[b]At the Park[/b] With two AST agents down, although only one of them had been shot down - the other had been put there by the spirit - the ground-force was in high spirits. The fact that the rest of the AST force had to fly up and regroup was an added bonus, howeever, that was also where the boon ended. With the element of surprise gone and the AST no longer having to focus on the Reaper, the mysterious attackers soon found themselves the victims of gunfire and magical sword-slashes.Realizing quickly that their equipment and training were no match for the professiona military prowess of the AST, the call to fall back was sounded by the militia. As smoke grenades and flash bangs were thrown in order to conceal and cover their tracks, the AST captain barked orders to go check on Chou and the other girl, to make sure they were fine. She also ordered her girls not to let the enemy retreat and to capture them. Unfortunately, the ground-force was very familiar with the layout of Tenguu City it would seem, and they quickly scurried below the surface, vanishing like scattering rats. Clicking her tongue in frustration, the captain called for everyone to sign in and verify that they were alright. With the exception of Chou and the red-head though, it didn't seem like anyone else had suffered any major injuries - a few scrapes, grazes or cuts here and there, but nothing life-threatening at the least. Sighing in a mix of relief and frustration, the captain landed next to the two girls who had been first on the ground. She first checked the red-head, she appeared to be in shock as she was just staring blankly off into space - straight ahead - with a befuddled expression on her face. She then looked at Chou, sstill lying on the ground. She scoffed. "Whatever you [i]believe[/i] you could or couldn't have done, you will never open fire in the same direction and vicinity as your fellow team-mates ever again. Understood, Chou?" The Captain was giving her the eye, complete with folded arms and all. There was no room for arguing. "And next time-" She added, turning on her heel to go talk to her second-in-command. "-wait with explaining your reasoning until [i]after[/i] the fight, okay? I don't wanna see you get hurt by something this stupid ever again, got it?" The captain was harsh and firm, but a hint of concern tinged her words - she didn't want Chou, or any of her girls, to get hurt at all, if possible. With that, the battle ended. The AST saw to their own injuries and the team medic scampered over to check on Chou's arm. The girls were left to patrol and investigate the surrounding area, tasked with finding out who - or if there were any leads to - the mysterious attackers who had ambushed them. There didn't seem to be much though. Since none of the enemies had been shot down, and they hadn't left anything behind, it was really hard to find clues. Just who wered those strange spirit-supporters? ----- [b]On board the Ratatoskr Command Ship[/b] "Weren't you a little hard on them, Commander?" "If I'm to lenient, they'll just het hurt needlessly, or run head-long into messes they can't handle." "Yeah, I guess... But they did manage to make contact with a spirit. They even talked to it." "And then that same spirit almost killed them both [i]and[/i] they could have been caught by the AST." "But-" "Enough, Lieutenant We got other things to talk about right now." "... You mean the strange group that attacked the AST after Mayu and Su-chan teleported on board?" "Yeah.... They seemed to be helping the Spirit, but why? And who were they?" "Hmm... I dunno, but maybe if they're helping Spirits, we could become allies?" The commander narrowed her eyes. "Anyone who doesn't even hesitate the pull the trigger at another human isn't someone I'd want as an ally in a hundred years." The two kept watching the footage, rewinding it and then replaying it - going over data as it appeared. ----- [b]At the Shelter[/b] "Hahaha." The man chuckled in amusement. "Brave words, brave words. But you know what they say about curiosity and cats, little kitten." He wagged his finger, winking with a smirk. "Ah, but I do believe it's time." He then suddenly said, abruptly as he looked upfrom the girl he was talking to. The speakers in the shelter crackled and then a slight rinign noise followed. A pre-recorded voice sounded through the shelter's PA system, letting everyone know that the spacequake was over and that the city would now begin resurfacing, meaning that in a few minutes everyone could finally leave. The man in the suit looked pleased, for some matter, as if had accomplished something despite having just been sitting there, reading his paper and talking to this high schooler. He turned his head to her again. "Well then, little kitten." He said friendly, standing up and pgrabbing his briefcase leisurely. "It seems the crisis has been averted and we all get to live another day." He was being sarcastic, obviously. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Ms. Curiosity. Stay safe and keep out of trouble now, you hear? Good day." As he said this goodbye, he gave her a slight raised hand, as a partial wave of sorts. Just as he did so, a woman in a very formal business-wear, navy blue in color, with her hair tied up in a bun strode up and stood at the man's side. "The car's here and waiting for you, Chief." "Thank you, Sachiko-kun. Let's be off." "Yes, sir." The two left, the man in the white suit walkign a bit ahead of the woman, who followed him closely like a tail, or trained dog. They were heading for the nearestexit - which had just been unlocked and opened. It seems they were a pair with very good timing. [i]Meanwhile...[/i] "Ahah~! You smiled! You smiled!" The girl shouted happily, clapping her hands together and bouncing up and down joyously. It would seem that for whatever reason, seeing the headphones-wearing girl smile and enjoy the pudding had given her great happiness. She didn't say anything else though, instead she remained at the older girl's side, watching her eat. That is, to say, until an arm suddenly reached out and grabbed the child's shoulder, pulling her backwards. "UwAAAaAAOOOOoAah~!?" "Mai! How many times must I tell you not to bother strangers!" A woman's voice chided the girl. "I'm so terribly sorry if my daughter caused you any inconveniance." A woman in her early thirties spioke to the pudding-eater, bowing in an apologetic fashion, while holding her little girl in place - who for the record was flailing wildly with her arms and protesting vehemently about her mother's actions. ----- [b]In the allyway[/b] "[i]Ohh~? You shouldn't say thhat. After all, walls have ears, not mouths~[/i]" From the wall, or at least, the direction of the wall, a voice called out to Reaper. It was the voice of a woman, or perhaps a girl, yet it sounded strange and distant, like it had been spoken in a tunnel from far away, as there was a slight echo to it. Still there was nobody else there but Reaper and the walls of the buildings. Not even a stray cat rummaging through the dumpsters or rats and cockroaches climbing in and out of the metal bins. Not even a homeless hobo or scavenging pigeon was around to be seen in the slowly darkening alley. With the afternoon now having turned into evening, light was quickly vanishing from the area, casting long, deep shadows and covering corners and gaps in murky... murkiness! "[i]What are friends? What are they, indeed~?[/i]" The voice echoed Reaper's question. "[i]Maybe you're asking the wrong questions, Shinigami-san~?[/i]"