‘Oh man where did she come from?’ ‘I don’t know she’s pretty cool though!’ Rika played in her head as Ace, Shizuka, and Trisean all simultaneously found surprise with the unexpected arrival. There were several different options when it came to greeting her, some friendly, and the rest not so friendly. Of course Ace wasn’t going to be the most welcoming, and the ‘hunter’ guy wasn’t really thrilled by her presence either. This left the girl the only one to appeal to, but just as Ace had finished trying to make it a point to get a name out of her, the girl had done the sweetest thing ever. Completely forgoing any and all interrogation, she had instead handed her a badge that gave her the ability to communicate with her, Ace, and even the mysterious leader of theirs. While Ace was shocked and disgruntled by this, Rika herself slipped off of the crate and wrapped her arms around the girl’s torso, squeezing her with a warm embrace. “You are just the CUTEST! At least someone here knows a trustworthy face!”

Pulling back, Rika glanced to Trisean in the middle of his small argument as to why Rika couldn’t be trusted, and that was because …he ‘knows’ a manipulative girl. Hm. “Mhmmm.” The blonde tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him, obviously not amused by his put-downs and gradually feeling more unwelcome by the second. “You know, I didn’t HAVE to come here and offer help, I could’ve just gone home and called it a night. Maybe if you stopped spending so much time having these stupid little suspicions and playing the tough guy, you’d have made a new friend like Shizuka just did!” Rika wasn’t sure how far these guys were willing to play the ‘I don’t know her, therefore she’s probably an enemy’ angle. You never knew anyone before you met them, and if this was the welcome she got it was a miracle the Unbound Hearts ever got any new members. Sticking out her tongue at Trisean, Rika looked to Ace. “My name is Rika, and that’s all you had to ask me. If I wasn’t sympathetic towards the rebel cause I would’ve just walked out by now and taken what I know to the Empire, AND get paid for it too.”

The welcome was beyond rude, and no matter what suspicions they had she still had the upper hand here, and she’d continue to have it as long as she had that disc. In fact, the more she thought about these assumptions, the more it had begun to anger her. Who the hell were they to look down on her for simply existing? She had a set of talents and she used them to follow and offer her help. Condemning her for that alone? Hell no.

“Now if you or that guy right there say one more thing negative about me, I’m out of here for good, and I’m taking everything I know with me regardless of how nice Shizuka is. And back to you, again!” Rika looked back at Trisean, obviously growing pissed. “You've got injured comrades all around you, and the only thing you can do right now is be suspicious of a nice girl who is offering her HELP to you. How in the hell is my offering aid manipulative? It’s a yes or no answer, you stupid asshole! So either you take my help, or I walk and make it a goal to undermine you bastards out of principle from this point on. What’s it going to be?” Her entry in here was with good intentions and good spirits, but to call her manipulative, to attempt to intimidate her, it was no longer an amusing gathering. Suspicion was fine, but unless you had some facts on hand it was better if people just stopped talking altogether. Rika was no longer laughing, and obviously the wrong set of words would make that promise of hers hold true. Shizuka had been more than receptive of her while still being curious enough to ask questions, to which Rika politely answered not for Ace, but because Shizuka did it kindly. Seemed tact was lost on those other two punks, and she'd punish them accordingly.

Trisean's jaw metaphorically dropped to the floor at the woman who was named Rika's response. Talk about a hit out of left field. She had just criticized his effort to protect the unbound hearts from treachery. She had completely changed her tune, and had called them out on their stance. And the point of her argument, on top of everything else, was.... absolutely one hundred percent on point, when he thought about it. It looked like Trisean had made a rash judgement call. Again. So much for that approach. Trisean's whips recoiled around his arms as he weakly raised a finger, and stated "Touche. I stand corrected, and rescind my objection. I will shut up now." Trisean took a few steps back, and glanced around. All around were his clearly battered comrades just watching the spectacle. Trisean's cheeks suddenly went flush with embarrassment. He looked back to Ace and Shizuka, and weakly said "I gonna.....um, patrol the rooftop and... make sure we weren't followed. Call me when..... just... call me when you need me." Trisean turned and bolted for the door. He needed air, if anything, and time to think.

Trisean made his way to the nearest exit, and made for street level. Upon reaching it, he turned to an alley, and climbed his way up to the rooftops. The supply bunker wasn't the main facility itself, but is was important regardless. Trisean swung from rooftop to rooftop for a bit, watching for any strange movement. For the moment, it didn't seem like they were being followed. Trisean came to rest on a particularly tall building, and watched the distance. It would be good to keep the bunker safe, and it gave him a chance to think. Trisean took a deep breath. He still didn't trust this Rika, but didn't think that she was empire anymore. No empire mercenary or agent would have given a damn about the injured unbound hearts members. At the least, she was a neutral party. Who knows. Perhaps she was genuine. Somehow, Trisean doubted that too, and she probably still had some agenda she was following. Whatever it was, however, it seemed to be aligned with that of the unbound hearts.

In any case, an apology was in order. Trisean resolved to do so when tensions had cooled. For now, he decided to monitor the rooftops from his vantage point. It would be best for all parties involved. Trisean looked out to where the storehouse had been, then paused. A massive fire could be seen in the same area as the warehouse. Somehow, Trisean knew it was the warehouse that was on fire. What else have caused a fire that big? A small amount of time had past since he had ditched the argument, so he wasn't sure what everyone was up to. Nevertheless, he got on his comms. "Hey, Ace, Shizuka. Did we do anything particularly flammable back at the storehouse? Because its on fire. As in, its a blazing inferno."

Ace watched Trisean dash out of the room with a less than bemused expression. He had never seen someone backpedal out of an argument so quickly in his life. He turned back to Rika, who was currently being measured by Shizuka with a ruler, apparently Shizuka wanted to give her one of their cloaks as soon as possible. It was never necessary to wear a cloak, however they were useful for the more discreet missions they took on. "Undermine us on principle, huh?" Ace whispered to himself. He had to ask himself, would someone truly sympathetic to their cause sabotage them out of spite? Ace did not know this woman, and he did not often place much stock in first impressions, however, Rika was painting a rather bold colored picture of herself. He could tell she wasn't a member of the Empire, however, he highly doubted she gave a single damn about the Unbound Hearts. She had an ego the size of Hollow Bastion's castle, and was proud of it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, opening them once again as if he were attempting to refresh his view of Rika. "You've made your point, Rika, I'll contact the leader and fill him in on your terms, and see if he'll fill you in." Ace left the room, passing a group of medics that stormed the room to tend to the injured. This left Rika with Shizuka.

"You'll have to excuse Ace, he... Well." She stopped herself, realizing she was about to say more than she had the right to. "The Empire's taken a lot from him, is all." She said, running her fingers across the flexible material in her hands. Her ability had breed a hobby of collecting objects made of different materials, and in turn she had developed a fixation on feeling different textures in things. Her hands glossed over, mimicking the plastic ruler. Knowing this might seem a little odd to Rika, she looked to her and grinned. "I'm sure you've seen stranger things, right?" She asked. "Hey, if you tell me know you made it past Ace without him noticing, I'll tell show you something really cool."

"Save it for later." Ace entered the room again, holding what looked like a silver dinner plate from a cheap science fiction movie. Recognizing the device, Shizuka stepped back, giving him room to place it on the ground. A red light came from the edges of the disk, it moved up and down the room as it scanned everything and everyone inside. Next, a blue light sprouted from the center of the disk, and a hologram of a man appeared. The man was middle aged, tall, and had a head of alabaster hair. He looked down at Rika, and then glanced at the mess around him.

"I wouldn't call this 'in one piece' Acesto." He said with a deep, boisterous voice.

"It's relative.." Ace responded.

"Anyway." The man said, turning his attention back to Rika. "This is quite the interesting situation you've placed yourself in, young lady. I've seen people do some rash things to try and join us, but this takes the cake. Now, I'm quite busy at the moment so I'll make this quick. Acesto here tells me that you may have something to offer us, what we're looking for is any data concerning those infernal factories being built on world after world. If you can help in this endeavor, you will be handsomely rewarded. Though I do hope you understand the importance of our resistance..." The leader stopped talking for a moment, as his attention was turned to something none of them could see. "That's all the time I have, good luck." The feed cut off, and the silver plate powered down.

"Well there it is." Ace said. "So, how much are you charging for your help any....way?" Ace's voice trailed off as his badge beeped, he held it up to his ear, and heard Trisean speak on the other line. "It's on fire?... I was the last one to leave, and when I did, it was fine. Did you see who did it?..."

"That gear head's wolves were the only things there, and not that much time has passed, do you think he did it?"

"Nomis?... Well he was perfectly content with killing his comrades to create those filthy machinations of his, I wouldn't put it past him. But why in the hell would he do that?"

Asuka simply stood at the corner, shrouded in a shadow. Her eyes were on what remained of the warehouse (storagehouse? No, that didn't sound right) as the smallest of frowns was placed on her lips. Boy oh boy was she going to get it this time for sure. Not only had she overslept, she was pretty sure that she had missed all the action. And the plan. And...everything. Yeah, everything. Letting out a small sigh she wondered what to do next. Logic said she should just go back and face the wrath and lecture she had coming. At the same time she couldn't help but feel as if she needed to stick around a little longer. She didn't want to lead anyone anywhere, and while normally she could probably get going without being followed, she was definitely slipping today.

The flames danced around in her green eyes, though finally she tore her gaze away from them. Was she worried about everyone? Not particularly. She was sure they were fine...for the most part. Though she had to wonder whether they had succeeded or not. Probably a success, or so she would have liked to think. Once again she found herself staring at the inferno. They were fine. Nothing she had to worry about. Actually what she had to worry about was not getting spotted around here. After properly securing her hood. she would begin to make her way back.

It's funny how quickly things tend to change. Here she was, running through the shadows like some sort of criminal. No way could she even consider standing out in the open or even consider walking normally. Everything had to be quick, discreet, she had to blend in with the background. Not exactly her forte, either, but she at the very least knew how to get up a building without too much of a ruckus. This was all normal to her, though she had to quickly change her mind about that. This shouldn't be normal. What should be normal is being able to walk the streets without having to watch her back for someone to pounce when she wasn't paying attention. Keyblades didn't need to be hidden, but as she was told (repeatedly) it was only to be used in dire situations. She already had a target on her back as part of the Unbound Hearts, no doubt they'd want her head too if anyone found out about her keyblade. Otherwise...

The brunette came to a halt, as if that thought had triggered something. The tips of her fingers twitched slightly, as if even her own body wanted to summon it. She shook her head, lightly clasping her hands together. These urges popped up once in a while, as if it was calling out to her. At this point she knew how to suppress it, but it didn't make things any easier. Asuka sighed again, closing her eyes for just a moment. She wanted to go home.

Trisean kept staring at the fire. He was currently on the edge of the city, and he could still see it clearly from here. "I wouldn't put it past him," Trisean said in response. "But I don't like it if it was him. Nomis is a psychopath, but he is a calculating psychopath. He only makes a move when he stands to gain from it. God knows the reason, but if it was him then he wanted that storehouse burnt to the ground from the get-go. That's a situation we'll have to keep an eye on. Regardless, it screws with us, at the very least. Before, the empire would have just sent some troops and an overbearing sergeant to clean up the mess. Now they'll be sending in agents to investigate. We'll have to lay low for a bit."

Something had been bugging Trisean since they had returned, like he had forgotten something. Now that he could think about it, he realized what it was. "By the way, has anyone seen Asuka? She went on the mission, right? Because I definitely saw her at the briefing. Hell, I had to keep her awake. Did anyone even see her at the...." Trisean abruptly stopped talking. He knew exactly what had happened. "She slept through the signal at the start of the mission and missed the portal, didn't she?" He face-palmed. Of course that had happened. Why couldn't they just launch a normal raid on a storehouse for once? Trisean sighed. Asuka was too important to just leave to chance. As reckless as she was, she was still a keybearer, and was immensely important to the unbound hearts. "Dammit. I'll go get her. Start locking down the bunker. I'll be back asap."

Trisean bounded off of the building, and took off back into the city. He swung from building to building with grace and subtlety, so no one knew he was there. The hood on his jacket was up as well. Not that it did much good, but it made him a tad harder to see in the dark alleys. He pulled out his badge, and set it to contact Asuka. "Asuka, its Trisean. Don't answer your comms. Just keep going, where ever you are. Get into an alley where no one can see you, and give me your position. I'm on my way to get you home."

Damn right he stood corrected! Rika huffed and didn’t show much in the way of a softened expression when he chose to depart, preferring to get some space from his sort. People that threw wild accusations around without facts were one of her strongest pet peeves, almost always in regards to her when they had nothing to fear. She entered that warehouse without alerting anyone, even got through the portal with none of them able to notice her, and if she wanted any of them dead they’d be dead by now. Particularly disdainful towards Tristean right now, Rika turned her attention over towards Ace, hearing him mutter exactly what she had mentioned before: Undermine on principle. As though challenging him to say something else, a nasty glare was directed at him for just a moment until her gaze went to Shizuka, softening at the girl’s attempt to measure her. Where did she even get that ruler in the past several seconds? With Ace’s departure it left the girls alone, Shizuka trying to bring mention to Ace being Ace.

“Ace wasn’t even the problem. That son of a bitch had the gall to say he’d ‘hunt me’ …HA!” Rika exclaimed, causing most of the injured to flinch and the doctors to panic. Waving her hand in apology, the foxy thief took notice of Shizuka showcasing her own ability. It appeared she could change her body to adapt to whatever texture she touched, causing even Rika to be impressed. “That’s a pretty cool trick, but don’t think I’ll tell my secret just yet. I don’t have the job.” Ace had returned quickly, holding a strange device in hand. Shizuka had stepped back upon seeing it, and that prompted Rika to follow her, uncertain if this was another strange portal device that would suck them all elsewhere. With a strange scanning light doing a sweep of the room, a holographic image appeared with the man Rika believed to be the leader. After a quick exchange between Ace and the middle-aged man, the latter had looked to her and said his piece. That left Ace to mention what the fee would be, and before Rika could get into details it appeared the strange communication badge had gone off for him.

Hearing mention of fire, and easily recognizing that earlier prick’s voice, Rika yawned quietly and stretched her body out freely. Armed raised in the air, her eyes moved across the room for a moment, watching as medics tended to the wounded. A few of the men had eyed her, quickly averting once she had looked in their general direction. She counted at least five pairs of eyes that were consistent, and if they weren’t in pain she’d wager it might be triple that. It was difficult to think about the opposite sex when you had injuries, but some of the best could make such a handicap still work out for them. Seemed the Unbound Heart’s just didn’t have the men capable of it. The conversation between Ace and Trisean was leaving her bored, especially when it wasn’t anything relevant to her. “Hey,” Rika would interrupt any attempt Ace would make in responding to that guy, who went on to mention some Asuka character. Whatever. “I don’t know who this ‘Nomis’ guy is, stupid name by the way, but I believe we were talking about my fee? Let me determine it through your next raid after I recover the data, and don’t expect me to be cheap just because you’re the ‘good guys’. A gal’s gotta eat~” winking at Ace for no particular reason, Rika hoped he knew that any cut of the spoils would go to her should he require it. She was well worth the sacrifice.

“Anyway, I got the little badge thing so I guess I’ll hit the streets and start finding that information now. You two stay adorable, kay?” Patting Shizuka on the shoulder, Rika would proceed to find her own way out of the bunker and make her way into the busier parts of Hollow Bastion in the early morning.

Salforge tossed the side of his overcoat aways, spreading his black denim jeans and forming a mild gust. As he'd entered the room after Catherine whom was miffed, although silent. As per usual, the mercenary was greater by "preferred name" and by preferred, it was her preference.

Tin Man.

Had he the standard roundabout of thoughtfulness and feeling, he'd ring her in laughter because it was quite the jest. Alternative to this, he simply egged this exasperation on by replying with his usual disrespect. "Nice to see you too Ryokomata" (He's calling her cat-woman, but using her name instead of "Neko") Salforge said and gave an unimpressed and dull expression. He quickly was given a very short-winded brief before a portal of darkness had surfaced. Things had seemed to be rather tame for the moment, Salforge paused for a moment looking back at Catherine to whom had a fixed scowl across her face as she glared at the mercenary with scornful eyes. Soon he vanished and was swallowed whole by the blackness surrounding both him and General Ryoko.

The air was cold, the sounds of the machines went along and aloft without rest. They stood inside the lobby just outside the main area, the mercenary looked to his left, then to his right. The portal of darkness had thusly dissipated and his eyes did a quick pan of the room, then further out. This had to be no place other than the factory located in Hollow Bastion, from the Castle it wasn't exactly in walking distance. The Bronzed finish found in the pipes, Salforge touched the glass door and ran his hand down to make an annoying screeching sound against the glass.

"Whoa seriously?" He said luring Ryoko into conversation, "There no one here but us, and theres no dust to be found...when did we enter the new age of microfiber glass?" and ended on a sarcastic note.

He poised and released a sigh. "Anyways, you said we're to secure the perimeter right? It's already secure..."

This was likely a most confusing thing for Salforge to say, an easy question of how can that be? Yet he was 100% serious with this declaration. It came down to understanding just how powerful his the extents of his Steel Heart truly was. He snapped his fingers, and made everything visible and reflective for just an instant, Ryoko would notice it as it would only last a second, and that was more than enough time to catch glimpse of the factory from top to bottom. Covered in blocks, blocked off and boxed around every inch of everything. Large ones, done so in seconds and from there he'd proceed to layer them, something time consuming, but when the shells reflected the viewer's sight back at them they vanished, they were imperceptible anyone but it's handler, unless he wanted to make them visible. It was no different than looking at Salforge, it was anyone's guess what he really looked like considering he himself is always coded. Turning to Ryoko, he had something of an eerie feeling.

"Ryoko, if it's just us, and yet I have this tickling sensation we won't be alone for very long. Don't"

Salforge stopped talking in the middle of his thought, and he turned his head.

ignore this.

--------------------------------------------------------------

~~~~~~Hollow Bastion / Factory~~~~~~

The sound of something dinging far above the lobby of the factory soon began to reach the senses of Salforge and Ryoko, it soon getting louder and more distinct every couple of seconds, until finally the gilded cage of an elevator reached the very bottom, the lobby itself. Peeling away as if they were some kind of wings from a bird, the crisscrossed bronze metal retracted enough of itself before allowing the single figure that was within the machine to finally exit. The woman’s long dress was something anyone stationed in the castle of Hollow Bastion would know quite well, the maid-styled outfit nearly reaching to the floor just like the others wore, and complete with the same smiling female mask they all wore too, the only thing that set this one apart from the others was the colour of her hair.

“Miss Ryoko…Mr Maxwell…Master Clacverk welcomes you.” Said the woman, her emotionless tone just like all the others as she spoke to the two newcomers, slowly bowing in respect to both as two more of the strangely designed elevators soon arrived to join the first.

“If you would follow me please…Sir Clacverk will see you now.” It was with those final words that the maid returned back into her own personal lift, the elegant crosshatched metal once again folding in on itself to seal her inside before the sound of dinging returned as the machine began its journey back up through the heights of the massive place.

Machines of many sizes could be viewed on ones travel up through the factory, the pipes that vented out the small clouds of steam sometimes shaking as a strong amount of pressure ran through its insides, while gears large enough to easily swallow up whole people should they fall into them slowly spun like the workings of a massive clock.
Finally reaching the top of the structure, the dinging coming from the elevator stopped, before opening just like it had done when it reached the lobby earlier. Stepping out, the maid immediately stood to the side and waited until the other two machines arrived, her head bowed and always towards the mirror polished floor of the control room.

“Sir Clacverk…Miss Ryoko and Mr Maxwell to see you.”

"Lock down the bunker? What are you talking abo-" Ace's transmission was cut off, though it was timely considering Rika had chosen to steer the course of the conversation towards herself. She wanted to settle on a price after their next mission, Ace couldn't help but be irritated by her attitude. This wasn't a game to him, he took his position seriously, and she acted as if the only thing at risk here was the weight of her pockets. He let her leave without a word, choosing to stay in the bunker for support, Shizuka however, decided to follow after the blond mercenary.

By the time Shizuka caught up with Rika, they were on the streets. "Mind if I help you out?" She had asked, skipping up to her. The lamp posts were just turning off, heralding the rising of the sun. The star's light shined on the city's pavement and busted architecture, It was a pathetic sight, seeing something so majestic wasted on a filthy city. Shizuka held a hand over her forehead, and looked to the sky. "I used to love watching the sun rise." She said. "The view from the top of the keyblade academy was beautiful. There was a garden on the campus, doubled as our training grounds, The way the sun's light would hit the green plants and the pond, it was so..." Shizuka let out a sigh, a nostalgic grin pulling at her cheeks. "I'd give anything to see it again. What about you?" She asked, looking directly at Rika. "The Empire's taken something from all of us, that's why we're fighting to get it back. Is there something you're working towards?"

_____

Ryoko's eyes squinted as Salforge took the liberty of scanning the entire factory. She resisted the urge to slap the back of his head, she knew the factory was secure at the moment, but that didn't mean the rebels weren't working on a plan as they spoke. They were here as insurance. Salforge started talking, but suddenly tilted his head like a dog distracted by a squirrel. "The hell are you on? No one should be inside the factory, it runs it's self." She said. However, sure enough she heard the mechanical rumble of an elevator behind her. She turned around, and watched the intricate culmination of metal come down. It opened, and out walked a familiar woman, wearing an irritating grinning mask. The masked woman had come on behalf of Nomis, her master. She didn't know why the man was here with his servants, the Emperor had only sent her and Salforge to the factory, as far as she knew, Nomis had no business here. Ryoko stepped into an elevator, waited for Salforge to follow, and sent it upwards.

"Just what does that filthy old man want, he had better not be overstepping his bounds." She muttered, crossing her arms and tapping her fingernails in aggravation. She glanced at the array of machinery that zoomed past her line of sight, The large pipes were constantly rumbling as if they were an inch from blowing apart, and gears turned so quickly they could be mistaken for saw blades. "There's nothing up above here, ya know." She said. "This place's real purpose is found below, so far below that I doubt you saw it with that vision of yours. "People call these things factories, however, a more accurate word would be refineries. A small distinction to some, but an important difference nonetheless..."

The elevator came to a stop, and Ryoko walked out. Nomis's servant let her master know of their arrival. "...The fuck is all of this, Nomis?" Ryoko looked around the room, seeing what could only be described best as a hacker's wet dream. Upon one of the many monitors she could see what remained of the warehouse smoldering as firefighters arrived on the scene. Her brows arched in fury, and she stomped over to Nomis, shoving the masked servant in the face to get her out of the way. "What have you been up to, and why did you send one of your whores to come get me?"

The night might have been over for most, but it was just getting started for the Unbound Hearts. With everything that they’ve been rumored to be, they definitely lived up to it. Attacking one of The Empire’s main storehouses where the weapons, armor, and rations were at. At least, a majority of them. There are still some places where the same stuff was stored and for those within the Empire, they hope that the Unbound Hearts wouldn’t get to those either. Of course, knowing how they act and how it’s most likely that they’ll eventually get to those other storehouses, those within The Empire will have to take precautionary measures to insure that the rest of their supplies are safe.

As if every sense was tuned into every little nook and cranny that the factory was slowly being built into, ears were sensitive to even the slightest step and this set of ears heard the footsteps of three people. One was obviously the maid, but the other two were different. One was subtle, but assertive. The other set of steps were angry, impulsive, and just plain impatient. That’s when the ears heard something else. The lift from the lobby raising up and slowly approaching the room with the monitors. It would be exactly one minute before it would arrive.

Looking to the watch, a roar came in. Well, it was more like a yell and it was in the form of Ryoko. She was the owner to the impulsive-sounding steps. Anyone within The Empire knew of her and her tendencies to not think before she acted. It became bothersome for most, but there were few that could handle her; or at the very least, tolerate her. It was her words calling out a name and associating it with profanity and aggressive tone. It was on the mention that she would ask what the name of the person she paired with her tone was up to and what that person wanted from her.

Lightly tapping the finger, the time of anonymity seemed to pass. As much as it was fun viewing everything, the time had came. A slight chuckle would escape the mouth and the turning of the chair would begin, slowly revealing that it was indeed not the person that Ryoko thought it was. “I am afraid that my Uncle is not present.” Said the young man in the chair, right leg crossed over the left, and elbows resting on the arm rests with his fingers locked together. “However, if I may be of any assistance, do let me provide it.” Caleb said, looking at Salforge and Ryoko.

The sun was rising already?! Asuka puffed out her cheeks in slight annoyance at herself. At the very least she could say that she wasn't tired or anything...though that wasn't exactly something to be proud of. This was no one's fault but hers anyways. She pouted as she blinked in the sunlight, and would relegate going towards the shadows again. Daytime travel wasn't ideal for sneaking around now, was it? Her footsteps came to a halt as a noise nearly made her jump out of her skin, but she would simply see a cat dashing by. After letting out a sigh of relief, she resumed her trip. Hollow Bastion never ceased to confuse her with its size, it was nothing like her little home.

Home.

Days of the beach and sea briefly flickered before her, but just like her keyblade, she managed to stomp on those very quickly. Crush the memories into tiny pieces and stuff them into the back of her mind. Who knew if she would even ever return? And even if it was still there, she can't go back. Not yet. Not without her, anyway. And unwillingly did the crushed memories come back with full force, making Asuka pause once again. "Miki." The word had escaped her lips before she had even realized it., and hearing it only made things worse. She could already feel the tightness in her chest and the tears threatening to well up, and she had to close her eyes for a moment to calm herself down. Now was not the time for this!

"Ah--?!" Asuka let out a short gasp of surprise as she would hear Trisean's voice coming out of her badge. She had almost missed out on what he said, though the message may or may not have been obvious. Without missing a beat she kept on walking, though she would turn a corner and find an alley with a fence blocking her way. Perfect. She ran over and hid in the corner, plopping down. She was small as it was, so she shouldn't have really been noticed. "It's, uh, I'm sorry." First and formost, an apology. Because she so did not deserve his kindness right about now. "I'm by the square--I think." She would murmur quietly, lightly playing with the hood's cat ears. "I'm hiding in a corner...this is where that magician used to live." She spoke, half realizing as she looked around. How things changed.

Trisean just kept going as Asuka answered him. At the moment, he didn't care about apologies. They wouldn't solve anything anyway. He just wanted this problem fix. "Don't worry about it," Trisean responded, "It's not important right now. What's important is that I find you, and we get back to the bunker. I know about the place you're referring to. I'll be there soon." Trisean kept moving across the rooftops, but the sunrise was starting to worry him. They were running out of time to get off of the streets. He would be able to get to her before people started to hit the streets, but what then? He wouldn't be able to get them both over the rooftops, and he didn't like the prospect of walking the streets after what had amounted to a very conspicuous raid. He would just have to think of something when he got there.

Eventually, Trisean reached the square by the old magician's house just as daylight was almost complete awash over hollow bastion. People were just beginning to leave their homes, and extraction was now going to be incredibly difficult. He swung over to the alley by the old wizard's house, and saw her hunched in the corner. He silently maneuvered to ground level, and approached her, removing his hood. "You have a knack for getting into trouble," he said without much of his usual fanfare. Trisean wasn't mad at Asuka, but he was thoroughly annoyed by a combination of issues from that night. Between the botched heist at the warehouse, to the new "recruit", Trisean had just about had enough.In any event, Trisean tried to ease her mind a bit. It wouldn't due to have her preoccupied with guilt out here. "But never mind that now. I can hardly lecture you out here. I don't even have a blackboard. Let's just work on getting home."

Trisean glanced around. The streets were now definitely a no-go. Too many people and too long a trek. They'd never make it. The rooftops were a possibility, but Trisean wasn't sure Asuka would be able to keep up with him. Plus, he wasn't sure if she would be able to be a subtle about rooftop travel as he was. They couldn't afford the wrong people seeing them. Suddenly, a sewer grate caught his eye. It wasn't perfect, and would likely be the longest possible route, but it would all but guarantee short term anonymity. Trisean walked over to the sewer, and lifted the grate, saying "This might just work, right here. I doubt any empire patrols of note will be down here, at least this morning. This might be what we're looking fo..... GAH! If you can mind the stench that is!" Placing the grate back down, Trisean motioned for Asuka to stay put as he climbed to a roof. Looking across the skyline, Trisean pinpointed about where the bunker was. Climbing back down, Trisean said "Ok. I know where we're going. Stay close to me, and follow my lead. We've got our ticket home now." Trisean flipped his hood back up, and slipped down into the sewers.

The smell down in the sewers permeated just about everything. Trying not to gag, Trisean positioned himself on the elevated platform above the sewage. He waited for Asuka to climb down, and then began to follow one of the tunnels down in the general direction of the bunker.

Soon, huh? Soon it was, then. Asuka drummed her fingers on her knees, tempted to whistle as she waited but refrained from doing so for obvious reasons. Sure enough, 'soon' passed by and Trisean approached her, removing his hood. He didn't seem too happy, though she grinned back at him anyway. What's done is done, right? Of course there was that slight pang of guilt, but no harm no foul...at least, she wanted to think so, except that just because he was here didn't mean that she was out of hot water just yet. The girl would pick herself off the ground, lightly dusting her skirt as she listened to him. She was much too used to lectures; it came with being one of the 'young ones', even if Shizuka and Ace were her age too (something about them being more mature or something). She blamed her short stature.

Asuka watched Trisean, not really bothering with suggestions. They'd probably either get turned down or ignored, that and if she had an idea she definitely would have just gotten out herself. Or something. Did that sound bad? As she mentally reprimanded herself she was brought back to attention as Trisean would start walking away. She blinked a few times, immediately turning to follow, only to see him having walked maybe a few steps or so. Her expression fell as her eyes landed on the ground, and she briefly contemplated which was worse: the sewers or getting caught by the Empire. Ah, ah, ah, this is just part one of the punishment! She scolded herself, though she did pout slightly.

"Man..." She groaned as Trisean would go up to the roof. If she was his age, she was sure she could do that too. She wasn't that hopeless! Albeit all rights to being counted on were probably taken away at the moment, so she just watched as he came back down. As he would go down into the sewers, she shook her head and made sure her hood was secure. No way was her hair getting dirty if she could help it. As she began to climb down she made sure to secure the cover, though she did pinch the tip of her fingers. She winced, slipping off the ladder, though she did manage to land on her feet, comically waving her hands around. "I'm right behind you." She sniffed, holding her hands as she would follow.

Once the pair began to walk, the feeling of pain on her fingertips would swell down slightly. She ceased her whimpering, though occasionally she would massage them, lower lip out like she was about to cry. More often then not she didn't want to come off as a child, but boy did it smart. "So was blowing up the place in the plan? Because I was at the briefing, and...I don't think that was part of the plan." She decided now was as good a time as ever to ask, if only to make the silence go away. A part of her wanted to think that things went well, but typically speaking when things are on fire it is usually not because of things going according to plan. "I mean, what happened in there anyway?"

Since he left the scene of the burning storehouse of the Empire, Cerden had already made his way to the Hollow Bastion Inn. He had already paid for the room on the highest floor and with a view of the city. Sure, it was pricey, but Cerden could afford it. That was one thing that he gained from being in the field that he chose to pursue in his off-time. It allowed him to gain moderate amounts of munny, in which he uses to his heart’s content. For now, however, he used it to buy himself a room overlooking the city.

As he would enter his room, Cerden would open up the curtains, seeing the view of the city as he had imagined it to be. Based on the way the light was coming up, it was almost dawn. Cerden just smiled as he would turn his attention to the rather large bed against the wooden walls. He would gently placed his bottom on it as he sat on the bed. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out the piece of the Taint Metal. He just stared at it, as if obsessed with the object in his hand. He turned it and studied it. He knew all about it and yet he wasn’t any closer than he was the previous day.

Deciding that he had enough of looking at the piece of Taint Metal, Cerden would stand up from his seated position, and he would make his way once more to the window and he placed the Taint Metal on the desk. He would then gaze into the city, still seeing the burning storehouse off in the distance. Cerden found himself smiling once again about that storehouse. He had to admit it to himself that the Unbound Hearts did good in this night. Perhaps instead of being in the comfort of his room, Cerden should pay them a visit. Or at the very least, observe their movements closely. He knew that Nomis was doing the same exact thing.

Cerden had silently decided to himself that it was the time that he retired. A good few hours of sleep would definitely restore whatever energy he exerted in the night. So, as he did decide to call it a night, Cerden would remove his long coat, setting it on the desk next to the bed. He would then do the same with his pants and his shoes. The only piece of clothing that Cerden had on were a pair of red and brown boxers. He would then walk to the bed, remove the blanket half way, crawl underneath it, and that’s where he would let the dreams take over as he laid his head upon the pillow, and closed his eyes.

"That would be correct," Trisean responded, amused. "No where in the plan were any explosions mentioned. We think our good friend Dr. Nomis had something to do with it, but I don't like it if he did. God knows what that mad man stood to gain from killing his own men, let alone burning that place to the ground, but it can't have been good. Nomis never moves without a plan. Hell, for all I know he may have wanted to just draw attention to us." Trisean figured it would be best to explain what happened during the mission. It would help get the latest stream of bullshit off of his chest, and explain to Asuka just why he was annoyed, and not specifically with her. "Well, the operation itself was a success, mostly. We managed to secure most of the supplies. We had to use a portal as our escape plan, thanks to Nomis, which is why you missed it."

"As for the data we were after, we missed it. Someone else beat us to the warehouse and stole it. Whoever it was was quick, clean, and efficient, not to mention silent. And then there's the fact that I think the one who stole it is our new recruit." Trisean scoffed as he said the word. "Right. Recruit. I think a better word is mercenary, and she wears that fact on her sleeve. Somehow, I doubt she joined us because of higher moral fiber. For all we know she....." Trisean cut himself off. For the moment, he'd rather keep his suspicions to himself and Ace. He had a feeling that it would bite him in the ass if Rika found out. "Never mind. Just my paranoia talking. I'm sure its fine."

Trisean continued to pop his head out of the grates to make sure they were heading the right way. As he did so, he noticed something peculiar. The security on street level hadn't been elevated nearly as much as he expected. Sure, there were definitely more patrols and troops, but not nearly enough to track anyone down efficiently. "That's weird," he said as he poked his head down. Security hasn't escalated street level nearly as much as I thought it would. But after that fire, they should be everywhere. Not even any word about agents." Trisean thought about alternative possiblitlies of empire response. "Hmmm. This probably means one of two things. Either they plan to launch a decisive counter attack, or they expect us to follow up and are defending somewhere." Trisean's mind flashed to the data. "What if it has to do with the data that was stashed their? It could have info on a secure site or something. Remind me to ask Ace what was supposed to be on the data we wanted when we get back. This could be really good or really bad."

Well, phase one was easily completed minus an imbecile who was likely to harass her thoroughly until she cried out ‘sexual harassment’ at the top of her lungs. The communication device was pocketed rather than placed within her jacket, unable to find usage for it at this time. Getting in with those unbound rebels was easy enough, now came time to figure out how to maximize her profits with this entire war. No mistake could be made when suspecting that the Empire had vastly much more wealth in the form of that conveniently compact currency known as ‘munny’, not to mention the silver bars she had managed to nab before the portal fiasco with the warehouse. With that data in her possession, figuring out how to make the best use of it was her next objective. Contact with an Imperial representative could be risky, but as long as she chose the right one to make contact to she could squeeze out a few bonuses. All there was now was a question of who to play with more…

“Nowhere else to be, hm?” Rika muttered under her breath, hearing the footsteps of Shizuka approach. Putting on a smile as she turned to look at the girl skipping to her side, the thief figured helping strengthen her credibility with the rebels would be easier if she kept Shizuka around for a little while longer. The girl’s attention moved to the sky, which definitely beat the poor sight of the city once light started to hit it. It was filthier than she had initially expected upon her first arrival, but there was nothing more to be expected. Empire’s that took over by force rarely cared for the well-being of a cities architecture and appearance. All that money had to be going somewhere, it may as well be her that found a better use for it than sitting in some vault. Humoring Shizuka as she reflected on her past, Rika listened to her recollection of the world as she used to know it, starting with something she referred to as a ‘keyblade’. Her knowledge of that thing and what exactly it was happened to be limited, but she knew enough to know it was a rare weapon that was considered by some to be ‘legendary’. Curious as to her stake in all this, Shizuka had asked one question Rika couldn’t answer.

“I could make up some heartfelt story about how the Empire killed my family or something, but truth is …I’m only trying to get by in this world. Working with your ragtag pals is a kindness I didn’t even know I had in me, and as long as I get paid it might stay that way.” Rika patted Shizuka on the shoulder firmly. “Don’t take it personal, it’s just business and I need to look out for myself. You can’t count on anyone but yourself, and if you’re not careful someone in your group is going to turn on you …like that whip guy, he looks like he’d sell you guys out for enough of a reward. Trust me, I know a possible snitch when I see one.” Shizuka was a nice enough girl, perhaps she’d take Rika’s advice, especially of the traitorous portion. That Trisean was no good.

“So, when are you going to stop looking at me back there, huh?” Rika looked over her shoulder, eyes meeting the strangest woman with an odd haircut. Green-haired with a focused stare, yet appearing to be unarmed, Rika had heard the steps of this woman approaching for the past thirty seconds but there had yet to be a gap attempted to be closed. There wasn’t an attempt to sneak up on her either, and although Shizuka was also present beside her the eyes of that woman had never left Rika’s back. Stopping in her tracks, Rika turned around entirely to meet this new woman face-to-face. She had been hovering around far too long to just be ‘heading in the same direction’, and while she didn’t own this street, she owned anyone who looked at her for too long. “Is there a problem?”

~-~

Lightly stirring a cup of coffee in hand, a raven-haired woman in an isolated part of Hollow Bastion had sat outside of a café that would not ‘open’ for another several minutes. She was very much alone, but was content by that fact; being alone would make her job easier, especially considering what she was prepared to do for the sake of this world. Dressed in a dark sailor fuku that certainly looked out of place on a grown woman who appeared in her late twenties, there was a regal look to her even if all she was doing was sitting patiently.

“Pepper, introduce yourself…” she would mutter under her breath. Attention towards Rika was a given, but it was the one beside her that Aeva was curious about. The resemblance to a certain little girl was uncanny, and while she promised that she wouldn’t get too deeply involved in this world’s populace, it was Shizuka that was making her consider breaking it. Her son, more sympathetic to the cause of a fighting rebel force, would likely share her consideration. “And be discreet about this.” Taking a long sip of her drink, she pulled her head back and exhaled, content.

All around her, shadows had begun to gather…

All had gone well, it would seem. Except no, not really, it hadn't gone well at all. The operation itself had been successful enough but the data had slipped out of their hands. Someone else had beaten them to it, mainly someone Trisean didn't seem to approve of very much. Asuka couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, vaguely and somewhat curious about this so called 'recruit' (his words). No, he didn't approve of the recruit/mercenary at all, and made that much clear. He trailed off, catching Asuka's attention, though as expected he would keep quiet. She supposed that it wasn't her business to know anyway. If it was really paranoia, would he have been as concerned as he was? Maybe it's better not to know. She clucked her tongue as the thought crossed her mind.

She watched somewhat lazily as Trisean would climb up, placing her hands at the back of her head. It was at that point he would mention something being weird. Security wasn't as tight as it should have been. Perhaps it had been a result of traveling all night, but Asuka hadn't really noticed anything like that. Thinking it to be good luck rather than bad, she wanted to believe it wasn't anything to worry about. Trisean would go on about...something. Admittedly she didn't quite keep up with everything he had said, but more or less he was concerned with the lack of security. He asked that she remind him to ask Ace about the data. "Mmm...okay." She nodded somewhat absentmindedly.

After a slight silence, she would wrinkle her nose slightly. "Maybe we should just take advantage of the situation as it is and get back while we can? I mean, no point in questioning it right this second." Asuka said to Trisean. "We'll just keep going. It could just be luck, too." She winced slightly, only realizing what she had said after it was already out there. Gosh, that sure sounded naive, didn't it? So much for being taken seriously. "What I mean is...let's not wait until something happens to start thinking like that, you know?" Asuka quickly corrected herself. "I'm sure everything will be clear once we get out of here."

------------------------------------------

~~~~~~Hollow Bastion / Storehouse District - Storehouse remains~~~~~~

The sunrise had already begun to bath the large city of Hollow Bastion in its morning rays, the pillar of smoke, which at first had been a dark column rising into the night sky, had been reduced to nothing much but a white smouldering mess. The storehouse was now just a collection of charred mounds of wood and ash, metal struts protruded here and there, and while charred due to the inferno that had befallen the building, the metal had mostly remained undamaged in the end. Large vehicles now filled the surrounding zone of damage that was the storehouse, while the streets that led through the district were already full of citizens, some having been there from the moment the flames were first glimpsed only a few hours ago.

The clean-up of the disaster had already begun, once the firefighters had put out the last remnants of the blaze that is. Piles of the now scrapped metal and struts filled the truck like vehicles, with other similar machines designated for the pieces of wood and glass that just barely survived the fire. Those who came when the firefighters started to arrive, would find themselves to be the only ones to have seen the removal of the bodies, the sight of some nearly turning away the gathering crowds.

While rumours of what could have happened fuelled most of the citizens conversations, it was the now hushed whispers and murmurs of why exactly the familiar well-dressed man, who arrived shortly after sunrise to the site, was now approaching them. The strange floating mechanical eyes, which soon remodelled themselves slightly to produce a rather tripod lower half, positioned themselves either side of the man once he had stopped walking, the third of the machines continuing to float above the crowd with its gaze solely on Nomis himself.

“My dear residents of Bastion! Let me share with you the truth...the truth of last night’s most horrendous scene that is before you all this morning…”

Throughout the city stood tall steel posts with monitors facing the basic four directions, and while they came in various sizes and shapes, all were now showing the same sight, that of Nomis’ talk occurring right now from far down in the Storehouse Disctrict. Just as the crowds stood in person stood in silence to Nomis’ words, those who watched the monitors through the city did the same.

“I blame myself…I blame myself that I wasn’t able to act quickly enough, for you, the people of Bastion. Perhaps if I did I might have…” It was this short pause that he looked down, a small self-disappointed laugh and sigh escaping from his lips as he removed his pair of glasses for that small moment.

“No…Now is not the time to blame ourselves…Those who came and destroyed, they are to blame…Those who took food and medical need that was for you, the people, they are to blame…Those who came and killed whoever was in their way, even your own loved ones for just serving the Emperor loyally and with honour?! They are to blame!! And these, are who you can blame!!!”

The “true” images of the break-in were suddenly shown on all monitors throughout the city, and though quite blurry in some cases, it was clear it was none other than the Unbound Hearts who could have tried such a bold heist on the district. The angry cheers from most of the crowds who watched, were all united on behalf of Nomis, the man
kindly smiling as he placed his glasses back on, nodding in agreement with the people of Hollow Bastion.

“We will catch and punish these people who wronged you. Any information that you, the good people of Bastion, may have, please do not hesitate to inform your District Representative. Together we will be able to put the damage that has been done, right again.”

Ryoko's expression had turned flat, as if the muscles in her face had been set to their default position. Her azure eyes had taken the color of a blue sky which was calm and devoid of any semblance of turmoil. "So, I was called here for nothing, is that what you are telling me?" She looked around the room as if she had missed something, because she must have, it was inconceivable that this brat could be this stupid. It wasn't a joke, no one was laughing, and she didn't see a camera crew storming in to tell her she was being punk'd. She literally did not have time for this nonsense. The Emperor had given an order, she was already going against her better judgement coming here. Violent thoughts pervaded her mind, as her rage had doubled over and wasn't even visible. She could kill very well kill him now for wasting her time, but she had better things to do. She let out a sigh, and released the tension in her hands. Her nails had dug into her palms, on the verge of drawing blood. "Salforge, let's go." She said, turning her back to Caleb. She stepped back into the elevator, and began to close it's doors. Before the doors closed, she shot Caleb a glare that spoke in more than enough words that she would not be so calm the next time he pulled something like this.

Reaching the entrance floor Ryoko made her way to a communications room and hailed the nearby barracks. She ordered for a team of special forces to arrive, the factory needed to be guarded as efficiently as possible, a large force would only let the Unbound Hearts know how important the factory was to their cause. Ryoko exited the room, and turned to Salforge. "The Emperor only wanted us to guard this place, but he didn't say how. What do you say we be a little more... proactive?"

_____

"Trisean, a snitch?" Shizuka looked at Rika with a shocked expression, but quickly played it off with a laugh. "No way, he's with us, he'd never betray us like that. That's silly to even say." Shizuka decided to consider it a joke for now, after all, Rika had only just met Trisean, and she herself had only just met Rika. "So you're in it for the money, huh? I can understand that... Well actually not really, but I hear you. I think you'll warm up to it, we're doing the right thing, after all." She said with a smile. Even if Rika was just a mercenary or a thief, she knew she could become a reliable ally, she had already risked her neck joining them. Shizuka stopped when Rika suddenly called out to someone behind them, she turned her head, and saw an odd young woman. Her hair was a dark shade of green, and styled so smoothly and straight that she could have sworn she was wearing the outside of a giant green vegetable for a second. "Whoa, I didn't even notice her. Hello~ can we help you?" Shizuka waved to the stranger, however even as she approached she seemed to be ignored.

"My name is Pepper, and I wish to speak with you, Rika." She said, her eyes shimmering with an electric finish. "It is impressive that you were able to hear me coming, I can only conjecture that what I have heard of you is true. I have come her on behalf of my master, she has been impressed by you, and wishes to speak with you personally. I can assure you that she will make it worth your time."

"Umm, hello?" Shizuka waved in front of Rika, trying to get Pepper's attention, but was still ignored. "Rude..." Shizuka huffed. Just then, a familiar voice entered her ears. "Oh for crying out loud, not this agi..." She stopped as she realized that the voice was not coming from inside her head this time, but from speakers around the city. Looking up she witnessed the propaganda that Nomis decided to spew to the public. "What the... HEY, that wasn't us! We robbed that place, we didn't blow it up!"