The blonde woman leaned her body forward to bow. "I need your help. Can you please do me a few favors?"

"Your favors always get me into trouble, you know that right?" Despite saying this, he showed her a mischievous smirk.

She stood up straight and smiled. "Yes. And this time isn't going to be any different. It's gonna be a really dangerous mission. Even more so than anything we've ever done before."

"Well now you're speaking my language. What do you want me to do?"

The blonde man sighed as he thought back to the list of favors she gave that day. Really, he didn't think she was capable of being so bold. Then again, during the AVS Incident, she made many bold choices. But this mission she was executing...

He walked into the elevator and took out his CCM, letting a red light from a screen scan it. "Kamiya Kousuke, Floor B5."

All the buttons glowed and the lights in the elevator turned from white to blue. When it stopped, he stepped out and went to the room straight across the corridor. Using his phone again, it unlocked and he was greeted by several droids.

"Didn't think you'd come here twice this week." A voice stated.

Kousuke didn't like that person much, but he had no other choice. He agreed to this after all. "Just show me what you found."

~~~~~

Nikolai was just about to give up on finding her when a flash of brown caught his eye. "Hannah!"

The two turned to him and she smiled. "Looks like you found me."

He could only sigh at that. He then turned to Muraku with a look. "Where are you guys headed?"

"For a walk around town." The long haired boy replied. "I need to clear my head and Hannah was-"

"Going to come along, but I assume you won't let me?" She cut off, finishing the sentence with a dejected look.

The Russian boy switched his gaze between them before sighing once again. "No, I won't stop you. But at least don't stay out too long and take breaks. Bring your medicine too."

Receiving the small box of tablets from him, she nodded. "Thanks."

Muraku blinked at that. "You're the one keeping those?"

"What? Oh." It took him a second to realized what he meant, and then he shook his head. "No, I just took them out of her bag when she vanished." Then he turned to her. "Speaking of which, next time, keep them in your pockets."

"Whatever, dad." She said, rolling her eyes. Nonetheless, she did so anyway.

Nikolai went elsewhere as the two left the building. Where to, they didn't know. He'll wander wherever his legs take him and she'll follow him. She owed him after all.

~~~~~

Mami led them through the mini arena under the cafe. They headed towards the passage way and she held up her phone to the wall. "Hiyama Mami."

A door opened, much to the shock of the other four. Mami ignored their questioning gazes and continued forward. The door closed itself and lights blinked on as they walked, turning back off once they passed that section. Once they got to the other side, another door appeared.

Mami knocked a couple of times before opening it. "Mavis? You here?"

"Back here, Mami-san!" Following the voice, a woman with light blue hair came into their view. Her attention was on the computer in front of her and she didn't seem to notice the group getting closer.

"Mavis."

She jumped when Mami's voice became much clearer in her ears. She whipped her head around and they could clearly see panicked purple eyes. "Mami-san! I haven't found anything new. We're all working on-"

"That's not what I'm here for." She cut in, letting her sigh in relief.

"Then... What are you here for?" The younger of the two women asked.

"Recognize these people?" Mami pointed at the group behind her.

Purple eyes widened in realization and her expression turned serious. "Understood. I'll be ready in ten minutes." She quickly left without so much as an explaination.

Seeing their unchanged expressions, Mami pointed at where Mavis last stood. "Kaylee Mavis. 21 years old. Eva asked me to take care of her until you come here and recite the password."

"... The password is 'frozen milkshake made of chocolate wrapped in leaves'??" Niara asked, barely believing it.

"That's the exact same reaction I gave." She replied with a shake of her head. "But I suppose it worked out. She's yours to deal with now."

"Wait, why did Eva send her to us?" Yuuya asked. "We've never even met her before."

"She must've had her reasons." The elder woman shrugged. "Same as why she put me here."

Jin's ears perked up at that. "Eva got you to Blue Cat's?"

"Obviously. She's the one who's been helping me settle and stay hidden since Claudia released me. She took Mavis here back when the year just started."

The group turned to each other, all with the exact same expressions. None of them were able to comprehend what exactly it was she was doing and how she is able to pull it all off.

Kirito then spoke up. "Do you know how long she's been planning... whatever all this is?"

"Beats me. But if you're gonna make me guess, I'd say it's around that time those kids on the island were held hostage by the World Sabers. Maybe a few weeks after that?" She sighed. "Look, I don't have all the answers. I'm only guessing based on whatever tiny bit of information she gave me. I hardly know who else she's connected to."

"Then why agree to help her with this crazy thing?" Niara asked.

She turned away from them. "Eva's... a good kid. On first glance, you could tell she's basically an angel. Even after all the things I said and did, she still accepted me with opened arms... This world is short on people like her." Her eyes sharpened as they met with certain red ones. "You're basically married to her right?"

It took everything Jin had in him to not react to that statement.

Mami remained indifferent. "Once you get her back, protect her."

As if he needed to be told to do that.

~~~~~~~~~~

Deference: Courteous regard for people's feelings