Calm

Her expression is far too uncomfortable to look at. The intense red eyes unnaturally illuminated her white fringe. Twitching slowly towards the group smashing parts of a billion dollar space station with a giant planet. Still silently smiling like a robot clueless of its surroundings. Her colleagues dressed in cloaks and armour didn't help things either. Blankly ferocious beasts far from their own. Twitching uneasily against the robots piling upon the window, pointing their guns directly at the perpetrators. Still clueless from what had went down earlier.

"Come on! We don't have time to watch you wallow about you misbehaving fools!"

Shane turns to look at the woman in her robes, slowly trotting next to her boss. Her facial expression that of irritation, staring deep into her soul. Tired of the farce. She trembled, looking around her group of colleagues who watched on clueless. Uncertain of their decision.

She could still faintly remember the pain that was their training into super powered individuals. The struggle against the toxic suppressive environment they had been stuck in for years. Less of studies and more of power enhancement from a painful red sugary liquid she can't remember. The memories that seem to fizz about whenever she tries to think of it. Brutally suppressed with unknown liquids at that same spot. That bloody dammed spot.

She was just like anyone else from The Light of Men. Soldiers and law enforcers. They know nothing else than fighting, to capture and end threats. Relearning is a possibility but without any options to move, they would be as good as sitting ducks. She looks upon Verda, Derek and Baku behind her. The only ones free to choose their options despite their circumstances. They silently awaited their responses in cold sweat. Unable to respond in this dilemma forced upon them.

"Sure."

She turns to Hanson, slowly facing the group despite his answer. Firmly serious in his thoughts with his attempt to hold Ambar up. Still weak from his painful hit unlike the three machines remaining in his arsenal.

"A hero is something more than just a name with powers. It is after all a mere judgemental term. Nevertheless isn't it proper to simply look after others?"

He chuckled, nudging his hat as he continued his answer. Unbothered by the glances he is getting from Shane. Skeptical of her claims.

"Leaving such a role is fine. There isn't anything else to hide for me. I don't care for personal agendas, I decided to stay for help others. To be the best I can be. Even if I don't like it. Isn't that what The Light of Men is about? To be better?"

Hanson warmly smiled, unbothered by the guns still pointed towards their group. His watch ticked slowly, hidden from view from their aging effects.

"Can't believe this is the first time I agree with you for once…"

Atsuki peered towards Hanson, silently nodding nervously. Hiding with cold sweat despite the rest silently making no moves. Turning away from the group in their robes. Fuming at such insensitivity.

"Is this a joke, are you seriously giving up? For a bunch of supers you-"

The man with dark skin wandered forward, unable to take this lying down. His eyes twitching, seething in silence unlike the peaceful stranger he once was. Ignorant of the face his superior looked upon in silence. He continues to state his case, frustrated they didn't take her seriously unlike the man with his hat. Cutting his words short with a grumpy smirk.

"It's not a matter of status, it is the matter of getting our point across. Isn't that right?"

Hanson shrugs his shoulders, facing the woman still creepily calm in her stead. Sighing from his points amongst the gazes of her supervisors.

"Fine. We'll let you off here on out. However any deviations and we will ensure you will cease to exist. Let them out."

"But-"

She looks upon the woman still calmly furrowing her eyes. Cutting her off with the gaze of red. Evidently planning her next move against the warmongers. She could feel the palpable sense of terror within her eyes. The devious plans set forth to end their streak.

Many plans to hide this secret base now a dud. Too obvious and damaged to hide in the view of the moon. Enough evidence to arouse suspicion in the misuse of funds amongst the populace. Perhaps they were barking up the wrong tree, but without the trust remaining, evacuation is only just a last ditch attempt to save their organization. She hides behind her calm demeanor. Contemplating her last resort against the wishes of her forefathers.

They were screwed.

The group watch themselves envelope themselves around a purple glow, dragged towards the air lock amongst the arrival of the two giants, still enveloped with major damage around their armour and internals. Smoking from the heat. A questionable feat if they made it down in one piece like the orange flash leading the charge down to earth.

Behind the pair of artificial eyes, one machine laid with the darkness. It's eyes in oily tears. Heartbroken for the machine it laid by it's arms. Lost with the barren scraps of new debris floating around the planet reverted to its original form. Less of hidden junk and more of a ring encompassing the planet. All obvious to the eye from afar. Evidence of a century of mistakes.

"Hanson, why did you agree with their choices? You do realize we are against a group that rules everyone?"

Shane looks at Hanson in the big bubble that was Nemo, still suspicious of her affiliations and her next move from all of her hiding. For a slime hiding big secrets, her involvement was milder than expected. Too mild.

She furrowed her eyes away, hoping to not rub the wrong way against the rest stumbling upon the slimy ball in a purple glow. Careful to not trip on the slimy ribs, stuck onto the Unibody's palm like a thick, unwanted sticker.

"Did you not forget?"

They showed her their recordings. All linked to internet live streaming sites, somehow unscathed from the maniacal antics. On top of the bar, a large grey rectangle laid with a large number of views rising ever so slowly. All still being recorded worldwide to the public. Live on stage.

'1.13M Watching'

Her eyes widened in amazement, looking upon the machine holding the blob in safety. The sole internet provider in the dark abyss. Slowly moving to the direction of their planet.

She is certain some are bots rampaging about from their strange popularity at such circumstances. The wifi set to run around the globe with ease. With the destruction of cities, getting online is more of an arduous task than before. The figure she just see was just a heartwarming figure to see.

Atsuki ended the livestream, hiding her phone and relaxing within the slimy walls. Unbothered by the goo sinking into her clothes. She turns towards the diluted blue and green planet, still smoking from the damages it received. Smiling upon the silhouette of the Attec Speeder joining their dash to earth. Far from the Pixil returning to Russia. Sighing at the death of it's partner. Giving into Leroy's deal with a machine of their own. Broken-hearted.

An orange glow enveloped the machines, leaving much debris falling down into an inferno. The bubble rattled with a violent bounce. Unnerving the artificial intelligence at the helm. Blowing through the thick clouds against the black smoke.

Below, the shadows of buildings remained, flattened by the constant bombardment of explosives of unknown origins. Much of their historical monuments barely clinging on to life. The tall buildings once housing the biggest of foreign companies vanishing with the debris. Falling with the wind unlike the headquarters of Sector C. Still standing upright after all that heavy fire. Through the inner runways, the lights shone bright with a landing Superfav, heavily modified and riddled with tainted paint. Following procedures like nothing was wrong.

As they land. She could see the group of men surrounding the building with impunity. Barely smooth with debris and trash all over the grounds. At the helm, a man with his ruffled suit, disappointing like the men meeting their gaze. Still haggard with his dedicated timepiece.

"My my… when can you stop this kind of nonsense…"

His face nothing more than blank, tired from his firing from his car. A broken wreck with missing pieces glowing upon his face. Crackling with billowing black smoke. Worst was the arriving commanders and politicians. Unhappy at the latest display of recklessness with the handcuffs up in dim display in the contaminated night sky.

"Sorry sir…"

She sighed with dismay, unable to look up upon Alfred crossing his arms in dismay. Continuing his complaints like the men surrounding their group. Upset at their antics from their breakout.

"I'm going to need to see you, Verda and her mum for a while. You all got a lot of explaining to do…"

She looked away slightly. Apologetic for her reckless actions throughout her endeavor. Scratching her head out of sorrow pity for herself. Still filled with little tolerance for herself. She turns to look behind, reverting back to her usual self unlike the girl and her huge contempt. Fuming at the sight of the man speaking to the officials who gasped with confusion at his request.

"Please take care of yourself. I expect you to suffer in there. You blithering annoyance."

She nudged him away from his position with her middle finger. Uninterested in the worried reaction of her peers staring at her.

"For your information, I don't forgive you for your actions. Nor will I ever see myself visiting you. So don't bother looking for me. To me, you are not my brother."

She glanced at his face, hissing in disgust at a stranger since birth. The man who hid his secrets despite all she had went through. The man who was nothing more than selfish at heart. Hiding a secret she would have been pissed to hear even at the right time. She clenched her fists, turning away from the crowd of soldiers looking upon their argument. Clueless as to what was going on unlike their superiors questioning the woman on the centre stage.

"Sylvie wait-"

Atsuki turns to face the woman wandering away from the group, entering the remaining crowd of soldiers who survived the entire ordeal. Swallowing her whole amidst the onset of messages running rampant. The rough mess of their making.

Her posture stiff, unwavering in her next steps to glory. All to herself. She sighs, disappointed at her blind control in her head. Moving the pieces without care or concern. She had suspected the being she controlled placing her under a spell for some time. Quietly enduring without any assistance from their helping hand. With the events at an end, her actions through that pressing time held true to that thought. A ticking time bomb for herself.

She tries to get close to her, hopeful she can think this through. But a scarred hand stopped her in her tracks, pulling her back in reluctance.

"Calm down, I expected her to do such a thing…"

He pats her on the head, ruffling her hair with slight annoyance. Cheekily apologetic for his actions.

"Are you serious, isn't she supposed to be your sister?"

She blushed slightly, putting his hand down. Questioning his move to move on.

"I don't expect to be forgiven for this. In fact, I'm elated to let things go for once."

He breathes a sigh of relief, smiling back at the position she once stood. Nothing more than dirt and dust in the wind. Polluting the asphalt with his past.

"Before you go, can I ask you one question?"

He turns to face the woman caught off guard. Still pondering his words at leaving behind his family. The faces of their loved ones heartbroken from this settlement. A glimpse of a painful memory, a reminder of her own separation from her parents when it began.

"What?"

She looks at him with curiosity, still listless from the crowding soldiers wandering through the wreckage. Checking for toxic gases and fiery liquids still lingering around the area. Nothing but a crumbling flattened mess.

"Do you forgive me? I promised to be there for once you know?"

He held out his pinky finger, looking upon the woman silently blushing away. Sobbing silently in embarrassment from Baku and Bryony hiding in the crowd of soldiers. Smiling at each other at the spectacle.

She hated to admit her feelings. Her constant shy behaviour trying to make friends, if it is awkward at best. Always lonely from the days she made herself even with the large fanbase of hers. They tilted their head against the warm breeze, watching the bond grow this whole time in those chambers. She couldn't afford to admit it, yet the friendship had evidently grown strongest with him. A romance of bonds.

Her chance.

"Y-Yeah."

She bitterly smiled, warmly kissing the man now with hand cuffs. Gazing upon his weak calming face once more before the storm. He gives a small nod, slowly wandering with armed soldiers surrounding him. Confused and clueless to his decision.

They exchanged looks at each other. Stunned a man of such popularity and respect would wander into the back of the armoured van so willingly. The stories lingering around the higher ups via radio of an unbelievable action once that of a rumour of the war.

The doors slammed upon the thick metal walls, echoing through the dark cell now his purgatory. Dull with little light shining upon the metal floor and uncomfortable cushions. He gazes at his palm, illuminating the little scars riddled around his time pilot his machine.

His pride and his pain.

His head still clouded his failed rematch against his rival now an artificial intelligence. A failed annoying mess. His breath heavy, amazed by his ability to live on. Yet the sight of him throwing a tantrum with bits of the Attec Speeder falling off was far too much for him. Even now with his eyes staring right through the van. Just a freak at heart.

He sighs, slouching by the metal walls rubbed with memories. Contented with himself. Smiling with his head held high.

"After all this time… Finally…"