June 17, 4021 08:30 [Zìyóugǎng- Lunar Gate Trait Acclimation Center]

Vivian reclined in the shade of an orchid tree, languidly observing the training session unfolding nearby. In the blazing summer heat stood Akula wearing nothing but shorts, gritting his teeth in deep concentration as he attempted to transfer an ounce of his own blood between two sterile containers situated on opposite ends of the open-air training arena. His blood floated in the shape of an amorphous orb between his palms as he carefully shuffled from one end of the arena to the other. Surrounding him, the other boys, similarly stripped down to their shorts, relayed instructions to their friend as he trained to perfect his ‘Blood Manipulation’ aptly named by Cecil. They had been at it for roughly two days continuing this ritual for the third morning in a row. While the boys toiled in the 30° C weather, Aisha sat cross-legged close to Vivian, practicing her own skills.

Her expression appeared dull, telling signs that something was bothering her. Vivian could already guess what occupied her thoughts; two days prior she had overheard Mirai and Aisha in a heated argument embroiling into Mirai’s insistence that they remain platonic. Aisha’s only response was to stare at him with a morose and confused expression. It was sobering to witness. Vivian concluded it need not be made public, so she kept her lips sealed, ready to dole out advice should her friend seek her counsel.

Aisha took a handful of sand at her feet, letting the coarse material run through her fingertips, catalyzing it in her palms to form glass. Like Akula, her abilities had evolved since the terrorist attack on the plaza. She could now convert matter into another product given that it was theoretically possible and did not require massive amounts of catalysis or compression to form. Small reactions like sand to glass and carbon to coal were within the range of her newfound Trait mutation that Vivian had dubbed ‘Conversion’. Unlike Aisha and Akula, neither Mirai nor Indra had developed any new Trait mutations with Indra still failing to manifest any semblance of a Trait. To compensate for their lack of genetic growth Mirai had opted to learn some new conduction techniques from Cecil, practicing by channeling his ‘Static’ into a silver baton while Indra focused on building up his physical attributes, egged on by Akula.

Vivian utilized the opportunity to record their performances so she could analyze the data later as part of her research. She was enjoying the time off, taking in all the vistas the city had to offer, sampling the local delicacies, shopping for new clothes, and partaking in the revelry whenever they went out to explore as a group. Though she had lived in the city for twenty-six years she had seldom left the neighborhood that she had grown up in. Raised by her father, Colonel Tiānshàng Jìguāng, Lunar Gate’s Matriarchs and research labs were the only other places she had frequented during her formative years. She had undoubtedly stepped out of her comfort zone in the past few days, eager to experience the next day’s adventures.

She glanced over at Indra who was attempting to perform handstand push-ups while his feet were held up by Cecil. His muscles tightened, taught fibers wrapping around his slight frame as he descended and ascended in sync with Akula’s invigorating chants. Completing his final set of push-ups the Traitless Homunculus loosened his stance. Cecil let go of Indra’s legs, allowing his back to slam into the ground as he knocked the air out of himself, wheezing and laughing with the others. Despite Aisha’s advice to talk to Indra about her concerns, Vivian hadn’t had the opportunity to speak with him one-on-one. At least that’s how she wanted to perceive the situation, trying adamantly to discourage the notion that she had been actively avoiding encounters where they could speak alone.

The Homunculi finished their training for the day, hitting the showers before leaving the arena for a nearby park. Casual clothes suited them best, in Vivian’s opinion. She and Aisha donned thin blouses, hers a light pink and Aisha’s a summery green, complemented by high-waist shorts. The boys opted for cargo shorts of varying shades of grey with the only noticeable difference being the type of shirt they were wearing. Akula and Mirai chose plain t-shirts with solid color profiles. Indra and Cecil decided to wear short-sleeved button-up shirts, with Indra sporting patterned vertical stripes and bandages once again wrapped around his tattooed arm whilst Cecil dressed in a simple floral print. Everyone seemed more relaxed and at ease. Although Vivian could still sense the tension between Mirai and Aisha, for the most part their vacation had worked wonders in de-stressing the group.

Strolling through Lǜsè Park the group passed by throngs of families enjoying the weather. They stopped near a lake, dipping their feet in the cool water, observing the ripples on the surface as they spread out, distorting the reflection of the cloudy sky. Vivian peered around taking in the scenery. Beads of dew glistened upon emerald grass as a light breeze picked up, causing the field of greenery to sway gently back and forth as the parkgoers basked in the sunlight. The blazing heat had subsided, replaced by temperate weather at noon. As she continued to look around she noticed Akula gnashing his teeth, restlessly moving his legs, eyes darting back and forth between onlookers.

“Is it just me or are they staring at us?” he said.

The Homunculi turned around to evaluate Akula’s suspicions only to be greeted by an increasing crowd of bystanders, many glaring at them, some staring apprehensively. Parents shielded their children from view, cross-armed or balling their fists. Vivian observed the crowd; they were just civilians, but dealing with such a large number of people could result in accidental casualties if the Homunculi were not careful. She deduced that de-escalating the situation would prove more useful in getting the group out of the area.

Seeing as she was the only human in their cohort she gathered her bearings, picking herself up gently and moving towards the crowd slowly and methodically, displaying her palms to show she meant no harm. The Homunculi remained seated, watching Vivian carefully, ready to spring into action if matters got out of hand. A middle-aged man shoved his way to the front of the crowd, meeting Vivian halfway, an intense rage clouding his eyes.

“What are you people doing here?! Haven’t you overstayed your welcome already? Go back to your Matriarchs!" the man bellowed at the Homunculi, supported by shouts of approval from the crowd.

"Sir, I understand your concern but Lunar Gate has already established a citizenship initiative with its Homunculi soldiers. The Homunculi behind me have all received the proper licensure to be here as per the requirements to station our soldiers in Zìyóugǎng to maintain the safety of the city," Vivian assured the furious man.

The man shook his head. "Safety? What safety? I don't care if your experiments have the proper license to be here. I pay my taxes with the understanding that Lunar Gate and its staff are responsible for protecting my family and I from harm. I do so with the understanding that I won't be seeing any of these genetic freaks in broad daylight, much less mingling with the public! As their handler, you're as incompetent as they come. Shouldn't you take responsibility and keep these things away from us? What if we get infected with Aria?!"

Indra jumped to his feet covering the distance between him and Vivian. He moved in-between her and the man whose blotchy complexion continued to turn a darker shade of red with each passing second. Vivian tried to stop the Homunculus from escalating the situation further but he shrugged her off.

"Look you bastard, she isn't our handler and she sure as hell isn't incompetent. We don't need any of your permissions to stay in the city and we don't need your approval either. Our job is to protect the peace and we'll do that whether you like us being here or not. And we don’t have Aria," Indra stated crossly, staring daggers at the man.

The man laughed unpleasantly, glaring at Indra in disgust. "Protect the peace? You filth don't know the meaning of peace. Do you know how many people died during the plaza attack? How many injuries were sustained? Had you been the least bit aware of the suspected threats to our city, none of this would have happened! My daughter was severely injured and I've incurred a massive debt in order to pay for her medical bills. Do you know what that’s like? Not knowing if you’ll be able to pay the rent this month, let alone your next meal? Worrying about a million other issues going on in the city, all the while your child’s life is hanging by a thread? Of course, you don’t! You've lived your lives ordered around like dogs, all your amenities provided and paid for by your company. You possess not one single ounce of understanding in regards to life as a commoner. Don't you dare go around spouting this nonsense about protecting the peace!"

He grabbed Indra's collar roughly. "All you creatures do is clean up messes. You only react once a disaster has already happened, after people have been killed or maimed, their homes and businesses destroyed. You've never taken any preventative measures to stop a threat before it’s been put into effect. I stand by my words; all of you are incompetent. You don't protect the peace, you merely uphold an established quota," he continued, throwing Indra to the ground.

"We'll have no more of your kind here! You, who would place more value on the veiled appearance of a peaceful country while sacrificing the lives of the innocent to do so. Go back to your Matriarchs! We don't require your twisted, misguided help!"

The man turned curtly, moving back through the crowd, which started to disperse as the rest of the Homunculi came to assist Indra. Vivian helped him up, concerned, but more importantly, irritated at the way he had handled the confrontation.

“You just had to pick a fight didn’t you?” she stated crossly.

“He was insulting you! What was I going to do? Stand there and watch as you get berated for mistakes that the company made? We received zero intel about possible threats. The only information we had came from hearsay and conversations that Cecil overheard. None of the information regarding potential threats was meant to reach our ears. Doesn’t that mean we’re allowed a tiny bit of leeway in regards to the plaza attack?”

Vivian pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “You may be right, but it doesn’t matter whether the company screwed up or we screwed up. We’re representatives of Lunar Gate, and as such, we’ll also receive flack for the destruction of Central Plaza, regardless of our responsibility for the incident. As much as I hate to admit it, that man was right, we prevent further damage to the city. Our help is purely reactionary,” she explained.

“It doesn’t mean we should roll over and take the blame for the company. The path of least resistance is an easier option than most, but historically speaking, the consequences almost always outweigh the benefits. Most people, even while knowing they may not be making the right decision, choose this path believing it to be the best decision. In doing so, they fail to envision the repercussions,” Cecil argued.

“Are you saying we imitate Indra’s approach?” Vivian raised an eyebrow.

“Not necessarily, he was a bit rash. But I agree with him; there’s no reason for us to subject ourselves to scrutiny to cover for the company’s mistakes. Next time we should just leave before things escalate,” he explained.

The others nodded in agreement, none too pleased with their current social status. Indra in particular looked quite disillusioned. They left the park hurriedly, opting to return to Central Plaza to observe the rebuilding effort overseen by Commander Huā. The area had largely been cleaned up, with the occasional clean-up crew to move any remaining fragments of glass and concrete from the plaza. Construction crews had set up shop near the Vechnaya Merzlota Embassy, laying the foundation for the collapsed buildings surrounding the area. Food stalls and restaurants had returned as quickly as they had left during the attack. Some makeshift restaurants had popped up within the plaza, interspersed between buildings. Rows of construction workers and passersby lined up to grab a quick lunch. Cecil spotted a restaurant that seemed fairly open, motioning for the others to join him. They ducked under the frame of the makeshift shop, seating themselves at the back of the restaurant. Vivian looked around once more, carefully observing the diners, surprised to see curious and admiring glances from them.

“I saw this restaurant the other day. It seemed like a good place to unwind,” Cecil said.

He looked over to where Vivian was staring. “Oh, right. Some of these people saw us in the plaza. Word got around pretty fast and videos of us are making the rounds. Pretty great for publicity,” he noted.

“Neat,” Vivian responded, still surprised. She eventually turned back to the table. “Have you seen Huā anywhere? I didn’t see him at the construction site and I tried contacting him but I haven’t been able to reach him.”

“I texted him a couple of minutes ago, he should be on his way once he deals with some protesters near the plaza,” Cecil answered.

“What’s this about Huā?” Akula asked.

“He messaged us saying he has some information on the terrorists and potential measures the Oligarchs are taking with Lunar Gate to prevent something like this from happening again,” Cecil elaborated.

“Any chance they’ll supply us with Virya weapons and armor like the JSS?” Indra inquired.

“Considering the mountain of clearance we have to go through to use Virya weapons when we’re in the field, I highly doubt they would trust us with weapons inside such a densely populated city,” remarked Mirai.

Indra slouched on the table. “Damn. Is there anything to eat here?”

Mirai checked the menu. “They have chicken, duck, or pork with fried rice. They also serve ròu jiā mó if you want some. The pork filling they use for the flatbread is pretty juicy from what I’ve heard. Aisha, do you want anything?”

“No, I’m fine,” she sulked.

Mirai looked concerned but turned to the others to take their orders before getting up to order at the counter. A heavy set of footsteps sounded as Mirai’s light steps left the scene. Commander Huā entered the quaint establishment alongside a beautiful young woman with flowing black hair, dressed in an elegant blue sundress with a matching pair of earrings and painted nails. Cecil narrowed his brow, staring at the woman, turning to Vivian for some sort of confirmation. She had an inkling of what Cecil was thinking; she felt a peculiar familiarity with this woman, like she had seen her somewhere before.

“Sorry I’m late,” Huā apologized as he seated himself and the young woman at the table. “The protests are pretty rough this time. We had a lot of people injured and dead in that last attack. I’ve managed to disperse the crowd for now, but they’ll be back for sure. It’s a nuisance, but I can’t say I blame them. If anything happened to my family I would want to hold Lunar Gate accountable as well,” he said. He had come equipped in full riot gear, the same armor he wore during the terrorist attack, choosing to shed his helmet indoors. Huā maintained a well-trimmed beard and wore his long gray hair in a tightly wound bun similar to the way Vivian did her hair while at work. He was rather handsome, possessing high cheekbones and a face that glistened almost unblemished save for a deep scar, traveling from the left corner of his mouth down his neck.

“Who’s this pretty lady?” Cecil remarked, flashing a smile at the woman.

Huā wrapped his arm around the woman’s shoulder, smiling proudly, “You’ve probably seen her before in full make-up, but this is my daughter Yōuyǎ Huā.”

“Make-up?” Cecil furrowed his brow sifting through his memories until the answer presented itself to him. He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. “You're one of the dancers from the festival! You were front and center, right?”

Yōuyǎ smiled warmly. “That’s correct. It’s so nice to finally meet the heroes of Central Plaza, mister… um—”

“—Cecil, you can just call me Cecil,” he blurted.

Yōuyǎ giggled, “Nice to meet you, Cecil.”

“Likewise,” he grinned bashfully.

Akula rolled his eyes, prompting Vivian to whisper into his ear, “What’s with Cecil?”

Akula replied, whispering, “He was staring at her the entire dance.”

Aisha sighed, sinking further into her seat as she watched Mirai at the counter. Vivian made a mental note to talk to her afterward; she couldn’t bear to see her friend so sullen. Almost as if on queue, Mirai arrived, bringing everyone’s food with him.

“Commander Huā, nice to see you again. Miss Yōuyǎ, a pleasure. What information do you have for us Commander?” Mirai inquired.

Aisha narrowed her eyes at Mirai, although he pretended not to notice. “How’re you so familiar with her?” she asked.

“I’m a big fan of Miss Yōuyǎ’s dance troupe. I follow Yǔmáo Nǚ, pretty religiously,” he answered.

“You never told me you were a fan,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

Mirai shrugged. “You never asked. Besides, I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the performance since we were busy watching these two, so I’m making up for a lost opportunity.” He pointed at Indra and Vivian, who hung their heads in shame.

“I’m flattered, thank you,” Yōuyǎ chuckled.

“Of course,” Mirai smiled back.

Aisha and Cecil both shot dirty glances at Mirai this time.

“Information! Yes, I should get to that,” Huā exclaimed, attempting to break the air of tension that had started to form. “Yōuyǎ, dear, will you go order us some food? I’ll have anything, I just need to discuss some work-related issues with my colleagues,” Huā said to his daughter.

“Of course, Father.” Yōuyǎ stood up from her seat, shooting Cecil a flirtatious smile and a wink before heading to the counter. Cecil relaxed his glare on Mirai, although Aisha’s gaze remained fixated.

Commander Huā leaned over the table, causing the others to mirror him. “Let’s start this meeting in an orderly fashion, shall we? First, the terrorists; we've questioned them all thoroughly. Most broke their silence within a few days, but two of them have remained steadfast. They’re keeping silent no matter what methods we use. Our investigation has been fruitless, to say the least. It seems these soldiers were kept in the dark about supplier information, liaisons, and benefactors. We’re hoping the last two men will tell us what we need to know, given the lengths that they’re going to in order to keep quiet.” Huā scratched his chin before continuing. “I’ve been discussing the situation with Intel and it seems that multiple other cities in Yuèliàng have been hit by similar attacks. Kǔ Shén suspects the Republic of Levante’s involvement given the uniforms the attackers were wearing, just like you boys predicted. However, nothing is certain since the outfits could just be red herrings. The way recent events have developed calls for a restructuring of Lunar Gate’s and the state’s own defense protocols. Some major changes will be put into effect in the coming weeks so I suggest you all brace yourselves,” he warned.

“What kind of changes are we talking about here?” Indra asked inquisitively, trying to mask his concern.

“I’m not exactly sure, but there have been whispers of reassignment and special training for select Homunculi. Let’s hope you’ll be lucky enough to get some extra training. You’ll need it if we end up going to war with Levante,” Huā joked.

“Cecil’s already seen the warfront, haven’t ya buddy?” Akula teased, slapping him on the back.

“Really? You’ve fought along the border?” Yōuyǎ asked curiously, returning with the food she had ordered.

Cecil scowled at Akula before hastily answering, “Actually it’s more like border patrol, fighting off soldiers of Levante and making sure that contraband and illegal immigrants don't cross into the country. It’s not as glamorous as it’s made out to be—”

“—It’s still a very important job and I’m sure you have some interesting stories to tell, if you would indulge me,” Yōuyǎ replied with a smile.

“O-of course,” Cecil said, grinning bashfully again.

Huā laughed heartily, placing his arm around his daughter's shoulder. Akula grumbled in dissatisfaction as his provocation backfired. The peculiar group ended up spending the rest of the day in the restaurant basking in the revelry, recounting old stories, observed by an ever-increasing crowd of admirers. Somewhere along the way, the owner had offered the party of eight complimentary drinks, which the drunkards happily accepted and promptly proceeded to clear his entire stock.

***

The Homunculi arrived back at Matriarch 07 two days later, closing their extended vacation on a positive note with the addition of Yōuyǎ accompanying them until they departed. In that time Cecil had acquired her contact information and the two had called, texted, and video chatted at every opportune moment.

The Homunculi had enjoyed their time away for the most part, relishing in the brief respite before returning to their day-to-day lives, as they waited anxiously to hear about the sweeping changes Huā had warned them about. The anticipation for an official statement loomed over their heads like a guillotine; the wait only prolonged their dread. The group attempted to fall back into old routines but their trip had created certain rifts in their roles that didn’t allow for normalcy. Aisha and Mirai were no longer on speaking terms, Aisha burying herself in her work and her personal projects while Mirai continued to train with Cecil whenever the latter wasn’t preoccupied with Yōuyǎ. Akula and Indra made progress in physical training, with Indra gradually developing greater strength in his limbs, seeing a slight increase in muscle growth and definition. The two also trained under Cecil for Trait development purposes, although Indra was still unable to manifest any sort of defining mutation.

Vivian and Indra continued to struggle to communicate with each other. The Homunculus continued to frequent the lab, aiding the doctor wherever he could, but their time together became marred with awkward silences and fleeting eye contact as both were unable to meet each other’s gaze.

Vivian agonized over their deteriorating interactions, ruminating over whether it was her fault that they had seemed to grow apart. She couldn’t even talk to Aisha about her problems since her friend had secluded herself quite extensively, shutting off all of her public accounts and falling asleep well before Vivian returned to their room from the lab.

Indra’s thoughts mirrored Vivian’s, wondering if he had pushed her into a relationship she didn’t want. The two struggled over their self-imposed psychological turmoil as the days seemed to grind to a screeching halt. Reconciliation seemed like wishful thinking in the wake of their trip into the city. However, on the day of the announcement, Kǔ Shén’s call for the mobilization of all Homunculi made reconciliation impossible…