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Even in the ten years since the attack, they hadn't recovered everything that had been destroyed. The waters hid it, the wreckage of a massive ship. It had once been a symbol of man's progress, their technological prowess. But now... it was a rusted hulk deep beneath the ways. Here and there, aquatic plants grew and flourished. Fish swam in and out of the structure. There was on particular entry point that they most commonly passed through, however. It was a gigantic hole. It was not torn by some explosion, or ripped by debris, or rusted out from the length the wreck had spent deep beneath the waves.

No, even after ten years, the cause of the damage that sunk the ship was clear. The edge of the immense hole was warped and melted, a beam of extreme heat had struck the battleship and gone all the way through.

A sudden current of water disturbed the fish. The ship creaked, and the animals who had chosen to inhabit the wreckage fled...

... As a dark shape passed by... a being that had not stirred for ten years...

---

SEED headquarters was a bustle of activity. Doctor Kawaguchi's predictions were... oh, how soon was it? It would be any day now. The Nephilim's return. It had been a scramble to collect the candidates, some weren't even here yet. But they didn't have time to wait. No, SEED had to be prepared. For the good of all mankind. The preservation of the human race itself. The candidates that had already arrived were in Tokyo. As planned, they would not be too far from SEED headquarters. If today was the day of the Nephilim's return, they could easily be collected. But ideally, today would simply be the beginning of their training. There was so little time, the models they had now were finally ready. There wasn't enough time to give them proper training, but it was what they had.

The oblong command center was even more busy then the rest of the place. Communications flew from one end of SEED headquarters to the other, and one message in particular stood out among all the rest.

It was time to collect the candidates.

A certain white-haired girl glanced up at the flurry of activity for only a moment... before returning to her book.

It was no surprise.

---

"Jeez, what's with this?"

She hadn't done anything. Why was she being held back!? Ayaka folded her arms and sat back in her seat, twintails bobbing as she looked away. There wasn't even a teacher here to tell her what she did... Pick on the model student? Was there somebody lying about her? Hmph. This was just plain ridiculous and there was no way around that. She had studying to do, exercise... plus there were some things at home she wanted to do! Why was she still here? Ayaka was pretty irritable, to say the least. The purple-haired girl simply glared to the side, then faced forward and looked down again. She sighed. Well, at least she'd be able to make it clear to these idiots that there'd been some kind of misunderstanding...

The girl didn't realize just why she was here. Only a few moments later, the other candidates would be brought to the same room by school faculty, told to stay behind for some unexplained reason. Likely in a similar state of confusion. After all, one of them had to be taken from the nearby elementary school. It wouldn't be until the SEED operatives assigned to their collection arrived that there'd be some kind of indication as to what was going on...

... And when they arrived at headquarters, they'd truly understand.

With disinterest Klara looked around the classroom she had been summoned to, and the others there. None were particularly interesting overall, she supposed, and she didn't go to the trouble to interact for the moment. She'd been hoping to get a look at the car engine she'd managed to get her hands on today, but now she was stuck here doing this, a real shame at that.

Her hands twitched, all too eager to get into the inner workings of some machine, a physical manifestation of Klara's preoccupation, and further evidence of the fact that she was nothing if not a gearhead. In lieu of that, she reached back to brushed a few loose strands of hair, again, while scanning the room once more. She wished she had her tools, maybe a flashlight or a circuit board or something. So much wasted time right now.

Still, she had to be here, at this school, as part of the deal that had gotten her out of Russia, and in the fast track to joining one of the most advanced organizations on the planet. She found herself practically salivating at the thought of working with whatever SEED was cooking up in their labs and workshops. It was just a matter of doing all this stuff and then getting there.

And that meant going through this school, academy, whatever. It wasn't that difficult, all things considered, but it was hard connecting with people since she didn't speak Japanese all that well, or English for that matter, and no one else here really spoke Russian besides provided translators. Not that she minded much, since she probably wouldn't have related with all these girls anyway, and didn't really want to. People were hard, machines were easy.

So she sat calmly and waited, the only thing she could do.

Having only arrived in Tokyo a week ago, Li Qian Ya had started to learn Japanese in her own time. She was able to learn quite quickly, but still had trouble with some words and grammar. Her parents had found new jobs in Tokyo and were adjusting to their new life style. Their home was a traditional Japanese home, using sliding doors and tatami mats. It had a pleasant feeling and the atmosphere was just superb. With vibrant sunshine and birds singing, it was time to finally enter school her new school. Saying her goodbyes, Ya walked off to school.

Arriving at school, Ya immediately went to the staff room. Students arriving gossiped about the unfamiliar beauty walking into the school. Whispers about her transfer and how elegant she was. After introducing herself at the staff room, she was then lead to a tour of the school. Escorted around, she was told where the gym was, the changing room and the different classrooms. During the tour, one of the other teachers came by and whispered to the teacher who was escorting Ya. She could not quite understand what was being said. All she knew was there was something about herself, and needing to see the "others". She wondered what it was about, until she remembered the reason why she was in Japan. The other MagiGear candidates is probably what they were referring to.

Being taken to the room, Ya seemed to have been one of the later girls to have arrived. Entering, she bowed and greeted them. "Good afternoon. My name is Li Qian Ya, I hope we will get along." Her Japanese was a little unnatural, however, her tone was elegant and had a soft nature to it. Looking around, she saw there was a few other girls in here. She smiled at everyone before sitting down. Ya was unsure if everyone knew why they were here. It might have been that only she knew, due to what she was told prior to her transfer in China.

A few months of japanese culture is a tad overbearing for someone used to...just about anywhere else, let alone someone who spent their youth in such Isolation as Michelle. The language was even overwhelming. It was hardly inviting or easy to learn, so many different key pronunciations but that did make it easy to tell what the people meant, it was hard to lie in this precise language. So she took a little solace in the fact what people said is what they meant.

At times she questioned her resolve particularly when the other girls seemed so....squeaky. It was with the few conversations that she determined that she would be buying the best pair of noise cancelling headphones that money could offer. This had made her appear far less approachable than what she is, but this hardly bothered her. Though they are somewhat basic classes it was to aid her in the transition to the culture, and the ridiculous amount of information she needed to digest before she could make anything close to an educated analysis of the events that are going to transpire....Hardly a comforting thought for her. As her father had once said, "An unknown is the worst possibility." Some may see this as a paranoid rant, but surviving means knowing....

Just when she thought she had established a schedule she was brought to a room with no explanation other than to wait. Or at least she thought that much she didn't bother to make eye contact or even ask. Upon her arrival she looked about only to spy other girls with looks that are in a similar state of uncertainty, this fact made it easier to wait for further instruction. Though the ice-cream was more than a little unsettling...

Katarina opened her eye from her sleep and noticed how dark it is in her room, then she realized it was daytime by the heat shone by the gleaming sunlight through the windows, she sighed and pull her Japanese book away from her face, she seem to have fallen asleep when she was reading the Japanese Novel. Katarina have been preparing herself to go Japan by knowing how to communicate in Japanese when the SEED executive came to her door step to notify her about the SEED operation and such few weeks ago. At first, Katarina refused the offer but she was inspired by one of the SEED operatives later on, where she agreed to join SEED finally. Today will be the day she will be transported from Moscow to Japan by a private jet owned by SEED. She re-check to make sure everything is in order, her belongings to her new home. When she finally done packing up, she received a phone call that some people will be sent to pick her up.

It just took fifteen minutes to travel from Moscow to Japan, Katarina was quite surprised at how SEED company technologies were so advanced compared to other places. Despite that the academy is very big and dull when she first glanced but when she went in the building, she just stared with her mouth open in amazement. She saw a lot people working and the technology is what really interest her, like a fast moving lift with no sound and no string to pull them up or down. She was interrupted not long after though, "Please Miss Katarina, follow me to your orientation class." She nodded and followed the guy to her class.

Before she go into her class, she took out her phone, connecting her earphone to her ears as she don't really seem interested in interacting just yet. She took a deep breath and opened the door, taking her first look at her future classmates. There were five person in the room as she observe their behavior before she takes her seat. The first person she saw was the one with blue hair, a local Japanese, probably and she seemed agitated for some reason. As she turned a bit to her left, she noticed a girl with brown haired girl with dual ponytail like the one she saw earlier but, the one thing that interests Katarina most is that she is confident that this person is from the same country from her, Mother Russia. Katarina wanted to say "Privet" to her but decided to learn their behavior more before making a move. She continued to scan the classroom and noticed a short blue haired girl on a wheel chair. The girl seem to lost both her legs but she seemed happy to have her ice cream, Katarina felt sympathy towards her. Although the girl have a serious look and was observing the classroom like she did, her clothing and movements gave it away that she is a lazy and relaxed person, Katarina just smiled and continued to observe the classroom while walking to her seat. The next person she saw has yellow skin, a Chinese. As for as Katarina, she would have thought that she know some kung fu and was expected to see it soon in the class too, as for the last person she saw, a shy girl who took the seat behind of the class.

She took the final seat to the left near the window behind of everyone else so that, she will make sure no one will stare at her without her knowing. She took out her Japanese Novel and continued reading while looking at the bright blue Japanese Sky and listening to J-pop. Katarina just smiled and wish for something interesting to happen soon.

Rina was in the school's gym getting ready for swim team practice when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her teacher Tamaasa Sensei, some of the other girls that were in the room were already in their swimsuits and were all about to leave. "I was told to give you this." Rina's teacher said and gently gave her a pat on the shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry about club today, get your things and head to the room that was assigned to that paper." Rina looked down at the paper and opened it up to show the class room number. "Sure i'll see you later." Rina said as she turned around and started to walk out of the locker room.

Rina watched for a moment as some of the other students started to leave school for the day or going towards their clubs and other after school activities, Rina continued walking towards the room which she has passed by in the past. On her way there Rina got a glimpse of a transfer student who had walked into the room when Rina got closer it was the classroom she was told to go to. As Rina opened the door she noticed some of the other girls sitting in chairs waiting for whatever they were told to go in and wait for, one of the girls caught Rina's attention seeing that one of them was sitting in a wheel chair. Rina felt bad for her eyes going towards the others in the room, one of them seemed to be Chinese and the other two looked like to be Russian and the others were like her.

With a smile Rina walked over and took a seat in the middle of the room setting her bags down on the floor.

The sound of heels clicking against tile flooring seemed to echo over the bustling hallway. As a certain student walked through the pathway, others seemed to purposefully move out of the way, creating an opening for the student. The crowds dispersed as students went to class, leaving the echos of the heels to resound through the halls. As usual, Kido Megumi was skipping class. No person within the school had the nerve to speak to the girl about her lack of attendance, but that may have been due to the lack of failing grades. They weren't good, but not bad. Academics wasn't where the student's sovereignty lied. A faint tap on the shoulder gained her attention. She turned around, glaring at whoever had the audacity to touch her. "What?" she demanded.

A small, mousy instructor looked back up at her- Kido's heels gave her a solid three inches off height on the teacher. "I-I was supposed to g-give you this," she sputtered out, holding out a notice. Kido huffed as she took the paper. Reading over it, she asked another question. "Is that all?" The teacher said yes, and turned around, hurrying away. Kido turned around and kept walking down the hall to find the room listed on the paper.

Upon nearing the door, Kido saw other girls walking into the room. She narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher the meaning of the meeting. It probably wasn't about academia, and Kido didn't recognize any of the others from her personal life. It had to be about something she didn't know, then. It looked like it was time to make an impression.

Kido walked to the door and yanked it open, slamming as it hit the framework. Kido looked around the room, trying to take a stock of who she was dealing with. She stepped forward, heels clicking against the floor. She made sure to make eye contact with every person in the room before deciding on a chair toward the back of the room. That's when she realized the... oddity of the group gathered. Rolling her eyes, she raised her voice, making her question echo in the room.

"All right, so what the hell is this?"

Mai

A small red headed girl walked in the middle of the hallway past all the students chit chatting with each other while giving an obvious stare at the elementary school girl that wasn't even suppose to be on this school. The red haired girl nervously looked around at the others that were all staring at her. Her shoes could be heard through the halls when a complete silence sounded and everyone their eyes were focused on the girl with only some minor whispering between some the girls in the hallway.

The long hair swayed behind her back as the side ponytail on the left side of her head bounced around each time she took another step. She was wearing a plain shirt with long sleeves with a white hoodie that had cat ears attached to the top of the hood itself, over the shirt. She also had on a skirt that was just above her knees with some knee socks over her lower legs to top it all off. Her hands where close to her chest when she walked through the hallways with a smartphone in one of her hands, since she went through the main entrance the school there were only eyes focused on her she didn't even know why she had to come to this school in the first place.

She had been brought to the school but she only got a few instructions on how to walk Third left she quietly muttered to herself as she turned around the corner. It took another two hallways before she stood for the right door. She sighed while closing her eyes and lowered her head to the ground a little, what could she expect that there would be behind that door. If it was a lounge full of teachers she could probably keep her self together but anything else, she didn't want to make herself any more nervous and opened up the door while raising her head again.

The first step in the room didn't look bad at first but when she saw all the girls in the room she got somewhat more nervous since there didn't seem to be any teacher around. She took the piece of paper with the name/number of the room out of her pocket and looked outside from the same place she was standing, at the little sign saying what room it was. She stared at the girls in the room again with a slightly open mouth.

It was true it was indeed the right room. She carefully started walking and took the first seat she could find that was hugging the wall of the door. Once she thought it was safe to do some free stuff now she looked at her phone and started up a game where you would have to maintain a fictional japanese chibi character by giving food and play games with the character.

Some attention had been taken up, Klara giving a brief look over of the people who arrived in the classroom after her, but on the whole she didn't find anything to be interested in. There was a girl in a wheelchair with ice cream, which certainly earned a bit of curiosity, but that otherwise didn't seem worth investigating. Then there was the perky Chinese girl. Or maybe she was Korean...It was hard to tell, and Klara could say that with full honesty and a lack of shame. Then a bunch of other girls, some of whom seemed way too young to be here.

That last portion of people was interesting, insofar as Klara had to wonder why they were here in the first place. Surely they couldn't be doing something that actually required their presence. She hadn't signed up to be a babysitter after all. Then again, if this were related to her job in some way, then she supposed she had no choice. So, she gave quiet nods, or a muttered 'hello'. Given her current situation though, she made no effort to interact with them.

Tired of waiting though, she pulled out a piece of paper and mechanical pencil, and began to draw. They were schematics, blueprints, of things that she planned to make once she were able to get access to the technical resources of SEED. In this case, it was an exoskeleton that could serve as a suit of body armor, as well as assist in construction, heavy lifting, hazardous environments, that sort of thing. They probably had better stuff than this, but it never hurt to plan, and she needed to waste time. So she did that designing servo motors and balancing load distribution as she waited for whatever they had to do. Hopefully it wouldn't be too much longer.