"There's blood everywhere..." Celeste wails in a voice that sounds like she is about to break out in tears at any moment. I swallow hard and look at the staffer that we had rushed downstairs to save. Not that he needed our help anyway. It looks like he is using that torn off wing from the angel to menace the other heavies that are on their knees blubbering.

Sera whispers to me, "Tensei, do you recognize that staffer?" I shake my head. This is the first time I have ever seen this person on the campus.

Sera nods imperceptibly and whispers again, "Me neither. Be careful. This guy might be another intruder and I don't think he will be as easy to deal with as those clowns." Sera's hand tightens over the grip of her saber and I feel a subtle shift in the pressure around me. Sera's preparing to fight. I begin to gather my spiritual strength as well. I don't want to fight, but I will to protect my precious friends.

The staffer finally turns around and sees us with a look of surprise on his face. Did he only just notice us? I suppose with the fight going on, his attention was elsewhere. His face immediately breaks into a smile which I suppose is meant to be reassuring. The blood splattered on his clothes and the broken wing in his hands spoils the effect though. Celeste whimpers and hides behind me.

"Good evening everyone." The staffer says over enthusiastically, "the disturbance has been resolved and you can go back to the dorms now." The look on Sera's face just grows even stiffer as the knuckles of her hand gripping the saber turn white.

"Might we ask who you are sir? I don't believe we have met." Sera asks in as calm a voice as possible. I feel cold sweat run down my back. How long would I last against this guy if it really came down to it?

"Of course! Of course! Manners right? David Greer, at your service." the staffer says with a strained smile as he pushes the broken wing at Sera. When Mr Greer notices Sera take a step back, a look of realization crosses his face and he tosses the broken wing back at the three gangsters who squeak with fear as they scramble backwards. Mr Greer then extends his bloodstained right hand once more towards Sera for a handshake. When Sera blanches at the sight, yet another look of realization crosses Mr Greer's face as he retracts the hand and says apologetically, "Sorry if I don't shake."

To break the awkwardness, I decide to speak to Mr Greer, "Have you been working here long sir?"

Mr Greer, who had reached for a jacket that lay discarded on the ground and was cleaning his hands on it responds, "No. No. I just joined the administration department today in fact. I am a recent arrival to The City."

Sera's eyes narrow and she asks, "May I see your identification sir?"

Mr Greer smiles patronizingly at Sera and replies, "Since when do the students make demands of their teachers young lady?"

Sera immediately draws her police badge from her jeans and shoves it in front of Mr Greer's face. "I am asking not as a student, but as a member of the police investigating a possible crime."

Mr Greer squints at the badge and sighs. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a staff ID, handing it to Sera. "There you go, Officer Naiberg. Aren't you a bit young to be working as a cop? It was self defense by the way."

I take a look at the ID in Sera's hand. David Greer. Administration Department. Issued today. Looks like Mr Greer is who he says he is.

Sera passes her badge to Celeste, saying, "Celeste, head back upstairs and call the police. Tell the operator my badge number and ask them to send a squad car to pick up suspects and an ambulance for someone badly injured."

Mr Greer waives his hands about protesting, "It was self defense!"

Sera glares at Mr Greer, "I will need to take a statement from you to determine that." She then turns to me and says, "Stick around Tensei, I will need to take a statement from you and Celeste as well."

Looks like its going to be a long night.

....

Sera took Celeste's statement first and after that quickly called a cab to take her home over Celeste's protests to stay with us. When Mr Greer was distracted by the ambulance and the other officers arriving to bundle away the heavies, Sera whispered to me that she was afraid that Mr Greer would become violent again later during the interview and that Celeste could get hurt.

"I am here as well you know," I told Sera, "Mr Greer is well, strange, but I don't feel hostility coming from him. The two of us should be able to restrain him if anything happens."

"Hmph," Sera pouts, "as if I need your help. But since you offered, I suppose I could put you to work a little. I will save your statement for the last then."

"Always so harsh." I mumble to myself as Sera calls Mr Greer over to take his statement.

....

So I sat in while Mr Greer was telling his side of the story to Sera. He had apparently received an offer to work here and had arrived yesterday night at the campus. Since he did not own a place of his own in The City, the Academy had provided an apartment at the staff block for him. Mr Greer spent today at the Administration Department sorting out the details of his employment before returning to his apartment to rest. He then came out for an evening walk, saw four suspicious men loitering about and tried to get them to leave. They refused and attacked him, leading up to what happened next.

"Self defense!" Mr Greer concludes, raising his voice for emphasis.

Sera does not respond and instead checks her notes before asking, "You said you just arrived in The City right?"

Mr Greer nods.

"Do you have any other identification other than what was issued by The City or the Academy?" Sera asks looking at Mr Greer straight in the eye.

Mr Greer shakes his head and says, "No. I originally came from Oxford you see."

I frown. How is that relevant to anything? Sera is also clearly trying to trap Mr Greer, but on what ground?

Sera scowls as she responds, "How convenient."

"Yes." Mr Greer replies with a smug, beaming look, "This place is just like home, before all the war and associated nastiness."

Mr Greer's expression then slips into a far away look as he says, "It was terrible you know. I still get nightmares about it. Please don't ask me about that time."

I feel the annoyance start to rise from Sera as her scowl only deepens at Mr Greer's answer. "So about that identification." she reiterates.

"All lost when Oxford was leveled during the war." Mr Greer smiles, "I applied for City ID as soon as I managed to get a position here and received a dispensation with regard for any previous ID on humanitarian grounds. You are welcome to check City records if you want officer."

Mr Greer then shifts his head to the side, as if he is listening to something, the smile on his face growing broader. I don't hear anything though. What could it be?

Sera then changes tack and asks, "I suppose you have someone that can vouch for your employment here?"

"Of course. Ask Mrs Alley at Administration." Mr Greer replies easily.

Sera nods and hands the statement over to Mr Greer for him to sign it. After that is done, Mr Greer disappears into the night, heading back to the staff block.

...

"So fake." Sera complains to me once Mr Greer is out of sight, "That was the phoniest thousand yard stare I have ever seen."

"What are you talking about Sera?" I ask her, "Mr Greer's story is consistent with what had happened."

Sera shakes her head, "Its not the story Tensei. Don't you find it suspicious that there is a new staffer sniffing around the school who shows up without warning and happily brutalizes anyone he fights?"

"Well he did get a job offer." I say.

"That's just it," Sera explains, "As far as I know, the administration department was not hiring anyone new. Yet this Mr Greer suddenly shows up. Also, the Academy is a prestigious institution, someone like Mr Greer would never have passed the initial assessments."

"That's not fair to him," I protest, "The Academy hires former soldiers as well, like Mr Trietel right?"

Sera shakes her head, "Mr Trietel has all his papers in order. Open his employee file and you will find a complete record of where he was born, his former unit in the Legion, where he fought, his academic qualifications and so on. Mr Trietel's past is an open book, unlike Mr Greer's."

"Well, Mr Greer did provide an explanation for that." I say.

"Which is completely bogus." Sera dismisses, "Mr Greer has conveniently used a destroyed city as his point of origin to remove the need for him to provide an explanation of his past. I am sure if we check City records, all we will find is Mr Greer's application for new identification and approval from the local government on the ground that he was a refugee who lost his home."

"Well, you could check with Administration instead if he is really so suspicious." I offer, "Why are you getting so worked up about this anyway?"

Sera smiles gently at me and says, "I am worried about you Tensei. Your family never accepted you getting away from them and will sooner or later try something. Other people will also become interested in your connection with the von Amsturgs as the date draws closer. They will try to rope you in, whether you like it or not. I am just scared because I don't know who the person is behind this Mr Greer."

A wave of anger rises within me. Politics. Again. "I already told uncle that I was not interested and he could do whatever he wants. I just want to live my life in peace." I say.

Sera reaches out and touches my hand with hers. "And I will help you do that. So please trust my feelings."

I hold Sera's hand tightly in my own. I am blessed to have such good friends. I cannot let them down.