Axcel/Re;

Nobody expected that the government would come crashing down.

That isn't even figurative language. The building that once housed the central government officials of Vil Vence literally collapsed one day. Experts were called in to assess the situation, but none of them could figure it out. They all claimed that what was left of the building indicated a structurally sound foundation, and that perhaps only a bomb could cause such destruction.

But there was no bomb. The so-called *experts* couldn't find any trace of explosives, no matter how hard they looked. Their eventual conclusion was that it must have just been a really, *really* unfortunate, untraceable flaw in the structure. Or maybe it was some new type of terrorist bomb that completely disintegrated out of existence after detonation, just kidding, that doesn't exist, haha.

Well, we didn't *need* something as primitive as a mere bomb. We had something just as effective, yet even more volatile. Reusable, too, though we can hardly make use of it at the moment.

To make such an attack on Vil Vence again, all we would need to do is gain the cooperation of the Langlais boy.

She doesn't even need to speak. I know something's wrong this time when she comes to see me.

She stands on the other side of the bars and stares at the far corner of my room. Her gaze keeps flickering between the floor and the wall and my feet, tapping together absently as I sit and wait.

It takes a few minutes, this time. She doesn't look me in the eye. She just reaches for they key hanging off her lanyard, pulls it over her head, shakes out her hair, puts the key into the lock and turns it. The door swings open with a click.

I still don't move. I need her to talk to me before I can do anything for her. She closes her eyes for a second, then opens them again and resumes staring at the floor.

"He's waiting," she finally says. "So let's go."

I stand, adjusting my shirt. I step forward, and take her hand, and follow.

She leads me down the familiar hallways. People sitting in other rooms wave at us solemnly, and I wave back. But she doesn't respond at all. She just keeps walking, striding forward with a purpose. And I don't ask any questions.

Someone's walking the other way, and she respectfully halts to get out of the way. I follow suit, pressing my back against the wall, keeping my eyes downcast. I don't know who it is. I just stare politely at the floor as uniformed feet and legs go walking by, making rhythmic *tp tp tp* sounds all the way past us.

Finally, she peels herself off the wall. I do the same. She takes my hand again, and we leave.

We, eventually, make our way down to the room where he tells us where to go and what to do next. It's dark, and there are no light switches. We sit in our respective chairs and wait.

Finally, the wall lights up, and his mechanical voice plays into the room all around us.

"Thank you for being willing to accept this mission," he says. She inclines her head politely and remains silent. "You and your charge will join up with another pair. Go to the location indicated."

The screen displays a map of the city, and a route drawn in red quickly flashes over it. Her eyes dart along it, memorizing every detail before it blinks away a second later. I am not allowed to know where we are, so I never look. But she knows, and I trust her.

His voice comes back. "Now," it continues. "You will be entering the building at the given address and locating a certain object. Remove it from the premises. The abilities of the other pair will be especially useful in disabling security footage. Once you have retrieved it, you will bring it back here. Your partner will tell you where to take it."

Still seated, she bows formally. I bow too. The microphone clicks off, and the screen shuts down.

Once the faint whirring of technology has completely died away, she stands and moves toward the exit.

I follow.

We exit the room into the brightly lit hallway. I have to blink rapidly until my eyes adjust. She squints angrily, then sneezes. Once. Then twice. I respectfully don't watch as she rubs at her nose and sniffs.

A door to our right slides open, and another pair emerges, also blinking and guarding their eyes.

She sees who it is, and recognizes them, and straightens up a little. "Aery," she says, smiling. She extends her hand to the other member, who shakes it heartily.

"It's great to be working with you again!" Silla Aery grins also. "I can't wait to cause chaos."

That look in her eyes has cleared, and she's back to normal. I nod at Silla Aery's charge. He nods back. Recognizing the same change in her that I do, he exchanges a small, secret smile with me.

Our missions together always go great when she's acting normal.

We charges climb into the back of a large van. Once we're strapped in and situated, Silla Aery swings the door shut behind us. I hear the jingle of keys, and the click of the door as it locks, and the sounds of doors opening and closing in the front of the vehicle.

We ride along in silence for a time. Then he speaks.

"Nice to see that Silla Decserene is doing well," he comments.

"Indeed," I agree.

And we fall silent again.

The vehicle comes to a halt.

Silla Aery comes around from the driver's seat and unlocks the door. Her charge and I climb out. Both Silla have discarded their identifying jackets and are wearing less conspicuous clothing.

As we unload the minimum equipment we'll need for the mission, my Silla leans close to my ear and whispers. "Remember this: if anyone asks, your name is Taylor."

I nod, and she steps away. She has given me this name to prepare me for the unlikely event that someone ever asks me who I am. I've never needed to use it. It doesn't really belong to me anyways.