upon years of psychological study into the minds of the greatest fighters, analysing their fights to the very milliseconds in detail, storing such knowledge into his photographic memory and using it all to craft his very own style dubbed Mutant Martial Arts. It taught one to use their mutant powers and physical prowess interchangeably, but it also taught one not to rely upon such metahuman gifts. Xenon was a master of the martial arts in all forms.

India had once seen it. Fate it seemed, had determined her student would too.

What Xenon telegraphed as a monstrous left footed high-kick was a well timed feint, in reality, he had sprung up and sought to rock Kaija with a powerful right knee, straight into her solar plexus prior to crushingly swinging his foot back down and hopefully smacking his heel into the very tall woman's nose, all in the blink of an eye...

@maestro_:

Relief. From the moment that India's unconscious body hit the floor, Kaija felt a wave of relief spread throughout her body. Regardless of what occurred from here on out, she had already achieved a victory, albeit a small one. With personal conflicts resolved, she could put her focus on nothing more than the events at hand, and the challenge before her. Her entire mindset changed.

She did not fight this masked man out of rage or hatred. The fact of the matter was, India was unharmed, and he was willing to listen to reason. She did not fight this man out of vengeance or pride. She very well could've let him leave, trading her silence for India's life... but it simply wasn't an option. No, she fought this intruder out of duty, that duty being to protect the base as much as it was to defend the world from colossal threats. She may not have known what is was that this man was stealing, but that was irrelevant. Any man who covered himself in black, invaded a base almost completely undetected and put all of this effort into stealing something obviously had malicious or illegal intent. This fight was no longer personal, and she did not stand against him for her own benefit, but rather, the benefit of whoever would suffer as a result of this "Xenon" guy's actions. She stood against him as nothing more than a soldier.

After a moment of clarity and relief, he attacked.

Kaija read his body just as he had wanted, but she herself was not slow in either mind or body. As he approached, she made a short retreat and swayed back to avoid the high kick, only to see the move convert into a flying knee. She stood her ground in that moment, cupping her hands and absorbing the force of the blow with her arms. As the force from the blow dissipated, she briefly took hold of his leg, and shoved his body to the side, pushing off of him to both take away her opponent's balance and roll out of the way of his descending heel. His boot skimmed her back as she narrowly evaded the kick.

Back on her feet in under a second, if Maestro saw her face in that instant, he would see an excited smile and a look of determination. Then her would see her approach without delay. She would advance on her left, rotate on the ball of her foot, and launch a cut kick directly at her adversary's shins in an attempt to attack his balance and simply damage his legs. Before her feet could even return to the ground, she would launch two forward jabs to maintain pressure on her opponent. The right leg that had just been used to attack his shins would slam into the ground, and be used to propel her forward into her own flying left knee directed at his solar plexis, and she would finish up her assault with a right cross directed at the man's right temple, a final attack that she would launch before her left leg had managed to reach the ground again.

"We apologize for calling you in so soon" they began as the gamer with bandages about her figure leaned against the wall. She should recover soon enough thanks to the help from OW and Xae but she still needed to give wounds time to heal in a natural way.

"It's fine" rough as things were they had matters to address and she needed to let them do so. She was different from the ones who operated outside of laws, Gaige was under contract. For this the dynamic changed, she would of tried to own up for her activities anyway. Now however it was mandatory that her actions be watched and have ramifications. She liked it, made handling matters easier. They didn't made their job harder, delegating protocols they otherwise didn't care about. UNKD fought giant monsters for the most part but Lizzy wasn't going to change her ambitions of being a hero. It was a complex ordeal but they were making it work together.

"Understand firstly that we owe them nothing, Grim was a choice you made any money given to charities or those in need is individual choosing not one of the UNKD. Except for you, thirty percent of each pay check goes to them." She had said twenty, last night when half asleep. When they called around the fall of Grim she had said it all. They could only do so much it was a business but they took as much as they could. Knowing it was what the engineer wanted even if she didn't admit to it or second guessed it at first. "In addition another thirty percent goes to maintenance of your mech and toward a project others are working on." That got her brow to arch, they were working on something? She knew she wouldn't get much intel on it for sometime though. Way they said it suggested it was barely even in a blue print phase.

"Understood sir" that was also fair the UNKD had a lot to put into research and maintaining the devices needed to combat kaiju they couldn't just shell out money. They also needed to save such for when fights with colossal monsters brought on destruction. They were not about the fights of metahumans Grim was not their mess to clean. Gaige operated on her own, UNKD just kept her in check to a tighter degree. Something the teenager needed, so invested in her various things the girl probably would have been in awful shape if she wasn't ordered every once and awhile to get something to eat or turn off the music and get some sleep.

Continuing they brought up a video of the Hammers of Dawn being used something deserving a high degree of alarm from many people. "Next up is this. I know you don't want to see it again but you need to. What you used classifies you without any doubt as a potential weapon of mass destruction. Technically it's so much worse WMD is nicer then you probably deserve. That shouldn't be used ever again but we know how things work so instead rules have to be set." To which the pilot agreed nodding and letting herself focus on remembering what comes next. "One, it is a last resort and not a you tried some other things and they weren't working we're serious. You have to be convinced that nothing else will work. Two you ask for clearance anyway, while we don't focus on what you do there is a team as of now with that as a secondary task. They confirm if your right in the assumption of being out of options. Three you design a way to contain that at any cost. That is a weapon that can not go unchecked. Four if the devices that control it from going to far have any chance of not being enough you do not fire that system. That above all else has to be remembered. Because any slip up and that's not a mistake you can make up for." To which Lizzy agreed, that was to dangerous a weapon to risk uncertainty.

"Finally do not use that against a nation ever. Odds are you'll be on the better side for it but that doesn't make it acceptable. If it turned out France was ran by the deceased Brahma Bull or something even it would still classify as you using a WMD against a political power. Which could escalate things to far." They had a strict but level tone, they weren't mad. That said they wanted to drill the tech user into being more cautious and understanding what her work could mean. More that Gaige was taking action the more eyes were on Lizzy.

@kaija: @interstitial:

Sometime after meeting the President of France

Saturday Morning, Outside UNKD base

Ali hung out around the town's marketplace, just browsing through all the wares, he was thinking about buying some clothes for Anakia, the girl who was always with him, and she always wore the same gloomy clothes wherever they went. This was starting to annoy Ali, but heck if he knew what to buy for a girl. That was why he called up Uma, she'd likely be able to help with this.

It also hadn't been very long since Anakia's arrival, and he'd told Kaija about her, but Anakia and Kaija has never met each other. Ali hoped this would be the perfect opportunity to have them both meet, "I've called Uma, she'll be here any minute now," He spoke to Anakia. "And then we can pick something ... nice for you!"

@lowlaville: @interstitial:

Kaija's annoyance was written all over her face as she made her way to the shopping district. She was aware of the young woman whom her boyfriend had befriended, and honestly, she was happy to see him making new friends with the people of Earth. Unfortunately, her existence was all that she knew. Up until last night, she had believed the woman to... actually be of this Earth. That was the least of her concerns though. Kaija wasn't sure if the fact that his new companion was an assassin, an assassin that might want her head, no less, was something that Ali had forgotten to mention or if he simply chose to leave out that fact until it might become an issue.

Regardless, she had had words with him that night.

She had half a mind to simply skip out on their meeting that afternoon or to take a more... silent approach of her own, but she decided to just meet this woman and see what would happen. After all, as a dog of the military herself, it seemed a bit hypocritical to simply count the girl out as a paid killer until she actually pointed a blade in her direction. Well, that and the fact that she hadn't simply come to pick a fight already. And so, informed and prepared for the worst, she arrived at the marketplace, greeting both Ali and his... emo friend with a smile and a wave.

Before speaking to the girl, she walked past her, grabbing one of Ali's hands, holding him in place, and kissing him on the lips. She then turned to the girl and forced a smile, extending a hand to shake.

"Hi, I'm Kaija. You're Anakia, right? Have any idea what you're looking for today?" She asked.

Kajia had no expectations for a pleasant greeting or for the girl to take her hand, but she figured that if this Anakia could behave while she kissed her man and greeted her, then maybe she wouldn't become as much of a problem as Ali made her out to be.

@kaija: @lowlaville:

"My attire is functional," Anakia said to Ali, while they were waiting. It was easy to fight in, it had places for her weapons, it was lightly armored in vital areas, it was precisely what she needed to wear as an assassin. Or a bodyguard. Not for the first time, she had the distinct feeling that there was really no point in talking to Ali Outsider, because he didn't seem to have the faintest inclination towards listening.

He ignored the statement, as she had supposed that he would. Further debate on the subject was curtailed by the arrival of a young woman who smiled, waved, and then moved quickly on Ali. Anakia had a knife in her hand and had almost pulled herself in to the cold hallways, but stopped herself short - the woman had waved, and Ali had seen her and not been concerned. She was not an assassin.

Or, rather, she was not there to assassinate Ali. There was something about the way she moved, though... Anakia didn't quite have time to finish that thought when movement transitioned to kissing.

Oh. That must be the his Outer World concubine. Anakia watched them for what felt like a moment longer than was strictly necessary. That's about as disturbing as I thought it would be. Ick.

The woman - Kaija - greeted her with obviously forced warmth. Not to be outdone on the dissemination front, Anakia smiled pleasantly as well, and courteously put her knife away before accepting the woman's handshake. "I'm not looking for anything. Lord Outsider is looking. I protect and serve." As exemplified by the fact that she hadn't done anything untoward with the knife.

Ali Outsider, you are an idiot.

@interstitial: @kaija:

The arrival of his beloved was followed by a kiss, which he promptly followed. his tongue rolling inside hers as he wrapped his hands around her as an almost automatic response to the gesture, they parted lips, and distance after the few seconds of living the interactions. Ali had a smile on his face, and half a blush, realizing the gaze of the youngster amidst them.

"Thanks for coming over Uma," Ali said.

His gaze followed Kaija and Anakia's hands, which held that blade in it. Did she just think of trying to assault Kaija? Ali's gaze narrowed, almost sighing. If that were to occur, he wouldn't have a moments hesitation, before dealing with the girl himself. Ali waited around the sidelines as Kaija introduced herself to Anakia. Admittedly, he was pretty nervous. Both these women held the means to murder the other if they felt like it.

"I'm not looking for anything. Lord Outsider is looking. I protect and serve."

"Come on, Anakia, we can't have you walk around in this world looking like something out of a Gothic tale," The references, after more than a years worth of his stay on Earth, and reading through and listening to the T.V, he had come to understand the meaning behind most phrases, and the references, to both old and new. And he needed Anakia to understand that as soon as possible.

@interstitial: @lowlaville:

With curious eyes, Kaija began to scan the girl and what little of her form she could see through the layers of clothes that she wore. She wasn't an expert in fashion by any stretch of the imagination, but simply making the young woman presentable didn't seem like too difficult of a task. She met the girl's grey eyes after she finished her scan, then simply shrugged and turned towards the nearest clothing vendor. She gestured for them to follow her as she walked.

The unfortunate reality of shopping for clothes outside of a mall was the fact that you couldn't try on clothes before purchasing them, and that you couldn't expect refunds from folks such as these. With that in mind, Kaija didn't rush as she looked for clothes for the young woman. She kept her back turned to the girl the majority of the time, occasionally approaching her to prop articles of clothing against her body in an attempt to see how they fancied her. As she continued her search, she spoke to the girl, a few issues that had been on her mind.

"So, Anakia. Ali's told me alot about you. You're a professional, and with an ability as simplistic yet intricate as mine. I like it." She spoke to the girl with her back turned, "There's one thing that confuses me though. Your grandmother sent you here to find a life of peace, right? And you came here on her wishes, right? Then... why in god's name did you decide to become a bodyguard of all things? I mean, you can warp all across the world in an instant, right? You have a seemingly infinite amount of time in your own world. You could pick up a trade and reach a level of productivity far beyond any human and most metahumans; just building, designing, writing, doing repairs or just studying at your own pace with all the time in the world. And yet, you choose to abandon one dangerous career... just to pick up another. I don't know how things work back in the realm, but you have the freedom to be whatever you want on Earth, and lots of potential. It just seems like it defeats the purpose of coming here, to be honest. But hey, what do I know, right?"

@kaija: @lowlaville:

Anakia lifted an eyebrow. "Precisely," she answered the trailing question, with decisive finality.

She considered the woman's words for a while, though. Ali had told her... more than Anakia would have, certainly, but not so much as he might have, for Kaija to be making several of the incorrect assumptions she had been doing. It was not, for example, readily apparent if Ali had told Kaija that his relationship with Anakia had begun with her attempt to assassinate him. Anakia wondered at that, but she supposed if Ali had chosen not to tell this woman that bit of information, Anakia wasn't going to enlighten her, either.

Still, there were some mistakes in that rambling trail of statements that probably ought to be corrected. She considered how to phrase things in a way the woman could comprehend, with no understanding of the realm. Her eyes shifted upward, momentarily. "You can throw a fish into the sky, Kaija of the Outer World, but it is not likely to become a bird, even if you praise it for 'flying.' I am Nightcrawler." Ali would understand. Maybe he could explain it better, but Anakia didn't know how much of his home Realm he had told Kaija, or how much she would understand anyway. Let him explain, the one who claimed he knew her.

Anakia followed his steps, unimpressed with the situation. Her eyes shifted to Kaija for a moment, and she added, in calm and reasonable correction: "And I very much doubt that my grandmother sent me here to find a life of peace. If I betrayed the tenets of the clan, it is entirely likely that she would kill me herself." And be perfectly right to do so, of course. Raikia Nightcrawler had slain a daughter once, Anakia's mother. It would be foolish to believe she would not do the same for a mere grandchild.

@lowlaville: @interstitial:

"You can throw a fish into the sky, Kaija of the Outer World, but it is not likely to become a bird, even if you praise it for 'flying.' I am Nightcrawler."

"So what..." Kaija thought to herself, a visible look of annoyance on her face hidden from the girl who stood behind her, "I'm a demon but you don't see me eating, pillaging or terrorizing people just because it's 'in my genes'. Pfft. To most of the world, I'm probably half-kaiju, and you don't see me gallivanting about all over the #@%$ place causing issues for no reason either."

Kaija repaired her pleasant poker-face before turning back to Anakia with more articles of clothing. She met eyes with the young girl as she spoke to her and lined the clothing up with her figure.

"Interesting. So it's your 'destiny' to be an assassin, huh? That's... cool. Does every Nightcrawler share that very same fate of becoming an assassin?" Kaija replied, gazing over at Ali for a moment to see if he had any words of wisdom for her, "What exactly are the tenets of yours? I can't say that I could be of any help, but if I know what they are then I can avoid wasting the time and asking you to do anything that might contradict your tenets. I wouldn't want to do anything to get a grandmother upset with her disobedient granddaughter, now would I?"

@kaija: @interstitial:

Ali agreed with Kaija. Even in the realm, Nightcrawlers had a wide range of professions that they were employed for, reconnaissance, travelling, body guard duties and as messengers throughout the realm. They were the most efficient scouts and often times, excellent knowledge bearers. All of this was within the realm of possibility for a Nightcrawler. Being an Assassin was just something that most members of the clan were employed for due to their unique and deadly ability.

"They most certainly don't, and I think the current Manor Lord of your clan is doing an excellent job in diversifying your clan assets, Anakia. Your grandmother must be of the old guard which had served since before the current Manor lord. Plus, Anakia, in the Outer World, your Grandmother has no way of reaching any influence on you. Do you realize that you don't HAVE to go back? You can choose to stay here with me and Uma, and lead a life as you see fit,"

@lightning_god: @kaija:

Anakia looked at Ali, definitely surprised. "Not go back?" she inquired, "Why? I liked it there. I liked what I was becoming. Just because being an assassin isn't to your taste doesn't mean it isn't to mine. I'm not an assassin because I feel like I have to be, I'm an assassin because I want to be. I might have agreed to serve you, but even you cannot dictate my desires, Ali Outsider. Besides. The Lord can diversify all he likes, but the Clan is known for its assassins. If someone doesn't uphold that core, we'd lose a lot of our renown. We'd be just another clan. Stray too far down that path, and you end up with a civilization where everyone is doing everything. Like the Outer World. It's horrifying."

She considered him a moment, then inquired, suspiciously, "Don't tell me you've started thinking like an Outer Worlder, have you? You've been out of the Realm too long. You ought to go back for a while so you can remind yourself of who you are and who you're meant to be." And find yourself a proper girl to bring back so there's no more of this debauchery going on. Plenty of women would be quite happy to come back with him for a while, to share the opportunity. It would solve quite a few problems, Anakia thought. The trick, of course, was going to be convincing him to return.

@kaija:

Family. A word rather meaningless to James Boomer, an outcast banished by his own people, cast upon the world as a relentless rage-filled nuke, his reckless persona and delinquent behavior were now known worldwide, scattering a tremendously negative image for a hero to possess. It all had to start somewhere, though. His aspirations, as well as his astonishing lack of trust on anyone else but himself, almost as if enclosed into his own body. Why was James this callous fiend media painted him as? It all led way back to his family... If he even had any.

Years ago he eavesdropped on his mother complaining on the phone. It was a quaint moment, his mom stated his uncle, who she had been ceaselessly attempting to force into adopting James, was no longer among them. Surprisingly, the little kid's reaction was much unlike what one would commonly expect. It wasn't the death that shocked him, it was the simple fact he had more family, ones he had never heard of.

They were gone, though.

Boracay would abruptly acknowledge TNTank's unmistakable presence as a thunderous echo reverberated throughout the UNKD base, mobilizing troops as if it was a possible assault plummeting from above. As the object fell, though, they could promptly realize it was no projectile at all, yet rather a kid. Recent events had brought light upon certain individuals Tank never bothered to learn more about, all except one: Kaija. Her humongous stature, her attractive traits, her personality... Those were meaningless to the explosive teenager. Still, one thing he had gathered from all TV coverage about kaijus was that she could, at the very least, be tied with beating whatever caused the accident years ago.

Perhaps he could, finally, enlighten the truth about his roots.

Landing with both feet firmly on the island's ground, the boy stepped forth into the base, announcing his goal.

@tntank:

"110...111... 112... 113............. One-hundred-and-fourteen, COME ON!" Kajia roared to herself as she continued to hoist her chin over the stainless steel metal bar, "One-hundred-and-fifteen."

She allowed her self to drop to the floor, a near-puddle of sweat underneath her and her clothes bearing the inhuman scent of athletic victory. She rolled her shoulders for a minute, then crossed an arm over her chest and rolled the other consecutively. A few soldiers were watching her as she recovered.

"You're trying to tell me that you're doing that with will human strength? I call bs." a pilot challenged.

"Don't get mad at me just because you're too lazy to get on my level." Kaija retorted.

"Nah, see, a Senior Airman like yourself wouldn't understand how busy a Technical Sergent is on a daily basis. I don't have time to sit up in here and lift weights mindlessly all day like you do. I bet if you didn't have your powers you'd still be at the bottom of the barrel as a basic ass Airman, wouldn't you miss Kaija? Hell, do you even know how to fly? You probably wouldn't even have made it in here!" the soldier asked, a wicked smile strung across his face and a short laugh.

Kaija simply sighed and wiped off her face with a nearby towel, "Welp, for someone so busy, you seem to have an awful lot of time to pick on women at the gym and ponder alternate realities, don't you? You're just the model officer, aren't you?"

The soldier leaned forward and started to make a reply, then simply waved Kaija off and made his leave.

"Just another day in..." a tremor shook the gym floor; not a particularly violent one, but strong enough to garner concern. Kaija heard the sound of racing feet behind her, and as she turned to face the entrance to the room, she would see a small group of soldiers heading towards the source of the disturbance. She sighed, "...in my life."

She raced out of the base behind the soldiers, still wearing nothing more than her sweat clothes and a present that she had recently received from a close friend. As soon as she made it outside, she would find a small group of soldiers surrounding an intruder in a wide star pattern. Atop a few of the roofs of buildings, snipers would train in their rifles to supposed vital areas on the metahuman's body, ready to take shots at the first sign of physical aggression. The soldiers began to issue warnings for the boy to leave. But, instead responding to their words, he merely shouted:

"I'm here to see the giantess."

There was no question who he was referring to. Kaija simply walked up to the boy, a look of annoyance on her face, and gave her reply.

"I don't know who you are, but you can't just walk up in here like that. If you wanna talk to me, turn around and take your ass back outside of my home." Kaija ordered, "Then, we can talk. Otherwise, you're not gonna get anything out of me, boy."

Kaija would wait to here his response. If he chose to leave the base, then she would simply follow him and hear him out. If not, then she and the armed forces of the UNKD would take other measures to deal with him.

@kaija:

Predictable. Tank's approach was often reckless, needlessly displaying powers that were easily mistook by a plethora of other possibilities, a barrage of explosions was never a decent way to begin an interaction, yet it was most likely the only way he could. Aggressively announcing himself, arrogance painted on his entire semblance, how could James ever expect any other greeting instead of weaponry pointed at him? Truthfully, he couldn't. Invading a base of a military group owned by the government, that was a fresh add-on to his criminal curriculum, not that he minded, those rifles pointed towards him raced his heart, he lived for those situations. Grin wider, eyes bloodthirsty, fists clenched.

However, she was there. The size-changing lady. She warned him not to attempt anything stupid, he was trespassing, after all. James didn't seem to back down, though, or even listen to her. Silence. For a few seconds, there was nothing but noiseless staring. Then laughter came, starting as a mere chuckle, yet promptly growing into a supercilious guffaw. "Y'all should've brought more men." He mocked.

Finally movement, probably at this point most trigger-happy bastards would be itching to put a bullet inside the boy's skull, yet his actions didn't exactly match his words. He gave his back to them, stepping away whilst subtly beckoning towards Kaija. "Yer just lucky I'm here for answers, not for mornin' practice." His eyes shifted from the firing squads towards his one reason to be there. "I walk out, ya answer me, right? Das all I need."

@tntank:

"Y'all should've brought more men."

The guards kept their sights locked on the noisy child up until he turned his back and made his way outside of the base, complying with their demands. Still, most of the men found themselves irritated by the midday disturbance. It wasn't the boy's words that had gotten under their skin either, but rather his... completely unnecessary arrival. A single line of thought ran through their minds, nearly simultaneously, as he turned and walked back out of the base:

"What an idiot...."

"Yer just lucky I'm here for answers, not for mornin' practice." His eyes shifted from the firing squads towards his one reason to be there."I walk out, ya answer me, right? Das all I need."

"Hmph" Kaija replied without a word, simply escorting the boy out of the base.

"You know, I remember a time when the only the only things that we had to worry about fighting on base were city busting giant monsters that you could see coming from a mile away. Wars were left to Maverick and the whole world appreciated what we did and left us alone. Now, it seems like a new metahuman wants to show up and cause trouble every other day..." Kaija thought to herself as she walked behind the loudmouthed stranger, "I'm gonna have to send up some complaints and hope that my superiors actually believe me. Oi vey...."

After exiting the base, Kaija sighed, wishing that she were inside taking a shower and not dealing with whoever it was standing in front of her. She walked up to him and cleared her throat.

"Ok, kid, let's not make this meeting last too long if we don't have to. Who are you and what do you want?" Kaija asked bluntly, "I'll help you as best as I can so you won't have to come back again later, promise."

@kaija:

All those gazes, all those sullying thoughts formed within each soldier's head, James could sense all of it, weighing on his back as he strode forth. His image was one of a renegade hero, the hard-headed imbecile who would countlessly rise back to his feet despite all the people pressuring him to stay on the ground. Quitting was for losers, a hero's veracious spirit could never be shattered, regardless of the intensity of the fight or even if the odds oppose you entirely, your resolve must remain intact. That was the sole reason Tank harbored such abrasive personality so contemptuously.

Hate him or love him, he was what he was.

Still, there was more to the infamous King of Screw Ups than most could indicate. For instance, underneath the coarse introduction and thorough lack of manners, there was an actual noble reason for his abrupt interruption of UNKD's daily activities. A kid yearning to ultimately grasp the truth about his family, to comprehend why someone would go out of their way negotiating with the monster he called mother and how they met their demise. He hadn't even learnt a name. "If ya can't help me, I ain't comin' back anyways." Words left his lips as he turned to face Kaija, his tone shifting from scornful to deadpan, an earnest frown as his eyes locked onto hers. "Name's James Boomer, dis 'bout my family."

Was that a step toward the correct direction? He had just assumed she knew due to some television reports on her job, as well as some online research. Being there was only a result of lack of options, doubts filled his head... It was still worth a try.

"Y'see, when I was a kid I heard mom on the phone. I don't remember much 'bout it, but somethin' she said really stung. Apparently my uncle and my aunt were killed 'cause of a Kaiju attack, but dat's not where it gets weird." He paused, letting out a sigh. "Burtelov, Germany, 16 years ago, ring any bells? Can't find shit on the net, flockin' monster just popped up and then disappeared. Since yer the expert here, I thought ya could gimme more info, das all."

@tntank:

"Burtelov, 16 years ago... Yeah, I can't even pretend like I don't know what he's talking about. Shit. The past never dies does it?" Kaija thought to herself her eyes trailing away from his as he spoke, "UN's always been pretty good at fabricating stories, apparently. I guess this kid doesn't know how old I am. Thank god."

Kaija didn't respond immediately, as much as she wanted to tell him the truth and apologize, she felt that the UN had kept those events a secret for good reason. Well, that and the fact that admitting that you were responsible for the death of someone's loved ones was... not the most desirable conversation. So she let her eyes fall to the ground and assumed a more uneasy posture. She let her left hand slip into a pocket on her sweatpants, and her right found it's way into her hair and to the back of her head. She sighed as tried to force her eyes to meet his once more, and as she preemptively swallowed the guilt that came with lying.

"Yeah, I remember. That was back when I was younger, less experienced and just getting started. I killed the thing without too much effort, but I failed to actually stop it from destroying anything. It was a complete mission failure on my part. I'm sorry." Kaija lied, slipping in an honest apology all the same, "I can't say anything more about it, that would be a conflict of interest, but... I'll just say that the nature of this creature could easily breed implications that the UN would prefer for the public to not have to deal with. Um... listen, James."

Kaija took a deep breath, swallowing her guilt deeper. She forced her eyes back on his and straightened her posture. She knew that what she said next was something that a soldier should never ask about. The reality of things that was best left buried and out of mind. But with this boy here, someone who had suffered on some level as a result of her actions, she just wanted to know what all she had done on that miserable night.

"I just want to know... how the results of that mission have effected you. How the loss of your loved ones has effected you? And... if you're ok? I can't promise you anything, but if possible, I would like to atone for my mistakes. So just... let me know what's going on. Why did you come out here today of all days? I mean... it's been 16 years, right?" Kaija asked, somber and genuine.

@kaija:

It didn't matter how uncomfortable or gloomy the mood got, James never averted his gaze. Her eyes could drop to the ground or gaze deep into the sky, perhaps even contemplate the ultramarine beauty of the sea surrounding the island. Tank would never look away, he so vehemently demanded those answers, for so many years those questions had been hammered upon his mind, leisurely rooting deep within his very core. He had more family, they did care about him, yet they simply vanquished without even a trace of the culprit. It wasn't guilt what filled his mind, it was sorrow. Those wrathful eyes perhaps hid invisible tears he could have shared if there was anyone there to cry for.

Why did the mistake, the one bastard, have to be him? Life was unfair...

Boomer rolled his eyes after his inquiries met yet another dead end. Were they avenged? Kaija's rookie years might have been unbeknownst to him, yet couldn't she have put a little more effort? Destiny was a sarcastic bastard, those who seeked to rid a boy of the hell his life was were bludgeoned and sent down there themselves. "Tch, figures." Surprisingly Tank wasn't embittered by the giantess' statement, as if he merely cold-shouldered her involvement on his family's deaths. "Ya can't be a shitty hero all the time, tho. Pick up yer slack, don't let that kinda shit happen anymore."

Then it came, like a razor slicing through his carapace, almost as if to atone for her past misdeeds, the agent in front of him probably craved to get a better notion of his feelings, perhaps bring her some sort of solace due to her previous incapacity to safeguard an entire village. It got under his skin, always, those sympathetic eyes, mocking him, looking down on him as if he covetted their aid. "Effects? Don't make me laugh, I never had someone, never needed anyone either. Would ya mourn over three complete strangers?" Unfortunately, their deaths had never meant much to him, they had never met, not even once, yet the unquencheable uneasiness inside him, constantly urging him to get to that mystery's core, it was something else, something perhaps even TNTank himself had trouble admitting. "Yer askin' me why I came here, huh? Nothin' much, I just wanna learn, yer not very helpful, though. Can't a guy ask 'bout his family?" He sighed. "Y'know, my uncle was really tryin' to get me outta the hellhole I got myself into. Mom said somethin' 'bout a cousin, maybe I could've had a lil' sister, who knows?" For a brief moment, a flick sparkled on Tank's eyes as he contemplated what sort of life he could have had. What the hell was he doing? Opening his heart to a complete stranger, letting her kind words get to him... Promptly his frown took over again, intensifying his rather barbaric approach. "Point is they cared, I wanted to know who to thank. Payin' my respects to the flockin' wind doesn't feel right."

@tntank:

Kaija smiled a genuine smile after hearing the boy's words. At first, she assumed that he'd be just another meta looking for a fight for little to no reason. But, in watching him stumble over his words in an attempt to maintain his bravado while also being kind... is was childish, but sweet. She thought over his words and if she had any way to help, then lit up with excitement as an idea popped into her head. She simply reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, went to the "addresses" page, and handed it to James.

"Alright, so here's what I can do for you. I can't tell you about the Kaiju that ruined Burtelov, but I can talk to my superiors and get the names and family histories of all the households that were there. And with that, I can find yours. You can get the names of your lost as well as any information about them that I can get my hands on. It's James Boomer, right? Just add yourself to my contacts, and don't be stingy with the info either. As much as we'd like to believe that it isn't so, there's probably a few thousand 'James Boomer's running around, so the more you can give me the easier it'll be for me to find your family. That work for you?" Kaija asked, a genuine smile spread across her face.

@kaija:

Her straightforward simper bothered him immensely, plastered on her joyous visage as James could only conjecture which ideas flashed onto her mind. Did she find it hilarious he had no resolve of avenging them? Did she hide something else? Was she lying about the incident? That accursed smile, so innocent, how could it be positive, mainly when it was directed at him, the so-called Napalm-for-Brains hero? He tilted his head, cocked elbrows above an igneous stare, eyes locked onto hers intensely. "Why ya smilin'? Think it's funny?" He clenched his fist. "Must be, havin' a goddamn shithead run his mouth 'bout shit ya don't really care. But procedures, am I right?"

Promptly snatching the phone from her hand, even though he couldn't quite comprehend why, Boomer felt lighter at each new piece of information he gathered on that screen. He certainly knew some about his family, despite being a hero's unassumed bastard and, therefore, ostracized from a great chunk of his family, Tank believed he had enough for Kaija to aid him. "M'kay, here's all I know. Not much, but ya better keep yer end of the promise." A rather strong grip waved the phone towards the size-changing lady, as if gesturing for her to take it. "I'd hate havin' to come back."

Those were his last words prior to blasting away from the base, most would unequivocally accept them as a threat, perhaps a warning of sorts, yet they held a more profound meaning for him. There was no ill-intent behind it, he'd simply grasp the sole chance he had at gouging into a long-forgotten truth and no longer let it go. What could he gain from it? He didn't know. Peace of mind, maybe... Sometimes a better understanding of who was his family, a possible chance to find his father... All he desired, though, was a name to thank, as well as one to apologize to.

@tntank:

Kaija's smile faded as she handed James her phone. She started to make a reply, but then decided against it. If a smile that was supposed to comfort the young man only resulted in him getting upset, what good could come from trying to explain her intentions? So she waited till he handed the phone back, then took his leave. As soon as he was out of sight, the guard at the front gate called for Kaija.

"You think he's gonna be a problem?"

"Nah, I think he's just a bit unstable. Honestly, he's alot like me when I was younger. And, even if he is a problem, I'll handle him if he decides to cause trouble." Kaija explained, a bit somber, "Besides, I wasn't lying when I said I would help him. I am responsible for his losses."

"How often do you have to lie to folks about stuff like that? Not just Burtelov, but, everything."

"Ha, that question. I don't have the convenience of a pilot's seat with tinted windows. So, every life I make the mistake of taking on duty, well, I can't pretend that it wasn't me like alot of the guys walking around here. Nobody willingly accepts that something precious to them can simply be lost to coincidence and trivialized by the people responsible. So... lies help things to go smoother for everyone, not just myself." she replied, "To answer your question, I'm probably one of the biggest liars you've ever met. But, you should probably be grateful to me for that..."

The soldier hesitated for a second before responding, "Sorry. I didn't mean anything by that question..."

"I know" Kaija replied turning her back to the soldier and making her way back into the base, "I've always been a horrible girl"

THE NEXT DAY

Kaija lay on her back in bed, lost in a sea of thought over her encounter with James as a less-than-healthy soundtrack filled her room to send her ever deeper into her own mind. She played over infinite scenarios in her mind, the countless faces of those in mourning and the various effect that she might have had on their life. All due to a &%$@ nightmare! She covered her face with her left hand, and violently drove her right into the scratched headboard behind her.

"Stop doing this, Kaija. It's been sixteen years and you just got over this crap. The kid said he didn't really care about them. He's not hurting at all, so why should you?" Kaija thought to herself, her left land sliding off of her face, and her eyes locked on the twirling fan above her head.

A knocking at the door.

Kajia slowly got onto her feet, walked to the door, and opened it. There stood Axum, a kraft-clasp envelope in his hand. He handed it to Kaija immediately.

"Here's the information that you requested for a 'James Boomer'. Uma, normally I'd recommend that you read the documents in my presence so that I could answer any question that you have... but I think it'd be better if you read over the document alone. You can ask me questions if you like, or you can keep it for yourself. I'll leave that up to you" Axum explained, saluting Kaija before making his way to his office, "You'll know where to find me."

Kaija raised a single eyebrow in confusion, watching the man turn and walk away, then leaning out of her doorway into the hallway just to keep an eye on hi for a little while longer. She shrugged, then simply retreated back into her quarters to read the envelope's contents. Most of what she read about the family's demographic situation was... relatively normal for the families of Burtelov. No criminal charges on record. Check. Made a living from farming. Check. No serious health issues, likely due to rural lifestyle. Check. Family of three? A bit of a small family, but nothing unusual there. Up until Kaija actually read the names of the deceased, she found nothing of interest on paper.

She put the document back into the envelope and set it at her side, then let her head hang and put her hand behind her neck.

"Mathias and Karla Sayalami. And their daughter." Kaija spoke aloud, all to herself, "damn..."

Mjolnir was almost to completion, freshly built recently designed from top to bottom after being decimated in Grim. Now it just needed a few of the weapon systems reworked. First up would be the Mega Buster. Of course a decent chunk of every paycheck went to supply of ammunitions. It balanced out however in the nerd's mind.

Mega Busters were rocket launching systems located with four chambers on each wing of the mech. Two would be attached to each of the legs legs, and two upon the apparent hood. For a total of up to fourteen rockets at any time. Using slipspace to load the chamber, the reload took a second, it however allowed a greater ammo capacity. Relegated to just a few usually on any aircraft, the technology that was apart of the core hardware of Lizzy's would permit far more ammunition to use at any time. In addition using claytronics technology the rockets could be set to fire forward or backward with just a second of adjustment. As for rocket selection, the pilot felt compelled for now to just gather modern variations. She had designs of her own but that could come at a later time.

Hellfire Rockets 117, based on the AGM 114 Hellfire was a slight modification of the standard solid propellant based rocket. Modified to only be three feet in length with the wingspan instead to allow greater volume, dropping it to a weight of roughly ninety pounds instead. The speed Subsonic crossing just over a thousand feet in a second, and using a shaped charge with blast fragmentation. An air to ground laser guided missile great for use against tanks and slower moving air craft. Tp date there is few to no tanks known to not bested by the explosive, and drones can usually be used to assist in guiding the laser to ensure the desired hit. With a lethal blast radius of fifty feet, or fifteen meters. Secondly would be the AIM 117M Sidewinder, based upon the AIM-9X but modified thanks to the various improvised technology she has been made aware of. Another subsonic three feet in length rocket, weighing in at a hundred and fifty pounds, super explosives had to be incorporated into the design to help make up for the drastic change in size. It would use Passive Infrared as a bass guidance system, but was also retrofitted with a electro magnetic signature lock to upon target through its electrical readings as well. While not perfect it was design choice the gamer hoped would improve efficiency against the advanced opposition one might face. Using an Annular blast fragmentation based warhead, a low cost quick reaction missile good for antiaircraft use in particular. Using fragmentation rods, a hundred in number the detonation though having a limited radius will launch these rods at subsonic speeds usually tearing apart the target.

Finally, though it requires changing of the Mega Buster system is the AGM-65 Maverick. No modifications. The Mega Buster weapon platform changes to allow its use, with two per wing, one on the hood/back and one on each leg for a total for seven potential shots at once. Using a three hundred pound penetrating blast fragmentation warhead or a hundred twenty five pound shaped charge, and using a solid propellant rocket motor. Ninety Eight inches in length, diameter of twelve inches and weighing in at around five hundred pounds. It slows Mjolnir down a bit because of this, often leading the pilot to want to dispatch the subsonic projectiles quickly. With a range of 17 Nautical Miles, or over thirty one thousand meters and using a laser guided targeting system, that again can be assisted by the various drones of which the pilot uses. It functions as an air to surface tactical missile designed for interdiction, defense suppression and general air support proving effective against a wide range of targets including armor, air defense, ships, facilities and ground transportation. the heavier penetrating warhead uses a time delayed fuse kinetic energy allowing it to penetrate before detonating with a force that cares little about the hardness of a target. The lighter warhead a shaped charge with a point detonating base.

Stretching the pilot sighed, she just had one thing left to work on before the machine was ready to get back into combat. It was perhaps the one she worried about the most do to the past. With it however would come her freedom to get back into the central combat scene. Pulling out her laptop she checked various forms of social media, maintaining communication with those she'd helped and those who hated her. Good as it felt to be close to done with her technical work she wanted to remind herself what it was for. And that despite being outfitted for monsters and war that was not the neon pink machines intended function.

@_gaige_:

A few hours after returning from Japan. Ali sat at a table inside the cafeteria, waiting anxiously. He had no idea how to tell anyone this news. Prematurely, he did not think he could trust anyone enough to ask them for help, but the truth of the matter was, he needed help. Just Ali alone was not going to be enough to locate and bring down the witch. Who knows what he had planned? And, she now possessed his sword.

Ali was still feeling the effects of a witch's spell. Strength was gradually returning, and wounds on his hands and feet were being patched up, Minor issues. What made him clench his fist and tremble in apparant anger wasn't because of his physical ailments. It was the loss of Uma Sayalami, his beloved (@kaija), Ali blamed himself, for being stupid enough to let the witch capture him. "Uma..." Ali whispered, looking at the phone.

There was a picture of her and him, having some ice-cream at a park. She had a smile on her face, and wasn't wearing her visage, just a casual cloth. She had not the care or worry on her face. His eyes burned red as he stared at his phone. Moments ago, Ali sent a text to Kaija's closest friend, Lizzy Leet, whom he had been tasked to protect back in the fight to protect Grim. Ali knew how important she was to Kaija, and had thus, forced himself to check with, or in the least begin to trust her in this moment of crisis.

People steered clear of Ali's table. He was actively steering them away with his limited bio-electric manipulation. Ali did not want to talk to anyone except Gaige.

Meet me in the Cafeteria - It's urgent.

This was the text he had sent. He did not have the time to be courteous. He still needed to tell his superiors of his return. But not now. Even if people knew Ali was back, none of them was able to approach him for now Their thoughts were manipulated. He, did not exist yet. Where was Kaija? What had happened? All of these questions and more would only be relayed to UNKD after Ali felt at ease, after he had talked to Lizzy. Then they will decide what to do.

@lightning_god:

Recently for the briefest moment in time the pilot was able to relax and get a little more old school for a change. She'd been so absorbed in helping people, in rebuilding her mech, and in trying to maintain a heroic job despite her injuries and lack of mech. For a moment though the world didn't need her, and so she could return to the digital realm where people did. The gamers and outcasts who didn't think they could get any form of social interaction, the nerds who were struggling with raid bosses, She got to be a regular human the hero who played video games with as many as she could. Streaming and working on racking up a K/D ratio on games that was frustrating to others. Until one player could be heard having a hard time a bad day weighing him down a bit more transparent and genuine in the fact.

So it's the last minute of the game, the body count is being matched in people doing everything they can to win the game. Lizzy sneaks around back grabbing the energy sword and races up the tower. A tank can be heard below her its cannon thunderous rockets racing toward the vehicle. She was the twenty seventh player. Account name LegendL33t and with a draw of the pistol two shots were fired, two head shots. Their rockets dropped the tank, but now it was down to just the frustrated gamer and the heroic nerd. He moved to a point where he couldn't be seen from anywhere besides straight on, not bad. She was out of grenades the duo knew, but what he didn't know was that crate wasn't coded right. The right spot and the blade would hit a target on the opposite end, Lizzy decided not to do this though.

Leaping from a scaffolding above her blade swung downward, nearly skewering the gamer who was quick to retreat. Sound of energy hitting the concrete alone, out of range she switches to her pistol raises but fires it early putting a round in the other player's shoulder. While the other gamer trains the battle rifle on the avatar of Lizzy. The neon pink armored space soldier looking down the barrel of the gun for but a moment before she's shot down. Cries follow of "you let him have that" and "god damn it Gaige be a hero irl only" and so on. The only voice that mattered though was the one who got to win the game however. Way it changed his day in just that one good play, she could take a loss for that. Then her phone buzzed, Ali had something urgent.

"Later fam, friends need the pilot again." The engineer shutting down the system and grabbing a mountain dew from her fridge. She'd chosen the orange Livewire, taking a second one for Ali just in case. Moment she entered the cafeteria though she doubted he wanted it. The air was crackling around him with electricity. Looking to send anyone away from daring to approach him beside her. He was always joking and light hearted it seemed, something had gotten to him. Wounds were to subtle for the mech pilot to see but she didn't need to see to know. There was only one thing that could get under the Outsider's skin. Panic wouldn't help though so she took a breath, a swig of her caffeine laced drink and took a seat.

"Alright. Know it's hard, but relax whatever happened she's going to need you at your A game. Emotions can cloud ones judgment. We're here for her first, to punch a bitch second." The way her fingers tapped in her palm the technician was clearly nervous and concerned. For the most part she kept her expressions and tone warm. "So what happened to our Kaija and what do you plan to do? What's the game plan." She said game plan, little hint of aggression behind her voice at the end punctuated however she was planning for a war game at least.

@_gaige_:

Ali was aware of the presence of Lizzy. He allowed her to approach him, allowed her to be seated in front. “Please sit down Lizzy,” He urged, pointing towards a chair in front of him. And for a while, Ali racked his brain, trying to think of a way to say this. The news he was about to say, was not easy to say, not for him, not for anyone else. “You know that I was taken by the witch named Tophat, right? Kaija must have told you, I assume…” His voice trailed off. He was uncertain. Maybe Uma ran to find him without telling anyone else. This was unlike her, to jump into danger. But, he had clearly underestimated her.

The more he thought about it though, the more frustrated he became. But a single thought controlled him. Vengeance. The thought of getting Kaija back stopped him from going crazy. “Uma...she came to get me out...and she did...but now...now...she has been captured by the witch, and made to swallow some kind of bug,” Ali looked into her, eyes red with blood and rage, his voice shaking, his entire being trembled at that point. “Help me Lizzy… Help me Get her back!” The last few words were spoken with dead certainty. He would not have it another way.

His emotions were spilling out. The air within the atmosphere was heavy. If one paid enough attention, they could start to see clouds beginning to condense towards the ceiling, the temperature inside the room was being lowered at a considerable rate. His power core spun, faster and faster, and his wounds had all but closed. Ali was ready to go now, if he knew where Kaija was. Alas, he had no idea where she was being held, or what her predicament was.

Tears he hard tried to concealed rolled down his cheeks and fell upon the table, that he had sat, leaning over. Weakness was something Ali despised from the bottom of his heart. But, right now, he was weak. "I failed Lizzy. I failed to protect her. I'm a failure.." She was right though, He needed to get his act together. Right now he was being lame. He understood that. At the same time, he did not know what to do. His life prior hasn't exactly been a life filled with hardships. Everything he had ever wanted was handed to him on a silver platter. It was hard to fathom how it felt to lose something dear to him.

Someone like Lizzy, had already dealt with losses. Hell, even Kaija had dealt with losses in her life. They had a kind of strength Ali did not. In a situation like this, he wasn't exactly being reliable. At least, not right now.

@lightning_god:

With a reasonable amount of grace but more noise then necessary perhaps the mech pilot spun the chair around so that she might take a seat beside Ali instead. Her arm moving over his shoulder and pulling him closer, so any tears might land instead on her sleeve. He didn't go through loss and pain like humanity did, and some just didn't bounce back as well as others. In either case though as a friend and a hero the pilot was quick to be there offering help how she could. Nobody ever saw Ali like this, and Lizzy would do what she could to make sure that stayed this way, support his pride a bit with a gesture at those around. Respectfully of the R&D specialist's request they cleared out and closed the doors so it could just be those two. There was a lot to process, so she'd take her time.

"I actually wasn't told, you just went missing. I assumed you'd be back and didn't need to worry, not sure where Uma's mindset put probably was the same at first. Because who could endanger you honestly your one of the toughest members of this place." Could Kaija get stronger physically sure but her powers only went so far versatile as they may be. A lot of it came down to conditioning and skill. Lizzy was a diverse arsenal for sure, but she to was limited by her technology. Ali's power was more constant and it was hard to think something or someone could endanger that let alone contain it. She didn't tell anyone where she was going, couldn't afford to I imagine." Lizzy understood completely, it hurt knowing a friend went into danger alone but it was a necessity.

A bug, that was weird, what purpose did that serve Lizzy wondered. A control maybe, something to transform her into the very thing she fought perhaps. The attack in Japan was random, but intended to draw Kaija out. What was known by the witch then, and known now however was subject for debate. It did lead to knowing of Ali though, meaning the witch probably knew Kaija's abilities perhaps even better then the giant herself. New more of the woman then anyone could be comfortable with. "Of course I'll help." How much she could do however was limited she imagined however and she had to confess that.

"I can't imagine what the bitch is planning, if it involves fighting Uma though that I can't do however." Her head rested against his so that the friend might brace herself with her internal directed frustration. "I already shot a friend, lost her it feels like doing that. Lost a home, doing more harm then good. I'm not ready to hurt someone I care about" which made her helpless when worst came to worst but it was best to say it now all the same. "Don't let that failure hold you down, put your faith in me when I say we can get through this. Round up anyone and everyone you can, friends from LA the guy who visited her, anyone. Expect the worst regretfully that seems the witch's MO. Odds are Tophat has a plan, did she say anything specific? A heading a place to return to?"

@_gaige_:

Ali welcomed the gesture shown by Lizzy. Having shared a few moments with her, such as their endeavor in Justice City, had earned Lizzy some trust in Ali’s mind. More than that, the teenager had earned Kaija’s friendship, the closest to her otherwise, enough to be regarded a bearer of secrets. Ali did not hesitate to lighten up on behest of this friend, whom had shared her shoulders to him. He would let it all out. All his tears until none remained. At the same time, he was also greatful, that she respected his pride, the pride of a prince, who had never before shown weakness to anyone but his beloved Uma. This sort of bond was one that could only be made, not sought after.

Ali sniffed, pulling himself back, more or less having regained his composure, “You are a good friend Lizzy, thank you,” He said with a nod, a warm smile across his face. “Not strong enough.” Ali shook his head. He had been unable to save Kaija, but that, that would change, “The witch was unconventional, and her abilities knew no physical bounds. She was aware almost to an omniscient degree what I was capable of. Her ability with the manipulation of blood was very strong, it was probably through that that she was able to learn about me. I suspect that all of Kaija’s past has been unveiled to her in one or the other form.”

Ali was reminded, of the name Vandal King. A few times, the thought of querying in regards to this name sprung up in his mind, but in the end, he decided not to. There would be ample amounts of time and opportunity to ask Uma directly. Asking Lizzy would’ve meant he did not trust her, something which was untrue.

“Thank you Lizzy, I’m mostly a stranger in your world despite having lived in it for quite some time. I will head towards America and have a talk with Anakia and Uma’s cousin, and maybe that Hyper mutant named Orange Water,” who had had a sparring session on Unity grounds, “Do you think you could spread the word around, maybe get Unity involved in this witch hunt?” Ali asked. The more people involved, the merrier.

“Listen Lizzy,” Ali said, at the topic of arming against a friend, “Helping me does not translate to shooting at Uma. You can do a lot besides that. For once, you can use your Sister’s Eye, and a lot of your technology to provide tactical support in making sure our mission is a success. Our goal is to bring Uma back safe and sound. I’m doing all I can, mark my words, knocking on all doors and bringing help from anyone willing to. But as Kaija’s closest friend, I need you in this more than anyone else Lizzy. I need you to tell me. Are you with me or not? I’m not willing to have any excuses from you. If you choose to step aside now, then I will just go ahead assume you were never a very good friend of Kaija.

She had gone out of her way to send me into a wartorn Grim, to make sure that you were safe, while staying behind with the knowledge that if she did take part in Grim, her powers would only end up hurting you. And I may not have done a very good job at making sure that you were not hurt, I had done my absolute best. I need to know what your decision is.”

At the mention of Tophat, Ali’s mind raced back to the Cabin in the woods. He tried to remember, but he didn’t remember anything specific. There wasn’t anything the witch had let on of her plans. “She did not tell me anything specific, but I’ll be darned that forest, is weird. Remember, I did go back. The entire forest reeked of iron, no doubt residue from the rivers of blood that spilt from Uma and that damned dragon. I could feel a plague, Whatever it is, I have a feeling that forest is more or less a stage for events about to unfold. Beyond speculation however, I have no leads that I can offer you,” Ali said, ending his speech.

He would wait for Lizzy’s response, before going forward with his plans.

@kaija:

Was a shame that Lizzy didn't get to be first on the scene by the sounds of it. The heterochromia hero could tell in the nerd's voice how annoyed she was that she couldn't just be there. Wasn't an option though, the line of work as a tech based hero didn't allow it. Was easy to do the job and go home, that wasn't what the pilot did though and that meant today the pilot was swamped. Rana however was free. She'd doubled down on studying, both books of the conventional and of magic. She still was nothing compared to Drake or the witch with a top hat but at least she was making progress. After telling Drake and Nathan where she'd be going, inviting them if they wanted she left for her bike. Putting on a helmet so as to make sure dad wouldn't complain. Was already in enough trouble as she brought another stray home.

Her bike raced through the streets, a bit of a speed demon allowed to be shown for a brief moment of freedom. Then a rift would open and the bike would move from LA to Boracay in an instant. SImply passing from one place to the next before returning to conventional roads. Less of a name out here she let up on the gas pedal, to this place she was but an occasional visitor. Not the teen who helped save lives and cut down evil, they saw a sixteen year old girl and little else was arguably for the best she remain as such. She pulled into the hospital said who she was there for, and immediately staff separate from the rest were inquisitive of her. Checking information, then they asked Lizzy as double checking. Eventually though they nodded and let the biker through.

Stopping by the gift shop Rana was quick to buy two roses and a teddybear. An obnoxiously pink one to be specific, she stopped at the counter and moved to the side to work the roses into what looked almost like oversized headphones. Taking a step back she gave it a look over, wasn't enough. So she turned, and found them, stickers. bought those to, and put the lightning bolt stickers about the stuffed animal. "That look terrible enough?" She asked the cashier who rolled his eyes in annoyance at the sight of it. "Perfect, cringe enough to match her nerd and boyfriend. Thanks." A fist bump and she was off to find that particular room.

The terribly styled bare planted on the blondes lap abruptly as Rana's fist hung in the air awaiting the proper response. "Sorry it took so long. Had to make it look as terrible as I could. Really remind you of your losers moment you saw it." She'd messaged in advance so as to not be rudely arriving. That and she suspected the blonde and Ali had done a fair amount of other things here that demanded a bit of warning in advance. She could kind of smell it, enough times seeing circles of hell that she picked up on the hints. She'd settled for just shaking her head, long braid of hair dancing as she did so. "So how are you? Do you need anything? Do I need to do anything?" Given her demonic powers she figured it might not be a bad idea to check. Didn't help that words of a witch lingered in the back of her mind.

@iridum:

Kaija awoke to the sound of a ringing cell phone that afternoon. She had spent most of her time sleeping lately. This wasn't due to sloth or idleness, but rather, a body that wished to heal. With all of the painkillers, vitamins, and antibacterial medication flowing through her system, as well as the systemic healing that had been going on inside of her, she couldn't help but be utterly exhausted during her recovery. She wasn't exactly unhappy to hear from the young girl, but she did wish that she had called a little later on that day. "Still, she knew the young girl to be an active hero and saw no reason to not let her visit that day while she was free. She arrived much sooner than Kaija had expected, to both of their surprises.

The terribly styled bare planted on the blondes lap abruptly as Rana's fist hung in the air awaiting the proper response. "Sorry it took so long. Had to make it look as terrible as I could. Really remind you of your losers moment you saw it." She'd messaged in advance so as to not be rudely arriving. That and she suspected the blonde and Ali had done a fair amount of other things here that demanded a bit of warning in advance. She could kind of smell it, enough times seeing circles of hell that she picked up on the hints. She'd settled for just shaking her head, long braid of hair dancing as she did so. "So how are you? Do you need anything? Do I need to do anything?" Given her demonic powers she figured it might not be a bad idea to check. Didn't help that words of a witch lingered in the back of her mind.

"Oh my god," Kaija chortled out loud in delight at the sight of the customized bear, "Ok, this definitely made my day. And no, I appreciate your concern, but the fine staff of this hospital, as well as Miss Leet and my prince, have been getting me everything that I need here. Plus, I didn't let you come here so I could get stuff, I just wanted to see your face. I haven't seen you since your birthday party, huh? Things right now are honestly a lot like they were then, only reversed. Well, my present was a bit better. Five hundred dollars beats a plushy any day."

Kaija laughed, then gestured for the young girl to take a seat. She began to play with a bear a bit as she continued.

"If Ali hasn't done so already, I wanted to thank you for helping out in Japan with the witch and the monsters and everything; sincerely, Rana. You and your team. That scene in Fukuoka... the people, the monsters, the air itself, all of that was normal for you, wasn't it? Most people would say that they've been through hell, but I feel as though you and I are the only two who could mean it literally. Living through hell and knowing that you're the cause of it are two very different experiences, aren't they? You told me that you see the worst in things with your eyes, right? Did I look any different to you in Fukuoka than I normally do?"

@kaija:

"That was still serious over kill by the way. I've like two hundred dollars I still don't know what to do with." She mused shaking her head, "and I'm sorry but my allowance doesn't go that high I had to improvise okay." The split colored eye'd teen remarked in continuation before taking a seat beside a friend. Took a moment to relax and savor the normalcy of the moment to let the gift dial down the grim tone before she dived into the more serious business.

"Your welcome, didn't need much thanks really it's what we do. It's harder for some is all." How people handled Fukuoka was different case by case and for Rana in particular it was a very open and shut case. Someone needed help, so she was there. Because she knew the person nothing was going to far in particular for that day. "I know they'll cover most of it, just figured I should offer. Especially given the predicament."

Exhale relax a bit, and she was ready. "It was very much a like, and very different. I was to be lured in by normalcy to expose others to the shit. You went against things normal, for us that is." Witches and dragons weren't really normal, but when dealing with the super powered and crazy predicaments it did in a way. "Was all so they could expose the world to that kind of shit. This was worse" or at least Rana thought it was the weight it had more far reaching an impactful. How many were hurting or exposed to terror, she couldn't compare that equivocally to a birthday party. "It was unsettling just how almost at home it felt."

"That retched forest, felt like I'd walked it plenty. The blood swear it wasn't the first time I'd drank it in. The rampaging beasts, spent more time with them at my side then anyone I call friends or family. So I feel if theres someone to open to I'd probably get it." The teen doing her best to make it clear she mentioned it because should relate but the person in need of help wasn't the dark haired teen with voices in her head today. She was here to help the blonde, who'd reminded Rana just because she'd seen terrible things like it hundreds of times, she didn't need to look at her father as he bled out. "Won't lie to you, your hair was so not on point that day and you were giving off some pretty bad vibes." She smiled, warm and kind adding a light to the terrible events as few could. "For what it's worth you were also there far more then the witch would of liked. You weren't you, but you definitely had a better handle on things I'd say then you might be given credit for from others.."

@iridum:

"Won't lie to you, your hair was so not on point that day and you were giving off some pretty bad vibes." She smiled, warm and kind adding a light to the terrible events as few could. "For what it's worth you were also there far more then the witch would of liked. You weren't you, but you definitely had a better handle on things I'd say then you might be given credit for from others.."

Kaija smiled and laughed to herself, but likely because of a different notion than what Rana would've expected, "So that is how you see me, haha. Honestly? That's probably the most comforting thing that I've heard you say today. I could barely stand to look at myself in the mirror while I was like that, and you let me into your home and spoke to me as a normal person regardless. That's... unbelievable, ya know?"

Kaija ruminated on that thought for a moment. The realization that she had always worn that horrid face around the young girl was shocking, and Kaija nearly had an epiphany while sitting there in that bed. The girl had already seen the hell in her, she couldn't help but to. Maybe she also knew a bit about the devil who had placed his brand upon her skin, the meaning of the undecipherable words on her back, and the implications that they held. She put the bear to her side, leaned towards the girl as though she were about to speak, then hesitated. After taking an extra moment to think over her words, she spoke.

"I think I'm going to show you something that I've only ever shown Ali. Or, rather, talk to you about something that most people have seen but don't find unordinary in the slightest. Just, look at this..." Kaija turned away from the girl and lifted up the back of her shirt, presenting The Brand of Cerberus to Rana with all of its incomprehensible symbols and nomenclature. At first, she had wanted to tell the girl everything. She wanted to speak about the creature who had burnt it into her skin, her trip to hell, and what little she knew about its purpose. But Kaija wanted an honest interpretation, and she didn't want any of her words to influence the young girl's interpretation. That is, if she could even interpret it in the first place. And so, doing little more than simply mentioning that the tattoo was supernatural in nature, Kaija would make her request, "This tattoo is not a normal tattoo; trust me, I know. I want you to look at it with your own eyes. What do you make of it?"

@kaija:

"Of course I saw it, a sort of reflection overlaid on yourself in a way. Doesn't change who you are who I saw." Hell was always seen for her, when she originally saw Kaija however it was just another moment where someone was startlingly similar holding back that which is awful to be someone better. Or perhaps in Uma's case it was more a fight to be normal beside such influence. Point was it was yet another moment giving evidence that she wasn't alone and a pity party or letting her visions weigh her down wasn't worth it. "Not much is unbelievable to me" she remarked with a smile as she took a seat on the bed.

An exposed back a series of intricate marking within skin. Looked painful the level of information and intricacy placed into the ink. "So something you've lied about" she doubted people just looked at it with a passive glance most people had such done with ink not burns, most also had a story behind their tattoo. She wasn't exactly saying it was a family crest though by the sound of it. More hidden and brushed aside was probably how it went, but the heterochromia hero would do her best to simply look past all of that. Was Uma's life not hers after all. "Before I start, I'm sorry. You might not like what's about to be read."

"This woman is mine, and mine alone." She'd take her time "translation I don't think your admirer cares if you have Ali. Cares if you have a dozen people willing to fight for you." This wasn't going to be easy she imagined and would need time to process and for her eyes to decipher what was being said. "She is the key to our future. This demon walks in the highest father's light and is unscathed." She paused at that unintending to do so initially. "our future. I don't think this is traditional hell, something different but not far from. Would explain the slight delay in translating. Highest light, does that mean here?" Uma wasn't the first demon imbued being to walk on earth though she doubted that was what was significant to whoever made this mark. "She will march against the divine and benevolent, and their blood will rain down upon the world, filling it with strife as their force of oppression proves fruitless against her blood." A defense was in those words. As index ran along the marking she continued "excuse me, but have you ever found a weird itch or reaction sense you had this? Was this something that got in Alice's way? I think this was intended to ward certain things off. Perhaps that might get in his or your way."

She'd give it a moment then continue to read the brand left. "With her wrath, with my champion by my side, we will rise from the abyss uncontested and hell shall know no fear." Another curious thing mentioned hell but it didn't feel exactly on point either. Something that was but wasn't and fear was mentioned. Those in that personification of hell knew fear as something to feel and not as something just to inflict. It wasn't usually terrifying to a demon to find anything outside of maybe the religious, and even then it was more a turn on of coming pain then fear. But this writing said fear, was this the man who'd gone to France casting hell, dying and returning under fire of Lizzy? That might explain it, he could fight endlessly but could be contested by mortal arms so there was a sense of fear maybe to his minions. She wasn't sure how right she was, but the atmosphere of the room to her felt colder, slightly darker she was right on who at least. That all said the name alluded the teenager she'd never met him and had never been told of his name. "Sorry I'll continue. The time will come, but until then, let the chrysalis grow in the world of man. I will pick the fruit when it properly ripens. Patience is all that is needed. The child will grow and change with the passage of days, but her fate has already been set." She sighed "He wants you, Im convinced this is to help make that a reality. He won't come when one of us can help it'll be up to you if you kneel to him and he's pretty convinced you will." And looking at the bear then back at Uma Rana was pretty sure she would to. Serving was what the soldier did, fighting for others not a hero, and while there was nothing wrong with that. Rana herself still admired the woman, she was convinced that yes, there would be no turning this particular devil down one day. "I'm sorry. But I think if things continue like they are you will." It hurt, to say water pocketed in her bicolored eyes at that statement for how cruel it sounded. But she was honest and that was sadly what was being seen. "I can leave if you want" she finished intending to hug the blonde a moment before expecting to be yelled at and told to go.

@iridum:

An enduring moment of silence filled the room.

It would be an eternity before Kaija turned to face the girl waiting for an answer. This wasn't because she couldn't think of an answer, nor because she hadn't heard the girl. No, she simply couldn't move in that moment. From Rana's view behind Kaija, the soldier would appear to be calm, quiet and contemplative. In actuality, she had lost control of herself a bit. Her heart had been racing, her breaths were shallow and rapid, her head began to ache and the room started spinning. She had fallen into a silent panic attack. To escape a witch's prison only to hear about the intangible noose being strung by a devil was startling; crippling even. With every line of the daemon's message that Rana read, Kaija's condition only grew worse and worse. The only thing keeping Kaija conscious and upright at that moment was the instructions she had received from Axum not too long after first arriving.

Kaija remembered his words so vividly as she struggled to reclaim herself, and she followed every word. She closed her eyes and focused on the sounds of her own heartbeat. She put her hands over her chest and forced herself to breathe deeply and slowly. She shut out the world around her and allowed the stress to slowly drain away in that moment. For a few seconds, nothing existed around her, nothing at all, and she slowly but steadily calmed herself. She would raise a single hand to her forehead, wipe the sweat from her brow, and take one last sigh before turning back to Rana. Instead of the panicked woman who had almost passed out from her panic, Rana would see an oddly happy young woman who wore an unmistakably genuine smile and even laughed a little after meeting the girl's eyes, her own desperately avoiding eye contact for the rest of the afternoon. It was as though she were happy to hear that she had caught the attention of the Demon Lord.

Something was obviously off...

"Hey now, why so negative? I mean, this thing was on my back so long, I don't even remember who put it there in the first place," another eerie laugh slipped through the cracks of the liar's lips, "It's no big deal, pffft. Whoever put that there, if they were serious about it, they would've already come back to get me, right? No worries! And why would I want you to leave, I'm having so much fun just relaxing here with you. How about, instead of all of this heavy talk, I put on the t.v. and we watch something. They don't really have cable here, but there's always gameshows on. You like Family Feud?"

She grabbed a nearby remote and turned the television on. As soon as the show began, her eyes became glued to the screen and safe from any further contact with those of her guest.

@kaija:

"It's fine" the show that is, she didn't mind it wasn't to bad a show. Rana would hang out with Kaija simple as that, try and guess the answer on the episode that was on. Let the empowering blonde know she was safe here, Rana wouldn't pry further or ask anything more. Between the comercial break of episodes she went and got ice cream, each a pint with an extra as a prize. First to guessing sixteen questions right got the extra pint.

The heterochromia hero kept close putting the obnoxious bear on the blondes lap, it'd always find its way back. The adorably annoying looking thing a simple reminder she had people. Rana was cold so she stole a blanket, but given proximity it was also intended to keep the blonde warm. Perhaps a bit of the trickster the teen used her own troubled self as a reason to try and be there as long as possible for a friend. End of visiting hours and with a bit of pleading big eyes and talk about how they needed this she coaxed an extra hour out of the staff to just be there.

She allowed the perception that it was fine that doubt was only doubt. And why wouldn't Rana have doubt looking at something related to what was a relentless blight for her? "If it acts up though you really should tell me okay? I want to help." She ended the night with a hug and fist bump a kind cobalt and vermilion eye meeting Uma's before leaving. For as much as the hell seer tried to play the part however she saw lies, saw the darker thoughts of things. Rana was convinced things weren't after all fine.

@kaija:

Some time had passed sense a rather eventful day within Fukuoka. It was easy to down play how destructive it was, the leveled infrastructure was kept to a minimal. The casualties were kept low all things considered, a lot of people were promised to recover from this. There was a body count though, gross in volume and inescapable. Property damage might have been light, psychological harm however was destructive in quantity. Many who changed the moment a witch was slain and an oni was returned to normal left the civilians doing the same of transitioning to who they were. A change that involved finding themselves staring down barrels of guns or looking at the guts of strangers or in some cases corpses of loved ones. It wasn't so terrible on the news, how quick the many came to save the day. Most though could see it for what it was, the witch had done much worse then a body count.

Today though Anastasia wasn't here to alleviate their minds, much as she'd like to that was outside the realm of what a seventeen year old student who didn't know Japanese could do. Instead she'd come to visit the woman who she surprisingly to some looked up to, even after the events in Fukuoka. It was in a way this woman who made Anastasia take on the role she did during that day. It wasn't battling a giant spider or facing off with Kaija or contesting a witch, instead the girl was simply there in the streets with the soldiers fighting alongside the ordinary. It was what she liked downplayed significance even though it'd been an exhausting endeavor unseen it meant a lot to her. To just be there helping do the job, almost deprived of the unnatural quality.

She came to UNKD and was directed where to go, she did her best to blend casual with professional being here. One day she hoped to be this kind of hero, the one who worked within the system to use abilities to the betterment of others. And to some that would take away that hero title, just a soldier or a engineer some would say. To Ana however that status meant a lot though in it's simplicity. She probably could of passed for a secretary in her chosen jacket and skirt, in her hands were a series of flowers. She wasn't Kaede, the girl had no idea what the hell she was grabbing just went for the handful that culminated in what she thought ended up smelling the best. Then she'd wait at Uma's door, perhaps not the most ideal spot. That was where the officers of the facility directed her though. "Probably look like a stalker for that, thanks." She spoke aloud to nobody but herself, though a passing soldier just laughed at the remark.

Anastasia did what she could to play it off cool however, moment she saw Uma returning from wherever. "I wan't my shirt back bitch. I picked I swear the worst person to look up to." A statement that only dripped of sarcasm, it was clear her opinion of the blonde hadn't changed. Kaija wasn't a hero, but it was inescapable but at least The GIrl saw her as one.

@the_girl:

Today was the first day that Kaija had actually seen her room in quite a while. And while she had physically been there to pick up clothes and creature comforts as needed, she hadn't actually taken the time to observe her room. There was dust evenly sprinkled everywhere, a few spiders had taken refuge, it was as hot as a sauna from an underused air conditioner, and it smelled of a fresh, uninhabited stink; the kind of offputting smell that one would find in a newly built home or car that let you know that nobody had been living there. With a guest coming later that day, she ended up taking the afternoon to spruce up the place in an old, loose blue shirt and gray sweatpants. By the time that the girl had arrived, she had nearly cleaned and freshened the place up, but she would also meet the young girl with a slight musk and dirt stains randomly scattered about her clothes. She heard a knocking on the door and found that she couldn't care less about her less-than-presentable attire.

Anastasia did what she could to play it off cool however, moment she saw Uma returning from wherever. "I want my shirt back bitch. I picked I swear the worst person to look up to." A statement that only dripped of sarcasm, it was clear her opinion of the blonde hadn't changed. Kaija wasn't a hero, but it was inescapable but at least The GIrl saw her as one.

"Hey, I agree. It was my boss and your principal who asked me to get involved with the school, not me. After all, I got my education at a base, not in a classroom. But, no worries, I made sure to find your shirt long before you got here. I haven't actually signed it yet though," Kaija explained, walking over to grab the top with a... less than appropriate picture of her backside on it. She stretched it out and held it high, scanning and cringing at the design for a moment before bringing it back over to the young girl, "All of this still feels so weird. It was like I woke up one day and started seeing my face in the mall. I wonder if it's like that for anyone who ends up uh... well, you know. Anyways, you're actually the first person who's come up to me asking me to sign something, so I kinda wanted to make it special. I could just write my name, but I want you to tell me what exactly you want it to say."

Kaija laid the shirt out on a recently dusted coffee table and went over to grab a marker. She removed the cap with her teeth, took a seat next to the table, and leaned over the shirt ready to write whatever the young girl requested. But, before she began scribing the words of an excited fan, Kaija had a more serious question that she wanted to ask.

"Oh yeah, it's been on my mind for some time. Most of the other kids in your class seem to want to don a cape and go about randomly intervening in crimes around the world. I think you're one of... maybe two kids who has shown any interest in the military. I don't want to make my job sound bad, but uh... you know, people aren't always gonna be happy with what you do on service. You probably won't either. And I can definitely tell you that there are times when I don't agree with my boss' orders; I just carry them out. So, I'm curious, why did you pick a shirt with my face on it and not Millennium Man's? You can't tell me that it's just the uniform."

@kaija:

"Oh my god I'm sorry I was just being sarcastic really." The girl explained with a matter of haste come a explanation and agreement to the remark made in jest. "For the record though I was a fan much longer then when I saw you at the academy. Otherwise I wouldn't of had the shirt. Thing is to me the real heroes aren't the ones necessarily who fly in and save the day. They exist as that entity alone almost. The real ones live amongst us while doing their duty, you work to mask a bit of Kaija from the persona of Uma." Anastasia probably wouldn't of even got to know the agents actual name if not for Fukuoka. "That said you work here, have a boyfriend live amongst people as much as you fight for them. The ones like Lizzy and yourself I think come closer to the cops and soldiers, all I see as heroes because you're people who rise to the occasion and not a symbol alone." Ana attempted to explain as she leaned against a wall and did her best not to be a nervous wreck around her idol.

She blushed a bit, considering the shirt didn't exactly scream modesty and virtue given the angle of the picture. "I don't know Millennium Man or Supra Man beyond that, I knew Kaija was a soldier for UNKD though, using her abilities for more. And in the sake of transparency your much easier on the eyes then them." That was embarrassing to say but it was true. "Nobody can please everyone that comes with the territory. I know I won't agree with what I sometimes have to do. There was this family in Fukuoka where the kid lost it and went oni on his parents. Not the only case I'm sure but this was the one I saw anyway. I had to plug these in to a boy no older then seven" she remarked twirling the weird headset styled ear jacks she had. "It always feels intrusive, but someone that young and under that influence. Couldn't sleep that night. And I know that kid's now sitting in a psych ward." The boy had tried to kill his family and even though the oni influence was lifted shaking the compulsion was proving difficult for the boy. "it isn't easy doing what we do."

The Girl's hands shook a bit, she had to improve with her ability figure out a way to stop people from suffering from that. Weight of the world was often on the shoulders of those who stepped up to the task and while she took pride in how small she felt in the picture she still expected herself to bare that weight. "However to really make a difference one needs, money, resources, people to call on. They have to have jurisdiction reaching enough to do the job, but rules that reign them in. There's an accountability to say Lizzy or you, that we don't see in others. It's practical the girl who want's to help joins the army or police." She concluded and realized she hadn't mentioned anything to write down.

"Shit. I don't know what to write down, just whatever you want I guess. I just knew who I looked up to."

@the_girl:

"There's an accountability to say Lizzy or you, that we don't see in others. It's practical the girl who want's to help joins the army or police."

Kaija smiled. It was the first time that she had heard something like that come from the mouth of someone who wasn't currently serving. If the metallic device around her neck meant anything, then Anastasia's words held more truth than she would know. And with a few simple words, Kajia found overwhelming pride in her decisions and in the difference that she had made in people's lives every time that she went to work or simply intervened in a conflict unfolding around her. She looked down at the shirt and nodded, knowing exactly what she had wanted to write.

She put her marker to the shirt and heard a familiar voice at the doorway.

"Well, I'll be damned. When did our louse get a fan?"

"Aw crap," Kaija thought to herself, sighing and lowering her head.

"Excuse me for one moment, Miss," Axum said to Anastasia as we walked past her over to Kaija, "So, you take your medication today?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Taking it easy on the painkillers?"

"Yes"

"Eating a balanced diet?"

"Yup"

"Watching your carb intake?"

"Uh huh"

"You sure?" Axum asked, rubbing her stomach for a moment.

Kaija blushed and pushed his hand away, "Yes! I'm eating just like I always have!"

"You're working out too, right? We don't need you getting flabby on us just because you're on 'vacation'" Axum asked, testing the muscles on her arm with his fingers.

"Stop!," Kaija's blush deepened, "Yes, yes, I'm taking care of myself, alright!?"

She swiped at his hand, whiffing as he pulled away at the last second. As Kaija glared at Axum, red and agitated, Axum couldn't help but laugh and neither of them paid much mind to Anastasia at that moment.

"This behavior is very inappropriate for a commanding officer!"

"You like spaghetti, right?" He asked, completely ignoring her previous statement.

"Of course I like spaghetti..."

"I'm going to get some Italian for lunch. If you're sick of eating that crap they serve in the mess hall, then you're free to join me. It's on me, I know you don't have any money to waste. I'll be in my office until then, but I'm leaving in a half hour regardless of whether I see you or not."

"Uh, Yes, sir. T-thank you, sir."

"Mhm," Axum walked back in Anastasia's direction towards the doorway, "Sorry for the intrusion, carry on. Can't let her go and get too big an ego now..."

Kaija's eyes simply traced the man's path as he exited the room and disappeared, her face still red with blush. She met Anastasia's eyes for a moment, then sighed and turned back towards the shirt. Before something else could roll by her room and distract her, she went ahead and signed the girl's shirt. Before handing it back to her, she folded it up, letting the girl open it and read it freshly for herself. It read:

@kaija:

The reception to her words seemed good, an exciting thing to Anastasia to think that her hero might see her with a sense of pride. Maybe even take more pride in what they themselves did. For all the hardships of things like the events of Fukuoka a large part of it was made up for to Ana just by being there. Knowing that herself, classmates and a bunch of heroes would save the city and Kaija was great. Having a moment just to be alongside the soldiers and police though she thought was cool. The moment was simply put in a rather weird place however as the boss of Uma's seemed to show up. Ana moved to the side respectfully, stood at attention even though she was no soldier here. Felt better to be at a parade rest then leaning against a wall. And from there the girl listened in on matters for the most part.

He asked about medication, wasn't a doctor though so handler maybe. Seemed like the logical conclusion some of the body language suggested they went rather far back. Painkillers were asked about Ana found herself looking her idol over trying to spot any signs of stress or pain, anything that might tell of how the recovery went. Far as she could tell things were relatively okay though she was no doctor herself. He asked about food which included a rub of the giantess stomach. That was weird, a past history then that went beyond familiarity of just coworkers alone. A hug and things of that nature wasn't uncommon amongst coworkers rubbing ones stomach though was strange and said more. Then came pokes to test if she'd been working out.

Ana covered her mouth so as to not get caught laughing at that part. Was more teasing then the awkward previous moment, and seemed entirely unfair. Looking at the two she was still pretty sure the woman who fought kaiju with her fists was bound to be in better shape then the commanding officer. She tried to make a rebuttal which as funny as it was seemed to almost go unnoticed by the officer. An invite to lunch at the end of it, he was going with or without Uma though which implied it at least wasn't a date or anything. Whatever their connection was it was more family perhaps was the way to see it. "She got a fan years ago sir, and it's Anastasia Cerebrumia was nice to meet you."

"He seems nice, not exactly formal officer though" she teased lightly taking the shirt and taking a moment to read it over. She wasn't so sure she was the first, she was pretty convinced on best part however. Most fans didn't help on missions to save one from the forces of evil. Promising she was mixed on, having always thought herself the poor disappointment of her family. How promising could she really be? There was a joke to the sighed shirt which read as rather personal and encapsulating the moment. As a sighed item it was cool, suggested actual time spent more meaningful then a random autograph. Might of had to wait forever for it and go through a hellish setting but it was a far cooler thing to have for it. "Thanks. You should let that ego grow at least a little if you want my opinion." Folding the shirt up she dropped it into her backpack resting between two books so as to not get messed up or wrinkled as much she figured. "So uhm should I go? You probably don't need support for lunch with a boss." Although Ana of course hoped that the hint of playfulness at support would be read in full that maybe a fan could be invited to hang out for a while.

@the_girl:

As much as Kaija hated to end the young girl's visit, she knew that her boss wasn't going to appreciate uninvited company even if she volunteered to cover the bill for an extra plate of food. Well, that and the fact that she herself wasn't looking forward to an awkward situation like that anyway. That said, it didn't mean that a luncheon between the two was an impossibility... it just wasn't going to happen today. And so, before answering Anastasia, she would look for a scrap piece of paper and quickly jot down a number.

"So, my boss who just left? The guy we call 'Axum'? He uh, well, he's been around for a while. Or... maybe it would be more accurate to say that I've been around for much longer than you'd think. I lost my parents when I was young in an accident and the military basically got me out of what would've been hard times. A few members of the staff, whether they were ordered to or simply chose to, sorta became my family. Axum was one of the two who were there for me most," Kaija explained, folding the paper up and handing it to Anastasia, "I apologize for cutting your visit short, but I think he'd prefer if we had lunch just the two of us. That said, so long as you don't blow my phone up with messages, you're free to use that number to contact me whenever. I'd love to have lunch with you if you ever wanted to talk, or ask questions, get some advice, or just hang out later. But, for now, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to kick you out so I can get ready and catch my boss before leaves. But uh, it was nice to meet you Anastasia, and I hope to see you again some time soon; really."

With an earnest smile, Kaija extended a hand to shake to send the girl off on a pleasant note before getting ready for a mid-afternoon outing.

@kaija:

A simple hand shake was given light in grip Anastasia wasn't as much a hero because of training and the thrill for combat. She wanted to help to her that didn't require having a knuckle grinding grip but a analytical mind and sense of compassion. "That explains away some of the awkwardness of it" she teased and then grew a tad bit shy when she realized she'd become comfortable enough to tease an idol. This was to much, then she got Kaija's phone number. "Your the best I'll uh let you go." Although going along with them would of been awesome the chance to break away was a welcomed idea now. Getting her number was a small thing in practice, for a fangirl though it was daunting.

A simple text of "Thank you, feel free to hit me up anytime for whatever." entered a space and ended it with "your friendly fan Anastasia." Then she took off simply finding her way eventually to the beach. Found a spot isolated from the rest of the world, letting her foot dip into the sea cold water soothing her a bit from freaking out. She briefly glared at her phone, for how dare it have such a number and yet Youtube be a bitch with playlists.

Eventually however she got it to a playlist befitting her mood and with that Ana settled to just lay back enjoying what waves danced along her skin as she rested against concrete without much care in the world. Use a jacket for a pillow and it was the most comfortable spot the girl could imagine at the moment. It was a simple thing to give a person ones phone number in her admiration however it made Ana believe she'd been given so much more. Uma had made her day and that was just as heroic a gesture sometimes as fighting off a giant monster.

@_gaige_

An old man by a seashore, at the end of day

Gazes the horizon with the sea winds in his face

Tempest-tossed island, seasons all the same

Anchorage unpainted and a ship without a name

The ocean crawled to the sand on its knees, broken whitecaps on the waves touching pale sands and leaving a ghost of their former glory in the place where they crashed down, beating themselves into endless oblivion. The young woman stood before her watery congregation, backs of the waves bowed towards her outstretched hand as she walked among them, salt-spray in her hair and the hem of her skirt, brine shuddering through her fingertips as she trailed them through the sea that might love her, if she could remember what love had been. She let the shadows follow her through the water, children clinging to something that reminded them of a mother, ghosts holding fast to a remnant of life, threads in a tapestry winding or binding or unwound, drowning. She called them with a voice that had been meant for sweetness, in the words of a song she had never known, but the shadows remembered.

Sea without a shore, for the banished one unheard

He lightens the beacon, light at the end of world

Showing the way, lighting hope in their hearts

The ones in their travels homeward from afar

Home had been a dream, a whisper, a word unknown and unknowing, something she had given up the memory of, but knew that even if there had been memory, there had been no home. It was a foreign thing, something she thought had not existed, until it had. Far away and long ago, maybe. She couldn't remember how far away or how long ago, or what it had been, but there had been something. Home had been... someone. Home had been a Lady, who had brought her from the darkness, and then the Lady had gone into the sea and there was no home, there was only darkness and shadow, and so she called the shadows to her, and the darkness, because somewhere in them was a memory of what might have been, if the future had been a vision of the past.

And now she had created something, deep within the waves, that was not a home. She had stolen something that might have been a home once, and molded it and melded it and made it a home for the Lady, when she returned, but she had taken all that had been home about it before and cast it into the waves, bringing it back as a shadow of itself, flickering in the darkness, animate and aggregate, depth of a dream. She was its Savant, and she could feel the way it clung to her, spinning her story into a thousand spiderwebs that glittered in the dark, waiting to catch those who passed through. And so, the unreliable narrator, she left its pages whenever possible, and wandered the world in the places where the sea met the shore, searching for a dream that would remind her of a reason to be awake.

This is for long-forgotten light at the end of the world

Horizon crying, the tears he left behind long ago.

She didn't dare the fortress of the UNKD, protected as it was by the men and women within. She had no desire to break down its walls, or to break the minds of those who guarded it. Perhaps she would do the last, but if she did, it would only be because those who came to her desired to become something they had not been. Still, Boracay was one of those places where the land touched the sea, and so she walked through the water and watched the people on the sand and tried not to be the siren who called them away. She watched children, men and women, old people, young people, soldiers, lovers, dreamers. At the end, she settled on watching a girl who was probably the same age as the person she had once been, before she had become everyone she was now. The girl was fiddling with something, more intent on it than on the seascape before her, beautiful as it was. Mechanics.

The savant watched her, with a hint of a wistful smile for a moment. Once within the echo of a dream that had been real, mechanics had meant something.

The water kissed her, and she didn't remember what it was.

@fallen_savant:

Lizzy loved researching and designing things mostly in the strange mixture of shack and garage she'd gotten to have in Mitsuri. However within that cabin there wasn't even a pool to relax in. She often liked to work at UNKD near by Uma if her friend ever wanted to meet up or hang out and enjoying the company of her coworkers in R&D but they didn't want to head bang or dance to blaring music like she did. So today she was resting at the beaches not to far from where she worked.

She was exploring a mixture of research on kaiju and on spaceship design. To use a machine like the one in development they had to make sure Atlas could operate as smoothly as possible despite the pull of gravity and issues of towering machines of war. The mix of sounds of the ocean and of the constant background noise of pedestrians helped her focus on the music and research. They were lost in their own worlds and thus paid the public hero as close to no attention as she could hope for. Eventually however that serenity was cut short as someone watched her for a time that lingered on just a little to long for the pilots liking.

She tapped her bathing suit opening a pocket of slipspace to drop her few bits of tech into. Fetched a hair tie to attend to her auburn hair and made her way to the onlooker. "Hai! Lizzy Leet" she offered a hug though willing to settle for a shake of hands it was apart of who she was that she'd go for a hug with seemingly anyone as a greeting. "Uhm, can I help you? Really the projects can wait I don't mind lending a hand." No reports on Unity seemed to say who this woman was, wether that was a good or bad thing however Gaige didn't know.

@_gaige_:

The girl stepped back evasively, not in the sort of way that suggested that she didn't like hugs, but rather in a way that somehow implied she didn't know what a hug was. A shadow swirled up from the water, vague form positioning itself between the two young women, as if warding off an attack. When no attack came, the shadow seemed to liquefy, and fell back into the ocean, staining the waves inky black for a moment. The girl regarded Lizzy with curiosity, as if she were any other piece of flotsam that had washed up on the beach. The technology was gone, and with it the link, and now there was a broken chain unbound, a lead to nothing.

"You are... something... she hesitates, uncertainty and insubstantiation, a droplet in the ocean of possibility without wave to bear it to shore, and... is narrating aloud again. That's not - I don't-" She closed her eyes for a moment, opened them with more focus, but an equal lack of clarity: "You remind her of something she has forgotten she has lost. She doesn't realize she is still searching for it. It troubles her sometimes, but there's so little of her left..." A sigh, and the waves drifted, spinning up towards her fingertips, sluicing down again in a little trail of water and flickering shadows and white sparkles that disappeared into the depths.

Her attention drifted away from the waves, back to the girl before her. "I apologize. It's like that sometimes," she murmured, and this time she seemed to have achieved clarity but not so much focus, her gaze distant as the horizon. "My head is full of too many shadows. I can usually keep things straight these days. Except when something surprises me. Or worries me. Or confuses me. Or... hm." She hinted a smile, self-depreciating and somewhat apologetic. "Liz-zy Leet." She separated the syllables, almost a sing-song. "Is that your name, or mine?" The consternated look she received was enough of an answer. "Ah. Yours, then. Mine is... misplaced, I believe. I am the Savant. I am the Emissary. I am the Shadow-Bearer. I am become. Would you like to be?"