On An Eagles Wings

((Author's Note:

*Stares at the overwhelming reviews, favs, and follows* Wh-What the hell? Where the hell did you come from heheheh…

WOW! It seemed like a bunch of people loved the last chapter. I've got to admit, it's got me a bit nervous… heheheh… like, wow guys.

I honestly didn't expect this to get as much attention like it did. It's because I hit 100k words right? All you guys are the ones that filter out the stories less than that, right?

Either way, it humbles me so much to see your encouraging reviews. Honestly, that was great. And there were like 45 of them last chapter alone, which surprised the ever heck outta me!

I honestly didn't expect this story to get so much attention, and, as I've read, a lot of you agree with me! Like, it makes me happy that I could pull something as wacky sounding as a Halo/Sekirei story that could scratch an itch Halo and Anime fans may or may not know they have!

Though for those that are reading this, I have to ask, because a lot of people are asking…

But how do you guys feel about the OG Sekirei flock? Like, I get where a lot of you guys are coming from, but there are some that make me curious.

Like Musubi, I can't find a relevancy that requires her to be winged to John since… well… Yume's still alive and Karasuba is now his Sekirei… Both of them were major plot points for her entire existence in the Manga!

I dunno… just let me know your thoughts! I would certainly love to discuss thing like this on a PM or something!

I could only hope you guys enjoy everything else I bring to the table…

Also, made a new story, Sancta Daemonium, a Halo/High School DxD crossover.

I know right? What am I doing even though I still have to update In the Shadow of Gods?!

It's a stupid reason why I haven't updated it, and it'll be in the next chapter I post, don't worry.

*EDIT 04/08/20* Brought to my attention, but at this chapter the story now is at 117k words. What a pleasant surprise...

((SPOILERS!)) Avoid if you don't want them!

So, the unveiling of this Chief of Security character for MBI. An old friend/enemy of John's, Soren-066, the only SPARTAN-II program traitor. This guy, well, he's a rather interesting character to be sure…

Now, to clear up any confusion for my lore genius', I'm also incorporating the story of the unreleased Halo TV series being released next year with the information we've received so far about it, which isn't much. I'm building around that for now out of respect to the television series I haven't watched yet with a bit of my own original lore, as the inclusion of Soren in this story was a thing way before I even found out they were making a tv series for Halo with him as the main antagonist. Only time will tell if I will keep it that way, and that means the story has to be good.

Not that I have high hopes for it, look at what they did to the Keyes' man! I'm cool with lots of things, but that feels like a straight slap to the face as a fan. Like, c'mon guys…

Anyhoo…

The majority of this chapter will be covering the consequences of John's decisions, along with brief explanations on what the Sekirei Plan is and what's going on in this story. More to follow…

A small introspect on On An Eagles Wings Karasuba too, with major differences, such as Yume still being alive first and forefront, this isn't the exact same Karasuba as seen in the manga or anime. I tried to make sure isn't too much difference to be any possible OOC, but there is enough that there will more to her than what we saw in the main Sekirei storyline.

Either way, she's John problem now kek….

Also, this is the first chapter I actually found myself focusing on multiple characters in one chapter, along with their personalities and such. Please let me know how I did!

With things the way they are, I hope all of you guys and your loved ones are staying safe!

Please read and review. If anyone has any questions/comments/concerns, please PM me so we could discuss it (without any spoilers of course).

And above all else, please enjoy the story!))

Feather 9

I stared, unblinking.

The MBI trooper stared back uneasily, shuffling a bit as he did. Even when covered from head to toe in white and black armor, the blue visor of his helmet did nothing to cover for his body language.

"No. 13's and No. 27's bodies have been secured, requesting two capsules for cold storage. Level 5 termination. Their Ashikabi's: Itsuki Yashiro and Suzuki Koriyama, are being brought into custody for suspicion of terrorist ties. How copy?"

"Roger that Whisky-2. Overlord reads all. Secure them and bring them back to HQ for questioning…"

I finally broke the stare off when his finger began to itch towards the trigger of his assault rifle. Instead, I regarded the other trooper as he spoke into his radio.

The EMT treating me growled. "Quit moving man. I'm trying to help you here." He gave me a glare when I glanced at him. "You messed up your hand pretty damn good doing the shit you did. I get that you're augmented, but what the hell were you thinking?"

I looked down at the injury in question. Turns out, the snapping I had heard when I redirected that 'Megafist' attack from Amebane had come from my hand. It was a bit of a grotesque sight, as the pinky, ring, and middle finger had taken much of the force, causing them to bend back unnaturally, dislocated. The tendons were stretched thickly across the skin, already taking on a purplish hue, and I could barely move my fingers.

The EMT hummed as he continued to work, medical scanner telling him the extent of my injuries. "The metacarpal bones in your hand are suffering from multiple displacement fractures. Tendons are pretty messed up, but not torn. Your pinky is almost destroyed, the bones running through it broken at different places. The ring and middle aren't too bad, hairline fractures for the most part."

I took the man's clinical notes distantly. Seems like the damage was worse than I originally thought. Though it explained why I was barely able to move a muscle in my hand before it began shaking violently.

It was only due to my mental and physical resilience that I was able to place the pain in the back of my mind when I realized the severity of my injuries.

The fact that punch was able to break a few of the bones in my hand proved just how tough these aliens can be, like a more intelligent Brute. It also proved to me how dangerous they were.

Breaking my bones, even if they were the ones in my hand, was no easy feat. To break through the advance carbide ceramic material that had been grafted into our bones with sheer brute strength behind a punch alone was perplexing.

Of course, it wasn't their base strength that I had to worry about. Nor their speed or their technique.

I glanced towards the street. Towards ruined, torn remains of the road, the pulverized cars, and toppled streetlights that stretched for about half a block.

The results of the leftover kinetic energy behind Amebane's 'Megafist' after I moved redirected the best I could. The results spoke for themselves.

I would have died had that punch landed. It wouldn't even have to be in a vital area. With that much force, I wouldn't have been surprised to see him tear through me or smear me on the road as nothing more but a bloodstain.

Whatever this power-up was, this 'Norito' as Amebane called it, it was too dangerous for even me to take head-on. Even if I was in MJOLNIR armor, I would highly avoid an attack like that unless I had no choice in the matter.

Though, part of me was also annoyed, and slightly disgusted that to get this 'power-up' of his, he needed to kiss his Ashikabi, a human.

I glanced at Karasuba, who stood a little way to the side, looking a bit bored as she watched the troops run back and forth. Alternating between that and giving my treatment a careful eye.

After our my… unwilling winging of her, I had gained enough of my wits to see the multiple weapons aimed at us, or me to be specific. The MBI troops had been aggressive at first, wanting to restrain me so they could take me into custody. Karasuba promptly put a stop to that before the situation could escalate, and part of me was grateful for her for it, as I realized that this was a scenario that that was not in my favor if I decided to fight back given how well equipped they were. She had announced to them my new status as her Ashikabi, and while I wasn't aware of what her position in MBI was, it must've been a rather high one, as that was enough to make them back off.

Of course, that sense of gratefulness was stomped out, placed in a MAC gun, and fired into the void of space when she then, unnecessarily may I add, decided that a demonstration was in order. My lips had been claimed once more by the alien, but I had shoved her off before she could squirm her tongue into my mouth again, more than a little peeved. The MBI troopers just stared at us, looking more and more bewildered and uncomfortable at the development and subsequent actions taking place in front of them.

Not like I could blame them though; I was still more than a little confused myself at the time.

Karasuba just laughed, seemingly delighting in my discomfort…

As the troopers scrambled to close off the area, that was when she noticed my injury. It was strange like a switch had been flipped inside of her, her face becoming carefully blank as she grabbed the first EMT she came across.

The guy was shaking in her grip by the time she dragged him to me.

"…Alright," I straightened slightly as the EMT sighed, putting down the medical scanner. "Your injury is fixable, thank God, but I would still recommend you go to a hospital to get it checked out. Make sure it's healing alright. The swelling in your hand is just making it look worse than it is, but I'm going to inject some bone-knitting polymer into your hand to keep the bones together and assist in the healing. Gonna have to relocate your fingers though, you okay with that?" He asked, rummaging through his bag and placing the required items to the side.

I nodded. "Do what you need to."

"Alright. Before we start though, I'll inject some polypseudomorphine to help with the pain before we start-."

"No drugs," I said flatly. "I don't need them." I never liked the way they made me feel. I preferred to be in pain, but alert then numbed but unfocused. The nauseating days I suffered through while recovering from augmentations left the idea of being under pain killers in a pretty negative light.

The EMT looked indignant and was most likely about to tell me off before a voice interrupted us.

"He's right. He doesn't need any of that." I looked up at the speaker, only to narrow my eyes.

Unlike the black and white assemble of the MBI troops, or the white and red of the EMT taking care of me, his was pure black. Instead of wearing the white fatigues the others wore, it was replaced by a black battle dress uniform. No doubt vacuum-rated and capable of EVA. Body armor covered his torso and shoulders with an armored collar for extra protection. A tac pad was mounted on his left arm, along with several pouches full of ammunition and grenades, centered around his waist and legs. Instead of the opened helmets the troops wore, his was sealed, masking his features, a pure black visor staring back at me.

He also had some serious hardware on him as well. The newest MA5D rested in his hands, a COG scope attached to the top, with an M301 grenade launcher under-barrel replacing the common flashlight attachment. An M57 PAW was attached to his back. Finishing it off with a knife attached to his collar and, I had to curb the slight bit of jealousy that flashed through me, an M6D attached to his thigh.

All in all, this man was suited as if he was prepared to fight a full-blown war all on his own.

That wasn't what caught my attention though.

It was his size.

His figure to be more specific, as he was as big as me. Similar muscle structure as well, aside from having bigger arms than mine. He did not look one bit as if the equipment he wore was hindering him.

No one should look like I did unless they were augmented. Besides that, there was something familiar about him. And the more I thought about it, the deeper the pit in my stomach grew.

"I'm going to need him coherent enough to ask him some questions." He cocked his helmeted head at me. "…And we have plenty to discuss."

The EMT nodded hesitantly. "Roger that sir."

…That voice…. No…

I felt a brush of anger fill me as I glared at him. I recognized him alright. I almost didn't given his normal-looking limbs, but I would never forget that voice.

We grew up together. Trained together. Fought together. Went through the augmentations together. Unfortunately, he didn't make it, becoming a cripple alongside so many of our fellow brothers and sisters.

Then he betrayed us. He even tried to join the Insurrectionist and attacked one of us during his escape.

I remember being told of his apparent 'death' when he crashed in the forests of Reach. I knew better though, especially when they couldn't produce a body. He had survived, as any other Spartan-II would have, and hid in the thick forests, vanishing like he always did.

Then we saw each other again, later in the war. He, a privateer working for the highest bidder, uncaring of the atrocities and his past duty to humanity. Fighting on the battlefield even with his disfigurements, using his powerful augmentations and incredible wits to do so. Then us meeting once more, from opposite sides of the battlefield.

It was also because him that brave kid from the Outer Colonies, Kwan Ah, had died. Another brave person, and a good friend, now just another corpse rotting in the ground.

"…I thought I told you," My voice was cold, even as I scowled at him. "Back then. To never show your face in front of me ever again."

The EMT tensed at my words, along with several other troopers who were in earshot. I also noticed Karasuba's head shoot towards me, lips pursed, as if she could feel my anger. I felt that presence swirl in my mind once more, tugging at the edge of it.

The air was thick with tension, and I saw multiple troops ready their rifles in preparation for a fight.

Karasuba did the same with her blade, clenching the scabbard tightly in her hand as her eyes opened slightly.

The man paused, staring at me, before his visor depolarized.

Blue eyes locked onto mine.

Soren-066 shrugged, his lips quirking into a faint smile. "I think you and I both know if you do something drastic right now, it isn't going to work out so well, for both of us."

I just glared at him, only to blink when Karasuba saddled up next to me casually, the nearly closed-eyed smile back on her face. Or it would have been a casual, hadn't her hand laid on the pommel of her blade.

"Now, now Soren-bouzu," She said casually, even as his eyes hardened as he regarded her. "If it's a fight you wanted, my Ashikabi and I would be all too willing to oblige. After all," I saw her glance at me, noticing her tongue poke out to lick her lips slightly. "I'm fully charged and ready to go."

I felt a chill crawl up my spine.

Her Norito. That's what she was talking about, right? Please tell me that's what she was talking about…

A scowl formed on his face, and I noticed a creak come from his weapon as he gripped it tightly. "…Stand down Karasuba. That new leash on your neck might disagree with getting others involved."

"Oh-hoh?" I could feel the hairs on my neck raise as she clenched her blade tightly. "And what makes you think I have a leash, much less need one in the first place?"

"Because you know what becomes of you should something happen to the one holding it." He shrugged. "Then again, mad dogs wouldn't care for what happens to their master anyways, it's in their nature after all. Always the type who bites the hand that feeds them."

Karasuba opened her eyes, bloodlust boiling through their surface as her smile became sharper. "That's pretty funny, coming from a snake." She leered. "Always waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Too scared to fight when it gets tough. How about you slither back to your master before that mad dog decides to show you just how sharp its fangs are." She flicked her thumb, a small flash of steel exposing itself. "Or don't, and we can make this more fun for me." Her smile almost stretched from ear to ear. "I don't really care~…"

"Enough!" I barked out, annoyed with the back and forth in front of me. Their attention focused on me; I regarded her first. "It's fine Karasuba, he just wants to talk," I told her carefully, ignoring her frown as I turned towards Soren. "Isn't that right?"

He nodded stiffly.

I felt a sudden wave of displeasure wash over me, causing me to pause. I glanced at Karasuba, only to see her with an uninterested look on her face as she leaned against the vehicle I was seated in, hand falling away from the pommel to rest by her side.

I exhaled, jerking my head towards the still tense EMT next to me. "Hope you don't mind if he works on my hand before you ask your questions."

Soren stared at me, expression unreadable, before nodding. The EMT sighed, relaxing as Soren told the rest of the tense troopers around us to stand down

"Seriously…" The EMT mumbled under his breath with a small shake of his head. "You sure you're ready for this? Relocating fingers is gonna hurt like a bitch man, take it from me."

He sighed once more when I nodded my head. "Alright then man," He took a hold of my fingers, using both hands to do so. "You sure you don't want something to bite on? It might help."

"I'm fi-." I opened my mouth to answer, only to tense when pain washed through me as he put pressure on my fingers, trying to relocate my fingers while I was distracted with the action.

Keyword being: trying.

"W-What the hell?" He puffed in exertion as he tried to apply more force onto the digits, the visible parts of his face becoming red as he huffed, putting his weight behind it.

My pinky moved slightly in the right direction with a small pop, but no further progress.

"The fuck, man?!" He panted as he gave up after several moments, giving my hand a wide-eyed look. "I've worked on augmented soldiers before, but it's like I'm trying to bend fucking steel here!" He flexed his hands a few times, and I could see a bead of sweat crawl down his face.

I blinked slowly, realization dawning on me. I had never had broken bones be looked at by others that weren't Dr. Halsey or other ONI doctors who had the proper clearance to examine me. Usually, whenever field personnel had gotten the chance to look at me, I had already fixed my injuries the best I possibly could or pushed away their concerns.

I stopped him before he could try again, grabbing my own fingers. "I've got it..." I grunted as I prepared myself, before jerking my hand without a second thought.

Pain jolted through my hand as my strong as steel bones were popped back into place. I sat there for a quick second, unmoving and blanked faced, as I forcibly pushed the pain to the back corner of my mind the best I could.

I exhaled slowly, before giving him my hand, fingers back in their proper place.

He took it, a bit of hesitance in the action. "...Jesus..." He whispered, before shaking his head and grabbing bone-knitting polymer kit and taking out the thin scalpel, disinfecting the swollen side of my hand. "Hold still." He murmured as he brought up the blade and pressed a button on it, causing it to heat up, and made a small incision on the side of my hand, the heated scalpel automatically cauterizing the area as it cut.

I resisted the urge to flex my hand in an attempt to get rid of the discomfort, as it felt like dozens of ants crawling into my skin and biting away at it.

He pulled the package full of the polymer, inserting the needle into the incision, and I could feel the mild discomfort of a thick liquid being pushed into my hand.

I looked away as he continued to work, looking up at the two when Soren turned towards Karasuba, getting her attention.

"You're not needed here anymore. Go assist Yume now, instead of sitting here." He told her flatly, sighing when she just raised an eyebrow in response. "She's tracking down the Sekirei you let get away. I'd advise you go out there too because I'm not putting my ass on the fire to cover your mistakes." He explained blandly.

I quickly noted that. Sekirei. Seems like I finally had a name to their species.

Karasuba blinked, before she scratched her cheek thoughtfully. "Hm, what do you know? I completely forgot that happened." She peered at me for a moment. "Time must fly when something good happens to you." She mused, before pushing herself off the vehicle. She waved at us over her shoulder as she proceeded to leave. "Make sure to take care of Jo-chan for me…. Or it'll be your head I come for next."

Soren just scoffed at the casual threat. "Just don't do a level 5 termination!" He barked after her. "You're free to do whatever you see fit to the Ashikabi's as well, but don't kill them! We still need to find out who they're working for!"

He watched her disappear into the chaos, before regarding the EMT, who was carefully tying the bandage over my hand after he stapled the incision shut. "He good to go?"

The EMT nodded as he tossed the packaging remains further into the vehicle. "He'll be fine for now," He turned towards me. "But I still want you to see a doctor afterward. Get that properly treated alright? Here," I took the tiny bag full of pills he handed me. "In case the pain or inflammation gets worse. Take two, with a meal if possible."

I thanked him before I nodded to Soren. I was ready to move.

He nodded, jerking his head towards one of the Warthogs seated in the middle of the road alongside the rest of MBI vehicles. "Let's get moving then then. You're limo's waiting."

I quietly thanked the waitress as she nervously passed me the glass of water before she gave the now helmetless Soren his coffee. She quickly retreated to the back ducking her head alongside the chef, who peered at us from the edge of his stove.

Not like I could blame their apprehension. Two hulking figures, one in full armor and kit, while the other had bloodstains on his clothes and a broken hand, taking shelter in their little western themed café.

I raised a brow at Soren as he took a liberal sip of his coffee, sighing happily as he placed it back down. "I love the coffee this place has," He said nonchalantly. "I don't know what it is, maybe because they use whole bean coffee here? Not many places do that anymore in this side of the Sol system. I think a few cafés, that I can count in one hand, still use them. They're pretty rare nowadays. Whatever it is, it has a hell of a kick- "

"Why did you bring me here?" I interrupted him; my voice bland. "I thought you were going to take me back to Teito Tower?" I believed myself to be under custody after all.

He gave me a look, before he sighed. "You really haven't changed much, have you? You would think retiring would've helped soften you up a bit." He took another sip of his coffee, a ghost of a smirk on his face. "Then again, from what I hear, you've met some interesting people to help you in that that regard."

I grounded my jaw. "Enough games Soren. If you're not here to bring me in, then what's this about?"

He rubbed his neck, a faint sigh escaping his lips. "So, I had a talk with my boss…"

"Minaka Hiroto." I said flatly, and he nodded. "How'd that happen?"

He frowned. "Let's just say, I saved him when he needed the help, and in return, he gave me something the UNSC couldn't." He gripped the glove of his left hand and removed it. Instead of disfigured flesh being revealed, black metal greeted me instead.

My eyebrows shot up. "He gave you prosthetics?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Developed them himself. These aren't your regular prosthetics either, which interact with the peripheral nerves. These interact with the central nervous system instead, and also come with augmentations of their own to match up with the rest of my body. Helped made sure I was able to stay in the game with the likes of you guys."

"Mechanical augmentations? How? I thought MBI invested in pharmaceuticals and medicine? That sounds like borderline weapons research."

"They also do D.O.D. contracts on the side for the UNSC, helps keep them afloat with all the competition they get." He shrugged, a wry smile on his face.

Still there was something that he said that unnerved me a bit. "And you said that they could help you keep up with us? How?"

He sighed as he placed the glove back on. "Yeah… as much as I would like to tell you all about it, we're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about you, and let's just say, what happened tonight… Well, that was a pretty unexpected move on your part." He glanced at his coffee cup. "It's got a bunch of people in very high places very unhappy. Of course, my boss is thrilled, not that he knows who you are or anything, I'd imagine he'd cream his pant if he did. Of course, it's not like it takes much when he finds something that interests him." He took another sip. "Then again, for all intents and purposes, it might've fell within your expectation."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "How so?"

He gave me a slight glare. "Seriously John, don't play the innocent here. We both know that role doesn't fit people like us." He leaned against the table. "You might've not known something like this was going to happen, but you at least had an idea how to start looking for it."

"…" I pursed my lips, and he scoffed at my silence.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out John. Ever since you've been out of Teito Tower, you've been keeping a low profile, keeping your neck out places you knew it didn't belong. You avoided going out at night when most of the 'incidents' occurred, ignored the Sekirei jumping across buildings in broad daylight, and you kept yourself secluded aside from several acquaintances you communicated with on a day to day basis."

"How does MBI know who I talk to? Have your people been following me around?" It would answer the question on who the people following me and spying on me at my house were.

He shook his head. "No. We kept tabs on you through the CCTV system the city's infrastructure has."

I didn't like the implications that brought. "…I thought Tokyo's Superintendent AI oversaw those subroutines. How would MBI have access to them?" I tried to keep the edge from appearing in my voice, but I couldn't help it leak out with the amount of apprehension filling me.

With the space elevator that was built in Okinawa, only Japan's national government should have any authority on what the Superintendent AI could and couldn't do, including on who would have clearance to its subroutines and databases. While the infrastructure of the city was important, maintaining and checking the orbital tether was far more so, as the safety precautions needed were immense. After all, I had heard of the major amounts of collateral damage made from one of Harvest's tether when the space station it had been attached to had been destroyed during the war, the result being the cable falling and looping around the entire planet.

If something like that were to happen on Earth, especially given the planets size and the amount of infrastructure and people on the planet, the damage would be catastrophic as the elevator would be likely able to loop around the planet twice.

So how in the world, would a conglomerate like MBI have access to something as technologically important as the AI who made sure something like that didn't happen?

Soren leaned back into his seat, cup back in his hand has he thought on how to reply.

"Officially," He began slowly. "The Japanese government has control of the AI, giving MBI only slight permissions to assist with the welfare of the entirety of Shinto Tokyo, as the corporation itself owns the city. They work together to make sure that Japan is a safe and secure place for its citizens."

"And unofficially?"

"Unofficially, well…" He shrugged. "MBI owns the nation's government, as well as the AI. We were the ones who kept the nation afloat when the rest of the world was struggling economically with the overwhelming amounts of outworld migrants and veterans who didn't know how to live without a gun in their hands. There was no way the Japanese government could compensate all the work MBI had done for them. So, a couple of back door deals, contract signing, and handshakes, and now MBI is the one who tells those elected officials 'what not to do' and 'what to do', as well as 'what they're going to do'."

"…If Minaka needs that much power over a country, why doesn't he just become the Prime Minister of Japan? Why all the secrecy?" Is that how politics worked? Ruling through proxies? Through the shadows of others?

"It's because of how much scrutiny he'll receive if he does so. The man is a genius who was able to get his own private army, as well as purchase the one city with the largest economy by Terran standard. He already has people out there who already dislike him for his less savory business decisions, like what he did with the veteran's, as well as his ability to put them out of business. Him becoming a full-time politician would be placing himself in the crosshairs of some of his enemies; literally speaking. It's too much of a risk, so it's best he works from a place of strength where he can actually be safe from the everyday threats his position normally comes with."

"Are the officials in the UEG part of this too? Do they know what's going on here?"

"Some are, but there's others who aren't. They don't need to be, and they won't be anytime soon."

"How? You saw what happened, two civilian's dead, and major damage to the infrastructure. How is MBI going to cover this up from the media from posting all this on Waypoint?" I could feel myself get irritated. It all just seemed so irresponsible to me.

I felt myself sigh when he just stared at me. "…MBI owns the media too, don't they…?" I answered my own question, and he nodded. "So, who's really in charge then?"

"Who do you think? Who could possibly get the power to control all this information and get all these things done without the public knowing? In Earth of all places?"

There was only one group who came to mind. "…ONI..." I said grimly, and he nodded, taking another sip of his coffee.

…I figured things weren't what I expected but I didn't think it would be something like this. Given ONI's line of work though, especially after the amount of power they had during the war, I could imagine how hard it was for them to let it go. Still, they wouldn't do such things without a reason, which left me with the new question: Why were they standing idly by while MBI does whatever it is they're doing?

My disturbance with the revelation must've showed on my face. "Welcome to the 'modern' UEG John. Sure, it looks like President Ruth Charet and her cabinet gained back their administrative powers from the UNSC after the war, but anybody outside of the Inner Colonies could tell that it's nothing but a front for those really in power."

I just sighed, my composure finally breaking as I rubbed my face with my hands.

My reaction gained a chuckle out of Soren. "Yup. And now that you have a better understanding of the whole situation, I'm sure you realize just how badly you almost messed things up."

He honestly didn't have to keep reminding me. ONI, even if they didn't have any political power within the government, was still a force to be reckoned with. They were the only intelligence agency still left standing after all, having snuffed every remaining one as their power grew.

Still… "Wouldn't Section Zero deal with these types of infractions?" They were to make sure no illegal activity was occurring through the colonies along with the UNSC and ONI.

He snorted. "If Section Zero actually was competent enough to do its job, we wouldn't be here."

It took me a moment before I realized he was talking about our existence. As Spartan-II's. One of the most immoral and illegal projects done by ONI to date.

"…Right…" I conceded; He did have a point there. "I think I understand now…" I couldn't help but squint at him though. "It still doesn't explain you. You defected because of ONI. Betrayed us. So why are you working under them now?"

"I don't work for ONI." He replied sternly, glaring at me. "They left me behind when they didn't have use for me back then. We were just tools to them, meant to be throw away when we ran out of battery or when we wouldn't wind up for them like good little machines. Hell, the program didn't become relevant until Draco III, when they needed to boost morale. Chances were that you guys were still considered disposable until then. How many suicide missions did you pull in order to give humanity a smidge of a chance? How many people even know of those who didn't make it, or are they still considered 'missing in action' still?"

I let him recompose himself from his small outburst silently, glancing at the silent waitress and cook cleaning around the café, doing what they can to ignore us. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Well it's not the same with MBI. Minaka has done more for me than any of my 'brothers and sisters', who tried to kill me when they realized I was alive for making my own decisions." I suppressed a wince at that; granted, he was killing both Insurrection and UNSC personnel as a privateer at the time, so we couldn't let him nor the group he was affiliated with go. "He gave me a second chance, a new body, a new purpose, and a new life." He touched his gloved left hand, on the ring finger. "So, I'll repay him the best I can until he decides to cut me loose."

We sat there in silence for a while as I digested his loyalty to Minaka Hiroto. Soren finished the rest of is coffee with a sigh, leaning into his seat, looking more and more haggard by the second.

"…You were doing exactly what you were told to do John." I looked up as he began to speak once more, his tone leaking of incredulity. "But going to a club of all things? I don't think anyone back in our class would ever do something like that for actual fun. Maybe Will, or even Daisy as a laugh; but you?" He chuckled hollowly, shaking his head. "I get the feeling you only did it because it might've finally given you the excuse you needed to get involved."

I stared at my water wordlessly as he brought back the previous topic. It wasn't my intention to get involved with whatever is going on with MBI and all these Sekirei. I really didn't go out there for that reason.

But…

I will admit… that a small part of me… just wanted something to happen for once. For something to feel like what I was doing had purpose, instead of simply existing day to day.

I never would have wanted things to get as out of control as it did. I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. No one to get killed or caught in the crossfire like they did.

"…You're not the grow old gracefully type John." Soren said earnestly. "Same for the rest of us who's seen any real action before. The only place we could feel we have purpose is on the battlefield. Even when I was a cripple, I was still as soldier. I understand those feelings of powerlessness and frustration you might feel every day, doing your best to bury them the best you can. Forcing yourself to push down your impulses, your very nature, just so people behind a desk can judge you on being 'normal' enough to live with the rest of them, and even then there's always the whispers and looks. I get that you were trying to play the boy scout, but you can't keep fixing sinks and heaters until you get back to the others. Who knows? You may even hate teaching when you get to that job of yours. Something like that isn't for everyone."

I frowned, wanting to say anything back. To rebuke him. To deny him.

…I just couldn't find it within myself to do so…

"So," I glanced up as he took a deep breath, as if to prepare himself. "Why don't you join me? Or at least, MBI?"

I furrowed my brows.

What?

Did he just really ask that?

"…I don't work for company interests. I'm a soldier, not a mercenary." I replied flatly.

"Just hear me out. We're one of the same John. No matter how you try to put it, we're birds of a feather- "

"No, we're not." I snapped, my agitation growing. Was all he just said just a spiel just to get me to lower my guard? "My flock doesn't run and turn coat on us."

He scowled. "It's not like I had a choice."

"There's always a choice."

We just sat there, glaring at one another for a few moments, before Soren sighed. He leaned against the table, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It was at that moment that I realized that even his face had been cured of its disfigurements.

Just how far ahead of modern technology was MBI?

"Listen," he sighed. "I'm not here to argue about the past. Now that your part of the game, there's a lot of things happening in the background you need to be aware of."

I felt my nostrils flare. "This isn't a game Soren." I spat.

"I…" He sighed, closing his eyes shut. "…You'll figure that out later I guess." He reopened his eyes, glancing at his tacpad as it beeped. "Listen, there's more going on than here than you realize, and I'm not just working for the sake of MBI, but the safety of the citizens of Japan as a whole."

I narrowed my eyes. "How?"

"There's splinter cells out there; Insurrectionist groups who are trying to make big moves in the Inner Colonies instead of keeping fight in the Outer."

"What do you mean? Are they employing terror tactics? Espionage?"

He nodded grimly. "More than that. Tonight, was an example. While we don't think killing innocents were their objective, the entire thing was orchestrated by them." He raised his tacpad, giving it a small tap. "The Sekirei's Ashikabi, after some… convincing on our part, admitted that they were being blackmailed into participating into what happened tonight." He detached his tacpad, handing it over to me. "Take a look."

I took it from him, staring down at the information on the screen.

Ashikabi: Itsuki Yashiro; Female (Alive)

Age: 19

Occupation: First Year at Teito University

Sekirei: No. 13 Amebane; Male (Level 5 termination); Combat Type Sekirei

I skimmed through the rest of the information, deeming it irrelevant. I instead read the lengthy bottom.

-has said to be acting against her will. The subject, under some duress, proclaimed that she had attacked No. 12 at the bar while under the orders of an unknown group holding her parent's hostage. Subject admitted she had a video sent to her proving this. When we investigated her data pad, the video showed said parents under captivity by several unknown figures, along with directions on what to do and who to look for. Intent of the group is unknown for the time but must be investigated further. Suspected Insurrectionist activity.

Recommending heightened measures to protect other Ashikabi's family to prevent further-.

I frowned, scrolling down to the next report.

Ashikabi: Suzuki Koriyama; Male (Alive; injured)

Age: 23

Occupation: Part-time student attending Tokyo Medical University; Full time garbage worker

Sekirei: No. 21 Sora; Female (Level 5 termination); Staff Type Sekirei

-informed us of his younger siblings, one male of the age of 12, and the other a female of the age of 16, having been kidnapped. He was given explicit orders by the unknown group to attack No. 11 and 12 at the bar, along with No. 6 if possible. Afterwards, the subject, already under a high number of painkillers for his injuries, began to hyperventilate and panic as he realized he failed in his mission. Was sedated with a higher dose when he began to show more violent tendencies to the orderlies tending his injuries.

Recommend an investigation team to figure out the whereabouts of the children. Their retrieval, alive or otherwise, is essential from possibly escalating this entire situation into…

I exhaled softly through my nose as I looked over the last two profiles. They were under the same situation as well, either through blackmail or threats of harm to them or a loved one.

MBI worked quick it seemed. It couldn't been longer than two hours since they got the Ashikabi under their custody.

"Do you have a positive identity on who's behind this?" I asked, handing the tacpad back to him.

He shook his head as the took it back. "No, we figured it might be splinter groups from the URF or the NCA, but nothing concrete right now. Whoever they are though, they're taking an extreme stance on Ashikabi's in order to get hands on their Sekirei's ability. The Disciplinary Squad, the team Karasuba and Yume are part of, and MBI's security force are doing their best to mitigate the accessibility these groups have to them, but it seems like they're still able to seep through the cracks. We can't watch everything after all, and I have reason to suspect that their reach might be larger than we originally thought if they were able to infiltrate the Inner Colonies already. Things might not look good for those participating in the game."

I furrowed my brow when I heard him call this situation that again. A 'Game'. I decided not to rebuke him for his wording, cataloguing it instead.

"…I'm still not going to join you Soren. Whatever MBI is doing, it's putting other people's lives at risk." I said firmly.

He sighed, but I interrupted him before he could speak. "…But I will keep an eye out. Try to keep the casualties to a minimum at least. If what your saying is true. Then it's likely that I'll become a target for them too." Especially with Karasuba being part of this 'Disciplinary Squad' he was talking about. They might see me as a priority in order to secure what might be an important asset to MBI.

Soren pursed his lips, likely not happy with my compromise for the situation, but he relented in the end with a small shrug. "…Fine. I'll take what I can get. Just watch your back out there, things are going to get unpredictable, but we can't start a full-on armed forces invasion on the country to get these guys without starting a global panic. That means that if you're going to help, then try to keep it quiet. I would've preferred us going at this together, but if you're going in alone, then realize we can't support you if you get yourself into a tight spot."

I nodded grimly, but I wasn't going to lower myself as a mercenary for MBI without knowing their purpose behind this entire operation. Besides, it wouldn't be my first-time lone wolfing an operation.

Then again, it seemed like I picked up an unexpected ally. For better or worse, only time would tell.

"But," Soren rummaged through his pocket, before pulling out a card and sliding it towards me. "If you change your mind or give us a heads up before you make any moves, I'll do my best to help you."

I picked up his card -a fancy holographic one at that- and nodded at his offer to help. "…Thanks." I still felt a little unsure on truly accepting his help though.

"Listen, I know we have our differences John. And I'm aware that you quite don't like me from my past mistakes. But we have the same goal: to make sure as little civilians to get caught in the crossfire as possible. Any help you can bring to the table will help." With his part said, he scooted out the booth with a small sigh. "Do you need a ride back?"

I shook my head immediately. I didn't need the chance of my neighbors, if a few weren't asleep at this time, to see me get dropped off by a fully armed Warthog. It would raise too many questions, and with the help I do around the complex, I didn't want to find myself in that situation.

He shrugged. "Alright." He took two steps forward, before pausing, standing right next to me. "And John? Watch yourself around Karasuba. I don't know if you figured it out but… there's something… off about her. Just thought I'd warn you."

And with those peculiar words of warning, he left the café. A few seconds later, I heard the loud rumbling roar of Warthog, before it sped down the road and soon out of sight.

…Hm. They make civilian models of that right?

…I had to get me one of those…

"A-Ano..." I jerked my head up to the trembling waitress, who let out a little squeak of terror at my sudden movement. I waited patiently for a few moments for her to regain her wits. She continued to tremble though. "I-Is that all s-s-sir? O-Or w-would you l-like anything e-e-else?" She stuttered, horribly covering the fear she felt because of me.

I resisted the urge to frown, instead I tried to keep my face as relaxed as possible. "No, I think that-. "I paused as I glanced around, my eyes falling on the thing surrounded by a glass cover. I pointed at it, extending all my fingers towards it with a knife hand. "…What's that?"

The waitress, with visible confusion on her face, followed where to what I was pointing to. "…Uh… the apple pie sir?"

Apple pie…? Never heard of that before. Hm… Well, I did like apples, and I heard that pie was like cake, so it should taste good. "I'll have that." I decided.

She gave me a befuddled look. "Uh… a slice?"

I shook my head. "I'll take the whole thing. To go if possible." Call it a slight lack of discipline, but with all that I've just learned, a bit of carbs and sugar didn't sound too bad right now.

Idly, I realized that my appetite had grown a lot after retiring. With the addition of shopping with Miya, I ordinarily ate quite a bit these days to keep up the caloric intake my body required. The other foods I had been treating myself to had been quite a nice addition as well. Probably had to do with not being restricted to military chow and rations anymore, and the civilian side did have quite the selection to choose from.

Suddenly, I was reminded of what Fred told me almost a month ago…

…This wasn't how Kelly and Linda got 'fat', right?

Unaware of my growing inner conflict, the waitress just stared at me. Her face going through multiple conflicting emotions as if she was having a hard time understanding my request. "…R-right away sir…" She settled on replying after a few moments.

I couldn't help but feel a little worried as she walked off with a dazed look on her face. I hope she was alright.

Dismissing her after a moment, I picked up my forgotten glass of water and took a sip from it.

Aliens. Terrorists. ONI. Shadow Organizations. And a multi-trillion credit company with their own private army. It was a little surprising what messing up once could bring.

One hell of a strange new world I've found myself in.

Still…

I took another sip of my water, feeling quite calm despite the circumstances.

…It wasn't the worst situation I had been in. It was an interesting one to be part of, I will admit that.

Different, but familiar enemies. Different, but familiar objectives.

The allies though? Well… I've worked with worse….

Can't say I was completely fine with the situation. Especially since I now found myself bonded to some alien, who's reasons for doing so were completely lost on me.

And that kiss…

…Who would've thought?

"E-excuse me sir?" I looked up when the waitress came back, a small box in hand that she set on the table. "Here's your pie. I-Is that all?"

I nodded my head, but to my surprise, she didn't give me a bill, saying that it was 'on the house'. I didn't know what that meant, but I soon figured it meant it was free. I found myself feeling a little bad though, so I left a few credits on the table as I left with my box in hand.

The waitress and cook seemed relieved by the time I walked out.

I blinked when the lights immediately shut off as I went through the door. The big 'OPEN' sign turning to 'CLOSED' in an instant, as if to contradict the 'Open 24 Hours'sign next to it.

Odd… did something happen?

I was abruptly brought out of my musings when something tapped me on the nose, causing me to blink. Curious, I touched it.

Water.

Another tap struck my head, along with another, and another.

I could only sigh.

Rain… Just my luck…

The apartment complex was an endearing sight to behold as I jogged lightly towards the covered staircase. Thick droplets of water continued to roll down my face even when I finally found shelter from the rain. I wiped them off as I began to make my way up the stairs, the thick bristles of my five o'clock shadow chaffing against my palm.

It was a relief when I finally made it to my door, fishing out my keys out of my pockets. I inserted it through the lock, before giving it a twist.

…That relief flew away when I didn't hear the clicking noise of the door unlocking…

…And I knew for a fact that I locked up before I left for the night…

As if to reaffirm my fears, I felt the new presence in my head give a faintly warm, pulsating sensation through it.

As if welcoming me.

It caused me to hesitate slightly, and I even debated going inside for a moment. It quickly turned into some indignation.

This was my room damn it… I wasn't about to give it to some alien.

With my mind made up, I opened the door and made my way through, only to be greeted by the smell of… curry?

…What in the world?

"Ara, ara, Jo-chan," My eye twitched when Karasuba's smiling visage greeted me, casually propped up on the couch with her stocking covered feet kicked up on the coffee table next to it, the television in front of her on. Along with her boots, she also lacked that grey coat of hers, which was draped on the couch, her sword leaning against the side of it. "I was starting to think I needed to get ready and look for you with how long you were taking." She waved a hand. "Took a look around the place. Pretty nice, expected of MBI, but you really aren't the materialistic type huh?"

She jerked a thumb towards the kitchen. "At least you keep the place stocked with food. Ah…" I closed the door behind me, ill at ease with the idea of the alien I was bonded with breaking into my house and seemingly making herself at home. At least she didn't break the lock though. "Had some of that curry you had stacked up. Saved a plate for you just in case."

"…" I kicked off my shoes, placing them by her boots, before walking to the kitchen to set down the box of pie on the counter wordlessly.

I was cold, wet, and serious need of a shower after trudging through that freezing rain. Not to mention had plenty to think about with the current revelations. I seriously didn't feel like dealing with an intrusive alien right now.

Who knows? She might even get the hint that I didn't want her here.

"Ara Jo-chan, giving me the cold shoulder already?"

"Don't call me that." I snapped in a moment of irritability, turning around to face her. "That's not my name."

She opened her eyes, blinking slowly at my reaction.

I stared back flatly, unmoving on my words and stance. We may have to work together now that we were 'bonded', but she was a stranger to me still. My name, my true name, wasn't something I would allow anyone to make light of.

Especially some alien.

"Well," Karasuba quickly regained her composure, an unreadable look on her face as she rubbed her chin. "What should I call you then? Stark-san?" She tried, and I nodded my head.

"That'll be a start Karasuba-san." I paused when she raised a hand, and I felt a bit of discomfort through the bond -there had to be a way to turn this off-, a slight frown appearing on her face.

"Afraid that's not going to happen, and drop the -san or any other honorifics you might be thinking of." She said in a clipped tone. "You're my Ashikabi and I'm your Sekirei, there's no need for that sort of formality between us."

I pressed my lips into a thin line, a little perplexed on how that part was the only thing she was focused on. Did it really matter what I called her?

"Fine then," I said curtly, not in the mood to start an argument over something so simple as addressing one another. "First off though, what's the whole deal about this? Ashikabi and Sekirei? What's going on?"

Karasuba raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by my curiosity. "I'm guessing you didn't get the phone call then?" I shook my head in slight confusion. A phone call? Should I be expecting one? "Heh, leave it to that guy to be lazy." She shrugged, a relaxed smile playing on her lips. "That's fine though, anything that fool would have told you would have likely been full of fluff and nonsense."

I just cocked my head. Who was she talking about?

She chuckled a bit. "All jokes aside… A Sekirei are what I and one hundred and seven other brothers and sisters of mine are called," She jabbed a finger in my direction. "And you, an Ashikabi, are the person we bond with to release the full potential of our power. Some of my… more romantic siblings believe that an Ashikabi is a Sekirei's fated one… the person we are destined to be with. Through the power of love or something like that…"

Karasuba trailed off, an inquisitive look in her eyes as she stared at me, and through the bond, I could feel a small tug on the edge of my mind. It was a curious thing.

I pushed it away readily.

"What about you?" I asked bluntly. With the fight earlier, I believe it was safe to say that this whole 'power of love' nonsense about bonding with Sekirei had been successfully debunked. Again, I wasn't an expert about love at all, having detached myself from unnecessary emotions for so long after seeing those fall under my command with every battle I fought in, but even I was pretty sure that scene Amebane had showed us was anything but love.

Then again, it could be all a matter of opinion for these Sekirei. It was a bit of a creepy thought for me, aliens wanting to psychically bond interracially with others out of love or power, as the last creatures I had similar experiences with were the Flood… not much love there though.

The psychic bond eerily reminded me of the intrusive Gravemind too closely for my comfort.

In response to my question, Karasuba's face became carefully blank, betraying nothing as she stared neutrally at me. It took me a few moments before I realized that I may have asked a question that might have been quite personal in nature for her.

Seems like I struck some type of nerve.

I exhaled carefully, folding my arms over my chest and leaning against the counter, the rack of knives by my side. I idly realized one was missing. "Fine then, then what is MBI trying to achieve with sending out all these Sekirei to look for their Ashikabi? Especially when it seems like the Ashikabi are being targeted right now?"

Karasuba raised an eyebrow. "Soren-bouzu told you quite a bit, now didn't he? That's strange, usually he goes around sulking all day, doesn't even talk to anybody unless it's about work or him reporting to Minaka." She gave me a searching look. "Which reminds me, how do you know each other? Seems like you two have a past."

I jerked my head dismissively. "Don't worry about it…"

She hummed, and again I felt another sensation through the bond, an inquisitive feeling this time. I was really beginning to hope this thing didn't work both ways. "Alright then, the reason MBI has released the Sekirei throughout the city is for a little something called the Sekirei Plan."

I raised a brow, and she continued with a small shrug. "It's a stupid game Minaka came up with. A battle royal that pits all one hundred and eight of us against each other. We go out, get winged, and fight, until theirs only one pair left, then the winning Ashikabi 'ascends' with his Sekirei, gaining enough power to become 'Gods'."

I narrowed my eyes. Fighting, battle royals, and 'Ascending'? So, this was the 'Game' Soren was talking about. It all sounded… incredibly dangerous, not to mention irresponsible. I thought this man was supposed to be some type of genius. And what did she mean by becoming a 'God'?

"So, why me?" I asked her instead, and explained myself when she cocked her head. "Why did you choose me to become your partner to be part of this 'Sekirei Plan' that's going on?"

Karasuba let out another shrug. "I was never really interested in the mechanics behind it, but from what I know, our genes reacted to each other." She leered at me as I furrowed my brows at that information. "I'm sure you felt it too, way back in the cafeteria?" She let out a small chuckle. "The time you threatened me with chopsticks?"

I frowned at the reminder, as well as the scolding from Halsey I received afterwards. It was those moments of hostility when I realized just how high strung my age-old instincts were. How something that have saved my life many times could actually be detrimental to my progress of being a 'civilian'. It had been a struggle for the first few weeks, but my self-isolation and basic tasks like working around the apartment complex and shopping with Miya had helped in that regard. It allowed me to shove those instincts to the side and not jump every time someone bumped into me or stood behind me.

I had to admit though, part of me felt a little relieved that I might not have to continue practicing that level of restraint anymore. Going into a combat mindset had been refreshing, but it also made me realize just how long it had been. At least, when compared to how long I've been in it for most of my life.

As if to remind me, my left hand throbbed. A mistake made due to a slight on the spot miscalculation.

It too bad of a mistake, but as a veteran Spartan-II, it was unacceptable.

Maybe Soren was right. Maybe I had gotten a little soft…

"I remember," I replied to Karasuba's question. "But what would happen if something were to happen to me and the bond was broken? Would you just move on to the next Ashikabi and get winged again?"

I felt like I made a slight mistake when any amusement drained from her face, her eyes opening fully to stare at me grimly as she leaned forward in her seat. She looked into my eyes, seemingly searching for something. When she seemed satisfied, she reclosed her eyes to little slits and leaned back into the couch.

"…No, that wouldn't be an option for me." She said, turning her head towards the side. "If you were to, let's say, die, then I would die with you."

My breath almost caught in my throat, incredulity filling my body. I narrowed my eyes at her. No… She couldn't mean… Not for someone she just met, it didn't make any sense.

"You'd…" I couldn't hold back the tinge of disbelief from my voice. "…Commit suicide?" I felt deeply disturbed at this revelation, but I wasn't sure what to do. What can I even do?

A grim smile appeared on her face as she looked back at me. "No. Not exactly. It's a result of our bond. I now belong to you, body and mind. To borrow a few words from a friend, our fates are now intertwined." I felt a slight tickled in the back of my head once more, but instead of pushing it away like last time, I hesitantly reached out towards it as well, my eye twitching slightly as a jolt ran through my spine.

…I would need some time to get used to this…

"You feel it too, don't you?" Karasuba asked. "The connection we have now?" At my nod she reached up, scratching her cheek slightly. "Now as for why I reacted to you specifically, I'm not too sure. I never intended to go and get myself winged in this stupid game. Hell, I was supposed to retire from MBI a month ago. Not that I can complain about you though, as you seem like everything I wanted in an Ashikabi: Strong, swift and quite brave, a real fighter." Her lips twisted into a small smirk as she looked at me up and down. "…Looks like I do know how to pick 'em…Lucky me."

…She stared at me straight in the eyes though my visor, searching. "I DO know how to pick em." She murmured gently; fondly.

I felt my lips twitch slightly as I continued to lean against the console, gazing at her tiny form. "Lucky me…"

I pressed my lips into a thin line as I pushed back the memories to the back of my mind, a little disturbed at how exact the wording was.

I shook my head slightly. "So, I guess that means you'll be staying here from now on?" Part of me strongly wanted her to say no, that she would go back to Teito Tower after our little discussion.

Unfortunately, reality has an odd sense of humor. "You've guessed right, hope you're not too bothered."

I exhaled through my nose, letting the insincerity in her tone slide. "I'm guessing you know where everything is at then?" I didn't know how long she had been inside my apartment, but she did admit that she had been snooping around when I first came in.

When she nodded, my stomach decided to interject unhelpfully, the grumbling almost echoing within the confines of the room.

She let out a small, sharp laugh. "Hungry are we?"

I bit back a sigh, but nodded slightly, fighting back the warmth creeping into my cheeks. With all the commotion of the night, I had forgotten to eat dinner. Even afterwards, all the adrenaline going through my system had made it easy to ignore my bodily needs.

"Well, there's a plate of the curry I made in the fridge. I'm going to go take a shower if you don't mind, gonna get ready for bed." She said, and that was when I noticed the bags under her eyes, usually slight, seeming more pronounced than usual. Idly, I wondered how long she had been awake.

Nodding dismissively, I made my way towards the fridge as she stood from the couch, stretching. I still had several questions, but with how late it was into the night, I guess I could wait until tomorrow to ask them. Pulling it open, I was immediately greeted with a literal mountain of curry and rice stuffed onto a single plate. I pulled out the dish with my unbroken hand with a bit of hesitance, noting that even though it had been in the fridge for a bit, it was still warm.

Pulling out a spoon from one of my cabinets, I carefully balanced the plate on top of my bandaged hand, picking up a spoonful of the food, and bringing it towards my mouth. I hesitated before I ate it though. What if it was poisoned? What if she did some alien thing to it that made it indigestible for humans? What if-

As if annoyed by my thought process, my stomach let out an impatient growl, wanting instant gratification.

Well, might as well see what happens I guess. I chomped down on the morsel of food, chewing thoughtfully, looking for any oddities that I might taste or feel within the food.

After a few moments, I swallowed.

Hmmm… Not bad…

After a rather filling meal of curry, I had gone to take my own shower after cleaning the dishes after Karasuba had hers. I quickly scrubbed down my body after peeling the damp remains of my suit, the warm water a welcomed sensation as it glided around my cold body. I took care of my still healing hand, and had completely forgone using the bath stool inside, wanting to be finished as soon as possible. I had to change up my common sleep ware, as I usually slept in a pair of shorts, throwing on a what should have been extra-large shirt over my form, stretching it to its limits as it conformed to the contours of my musculature.

I brushed and rinsed my teeth, idly taking note of my growing facial hair that had grown a bit further than a stubble. I glanced at the hair on my head, taking note of the slight unkemptness it was starting to show as it began to grow further from its short cut.

Tired blue eyes reflected off the mirror, heavy bags darkening the bottom of them, before I gave them a firm rub as I resisted the urge to yawn. I hadn't been able to sleep that past two days due to my nerves acting up when faced with a social event, so now that everything had died down by now, the fatigue was hitting me a bit strongly.

…Today was certainly an interesting one…

I walked out the bathroom, raising a brow when I noticed Karasuba casually lounging gracefully against my couch in the living room. She was inspecting her partially drawn blade for any imperfections with her hair down from its usual ponytail. All while, from what I could see, only wearing a shirt that was several sizes too large for he-

I did a double take.

Was she wearing one of my shirts?

…What in the world?

I walked up to her, jabbing a finger at her attire. "Why are you wearing that?"

She blinked a little, getting rid of the sleepiness in her eyes, before raising an eyebrow. "Wearing what?" She gave a small tug to the loose article of clothing. "You mean this?"

I nodded, and she shrugged. "Is there a problem with it?"

Was there a prob- Yeah, there was. It was my shirt. Why did she think she could just wear it? Didn't she have her own clothes?

"It's mine." I deadpanned.

She squinted at me. "You want it back?" She asked, unashamed in admitting her guilt for taking something that wasn't hers.

At my nod, she shrugged once more as she placed her sword to the side, and I thought I saw her smirk, before reaching for the hem of the shirt and lifting it up. Exposing her pale thighs, the white panties that hugged her hips, a taunt, firm stomach, the undersides of her breasts, before exposing her pink nip-

I grabbed the shirt, shoving it back down over her body as I looked away, keeping my face carefully blank. "Never mind," I said curtly. "You can keep it…"

Truly, I was not expecting the whole lot of nothing she was wearing underneath. Then again, what did I expect?

I glanced at her when she chuckled throatily, her eyes dark while the smile on her face stretched wide like -what was the expression- a Cheshire cat, I believe it was.

"My, Jo-chan," I felt my eyebrow twitch at the casual nickname. "I didn't take you for the shy type. It's alright, I don't mind being naked, I'm your Sekirei after all."

I let go of her -my- shirt quickly as if burned, not trusting myself to say a word in response to that due to how unsure I felt on how to approach a topic like that. Her chuckles followed me as I marched straight into the kitchen.

Internally though, I felt conflicted and more than a little incensed. For some reason, I felt my heartbeat quicken ever so slightly and a stimulus enter my system the further she exposed herself. I've seen plenty of naked bodies throughout my life, servicemen and women coming out of cryo, my Spartans, the varying degrees of undress of corpses, but I've rarely felt a thing when my eyes laid upon such features. For me to feel such a curious sensation towards the opposite sex, one that wasn't of the human species on top of that, it was more than a little unsettling.

As if to remind me of its existence, I felt a slight pull through the bond, no doubt from Karasuba, from the amusement I could feel from it.

I paused.

The bond… Could it be…? There was still plenty I didn't understand about it, but aside from being a psychic connection between the Ashikabi and Sekirei, can it also cause it to affect one another? Bring out subconscious desires or impulses of each party involved? Change one's behavior to suit the others wants and needs? Cause the one with the most psychic ability to turn the other one submissive towards their will?

As my thoughts continued to race, I could only feel a small ball of ice form in the pit of my stomach.

There was too many 'what if's' and unknowns involved, and not enough concrete evidence, and I hated being in the dark. If was going to be part of this 'Sekirei Plan' then I needed to be aware of the consequences of being bonded to such a creature and figure out how I could turn it into a benefit for myself and my mission.

…I found myself quickly beginning to hate the idea of psychic or mental connections the more I thought about it… What a pain…

I exhaled through my teeth. Best bet was to probably talk to Halsey and find out… then again, I doubt that she would be very amused with the fact that I was able to get involved in the first place.

I felt a slight shiver go down my spine.

Actually, she just might be pissed…

…Maybe someone else then…?

I walked towards the kitchen counter, opening one of the shelves and pulling out a bottle of sleep medication Ms. Miyamoto had prescribed me two weeks ago, the dosage adjusted accordingly with my specific augmentations in mind, being far higher than a normal human could ever take safely. Pouring three of the pills for one dosage into my bandaged hand, I tossed them into my mouth, pulling out a cup and filling it with water before drinking it to help them go down. I could feel Karasuba's eyes on my back as I stowed the cup and bottle of medication back to their proper locations.

As I made my way to my room, I heard the television go off, and furrowed my brows when I found Karasuba off the couch and saddled up next to me as I opened my door.

"…What are you doing?"

She gave me a nonchalant look in return. "Going to bed."

Oh… I forgot about that part. I only had one futon, having not ever expected any overnight guests, and did not have any spare futons or bedding. Not a single extra blanket or pillow beyond what was necessary for my own comfort.

"…I only have one futon." I told her carefully.

"And?" She looked bemused. "I'm fine with sharing."

I nodded earnestly. Yeah, it made sense, as I knew there was an etiquette that required hosts to prioritize the comfort of their guests while they were in their home. The only logical conclusion would be her taking the futon while I slept on the couch so-

My face blanked as I finally processed her words.

What?

I raised an eyebrow at her, and a dangerous looking smirk flitted across Karasuba's lips. "Don't make me repeat myself, I know you heard me the first time." She whispered as she went inside the room. I stared blankly after her, before pinching the bridge of my nose, trying my best to hold back the headache I can feel forming.

Was she messing with me, or was this something that Sekirei did something with their Ashikabi? Damn, but I felt if rejecting her might be a rather bad idea, as I had no clue of Sekirei and their culture, I didn't want to do something that might anger them while we slept under the same roof.

I glanced at the blade leaned against the couch, and noticed the rag on the coffee table, the smidge of faded red on the white cloth.

Yeah, it seemed like a really bad idea...

Unfortunately, I wasn't going to be able to relax enough to fall asleep if we really were going to sleep together in the same bed.

…God that just sounded wrong. Me, in bed with an alien.

Still, the realization that if something were to happen to me, she would likely suffer consequently was the only reason why I went ahead and took two more doses of my sleep medication. A bit more than I should have, but it would put me in a deep sleep quickly, to be sure, but if she was going try anything funny to me while I slept, she better do it right the first time…

…Because there would be no second chances. That I was sure of.

I turned off the remainder of the lights as I made my way to the bedroom, closing the door behind me and turning off the bedroom light as well.

I turned around, and for a moment, I couldn't help but stare.

Karasuba laid on the futon with the covers over her, but she had an eyebrow raised elegantly when she noticed my staring, but I couldn't help it, not right now.

With the moonlight filtering through the window, it only served to enhance her features. I noticed it before with Yume and the others, but at the moment, I was reminded at how… well, attractive these creatures were compared to most human females… There was plenty about them physically that would make anyone believe they were humans at a glance, but as I truly took in her appearance, I noticed that there was something… familiar about it as well. Oddly enough, the more I tried to figure it out, the more I was filled with a sense of longing…

"…Jo-chan." Karasuba's voice roused me out of my reverie. "Are you gonna come to bed or are you just going to stare at me all night?"

I ran my thumbs through my now slightly clammy palms, furrowing my brow at my sudden interest in her… appearance of all things…

The bond… it had to be because of that. Damn thing, not even twelve hours after getting it and I was already beginning to hate it…

Karasuba patted the spot next to her, another amused smile playing on her lips, and I clamored over wordlessly. Stiffly, I laid down on the edge of the futon, and she frowned in response, giving the spot next to her a firmer pat. I stared at her for a moment, before scooting close enough for her to throw the cover over me as well, less than arm's length apart as she laid her head on the pillow.

"Goodnight, my Ashikabi…" She murmured, a strange smile on her face, before she closed her eyes.

"…Night…" I mumbled back, looking up towards the ceiling as I waited for sleep to come. After a few minutes, the pills finally began to do their job, and despite the amount of tension I felt, my eyes began to close against my mind's protests not to sleep with a foreign entity right next to me.

Before I allowed sleep to claim me, I reached behind my head, underneath the pillow, and clenched the M6H hidden underneath it…

…Then I embraced the temporary oblivion…

Karasuba felt herself relax slightly as she heard his perfect breathing break and finally become a little heavier, unclenching the kitchen knife she had tucked to the back waistband of her panties.

She opened her eyes and sat up slightly when she was convinced he was truly asleep, propping herself up against her arm as she finally took her time to get a real good look at him.

His face, usually stern, had relaxed, giving him a slightly younger appearance than what she was used to. Karasuba traced her eyes along his strong jaw, to his thin lips, straight nose, and closed eyelids, drinking in every single detail that she could, something she's been doing every time when he wasn't looking.

Idly, she noted the slight freckles that dotted his cheeks. 'Cute…'

She exhaled out of her nose softly as to not wake him up, her eyes never leaving John's face…

…Her Ashikabi's face…

It was almost a surreal thought. She had an Ashikabi now, one that she chose on top of that.

When she admitted that she wasn't one hundred percent sure why she reacted to him, she wasn't lying. Even laying here now, next to the Ashikabi she was now winged to, did nothing more but perplex her slightly.

It wasn't like she hated him or anything. Nor did she think she would never get winged, not with the course of strength humanity had taken to recover from the Great War between them and the Covenant. She just didn't expect to react so strongly to one so early in the Sekirei Plan. Not even thirty percent of all the Sekirei had been released yet, much less winged. Aside from the four that had been eliminated today as well, there hadn't even been any matches to that point. With the new possibilities of organized terrorist attacks against those in the Sekirei Plan to acquire their abilities, MBI had all but begun publicly elevating themselves to Force Protection Condition Charlie, a heightened alert state.

It left her and Yume quite busy, and if she remembered correctly, then they would have two new members joining them soon in their attempt to control the situation before things can get too out of hand.

She let her eyes wander down from John's face, towards his throat, where she could see the contours of his throat, the thick muscles surrounding it. It's only defense…

'It would be too easy,' She thought darkly, a hint of familiar bloodlust grappling her. 'Despite all your strength, to kill you right now…' She could think of it easily enough as she clenched the kitchen knife once more. To pull it out and drag it across his throat. For his blood to gush out and his eyes to open in shock, while she would stare into them as their life faded. Would he give up when he realized what happened? Or would he struggle despite his wounds? Or even-

Karasuba bit her lip, suppressing her usual murderous tendencies. It was easier to do too, as she already had plenty of fun when her and Yume had found those two Sekirei-Ashikabi pairs that escaped the scene of the crime. While she didn't kill them, she sure enjoyed their screams of pain, along with their fear before Yume forced her to stop. She sighed as she laid back down on her back, pressing her palms against her eyes as she bit back a self-deprecating laugh.

'The only person who reacted to me, probably the only person who would ever react to me, and all I can think about is all the ways I could kill you on our first night together…' She removed her palms, staring up blankly at the ceiling. "…I'm pretty disgusting, aren't I John?" She whispered softly.

He stirred slightly to the near silent sound of her voice but didn't respond. Seems like with all the sleeping pills he took; he was still a light sleeper. Was he always like that, she wondered, or was it because she was here?

It would make sense if it was the latter, but she found herself oddly uncomfortable with the thought.

Damn this bond…

Karasuba turned away from him, feeling a slight restlessness grow inside of her despite her attempts to go to sleep.

'Well, I'm winged now Yume.' She thought with a tinge of bitterness. 'What now?'

On some subconscious level, even she was a bit repulsed by her near addiction to killing, to cause pain and suffering, but she felt like she was too far gone to change that now. It was that same addiction that tore apart the First-Generation Disciplinary Squad, as it was the only way of life available for her when they were first found so long ago…

Still, thinking of Yume also brought some guilt into her mind. Yume, who was, for all intents and purposes, the perfect Sekirei due to her core having no imperfections, no need for an Ashikabi because of that. Who longed for the bond she was able to achieve, hence the reason she always talked about love so much. Considered a scrapped number due to the sheer power she possessed. Then some guy comes and she's all over him, showing an interest in a person that Karasuba's never seen before. Sure, Yume tried to play it off, acting like her duties as the 'Sekirei of Fate' were more important, but she noticed her visits to that old crone Halsey to ask about him when she realized they had some sort of relationship. The sudden silent moments when she was talking about love, the wistful look in her eyes, as if she was looking at something Karasuba couldn't see.

But she could imagine who it was...

And then she went ahead and winged the guy.

On top of having issues with being a good Sekirei to her Ashikabi, it would seem like she was also a bad friend…

Yume hadn't said anything when they met up to hunt down the Sekirei aside from giving her a small smile, but she couldn't help but feel like something between them had changed. It was why she was extra vicious when dealing with the weaklings, trying to relieve herself of those worrying thoughts that did nothing but distract her.

So, she tried to find out why her friend could be interested in such a guy. She did what she could to tease him, to agitate him, and aside from a few snappy comebacks and confused looks, he was still well composed.

If he had actually tried anything funny, then she was more than confident she could handle him. Problem was that thought didn't even seem to cross his mind. Even through the bond, she couldn't feel any malicious intent, nor any ill-natured thoughts. Aside from the small burst of confusion she felt when she attempted to see how he would react to her exposing herself, nothing.

Almost literally, nothing. Even when she tried to get a better feel through their bond, it was like she was trying to break down wall that only seemed to remember that this bond business was a two-way street. Even the emotions she felt had been so small, so tiny, that she almost missed them half the time.

It was almost funny with the power she felt he had as an Ashikabi, that even though she barely felt him through the bond, the bond itself was powerful. Already, she noticed herself change ever so slightly, becoming comfortable around him even though he hadn't done much to gain her trust.

Enough that she was willing to share the same bed with him…

'Who the hell did I bond with?' Karasuba thought, a hint of apprehension for the man sleeping next to her filling her.

She turned back over to face John, trying to notice if there was anything else irregular about him aside from his size and stature. That's when she noticed his eyes, almost unnoticeably, flickering beneath their eyelids.

Karasuba felt herself quirk an eyebrow. 'A nightmare?'She thought, reaching up a hand towards his face despite herself.

Her fingertips, ever so lightly, brushed themselves against his cheek, the stubble on it scratching them.

"Who are you?" She wondered out loud, only to nearly jump when his bandaged hand slammed against her arm, trapping it against his chest as his eyes snapped open, his entire body tensed.

His intense blue eyes locked onto hers almost immediately, all traces of sleepiness gone from within them, his lips curling slightly into a frown as he glared. "…What are you doing?" He asked, his voice grave.

Karasuba blinked, unsure what to say for a moment, before she remembered something. Something Yume mentioned to her long ago, one of the things she wanted to do with the Ashikabi she could never have, something Karasuba had originally rolled her eyes about and did her best to ignore.

She could feel a small smirk grow on her face, and John looked slightly weary when he noticed it.

"Nothing much," Karasuba said, trying to keep her voice as casual as possible. "Just wondering how you would feel to be the big spoon," She could feel her grin get wider. "…Or the little spoon."

…If there was one thing she could count on in this odd situation she found herself in, was that her Ashikabi's bewildered face, one that twitched ever so slightly, never ceased to make her feel better.

"Matsu almost can't believe it Homura-tan!" Sekirei No. 02, Matsu, gushed excitingly. "A forbidden love, boy on boy, who knew you had it in you?" She finished with a small waggle of her eyebrows.

Sekirei No. 06, Homura -known by others by his alias, Kagari-, never wanted to wrap his hands around someone's throat so badly before.

"It's not like that." He snapped, before taking another shaky drag of his cigarette, trying to let the nicotine do its work.

From how badly he felt, it still wasn't working.

"The meeting is destiny~," She continued, grasping her rapidly reddening cheeks. "But is it destiny that will make you two fall in love with each other~?" she began to wiggle around, panting heavily. "My, my, how romantic~!"

Gritting his teeth at the perverted Sekirei, Homura rubbed his chest angrily. "Did you find him yet?" He snapped.

Matsu released a steamy breath as she calmed herself down. "Fufufufu," She pushed up her glasses slightly, the glare of the computers in front of her reflecting off the spectacles. "Child's play for someone like me!" She proclaimed, before beginning to type rapidly on her keyboard.

"Ahah!" She cried out triumphantly as she finally pulled his file after several seconds. "Hohohoho~, didn't know you were into the older man types too. He's also a pretty big guy," Matsu turned towards him, waggling her eyebrows as she took in the man's photo. "Fancy yourself being the 'bottom' while he's the 'top'? Or do you want it the other way?"

Homura just glared at her, even as she broke out into her perverted giggles.

Miya wouldn't mind if he burned, let's say, half the room, right? Because it was either that or he was going to strangle the pervert himself, rules be damned.

"Eh?" Matsu paused, her brows furrowing as she looked over the files. "That's odd…" She murmured; her previous antics forgotten as she looked at the information.

"What is it?" He asked, a bit perplexed at how quickly her attitude had changed. "What did you find?"

"…It's not much on what I could find," She said with some hesitance, making him worry even more. "…It's more on what I can't find out."

Homura came in close when she moved to the side, narrowing his eyes at the information on the screen. Or the lack of it.

Black ink. So much of it, covered most of his information. Aside from his age, birthplace, name, and sex, almost everything was censored out. He could read and put together tidbits here and there, like how he had been a soldier for the UNSC Navy, only recently getting out for reasons unexplained. He filtered through the files, not finding much else in information, not even his rank in the UNSC or his enlistment date.

Still, even with this, he frowned at the hacker. "And? Can't you just remove this? You've done it before with MBI files before."

Matsu sighed in slight frustration, face pensive. "Well, that was because the firewalls protecting the information were rather light, and even then, I have to be careful not to get anything traced back to here…"

Homura frowned. "Then why can't you do the same here?"

"Well," She looked to the side. "…That's because the files weren't from the MBI databases." She admitted, a shred of guilt in her tone. "Just getting them in the first place was pretty hard itself."

"What?" She didn't look his way. "Matsu," He said slowly, beginning to feel concerned. "Where did you get the files?"

"It was only because MBI didn't have too much information! I thought was weird, so I looked towards other databases to see what I could-"

"Matsu." She grimaced as the air started to smell like ash. "Where?"

"Well, I might've hacked through some of the... Er…" She coughed lightly. "…ONI… databases."

Homura only furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Uh, okay? Is that a bad thing?"

She stared at him blankly, before remembering that it's been no more than a month since he was released from the labs. Of course he wouldn't know much. "Well, it's a military intelligence company for the UNSC. It's supposed to be nothing more than an information gathering and analysis department for them. Though there are plenty of rumors that suggest otherwise."

"Like what?"

"Oh, you know, subterfuge, espionage, deception, and top-secret weapons research and development, stuff like that." She said casually as she pushed her glasses up. "Like your average spy-movie agency ever." She hummed curiously, even as Homura began to pale with the information. "Wonder what a guy like him did for a group like that?"

Homura wanted to know too. While he hated MBI for what they were doing, if his 'chosen' Ashikabi was in league with an organization like this ONI on top of the UNSC, he could only imagine it wasn't for any benevolent purposes. He was already quite sick of unscrupulous organizations, and this knowledge only served to make him more wary of the man known as John Stark.

…He was beginning to wonder if that even was his real name at all…

"So you can't decrypt his files then?" he frowned when she shook her head.

"Not without likely getting traced back to here. The firewalls and security on these files are pretty high, I would likely need a Norito to be able to hack through them." She groaned in slight frustration. "Ah, Matsu wants to have an Ashikabi to experiment with too~!" She whined childishly. "Your so lucky Homura-tan! You've already found your Ashikabi, now all that's left for you is to lovingly elope and swap your thick, hot, DNA into each other fufufufu~." She began to pant heavily as she daydreamed, creepy chuckles escaping her lips as her glasses glinted. Her fingers making odd wriggling motions as she stared at the man's picture, feeling more than a little hot under the collar.

Homura just flushed darkly, scowling at her angrily as he scratched his chest. "…Damn pervert…" He growled as he inhaled more smoke from his cigarette.

"Fufufufu- eh?" Matsu stopped chuckling when one of her monitors let out a small beep. "Oh, looks like MBI updated their profile on him, think we could find the size of his- urk." She choked as she pulled up the newest piece of information, eyes budging underneath her glasses.

Homura blinked. "Matsu?" He asked hesitantly. "What's wro-?"

"He… he just got his first Sekirei…"

He blinked, unsure how to feel that the Ashikabi he was reacting to now had his own Sekirei. "Oh… Well, who is it?"

Matsu's hands shook slightly. "It was Karasuba…" She whispered in awed horror.

The still lit cigarette slipped from Homura's now numbed lips, falling onto the multitude of blankets scattered around the room.

Karasuba's Ashikabi… He was reacting to Karasuba's Ashikabi…

There had to be something out there that decided that he was going to be the butt of the universe. He must have done something horrible in the past life, because that was the only way he could explain all these damn things going on with him.

First, an unstable body. Then, the Ashikabi that he was reacting to was a man, instead of a woman. Now, to finish, he was Karasuba's -The damned Black Sekirei's- Ashikabi!

It really felt like something out there was just laughing at his misery.

'Why me…?' He wondered.

As he agonized over his misfortune, his already unstable abilities, decided then and there to lash out. The room began to heat up, before, in a small flicker, one of the blankets on the edge of the futon suddenly combusted in flames.

Matsu blinked, idly realizing how hot it suddenly became. "What's that sme- Ahhh!" She shrieked when she saw the enlarged flame licking against the wall of her room. "Homura-tan! Homura-tan! The futons burning!" Quickly, she grabbed one of her pillows and began smacking it furiously in an attempt to put it out.

Homura's eyes went wide when he realized what he had just done. "Kuh!" He grunted in pain as his chest decided to contract violently, scratching at the area furiously. Still, he didn't allow that to keep him down, grabbing another one of the pillows and doing his best to assist. While he could turn flames on and off at his own will, with the unstableness his body and powers were currently suffering through, he didn't want to risk making the situation worse.

Still, they had to move quick, before Miya realized what was-

"Ara, ara," Speak of the devil and she shall appear. "Look at the two of you, if I didn't know any better I would've have thought you were trying to do your best to burn down the home my husband and I recreated." Frozen stiff, the remnants of the flame nothing more but smoking embers, they turned towards the voice, only to be met with an angelically smiling demon.

"Ah, no Miya-tan! It's- it's-" Matsu tried to explain to her, only for her eyes to widen when the outline of a mask began to form near the woman. The air around her warping from the sheer pressure of her malevolence. "K-Karasuba just got winged!" She shrieked as she latched onto the increasingly paling Homura desperately in fear from the landlady's wrath.

Miya went still for a few moments, her face missing the once peaceful smile, now increasingly blank of all emotions. "…Oh? So, she actually got a Ashikabi… I wonder who's the unfortunate soul who got attached to such a repulsive woman?" Even though her voice was still gentle, it carried a note of harshness towards it. The air around her continued to twist and turn as it prepared itself to conjure up something dark, something fearsome.

She didn't even wait for Matsu to move out the way as she came up, who squawked as she felt herself be pushed to the side, still holding on to Homura desperately.

Miya frowned, only to narrow her eyes when she saw the name of her shopping friend posted as the Ashikabi. "Oh my," She muttered, a conflicted feeling forming inside of her. "…This had turned into quite a difficult situation…" She muttered.

Homura and Matsu could only whimper behind her, holding to one another as the terrifying visage of a Hannya mask came to life in full force in response to Miya's displeasure. Blood began to pour liberally from its eyes, howling wind haunting the background despite the fact that they were indoors, like space was conforming itself to the lavenderette's cold anger.

Matsu trembled. "…You sure picked one hell of an Ashikabi…" She squeaked.

Homura could only stare blankly at the horror in front of him catatonically, his brain having shut off a while ago as it gave up trying to make sense of his situation.

...It was no use...