Awakening slowly from her restful slumber, Mary regained consciousness as she wiped her face off the clumped hair of hers.

With the tape finished playing, the recorder shut down automatically to avoid wasting any more energy than the crystal could handle.

With a curious glance, she notices Miss Leutenegger still on the steering of the buggy. Confirming their still on a drive, she sits properly upright as she sips some of her purified water boiled ages ago in her flask.

The sound of rubble, cracks and creaks, left and right with the rough sound of pebbles crackling the metal sheets of the vehicle, sounded like multiple thunderstorms raging and hitting through the eardrums.

"How close are we?" Mary shouted towards NZ who was peering his head out of a window as held onto something.

Looking through the sidecar mirror, he faces back at Mary with a serious glance. "Quite near, but now is not the time to explain."

"Whys that?" Mary asked as she had barely any sight to notice what's beside or even behind her due to the welded sheets of rusted scrap metal.

"Guess yourself..." NZ grunts back as he concentrates his sight onto something and takes potshots of it with Shin-ae's Rifle. "Stal! Backup coming from the left side pass. Just keep driving straight, stop swerving off course!"

With a twitch of her nose, Leutenegger nods to herself as she follows NZ's orders. "Goddamn, This road is ridiculous. Since when were they so....rocky?"

"Say thanks to the ruins of the old building that once stayed here. Time changes everything, after all!" NZ replies as he melts off the tires of the vehicle, causing it to lose balance and crash by itself into a boulder harshly. "Ooh, that's sad for yah and your buds."

As the second vehicle neared by the sound of sonorous ricochet flicked onto the metal.

"The person has a gun!?" Mary shouts questioning in a confused manner, as she softly prays and holds onto Equity, the USP Handgun.

"Seems so. It doesn't look like a modern model though. Could be a makeshift or perhaps a Guardian Weapon from what I seem." NZ answers as he looks through the rifle's newly summoned scope.

As the shots infinitely continued for some time, the two tried their best to protect the vehicle as Mary was stuck as a sitting duck, covering her ears and hiding on the vehicles metallic leg rest.

"Don't worry Mary, we will be fi-." With a rush of alertness, NZ pulls in his gun and arm quickly as he held it with his wrist. "Agh, Goddamit!"

With a short grunt of pain, he held his arm which was bleeding from a shard of a shot. Pulling the bullet out professionally with his pocket bandages and tweezers, he wraps his arm wound and tries to gain composure once more. "Fuck sakes, they are pissing me off right now," he grumbles as he ground his teeth.

Looking through the scope, he guesses. proper measurement of velocity and took the shot. Upon impact, the side driver of the bandit's vehicle got shot into the torso of the gunner.

With a sigh of relieve, he held his pain once more as he relaxed. The bandit driver of the vehicle now with no reinforcements or partners gave up the chase and decided to head wherever their base was.

Satisfied for now, NZ inspects the bullet he pulled off of him as it was still smoking hot. "Shin-ae, you are approximately better than me in the knowledge of guns, can you try to identify this bullet?" NZ asks as he spoke to his rifle that turned into a pink mist before forming a physical form.

Sitting on his lap, the figure of a beast and a human combined picks up the bullet off from his palm as she takes a look at it. "Hmm, this looks like a .55 millimetre. Seems to be hand made and loaded. Gunner wasn't professional in the gun powder used though."

Inspecting closer, her ears flooded about as she sighs in a rather whimpering way.

"So, What does that mean!?" He asks trying to get a better answer from her.

Leutenegger that slowly drove back on course, made a turn before continuing a safer drive.

Reaching with one of her hands from the wheel, she pats the couch of the passenger seat. "You can wake up now Fraulein. It's safe."

Uncovering her ears from the sudden sound of the vibration of taps near her, she opens her eye and immediately sits back onto her seat, buckling herself with the self-prepared safety belt. "Thank goodness, for the second there I thought we were screwed."

"Well, we almost were," Leutenegger answered as she takes a right, going through many ruins filled with crumbling wall sides and crushed glass turning to silicon once more somehow. "Just thanks to this old machine that is still functional that kept us still up and running. This is why I trust her."

"Her? You mean the car?" Mary asks as in her calm and normal curious tone of voice.

"Yep, my lovely baby of a car, she drives way better as she is scrapped from multiple sports and military geared parts and accessories. " Leutenegger replies smoothly.

With a fake and slightly nodded smile, Mary looks back at Shin-ae who was sitting on NZ with a proper balance in her, third stage?

"Consisted barely of fatal consequences, this bullet had purposeful cuts on it which act as a flechette. The gunner who shot you wasn't a regular bandit. It purposely wanted to injure you so you could poison yourself to death with the amount of lead and flechette like the technique used." Shin-ae answered with a smile. "What you had was a psycho of a gun nut."

"Wait...what? That person was purposely injuring people for them to bleed themselves to death? That's absurd." NZ replies with a shocked tone. "And if the bullet wasn't pulled out in time, I could have had fatal consequences."

"Yep," she replies. "To be honest if you died right here right now, we three would be in shock and sadness for you in this middle of the desert. Good part on your self-removal though."

With a tight turn of a screech emitting from the tires of the buggy, they were then halted by a gateway towards a medium-sized building between multiple abandoned apartments and other shop-houses.

The surroundings were pretty settled in, consisting of very few civilians, merchants who could sell anything for just a speck of grub, guns, toys, scrap, drugs, you name it.

Protecting them were rusted and slightly bent barricades of fences and sandbags. A pretty slightly modern town, it generated energy from a nearby nuclear power factory. Other than the manmade surroundings, two guards dressed in brown rags of a uniform walks slowly towards the vehicle as they inspected it.

"What is your purpose here?" A feminine voice asked as it was muffled with a half gas-mask. Holding a rusty sub-machine gun, she also had a small hatchet holstered on her waist. "You, check on the others, and also if they contain any armaments."

Shin-ae invisible to the eyes of the two guards, she only was seen as a glowing crystal floating and stuck upon the ceiling of the buggy as a hiding spot.

"We're part of the Allied tribes. We came here to visit with an old friend." Leutenegger replies towards the guard. "We're also armed, just to let you know. Both normal and Guardians."

"Wait, guardians? Which kind." The security asked as she looks into the vehicle left and right.

Noticing a slightly glowing pink crystal stuck upon the ceiling very noticeably, the security shakes her head and rubs her forehead. "Fine, they're clean. Let them in. Their one of those folks from the old military."

"But ma'am, who are they suppose to meet? We can just let them through yet." Her partner asked as she stares into NZ who was smiling into her pair of blue eyes.

"What are you grinning at?" She asks in an alerted and curious way.

"Been a while since I seen light blue eyes of that hue. Are you related to someone here?" He asks.

"If you mean, if I have a family. Yes." She answers. "What does that suppose to mean with that?"

Clearing his throat, he smiles back at her before signalling her to let them through. "I will talk with your chief. She ought to know to train you more strictly and future recruits."

"Rule. 2 of security guarding. Never reveal yourself of your normal life and personal subjects. Especially when it comes to family. Leave your chief a message." He answers.

The main guard a little angry at his slight rude call out, turns to him. "You acting so lose headed over there, state yourself?" Inspecting his clothing, she notices a dirty uniform hiding under his coat, a military uniform. Her guess was true.

"Old military veteran, huh." The main guard calls out in surprise as she notifies her partner to stand down her questioning. "Let them go, just notify the chief of their arrival and soon as possible, a meeting."

"Yes ma'am." The partner shouted as she walks back to her post and presses a button, causing the electric gate to open for them.

Waving towards the main guard, Leutenegger smiles before driving into the sandy compound and parking herself safely.

Complete halted of both engine, Leutenegger opens her door and notified the two of their potential leave. "You zwei can come out now..."

Opening their doors slowly they exited. NZ with Shin-ae who was sitting on his lap whizzed through him in a very ghostly way before standing upright as she scouted the premise in animalistic curiosity.

Holding onto his bandaged arm, he looks left and right before walking towards a certain direction of North-east.

"Hey, where are you going?" Mary shouted in question.

"To the doctor's, I know there's one nearby but I can't seem to remember if it was the same person," NZ replied. "Need to see the wound up, can't let it get infected after all."

"Fine, alright then. I will stick up with Miss Leutenegger then." Mary answers back as she watches him waving at her with a smile.

"Alright, go ahead. See you soon." NZ answers before walking away.

Mary, who now slowly holstered her handgun into her pockets, noticed a watchful eye of a civilian who had a fearful face. "Oh hello. " She waved to the stranger.

Instead of replying, the person in a state of paranoia ran away to some unknown dark alleyway.

"What the fuck was up with that?" Mary asks.

The main guard who walked towards them watches the person run away as she removes her mask, revealing a rather young caucasian face. "Don't mind her, she is a little screw loose due to drug abuse."

"Why is that? Where's her family or caretaker?" Mary asks.

"Her parents died before her, due to a bandit raid and she became paranoid over time. The doctor prescribed her medicine but slowly over time, it became more of an addiction. So we just let her be. She's known as "The Rat" here by the children of this place as she tends to sneak about stealing and selling their toys for food money."

"That's horrible. I feel bad for her." Mary replies with a smirk. "Any way one could help her? I am a doctor in training."

"Doctor in training, huh?" Looking up and down, she inspects the weapons and the odd yellow cloak she was wearing. "Didn't know doctors could shoot guns, you have one too many."

"Oh my guns, well..." Mary grins with a little embarrassment. "Consider it a second opinion in my training against the non-compliant."

"Right..." The main guard answers. Pressing her helmet, there was an earpiece under it. "Yes ma'am, sure will do."

"Alright doctor and old lady, you take the brown door over there and then take a right, there will then be headed to the meeting room." The guard explained as she looks left and right. "Where's your third?"

"She went to visit the doctor near the east side. To recover and sew on a wound." Leutenegger answers. "Also, old lady.... mind you but I am still at my late middle ages."

"Oh, sorry miss. Didn't know that. The bags under your eyes made me thought you were older than you look. Not harm feelings. Anyway, the chief expects your visit, go ahead. I will have to get back to work ' As she salutes, the guard then walks away towards the security post of the entranceway.

"Well, shall we go ahead? " Mary asks as she walks towards the brown door of a medium-sized building of sorts with multiple cracked yet boarded-up windows.

"Lead the way...Doctor." Leutenegger replies with a grin for once.

"...." Staying quiet, Mary opens the door with a twist of the knob before entering it. The interior was very dull filled with many rusty cabinets and a table desk in the middle with a computer.

Somehow functional, a lady sat as she typed on the screen as she started with a very concentrated look.

"Let's not disturb her, she looks busy," Leutenegger replies as she guides Mary towards the aforementioned meeting room.

...

"Ahh, that's the stuff," NZ replies gleefully as his wound was magically healed with a magical sew of a light string. The nurse of the doctor and employed guardian used her magic of strings to help support her partner who sews the wound cleanly anew.

"That's it, quite a fast one too. No excess shrapnel, you were lucky it didn't hit your vital articular veins, or else you would bleed to death some time ago." The doctor replies as she charts something on her notepad.

"That would be Fifty Mercs." She replies as she watches her guardian of a partner take a sight at NZ rather curiously. She could see through NZ's alternative of identity without even considering the multiple eyes she had. "Erich, what's the matter? Why are you starting at our customer?"

"Oh, I am sorry...boss." The nurse replied as she bowed profusely before walking away. "I will go arrange the drugs."

"Don't mind her, she's a curious one. My friend said its because of her spider variation of a species that takes friendly curiosity on anything." The doctor replies under her mask as she takes the coins that NZ hands to her, counting each variation of its size and colour before chucking them into her drawer. "Thanks for your service, Miss NZ. Hope you get better soon, can see you again with some sort of lead poisoning, I don't specialise in curing poisons."

"Silly doctor. Says the one who has a spider guardian." NZ chuckles before getting up to take a leave. "No offence, it's just the irony."

"I get what you mean, heard that joke a few times here and there from past clients. A doctor who doesn't know how to cure poisoned individuals yet have a crystal that homes a spider human mix of a Guardian." The doctor replied as she waves to him. "Have a great evening Miss."

"You too Doc, hope your medicine will work. Can't let the chief down after all, since she is a doctor. Well, was." NZ laughs cheekily before closing the door shut.

Heading towards the main entranceway, the guard points him in the direction the other two went before telling him how to reach the meeting room.

Entering room by room, he was then met with an elderly woman, way older than him taking a nap as she worse a guard uniform. "Tsk, tsk..old lady, you should retire instead. A job like this won't do you any good " He sighs as he pulls the door open only to be open up with a loud commotion.

A familiar girl screamed towards the chief of the building. "What, you are here!?"

Closing the door slowly, NZ heads towards the meeting room and takes a seat by the available chair. "Hey, what's the yeehaw around here?"

Mary in static shock looks at NZ and points towards the chief of the town. A tall lady in her middle ages as she wore a suit and a beret. "She is....she is her?!"

"Yep, just as always, as she is...only different," NZ replies. "Goyang-i, also known as Heungson Chau-Min."

"No fucking way! I remember from the tapes she was way short over her ages. She can't just suddenly be double the height of any human being." Mary replies as her curiosity and confusing tone of voice bashed each other in a nerdy surprise.

"Tapes? You mean those recordings you used to do when you were young? The electronic logbooks." Chau-min asked with a curious peer.

NZ nods with a smile. "Yep, right ditto..." He combs his hair back as he relaxes on a seat.

"That's a cool surprise but Miss Mary, I can explain this from a scientific standpoint. But since you don't specialise in my level of procedure, the basics will just do for now. " She said with a puff of calm.

"My body is just deficient in growing my body, up. till I was twenty-five, I was still growing a bare minimum of my young looks but after hitting thirty. Because of that, I suddenly spiked up by adding the remainder hide I missed with the current causing me to look double of a human's height when its more of just a spike of terrible growth. It's a deficiency between the mix of dwarfism and giantism." Chau-min explains as much as possible.

"That is amazing. What wonderful research put in. I never expected such a deficiency to exist. We're there others that had the same fate over your years, miss." Mary asks curiously as she wrote some notes in her journal.

"Well, percentage-wise when the time I was born was quite low at that time due to quite an amount of governmental changes. Gene wise is possible but only takes up four per cent of most of my tree. The other percentages could be born normal or with some sort of other weaknesses in their brain, the neural transmitter. I was the one who had the percentage of the four per cent meanwhile my sister older suffered was brought up under ol' special traits. "

As much as Chau-min wanted to explain everything, there were cases the thought of putting it to a halt and going with business should be started instead.

However, the curiosity between the two females gave out a lively dream that makes the others interested in their way as well.

"So what about her older sister and Miss Sherrinford, where are they then? Since we are getting everyone back in due for the mission." Mary asks him as she made a small spiel.

"You want to know where are those two?" The tone of the room became dull and dark as the lights look bluer than normal and the body language the three left off were a little pathetic by some means.

"I mean, it's fine. Right?" Mary asks as she innocently smiled.

Sighing softly, NZ nods slowly before thinking up an answer for the next thirty seconds. In that time, Chau-min and Mary shared a few more conversations before they were halted.

"The two are not here, they are somewhere else..." NZ replies.

"Somewhere else?" Taking a short thought in time, she then realises something wasn't right. "Did they....pass away?"

"Close enough...." Leutenegger answers as Chau-min decided to take the courage to answer them.

"Only one of them, my sister due to the downsides of the medical curse. Call it a natural death, as she was, she did her best."

Chau-min smiles in a very calming way. "However, about Sher, it's been ages since we three talked to her. She has been in a coma ever since."

"A coma...how did it happen?" Mary asks, trying to squeeze the last drop of sweat out of a handkerchief for an answer.

"Bad things, Miss Mary. Bad things." Leutenegger answers as she crosses her hands and leaned on the chair.

"Oh." The lass in beige answered as she kept her head low, with a feeling of slight guilt and misery.

Whatever the case, what she managed to hear today can be enhanced over time when she reads and watches more of the taped notes.

Perhaps maybe just by finding more information through the people and the doctor that takes care of Sherrinford, ...

Could do the trick.