Nekomata wouldn't place her glare anywhere else besides Eous as he sat slumped against the couch.

However, she wasn't ignorant to the two glares she was getting back from Belle and Wise.

"Fess up, Nekomata, what are you hiding from us? How did you respond to the PubSec frauds so well?" Belle was leaning against the couch with crossed arms.

Nekomata flinched and turned to hers "Wh-What? W-Well, I mean, it's just that... I've seen them somewhere before!"

"Seen before?" Wise mumbled.

"Explain yourself. We didn't let him go on that goose chase just to get shot and not know why." Belle grew more impatient seeing Nekomata grow meek.

"W-Well, the Cunning Hares and I are in some pretty big trouble this time, yeah, but we just wanted to save people! I swear!"

"So this was all some big rescue mission?" Wise wondered.

"Y-Yeah! It's hard to explain, but there's far more at stake than just the Cunning Hares lives! There's a whole town that hasn't been evacuated! Canvas Street!"

"What?!" Eous shot up in shock.

"Vision lied about evacuating everyone! They didn't even alert the people still in the blast zone! We were trying to find a way to get them out..."

Belle and Wise couldn't believe Vision would disregard that many lives. "You've gotta be kidding me..."

"Then what use are we talking here?! We've gotta go back!" Eous wanted to rush out the door, but Belle grabbed his arm.

"Woah, slow down! We don't even have a plan-"

"We can come up with that on the way, but every second they're in the blast zone is one closer to doom. I'm not gonna sit around here when they're in danger- even if it takes pulling them all out one by one!"

Belle tensed up at his determination and looked to Wise. He shared a strained look, but was smiling regardless.

"We'll figure it out, Eous. You and Nekomata head over and get to Canvas Street so we can connect with Nicole." Wise nodded his head to the door. "Fairy, take care of him."

"There is no need for instruction." Fairy gave a salute as Eous made a dash for the door.

"Let's go, Nekomata!"

The thiren stumbled on her feet as he pulled her along.

•

Weighed down by his casual clothes, Eous zipped around the citizens of New Eridu with Nekomata as his guide. Through a call from Wise, Fairy was displaying the plan they were in the works of, or at least what could make one.

"This map shows Canvas Street and its trapped residents, as well as the Cunning Hares, which is several kilometers away from the surveillance point where Perlman's located."

Trying to glance at it while avoiding pedestrians was no easy task. He slipped by a PubSec officer who glanced at him in confusion seeing the worry in his eyes.

"To keep the trapped residents in check, Perlman's transported a number of armed mercenaries impersonating Public Security by train." Belle added.

"Said train will soon be arriving at the destination. There will be near double the mercenaries warding the residents." Fairy informed.

"Normally, I'd say we aren't strong enough to take them head on, but Eous has come into some solid power. We could take advantage of holes in their defense."

Wise brought up a marked path that showed directives through the Hollow to get to the surveillance point. "The problem that we gathered from Amillion's data is that the residents have little to no Ether aptitude."

"So we'll have to hijack the train at the surveillance point, go through the Hollow and to Canvas Street. We'll need all of the residents at the station in advance in time to have them out of there in mere minutes." Belle explained.

"The train has resistance to corruption?" Eous muttered.

"Affirmative. Should this go as planned, they would suffer no corruption." Fairy replied.

"Fairy, can you drive the train according to plan?" Belle asked to be sure.

Fairy let out a quick beep and revealed that she already had a route down. "Affirmative. Shortest route mapped."

"Then it's crunch time." Eous and Nekomata arrived at the Dead End Hollow and dashed in, unaware of a concerned spectator.

•

With everyone on go, it took only a few minutes for Nekomata and Eous to arrive at Canvas street.

Anby nodded her head to an elderly woman handing her a small stack of papers, beginning to make her way back to Billy and Nicole.

In the center of the gathered residents, the Cunning Hares began to worry about whether Nekomata had been able to get in contact with Nova.

"It's been awhile now..." Billy mumbled.

"I really hope she didn't run into anything. Maybe we should've sent someone with her..." Nicole agreed.

"You don't trust her with the best in the biz?" In uniform, Eous landed behind them with Nekomata at his side. Just above them was a Hollow exit shrinking away.

"Nova!" Billy, Nicole, and even Anby exclaimed with relief.

"I told you I could do it!" Nekomata pat her chest proudly before letting Amillion waddle back over to Nicole.

Nicole rushed forward with Billy and enveloped the two in a big hug, joined by Anby shortly after. "It's so great to see you! With you guys here, we'll have this solved in no time."

"Nice to see you remember how capable we are." Belle teased.

Wise chuckled as Fairy brought up the map for them to observe. "Now that we're here, it's time for business."

•

"I see. Guess Vision is at the point of no return if they're doubling down on the guards. But this plan could really work, so what they say about Nova's wisdom and courage is true."

Nicole's praise made the Proxies all swoon in elation. Eous' ears could've been mistaken to sway. "Now all we need is the residents to gather at the station."

Beside the group, the same elderly woman Abby talked to stood with relief all over her face. "I understand. I'll tell everyone, and they'll be there when the time comes."

"Say, Nova, do you know of a Red Fang Gang Base around here?" Nicole suddenly turned to Eous.

"...What does that have to do with anything?" Eous questioned with squinted eyes.

"I know the place. Everyone around here knows the Red Fang Gang." The woman explained. "Since they made their name on Canvas Street, everyone here is related to them in one way or another."

Eous was out of the loop in this regard. He didn't know any of this had to do with them, so he turned to Nekomata, only to see her staring at her feet quietly.

"In the early days, they weren't what they are now. Back then they took in orphans, taught them to read, and defended them and taught them how to do the same for themselves. They stood up for those in need." The woman was clearly reminiscent of the old gang. "They said they would protect this place forever... but that Silver boy changed."

"Listen, I'm all for memorabilia, but we've gotta get this plan underway. Vision isn't gonna wait around for us." Eous interrupted.

"He's right. We've gotta get this show on the road." Wise agreed as Fairy got rid of the map.

~•~

"Alright, the objective is simple. Take out the guards, seize the train, and then let Eous and his weird pixie thing hijack the controls." Nicole reminded the four as they dashed beside the locomotive.

"Roger!" Billy shouted with determination.

"Who's Roger...?" Nekomata mumbled in confusion.

"Her name's Fairy..." Eous tried to correct, but Nicole couldn't hear him over Anby humming an appropriate high-action tune for the mission. "Wait, is that from No Rails Left?"

Anby smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah. A solid 8 out of 10."

"Enough with the soundtrack- eyes on the prize." Nicole gestured everyone to make their move.

Eous rushed in first with a spark of Ether, Nekomata close on his tail, Anby and Billy simultaneously lunging after them with Nicole in tow.

The five caught all the mercenaries off guard as they bombarded the station with a flurry of attacks.

"O-Oh god! Intruders! Intrude-" The guard trying to warn those further away was silenced by Anby clipping his leg and slamming his head into the ground.

Eous and Nekomata raced around and littered the more spaced out guards with minor injuries enough to slow them down.

Billy and Anby followed them up by incapacitating whoever they couldn't, and Nicole happily strut after them seeing her subordina- coworkers being so competent.

Perlman was flicking his lighter, trying over and over to light a cigar as a few guard stood outside the door to the surveillance room.

A loud crash caught his attention before a few bangs and claps grew even louder.

"What in the-?!"

Before he could react, Eous smashed through the door with a kick. Anby rolled in after him and chopped one of the guards in the throat.

Nekomata rushed in and did the same as Billy and Nicole jogged in to see them fall.

Eous wasted no time to stomp up to the cowering Perlman and toss him to Nekomata.

"Eugh! What the hell is going on here?!"

"Give it up, you heartless piece of garbage!" Nekomata detained him, tying his wrist behind his back with one of the fake PubSec mercenary's hand cuffs.

"Take him with us. Billy, Anby, make sure the driver's compartment is clear. Nova, can you let the residents know to get ready?" Nicole ordered.

Fairy gave Eous a thumbs up, "Done. They've been alerted."

"Y-You plan to use the train to transport the residents?!" Perlman questioned.

"Yeah, like a train is supposed to be used, dumbass!" Eous barked in frustration.

"No way! Absolutely not! If they get out, they'll talk to the press and Vision will be done for!" Perlman began thrashing under Nekomata's hold. "I don't care what it takes, just stop this thing at once-"

As if on cue, Fairy waved her hands in front of Eous' mask.

"Warning! The planned route has been disconnected. Railroad damage from small explosives detected. Error in calculation detected."

Seeing the map Fairy brought up, Eous cursed under his breath. "You've gotta be fucking kidding... Something happened to the tracks!"

"Don't worry, Director Perlman," the guard slumped against the floor, thought to have been incapacitated by Nekomata was holding a detonator. "I've blown up the only railroad route leading to New Eridu. They can't get out..."

"You... You fool! You were supposed to blow it up after we've evacuated!" Perlman cried in horror. "The residents can't get out, but now neither can we!"

Wise and Belle were mumbling together to figure out what to patch the plan with, but Eous didnt feel like waiting.

With a swift punt, he knocked out the guard with a grunt. "Fairy, what railroads are left. Show us the quickest."

The map began to load and refresh so he let out a hoarse sigh and jerked his thumb to the train. "We've got a hostage, so we'll use it. We gotta take this to the train."

Nekomata dragged Perlman along as Eous and Nicole provided cover. The three dashed out of the room and down the hall to the station in time to see Billy and Anby holding their ground near the driver's compartment.

"We need cover!" Nicole shouted.

"I'm on it!" Eous rushed forward, pelting the ground with smokescreens that grew murkier as time went on.

The disarray and confusion from the mercenaries could be heard from the other side as they dashed into the train.

A static hum came from Perlman's waist as they settled into the train. Anby snatched the walkie from his belt and held it up for them to hear.

"Director Perlman, requesting orders!"

"Stand down- you hear me?! These bastards from the Cunning Hares have me trapped in here! If you all harm me, the corporation will hold you all responsible!" He wailed into the room.

Nekomata picked him up and shoved him in a trash can with a grin.

"He's more useful than I thought..." Billy muttered.

"They won't make any sudden moves for the time being." Anby leant against the wall in relief.

The Cunning Hares were tense with how derailed the situation had become, and Eous wasn't any better seeing as neither Wise nor Belle had come up with a plan, and the map still hadn't been able to calculate a plan still in line with their train tactic.

Suddenly, Nekomata began to giggle.

"I finally found it. My family heirloom."

The four turned to her and saw she held a necklace with an open locket. Inside was a picture of her and-

"Silver? From the Red Fang Gang?" Nicole mumbled in disbelief.

"That's right. I lied. I'm not the Red Fang Gang's enemy. I'm an orphan who used to live near Canvas Street that they adopted." Nekomata dropped her head in regret. "They used to have ideals- wanted to protect their home. Things got bad, took a turn, and I broke away from the gang. Haven't been back since."

"Where do you stand now?" Eous asked with a glare.

Nekomata looked up and saw he dropped his mask, his prismatic irises peering into her red ones. His face was full of confusion, but laced beneath that was fear. His hand was hovering over the sword he seemed to never use.

"Silver took me in. The Red Fang Gang was the closest I ever had to a family." Nekomata began to glare back. "After hearing that the Cunning Hares lured him into a Hollow and killed him, I wanted nothing but revenge."

She sighed and closed the locket. "But, you guys are not even close to what I expected. Not only did you save that kid, you stayed back after hearing of Vision's plan, and here you are willing to fight them for it. And now that I know his death wasn't on your hands, I have no reason for revenge.

The Red Fang Gang betrayed their promise and abandoned the people they were supposed to protect. As a former member, I can't let that happen again."

Nekomata saw Eous' face soften ever so slightly and began to smile. "I wouldn't have been able to learn the truth about them and the gang without you. Thank you, Nova."

She began dragging Perlman out of the trash can with a grin. "I'm gonna go negotiate with Vision. With Perlman as a bargaining chip, and my identity as a Red Fang Gang member, things will all work out."

Eous turned to the Cunning Hares and saw none of them knew if there was another way. Before she could leave, Eous whispered-

"Good luck..."