Otto, I Need Backup!

Before the Great Honkai Eruption, nightfall in ARC City signaled the start of revelry. Now, this cyberpunk metropolis was no different from any other ruined city, shrouded in an eerie quiet.

Empty snack wrappers littered the corner of the tiny time-out room. The three had been waiting for hours. What started as patient anticipation quickly devolved into… this.

When Sora and Adam cautiously opened the door, they found the trio hunched over, engaged in a fierce battle with small, round cards.

"Ha! Ugh, so close!" Kiana picked up her card, took a deep breath, and flung it at Shu's card with all her might.

The force of the throw made Shu and Lyle squint, but the cards on the floor remained stubbornly upright.

Shu rubbed his eyes, then picked up his card, his smile turning maniacal as he looked at Kiana's horrified expression. "Mwahahaha! I've never lost a game in my life!!"

"Wait!" Just as Shu was about to make his move, Kiana had a brilliant idea. She snatched up her card and darted towards the doorway. "Game over! Mei~!"

Shu froze, staring at her in disbelief. You can't just quit!

"No fair!" Lyle, less restrained, yelled, pointing at Kiana accusingly.

"It is too!" Kiana retorted, hiding behind Mei and peeking out. "We have serious business to attend to!"

Shu: "..." He twitched, then silently collected the cards. "Fine. Serious business it is…"

He looked at Sora and Adam, then at Bronya and Mei behind them. "I was just about to go find you two… how did you know we were here?"

"Sora told me," Bronya replied flatly, her deadpan gaze shifting between Shu and Kiana. "And I brought Mei along."

"…You two are getting along quite well…" Shu muttered. I knew Bronya had a talent for befriending… children.

Mei pulled Kiana into the room and closed the door behind them. "Shu, did you discover something?"

"It's a bit complicated," Shu replied, realizing it would be more efficient to let Mei see for herself. "Let's wait for Adam to explain."

Mei nodded, suppressing her curiosity, and allowed Kiana to pull her down to the floor.

A time-out room… this was a first for her. She had always been a model student, the "child other parents wished their kids were like." Even during her father's imprisonment, her grades and conduct remained impeccable.

Even when she and Kiana got into trouble, teachers and Theresa treated them differently. Theresa's usual refrain was: "Kiana! Look what you've done! You've corrupted Mei!"

The closest she had ever been to a time-out room was when she brought Kiana food.

Unlike Mei, the others were perfectly at ease. The three children, Shu, and Kiana acted as if they owned the place. Even Bronya sat there calmly. She hadn't been so well-behaved when she first arrived at Cocolia's orphanage.

After checking that the coast was clear, Lyle handed the flashlight to Adam and pulled back the curtains, revealing the whiteboard.

Mei and Bronya stared at the display, then at the three children.

"This is…"

"I'll explain…" Adam sighed, realizing he couldn't avoid the spotlight. He handed the flashlight to Lyle and stood before the whiteboard.

"These photos were taken by Lyle using Robot Mark II. They're the most important pieces of evidence."

"First, the victim, our good friend, and the youngest member of our Sky Bunnies Squad." Adam picked up a small stick, using it as a pointer.

"Little Tian disappeared from the Nest on the sixth day after the disaster, but I believe the… incident… actually started a day earlier.

"Because the day before the disaster, our parents… and the teachers who disappeared, and the other adults… they were acting very strange…"

Adam paused, then pulled the whiteboard aside, revealing a second board, also covered in photos.

Shu's eyes widened, mirroring the expressions of Mei, Bronya, and Kiana. A second whiteboard?! Lyle, why didn't you tell us?!

Shu and Kiana glared at Lyle, who looked back innocently. You didn't ask.

We almost missed crucial information! Shu sighed, rubbing his temples, then focused on Adam's explanation.

"The day before the disaster, Teacher was acting very… slow. She stumbled several times on her way to the podium. Many teachers were acting like that.

"Some of the usually noisy kids suddenly became very quiet. They wouldn't talk or eat. And during breaks, they would cover their ears, as if we were too loud…"

Adam pointed to several photos, these ones lacking the professional angles of the previous set, looking more like stills from a video recording.

"Where did these photos come from? Robot Mark II?" Shu asked during a pause.

Adam shook his head. "No… Sora wasn't with us then. Miss Cioara brought her back on the third day after the disaster."

"And…" Adam hesitated, looking at Sora, who nodded. He sighed. "Sora's memory… it wasn't always this bad… After Teacher brought her back, she started forgetting things…"

Shu looked at Sora, who sat quietly on the floor, his surprise growing. Why does everyone have a secret? he wondered.

Natasha, Sora, the mysterious man in the lab coat, the strange old man… and now Sora had a mystery surrounding her…

Otto! I need you!!