Zhu Yuan woke up bright and early. She figured she'd wake up with some major fatigue due to stressing out about the situation last night, but to her surprise, she felt fine—better, even. Was it because of Mùyáng's dish from dinner last night?

Perhaps it was. When eating large dishes like this, especially soups with noodles, they tend to be heavy dishes that would put her out of commission—not in a terrible way, that is, just that she would have to rest at the couch for a few hours before resuming whatever she needed to do. Then again, Mùyáng did tell her that this dish was far lighter than the usual noodle dishes he cooked.

A lighter broth that didn't dwell too much on the heavy aspect of cooked soups. The broth was much more see-through, lighter in color than a typical noodle dish, and it was less rich. Especially the taste, being a flavor that was much easier to ingest and digest.

She wasn't quite sure what was the source for her happy mood, aside from being in such a good relationship with her partner, she felt as if her day couldn't be worse at all. Doing the finishing touches on her outfit, adjusting her tie and the handcuff hairband over her head, she adjusts the last touches just for good measure before she walked out the door and began to head out for the day. Zhu Yuan is to rendezvous with Qingyi at the entrance of Sixth Street today. To begin taking surveys and or questions—suggestions for the upcoming PubSec Safety Lecture event that would be held in Lumina Square a few days from now.

It had to go off without a hitch. She had to earn those peoples' trust.

Chapter 4 | In Pursuit!

A few days went by.

Today was the day. Public Security would be holding their Safety Lecture at Lumina Square, down at the Janus Quarter Precinct office. Because it was such an important day, especially because Commissioner Justin Bringer would be making an appearance, a lot of the local shops would be closing down for business that day.

At least, open in the morning until the late afternoon. The Lumina Square branch of Coff Café being included. The late afternoon soon rolled around, people coming and going through the shop to grab themselves a cup of coffee before they eventually headed out to the precinct, where the "Hollow Hero" would be giving a speech at the beginning of the event.

Exiting the shop, Mùyáng locked it up for the day and tucked the key into his side bag that he had with him. Dressed in casual clothing, out of the uniform and apron, he walked along down the sidewalk to the event, passing by the movie theatre in the process. A thought crossed his mind. He figured he might take Zhu to the movies one of these days. As much as he loved lounging around in their apartment, a movie date to the theatre sounded nice.

As he continued to walk along, he heard the constant chatter—the showering of praise and awe for Commissioner Bringer. Mùyáng pursed his lips. He didn't necessarily dislike the man, his feats of saving people from that Hollow disaster all those years ago was something he had to commend. It was part of Zhu's reason and inspiration to become a PubSec officer in the first place, having been saved by Bringer back then when he was just a mere young officer. It was because of that event of being saved as a young girl, Zhu Yuan looked up to Bringer; considered the man as her role model and idol.

So while Mùyáng held his reserves about the older man, some sort of aspect that he wasn't quite sure he could pinpoint that rubbed him the wrong way, he didn't voice such doubts. Knowing how much of an important man Bringer is to his lovely girlfriend. Besides, he wasn't coming to this event for Bringer. He was coming in support of his girlfriend.

Ah, her face... It instantly brought a smile to his face again. Any doubts and negative thoughts he had about Bringer soon faded when Zhu came to mind. God, he loved her so much.

The walk was brief. Short but somewhat crowded as more people were gathering at the Lumina crossing area, a medium-sized platform standing before the entrance of the subway station with a podium standing in the middle. Mùyáng's eyes scanned for his girlfriend, that familiar puffy ponytail with red highlights in them, his partner was fairly tall compared to most women in New Eridu. He finally spots her, standing by the entrance into the parking lot of the Janus Quarter precinct. Qingyi stood next to her, the battle automaton cautiously looking into the crowd as if she was looking for someone, while Zhu Yuan was speaking with Bringer.

He couldn't hear what they were saying, considering he was still relatively at the back of the large crowd that was growing ever-so larger by the hour. But his girlfriend looked conflicted, a troubled expression on her face as whatever Bringer was telling her seemed to make her seem dissatisfied with his response.

Soon enough, however, an announcement was made, saying that the Safety Assessment Lecture would soon begin. Readjusting his tie and running a hand through his swept back, smooth hair, the burly man took a step onto the stage and went to the podium to give his speech. But Mùyáng didn't spare a glance toward him, his gaze still remained on the woman he loved so dearly—discussing something with Qingyi. They both nodded to each other before they took off, running on the outskirts of the crowd before they headed off in the opposite direction of where the event was taking place.

As his gaze lingered onto her, Mùyáng noticed that his arm twitched—fingers aching in an almost erratic manner that he had to grip his wrist just to get it to stop. He took a deep breath.

No matter how much he wanted to go after her, he couldn't return to such things—that life. He left it behind to become someone new, to forget it and live happily with the woman he fell in love with. Besides, he had to trust her.

There was a reason why she became Captain of the Criminal Investigation Squad. Trust her—her abilities were nothing to shirk at.

That's right. Trust her.

---

Zhu Yuan and Qingyi had taken off and entered the Hollow. Traversing through the construction site and following the coordinates, things had been stranger by the minute.

Ever since the Maroon case from days prior, as well as the whole Belobog Industries debacle a week earlier with a deadly Ethereal appearing in the plaza of the Old Capital, there were moments of crimes and gang strife appearing in weird blips, if you could describe it like that. In one moment, the crime would rise up before it would plummet. It was strange.

As if these moments were happening—these cases were merely connecting dots; planned preparations for a particular moment.

But it was the Ethereal trapped in that monument of the plaza in the Old Capital. How long had it been there? Why did it decide to appear now? Had it not been for the intervention of Belobog Heavy Industries, perhaps the Ethereal would've caused more damage than it already had done inside the Hollow, the potential risk of escaping the confines to wreak havoc upon New Eridu was something that could've happened.

There were far too many questions that were left unanswered by that, ones that couldn't get any answers due to her position and details that were chosen to be omitted by higher-ups. She couldn't quite grasp the trivialities regarding such decisions, but if it meant reducing the panic and not causing any trouble amongst the civilians, then she was all for it. Her main concern has always been that: ensuring the peoples' safety, first and foremost.

However, this unofficial mission of theirs is quite important. Relating to the Maroon case and the Belobog Heavy Industries case, the coordinates Zhu Yuan and Qingyi received from recent reports showed that these were spots that had been scouted by other members of Maroon's gang—listing these as points of ambush to attack the evidence carrier that held the remains of said Ethereal that was subjugated by Koleda Belobog and co.

But these points of interests were strategic—well thought-out points to serve as an ambush over the evidence carrier. It was as if someone, a group maybe, didn't want the Ethereal's remains to Hollow Special Operations (HSO), a subsection of H.A.N.D that serves as its combat force whilst also being part of its analytical division in some cases. Studying and analyzing the remains of Ethereals fell in-line with this sort of objective before they were eventually sent to H.A.N.D headquarters.

Aside from Maroon's gang breaking into specialized containers to steal procured materials that were preserving etheric matter, it was still clear to the two PubSec officers that there was definitely another outside force at play. Public Security does utilize the same specialized containers, but if their prediction is correct, then someone may have hired Maroon's gang to steal the evidence in order to get rid of it and cover their tracks.

They couldn't let that happen at all costs.

However, getting to the Hollow itself took time on its own.

At a stopping point, the automaton looked at Zhu, "Judging by our predictions, they probably have the evidence by now. Any ideas on how we're going to get it back?"

Zhu Yuan gained a thoughtful expression. "Here's what I'm thinking: to avoid raising suspicion, the suspects probably didn't damage the carrier's electronic systems. If that is the case, we can check its driving record to pinpoint where exactly it stopped within the Hollow. They're bound to have left some traces behind—the remains are bulky, so they can't move very quickly. Therefore, we can figure out where they went."

"Makes sense," Qingyi nodded. "Let's find the evidence carrier and see if our predictions were right."

And so, the two pair continued to move deeper into the construction site, taking care to watch their etheric corruption levels so that they didn't remain in here for too long. They had a high aptitude of remaining in the Hollow for a long time, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't suffer from ether corruption. The longer they remained in the Hollow, the more they would sustain corruption so they did have to move quickly—they couldn't waste time dilly-dallying.

Unbeknownst to them, however, a particular orange scarf wearing bangboo was watching them. The cute little creature watched them from a distance, carefully following their every move but avoided being spotted.

The little bangboo continued to follow the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Squad and the android, Qingyi having picked up the carrier's signal as they traversed deeper into the Hollow. From vaulting over barriers and pushing through hazardous areas of edifices that could potentially collapse, they moved swiftly without any hesitation or failure.

"The evidence carrier's signal is coming from there," Qingyi notes. It was coming from a large gap they couldn't quite cross.

Zhu Yuan pursed her lips, "The mobile device here seems unusable," the police woman notes, the device capable of launching them across the gap was offline.

"Let me try adjusting the direction..." Qingyi tries to move it but stumbles, "Ugh, it's too heavy!"

Before they could come up with another solution, they heard the gears on the device beginning to shift, cranking and grinding against one another as they came back to life. The direction of the mobile device changed, now capable of allowing them to cross the gap. They didn't have time to comprehend it. They didn't have to complain that things were now suddenly working for them. Just talking to discuss it would waste more time than they already have just trying to figure out the problem.

As soon as they crossed the gap and continued along into the Hollow, Qingyi looked around. It seemed eerily quiet—something felt off. The more they continued along the path, the higher their radars began to blare out and ping loudly, signifying that the closer they were getting toward the evidence carrier, the higher the Ether activity began to increase. In turn, a high possibility of Ethereals showing up. Armed with her pistol that carried magazines with specialized Ether bullets, and Qingyi having her specialized three-section staff (sanjiegun/sansetsukon), the pair continued to move swiftly through the area whilst dealing with the Ethereals they encountered along the way.

Loud bangs echoed throughout the sky, repeatedly fired shots from her pistol before loading in magazine after magazine, the crackling noise of electrical currents surging through the staff as electrical blasts coursed through the Ethereals' bodies, they continued to push forward. Taking on the Ethereals themselves wasn't difficult; these were equivalent to the lowly grunts of gangs that would attack them so they were very easy to deal with unless they came in swarms. But they were able to get through with relative ease, spotting a reinforced van at the end of the road with the N.E.P.S. logo emblazoned on its side.

"Yes, finally—the evidence carrier!" Zhu Yuan cries. "Let's check its condition."

Qingyi briefly scans it, her automaton body scanning the structural integrity of the vehicle for any signs of damage. External or interior to its systems and other key features of it.

"It looks fine on the outside," Qingyi says, nearly finishing her evaluation. "No signs of damage or being tampered with. Let's check inside."

Zhu Yuan sighed, the professional side of her kicking in. "We're doing this to protect the evidence, but messing with the carrier without permission will definitely require writing a report up... And a pay cut, too..." She then notices the 'really' look her partner was giving her. She clears her throat, "Well, let's forget that for now. Qingyi, help me unlock it."

The green-haired android nodded and soon unlocked the carrier's doors, propping the back open as the two officers gazed inside. But they were surprised—shocked, even. Zhu Yuan especially.

"Huh? The evidence crate is still here, and the seal is untouched..." Zhu Yuan said, looking perplexed.

But the automaton saw through it. Another brief scan from her eyes, a slight blue glow to them as they pulsed with life as scans the scarce details that had been left behind by the attackers.

"Comparing the seal with the one in the photo, the angle is off by approximately three degrees," she surmises, "and the Etheric matter feels totally different from what I sensed at the square."

Zhu frowned, pursing her lips, "So... They really did get hold of the evidence. They were going to trick H.A.N.D by not leaving any trace. They went through all this trouble to make it seem like it was still there."

Correct, to the normal eye, people would just assume the crate was untouched and left sealed—not a hint of evidence to show it had been tampered with. Then they would have shipped to HSO and then H.A.N.D without checking if the contents were actually there. To say that Zhu Yuan had a "normal" eye is wrong, but even she herself can fail to miss certain things and details. Not everyone is perfect about spotting the subtle differences.

This is where Qingyi came in. Aside from being a battle automaton—an old relic of the Old Capital—she had been modified with the new modern technology and equipped with all sorts of gadgets and utilities to make their police work much easier and efficient. Had she not been here, this evidence truck would've been sent on its way, causing internal interference at H.A.N.D whilst the perpetrators had successfully completed their objective.

"That monster must be hiding some serious secrets," Qingyi nodded, agreeing with Zhu's assumption. The Ethereal wasn't just any normal monster you could find in the Hollow. Aside from having a unique appearance, its Etheric matter and energy levels were off the charts, something that could've only been seen in Hollow Zero.

So for it to appear in the plaza in an area like that showed that there were darker forces at play, sifting through the shadows.

"Zhu Yuan, watch out!"

Before the woman could ask what was wrong, she was pushed out of the way by Qingyi. A hail of bullets came raining in from behind them, whizzing past their heads and bodies as metal clanking noises were heard, the shots striking against the reinforced metal plating of the van. The two retreated around the corner, hugging the wall as they held their breaths. Their attackers—most likely Hollow Raiders—had appeared.

"Ugh! They got in cover!" They heard a gruff voice from around the corner.

A crude, higher-pitched voice spoke up, "You fucking idiot! They're from the Criminal Investigation Department! They aren't going to go down so easily!" He berates his comrade. "We've been here for hours, and you couldn't keep your cool for longer!?"

"Hey, relax, will you!? Our intel says it's just the two of them," the other from previously snaps back. "They might've survived our ambush, but we can still take 'em!"

"Then hurry up and go fucking deal with them! Officers go missing in the Hollow everyday!" The other hisses.

*BLAM* *BANG*

Two loud shots were fired out—an amalgamation of colors (mainly black, blue, and dark purples) were splattered all over the Hollow Raiders' bodies. Though it wasn't like paint or anything like that, more so tangible particles that did damage to them once it made contact with them physically. They groaned in pain, knocked to the ground as the rest of the goons took a step back, alarmed by what just happened.

Coming out of cover was Zhu Yuan, her custom pistol equipped with a unique attachment onto its muzzle that made it a devastating shotgun blast once the trigger was pulled. Etheric bullets were far different than regular bullets, its unique properties increasing the anomaly levels of Etheric matter to deal damage. While it wasn't as severe as causing Ether corruption, these Etheric bullets still packed a punch—dealt even more so than the average ammunition.

The Suppressor K22, a unique handgun firearm tailored specifically for Zhu Yuan herself. It's default configuration has the appearance of a standard handgun, firing special Etheric bullets that she uses in conjunction with her martial art prowess for a devastating combo she dishes against criminals and rogues alike. But because her handgun was specially made, the department even equipped it with special interchangeable attachments—first being the tri-blast attachment of enhancing her pistol shots with more power.

Buckshot attachment that came with special Ether buckshots attached to the slots on her thigh, it essentially converts her pistol into a small, compact mobile shotgun that fires out in a three round burst. It was effective in suppressing simpler Ethereals and incapacitating minor small fry of Hollow Raider gangs.

However, the cream of the crop of her interchangeable attachments was the "Maximum Firepower" modular system. Attaching some more specialized gadgets, Zhu Yuan effectively turns her handgun into a grenade launcher, firing multiple volleys of Etheric grenades to cause devastating damage against an opponent—this modular system mostly used exclusively for the tougher and larger Ethereals.

Zhu Yuan's stern gaze sent shivers down the Hollow Raiders' spines, one of them trying to muster up the courage to move and attack her. Only for a green silhouette to leave above the woman and land in front of the first poor soul subject to Qingyi's sansetsukon.

*THWACK* *CRACK*

Two consecutive strikes. A blow to the head that nearly cracked the glass helmet off the Hollow Raider, Qingyi quickly moved to the second, striking them with a section of her staff onto their torso. The two she struck recoiled and were sent flying, rolling all over the floor in a comical manner before they crashed into some hollow concrete cylinders. 

Only a few left. The Hollow Raider grunts didn't stand a chance, Zhu Yuan launching a roundhouse kick to a man's head and an enhanced pistol blast to the chest, she moved in tandem with Qingyi—the automaton looking as if she was bouncing of walls and striking them with her three sectioned staff with electrical precision. Muscles stunlocked, the Hollow Raiders were left bruised and twitching on the ground as the two PubSec officers made a dash past them.

However, while these Hollow Raiders were grunts and low-leveled workers in the gang, they were still quite resilient. These were experienced Hollow Raiders, after all, getting damaged and beaten by numerous Ethereals and other rival gangs was rather normal to them, so the punishment that Zhu Yuan and Qingyi had dished out to them was more or less the same they had experienced. So even though they were momentarily disabled, they recovered and chased after them.

The green-haired android turned her head slightly, "It seems these guys are tougher than I expected. And it sounds like they knew we were coming and set up an ambush near the carrier."

Zhu Yuan looked perplexed, still running as their pursuers still gave chase. "What the heck is going...how could they have known we were going after the evidence?"

"Hurry up and get rid of those PubSec officers!" The ringleader of the Hollow Raiders chimes from the back. "Don't let them get away!"

"Still persisting on coming after us," Qingyi says with a click of her mouth. "Run faster, Zhu Yuan!"

They couldn't run forever. They knew that. The two of them knew that they had to shake them off quickly—have them lose the scent and quickly head back to the precinct.

But it looked like luck wasn't on their side. Running into dead ends, the Hollow Raiders had called in reinforcements, stepping out and over the walls and engaging in an ambush. It didn't matter how far they ran, it seemed like that the Hollow Raiders had always caught up with them and engaged them in conflict.

It seemed endless, the amount of Hollow Raiders and gang members that had shown up on this isolated platform that they had themselves cornered in. With no choice but to fight, they entered the fray. A few more quickfire shots were let out, all launched in a repetitive sequence like rhythmic blast.

Zhu Yuan groaned in annoyance. "How many members did they deploy to deal with us?"

"No time to ponder, clear them out!" Qingyi urges, thwacking another Hollow Raider with her sansetsukon.

Zhu Yuan grunted, but obliged anyway. Nothing they could do but fight in order to get out of this situation.

In swift flurry of motions, Qingyi split her staff into three, held together by easy-to-maneuver chains, she spun it around her body with ease and precision expertise, the staff acting as a form of offensive-defensive blur; blocking bullets and molotov cocktails thrown their way and sending an electrifying jolted impact across the enemies' body. And still within the buckshot configuration, the Public Security captain continued to fire away.

Bang after bang, blast after blast, a colorful spectacle of black, purple, and blue effects filled the area as Hollow Raiders fell left and right, their screams of discomfort and pain echoed throughout the construction site. The remaining two Hollow Raiders realized that they were the only ones standing left and decided to cut their losses. They went to turn on their heels, only for a green blur to appear right in front of them and the crackling noise of electricity striking the ground before them. Qingyi had cut them off, delivering a powerful blow to the face with her staff as they were ricocheted into the air.

And waiting at the opposite end like a batter on the baseball field, Zhu Yuan fired another blast of her buckshot configuration—the decisive blow that put an end to their skirmish. Once they were dealt with, the two ran over to an elevator lift that would send them down to another floor. But their battle was far from over, more Hollow Raiders waiting for them at the bottom.

"Stop right there!"

"It won't be easy to get them off our tail," Zhu Yuan says to Qingyi, loading another magazine into her pistol. "Let's face 'em head on."

"My thoughts exactly," Qingyi remarks as she was the first to jump into the fray.

More electrical cracklings and thwacks, thudding noises as the automaton sent blow after blow against their torsos to subdue them as fast as possible. Zhu Yuan did the same, a flurry of kicks and sweeps combined with her handgun, the rhythmic gunshots persisting all the while Hollow Raiders kept throwing themselves at them to have them halt in their tracks. As much as she despised them for breaking the law, Zhu Yuan had to give them credit. Individuals that delve into the Hollows to make their ends meet were extremely tenacious and stubborn; as if they didn't know when to quit.

The final opponent was a much burlier Hollow Raider—armed with a heavy baseball bat and a double-barrel shotgun. He fired, a loud crack echoing through the air as his buckshots traveled in an attempt to eliminate his foes. But Zhu Yuan and Qingyi were far quicker, the shorter automaton speeding up to the big man and delivering two consecutive kicks to the chest and another strike with her staff to his chin, sending him upward. And with pure acrobatic skill, Zhu Yuan leaped high into the air, cocking the buckshot configuration of her Suppressor K22 and firing a three round burst.

The large Hollow Raider was sent to the floor. With a loud crash, he laid still amongst the rubble as he was rendered unconscious. However, more Hollow Raiders began to pour in from a lift on the opposite side, having come up from the ground floor.

"This isn't good," Qingyi voices, "they've totally surrounded us. Unless we somehow distract them, we're stuck here."

The taller of the two took in a deep breath, inhaling as much air to try and calm her nerves. She remembered her breathing exercises. One, two. One, two. Rinse and repeat. Being all erratic and tense in a situation like this without thinking rationally would lead to heavy consequences.

However, she didn't have time to think, Qingyi spoke up again.

"If we can't think of a way out, I'll go distract them so you have a chance to get away."

"What—!?" Zhu Yuan looked bewildered, disagreeing with such an outlandish idea. "What are you talking about!?"

"It was me who insisted that we investigate inside the Hollow," Qingyi replies, looking apologetic at her. "You wouldn't even be in danger right now if it weren't for me. Besides, I'm not human. I'll be fine even if my body gets destroyed, but you don't have that luxury."

The two were being pushed into a corner, Zhu Yuan making a side glance at Qingyi with a grimace, "Hold on, I'm your captain, right? If someone has to take responsibility for this mess, it should be me. Besides, your physical abilities are much better than mine. If one of us has to make a run for it, you'd have a much better chance at surviving."

"Now's not the time to argue..." Qingyi sighed.

"Exactly. Now's not the time to argue," someone else said. The tone of voice sounded playful, young and high-pitched. Feminine.

Qingyi looked around. "Who's there!?"

Zhu Yuan paused for a moment. "Wait, it's coming from the intercom... Someone hacked into our encrypted frequency? But how?"

"Instead of arguing about who should be the bait, how about I offer a solution that works for you both?" The voice offers, sounding almost teasing in a way.

"Why are you? And why should we trust you?" Qingyi asks cautiously, still keeping her eyes trained on the Hollow Raiders slowly closing in on them.

"I can't convince you to trust me," the woman answers honestly. "I'm a Proxy—not exactly someone who should normally be talking to you. But, while I may be a Proxy, I have a conscience. I can't turn a blind eye while you're in danger."

Zhu Yuan looked skeptical. "A Proxy...?" She had heard about them, unofficial and unlicensed guides for people to travel through the Hollow, more specifically the Hollow Raiders. Arresting them was part of their duty as Public Security officers.

Qingyi, seemingly weighing the options in her mind (internal computer system) in mere milliseconds, accepted the offer. "Alright. So, what's the plan?"

"I'll create an opportunity for you." The Proxy replied in a simple tone.

As the Hollow Raiders closed in, Zhu Yuan and Qingyi took cover back into the lift.

"Now, follow my instructions," the Proxy says within Zhu Yuan's earpiece.

"But what about the enemy?" Asking in a hushed tone, she peered her head out a little. Zhu Yuan pulls her head back in when a bullet whizzes past her, just brushing a bit of the concrete wall.

"Leave it to me!"

Two of the five Hollow Raiders that had cornered them heard a crackling noise—something being short circuited. And in one fell swoop, the two Hollow Raiders with ranged weapons let out a terrifying shriek as the lift below them suddenly began to rapidly descend, taking them with it. The other three were alarmed—distracted—the two Public Security officers taking this as their cue to move.

They dashed over to the right, the Hollow Raiders knocked out of their stupor and pointed out the obvious that their prey were getting away. Turning the corner, Zhu Yuan touched her earpiece.

"What now?"

"Straight ahead, jump into that fissure!" The voice told them.

A fissure was a spatial portal of sorts that can be found all throughout the Hollow. Jumping into one was a gamble, however, because you wouldn't know what would be on the other side unless there was a Proxy to guide you. Nonetheless, Zhu Yuan and Qingyi followed the instructions, continuing forward as they braced themselves.

They went through it, the fissure nearly taking them over to a near death occurrence as they stood over a ledge; the metal platform they stood upon having been bisected in two and seemingly no way across. Thankfully, there was another platform to their left and they followed down that way, but couldn't stop because the Hollow Raiders gave chase. The voice on the other side spoke to them again.

"There's another fissure straight ahead!" Zhu Yuan and Qingyi pushed through once more.

Popping out on the other side, Zhu Yuan turned her head slightly. They still gave chase.

She grimaced. "They're closing in! They'll catch us at this rate!"

"I have a plan," the Proxy says, "it might be risky, but I'm sure you can do it!"

She nodded her head. Listening closely to what the Proxy told her, her face showed a bit of disgust. Her gaze followed to where she was displeased with where the next fissure was. A port-a-potty.

A pair of port-a-potties were up ahead, a Hollow Raider of the same gang kicked the door open with satisfaction as he had finished going about doing his business there. Humming to himself, he was about to go back to his duty, only for him to fall flat onto his ass when he was surprised by the two PubSec officers blazing past him and entering the port-a-potty next to the one he exited. They disappeared from sight, looking like one of those old cartoons when a character(s) would disappear into nothingness when they entered a room through a door or something like that.

It was rather strange, he stood up and was about to continue on his day, only to see his companions barrel past him as they all tried to push into the port-a-potty in order to get through into the fissure. Having pushed through, they expected to be running across flat ground, only for them to drop a little and fall onto the appendage of a metal crane. The wind rushed all around them, the Hollow Raiders holding onto for dear life in fear that they didn't fall and plummet to the ground.

Up ahead, Qingyi and Zhu Yuan were carefully walking across the metal beam, maintaining their sight upon the thin metal walkway to ensure that they didn't fall. Behind them, one of the Hollow Raiders primed his crossbow at the ready, aiming with one hand while he used his other to keep himself wrapped around the metal pipe. He pulled the trigger, his crossbow bolt soaring through the air and aimed at Zhu Yuan's head.

But the PubSec pair did the unthinkable. They jumped. The two twirled through the air momentarily before they grabbed one another, their heads pointed downward like a plummeting spiral as they aimed themselves to fall through the center hole of a metal scaffolding tower. And perfectly, they began to fall through it with perfect precision—not a hint of them being struck up against the metal siding as they kept each other tucked in. Though Qingyi couldn't help but feel comfortable with how her face was being stuffed in between two mounds (and at the same time, jealous).

Rapidly descending down the tower, they saw the bottom. Just a few meters away and they would hit it, but the two didn't look deterred or nervous in the slightest; a little bit of a stressed out face, but that was about it. They trusted what the Proxy told them. That there would be a fissure at the bottom. So they braced themselves. It wouldn't be long until they heard that familiar garbled noise as the spatial fissure consumed them and began to carry them elsewhere.

Due to how finicky and unpredictable fissures were, it was highly disapproved of to jump in without any sort of plan. Mostly about where you would come out would be unknown, but the fissures themselves were still mysterious. When they had entered, the fissure felt cold and unyielding—pulsating like a beating heart as if it were alive. There were far too many unknown factors about fissures, so for them to jump into the fissure without establishing whether or not the Proxy was a trusted individual, that was a lot to be said about these two. That's what made Zhu Yuan and Qingyi respected PubSec officers in the first place.

Relentless, tenacious, and always willing to get the job done.

---

That particular garbled and static noise occurred as the fissure spit them out in another area. Zhu Yuan made an easy recovery onto the floor, rolling onto her shoulder before she came back on top of her feet while Qingyi slid across the floor without any effort.

Her breaths and pants heavy, clearly out of breath from all that constant running and leaping, Zhu Yuan hung her head low.

"We're saved..." She breathes in relief.

Qingyi, her gaze falling onto some boxes, spoke up, "Well, hero, now that you've saved us, don't you plan on making an appearance?"

"Sure," the Proxy cheerfully says, "now we can finally talk."

Out from behind a box, a cute little bangboo walks out, dressed in a black coat with an orange scarf with the number one emblazoned on it. Zhu Yuan looked surprised. This is who's been talking to them all this time?

At the same time, a realization hit them.

"You're the bangboo from Belobog!" During that same incident about a week or so ago, this same bangboo was accompanying the Belobog members at the plaza. Qingyi narrowed her eyes, "There's no way an ordinary bangboo would be as capable as you, let alone hack into our intercom... Who are you?"

That's when it clicked in Zhu Yuan's head. "Qingyi, have you heard the rumors about a legendary Proxy who doesn't enter the Hollow themselves, but manages real-time communication from the outside?"

"Phaethon."

"That's me. I'm Phaethon," the voice comes from the bangboo. Despite it being feminine, the voice was a little distorted. Just so they can hide their identity from anyone—even possible close friends that happened to be Hollow Raiders themselves.

Qingyi blinks in realization. "So you were already watching us when we received the report from Belobog.

"Yeah, I was helping Belobog Industries retrieve something lost, but I ended up running into that monster deep in the Hollow," the bangboo says with a slightly chirpy voice. "As you've already guessed, I think there's something unusual about that monster, too. There's some kind of conspiracy behind it, and it's connected to what I've been chasing."

"In other words, you're helping us so H.A.N.D gets the evidence and uncovers the truth behind the monster?" Zhu Yuan surmises.

"Exactly! And, it's still not too late to get the evidence back."

Qingyi crosses her arms, "According to page 173 of the Public Security Officer's Manual, in urgent situations, officers have the right to recruit 'assistants' without verifying identities."

"So, you're suggesting..." Zhu Yuan bit her lip. This isn't necessarily something she's particularly okay with, but when push comes to shove...

"We share a common goal," the bangboo says with a determined expression. "Let's work together and get the evidence!"

She contemplated it for a moment, before eventually nodding. "Deal. Now's not the time for more questions. We accept your assistance, Phaethon. But as you've seen, the enemy is well prepared and has the advantage in numbers."

"Don't worry, leave that to me. Since we lack manpower, we'll use the Hollow against them—that's my specialty!"

The brief partnership between the Criminal Investigation Squad and Phaethon having been established, they begin to concoct their plan. The first order of business? Making it back to the area where the evidence carrier had been left.

---

He waited for hours at the event. Ever since he saw her leave to go to who knows where, Mùyáng tried to remain positive that she'd be fine.

But at this moment, the event had already finished and the crowd dispersed. Commissioner Bringer had even left as well, back into the Janus Quarter precinct. And so he waited outside the bureau's gate, waiting for her to come back before he was eventually told to vacate the premises.

And so he went back to their apartment. Constantly fidgeting on the couch, twiddling his thumbs together as he stared at his phone that lay on the coffee table. His finger hovered over it, quivering a little bit as he sifted through his contact list. He tapped onto her icon.

The phone began to dial. A click, a little bit of his hopes were raised before the voice chimed in as an automated message.

"You've reached the voicemail of Captain Zhu Yuan of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team. Please note that I am unavailable during my work hours, so please leave a message if it is urgent. Thank you."

The line beeped, signaling for him to say his message. He opened his mouth, pausing momentarily before he grunted. He ended the call. Dialing once more, he put the phone to his ear and waited. The voicemail message played again.

He rubbed his face with his hand, the line beeping once more. "Hey, Zhu... It's me. It's been a pretty long while since you've called and I'm getting worried. I know I shouldn't be and you can very much handle yourself, but I just... I just want to know if you're okay or not. Call me as soon as you can, okay? Love you."

He ends his message, slumping on the couch as he lets out an exhausted sigh. Just fretting over her made him exhausted because he wanted nothing more than for her to be home already. Again, he knows that Zhu Yuan can take care of herself but he can't help but worry for her. The Hollows are dangerous, and unknown circumstances can occur and put her in harm's way.

Mùyáng sat there and began to think. Should he go after her? He could call up his old contact and—No, he can't. He gave it up. Part of the reason why he's obtained this life is that he never picks it up again—to forget about it. That was the agreement, something he's honored greatly and profusely multiple times.

So why did she—that woman—visit his shop? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure if even wanted to know. Sitting there, resting his hands on his face, he began to contemplate.

He needed to calm down. Yes, calm down. Just take a deep breath.

In. And out. In. And out.

One.

Two.

Three...

He closed his eyes. Slowly but surely, he felt himself drifting off into slumber. The weight had overtaken him and he drifted off.