By the time the lesser MFF units had entered Yashiro's office, they would also bear witness to various other figures sitting adjacent to one another upon the roundtable. They were all generally high-ranking members, both apart of the MFF's ranks and those from their allied forces. Various commanders and lieutenants were present alongside CEOs and ambassadors to other departments and corporations, some talking amongst one another while the rest sat still like silent sentinels. And there, at the far end of the table, Commander Yashiro sat with her fingers folded up against her lips, her scarlet eyes silently judging the lesser units that had entered. She didn't reply to any their greetings - formal or informal - only eying them for as long as she needed before turning her gaze back at the sliding doors.

Amongst the newcomers, she would give a slightly harsher glance to both Akari's informal attitude and regarding Miss Yueri tardiness for being the last person to show up. Normally she would call them out on such "misdemeanors", perhaps scold them at worst, but in a room with equals, near-equals, and a handful of higher-ups, it would be improper of her to do so in this setting. She will have to see to that personally.

Once everyone had been accounted for, and already several minutes into when the meeting would've begun, the armored commander cleared her throat before officially starting the session with a commanding presence.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Commander Yashiro formally welcomed everyone as she straightened her papers, "I would first like to thank everyone for coming to this very important meeting. I understand that a majority of you were called out at a rather improper time, but to those I had personally requested - you know who you are - you all have a role here that you will partake in, in one form or another. I will attempt to be as brief with this meeting as possible, for time is of the upmost essence.".

Once she placed them neatly down in front of her, the commander straightened her form and proceeded to continue with the speech in place. The screen behind her would abruptly ignite as it showed live footage of the destructive aftermath.

"At 13:06 hours," she began in a blank and matter-of-fact tone, "Center City had come under siege by two arial GMG assailants. The one who had initiated the attack - codenamed "Terrorkeet" - was first encountered by a JSDF patrol in "Block C" before being reported to central command."

An image of the kaiju would be brought on screen, with footage following her movements against MFF forces.

"Standard protocol was thus initiated and by the time the MFF had launched the first assault, the majority of civilians had evacuated safely to their emergency bunkers. Civilian casualties were minimally distributed around ground zero, the majority having been done by the kaiju's sudden arrival, however it was able to cause significant damage to the infrastructure in both Block C and D. Nonetheless, we believed to have had everything under control before it suddenly vanished without a trace..."

The slide would then show footage of the second kaiju in question.

"Minutes later, the second kaiju - the infamous "Dragon Queen" - had descended upon Center City in "Block D", flattening an entire skyscraper upon landing and severely damaging the adjacent buildings. Her arrival had caught everyone off-guard and we were ill-equipped to handle her. Central command had ordered all units to retreat back to HQ for further orders, as we scrambled to formulate an emergency plan to deter the Dragon Queen..."

Commander Yashiro would pause for a moment, as a silent wave of guilt, anger, and ridicule rippled through her servos simultaneously, before continuing. Keen eyed viewers could see her shake very subtly as if trying to subdue her emotions, along with the scar on her left-cheek issuing a very dim glow to represent her lividness on what followed.

"However, two units in particular had refused to follow orders and had acted upon their own merits without given permission."

The screen would then reveal the offensives initiated by Kodama Koji and Lt. Dice Amaro and the destructive aftermaths.

"Lieutenant Dice Amaro and CG operator Kodama Koji had proceeded to initiate an unauthorized assault at the kaiju, with very little affect on the outcome. Both had been retrieved and are being treated for their injuries - the former's being much more severe."

She would not mention Utena's failure to respond to Miss Yueri personally going against her word to find the rest of the survivors, but they would still feel the affects of her word being unintentionally directed at them.

"It would be after where Dragon Queen would be last seen leaving the battlefield with Terrorkeet flying after her..."

Then the slide shifted to the footage of the two leaving in the chaotic whirlwind. The video would then pause and zoom into the maelstrom, revealing the pixels of the third kaiju in question.

"Where it was revealed to have harbored yet a third unknown kaiju being carried into the air with them. Its identity remains unknown, however no reports had been given of a white-furred, quadrupedal, kaiju in the Center City conflict and how it slipped in without being detected also remains unknown. We are working to decipher the identity of the unknown GMG in question."

The screen would then revert back to the MFF's blue intermission screen as Commander Yashiro took yet another deep breath before continuing.

"In summary," she said almost ashamedly, "This operation had been an utter disaster, filled with various mishaps and revealed new unresolved mysteries that have yet to be solved. Yet, it has also raised various concerns about the movements of the GMG and raised concerns about their next move. Some have theorized that they had planned for this attack to perhaps be used as a diversion while they initiate another scheme from right under our noses - a grand collaboration that may involve some of the most dangerous GMG units on record. While we do not have direct evidence of such a scheme, past records have seemed to confirm some kind of pattern within their recent attacks and we have the right to believe that something amiss is going on."

Yashiro's depressive features would then bolden as she looked upon the masses with a serious tone.

"And we're all gathered here to formulate our own plans to counter them." she boldly announced, "With a few of you already having various plans in mind. However, before I continue, I will briefly allow time for anyone to ask any questions or concerns on the matter at hand. If any of you would like to briefly speak, you are permitted to do so at this time."

"Mmm... Hm? Who... Who turned out the lights?" A small voice said as their eyes shifted around slowly. Darkness, and not darkness they could see through normally. Shifting their body around, the figure realized something. "Did I... Sleep walk... Or... Sleep dig, again?" They we're underground, or at least buried underneath something. Wriggling around, they made enough room to stretch a bit before burrowing through the terrain, where they assumed was up. Moments later, the rubble of a collapsed building began to shift as a black haired girl poked her head out from the debris.

"Light... Hm... What happened?" She looked around curiously. It looked as if the building that she had decided to sleep in had been toppled, which was strange, as there was no construction in the area when she went to sleep. As she pulled herself out of the rubble, she pulled a now torn pillow and a relatively dirty snake plush out with her. "Ooh... Everything is broken..." She noticed that it wasn't just her building that was destroyed, several others were as well. As she looked around, two massive shadows flew over and away from her, looking up she noticed two giant creatures? Girls? Giant people like her flying away from the city.

"Awww... They ruined my nap..." She said in a pouty tone. She looked down at her torn pillow with a sad look before looking at her dirty plush. "And they ruined my snakey!!" She yelled in a booming voice as the debris around her flew off in every direction.

While those who belonged to the ranks of the MFF gathered themselves for a post-mission discussion, the people of Central City tried to go back to their daily routine. As usual, the number of fatal casualties was zero, even if a few people had some injuries, the simple fact that no one died was worthy of praise in itself.

As far as material damages go, those who live in a habitual disaster zone are used to loss and rebuilding. Central City itself was built in a modular fashion to allow such repair to take place while everyone followed their daily routines. In fact, just as the people came out of the emergency shelters, the streets, and whole sections of the city went underground or shifted configurations to reveal a whole different city that the people could live in, while the other buildings were repaired away from the public eye.


As a matter of fact, a certain sleepy snake happened to be in one of the places where the shift was about to happen. The whirring of the machinery below the ground and blaring sirens directing her to cross the street before the sector began its trip downwards.

"Hey, are you sure you want to stay there? The trip back to the surface is quite long, y'know?" Seika said from the other side of the street after she came around to check what was happening here when she noticed the eyepatch-wearing girl's yell.

"Oh, sorry if I'm intruding, but is everything alright with you? If you are hurt or need a place to rest, I would be glad to help. If you want it of course," she said as she approached the other girl. Anyone would be worried if they saw a person who appeared to have come out from under a collapsed building, wouldn't they? "By the way, my name's Seika," she added with a smile on her face.

---

Utena nodded as her stomach growled, thankfully the room was loud enough that nobody could hear them over the general chatter. Especially when Akari leaned in and whispered about wrestling GMGs and subway tunnels, she totally knew. Utena's poker face was amazing, the only tell that Akari was onto something being a slight downward twitch of her lips as she turned her head to the soldier under her command. "I know you got lunch already, but would you mind accompanying me after the meeting? I feel as though we should have a private debriefing about these matters."

The meeting started with little fanfare as Commander Yashiro briefly summarized the events of the battle, which was helpful considering how Utena had been cuddling- obtaining information from Terrorkeat for most of the battle. She nodded along for most of the briefing, raising an eyebrow here or there when new info was brought back to light, a stern look as Dragon Queen was brought up. What a shame she had missed the GMG, she was really looking forward to trying to get a shot at the big tsundere.

Utena narrowed her eyes as she focused on the new... GMG? "Excuse me for asking Commander Yashiro, but are you sure that's a GMG? It looks very... not humanoid. I know we've had some oddballs in the past, what with Goomie being an amorphous GMG, but this thing doesn't look even close to being human." Admittedly, it was hard to tell from what few blurry pixels could be observed, but the point did need to be raised regardless. If this is in fact something different from GMGs, it would be a major gamechanger and need to be prepared for accordingly.

Commander Yashiro also brought up the idea of the GMGs coordinating with one another, plotting their next moves in the shadows, together... Do GMGs have sleepovers? She would have to ask Terrorkeat about it as soon as she called her- It suddenly occurred to her that Commander Yashiro may want to in fact know about Terrorkeat's human form. Her gaze shifted away from the commander and to the slideshow, an intense look on her face as she considered the pros and cons of such an action. On the one hand, this could be the major breakthrough the MFF was looking for in tracking down GMGs before they appeared in the city. On the other hand, it could begin a massive witch hunt as the Commander Yashiro demanded that anyone who looked even remotely similar to a GMG be detained for questioning, sparking panic throughout the city.

It was also worth noting that Terrorkeat had not actually caused any casualties herself, so siccing the MFF on her immediately would be a terrible idea if she could just convince the girl to come with her on her own, try and get her to explain why she did what she did. In the end, the choice was rather simple. For now she would keep it to herself, she just needed to get Terrorkeat to talk to her.

A green haired kaiju in human stumbled out of a building soon to descend beneath the earth, falling to her hands and knees as a hiker's backpack that rose over her head rose and fell in time with her ragged breathes. The weight was a comfort, however, as Yeshua was happy to find she hadn't lost all her belongings when she fell from her hammock and transformed. Having to storm up the stairs after the quake her transformation caused locked down the elevators would have been fine on it's own, but doing it both ways after crossing the city on foot?

Even the homeless bird could find herself a bit winded.

Her throat burned, parched as the sahara and just as desperately in need of refreshment as she hobbled to her feet. The best thing to do with herself was to get lost and see if she could find a nice cafe. She had a bit of money, but if she got lucky people would leave partially unfinished drinks out, and that was a win/win in the kaiju's books.

Yeshua would have gone off to do just that if she hadn't come across a dust caked young girl being approached by another, the rumble of shifting plates seperating them with glacial slowness. Realization struck her like a viper's curled around her chest, it's teeth insidiously sliding something vile and heavy that hastened her breath before she swallowed that bitter sensation.

"I did that." Yeshua murmurred, voice too ragged to be heard over the shifting surroundings. It would be easy to blame it all on the MFF, but she still transformed and that building could have collapsed at any point. The need to fix her mess arose and she clung to it, jogging down the street and hoping down without a thought for the long ride down and the even harsher walk back up.

"Hey, are you okay? You're legs not sprained or anything? Ribs hurting? I can carry you to a doctor if you need it." Yeshua offered, unable to smell any blood but not willing to rely on her dampened senses while in human shape.

"Hey, are you sure you want to stay there? The trip back to the surface is quite long, y'know?" Seika said from the other side of the street after she came around to check what was happening here when she noticed the eyepatch-wearing girl's yell.

The girl sniffled as she noticed the lady calling to her about going underground. She tilted her head before realizing what was happening, she ran out before the spot she was standing on could shift and move. She looked back to see the rubble vanish, and in it's place, a new building took it's place.

"Oh, sorry if I'm intruding, but is everything alright with you? If you are hurt or need a place to rest, I would be glad to help. If you want it of course," she said as she approached the other girl. Anyone would be worried if they saw a person who appeared to have come out from under a collapsed building, wouldn't they? "By the way, my name's Seika," she added with a smile on her face.

The girl looked up at the stranger named Seika and yawned a bit before hugging her snake plush. "My name is... Eris. I just want a place to sleep..." She stated as she looked back at the new building. "And... I want to know about that..." She said pointing at the ground beneath the building. "How... Did that happen?" She asked.

"Hey, are you okay? You're legs not sprained or anything? Ribs hurting? I can carry you to a doctor if you need it." Yeshua offered, unable to smell any blood but not willing to rely on her dampened senses while in human shape.

Eris's attention was taken again by another stranger, this time with green hair. "No... I'm fine... Just mad! And sad... My poor Tsuchi is dirty..." She said, cuddling the snake plush. "I just want a place to sleep... Without my bed collapsing all of a sudden..."

---

"Oh, yeah, sure, I wouldn't mind that. But, don't you think that we should at least go on a date—er... mission—before taking things to 'private'?" Akari whispered back to Utena, in a joking tone.

"Well, I still don't know what a grunt like me can help with. But, maybe some of them—the monster girls, I mean—aren't as bad as we think they are? It certainly looked like that with Terrorkeet. She didn't look like she was trying to destroy the city intentionally," Akari said after listening to the Commander's words. "Actually, maybe if we tried to talk, we could even convince some of them to help us fight the bad ones?"

"I guess... ehehe!" Akari laughed nervously, after saying the first thing that came to her mind.


"Oh, Eris? That's an interesting name," Seika said after the eye-patch girl introduced herself. "Well, about that," she said, pointing to the submerging building, which began to move after the block was warded off by an automatic fence, "This city is built like a giant jigsaw puzzle, if one part gets damaged, it can be swapped for another one in a snap. When the reserve buildings aren't being used, they are stored in a big series of caves and tunnels underground. I guess you could say that this city is kinda like a fluffy cake."

"Talking about cakes—It seems that someone else is coming," Seika was about to address Eris' other point when a green-haired girl came to them and offered to help Eris in a worried voice.

"Anyway, back to cakes," she said after Eris replied to the other girl. "I know of a place nearby where you could spend the night if you want. Well, to be more specific, I work part-time over there. It's a karaoke cafe. I'm sure I could get you a place to stay if you want it."

"Ah, by the way, don't worry about things falling on your head. It's in an underground shelter. I think the Owner said she was tired of having to fix broken windows so she moved to an underground mall."

"Actually, why don't you come as well? I'll even see if I can get us something to drink while we talk things through," Seika said, inviting the newcomer as well.

---

"Oh, sorry to hear about your snakey plush. Umm, maybe I can see about cleaning that for you? I know a few tricks to get dirt out. Lots 'ah camping experience to work with." Yeshua chirped, awash with relief as the building slid away behind them, leaving them standing before a ponderously deepening pit that would soon give way to a fresh building. A marvel of engineering, people had said, not to mention a boon to the construction work in the city. The constant GMG and MFF presence would ensure at least some people had employment even if they leveled most of the city.

The avian looked at the other girl, the one who'd been calling out to the eye patch wearing one, and perked up at the offer of shelter and a drink. Even as her insides knotted at the thought of sleeping underground without the sun, moon, and stars for company, she did have to admit that it would be harder to do whith the MFF so paranoid for aerial threats right now.

"Hey, that's awfully kind of you. Name's Yeshua, and I'd be real happy to accept that offer of yours." She flashed Seika a winning smile before offering a hand to Eris. "Come on it sounds like fun, and it'll be even easier to clean Tsuchi when we get there."

With the rampage of Terrorkeat coming and passing, the normalcy of life in Central City ebbed back into its natural flow. It wasn’t long before the sun dipped down and cast an orange glow over the city, or what was left of it. It was the dying lights of a fading afternoon that illuminated the streets and the gathering of not one, but three GMGs in disguise. The likes of Yeshua, Eris, and Seika were located as such so as not to be a major block in the road. But even without attracting attention, they still caught the one of one who sought them out.

“Actually, I heard the café’s closed for tonight. Something about repairs from the last GMG attack,” said a newcomer who overheard their conversation. With the city plates rearranging back into place, the three girls were on level ground once more. Unfortunately, it was in the middle of the street and near the debris of the last building destroyed in the attack. The new girl wasn’t phased by this however, yet she had some light concern in her gaze watching over the three.

“You know, this place is gonna be crowed with PR soon. Or those engineer types who get to work rebuilding the…er, building. Point is the place is gonna be overrun. Not the best hanging out spot for some high school students,” the girl said. She paused before realizing she missed out on the obvious. “Oh! Sorry, name’s Tomoko. I run around these parts, so GMG attacks are kind of common for me; common enough to know how the process goes.”

Tomoko strode on over to the nearest one, that being Yeshua. Without asking, she casually wrapped an arm over her shoulder as if they were long lost friends. With a hand, she beckoned the other two closer in a group huddle. “Soooo, we should head on over to this new place I’ve heard about. I hear it’s a great drinking well for, uh…your type. You know. The GMG type.” Before either girl could respond, she raised her hands up innocently. “Hey, I’m a friend to you guys…er, girls, trust me...Yeshua Sands, Eris Tomaki, and Hourai Seika.”

"This city is built like a giant jigsaw puzzle, if one part gets damaged, it can be swapped for another one in a snap. When the reserve buildings aren't being used, they are stored in a big series of caves and tunnels underground. I guess you could say that this city is kinda like a fluffy cake."

"An... Underground cake..." Eris was intrigued. Did some of these humans live underground like her? Did they eat underground cakes? What do they taste like? Eris's thoughts were all over the place. These humans were becoming more and more interesting to her.

"I know of a place nearby where you could spend the night if you want. Well, to be more specific, I work part-time over there. It's a karaoke cafe. I'm sure I could get you a place to stay if you want it."

"Ah, by the way, don't worry about things falling on your head. It's in an underground shelter. I think the Owner said she was tired of having to fix broken windows so she moved to an underground mall."

This underground shelter sounded very appetizing to Eris, maybe then she would finally be able to get some real shut eye, something she hadn't been able to do until now.

"Hey, that's awfully kind of you. Name's Yeshua, and I'd be real happy to accept that offer of yours." She flashed Seika a winning smile before offering a hand to Eris. "Come on it sounds like fun, and it'll be even easier to clean Tsuchi when we get there."

Eris tilted her head and looked up at Yeshua curiously before taking her hand. She might of actually just made a friend here, two in fact. "Sounds nice..." She said with a slight smile. She snuggled her snake plush as she walked with them.

“Actually, I heard the café’s closed for tonight. Something about repairs from the last GMG attack,”

Eris gave a small sigh, another stranger? She looked to see another new face. Maybe a another new friend? The news of this cafe being closed though kinda disappointed her. The new girl, Tomoko, then strode over to them as if she knew them. In fact, she did know them, by name and everything. Even that they were simply disguised. Eris was confused, and curious, who was this new girl?

---

Seika clasped her hands and smiled when she Yeshua mentioned that she was being far too kind. "Offering a hand to help others is the right thing to do," she said.

"Also, there's something I'd like to ask, but that can wait until we are in a less public place."

Just as Seika was about to show the direction of her workplace to the other two, they were interrupted by an energetic blonde girl. "What a cute girl like you is doing around here? If you got lost, we can help you find the nearest police sta—Wha!?"

Seika was left wordless while she was offering to help the seemingly misplaced young girl. "Whoa, isn't that a serious thing? You can't go around labeling people like this. What if someone heard that?" She had a wry grin on her face as she tried to dismiss the accusations. Even so, Seika couldn't help but look at Ers and Yeshua, smirking inwardly at the idea that the other two girls were just like her.

---

A fourth stranger came up, young, sprightly, and looking incongrous with the recent disaster area. The sort she'd expect to be just getting out of the shelters and heading home or to the stores, not scoping out some people near the battle. Unless she was one of those thrill junkies who chased news stories, but she seemed so young for it-

She had her arm around Yeshua's shoulder and spoke softly, almost jovial in how close she acted till she dropped the flagrant allusions to her- their- identities. That would explain why the drowsy girl was more annoyed then anything else at a building falling on her, though she had no way to judge if the other was really a GMG.

"You know, I don't go to school, heck, I don't even have a home. So I'm real curious how you got my name there, Tomoko-chan, or why you'd assert we could be GMGs. They are, you know, giants, after all. The only ones who'd know otherwise would have to be the GMGs themselves, am I right?" The avian pressed, the wind brushed around the gathered huddle to muddle their words to outside eavesdroppers. It wasn't overt enough to really claim she controlled the wind, not a hair blown out of place on any of them, but it was a subtle nod for Tomoko to answer correctly here. "That kind of talk is real dangerous for people with plenty to lose."

Tomoko nodded along, still smiling as the three girls rightfully had their doubts and even defended themselves. “Ah, but you are. You are GMGs, hiding in plain sight. No one could have ever guessed you could turn into such cute forms~” The subtle pitch in wind did not go unnoticed by the blonde and she nodded once again, though more to herself than to any of the others. “You’re definitely Terrokeat. And the data descriptions label you as…Dancer? Devil? No, no, it was Diva!” Tomoko said, looking at Seika.

“Not sure about you. You must be a new one.” A final glance was given to Eris now before she huddled closer to the three girls. “Hey, hey, relax. I’m not working for the MFF or anything like that. Frankly, their shoot first and ask later mentality really cramps my style. But I know how confusing this must be for you, so let’s talk over at that café I promised yah, kay?” Shifting in place, Tomoko tapped the ground a few times with her boot before the three of them disappeared.

Whether anyone saw wasn’t her concern, though it would explain why she made sure to speak to the three monsters out of public sight. In any case, all four girls were standing in the streets one moment and in the next, their environment was completely new. The sound of busy bodies and people moving and talking among themselves revealed a massive control center. None of them really batted an eye at the newcomers or the fact they’d just been whisked into the middle of activity.

The ground beneath them was clear like glass and revealed the gray blots of clouds that covered the sky. If they looked closely, they could see the tiny dot of a street they were standing on a moment ago. “Welcome to the proud and only flagship of the Human Anti-Radical Team! Better known as HART,” Tomoko said, finally letting the three go and swerving an arm dramatically. “No need to fear, GMGs. For we are here! To better your lives and the lives of the humans of our world!”

Naturally, it might have been too much to take in. But at the very least, none of the people were training guns on them and if Tomoko’s earlier sentiments about the MFF were serious, this was probably illegal activity. “We’ve got you covered about a living space, Yeshua. You’ve just been beamed up by the SS Silencia, safe from airfare and any pesky MFF that can try to find us,” Tomoko said with a thumbs up.

---

That was something. Those words would no doubt be in the minds of the MFF agents called for the meeting. It seemed that things had changed all of a sudden. The Commander's attention was required back at her office, forcing the meeting to come to an earlier ending.

After that unexpected outcome, Akane found herself hanging around Utena in the emptying room. "You're still up for that lunch you asked about earlier? If you don't care for street food, I know a pretty good place right around the corner," she said as she got up. "By the way, it's also quite private. If you know what I mean." Akane grinned, beckoning the other girl to follow her.

Whether or not Utena decided to tag along, a few minutes later, Akane left the MFF headquarters. When she arrived at the inconspicuous stand set on a side street, she ordered a big serving of freshly made takoyaki. However, for some reason, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something out of ordinary was going on as she ate her treat.

---

---

"Hey, you can't say stuff like that out loud, what if someone heard you—" Before Seika could finish her sentence, three of them, plus the diminutive blonde got transported to somewhere else.

"Eek!" She freaked out for a moment when she noticed that they were high up in the sky, practically throwing herself on Tomoko's arms until she noticed that they were standing on a glass floor inside some kind of airship. "Erm, what do you mean? I never heard of any organization like this," Seika said as she regained her composure, trying to ignore her earlier scare.

After listening to the rest of Tomoko's explanation, Seika crossed her arms in and looked down at the small blonde. "So, did you come here to take us to your planet or something like this?" she asked with a straight face. Something like this could only be the work of aliens, right?

---

Utena was definitely left pondering by the end of the meeting, finding herself lost in thought as the room began to empty out and everyone began preparing for the next move. She was shaken out of this revery by Akari shortly, who reminded her that they had a lunch date to go on. Her stomach growled in response, prompting Utena to nod seriously as they moved out of the room and to the streets.

They both got takoyaki, Utena got two servings because she had also skipped breakfast too, finding a nice spot to sit nearby while they ate. "So let's start with the basics-" Utena said in between bites, her voice slightly muffled as she shoveled her food down like she hadn't eaten in literal years. "This is really good, I gotta remember this place."

A long silence passed as Utena kept eating, before she swallowed and let out a content sigh. "Good stuff." She patted her stomach happily and smiled, another long silence passing.... Oh right! Why they came here! Utena was back to business mode as her face got serious once again. "Now then, what do you know about the GMG known as Terrorkeat?"

This Tomoko girl was alarmingly forthcoming, setting off the few alarms Yeshua had danger that she actually listened to. After all, a hero was the type to go head first into such matters, but in the present situation, she was starting to hear her heart hammering in her chest, expecting snipers or some sort of MFF mechanized ambush. Was it unfair to Tomoko? Perhaps, but she had just been assaulted in full force for rolling out of a hammock wrong.

So she felt entirely valid in breaking away from the huddle, air visibly swirling about her to redirect projectiles once she blinked and found herself in a new place. Her eyes took in clouds beneath her and a busy room, more people then she felt comfortable with hustling about like this was mundane for them.

"HART? Wow...that's....so....awesome!" Doing a full 180 of opinion, Yeshua leaped for joy, boots striking the glass as she took in the people who didn't fear her for her monstrous transformation. She reached out to the air currents, running across the Silencia and feeling the space beyond, noting that she'd have never felt this ship if she weren't already inside it. That, and it was indeed a ship, and not just a roose propogated with projectors in some kinda of high tech MFF bunker to lull us into compliance.

"Yes, yes yes! Every Hero dreams of having a secret organization supporting them behind the scenes, and this one has a mobile base too. Soooooo cool!" The human form of Terrorkeat crowed, abatting in her exuberant hopping to tackle Tomoko in a hug. "Why didn't you say so sooner? We could have done so much good already, Tomo-Chan!"

---

Akari grinned as she saw the satisfaction in Utena's eyes. However, it wasn't time to talk about food. They had something more important to discuss right now.

"Do you mean like her phone number or something like that? Because I'm sure you could give it to me if you wanted to, right?" Akari said after swallowing another mouthful of takoyaki. The red-haired girl looked at Utena with a knowing grin stamped in her lips. "To say the truth, I just wanted to get out of that meeting, but I can't say that I ain't curious about your idea of monster fighting. So, whatcha gonna do now, date them all into submission?"

Utena's eyes narrowed as Akari made her jokes, resting her head on her hands as she stared intently at the lower officer. "I'd like to resolve things peacefully yes. You have to admit, it's quite the shaking revelation that these monsters we've been fighting not only have intelligence on par with that of humans, but they might also be living among us. We could figure out why they're attacking, perhaps even attempt diplomacy! Isn't that amazing?" The serious gleam in her eyes bled out as she spoke, excitement replacing the mood as Utena considered the possibilities.

"And you know, maybe dating them would be cool. We don't know, anything is still up in the air." She muttered, a small blush rising to her cheeks before she quickly squashed it. "Regardless, I'm hoping to secure your silence on this matter, at least until I can confirm some things. I don't need the higher-ups finding out about this and messing something up with some heavy-handed power play."

"Don't worry with me. Who would believe in anything a grunt like me said?" Akari tried to dismiss Utena's worries with a burst of hearty laughter. "Actually, I've been thinking something like that as well. Maybe we could get some of them to help us. I'm sure not all of the GMGs are bad people," she said before taking a pause, occupying her mouth once again it chewing.

Once she was done with her eating, Akari looked Utena with the same smile still glued to her face. "By the way, Boss, if you're gonna buy my silence, you could begin by footing the bill. They don't pay us in the rank and file that much, y'know?"

Utena nodded vigorously, happy that someone could see her point of view. "Yeah yeah! And maybe one day, we can even stop fighting altogether! That's the goal, right? I figure this is just the most attainable path, rather than trying to kill them all or something." I mean really, what was even the point? A lot of these GMGs had really useful abilities, stuff that could revolutionize the world if they were integrated into society rather than forced out. Terrorkeat's wind abilities would make power generation via wind turbines one of the most efficient methods of making power, Goomie could be studied to find a way to reverse grievous injuries and regenerate lost limbs, Dragon Queen could... well, she didn't really know a lot about her. Nobody did, but hopefully, she could be reasoned with!

" O-oh yeah, the bill. Don't worry, I can cover all that, I remember what it was like to be a grunt living on barebones food." Utena laughed, reminiscing on her days as a rank and file soldier. "So tell me Akari..." Utena smiled as she pulled out her wallet, taking out enough money to cover the both of them plus a tip. "You think I have a shot with Terrorkeat?"

Akari nodded as she listened to Utena while having another order freshly-made, super-spicy treats. If she didn't have to worry about the bill, she might as well stuff herself, right? She chewed the food with haste, bumping a fist against her chest to avoid chocking as she swallowed it all. "Well, that was hot!" Akari said to herself gulping down some iced-tea to cool herself.

"Erm, anyway... phew! You almost caught me back there. For a moment I thought that you would ask me out," Akari said as she noticed the intensity of Utena's gaze as she asked her hesitant question. "I guess that anything is possible if you put your heart on it? Well, maybe not everything, everything, but you get what I mean, right? You may look scary but you are a nice girl on the inside, I'm sure that TK can relate to that. But, don't you think you should at least ask her actual name before going out on a date or something like this?"

Utena wasn't usually a fan of spicy, so she let Akari take care of that plate while she sipped on her own iced tea. She laughed at Akari's initial assumption, waving it off easily as she spoke. "Sorry to get your hopes up, I've got a certain type after all! I prefer taller girls." She giggled at her little joke, taking another sip of her drink as she listened to Akari. "I look scary? Whatever, I think I get what you mean. I just gotta go into things without initial assumptions, be myself, and actually learn her name! That's probably the most important part, god knows I wouldn't wanna be called something silly like Utenazilla all the time."

A thoughtful look crossed Utena's face as she said this, wondering how this first date would actually work out. "In the end, it's all up to her though, I don't really have any way to contact her. I gave her my number after all, I don't think she even owns a phone." Utena scratched the back of her head, just a hint of nervousness entering her mind as she wondered if TK would actually even call. She had been a little overbearing at first, she might not even want to!

"Don't worry, I'm sure that everything is gonna play out well in the end, lover girl," Akari laughed as she patted Utena's shoulder. "Now, what do you say about another round, eh?" Anyone looking at them right now wouldn't be hard-pressed to think that they were old work partners drinking their woes off.

---

Tomoko raised an arm up as the winds worked against her. Her coat flapped in place and papers scattered around from Yeshua’s initial spook; but soon enough, it all died down as the bird-like GMG realized the only harm that would befall her here were the disgruntled complaints of employees that had to clean her mess. Though it wasn’t like she paid any notice anyway, apprehension immediately replaced with excitement that was enough to bubble over the entire ship. Some of the employees stiffened at her jump for joy on the floor window, unsure if a GMG’s personal gravity was different enough to shatter the glass completely.

“Pssh, we’re not aliens. If anything, I should be asking you that question,” Tomoko chuckled to the Seika in her arms once the wind settled. “This is just years of planning, hard work, and maybe some illicit funding at play. Nothing alien about us-oof!” Now it was Yeshua’s turn to barrel her, sending the blonde straight to the ground with two GMG atop her. Thankfully Eris didn’t try the same stunt lest she be fully crushed.

“Well, I’d hope you wouldn’t have heard about a group like this! The point is to be secret after all,” Tomoko huffed under Seika, scrambling to get up. “Like I said, HART’s aim is to integrate GMGs into human society, at least until the world’s ready to be diplomatic first and shoot later. We provide the safety while you provide the cooperation.” Before she could elaborate on that, the entire station suddenly dimmed to red lights and an alarm went off. HART’s employees immediately halted what they were doing to scramble into position.

“Now’s as good a time as any to explain in further detail.” Tomoko picked herself up and dusted her coat off. By now night fell over the city and the low buzz of evening life lit up the world. But one more “light” flickered in the other side of the city, opposite of Yeshua’s earlier slip-up. “Someone bring up the screen please,” Tomoko commanded before an image flickered in front of them for all to see. A goop-like creature that glowed similar to the ocean’s deep-water creatures was sluggishly making her way out of the waters and into the mainland.

“Codename Goomie. Perfect. As I was saying, in exchange for protection and integration, we’d like to count on your assistance in safely helping your sisters. That means, we’ll be relying on you to go down there and…well, talk some sense into her, so to speak,” said Tomoko. She looked at all three of the GMGs, knowing it wouldn’t be long before the MFF reacted in kind. Indeed, even now, both Utena and Akari would be given warning updates and commands to return to their stations and prepare for the nighttime battle.

“I also have some questions for you, Yeshua. We’d like to know why you transformed earlier today.” A pause. “It wasn’t by choice, was it? Nevermind that, we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other once this is done. Can we count on you to help us?”

Winding up on the floor atop Tomoko and one of the other GMGs wasn't the worst thing, far comfier then being on the floor with only a slip of cardboard for cushioning. She could have snuggled closer and enjoyed it more had alarms not begun blaring, casting the room into a flurry of hurried motion, everyone running about to address something going on below in the city. Even airborne and encased in metal and glass, Terrorkeat could feel the Quake heralding a GMG growing and bounded to her feet, eyes scanning through the pane beneath her for some sign of the offender.

She had great eyesight but lacking any point of reference and she was looking for a needle in a haystack within the HART airship. Fortunately HART had their own equipment and they were treated to the ever amorphous and amorous blob kaiju that was Goomie. The green haired avian pouted, wishing she had gotten such a disarming name till Tomoko beckoned for everyone's attention.

"Pfft, like you even need to ask. Of course I'll help, happy to- Erk!" Yeshua choked, face draining of color as they questioned why she had transformed in the first place. It wasn't a secret per se, but there were a lot of people here and that was just embarrassing. She smiled then, as Tomoko put it off for later and the bird took that as an excuse to leave. Sending out a faint stream of air before her, she mapped her way through the vessel as she went and worked upwards to the deck. Stopping only to shuck off her pack containing all her worldy possessions indoorts, she leaped off the edge and hurtled down towards the city.

A tube of wind kept her at a diagonal angle, covering a great swathe of distance so her transformation wouldn't need to be right upon HART's doorstep. When mobile skyscrapers began to give way to warehouses and docking cranes, Yeshua Sands disappeared and Terrorkeat emerged into the city for the second time that day.

Humans~ humans~ all over the ground~! Pick em up, carry them around~!

The evacuation alarms blared as Goomie emerged from the ocean, burbling incoherently as she sang her human song and got ready for the night. A slimy hand slammed onto a bunch of humans desperately trying to run into the shelter, sucking them up into her body where they were safe and secure. They would probably hold their breath for a while, until their bodies forced them to fill their lungs with Goomie's sweet sweet slime~! At that point they'd probably stop struggling and calm down, as her body kept them satiated and calm while she found even more cute pets for her house~! Though calling it a house was a bit of an overstatement, as it was really more of an island, but that didn't matter! Goomie's house was Goomie's house, and all her pets loved living there and playing with her~! Those who couldn't make it to the shelters were swiftly rolled over, the tidal wave of slime sweeping up any stragglers on the street and depositing them all throughout her body while digesting anything useless and not cute like cars or rubble.

The doors of a shelter began to close but not before Goomie shoved her hand into the closing gates, grasping and clawing at whatever humans were inside. Even a single touch would stick them to her "fingers", sucking them into the endless goop no matter how hard the other civilians tried to pull them out. Sometimes she even got two for one when someone just wouldn't let go, score~! It was really quite horrific from everyone else's perspective, seeing this absolute flood of slime sucking in their friends and family, screaming until finally their heads were sucked in and they were left in total silence. Goomie pawed around for a little while to see if anyone else was inside, eventually satisfied with the dozen or so she had managed to get, withdrawing her hand from the now broken doors.

Humans~ humans~, hiding all around~! Pick em up, make sure they're bound~!