The War of Four: An Eagle's Cry

Total Recall! The Echoes of a Bitter Past...
It had only been a few minutes.

As in, a few minutes after our volunteers of the most recent battle and hastily constructed alliance between V-14 and the Soul Reapers were made that they had left. Leaving the majority of the winded and the wounded to take care of their duties and get on with their plans.

Even if things had a silver lining in the whole debacle, things almost took a few wrong turns to a very dark place...especially for the young Soul Reaper Lieutenant and the aledged woman responsible for the catastrophe that slaid tens of thousands of Reapers and Spirit Citizens of the Soul Society.

With each group now parting ways after breaking for a few hours, they turned back to their respectively opposite directions, with V-14 returning to their anonymous HQ in the Soul Society's Rukonagi Districts and the Soul Reaper guarded Caravan headed to Yūrei Ōkoku.

However, Fate, it seems wasn't to leave any spare grace for what was to await a certain young man...a broken, young man...

VVVVVVT! VVVVVT!

The vibrations in Oliver Holmes inner pockets, would detail an incoming and unexpected call to him. One of which would be both sudden and without desire, despite the situation he'd be in. Tidings were not in fair joys to the poor gunslinger, even as they wearily traveled back to HQ. Thankfully, with their Avian Transport with Rika as their pilot, it wouldn't take nearly as long as it would've the long way back on foot, despite the long lecture made by Angelika at the "Failure" of a mission they had. Good news, however, was that they all recieved large checks to the respective members involved in the mission, so it dampened the bad news to a certain degree...

"Oh, what in the fuck..."

At the moment, Oliver wasn't in much of a mood to have his phone going off - especially in his agitated state of mind. They had managed to survive their respective encounters. But even so, the American could not get the nature of what they had faced. Two apparently had the ability to distort time and space. Two more could pry into their heads without so much as a second thought. It was disturbing and infuriating to know that he was being superseded by such dangerous enemies. But what made it worse was that one of them knew more about him than even his leader wouldn't have picked up.

Never before had he felt so... helpless.

So it was natural that he was feeling rather irritable.

He gritted his teeth, reaching into his shirt pocket in order to pull out his own respective phone. The ringing caused Anton to look over in slight surprise from his seating position besides Hyōryu. "Someone calling you?" He questioned rhetorically, cocking a slight eyebrow. "Have to admit, that's a bit new..."

Oliver scowled. "Really. Just when I think I'm not going to be bothered, something has to bother me!" He yanked out his cell-phone, flipped it open, pressed the talk button and raised it to his ear. Had it not been for his current mood, his greeting to the one on the other end of the line would've been humorous.

"Piss off."

"Wow," Hyōryu couldn't help but snicker, noting the upset tone Oliver used in speaking to the incoming caller, "if it happened to be a hot girl for once, Oliver has quickly become the world's biggest asshole upon default just now..."

"2nd Officer Holmes," a terse, eerily familiar voice spoke over the phone, "I suggest you check the ID now. In case you have another greeting you wish to give to your superior officer...."

That was the hammer that shattered through Oliver's bitter mood.

His eyes widened in shock, and he lowered the phone from his ear in order to check the said ID. But considering what he had just heard on the other end, there was no reason to. The voice was as familiar as the very daylight itself. What was showing on the LCD screen confirmed that it wasn't his imagination running away with him.

When he raised it back up to his ear and spoke again, his voice had a smooth and cold edge that would've contested the likes of Yashin and Angelika. "...you have a lot of gall to still call yourself my superior officer. I thought you would've realized that ship sailed long ago. I know it's been years since we've spoken to each other, but surely you can't be going senile already?"

"Watch your mouth, you piece of shit!" The voice spoke with a growling tone of contempt towards the young man whom he was speaking to, "You're lucky I even greet you by phone instead of an armed squad, or you're not being tracked by a Paladin for the horrors of what you've committed that night! The fact I'm calling you, as both a superior officer and an equal, can only mean one thing, and we both know what that is. Don't we?!"

By this time, Oliver had clicked on the speakerphone, allowing the man's voice to escape to the hearing range of his comrades. With the exception of Rika, all of them had turned towards a grinning Oliver as he continued to speak. "Well, truthfully, I haven't the slightest idea. Maybe you've seen the extent of my proficiency for yourself and want to take me back? After all, the casualties I caused were in the hundreds. I mean, that must put me high in the ranking system, right?"

"Don't play coy with me! We both know your record is showing a similar parallel interest to that of that infamous traitor Kenta Sonoda of Yūrei Ōkoku. I don't think I have to remind you of all the blood on your hands from that base you massacered! Do I, 2nd Officer Oliver Holmes of the Royal Aethian Corps?!"

This was something that caught various expressions of surprise from most of the compatriots.

"Wait a minute... you were an Aethian soldier?!" Anton asked in disbelief. The behavior Oliver exhibited was not someone of a disciplined military operator moreso than it was of a freelancer militant. But then again, it would've explained Angelika's reason for hiring him. After all, Aethian soldiers were highly skilled in combat, even by themselves.

"The Aethian Genocide..." Yusuke muttered, his eyes regarding Oliver warily. "It was said that there was an incident in Aether where a base was decimated by one soldier known as the "Black Eagle". Its identity had disappeared off of the map afterwards, and people claimed that the individual had died of wounds sustained during the battle. I... I never would've thought that I'd be seeing that very same person up close...!"

"What?" Oliver smirked smugly, ignoring both of their comments for the moment. "Did you call me to guilt-trip me or something? For the record, I don't regret killing any of them. I mean, who could ever regret hearing those screams as I plugged them full of new orifices? Who could regret leaving that place in flames? All in all, I think that was the greatest day of my entire life."

"That's the Black Eagle?" Shinshin spoke with increduality, as he looked to Asuka and then back at Oliver, "that hot mouthed fool? How would he have survived against an entire batallion of Soul Reapers and armed guards, let alone murder that many people is beyond my speculation..."

"It would explain his parallel interest in killing people up close," Hyōryu said with a grim fascination, as well as a cheeky grin enamoring her face, "I guess that's why he's a lot like me, and I him. Except, I have more balls than he does, and I got myself a gorgeous boyfriend, and I haven't ever seen him go out with a girl...maybe once, and then it was over...like that...no joke."

"You arrogant fool," a sudden counter tone of both grueling hatred and a knowing smugness of his own broke through the phone, "how do you think I got this number?! You're being watched by the Paladinus Decimus as we speak, and I'll have you know...she's not in a very good mood...considering whom she's partnered with today..."

"Frau Hartmann," Shadō spoke in her ear piece, being one of the sole entities to remain off the Dragonbird to keep an eye on things on the ground, "there's some disturbances of an unusual anonymoly to your 11 O'clock and 3 O'clock, nearly a solid kilometer away. Something is watching us, and I can't pinpoint their exact location. Whoever they are, they're good...very good..."

"What?"

"Paladinus Decimus?!"

Both Angelika and Oliver's eyes widened at the new information that reached them, voicing their own respective exclamations. Both of them looked over the edge of the bird in order to sight out the supposed watchers for themselves. Because of their aerial standpoint, they were able to spot both of the entities, with Oliver looking to their 11 o'clock and Angelika looking over to the 3 o'clock.

Sure enough...

There was a man standing on the roof within Oliver's view. He was donned in complete military gear, fit with a black set of combat armor, boots, gloves, and a gas-masked helmet. There was a set of bright blue lens that served as the "eyes" of the mask, staring directly at Oliver. The individual's arms were folded across the chest. All in all, he really didn't look too friendly.

But it was the realization of who he was that caused Oliver's face to pale slightly.

"Paladin Four of the Holy Decimo..." He said, his voice controlled but clearly showing his shock. "Percival Chapman, the "Theta" of the Royal Aethian Corps...!!"

In Angelika's veiw, the Paladinus Decimus stood in a black hooded cloak with various armored scales along its exterior, almost nigh invisible to the eye with the exception of a light pair of pauldrons over it. Barely hidden were her large claymore Seelenbracher sheathed on her back, along with an unual obsidian enamored bow wrapped over her chest and shoulder lines. While barely seen by anyone less of Angelika's considerable eye sight, she had a single silver eye radiating grimace and irritation while her left eye...was seared shut by a black, sorching burn-mark scar from a previous injury.

"Holy F***!" Hyōryu's eyes widened, moving her gaze back and forth from the two entities watching them with apparent bloodlust and predatorial anticipation, "where the F*** did they come from?! How the F*** did we not see 'em coming?! F***!"

"This isn't good," Shinshin voiced the obvious, as he turned his gaze to and fro of the two apparently skilled hunters, voiced now as Paladins, "I've heard only faint rumors of the Holy Decimo...they're supposed to have more collective might than the previous generation of the Gotei 13 Captains and Lieutenants, in every fashion and sense. We shouldn't engage them, with our current wounded to account for..."

"Now do you get it, Ollie-boy?" The superior spoke in a thick, irritated tone of barely restrained contempt in his voice, "it would be a real shame if you were to get your precious little gang killed if you decided to make a run for it. But really, even if you tried to fight, they'd never let your friends leave alive and you'd probably be maimed before being brought here for your trial for the monstrous crimes you've committed, you sonuvabitch!"

Oliver's teeth clenched as he heard the infuriating words spoken. His grip tightened on the cell-phone, and his breaths became audible and expressive of his growing fury. He knew that Shinshin had a point. Even with the number of troops still active, their wounded and exhausted was a weak point that the Paladins could exploit if they didn't get what they want. Once again, they were trapped... and this time, there wasn't a thing any of them could do about it.

He wasn't the only one to loathe the situation.

Anton looked over at it all with an angry expression of his own, a scowl and narrowed eyes prominent on his countenance. It was a lesser degree than his American friend, but it was still clear. He himself had a resentment for any government, and the presence of such enforcers did not suit well with him. "The Aethan Genocide was years ago, wasn't it?" He said disdainfully. "Why in the hell would they bother with Oliver now, of all times?"

"W...what do we do...?" Rika said nervously to Angelika, who kept a contemplative frown on her face. "I can attempt to make an escape... but considering how skilled they are, they could easily bring down the Dragonbird." The last thing she wanted was a weapon pointed in her face, especially after what had happened with Shidai.

However, Angelika did not respond immediately - something that slightly unnerved the pilot even more.

"Angelika-san...?"

"Oliver."

The German directed her tone towards Oliver, earning his surprise. Slowly, she allowed herself to turn towards him, extending an expectant hand out towards him. "Hand me your weapons." She said, a cold edge lacing her voice. "Once Nakamura lands the bird, consider yourself excused from my organization."

It was the most chilling statement he would ever hear her say. His eyes widened in shock, his anger quickly receding.

"W-what?!"

"What the Hell did you just say, boss?!" Hyōryu shouted in surprise and borderline horror, suddenly showing her support for the condemned man riding with them, "are you seriously going to go through with this?! Throw Ollie to the wolves?! I may think he's a bastard, but he's OUR bastard!"

"She's making the best tactical decision," Shinshin nodded with grim admittance, looking over at the slumped, unconscious form of Shinji and the others, "with our Soul Reaper allies nowhere close to even rush to our aid and all of us completely outclassed by these military marvels, this is a politically delicate situation.' Protecting Mister Holmes with us could potentially complicate our legality and alliance with the Gotei 13. Not to mention Aether would probably get on our trail and make us their new Most Wanted. Preserving the organization comes first before Mister Holmes safety, no matter the situation, that's the way it should be..."

"W-wait a minute..."

Anton was not so quick to agree with Shinshin. He spread his hands out defensively, trying to get Angelika to reconsider her decision. "This is a friend we're talking about here, a comrade. You can't just cast him out into the hands of prosecution just like that--"

However, he regretted saying anything when Angelika whipped her head around, giving an ice-cold glare to both him and Hyōryū. "This isn't up for debate." She said lowly. "When I want the opinion from my subordinates... I will let you know. Do you understand?"

"...yes, boss..." After a moment of silence, Anton breathed out a heavy sigh and spoke his words of relent. He lowered his hands back to his lap, resuming his silence. He didn't even waver when he felt the Dragonbird descend downward - something due to Rika understanding the subtle order given.

"...so this is really it?" Oliver narrowed his eyes, glaring at Angelika. "You're really just going to sell me out, just like that? Discard me like a piece of trash, just like you did with Heigo? That's what's gonna go down right now?"

Angelika remained silent, returning his stare with an impassive one. But the words didn't need to be said, and Oliver understood the silence correctly. He lowered his head, taking a deep breath and reaching into his holsters to grasp the grips of his twin pistols.

"Should've seen this coming miles away. You really are no better than Yashin..."

Pulling out both of them, he tossed them towards Angelika. In turn, she caught them out of the air and placed them on her lap. "Once you're finished talking to your friend..." She said calmly. "I'll be needing the phone, too."

"Whatever..."

"This is ****ing Bullshit, I tell you," Hyōryū muttered as she turned her face away from Angelika, placing her head against Anton's shoulder, wrapping her arms in a empathetic gesture as she couldn't help but feel her lips quiver. She had never felt this way about Oliver...but the thought of losing him, made her heart begin to break in two.

"I'm getting the sense your comrades are seeing reason, Mr. Holmes?" The voice on the other line sounded expectant and less irritated, no doubt the onlooking Paladins reported their actions and the descent as a means of resignation rather than retaliation.

CLICK!

"Fuck you." Oliver said bitterly, abruptly silencing the connection with a click of the button. He didn't want to give his former superior the satisfaction of gloating in his face. It was something that he would probably do at the trial, but at least he would delay it as long as possible.

He tossed it to Angelika, who once again deftly caught it just before the bird descended to a safe landing zone. He turned away, preparing to stand up and get off when the wings folded back. He passed a look over to Hyōryū and Anton, with the latter looking over at him solemnly while having an arm wrapped around the female's shoulders. As much as he wanted to say something to reassure them, he couldn't find the right words. So he simply remained silent, waiting for the two Paladins to come and get him.

And sure enough...

With a WOOSH!, Percival appeared before them. In his hands was what looked like a scoped rifle, and he had it aimed towards Oliver with what looked like the intention of firing when he came close. However, he was quick to lower it, looking over his shoulder and taking a hand off of his rifle to motion his partner to his side.

SHFT!

"Oliver Holmes," Rosalina Seraphim, appearing within a flash of near blinding movement next to Percival, spoke in a still, dauntless tone as she appeared before Oliver with no weapon drawn, though both were within easy retrieval as they were strapped over her shoulders, "due to the nature of the...severity...of your trial, we are to take you the rest of the way. Our form of transportation is only a couple kilometers from here, in the event you or your comrades intended to be...difficult."

"What am I supposed to do? Punch you?" Oliver snapped, slowly standing up and lowering himself off of the Dragonbird. His feet landed with a heavy thud. "All my weapons are gone now, courtesy of my former boss. What could I possibly do to you?"

"For one..." That was when the male spoke up with a distorted and rather inhuman voice. But one could easily recognize the irritation behind the words spoken. He stepped forward, the bright blue of his lens glaring into Oliver's eyes. "You can keep running that mouth of yours and risk being snapped in two. Our commanders gave us the order to take you in alive. But they didn't say whether or not you had to be taken back intact. So it'd be wise to keep your mouth shut and your lip kept to yourself, lest you want . Got that, prisoner?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Oliver rolled his eyes. "I promise to be a good boy and keep quiet. Honest."

"Oh you will," the cloaked Paladin spoke, before producing a dark sack object from the folds of her uniform, "but you aren't going to be comfortable. This isn't procedure, but this is mine. Put this over your head and keep still as I carry you. Or," She nodded over to the said masked Paladin, "my associate will incapacitate you painfully and carry you himself. Your choice."

For a moment, Oliver stared at her in silence.

Then, he turned towards Percival with four words.

"Please knock me out."

He didn't need to say it twice.

WHAM!

The butt of his rifle slammed into his skull with what as might have been the force of a sledgehammer. Oliver sank like a stone in water, his body dropping lifelessly to the ground. The sight of it made both Rika and Yusuke wince in pain, and the sound of the rifle clashing against bone sent a chill down their spines. Sure, Yusuke was used to killing, but he never enjoyed hearing such sounds of weapons interacting with flesh.

Holstering his rifle, Percival bent over and hefted Oliver horizontally over his shoulders, each of his hands having an arm an a leg within their grasp. "You shouldn't have given him a choice..." He muttered to his compatriot. "The Royal Aethian Corps have always regarded this defector as one of the most rebellious types. You can't deal with them in any other way other than through disciplinary action."

Anton gritted his teeth, wanting to cut the man's throat for blatantly talking about Oliver right in front of the V-14 in such a manner. But he knew that he would just be risking the rest of them with his actions. So, for their sake, he remained silent and looked on.

Rosalina just closed her eye in acknowledgement to the man's choice, putting back the bag into her cloak, before turning in a swift 180 degree, not commenting on the man's choice of slightly insulting words, "Let's go. You can talk to the others about your problem with ethics and freedoms there, I just want to finish this degrading mission."

"I wanna kill 'em, I wanna kill 'em, I wanna kill 'em..." Hyōryū began to whisper in a murderous, low tone that only Anton could hear, her eyes wide with tears rolling down her face and a murderous grind of her molars could be faintly heard.

"You think your associate will allow this?" Shinshin spoke to Asuka and Angelika pointedly, seeing that the two Paladins were going to carry the man that was formerly their comrade by foot, suggesting they're as physically adept as they appear, "Shou Yoshizawa, I mean. From what I understand, they had a strong bond of comradery and if he hears about this..."

"He will do nothing." Angelika said bluntly. "He knows when he's going out of line and when he's not. Unless I give the order to, he will not move an inch out of my jurisdiction."

The only one who seemed to be unaffected by any of it was Asuka. She had her back turned to the rest of them, her hands folded within her lap and her head hung down. Her eyes were closed, and it appeared as if she was asleep. However, she was doing nothing but meditating, currently in a deep trance. It was one of the many requirements in order to keep the nervous system steady and stable. Although she wasn't speaking with any of them, she would be able to hear all of what had transpired.

Percival swiftly allowed himself to turn away from the group, the sound of his feet grinding against the dirt serving as the signal for Rosalina to lead the way.

SHFT!

Within a single blur of motion, Rosalina disappeared utilizing a Flash Step, leading the way for her companion who bore the load of their acquired objective and began heading off to their chosen transports. Leaving V-14 alone and by themselves to ponder the life changing decision they had just made. Oliver Holmes has been taken, and they won't raise a finger to save him...

There was a momentary silence, one who no one dared to break.

That is, until Angelika opened her eye back up and stared at her group. And when she spoke...

"V-14... be prepared to move out first thing in the morning to Aether. We're going on a rescue mission."

...the majority of her heads turned towards her, faces expressing complete shock and surprise at the change into her tone. It was a complete change from what she had relayed to both them and the Paladins a while back. Gone was the cold and ruthless edge, replaced by a commanding but assuring tone that dominated both voice and her expression.

"...are you sure that's wise?" Asuka cracked open an eye to look over at her former student. "Such a move would be considered an invasion of territory, and considering our stance with the Gotei 13, it would probably disrupt the alliance we have. Are you sure you want to risk making the Soul Society our enemies again for the sake of one person?"

"I could care less about the alliance." Angelika answered firmly. "Do you think I'm the one who would just step back and let genetic test tube experiments do whatever they please with one of my best soldiers? I already have the Inner Circle attempt to make me their bitch. I'll be damned if Aether thinks it's going to do the same."

"Hell yeah!" Hyōryū pumped her fist into the air, before pointing in Oliver's direction, "Oliver's my bitch, and he's going to stay that way! No one takes my nut cracker and gets away with it!"

"If we're going to go against Aether, we'll need all the help we can get," Shinshin spoke in a reserved tone, looking towards Asuka, "I think we should call Zaii and any others that are attending the base. If we're going to be potentially stuck going to war with the largest military in the Spiritual Realms, we're going to need every contingency plan available to us in the event the Holy Decimo adds us to their Bingo Book along with the Royal Aethian Corps."

"Of course." Asuka said coolly, closing her eye again.

"We may not have to go to war... that is, if we pull this off correctly." Angelika commented, turning her head towards Rika. "Get this bird in the air, Nakamura. What are you waiting for?"

"Oh--!!" That seemed to startle the girl back into her senses. "M-my apologies, Angelika-san..." Quickly, she turned forward, gave a few clicks of the tongue, and got the bird to ascend into the skies once more.

Angelika herself turned back towards the group in order to continue to explain. "Based from what we saw out of the Paladins..." She began. "It is most likely that they'll possess high security. The last thing we want is direct confrontation with any of these Paladin characters. So this will be strictly a stealth infiltration mission. That means all air support will be able to do is insertion and extraction. So we'll have to stick together as a team at all times." She momentarily turned her head towards Rika. "Understand that, Nakamura?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Rika gave a nod to signal.

"Shit..." Anton gave a weary stare at Angelika, the frown of disapproval clear. "No offense, boss, but you were really starting to scare me. I get that was nothing more than a means to fool the Paladins from sensing any deception, but you almost had us, too! Besides... now Oliver thinks you really expunged him from the V-14!"

"That was the idea." Angelika said simply, causing his eyes to widen in surprise.

"Wha--?"

"There's always the event that we won't get to him in time. Maybe it'll be due to outside conditions or our misconception of the potential time we have. In that event, I made sure to leave our newfound friends one last trick. Now that Holmes has assumed that we've betrayed him, there'll be nothing stopping that old psyche from rising to the surface."

Slowly, a smile crossed her face - one that conveyed nothing but a malevolent satisfaction.

"I think Aether's going to have fun reuniting with its "Black Eagle", don't you think?"

"Somehow that doesn't sound like a good thing," Shadō spoke aloud, appearing out of the shadows of Oliver's former seat, crossing his arms nonchalantly, "but it may be interesting to spectate."

"Stupid stealth missions again," Hyōryū spoke with a sour note, before snickering, "but I hope it turns out like that mission in the Rukon outskirts. That mission was a blast, hehehehehe!"

Shinshin could only assume a meditation stance of his own as the bird began to take off, flying with haste and purpose towards Aether. Having never personally traveled to Aether, he could only imagine what awaited them there. For whatever reason...he could smell blood in the wind...

Oliver's Trial! The Black Eagle's Last Stand...?
SMASH-SMASH-SMASH!

"ORDER! WE SHALL HAVE ORDER!" The Noble Judge smashed his hammer against the pedestal, creating reverberating echoes that grated on the outrcries of the attending crowd, which had become packed beyond belief. And who could blame them? This is to be one of the biggest trials of their era, as the infamous Black Eagle had been found through various anonymous sources and tips before tracking him wandering the wilderness, surrendering arms when realizing he was outmatched by the Holy Decimo's might, or so it was told that way...

With a British-accented courtroom, much more appealing to the 18th century decor, with instead of 46 random anonymous judges were actually made up from the Noble Families that held the popular power throughout Aether itself and its various territories it covers. The only difference, was that none of the judges had white fluffy wigs nor all had thick british accents, but rather a culmination of several Midwestern to European cultures involved in their attire as well as their nationality.

Oliver was held up in a podium, bound in durable chains comprised of Kidō-based materials rather than Sekisekki as the latter material would not be needed for someone with such little Spiritual Power. Surrounding him were a number of high ranking volunteer guards, made up of the Eleventh Corps, otherly known as the Prime Cohort, were the Elite and renowned professionals among the Corps. Should Oliver even twitch, they were given orders to have no discretion and maim his body.

After the outcries died down, the Center and Highest seated Judge rose to his personal stone carved balcony with each of his opposing flanks composing of slightly elevated podiums holding at least four or five other Noble Judges, each of them assuming various stances for various reasons.

The Highest Ranked Judge, Judge Stronghelm, spoke in a deep revered tone towards the convicted, "Do you foreswear to uphold the best behavior that is expected of an Aethian citizen within these revered and hallowed courts as we take these proceedings? If you do not, we will grant you the right to be silent, and we shall start and end the trial without need of your words or defense to be voiced."

It was as if they were expecting Oliver to defend himself.

Within his chains, he stared ahead of him with blank and seemingly weary eyes. The bangs underneath them conveyed the visage of a jaded man, and the chains made it seem like he was more frail than anything else. As of his position, he had plenty of reason to feel miserable. His leader had callously dumped him into the hands of his enemies and dismissed him. It was a perfect message of just how valuable he really was to V-14.

Unable to bring a fire to the courtroom, he brought a subdued and controlled voice instead. "What is there to defend? I have no reason to defend myself. I'm the Black Eagle, the one who massacred an entire base and is responsible for the lives of hundreds of soldiers. The Royal Aethian Corps knows my face, the Paladins know my face, and so does everyone else. As far as I'm concerned, this trial is nothing but bullshit to make yourselves look democratic."

"Watch your tone, Holmes!" One of the lower aligned Judges, Judge Corsair, pointing his finger with a angry vehement tone in his voice, "we are not monsters or anarchists like you! We do things in a much more civilized manner, and you will abide by our La-"

"You're wasting your time, Judge Corsair," one of the higher aligned Judges, Judge Dorado, spoke with a bemusing tone as he looked down upon Oliver, "if he truly is the Black Eagle, he will not and shall not abide by the Law that we've strived so hard in laying down. Might as well give him his sentencing now and be done with it-"

"Don't interrupt me like a fool, Judge Dorado!" The other Judge snapped back with venom, now yelling back at the other Judge, "you're in no position to speak of Laying down the Law, when your own House was responsible for the near destruction of this great Society!"

"How dare you accuse House Dorado of being associated with that mad, rabid dog-!"

SMASH-SMASH-SMASH!

"ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU!" Judge Stronghelm smashed his hammer harder this time, his voice bellowing and commanding, with enough ice through his tone to thoroughly end the petty argument between his fellow colleagues. Turning back to Oliver, he cleared his throat before speaking in his favored, revered tone, "with that said, Mr. Holmes, I will begin to read you your crimes so that this Court, its Jury, and its witnesses here shall be clear for what you are being sentenced for..."

Judge Stronghelm then looked at a sheet of paper in front of him, putting on glasses to read them off, as he continued to speak in said tone:

"7 Counts of Resisting Arrest, 17 Counts of Sabatoge to Aethian Military Property, 26 Counts of Destruction to Military Property, 347 Counts of 1st Degree Murder, 7 Counts of 2nd Degree Murder, One Count of 3rd Degree Murder in regards to one Genesis Holmes, and One Count of High Treason to the Royal Aethian Corps whom serves the Sovereign National Society of Aether," Judge Stronghelm then looked to Oliver, still intending to keeping things official as he spoke, "any last words may the accused speak to this Revered Noble Court?"

"Granting me my last words?" Oliver asked rhetorically. "You're too kind."

He slowly turned his head, his eyes meeting each and every one within the courtroom. "The Black Eagle wasn't some highly trained assassin or some powerful super soldier that had some militant reason to destroy Aethan HQ. He was an entity born from madness, and that madness was born from the nest of the Royal Aether Corps. They made me the killer I am, they gave me the skills needed to slay each and every one of that weak bunch you call an army. So the next time you claim how much of a monster I am or how great this society is... know that you were the ones that allowed me to exist in the first place. Know that there are and will be plenty more of me among you. I'll see you in Hell."

SMASH!

"Oliver Holmes! You are hereby sentenced to death for your crimes against your King, your Country, and your Comrades! Method of execution will be public hanging, as is custom to all who bear the shame of being a traitor and a murderer! Court is now adjourned!" Judge Stronghelm spoke aloud in a bellowing, condemning tone. As he finished, the Judges rised and began to leave through their individual exits from which were carved archways while leaving Oliver to be escorted publically to prison, before he awaits the time for his execution.

"I'm being hanged."

The ghost of a smile came across Oliver's face as he heard the words.

Hanging. It was one of the most universal and widely known methods for execution. The noose which could hold anyone's neck was a symbol of death within itself, used widely for both intimidation purposes and a signal for someone's approaching demise. To die in such a manner might as well have been an honor for him, as dying in battle was the honorable way to end a soldier's life. Any other method would have been insulting. It was the way it had to be.

"I never did have a chance to say anything before you went ahead of me, did I?"

He waited patiently for his guards to escort him to his personal cell, eyes closed and head hung down.

"Hang on, Allison. I'll be with you soon..."

The guards formed a box formation, escorting him as well as protecting him from any potential violence the crowd might have on him before his sentence can be carried out. Leaving the Courthouse was already a trying task, as a number of the audience shouted and snarled at him, almost anxious to see him dead and be done with the likes of him. Others, mostly women and children, tried to keep away at a safe distance in the event the Black Eagle sprung actual wings and began to devour anything in hsi path.

The large lines that were awaiting Oliver and his escort outside, were no less violent or anxious with an entire row of Prime Cohort troops dividing the crowd from the escorting prisoner. While it became impossible to be kept from being hit by the occasional rotten food or drink thrown by the average citizen, the Cohort made sure to dissuade any attempt of attacking the traversing convict.

Meanwhile, on one of the highest points of noticing near the courthouse was the elevated Victoria Cathedral, based to the Paladin Order that served the Royal Aethian Corps. Looking down from one of the arched stone balconies, Rosalina watched the passing escort with feigned interest as she watched her prior assignment be lured to his cage before awaiting his execution.

"Enjoying the view?"

The distinct voice of a male spoke behind her, and the figure of the source moved from the shadows of the inside to stand beside her.

It was not that of the one who had accompanied her for Oliver's arrest. Instead, she would be greeted by a Caucasian man with silver hair that was somewhat wild, a black scarf around the neck, a purple coat overshadowing a white and plaid shirt, purple pants, and what appeared to be black shoes. He looked over at her with a slight curiosity, folding his arms across his chest.

"Can't," she spoke barely without turning her face to give him a feigned sideglance, nodding towards him with her scarred eye towards him, "not without this eye. I'm merely observing the area for any potential hostiles that might utilize the chance of such an open space to rescue the accused."

"Your diligence is admirable." The man remarked, leaning over the balcony in order to take a look for himself. "Though, I personally hold doubt about the necessity of you even being here. Considering the security is held together in a tight and secure fashion as well as the very presence of us... well, I am unsure that anyone would dare to preserve this man's life."

"V-14 is plotting something," she spoke with assurance in her voice, though it was subtle at best, as her stoic gaze matched the fluid tranquility in her voice, "you could tell that they held a deep bond with him without even looking at them. I could hear their leader's heartbeat dance irregularly for a few moments when they were descending and I could see a few telltale signs from where I was standing. She's not aiming to sell him out...or at least, not that he knows it."

That sent her companion into silence, and he took to looking down at the man in question. As he peered down and squinted his eyes, he could see nothing than a weary and defeated look. All of them had claimed that he was the Black Eagle, the murderer and destroyer. But all he seemed to see was a broken soldier, a veteran who had come back with a burden on his shoulders. It was somewhat disturbing when you took into account the crowd's anger and fury against him.

"Now that you bring that up, it could be a primary concern..." He murmured, turning his gaze back to Rosalina. "Have you taken the liberty of alerting our associates of the possible predicament of their interference?"

"Yes, she did," the voice of a familiar comrade spoke, walking in behind the both of them, unsurprising to Rosalina whom merely acknowledged her presence with a backwards nod, "Rosalina has a keen sense when things could go awry. If we are to put our faith in anyone's gut of my Paladin brothers or sisters, its her, Simon."

"Ah!" The said Simon's eyes widened in surprise, and he instinctively turned towards the sound of the voice. "Master Saras!" Quickly, he recomposed himself, placing a hand on his chest and giving a short but respectful bow. "Please forgive me, I did not mean to speak any ill or lack of faith within my compatriots..."

He had plenty of reason to watch himself while around the woman that had come in. Her name was Aesa Saras, Paladin I of the Holy Decimo - the name of the group they were all in. Although other members would consider her as nothing more than an associate, he regarded her as their impromptu commander-in-chief. She was also one of the most respected and feared out of their organization, considering her status as well as the way she carried herself while on-duty.

No one sane would want to incur her wrath...

"Its alright, Simon, relax," Aesa allowed her impassive stance and stare to soften into a empathetic smile, placing a hand on his left shoulder with a light grip in emphasis, "she only does so because of the importance of who is being executed. Its understandable if it was a fool's errand or if his comrades wouldn't reach him in time. That's why they didn't give him any hope, you see, of rescue," she walked over past Simon, before looking out towards the escorted man's progress, "however, there is another reason why I'm keeping us on our toes..."

"Hm?"

After allowing himself to relax, Simon turned himself around with Aesa with a slightly quirked eyebrow. "And that would be...?" He inquired.

"The Blood Coat is on the move," she spoke in an ominous, almost dreading tone, as she explained, "it wasn't but two days before we got the tip on the Black Eagle. Paladin XVII was on patrol near the outskirts near here, in the Capital City. However, her and her unit found a strange unknown anonymoly near one of the abandoned building alleyways. It happened so fast but...he...it..." Aesa spoke with grief, clogging her throat keeping her from revealing the gruesome details as she bowed her head in reverence, covering her face with one of her hands.

Much to her chagrin, Rosalina filled in Simon with a turn of her head, showing him her steely, dispassionate gaze, "Paladin XVII was disembowled before her head was snapped off in a counterclockwise fashion. Her men were brutally crushed and torn apart in similar effects, covering their remains thickly in their blood, his most prized MO."

"Disem...boweled?" As he repeated the word, Simon's eyes dilated and the expression of slight horror was clear. "And decapitated?" After a moment of regarding Rosalina, he clenched his teeth and turned away. His face changed to a look of disgust and resentment of what he had just heard. "Typical." He growled, shaking his head. "The murder isn't a murder unless it's made as gruesome as possible. If there was a worse psychopath than the one we have in custody, it would have to be that man!"

He quickly shifted his tone to a lighter one once he raised his head up to see Aesa. In return for the gesture that she had given him, he raised a hand up and placed it onto her shoulder sympathetically. "Rest assured, this will not go unanswered. The Blood Coat may have evaded our watchful eyes, but he cannot run forever. We will bring him to justice, whatever it takes."

"I know," Aesa spoke in a low, menacing tone that voiced the true underlying wrath hidden under her composed tone and stance, sliding her hand off her face to show shining, eery silver eyes, staring off into the distance for emphasis, "he will pay. Just as all scum of the earth, they will pay. Whether its by my fist or my blade, I will crush them all. And if I cannot do it, my brothers and sisters will!"

"If we could only find him," Rosalina spoke with a impassive tone despite the severity of the news, "the man is akin to a wraith. He's whispered, even within the Prime Cohort, as a nightmare that sings an eery tune, signaling your demise before you drown on your own blood. At least, that's what's rumored anyways..."

"Rumors and whispers are not enough to intimidate the likes of us." Simon furrowed his eyebrows as he took his hand off of Aesa's shoulder. He directed his gaze to the horizon, walking over towards the balcony and allowing himself to lean on it once again. "All this murder has done is made us more alert of his presence. The next time he strikes, all will know before he has time to sink his teeth into our flesh."

"I'm going to attempt to contact our fellow brothers and sisters of the Holy Decimo," Aesa spoke as she turned on her heels, moving back into their headquarters, using the form of a place of holiness into a headquarters of the most terrifying Black Ops Commando unit in all of Aether, "we're currently only five strong in the Capital, with only twenty seven Paladins guarding the Palace, the Royal Aethian Fortress, the Noble Court, and the Prison, we're taxed at capacity, even with us five watching from Vitoria Cathedral."

"We have nearly five Knight Captains here in the Capital at all times, with nearly seven Knight Lieutenants working also at all times," Rosalina spoke with a lax, impassive tone as she continued to monitor the area in her sight with the convicted still being escorted towards the prison down the cobblestone road, "we also should be expecting our Knight Commander to observe the execution personally, even if from a distance. It will be unlikely the Black Eagle will escape his demise, but we might have potential casualties from the failed attempts..."

"I will descend to the ground level and keep watch on security stability." Simon said calmly. "Now that the Blood Coat has made himself known once more, it is unwise to let down one's guard at any time." Folding his arms across his chest, he turned away from the balcony and moved to follow Aesa. "I shall see you another time, Rosalina."

Rosalina impassively locked her eye on Simon as he retreated back into the sanctuary, before turning her gaze back at the crowd. Something amiss came to her attention, but she immediately knew it was an isolated threat, completely uninvolving the main threats she was looking for. With a hand reaching back to grasp the rare and unique black staff, she unholstered it in a fluid movement, sifting blue-black Spritiual Energy into it, causing it to take the form of a dark, glowing bow blue kanji symbols running up and down the shaft.

With a single hand, she raised her bow towards the crowd, before forming what appeared to be thin, condensed spiritrons to form the bow's "thread" before condensing a glowing white arrow appeared above her aiming finger, pulling the "string" back past her cheek, her right eye narrowing at the target.

With a sudden release of the arrow, she spoke, "Verzehren," before releasing the projectile and string...

THWACK!

SHEOOOOOOOOW-SHOOP!!!

...sending the dark, contorting arrow directly towards a single, rage-filled civilian who was holding a weapon partially concealed in his coat. What Oliver would see, or rather hear, would be the slight startled scream of the man before a shadow formed from the man's insides pulled on his insides and made his entire being implode, causing a few gasps of shock and screams, sending a good deal of the proximate crowd running from the sudden disturbance.

"You may see me, Simon," she spoke to herself, lowering her bow down as she impassively stared down towards Oliver with near perfect clarity, "but they never see me..."

Inflitration Immininent! The Plan for Rescue Unfolds!
"Are you done in there, Angel-chan? Come on!"

"...do I really have to wear this?"

"Oh, don't be such a baby! You're acting like I'm making you wear a maid outfit or something!"

"This might as well be the equal of it."

"Besides, you said yourself that we needed to not look so familiar, and thus a change of clothing style had to be made. I went through so much trouble of picking out that outfit for you!"

It was a rather humorous scene back at the V-14 HQ.

Asuka was standing in front of what appeared to be a dressing room, her arms folded across her chest and her foot tapping against the floor in a somewhat impatient manner. Instead of the standard kimono, she had switched to a less feminine attire. Her new clothing consisted of what looked like a blue and sleeved tunic, black wrappings that fit around the entirety of each arm, a white sash around the waist, and black pants. Compared to her kimono-style attire, she looked more... lanky.

"C'mon, Angel..." Asuka complained. "I know we're early, but I told the others that we'd only be a few minutes! By now, they're probably going to send someone up and complain!"

"Is there a problem, Asuka-dono?" Shito came up next to the second commander of the operation, with Shinshin flanking him. Shito already took the liberty of wearing a dutchman's hat to cover his obvious scar overlapping his forehead and skull. Along with a ruffles white sailor's shirt that was unbuttoned three to the top which gave a hint of his well developed physique that was already showing somewhat from the belt tight jeans and shirt itself. He even wore sailor black boots with brass buckles, "is Angelika still not finding a suitable attire?"

Shinshin on the other hand was silent. His attire made himself appear more like a medieval witch doctor with his long hair draping down his back and shoulders, with a black flat-top hat and the protruding white mask he utilized to make himself out to be a old-time doctor. Only difference being is that his sword was kept in a very large carrying case which he held with no difficulty.

Asuka sighed heavily. "Yes, she's found something. But she's being fussy about it!" She said. "I've tried to convince her that she won't look bad in it, but she just won't budge!"

"Should I enter and give her a second opinion?" Shito asked with an honest query, placing a hand on his chest while locking his eyes with Asuka's. Apparently, he did not fully understanding the ramifications on walking in while a lady was dressing.

"I--"

Asuka immediately stopped herself, falling into silence for a moment. She immediately stopped herself from giving him a look that made it seem like he had two heads. A smile came across her face, and she gave him an encouraging smile and nod. "On second thought..." She said, her tone carrying nothing but innocence. "I think that's a good idea. Go in there and check on her, would you?"

"Alright," Shito smiled with a nod, walking past Angelika to her dressing room door, and knocked a few times, "Miss Hartmann! For the sake of expeditiousness I am going to assist you in giving you a second opinion. I promise not to look at your person below the neckline in the event you aren't dressed, as well as give you an honest opinion on your chosen attire. I'm coming in now," he spoke aloud in the most gentleman manner he could, before opening her dressing room door and quickly shuffled in before closing it behind himself.

"This isn't going to end well," Shinshin thought silently, as he could only observe a man willingly approach his surrogate sister's door and could potentially see her exposed skin. If anything, if Shito ended up doing something untowardly to her...if he survived Angelika's wrath for any reason...HE would be the one to make him regret any disgusting thing he did to her.

There was a few moments of silence. Asuka held a hand to her mouth, for she could already see Angelika giving Shito a death glare as soon as he stepped into the room. She almost fell sorry for the boy and his apparent obliviousness. "And the fireworks should be coming right... about..."

Click.

First the cocking of what could only be Angelika's gold-plated HCA-50 pistol. Then...

''BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!''

Gunshots followed shortly afterwards, a few of them piercing the door.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!" Shito shouted in horrified alarm, the door comically opens with Shito clinging to the door with one hand while an inverted position with opposite. A neat outline of bullets carved his figure in the door, making a comical appearance for Asuka.

"You did just walk in on a woman dressing, you know this, right?" Shinshin asked in a very dry manner, clearly irritated Shito walked in dumbly into not only their leader's dressing room, but his surrogate sister's dressing room.

"Well Asuka-dono didn't tell me that Ms Hartmann would try to kill me! Why would she send me?!-" Then, with sudden, horrified exclamation, Shito turned his gaze with shock at Asuka, "why are you trying to kill me?! What ever have I done to you?!"

The response to this?

"Hahahahahaha~!!"

Asuka was now holding her stomach and bent over with shameless laughter. All of her sympathy for the man had now vanished, replaced by mirth at his misfortune. She could barely bring herself to speak a response to the shaken-up Shito. "I...I had no idea you were clueless about dressing room etiquette, dear!" She exclaimed. "That should've been greatly obvious! You don't just walk into a room when you're a guy and there's a female changing on the other side!"

She looked over at the now open door to see Angelika angrily place on the top half to what would've been her new outfit, turning herself around to give an annoyed glare at both her and Shito. "You are very lucky I had my lower extremities covered already, Herr Shito. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered to actually miss you."

Compared to her common attire, this had a much more feminine feel to it in contrast to Asuka's. She wore an olive green and plain kimono that was covered by what appeared to be a dark green haori. It was combination of elegance and a look that made her seem like a poor, homeless woman. She had one hand on her hip, a slight blush over her face.

As she approached, Asuka slowed her laughter down. "Oh, you really were being picky!" She chided. "You look great!"

"I look like some sort of hobo..." Angelika muttered, spreading her arms out and letting the sleeves fall back over her forearms. "And this kimono alone shows off too much of my leg."

"It does not! It's no different from my kimono. You are fretting over nothing, honestly..."

Shito's jaw dropped and felt himself comically freeze at the realization. He had entirely intended on being a gentleman in helping a lady, and he ended up looking like a perverted scoundrel. Falling to the ground with a thud, he whimpered at his assumed foul play, "I'm...always...failing..."

"You look quite stunning, actually," Shinshin cleared his throat, trying his best to smile while not looking at her legs, causing his cheeks to sport a rare flush of crimson.

Asuka bent her knees to lower herself beside the fallen Shito, reaching over to place a hand on his shoulder. She gave a cheery smile. "You just didn't know any better, that's all..." She was quick to get back up, directing her gaze over towards Angelika. "Hear that, Angel-chan? When you hear a compliment like that from a guy, you just can't look that bad, can you?"

"W-well..." Now it was Angelika's turn to look somewhat flustered, a faint blush spreading over her face. "I suppose so... thank you for reassuring me, Herr Fūten. I can only hope I'll get positive reception from the rest of them..." With that being said, she placed her hands on her hips and started walking away from them to begin the walk downstairs. "Come on. The others are waiting."

Shito sighed, sweatdropping in embarassment as he got up to his feet before acknowledging Asuka as he followed, "Sorry...I never really knew it wasn't polite to enter dressing rooms. I've never heard of people using them often enough to hear the courteousy involving them..."

Shinshin stayed silent, as he regressed back into impassivity to forget his own bit of shyness, walking down the hall after Angelika, more than welcome by entering after Angelika to meet the whole gang in the debriefing room.

The briefing room wasn't some overly done place like the Sect's, mind you. It had a walls/ceiling combination of a light blue color and a carpeted floor of brown. There was a large table in the center of the moderately big room with enough chairs to seat just about everyone within. There was a large TV-like monitor hooked to the wall opposite of the door and a computer terminal right beside it sitting on a desk. Although it could easily be described as a rather casual visage, it was still very clear that this was solely meant for business.

"...so you're telling me that this chick took on one of these guys? One on one?" Anton was asking Shou, in slight disbelief.

Shou nodded. "He was extremely intoxicated, from what she told us." He explained, his hands folded on the table as he looked at his "audience". "Even then, he still put up quite the fight against her. She managed to defeat him, but ended up sparing him afterwards. So yes, there are ways to subdue such powerful enemies despite being potentially lacking in the stopping power necessary to contend with them."

"Guess regular troops weren't enough for Dad, huh..?" Genesis muttered quietly from a seat, underneath her breath.

Or at least, she tried to.

"Uh, what?" Apparently, Anton had heard it, as he quirked and eyebrow and leveled a slightly surprised gaze in her direction. "What was that you just said, Gene?"

"Huh?" Genesis's head abruptly snapped up. "I didn't say anything."

"No, I swore you just said--"

"Ahem."

Thankfully, Genesis was saved from explaining herself when Angelika cleared her throat to make herself known. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything..." She said calmly, walking into the table with the rest of her compatriots in tow.

"No, not at all, though some of us don't know when they're really talking or not!" Hyōryū spoke in an annoyed tone, being the most proximate nearest to Anton and being between Genesis and her boyfriend, sideglance glaring at the said Daitenshi girl. Her attire looked that of a biker punk girl, with studded black leather jacket with a sleeveless muscle shirt underneath and worn, weathered jeans to go along nicely with her stained leather brown shoes. Her guns were clearly concealed in her jacket rather than the usual shoulder holsters.

"Actually we're being told what was spoken of an actual battle between one of your Sect buddies against a Paladin, though we're not certain what Rank or Skill he possessed, as he was plainly told by your associate, Shou-san, incredibly intoxicated," Zaii spoke with great interest, for once not donning his mega-large sword but rather just assuming a more "tucked-in" appearance of his usual Gi outfit, making himself out to be more of a touring martial artist than a ingenious swordsman of incredible Spiritual Power. He was seated only a couple seats perpindicular and on the end from Shou's placement.

"As informative as that would be, Shou," Angelika remarked, stepping into the room and allowing the ones following to enter. "I doubt that any of the Paladins would dare allow themselves to be caught under the influence at a time like this. Especially considering that they have the likes of the Black Eagle in their clutches. They'll be more alert, coordinated, and one of the more dangerous threats that we'll be dealing with during our infiltration."

"Is everyone here?" Asuka questioned, looking over the occupants within the room.

"Just about," Mōka spoke aloud, walking over to meet Angelika and Asuka, lightly remarking visibly with a smile at their new attire before nodding her head back, "Yusuke and that Lieutenant chick are patching up Shinji in one of the medical rooms. Don't know what he did, but he's shaking like a rattlesnake whenever he's not knocked out..."

"An old Client with a bad vibe about him," Shinshin spoke lowly, before nodding to the table, "we'll fill you in sometime."

"Damn! Finally got dressed, did you? What, needed to add some perfume to accent your pretty features?!" Karitori sneered at Angelika, having to sit still for so long made her irritable, as she sat next to Yajū who looked equally irritable but less vocal about it. having sat directly across from Genesis, Anton, and Hyōryū, they were the most proximate to the arrivals.

"Shut your goddamn trap for once, Kari!" Shito snarled surprisingly, stepping in front of Angelika and Asuka as his glare bordered menacing and threatening, "you don't get to run that shit-trap of a mouth just because your girlfriend is here!"

After taking the brunt of the outburst, Karitori blinked surprisingly but before glaring at him, her body faintly glowing of the unusual Dark Energy before she caught a disapproving stare from Mōka, causing her to just roll her eyes before slamming her head audibly against the table, "Can we please just get on with this?!"

"Woah."

Anton now regarded Shito with a look of absolute surprise, matching the looks that both Angelika and Asuka was giving him behind his back. He was expecting his leader or their leader to come back with a rather snarky remark, but not Shito to defend them both with such passion. Inwardly, he knew Oliver would've cheered at the display. It was enough to make him smile and chuckle a little, even if it was at the expense of Karitori.

"Remember who it is you're talking to that way, Frau Karitori." Angelika was quick to switch from surprise to a quiet anger, leveling a withering glare at the female who had dared to talk to her in such a scathing manner. For a few seconds, she held that glare for just enough time for discomfort. Then, she turned away and proceeded to walk towards the terminal. Her hands were folded behind her back until she reached the terminal itself, where she unfolded one of her hands in order to begin typing.

"A-asuka-dono..."

The quiet voice of Rika brought Asuka's attention to the currently mousy girl, who had her head down and her eyes directed towards leader as she sat down. She had to keep herself from smiling at the girl's attempt to make eye contact willingly - and failing. "I took the liberty of informing Yusuke-kun about the mission so that he could come with us... is that okay?"

Asuka's eyes widened slightly in surprise - something that make Rika flinch involuntarily out of the fear that she did something wrong. However, the next words spoken were quick to remedy that. "Of course! After all, where would a wounded team be without the medic? We all know that..."

The girl nodded in turn, grateful that she had not done anything stupid. "O-of course..."

"Courtesy of Herr Valentine," Angelika's voice spoke out, gathering both of their attention back to the front. The "TV" was projecting what she had brought up on the computer was a blueprint-style satellite layout of their destination. "We've managed to obtain a bit of detailed information regarding the layout of Aether. The target destination will be the capital city Shinhae, the place where public executions are normally held."

"How do you know he's going to be executed?" Anton asked, quirking an eyebrow.

In response, Angelika regarded him with a look that should've made it obvious. "Well... I'm certain that genocide and defection combined would contribute to that belief, are you?"

"If they sent the Paladins I hear you told me about, then they must be executing him," Mōka spoke with certainty, as if she had personal experience with them, "they don't send members of the Holy Decimo to pick up a common criminal. If Oliver Holmes is more widely known as the Black Eagle, they'll hang him for all of the citizens and troops to see, to make an example for anyone who revolts against the system..."

"It sounds like you've dealt with them yourself too," Shinshin inquired, speaking for the first time since he's arrived with the others, catching the gaze of Omega Team's leader, "what do you know of these Paladins, and of their Holy Decimo compatriots?"

"The Holy Decimo is the equivalent of what was planned to be Anti-Knight Captains of the Paladin Order," Mōka spoke as she looked to Angelika and Asuka, shifting around in her usual attire that hadn't changed despite the majority shifting their appearances for the upcoming journey, "while the Paladins are elite commandos of Royal Aethian Corps, their potential is not to be overlooked. Should the Royal Aethian Corps fall, or be split apart by another Civil War that was instigated, the Paladins are supposed to purge the enemies and take the place of the deceased and absent Knight Captains.

The Holy Decimo, are the only qualified entities who can successfully surpass the powers and skills of the Knight Captains. Their strongest I fought nearly twenty years is named Rosalina Seraphim, the Paladinus Primus, designated as the Hawk," she looked over at the entiriety of the briefing table as she spoke in truth, "those who possess the rank of Paladinus Primus are potentially capable of exceeding the strength of Knight Commander or your Gotei 13 Head Captain..."

"...our Gotei 13 Head Captain?" A slight scowl came across Anton's face, and he leveled a rather annoyed stare in her direction. "Look, we may be allied with them, but don't make it sound like he's leading us."

Hyōryū scrunched her face up at the implication before nodding back to Mōka, "Yeah! Who said that guy's OUR Head Captain?! Last time I checked, we were not wearing black & white like a bunch of sissies!"

"I never insinuated that he was your favorite man to take to parties, nor did I say he was your boss," Mōka said with a slight note of irritation, though she didn't stop to debrief Asuka and Angelika, "in any case, a direct confrontation with any of the Holy Decimo is a bad idea. Knight Captains, we could outmaneuver and use tactics against, but Paladins are bred to kill those who use underhanded and coordinated tactics. Loners, nearly all of them yet are incredibly capable of collescing into an indestructable force when necessary. They are the true Vanguard of Aether's Military."

"Indeed." Angelika agreed. "As a matter of fact, direct confrontation is a negative until we have obtained our cargo, and even then we will have to lower to a strict minimum. The last thing we want are the Paladins breathing down our necks before we even begin to reach extraction."

She turned back towards the computer terminal, typing in a few more codes. Upon the calculative command, the screen zoomed in on the capital. There were certain points that were marked with a blinking red dot. "There are two points of entry into Shinhae. One is through the main gates, which will require the use of the forged documents each you were handed. Most likely, there will be a Paladin guarding at least one of them. So if you're thinking of going through there, make sure that you remain inconspicuous. Another route is through the underground river system that runs through to Shinhae's natural water system. That route will require those that are much better suited for stealth purposes."

She turned herself around, away from the computer and towards the table. "There will be three teams. I'll lead the team that takes the underground. Asuka and Mōka will take their teams through the main gates, with each team going through a separate gate. Make sure to stay in radio contact at all times and keep your situations updated. Are there any questions?"

"What about our equipment and weapons?" Hyōryū spoke out, nodding to Anton and the others, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd rather have bad odds with a gun then being unharmed with the same odds."

"When we regroup inside the city, there are a number of locations Herr Valentine has set up for supplying purposes," Angelika explained, motioning towards points that were indicated with a blinking green dot. "If you can't bring any weapons and equipment with you into Shinhae, you can head there in order for some. Just make sure to keep your money with you. Just because we're affiliates doesn't mean that anything's free, after all..."

Genesis gave a heavy sigh, resting her cheek on her fist and expressing slight agitation. When she spoke up, there was a slightly exaggerated tone of exasperation. "All these locations and points are becoming harder to remember than my ex-wife."

Shou and Anton were quick to regard her with surprised looks and the same vocal reaction.

"Wuuuuuut?"

So she decided to follow up with a curl of the lip and two more words.

"Fat bitch."

Once again, her rather strangely placed comment earned chuckles and laughter from the likes of the two males, along with Asuka and Rika. The latter of the four had to stifle themselves from laughing at it by covering their mouths with their hands.

"Somehow, I doubt you'd ever be married," Shinshin spoke bluntly, sighing at another joke he seemed to be left out of the loop for, only knowing someone as unappealing as Genesis would never attract any desire for a long-lasting relationship such as marriage.

Zaii could only snort and laugh at the implied joke, along with Yajū, with the latter speaking aloud in emphasis, "I can't believe...you just ****ing said that! HAHAHAHA!!!"

Shito rolled his eyes, having to cover his face to stifle his own unfortunate giggles to his chagrin, before attempting to clear his throat and get everyone back onto topic, "I have another query: Since we will need to scope out the city for both security routes, location of Mr. Holmes' execution, and what guests we should be expecting, are we going to regroup all at once or separately and work independent of each other in order to accomplish our goal?"

"Independently." Angelika answered readily, after rolling her own eye at Genesis's joke. "Which is the reason why it is required to stay in radio contact. Each group will work separately until the event of emergency - particularly, a moment in where it seems like our cover is blown. Hopefully, that will not be until after we've obtained Oliver."

"What if we are unable to reach him? What then? Is there a backup plan in the event we can't approach him by ordinary means?" Shadō asked stoically himself, as his own appearance remained unchanged as well, looking almost very Aethian in how his usual get-up protrays his essence.

What if we are unable to reach him?

Only an exceptionally good eye would've caught the flicker in Angelika's gaze when she put on a grim smile. "As much as I'd like to say that there's always a back-up plan... there isn't." She answered. "If we don't reach him, then he will die. Simple as that."

"I see," Shadō bowed his head, grasping his hat to put it deftly on his head before smiling slightly in understanding, "I guess we could always wing it from there, eh? Eye for an eye, and all that..."

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

"Hey you guys!" The unexpected voice of the Burning Knight himself came as he knocked just outside the entrance to the moderately sized debriefing room, clad in his usual black robes with his passively worn Fullbring along with his blade on his back to boot, "here I was thinking, as long as I'm here, why don't I pull my own weight? You guys certainly make that hard when you guys leave half the time I'm napping...can we make an exception for that this time around?"

"Who's this?! A Ryoka?! What's he doing here with an active Fullbring?!" Zaii suddenly spoke out with suddenly interest, as well as surprise as an entirely new person walked through the door and began to talk directly towards Mōka, Asuka, and Angelika as if they were old drinking buddies.

The three women (two of them, at least) would help to enforce that fact.

"Oh, I see that you've finally managed to stop pretending to be a bear..." Angelika muttered dryly as she looked at the figure who had walked in. "Herr Kodai, I just got done explaining everything. You're quite late if you wish to join us..."

Asuka gave an exasperated sigh. "For someone with so much power, you have a habit of doing nothing but eating and sleeping. It is a wonder you haven't grown fat yet, dear!"

Mōka smells the air a few times, chuckling as she leaned her head over to Asuka as she thumbed to him, "At least he groomed recently. From how clean shaven he's now, I bet he's forgotten to clean himself up for the past week or so he's been here..."

"One thing your should know about Fullbringers, my dear," Kenja spoke with a roguish grin, winking at her as he took smooth steps with the jingling of his armor resonating in the room, emphasizing with his arm gestures, "we have probably a lot higher stamina and metabolisms than Soul Reapers do. And I happen to have even more than the average Fullbringer, meaning I need to work out and eat as often as I can, otherwise I'll end up losing the edge my Fullbring had when I took on all of you."

"Wait! He took on all of you?!" Shito suddenly, made a time-out sign before looking incredulously at all of the gathered people in the room, before scrunching his eyes, realizing it might've been insane if he really had taken them all now as they were.

"We were a third the size group we are now, to be fair," Shadō spoke with mild interest in the man's boasting, amused that the human actually decided in participating now instead of the other times they needed man power and assistance.

"And you were totally going to get your ass handed to you when I got there!" Hyōryū pointed out at Kenjai, with a protruding vein on her forehead, infuriated that he'd go on about actually beating them when the fight had barely begun between them.

"Definitely sounds like the story I should hear about," Zaii leaned back with a smile of fascination, as he studied the man in black armor and then at the others' reactions. He could already tell this man was capable, despite circumstances, but to earn their respect after facing them must've been an incredible feat in of itself.

"Maybe some other time..." Asuka said gently, regarding him for a brief moment before turning her attention back to Kenja. "For now, Kenja-san, the very least we could hope for is that you happened to be listening in the whole time. After all, I don't think Angel-chan is too keen on explaining the same thing twice--"

"Stop calling me that." Angelika interrupted.

"Yes, Angel-chan."

Asuka had to resist the urge to smile cheekily when she saw Angelika's eye twitch.

Then...

WOOSH!

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that, boss ladies! I already told him before he came here."

The newfound voice came from Yusuke, who had used a Flash Step to appear in the room. However, he didn't appear in the standard standing position. Instead, he was sitting on Kenja's shoulders with a paper held in his hands - presumably Shinji's medical report. But he was carrying himself as if everything was normal. "We crossed paths a while back in the hallway, so I decided to fill him in on everything just in case he wanted to join us." He explained. "I mean, everyone seems to want to go on a field trip, right?"

"I... don't think "field trip" would be the best word for it..." Rika muttered, looking over him with a slight frown.

"Sure it is!" In return, Yusuke looked at her with genuine surprise. "I mean, we're going to Aether, another spiritual society! Meet new people, see new sights, all the like! I've always wanted to check out the secret underground river close up!"

"Sounds like I know who my partner is," Shadō spoke in a bemusing tone, nodding to Yusuke from his seat position.

"Yeah, so you don't need to worry if I'm clueless or not," Kenja gave a toothy grin, pointing a thumb to his chest, declaring outright, "this my way of paying back the debt I owe you. The debt, for sparing my life and allowing me sanctuary...this will be more than enough payment to all of you."

"I like this guy already," Mōka said flatly, smiling ruefully to the other two female leaders, "so? Who's to say we don't one of our own Black Knights on our side? Might tip the scales in our favor just by that much..."

"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to have additional reinforcements." Angelika said in admittance. She folded her arms across her chest, looking over at Kenja in an expectant manner. "I guess you'll be coming with us, Herr Kodai. But just remember that as long as you're on this mission, you're under my jurisdiction. So make sure not to get any funny ideas..."

"Yusuke-kun." Asuka inquired, catching the said boy's attention. "How is Shinji-kun doing?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Um..." Being surprised by the question, Yusuke had to switch his attention over to the said topic. He looked down at the paper's words. "Well, according to the medical report that I wrote out from basics, it seems like he's stable. But he's having periodic panic attacks after abruptly snapping from unconsciousness. The times varies from several seconds to a few minutes before he's knocked out again." He beamed a little. "Keikai-chan was nice enough to take up for me so I could come with you guys!"

"W-wait a minute..." Anton allowed himself to turn and look at the boy, quirking an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you loosened the collar to some degree and allowed her to use powers? Isn't she supposed to be a prisoner?"

"Well..." Yusuke shrugged. "Now that V-14 and the Soul Society are allies now, I don't think there's much reason for her to be kept on a tight watch. Besides, I only loosened it to the point where she could heal efficiently. Wasn't sure how the boss ladies would've reacted if I did otherwise..."

"She's not a bad gal," Kenja waved a hand insistantly, after nodding to Angelika in admittance to her command, "I can vouch for her. Despite her undying loyalty to her Captain, it seemed that she valued you as both as a group and people. She's a lot more heart than mind, and I think her willingness to heal your wounded shows that, don't you think?"

"She might pry for information from the poor slob," Yajū spoke in a guttural, suspicious tone as he propped his gloved knuckles against his jawline, narrowing his eyes at Kenja before looking to the three female leaders, "who's stopping her from turning us in as leverage if things go south for this arranged alliance of ours with their kind?"

"That's right!" Karitori nodded, gritting her teeth as she got off her seat and walked over to Mōka, speaking in a barely restrained voice of venom as she pointed pass Kenja, "are we going to have a stranger give us his word and expect to take it like cheap hand-outs?! That bitch tried to KILL Ollie boy-"

"So did you, to be fair," Shito piped in, much to the butch-dressed girl, before she continued.

"-and tried to take the boss lady, Angie down, not to mention didn't have a problem with using her blade against any of us as well-"

"She did stop that Yashin fellow from vaporizing us blindsidedly," Shadō, much to the increasing chagrin of Karitori, made by the usually stoic and withdrawn man he is within a group.

"-so are going to put that much faith and leave this place virtually unguarded by some Gotei 13 bitch?!" She finally made her point, glaring at the prior men who interrupted her before growling lowly at how much effort she made into trying to verbally convince her lover.

"You have a point, Kari-chan," Mōka nodded in admittance, cupping her chin, dramatically pacing back and forth next to the other two female leaders, "I guess we'll need someone just as strong, if not stronger, than her to be left behind to keep watch. Someone who has the personal trust of myself, as well as my two partners, wouldn't you say so?"

"Damn straight!" Karitori said with a rueful smile, looking to Kenja expectantly, almost suspecting the volunteer would be staying to pay for his mistake.

"Great!" Mōka unexpectedly hugged the prior woman, recieving a bulging-wide-eyed experession, as she suddenly realized what her next words were to be, "I'll be counting on you, Kari-chan! Make sure I don't find this place wrecked or any of our occupants and guests!"

"B-B-But...I...what...the...fuck...?!" Karitori could barely function, as she suddenly felt herself guided back to her seat, with slowly building and simmering anger, but knowing that she'd kill herself before challenging her lover and mutual boss's command. That, and she'd looked stupid in front of the collective V-14 organization...

"Karitori-san."

Yusuke, in a moment of rarity, lowered his happy-go-lucky attitude to replace it with a somewhat stern look - or as much of a stern look he could give off without making it seem like he would be completely out of his usual character. "I won't forgive you if you do anything hurtful to Keikai-chan. So don't do anything stupid, okay?"

With a prompt clearing of the throat heard by Mōka, Karitori rolled her eyes as she sighed, raising her right hand before crossing her left over her heart, "Cross my heart and hope to die a painful death to be tortured mercilessly in eternity in the clutches of the Bitch Queen of Hell, so help me Spirit King."

Shito couldn't help but snicker a little, covering his face as he turned his face away from her, "I can't believe she actually said that...omigosh this whole moment is priceless...!"

"I only have one question," Shinshin raised his voice to supercede any future conversation, as he looked to Asuka and Angelika, "when do we leave?"

That was when the two leaders looked at each other.

Slowly, a smirk stretched on both of their faces.

When Angelika turned her eye towards Shinshin, she spoke the words that would wipe out any thoughts of potential waiting.

"Well, I know we're a bit early from the time. But since we're done with the meeting and understand what we need to do, we can leave right now if everyone wishes it. The Dragonbird is already prepared and waiting for us."

"Whoo!" It snapped Yusuke out of his momentarily serious demeanor. He pumped a fist in the air, letting out a cheer. "Going on a field trip! Gonna have a good time! Gonna rescue our buddy!" Quickly, he directed his hand down and slapped Kenja's head, although not in a painful manner. "Giddyup, stupid horse!"

"...I think I'm gonna get used to having that kid around." Anton muttered to Hyōryū, chuckling as he allowed himself to stand up from his seat.