Melpaws

Delta End

Delta End: Chapter 1

An Exercise in Futility

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Current Location: 2nd Pillar, Yamazaki Restaurant

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A blue ring lit up around the button after it was pressed, confirming that it was working. It didn't take long for the elevator to close its doors, locking the Agents inside for the time being, followed by an audible aching of the old machinery as it began moving towards their destination. Contrary to what might have been the expectation, the elevator began moving downward instead of upwards, implying that their destination was not in the building above, but rather below ground. This, of course, would make escape routes a lot harder to find and create, especially since the restaurant did not particularly care about fire protection regulations meaning that there was no abundance of fire exits.

The elevator ride took a notably long amount of time, which was not caused by a lack of velocity- Rather, it appeared as though the actual restaurant was located quite far underneath the ground. This gave the Agents plenty of time to enjoy the stench of Milton's stomach contents, standing either in awkward silence or chatting as they saw fit.

Eventually, however, they would be released from the agonizing wait as a rather quiet 'Ding!' noise announced their arrival at their destination. Yamazaki Restaurant, a locale not marked on any commonly available map with a distinct lack of public presence anywhere in the second or beyond, finally presented itself to the Agents as the elevator door opened on the opposite side of the doors they had used to enter the elevator.

A slight breeze of warm air carrying a delicious smell of freshly prepared food would hit the agents' faces as Yamazaki presented itself fully in front of their eyes. Contrary to its decrepit appearance from the outside, its inside was anything but run-down. Right outside the elevator, a small entranceway opened up into a large room functioning as the dining area. Here, large, brightly lit aquariums containing plenty of exotic fish, many of which were likely not even known to the average person, were erect from floor to ceiling, serving as walls that separated the different tables. Upon closer inspection, one could see that it was one large continuous aquarium, creating a U-shape in the room with each arm of the U having additional pockets for the different tables. Each of the 8 visible tables (4 on each side) was occupied by people whose identity was blocked by a device mounted to the ceiling that created a sort of transparent veil, blurring out the bodies and faces of the guests using an advanced AI. Furthermore, the device appeared to mute any sound which came from the tables.
A chandelier hung from the ceiling in the middle of the spacious room while the floor was covered in an expensive-looking, well-maintained carpet.
Multiple different suit-wearing humans were seen carrying food and beverages from and to the tables, each dish looking more mouthwatering than the last. Frankly, the dishes looked so expensive they probably cost more than the average citizen made in a year. Notably, each staff member's face was covered by an expressionless mask, only providing holes for them to see through with the rest of the mask being blank. After having brought food to the tables they would leave through one of the two doors located each on the left and right side at the top of the long aquarium.

Finally, in front of the group of Agents there was a singular employee, wearing the same black suit with the white, blank mask, standing behind the reception desk, his posture polite and direct.

"Welcome to Yamazaki, Agents. Do you have a reservation?"

Delta End

Delta End: Chapter 1

An Exercise in Futility

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Current Location: 2nd Pillar, Yamazaki Restaurant

---

When Milton opened his eyes to look around, the view that presented itself to him was rather disappointing and he would likely soon come to regret emptying his bowels right after walking through the door. Beyond the unimpressive door was a small square-shaped room with several buttons on the wall next to the entrance. It was an elevator that Milton had stepped in, with slick, metal walls and a clean, albeit slightly scratched up from long-time use floor which was now stained with Milton's vomit. It was probably not a pleasant experience to be in this elevator, which was already small enough as is, with such a foul puddle in the middle. The elevator was able to accommodate roughly 4-5 people with its small size, or one Rokkit and another smaller person. This would mean that the Agents would have to go down in groups one after the other, should they choose to enter this way. There were 3 buttons next to the entrance, two of which were labeled: The uppermost button was labeled "Ground Floor", the second one below "Yamazaki Restaurant" and the third one was not labeled and required a key card to operate as indicated by a scanning device installed right next to it. There was a notable lack of noise besides the quiet buzzing of electricity around Milton and the noises coming from outside the elevator. Wherever this restaurant was, it was either higher up or down below.

@AThousandCurses

Delta End

Delta End: Chapter 1

An Exercise in Futility

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Current Location: 2nd Pillar Tower, Vehicle Bay

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The vehicle bay appeared rather empty when the first Agents entered the room. It was a large hall with spaces for many different kinds of vehicles, technologies, and otherwise. There was plenty of room for engineers and technicians to work on whatever new knickknack they found worthy of being included in the already stacked roster of technologies for the unit. At the opposite side of the room the vehicle exit was located by the wall, or rather, lack thereof as in its stead one could see a gigantic transparently glimmering blue energy barrier that could be turned on and off by each Agent at liberty using their PDA. It offered an easy way to safely seal all this delicate technology away while also providing usefully high ease of access. However, all of this potential was not properly used at that moment, as one could find naught but one actual functional vehicle stored within.

Emergency Fortified Personnel Transporter (EFPT)

Delta's very own emergency fortified personnel transporter stood gloriously in the middle of the hangar, the vehicle's outside coated in a polished and strong alloy, reflecting the cold blue light of the neon tubes above back to the observer. Its green color was reminiscent of military technology used in conflicts of older times, reinforced by the large caliber cannon mounted neatly on top of the rear which was fully controllable remotely from the inside. As apparent by the noticeable lack of wheels, this vehicle did not move using roads but rather was capable of flight. More precisely, its engines allowed the transporter to make use of the SU's patented 'High-Altitude Hovering' which was not quite a flight but allowed for much higher altitudes to be traversed than using common hovering vehicles.
The aforementioned alloy coating combined with the thick and dense steel platings the vehicle was made of, allowed it to take quite a few hits without endangering its passengers.

On the inside one could find similar state-of-the-art high-tech developed right here in the Tower's mechanical laboratories. Fighting in the name of law enforcement brought its benefits after all- While crime pays in Soma, fighting crime sometimes does even more so. The back of the vehicle could be opened up like a ramp and 2 doors on either side offered an alternative way of entry. The inside itself was separated into 2 distinct areas: In the back, there were multiple seats lined on each wall where Agents could sit shoulder-by-shoulder as they were being transported. In the front, the pilot's cockpit could be found, with the main seat for the actual pilot to sit in as well as a co-pilot seat from which the co-pilot could take over in a pinch and also control various remotely controlled devices in the vehicle, such as the autopilot or the mounted cannon.
Notably, the vehicle was built for humanoids roughly the size of a tall human. Therefore, there might not be enough space in the cockpit should Rokkit take the seat as the brave pilot of the EFPT.

Once all the Agents had entered the hangar one by one, their (hopefully correctly equipped and configured) PDAs would light up to confirm registration to the EFPT. At the same time, a distinct beeping noise followed by a female voice would play from everyone's headset earpiece.

"EFPT access successfully registered. Lookin' sharp, Agents."

Notably, this voice was of unknown origin, as it did not sound like Alayna or anyone else they had met before.
Before anyone had time to contemplate on said voice's origin or identity, another person walked up to the group coming from a different corner in the vehicle bay. The place that he came from was littered with all kinds of different tools, mechanical parts, and both functioning and broken computer monitors. He himself wore thick glasses, and a muddied labcoat with several tools like wrenches, screwdrivers, drills, etc. hanging loosely in the coat's many pockets. The unknown individual scratched his head a bit, his hair looking as if he just walked through an actual hurricane with how messy it was, before speaking up.

Unknown Mechanic

"There are no keys needed to fly this vehicle- Modern technology makes it so the internal AI recognizes you using long-distance biometric scans and the presence of your PDA and badge on your body. It's marvelous technology, really- Noone without proper authorization and parameters is able to even enter the vehicle, let alone operate it.

He placed his hands in his coat's pockets- one on each side where the space was not entirely taken up by his trusty tools- while looking at the imposing vehicle before turning to face the group of Agents.

"My name's Mike, but I go by the codename Mekks. Normally, I am one of the Tower's head mechanics for R&D but Nevy- I mean, the Commander- has asked me to help out as a mechanic for this unit for a while to get things rolling. So until further notice, I'll be happy to give you guys a hand with your equipment. If there's anything you need in regard to equipment, vehicles, Anima, whatever- Just drop by and ask for me. If I am not here you can reach me via the PDA, I've pre-registered my contact details for you.

After a short and awkward silence, Mekks scratched the back of his head once more before turning his back towards the Agents and walking back to his corner.

"Be a bit careful with the vehicle, would ya? I just finished patchin' her up. If push comes to shove don't hesitate to use the autopilot. It is very good.

Mekks added, knowing full well that most Agents always jumped at the opportunity to drive/fly a hovering vehicle, as they likely had always dreamed of doing so before. Some were skilled pilots but many always came back with scratches all over the outside, causing Mekks to put in overtime to fix and polish the vehicles back up. After all, a certain standard would have to be maintained as a Security Unit.

"Good luck on your first mission. Try not to die."

---

Meanwhile, somewhere in the 7th Pillar...

The landscape was one of ruin and desolation, with the perished remnants of buildings that once stood tall spilling rubble over almost every square inch of the ground. Shattered glass, bent and melted metal, broken concrete, tattered and flailed books- It was a project that had been abandoned since the entities had attacked. The mist was looming eerily close, not too far away from where the buildings of the 7th once stood.
Yet amongst the ruins, there was a building that stood tall. While it was seemingly nothing but a small house, capable of harboring one, maybe two families, it was a testament to things that used to be. For some, it was a symbol of hope for things to come

Inside of this small, rather inconspicuous house, two distinct figures were having a conversation.

"How is her extraction proceeding along?"

The first figure that spoke did so without possessing a mouth- They spoke telepathically. It was a man if one could call it that. A more apt description would be that of a humanoid figure, wearing a grey and slick suit with color-matched gloves so that not an inch of skin was visible. More interestingly, however, was what was to be found on their back: Two feathered, almost angelic wings arose majestically to an impressive wingspan, albeit it not visible at the moment as the person chose to angle their wings in such a way that they were able to stand in such a tight space in the first place. Yet even those wings were not the most unique aspect of them, as this spot went to the person's unique head, or rather, lack thereof. In its place, one could find a seemingly floating cluster of eyes arranged irregularly in a cloud of transparent red mist in front of a coronally oriented golden halo-like metal ring.

"We are working on it. Local contractors are assisting in a smooth extraction. Even if they are on our tail, we should be able to smuggle her out of the Pillar within a week or so.

The other figure replied. Its voice was synthetic in nature, matching up with its appearance-

???

Whether it was an android from the beginning or simply the result of a human who took body modification to a scarily extreme level was not immediately clear from its appearance. Yet it was clear that it was no longer just human. A big, red, circular eye was staring at the other odd person- The red light it emitted being a sign of hostility and danger. A feature very much by design, as was the rest of its body. A big, circular hat that served as protection, a slick but surprisingly effective coat to protect its extremities, and two deceptively thin legs gave it an impressive level of agility. While apparently not wielding a weapon, one could not predict what hid beneath its coat besides cables, tubes, and metal. Its most interesting feature was a transparent but ever so slightly glowing almost perfectly circular ring, being sagitally oriented with no apparent origin or purpose. Almost like an actual halo, except hovering around its lower abdomen, rather than above the head.

"Wonderful, I am paying good money for this, after all. It is in all of our best interest that it is finished smoothly."

The telepathic voice replied to the android. The angelic figure then checked an expensive-looking old-school watch strapped around its left wrist while some available eyes were scanning the environment thoroughly.

The android, however, grew impatient and spoke with a slightly agitated tone.

"Us meeting here required the burning of a trusted safe-house location. I sincerely hope it was not a simple catch-up meeting on the contract status?"

In a snap, all eyes focused directly on the android as the suit-wearing person stopped looking at his watch. Following this dramatic shift in tone, he would give a slight telepathic chuckle.

"Au contraire, M-02. I took a great risk even coming here in the first place, I would not do such a thing if I did not find the investment worthy. No, I actually did want to discuss something else."

He reached behind the kitchen counter next to which the two had been standing and pulled out a military-grade briefcase, locked by an outwardly impressive mechanism.

"I have another job for WIZARD."

---

The flight to the location was not a very long one, with the time it took to get there and the overall experience of the flight vastly depending on Rokkit's piloting abilities. Worst case scenario the crew could always stage a mutiny and turn on autopilot which would get them to the target safely.
Being able to hover/fly above most of the buildings of the city was sure to provide a very scenic route through the 2nd Pillar- And while there was an apparent lack of windows anywhere in the vehicle except for the cockpit,
multiple screens were set up even in the passenger's area so the Agents could observe the outside while being transported. It was a peaceful view, disconnected from the gritty reality that actually occurred behind the walls of each building or out on the streets. Instead, from their position, one could only see giant, glassy skyscrapers, occasional flying vehicles, and brightly lit streets below. This place was so far away from the fog that it was not even visible beyond the horizon from up here. And, of course, the Tower was towering far above any other building in the second. The only other thing that could compete in size with the Tower was the barrier to the First. Even from this high up, they could not see what was behind it as it stood tall in the distance.

Their destination was a small restaurant located in the "Backstreets", a name given by locals for a small area at the outer border of the Commercial District. It was the most crime-riddled area one could find within the 2nd Pillar. Only a few streets ran through this area with most activity being confined to the area's namesake: the backstreets that were between the comparatively small buildings which housed plenty of cheap stores for all kinds of things. The buildings provided stark contrast to the glassy and futuristic skyscrapers of the center Commercial District, as they were more akin to concrete boxes, or slabs. It was the perfect place for the criminal underworld to conduct their business as it was also quite far from the nearest police station. Whether an unintentional oversight or lack of care by the governing body was up for debate.

Within these backstreet locales, the target restaurant could be found. Next to a larger street, two large buildings would form a small alleyway between them inside of which a singular manual door was located with a metal sign hanging above the frame reading "Restaurant". It was very inconspicuous, and probably not a place anyone would like to enter without being specifically instructed to do so as it was not very promising in terms of culinary experiences from the outside. Not even a single window was in sight, giving no way of knowing what was to be found beyond the entrance.
Now it was up to the Agents to decide their approach- They knew nothing more than the fact that an extremely dangerous and hostile fugitive was likely to be within this gray, cold building. The space between the buildings did not allow enough room for the transporter to land between them, but the adjacent larger street would do the job just fine- Even if it meant blocking almost the entire road with the massive vehicle.

@AThousandCurses @FatPrincess @PigeonOfAstora @Silver Carrot @Conscripts @Lucius Cypher @pkken @Birby

Delta End

Delta End: Chapter 1

An Exercise in Futility

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Current Location: 2nd Pillar Tower, Delta Office

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Time is not linear. Such is a fact that has been known to scholars and later on the general public for quite a long time by now. While time-traveling remains science fiction, even in the realms of science fiction, the deepened understanding of time gained over time only created more questions than it did answer existing ones. Yet, despite the weird flexible nature of time, one can pinpoint certain key moments of history, where a moment of significance occurred. Moments, whose ramifications would not be clear even to those involved until much, much later in time. Relatively speaking.

For Nevyn, time provided structure. The soft ticking of his outdated analog watch would remind him of the constant flow of time; A constant progression. It was the sound of the world moving forward, it reminded him that he could not afford to sit still. Not after everything that had happened before.

Nevyn

Alayna

A sharp dinging noise from Nevyn's watch announced the arrival of another key moment: The formation of the Delta unit at precisely 10 am. As if automated, Nevyn would turn around to face his new crew precisely when his watch struck 10, standing in the middle of the conference area, facing all supporting staff as well as the agents that by now have all but one gathered at the entrance of the room. His eyes gazed sharply over each individual agent, a bright smile was plastered on his lips as he placed his now empty mug on the desk behind him. His assistant Alayna was standing beside him, hiding her smile beneath the mask which had 4 actual, functioning eyes on it, bringing into question whether it was an actual mask, an augmentation, or part of her body. With Nevyn standing at roughly 6'1 (1.85m), he was quite a lot taller than the averagely sized Alayna at 5'7 (1.70m). The assistant was nervous, seeing all these different new faces standing in front of her. While supporting staff was mostly comprised of 'normal' people, Agents were known to be a little eccentric, or in other words, a little extra. Even though she was anxious to meet them, she was wondering whether they'd make for a good unit.

As if feeling her worries, Nevyn reassuringly put a hand on Alayna's right shoulder for a brief moment and then stepped forward to greet his new Agents. He extended his arms outward to make the grand announcement.

Welcome everyone!

Nevyn waited for a moment to make sure he had everyone's attention. The Commander was fully aware that one Agent was still missing as he had been carefully watching her on the cameras just a moment ago, however, time was not waiting for him so neither would he wait for her.
His voice was gentle yet vociferous- Nevyn wanted to make sure that everyone would hear him loud and clear. By now, the Commander had lowered his arms again and his eyes were scanning each Agent individually.

"I am very pleased to see that you all decided to join. Each and every one of you was handpicked by me personally for this unit specifically. I saw a certain quality in each of you that I sought after when recruiting Agents. What quality that is shall be revealed in due time. For now, however, introductions are in order. My name is Nevyn Diseth. I am the Commander of this division, and as such, will be your Commander moving forward.

Nevyn did a signature butler-y bow to express his respect to the new recruits.

"To give some background to myself, I used to be a Fixer going by the codename "Orchestrator". While I still use that codename, you may also call me Commander.

The Commander paused for a moment, looking over to Alayna who was glaring back at him with all eyes available.

"Now, normally I'd now spend some time telling you about my past experiences, how I used to be an Agent, about some missions I undertook- But unfortunately, we are very short on time today, so such social pleasantries will have to wait. You are now Agents, and I was already given the first mission for you to complete.

Nevyn stepped to the side, using his right arm to gesture towards the holographic table in the middle of the conference area behind him. With a few swift inputs on her holographic tablet, Alayna changed the holograph to now depict the picture of the wanted terrorist wielding her crystalline staff.

???

"If you've been anywhere within the second Pillar recently, you've likely seen this face. She is the person responsible for the Plaza-Attack that killed dozens of innocent people yesterday. Our current suspicion is that it was a political assassination. While we don't know this woman's name, we know that she is associated with the terrorist and mercenary organization WIZARD. She wields a powerful Anima capable of creating sharp crystals which appear to pierce pretty much anything they get launched towards."

As he was speaking, Nevyn accentuated his words with hand gestures.

"Your first mission is to hunt down and either capture or kill this person. This mission is of utmost importance as she poses a serious threat to the general public. If you can successfully take her down, it will proof your worth as a new division of our SU."

The Commander nodded towards his assistant, who once again changed the hologram to a different scene. This time, a seemingly ran-down restaurant located in some backstreets somewhere in the second Pillar was shown.

"A very hot tip seems to indicate that she is currently hiding at this location. Therefore you will have to dispatch immediately as she is constantly on the move."

Finally, the hologram turned back to a map of the second Pillar, as it had been before, now with a certain point of interest marked in red. Nevyn turned back towards his Agents and put his hands in the side pockets of his coat.

"I realize that I am throwing you in the cold water. However, view this as a test of sorts. Prove your worth to me. Prove that you were the right choice for this unit."

Nevyn paused briefly and closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly reflecting on something in his mind. Like the dutiful employee she was, Alayna was quick to take over. She clumsily stumbled forwards, almost dropping her device, before adjusting her posture and speaking with surprising confidence and composure.

"You heard him! Agents, you must dispatch immediately. To your left-"

Alayna raised her right arm to point toward the large electronic door that was located on the left side of the room, relative to the Agents.

"Behind that door you will find your lockers. They have been programmed to only open to you and you alone and they contain all the gear you will need. Headsets for communication, your holo-badge, PDA, suit for those who want to wear them, and Anima for those who did not bring their own. A fitting one has been selected for you. Make sure to connect to channel 4 on the headset. You will receive further instructions from your Commander from there and you can also communicate with your supporting staff. Each headset contains a personal AI, meaning you can control it simply by speaking. Try it out as you see fit. Furthermore..."

Alayna took a moment to read over her notes on her holographic tablet.

"If you go further you will find the vehicle bay. Take the troop transporter that has been prepared for you. It can carry up to 12 people so it will be enough for you. Rokkit will be the pilot, as per the Commander's orders. Use it to fly to the location that will be marked on your PDA."

Once again Nevyn tapped on Alayna's shoulder, this time to stop the very eager second in command as she was practically burrowing the new recruits with information. Afterwards, he stepped forward and added a pause for dramatic effect, letting all of that information sink in.

"You are all Agents now. A cut above the rest; Otherwise you wouldn't be standing in front of me today. You live to protect the people of this city from threats that go beyond what normal people can even begin to comprehend. As such I have very high expectations for all of you. On top of that...while this is your first mission, it certainly is not without importance. This terrorist has killed dozens of innocent people who were just minding their own business.

The last part had some emotions added to it as the topic seemingly even affected a veteran like Nevyn.

"Hunt her down and make her pay. You've been given your instructions- So go out there and learn by doing. If you have any important questions you may ask me now, for any other questions you can come see me once you have returned to HQ. I'll be ready to answer anything I can."

Nevyn stepped back slightly to lean against the table behind him while showing a confident grin.

"Good luck, Agents."

After his speech, Nevyn was quick to check his watch again. 14 minutes had passed since all the present Agents had entered the HQ. Such a short time, really, relatively speaking. Yet it was a moment of huge significance: A moment of multifaceted importance- It was the start of a new story and the beginning of the end of another. For yet another, third story, it was merely another step towards its goal. How significant this moment for the recruit Agents was, however, was yet to be decided. It was up to them to make use of this opportunity they had been given. For them to find meaning and purpose in this very moment.

Once the Agents had passed towards their locker and vehicle bay, Nevyn would quickly stop Shorty in wherever she was trying to head.

"You're a somewhat unfamiliar face. Let's talk for a bit."

In regards to Adalia, Alayna was instructed to keep watching the cameras. Should she still make it inside she would simply be ushered towards the vehicle bay. And if she didn't, Alayna would instruct Rokkit via headset communication to pick her up in front of the tower. Both options being quite embarrassing of course- A predicament of her own making.

Delta End

@Benzaiten Thank you!

Currently, all slots are taken by applicants, but I can DM you should that situation change once everything is finalized if you like.

Delta End

@Marmalised Junk I'll also be in touch via DM.

Delta End

@FatPrincess The Discord link is not publically available, I'll get in touch with you via DMs!

Delta End

Delta End: Chapter 0

Prologue

---

Beep

Beep

Beep

Beep

Bang

The obnoxiously loud beeping of his alarm clock had come to an end when his fist came crashing down on the 'off' button. The cracks in the plastic of the device showed not only its age but also the routine abuse it had to endure at the hands of its owner, who was anything but a morning person. After rolling over in bed the figure would slowly open his eyes, squinting toward the red neon light emitted from the device.

'6:00 A.M.'

A sigh escaped his lips as he sat up on his bed which was too small for his size. It was a bed built for Xrashah and was hardly equipped to handle an above-averagely sized human like he was, standing at 6 feet and 2 inches tall. Warm rays of sunlight were shining through his blinds- A rare and peaceful moment. One that he was not able to savor, as he had to get ready for what was to come. Today was a very special day after all.

The figure slipped out of bed from beneath his blanket and slowly dragged himself to the bathroom. His apartment was quite quaint by modern standards, albeit a bit small. For his purposes, however, a studio was more than sufficient. Frankly, he could be considered lucky for even having his own private place to live compared to some other Pillars. Upon entering the bathroom the lights turned on automatically, revealing a rather claustrophobic but clean bathroom containing a sink, shower, toilet, a small cabinet beneath the sink, and, most importantly, a well-disguised camera in the corner facing away from the shower.

"Good Morning, Jack."

A female voice, indistinguishable from an actual human had it not been for the lower quality due to the aged speakers it was emitted from, spoke to the man with a neutral tone as he stepped in front of the mirror which was placed above the sink. He turned on the sink in the coldest setting and formed a makeshift cup with both of his palms to collect some water, which he splashed into his own face once his hands were full. Afterward, Jack looked up at the mirror.

Jack

What looked back at him was almost pitiful- Large bags under his emerald eyes, his pink hair being a complete mess- He looked as if he had not slept in days. Other than that he had a surprisingly fit physique, the product of his strong and well-maintained training routine. After yet another sigh Jack spoke up while still staring at the mirror.

"Mel, get me updated on the news."

He said before stripping down completely and entering the shower. His favorite shower settings were still saved so it instantly turned to the desired temperature and water pressure.

"Certainly."

As he was showering, a hologram was projected on the wall across the cabinet, aiding in visualization with images, graphs, and the like as Mel reported on recent events.

"Starting with local news first. An increase in crime in the Residential District by 7.43% compared to last month has been reported by the Tower's crime statisticians in a recent press statement. This follows the recent trend of higher crime rates in all Pillars. The Overseer, however, emphasizes that this is no cause for concern as it is being handled. Now: Politics. In a press statement, recently appointed council member Grel has talked about his plans to increase penalties and restrictions on keeping Zayin level Entities as private pets. This decision has resulted in a few larger protests by entity rights activists, some of which are thought to be associated with the eco-terrorist group Blades of Yggdrasil. The Overseer, however, refused to comment on those potential ties."

As Jack was washing his hair he would poke his head out of the streaming water for a moment to interrupt his virtual assistant.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Soma's gone to shit. Is there anything interesting or relevant to me?"

After which he would resume rinsing the practical 8-in-1 shampoo off his head.

"You asked me to remind you to call your sister today. It is her birthday, after all."

Jack turned off the water and then proceeded to shake his head strongly, flinging droplets of water everywhere and adding to the already soaked ceramic walls of the shower. Having ceramic walls in the shower was definitely not the norm but the building that Jack lived in was quite old by Soma's standards. Then, he opened up the glass door to the shower and reached for a towel that was hung nearby.

"Mhm, you're right. I can't believe that Marie has turned 19 already... I'll give her a holo-call once I am home."

As Jack was drying off his body he found his mind wandering, thinking about what was to come, having quickly forgotten about his sister's birthday again. This was not out of malice or lack of care on his part however, his mind simply did not have the bandwidth to deal with it at the moment. After all, today was his first day at his new job working in the Tower- And he was determined to give the best first impression he possibly could. He was employed as utility staff- part of the supporting members of the new IXth SU's δ division. Today was also the only day where he could realistically leave a good first impression, as all the new Agents would arrive tomorrow, as he was told. Therefore, once he was dried off, Jack would simply throw the towel to the side- A hassle he could always deal with at a later point- and then took his sweet time making sure his hair looked superb. After about 15 minutes of styling, fidgeting, and working on his hair he was done, and confidently so.
The man looked at his mirror image with a grin, pointing finger guns towards it in the process.

"Lookin' good."

As Jack left the bathroom with a different towel wrapped around his lower body and re-entered his living/bedroom, a humanoid figure was waiting for him with her arms straightened and hands folded together in front of her body.

"I prepared breakfast for you, Jack."

She said while gesturing towards the only table in the room- A small, round table made of solid metal was standing in front of the television screen that was placed across the room from his bed. A lone, cold chair with a fading coat of blue paint was already pulled back and ready to be sat upon. On top of the table was a bowl filled with a brownish smooth paste, not looking particularly appetizing, with a glass of clear water on the side. Jack frowned in slight disgust when he spotted his food.

"Nutrition paste... my favourite."

The female figure opened her eyes to directly look at Jack. Her body was dressed in formal attire, wearing business casual even this early in the morning. Long, azure hair complimented her glowing blue eyes, and an amber, droplet-shaped earring adorned her left ear. The only way to tell that this was not a person but rather a chassis for an AI was the glowing blue ring on the left side of her neck. Even her synthetic skin felt as if it was perfectly human.

"It is good for you and contains everything your body needs to survive for an affordable price. Need I remind you of your finances?"

Jack raised his hand dismissively and took a seat on the chair after strolling past Mel's body.

"Ugh, don't remind me. Today will be the last day of this, however! With my new salary and housing, we will soon be able to afford a much higher quality of life. God, I am excited!"

He shouted out, lifting both of his arms up in victory before digging into his bland food. To get a job in the Tower, even just as support staff for a SU division, was a luxury not many had- And with it came housing, benefits, and an enviable salary. As such Jack had fought hard to get his current position, but it seemed that all the hardships and effort would finally pay off.

---

Approximately 30 minutes later, Jack was ready to leave. He was now wearing his fanciest suit, freshly cleaned and ironed by one of those automated stores that were just down the block. He picked up his train ticket which would allow him to board the only train that directly connects to the 2nd's Tower, staring at it for a brief moment, before heading towards the door where Mel was waiting. She approached him and immediately began straightening his tie.

"You still don't know how to tie those properly, do you?"

In response, Jack chuckled and scratched the back of his head with his right hand while grinning.

"That's what I have you for, after all."

Mel finished adjusting Jack's tie and then stepped aside so he could leave the flat. The pink-haired quickly opened the door and stepped outside, having stuffed his wallet, keycard, and ticket in his bag which was thrown over his right shoulder. On the way out Jack would look back at the ever-so-neutral Mel.

"Don't worry-"

Jack gave a thumbs up and another signature wide grin towards Mel.

"I'll come to get you and take you with me to the Tower district once I've been given my place to live. I wouldn't want to go if it wasn't with you."

Then he would promptly close the door and storm off down the stairway. Inside his Flat, Mel's chassis would stare at the door for a moment before finally, for the first time this day, changing her expression and giving a very slight but sincere smile.

---

Even this early in the day, around 7:15 AM, the citizens of Soma were already out and about. Especially those that lived in the Residential District of the second Pillar were motivated to improve their lives- They were this close to having a taste of the luxurious life that many here still had dreams and ambitions, contrary to some of the poorer pillars. Those that lived in the second Pillar, even those at the bottom part of the local social hierarchy, often had some glimmer of hope for riches, fame, and power. It might not come as a surprise then that organized crime, scams, racketeering, and the likes were running rampant even this high up on the social hierarchy of Soma. However, instead of promising an escape from the everyday fight for survival in the 6th, people in the second Pillar were more enticed by power and money.

Of course, not everyone was like this. A good amount of people were honest well-meaning citizens; But in a world this corrupt it was hard not to become corrupt yourself. "Stare into the abyss and the abyss stares back at you" was a saying infamously thrown around by those at the top in a futile attempt to rationalize their blatant ignorance of the social problems present in the Pillar and the greater city overall. Yet it failed to account for the reality of the situation- Rather than staring into the abyss, those at the bottom were surrounded by it, engulfed in it. And if one was buried in the abyss it would not just be staring- It would tear at one's very soul, drowning and suffocating one's character until there was nothing moral or good left.

The automatic doors to Jack's apartment complex slid open as he approached them from the inside. Once outside, he would take a good look around- The weather was cloudy as per usual with a comfortable 21°C. The street right outside the building was fairly empty except for the occasional overcrowded bus. Having a car was a luxury in this part of the Pillar so public transportation was typically the way to go. Luckily there were plenty of busses and trains available with stations being typically not too far apart. Contrary to the rather empty street the pedestrian's walkways were filled with all kinds of people and figures, many of which were wearing suits. Most of these suits came from the same brand as the affordability in pricing made "Clint's Clothes & More" the perfect place to shop for your average low-income second Pillar citizen.

The grey walkway stretched all the way to the horizon while the sides were lined with copy-paste apartment complexes apparently made of some form of metal coated in an alloy to give it protection. The cold, silvern look of the samey-looking buildings combined with a horde of people all dressed in the same suit made for a rather depressing and lifeless scene. One which Jack was not unused to, and one which he hoped to escape after today.
After letting a rather intimidating-looking man about twice the size of Jack with a jaw akin to that of a crocodile with arms that were as thick as Jack's very own torso pass by, Jack entered the stream of people which was flowing towards the next bus station. While his ticket did allow him to board the direct train towards the Tower, he would have to get to Central station first, which was situated in the Commercial District. Therefore, he had to travel by bus to his local train station and then use another train to reach Central station first.

---

The bus ride and subsequent train ride were relatively uneventful. The experience was akin to that of a sardine being transported in a small can- The train was overcrowded with humanoid figures of many sizes and shapes squeezing each other in the small space. Even though a train came every 10 minutes, they were full every single time- A product of the daily routine of the working class.

The insides of the train were silvern, cold, and plastered with ads that consisted of both actual old-school posters and text which was holographically projected onto nearby surfaces by round camera-shaped projectors mounted into the ceiling. Sometimes, one's vision would be interfered with by the faint blue hue of another obnoxious ad for whatever new soda brand was fashionable to drink at the moment. The outside looked a little more interesting- The normal train which commuted within a Pillar did so on elevated train tracks. They used a rather complex system of focused electromagnetism to hover far above the ground and while doing so the train track went between the massive apartment complexes of the Residential District. As the train would drive along the tracks, being surprisingly silent for its size, it would slither its way between the buildings. Those that lived on the right floor would be able to see the train go by every 10 minutes on the dot, making those apartments quite cheap and undesirable for most to live in.

Eventually, Jack arrived at Central station in the Commercial District. The train's doors opened and unleashed what appeared to be a flood of people with him being caught right in the middle. As he was shoved and pushed around by beings partially much larger than him, Jack did his best to hold onto his bag in fear of losing it. Even after he had escaped the initial stream of people, he would not be left alone. Almost as soon as he was isolated from the others, an 8-legged being with what appeared to be a clamshell for its head approached Jack and began talking directly at him before giving him a chance to understand what was happening.

"Oh my, my, my! You look like just the person I was looking for! A young, handsome man like you seems like you would spend a lot of unnecessary money on hairstyling products! Well fear not-"

The creature began to use one of its tentacle-shaped legs to reach inside of the clamshell head to pull out a dubious, unlabelled bottle that was covered in a clear slimy substance. However, before it could finish the motion, Jack would quickly cut it off.

"I'm not interested, buzz off."

After which he forcefully pushed the person away and walked off. Clamshell-head would make some disgruntled noises in protest but quickly gave up once they spotted the next potential buyer and then scurried off.
You had to be aggressive with these annoying salespeople, Jack always thought, as they would not leave you alone otherwise.

But now, finally, he had reached Central station. Jack took a deep breath and looked around the familiar view:
14 different train tracks were aligned next to each other with a rather spacious platform in between each of them. The entire station was surrounded by a massive sphere made up of smaller individual hexagonal tiles of glass. Each platform had multiple sets of stairs that appeared to disappear underground, where the entrance and exit were located. From within the sphere itself, there was no way to enter or leave except by train so going down the stairs would be a necessity. The station was as crowded as it could be and thus incredibly noisy. Trains were zooming past on multiple tracks. Some were stopping, and even others were just now leaving. From Central station, one could go anywhere within the second Pillar and even the train to the hyper-velocity railway station could be taken from here to go to other Pillars. It was essentially the heart and soul of public transport in the second Pillar.

None of this matter to Jack, however. His goal was the 15th Track- The only train that could directly take him to the Tower. It was not located within the glassy sphere of Central station, but rather a bit further away, across the main plaza right outside. So Jack went down the stairs on his way to exit Central station.

The underground area of Central station was one large walkway, connecting each platform to the central path via the aforementioned stairs. Different shops, mostly consisting of fast food and snacks were lining each side of the rather large hallway while the ceiling was plastered with holographic ads of all sorts, glowing in neon-bright colors. The different fast food places, takeaway stands, and snack cars at the side were occupied by cooks who were preparing all kinds of meals: From burgers with tentacles on them to green fries made of a weird plant paste sold by what appeared to be the humanoid version of a praying mantis, to even normal looking onigiri- One could find any type of fast food here, sometimes with questionable quality. The different chefs were constantly shouting and advertising their products, adding to the loud and overwhelming atmosphere.
Walking along this pathway at this time of day was almost dangerous, actually. The constant flow of people, the right lane moving forwards and the left lane moving backward, meant that standing still was not an option. Shoulder on shoulder everyone was moving along at a fast pace and anyone caught in the way would simply be dragged along. This long hallway was essentially the main artery of public transport in the second Pillar and everyone was flowing along as if they were red blood cells.

---

However, even this stream of life must come to an end at some point. Eventually, Jack finally reached the outside of Central station. The northern exit, which was the one he took, opened up to the central plaza, the central point of city-life in the second Pillar. Jack took a moment to take in the view- One which he had grown accustomed to but still appreciated every time nonetheless.
The large, round concrete plaza was surrounded by cloud-piercingly large skyscrapers. The outside of each building was used as a giant screen, playing advertisements even this early in the morning. Behind the screens were office floors used by the largest corporations in Soma as their headquarters. Higher up, in between the gigantic buildings, one could spot smaller floating vehicles, likely reserved for the (literal) higher-ups of each company, as the average Joe could typically not afford the luxury of having their own vehicle, let alone a floating one.
Each building's lower floors were used as shopping spaces, situated right beneath the advertising screens. Where the higher floors have office spaces, these lower floors were filled to the brink with all kinds of useful and useless stores, selling goods in mall-like layouts.

The plaza itself was mostly empty. It served as a large open space and a point of orientation- As such it was also littered with normal police and security personnel. There were, however, no Agents or anything of the sort- Only normal, everyday police, coming equipped with a standard loadout: Baton, high-voltage stun gun, and a normal handgun. Some, however, also had an additional plasma rifle; A new addition to their loadout after the recent increase in crime. From the plaza, one could reach the important shopping malls, busses to wherever one would like to go, the city center and town hall for any Pillar legislation needs, and, most importantly for Jack, the 15th track. For this, he would have to go enter one of the giant buildings from which a floating railway could be seen leaving its side with a train likely inside. In the far distance, if one were to strain their eyes, the Tower was visible, looming ominously.

Jack checked his watch- A rather ancient relic passed down for generations in his family.

"I still have about 15 minutes."

He muttered to himself. It was plenty of time to reach the 15th track from his position! With an excited grin, Jack began to cross the plaza and walk towards the large building that was playing an advertisement for the newest Android model, a solid 3 generations down the line from his own trusty Mel. It reminded him of how she was waiting for him at home, how he had been fighting to get a better job, a better position, a better life for so long- And now he had done it. His new life was about to begin, all the hardships, pain, loss, stress, and sorrow had been worth it for he had really done it. All that was left to do is board this last train and get to the Tower.

How hard could that be?

---

As Jack was crossing the plaza, he walked past numerous people and faces. Far too many to remember; From human to humanoid to some even walking on all fours- None of these things were unusual or caused Jack to pay much mind to them. By now he had seen much weirder folks than most- Even weirder than the odd clamshell-head he met in Central station earlier. Though there was one encounter that was different. One that stayed on his mind for longer than a second. Jack was about 75% across the plaza as he walked past someone that left a lasting impression on him. A woman, seemingly not older than 20 walked past him. She had short, silver hair reaching down no further than her chin while longer strands of hair were hanging down from the front. Her eyes were a deep, glowing blue. Glowing quite literally in this case as they were omitting a strange blue hue- Yet she was no Android as she was lacking the signature blue circle on her neck. The woman wore a cape-like top with a necklace adorning her collar. Her lower half was covered by a short skirt with long, black thigh highs underneath and normal streetwear shoes below. The girl's hands were covered in thick white gloves and she appeared to be holding a large case, almost looking as if it contained a large instrument or, more sinisterly, a weapon or large device of sorts.

Either way, her appearance left an impression on Jack- And as she was right next to him, time appeared to stand still for just a moment. Her gaze was focused on something that was behind Jack, something outside of his field of view. "I wonder what she sees?" Jack pondered for a moment, but ultimately it mattered not. They were both strangers and this chance encounter would not repeat itself again in the future.

Moments later, something changed. Jack wasn't sure how he noticed it first- Whether it was intuition, experience, or pure chance- He felt a chill down his spine. Everything after became a haze- The last thing Jack remembered clearly was the sound of a helicopter flying above.
Then, suddenly, something blue flew past Jack, followed by a terrifying scream from a woman in front of him. As Jack looked forward to investigate the source of the screaming he saw a rather normal-looking human woman, wearing business casual as many others were, letting out a scream of pure terror. It took only a moment for Jack to realize why she was screaming: Her left eye had been pierced by what looked to be a blue crystal and blood was now flowing down her face from the plugged wound. The pink-haired's eyes opened wide in shock until he was hit on his shoulders by something heavy. Jack reached towards his right shoulder and grabbed whatever had hit him. It was scaly, and rough to the touch, he almost cut himself just picking it up. However, once he saw it, he realized what it was: A right arm, covered in scales, likely having belonged to the same intimidating alligator-person that Jack had met earlier, severed right in the middle of the humerus which looked as if it had been cut in half. Finally, Jack began to feel panic too. Adrenaline was rushing in every artery in his body as he went in full-on fight-or-flight mode. The crowd around him began to scream and panic, people trying to escape the plaza as quickly as they could in any direction possible. Jack heard gunfire behind him, likely coming from the police and security personnel he spotted earlier. He wanted to do the same: He wanted to find out what it was, to run for his life, to make it to the 15th track as it would likely be safe there. Jack did, after all, have a ticket that allowed him entry.

But as Jack tried to move, his body refused to do so. His legs would not move an inch, no matter how hard he tried. Then, he looked down. A glowing blue crystal, roughly the width of Jack's own leg, was protruding from his abdomen. His own crimson-colored essence of life was dripping onto the floor creating a puddle beneath him, coloring the boring grey into a vibrant red.
His mind was in complete shock and the poor young man tried one more time to run away, to lift just one leg- But he couldn't. The crystal was as sharp as a blade and had completely severed his spine beneath the lumbar section, plus it had completely destroyed his insides. Jack's body swayed forward and finally dropped to the floor like a sack of meat. People around him were also dropping like flies- Some being more gravely injured than others, but all had been pierced by crystals of varying sizes. It looked as if a large shrapnel bomb had detonated in the center of the plaza, with the shrapnel being these odd crystals.

While Jack was laying on the floor, bleeding onto the pavement, he was spared the feeling of pain; All the adrenaline made him numb to it. Yet he could still feel his lifeforce slowly disappearing- The echoes of dreadful screams of citizens around him combined with the sight of dozens of corpses laying near him painted a miserable picture.
As he was on the floor, dying, Jack's mind was filled with thoughts and emotions: Anger, pain, grief, sorrow, regret- a concoction of emotions justified given his circumstances. There was, however, one emotion he could deal with. One he could satiate: Curiosity.

Just what exactly happened?

Using his last strength Jack positioned his upper body so he could look toward the source of the crystals. By now, the gunfire had ceased and the screams of the fleeing public grew ever more distant. His eyes gazed over many dead citizens, some that were still dying like him. As his gaze approached the center he would see police force and security personnel equally massacred- Their high-tech bulletproof vests meant nothing against the sheer force and sharpness of those crystals. They managed to pierce right through, ripping apart any protection the people might have had. A little further, Jack spotted the remnants of the helicopter he had heard earlier. It had crashed to the floor and is now little more than a giant ball of fire. Inside of the flames, he spotted 3 corpses: 2 normal-sized humanoid ones, and one which looked to be about twice the size of the others and somewhat overweight. The last corpse also had a crystal piercing right through its skull.

Then, finally, Jack set his eyes on the cause of all of this. Amidst all the corpses, the rubble, and the fire, all of which were creating hell on earth, there she was: The same woman Jack spotted just moments ago. He could never forget the glowing blue eyes and short silver hair. Something, however, was different. The case she had been carrying earlier was now laying open next to her and in her right hand was a long, blue, crystalline staff. She was standing over the burning wreck and was staring right back at Jack with a piercing gaze.

????

Jack wanted to scream out to her, to ask her what was going on, and why she was doing this; He wanted to scream for help, or get up and fight back. But none of this was possible. It was the end of Jack's story after all, and he would not be granted an epilogue. His eyelids grew heavier every second while the puddle of blood around him increased in size. Only moments later, his eyes fully closed- For the last time. A meaningless death, leaving yet another loose end, never to be solved, in this uncaring city. Though maybe, just maybe, this time would be different?

---

-The following day-

---

"With over 36 confirmed casualties with dozens more heavily injured and hospitalized, yesterday's incident will go down in history as a gruesome act of terror tainting the wonderful reputation of the central plaza as a place of commerce, community, and entertainment. While the Tower has refused to comment on potential motives thus far, it is believed to be a political assassination given the fact that the helicopter which was shot down was transporting newly appointed council member Grel who has died in the attack. As of now, no group or organization has claimed responsibility for the attack and the fugitive is still at larg-"

The large monitor playing a live news broadcast was shut off with a quiet zapp. A long, rectangular table with 3 seats on each side and one at the head was now only illuminated by cold, blue tainted light coming from square-shaped office lights above. Each seat except for one on the side was occupied by humanoid figures dressed in different kinds of suits. A moment of silence remained after the screen was shut off and lingered for far longer than it should have. Eventually, however, the discomforting silence was broken by the figure at the head of the table speaking out. Its voice was eerie, being not a singular voice but rather it was composed of a cacophony of voices, sometimes harmonious and sometimes dissonant.

"What do we know about the perpetrator?"

Another figure, clothed in a purple coat matching their violet hair, drew attention to themselves by clicking audibly with their tongue. Then, they lifted up a tablet on which was a picture of the same silver-haired girl who had done the attack the day prior.

"Known member of WIZARD. She is apparently some high-ranking combatant of theirs- They were likely hired by either the Blades of Yggdrasil or the Children of Yhorgul. None of them have taken responsibility yet."

This statement was followed by quiet talking and whispering between the different figures until the purple-haired one spoke up once more.

"Overseer if I may ask-"

He raised his gloved hand to point at another figure, seated on the very last seat of the table. It was an adult woman with blue hair, covered in what appeared to be a red, stringy substance with multiple yellow pearls interwoven in irregular gaps. The stringy substance covered most of her body and formed root-like outgrows that were sometimes moving around eerily. In response, the orb-like objects appeared to turn and rotate to look directly at the man who was pointing at her.

"The first requires the capture of the fugitive to be an absolute success. So, they've assigned a fixer."

The person at the head of the table replied, the voices appearing to be quite distraught and annoyed at the current situation. Then, everyone's attention was quickly grabbed as a person wearing a brightly colored yellow-black suit with yellow, fiery hair and deep ruby eyes snapped his fingers.

"Burrowing Heaven, huh? Wonderful! I've heard a lot about you. The first must really like you if they send you for this.

He gave a bright, taunting smile to the multi-eyed woman.

"Lucky you that we have just the right unit on the case so maybe your help will not be needed at all. After all, what better way to prove a new unit's capability than taking down such a high-ranking criminal, huh Nevyn?

The yellow-haired man then proceeded to wrap his arm around the shoulder of the blue-haired person sitting next to him in a teasing manner. His victim, the very same person who was visible in the hologram that was sent out to the new recruits, quickly freed himself from the blonde's grasp and then proceeded to adjust his tie before clearing his throat.

"Please call me by my proper codename, Firebird"

He replied with a somewhat annoyed tone.

"Rest assured, Overseer. Unit Delta will take care of it. My new recruits will arrive at the Tower quite soon, actually. In 1 hour and 13 minutes from now, to be exact.

Firebird chuckled before leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed behind his head. In response to Nevyn's statement, the Overseer responded with a more harmonious tone.

"Very well, Orchestrator. Do not disappoint."

Following the Overseer's statement, Nevyn would stand up and give a proper, butler-y bow.

"I will not."

After which he would leave the room, having the eyes of all the other people in the room firmly pointed at his back. Unbeknownst to them, however, Nevyn's lips were giving a confident smile as he walked through the automatic doors.

---

The headquarters of the IXth's Delta division were located on the 42nd floor of the 2nd Pillar's Tower. Although stairs did exist, the easiest way to reach such a high floor was using one of the 5 elevators which connected specifically to this floor, the usage of which was only possible for those authorized to enter this specific floor. Upon leaving one of the elevators, which were all next to one another, one would find themselves in the main area of δ's HQ. It consisted of a spacious room with 8 different desks loaded with multiple monitors where the division's analysts and support staff worked. 4 on each side were lining a central walkway that lead to the main conference and briefing area: A large, circular arrangement of complex-looking computers, monitors, and general state-of-the-art security high-tech. In the center of it all was a large holopad that constantly projected a detailed map of the second Pillar in the air in the center of the room. The same pathway that lead to the main conference area also had a right and a left path. The left pathway would lead through a large automatic door behind which was a long hallway. It connected to the training area, vehicle bay, locker room, crew quarters for when Agents would have to stay at the Tower for a longer period of time, and washrooms. The right path similarly would lead to a large automatic door, behind which was a smaller hallway. It lead to the Commander's office and some other, supporting staff offices.

The doors to the center elevator slid open after a mechanical "Ding!" announced its arrival. Out stepped Nevyn, carefully checking his pristine watch that was tightly wrapped around his left wrist. He made sure it was always precisely on time, manually synching his watch to local time once every day. Punctuality and preparation were the keys to success, he always said.
As the new Commander left the elevator he was quickly greeted by his assistant, Alayna. All of her 3 eyes immediately focused on his face and even the 4 smaller eyes on her facemask appeared to move slightly to look directly at Nevyn. She carefully brushed some of her pale, pink hair out of her face and approached her new boss with a quick but formal bow.

Alayna

"Welcome, Commander. The team is ready and was eagerly awaiting your arrival."

With one hand Alayna motioned behind her to the desks which were all but one occupied by a member of Delta's supporting staff who each either gave a wave, a bow, a smile, or a thumbs up- Whichever they felt was appropriate.

"Thank you, Alayna. I am looking forward to working with you.

The woman's eyes blinked a few times in surprise, all doing so perfectly in synch.

"How do you...?"

Nevyn chuckled as he took a sip from his signature cup of coffee that he had been holding this entire time.

"I've studied your personal file, of course. I have done that for every member of my unit. Those who are here and even those who have yet to arrive. Speaking of which..."

Swiftly he checked his watch with his free hand again. 9:55 A.M, local time.

"The new recruits should arrive soon. I believe they will be guided to the proper elevators by security downstairs. Their faces have already been internalized into our AI."

Alayna was a bit taken aback by all of this. She had spent an extensive amount of time pulling all-nighters preparing a perfect introduction for the new Commander. Yet here he was, prepared as ever. After a bit of quiet protest, she regained her composure.

"W-well, for soon-to-be Agents, the task of finding their way up to our floor should be a piece of cake."

The blue-haired man took another big sip from his cup, emptying the contents in his mouth and savoring the sweet black bitterness of his favorite brew.

"You're correct. If they cannot even manage that, how would they manage the daily work of an Agent after all? Let's just wait and see- I've made it abundantly clear that they may not be late."

After which both Alayna and Nevyn would stand in the middle of the conference area and watch the monitors which were currently showing security camera footage of the entranceway to the Tower.

Delta End

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