Upon their return, Cid was already pacing the large office, clearly showing signs of being overly paranoid. Matthew saw this as an opportunity to finish the reports he was working on, with three large screens displaying reports from the academies, including findings from onsite refugees and collated intel from those who had completed their duties for the day.

Jesse, Toni, and Richie were filling in the gaps for Cid, who demanded to know every detail of the attack. As Matthew typed away at the screen, Cid's stringent voice pierced through the room once more, asking for more information.

With tablets in hand, the three of them turned to face the Headmaster, who stood before the large panes of windows, seemingly consumed by the weight of the world.

"Other than Madison, we don't have much more information. Clara's account of the night matches Eko's, as well as the survivors who remember what happened," Jesse said, adjusting her posture in her chair. The situation had dragged on for longer than they had anticipated.

"Chakra has also confirmed that the citizens have similar stories. They woke up to the chilling presence of the Reapers, and chaos ensued. If it wasn't a Reaper, then it was Hyports killing people. The palace was already ablaze by the time anyone realized what was happening in the dead of night."

"Have the authorities announced who will be in charge during the Princess's absence?" Matthew's gaze remained fixed on the screens, but his question was directed at Cid, who turned his head towards the Commander, and then to Richie.

"Rich, load patch three from Kaleb's report onto your screen and summarize it for me. This is atrocious what you have gotten here."

"I was rushing through it, obviously," Richie smirked, nodding at the order before Cid's voice interrupted their work.

Cid turned back to the window, his face etched with worry. "The council is still deciding on the next course of action," he said. "The Elders are making ridiculous requests, the head academies are demanding we go to war, citizens are planning a rebellion against the eastern borders... Everyone is up in arms, and I have no idea how we're going to deal with this."

Matthew's attention was diverted from the screens. "Then we go to war, as we've discussed," he said.

"We are not going to war," Cid snapped.

"If Ezra continues to push her control and slaughter our troops on the ground, then we will have no choice. And we won't be able to stop the next wave of militias that will come after her when another threat emerges."

"Which is why I'm at my wit's end," Cid continued. "I want you four to wrap this up before it comes to that."

"Wait, what?" Toni and Richie exclaimed in unison, their heads popping up like meerkats at their Headmaster.

"You're giving us permission to do this?" Jesse was taken aback. When had the situation become so dire? "If we can breach the barrier, you just want us to 'wrap it up'?"

"Yes, as your alternate warrior selves," Cid clarified. "Not as soldiers or anyone associated with our academies."

"I thought we were joking about this plan," Richie was animated, more alive than he had been in a while. He leaned forward in his seat, as did the other three soldiers, hanging onto Cid's every word. "You were dead set against it."

"He nearly had a heart attack at the mere mention of it," Toni interjected, watching as his friend gathered his long hair into a high bun. "We all have a vivid memory of you losing your temper when we suggested it."

"Look, where is this coming from?" Toni leaned forward, tablet on his knee. "The last time we brought this up, you were adamant that it was too dangerous."

Jesse looked over at Matthew, analyzing as they all had, that this was something that hadn't even been discussed with him.

Exhaling, Cid acknowledged his previous words and actions: "The moon has been destroyed, with millions now dead. The Queen is dead, and the Princess is likely in hiding in fear. Ezra brings chaos to our world, more so than ever before. It is time."

"Good," Matthew nodded, "then we have the green light to go all-in on this. Jesse, work on the barrier issue. Let's bring it down and get this sorted sooner rather than later."

Jesse nodded, "Not that we haven't been trying, but I'll redirect more time towards it if this is what we are committing to." She shifted in her seat, something else on her mind, and the men knew it as they stared at her.

"Spill?" Matthew narrowed his focus on her.

"Okay, well, what about her daughter? What happens when she realizes we killed her mother?" Jesse leaned back in her chair, considering what their plan of action would be after that fact.

"Are we actually discussing this? Who the fuck cares about the daughter?" Toni retorted. 

"Language!" Cid snapped at Toni, who shook his head, though his attention was on Matthew, who mouthed the words 'language'. He smirked, knowing how little the Headmaster tolerated them swearing. "Do I need to re-introduce sacrificing your salaries for the month to teach you not to swear in my office!"

There was strangled laughter at the word 'no' said in unison, scolded by a parental figure who had his nose out of joint if they tried any offensive language before him.

"Very well," taking the unanimous silence as agreeance to stop their swearing, "if the Princess is indeed deceased, then you have my full support to do what you need to with the Eastern border. Including, if you need to resort to it, annihilation. I leave it in your best interest to do as you see fit." Cid instructed.

The group was surprised by Cid's sudden change in stance, but they all nodded in agreement, except for Matthew, who seemed unimpressed. He muttered something under his breath, indicating that he had heard similar speeches from Cid before and didn't entirely trust that he would follow through. Despite their frustration, they all knew that they couldn't simply launch an all-out attack without Cid's approval, and they respected him enough to wait for his decision.

"If you're absolutely serious about this, then I suggest we locate other potential warriors," Matthew stated in a serious tone, "we've been operating under the assumption that we have enough, but if Ezra proves to be more powerful than we thought, then we need every able-bodied fighter we can find on our side, just in case something goes wrong."

Cid agreed with a nod, "Very well."

However, Richie's voice interrupted the conversation with a concern, "What if we find the Princess while we search? What if she doesn't want to come back? What happens then?"

Jesse narrowed her eyes, "If she takes over, she may be able to calm the Eastern border temporarily, but eventually, we will go to war."

"That's not what I meant," Richie shook his head, "I meant if she doesn't want to come back after everything. What happens to all of this then?"

Matthew nodded in agreement, "Regardless of what happens, there will likely still be war, battle, and pain. The only thing we can control is how well we can survive it."

Matthew found his thoughts drifting away from the conversation, this discussion had been had many times before, and it was clear that they would continue to have it in the future. However, he had grown tired of engaging in it without any real action being taken

What was the point when Cid stopped them at all avenues and insisted that war was not the answer? Regardless of how he was behaving now.

Despite Cid's current stance, he knew that the Headmaster had always been opposed to war as a solution. But to Matthew, it seemed like the only way to bring some semblance of order to their chaotic lives. As long as they could enter the conflict with the understanding that they would only kill to defend themselves, Matthew was willing to lead them forward.

"-but then again," Toni propositioned, "taking on Richie's thinking, maybe Seraphina is hiding under the suspicion that Ezra is after her. There would be a kill order on her. So perhaps she could come forward knowing we could protect her, and if she knew that, then maybe it would be a different story?"

Cid nodded, "continue the search at the remaining sites tomorrow and transfer the survivors to the designated bases. Fast-track the process however you see fit. Split up the teams and take the survivors of the crown with you. I want each base that took on survivors searched, along with the outrigger, and then someone to be onsite at Sea-tac."

"Fine," Matthew agreed to humour him, "if we're doing that, then I'll take Eko to the Sunday Rose Ace. Richie can take Aria and Beta Z team to the remaining sites. Jesse and Toni will leave Zeta VI, leaving Mya and Sawyer and Zulu III Team to outrigger and Jasmine and Luke to Sea-Tac with Beta IV."

"Mya needs to stay behind. Fill her in with someone else." Richie waved off, and the acidic tone was evident.

Cid looked from Richie, then to Matthew, who explained the rant, "DM assigned them together. I assume that's what you were arguing about before we left?"

Richie nodded, "she caused enough shit with Mac. We agreed, as best we could, that she would be here at home base for the week, and then we would rotate if need be. Then she flies back to Pincers. End of negotiation."

"Richie, that will not be happening anytime soon," Cid acknowledged, "Mya has been assigned from Pincer's to Allegiant for the next three months."

"WHAT!" Richie rose from his chair, "no, no, no. Fuck, no!"

"This is going to get interesting," Toni whispered to Jesse, who was just as shocked as he was that Mya would live back on base with them after the last few years.

"-and I will speak to the teams to find out why it wasn't flagged of you both being on the same run. In the meantime," Cid looked to Matthew, "make the amendments and set out tomorrow."

"For fuck sake!"

Matthew ignored Richie's rant and Cid's escalating voice, as his comms device had been buzzing for the past twenty minutes. He glanced down at the device and saw that it was Hailey who had been trying to contact him six times. Toni noticed his distraction and mouthed a question to him about who was contacting him.

"Hailey," he rolled his eyes and held up six fingers to indicate the number of times she had tried to reach him.

Toni struggled to contain his laughter as Cid droned on about cadet routines, both Matthew and Richie clearly distracted. "Suck shit," Toni pointed to Matthew, mocking the man.

Toni warned him not to play with the desperate girls of the fan club. They would literally find him and keep him locked up in their rooms. He had even been tied down to the bed at one stage, and luckily, Toni came to check on him to find him and save him from the Ambrose twins that night.

Matthew switched the communicator off before re-engaging his attention to Cid.

"Your allocated time is two days. That should give you ample time as you move quickly through the assigned sites. I will set out in the reports tomorrow the destinations I want to be covered."

All four of the soldiers nodded, standing from their seats where they had been the past two hours with their Headmaster, and so far, they knew two things, they were to set out tomorrow to resume the search and rescue. If the Princess had been found deceased, it was a war against the Eastern District and with Ezra.

Second, they would begin their search again for people to take on the crystals.