The gentle sound of the wind rustling through the leaves and the melodic chirping of birds filled the air as Yuvuel slowly regained consciousness. As she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the soft, damp earth of a lush forest, sunlight filtering through the dense canopy overhead, casting dappled patterns on the ground.
As her systems gradually rebooted, Yuvuel's vision remained hazy, and the sounds around her were muffled and distorted. She blinked several times, trying to clear her sight and thoughts.
"Restart..." she murmured weakly as the audio input finally stabilized, allowing her to hear more clearly.
A familiar voice broke through the stillness, coming from just behind her. "I knew I'd find you nearby." The tone was calm but carrying an undercurrent of concern. "Did you run out of energy, or did the flight gear malfunction?"
With a dull thud, a heavy case was dropped in front of her. "I brought an Exel-Power Storage. Recharge yourself," he instructed, his demeanor businesslike.
"Atlas?" she replied, recognition flooding her senses. His voice had an unmistakable quality that made her feel both relieved and anxious.
"Of course," he responded, a hint of warmth breaking through his cool exterior. "I've been keeping an eye on you, Zero-Four."
"Did you follow me?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. The thought of him tracking her movements stirred a mix of appreciation and unease.
"Your signal went offline," he said, his voice steady and emotionless. "When that happens, I go check on you. It's my responsibility."
With a resigned sigh, Yuvuel closed her eyes again, feeling a pang of frustration as the memories of her last mission washed over her. "Ah... Damn it."
Atlas's voice remained impassive. "So, care to give me a situation report?" he inquired, crossing his arms as she pulled the power cord from her neck and connected it to the energy supply, feeling the surge of energy flow back into her systems.
"I engaged Nidhogg as originally planned," she began, her voice regaining strength. "But everything changed when the Apocalypse class suddenly appeared on the scene..." She hesitated, her thoughts racing to piece together the chaotic events.
"Yes, I saw the data. It vanished from its original coordinates in the Tehnib Desert at approximately 16:30:23:343. It simply disappeared from all observation equipment across the board. Moments later, its signal reemerged at Nidhogg's location. Your account aligns with the data. Continue," Atlas urged, his foot tapping rhythmically on the ground, his impatience mounting. "And take that helmet off; I want to see if your expression reveals anything more."
With a decisive motion, Yuvuel removed her helmet and set it gently beside her. As she did, she felt the cord grow warm against her skin, and her vision slowly sharpened back to clarity.
"It stood directly between us," she explained, her voice gaining intensity. "It interrupted the attack we had planned to disable and neutralize Nidhogg. Then it spoke to me, ordering me to return what I believe was an Exalted to its side."
Atlas's form adjusted slightly with concern. "Did the Empire ever explain why Nidhogg attacked them in the first place? The sequence of events suggests the Exalted you encountered holds significant importance to the Meteorn, yet they seemed unaware of this presence until then."
"I wasn't informed of any specifics..." Yuvuel replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice as she remembered the lack of details from her superiors.
"But perhaps one of its leaders..." Atlas shook his head. "Eclipse's movements are of the highest priority, we must find where it went as soon as possible, I want you to investigate."
"Roger. Do I have the freedom to choose my own methods, or do you have specific instructions?"
"Use your best judgment, as always."
"My intuition says it's here in one of the blackout zones."
"You'll have a problem with that." Atlas replied, "when Eclipse disappeared again, all the black-out zones vanished too."
"Everything?" Her eyes widened.
"Yes. All recorded locations of high resonance density have vanished. All of it."
"Are you certain?" She asked, turning to the silhouette of his optical camouflage-covered body.
"As of right now, there are no black-out zones anywhere across the globe. Every single one has gone away and there hasn't been any resonance fluctuations since."
Yuvuel stared at her superior's nearly invisible figure. The Apocalypse class. No. No Meteorn of a High Potential would ever bow to an Exalted. Just what was going on here? What was so special about this one kid that the strongest Meteorn would step in? And the boy would go willingly?
How could they even track it down if they don't have a trace of residual energy or resonant fluctuations to lead the way?
"Requiem will do as it always done. But in this situation we will have to manually scout every continent, then every district and then each city." He tapped his foot again, "It is not unusual for a Meteorn to lay low after they win their confrontation. Though I must ask, Zero-Four, what do you think the Empire's plan was for that boy?"
"I was unable to intercept any signals from those around the Empire or his conversation with the Apocalypse class, but there is one lead I'd like to follow." She looked to the north, "The Empire's Vice Minister."
"Is she somehow involved?" Atlas asked.
"It's her pet project I believe, the Empire's Ministry of defense had created their own androids under the her direction. The boy was placed in charge of those androids. I don't think someone so important to Meteorn would coincidently need to manage a few androids."
"An inside line or secret project within the Empire's most heavily guarded territory? Your suspicions are curious, do you have any evidence of a connection between the Empire's androids and this boy?"
"Like I mentioned earlier, it's just a gut feeling," Yuvuel said, her voice steady as the flow of energy ceased around her. With practiced ease, she retracted the power cord and rose to her full height, determination etched on her features.
Atlas nodded, but his voice was serious. "We both know that in our line of work, Zero-Four, instinct holds as much weight as a solid conclusion. I have reached out to the rest of the Requiem team to initiate their assignments. This way, we can cover a larger area more quickly and zero in on Eclipse. However, we must adhere to the existing rules: do not provoke the Lords. We cannot afford for Eclipse to turn hostile as a result of our actions. If any Tyrant-class Meteorn show signs of aggression, we must intercept them immediately. I'll keep you posted on developments as they arise."
With that, Atlas turned away, his footsteps gradually receding, swallowed by the vastness of their surroundings.
"Atlas, wait… I have one more question for you," Yuvuel called after him, her tone hinting at the urgency behind her inquiry, knowing he was just a short distance away and still within earshot.
"What is it?" he asked, pausing briefly.
"Why is Nidhogg classified as a Tyrant class? It seems much stronger than that classification suggests, especially given its ability to resurrect using Ouroboros. Isn't that supposed to be the pinnacle of combat classifications?"
"Who claims that?" Atlas's voice was tinged with curiosity.
"Well, if your evaluations of their physical capabilities and reaction times are accurate, and considering their unique trait of continuous evolution, the classification seems inadequate. Tyrant class was the designation assigned to Nidhogg five years ago, and it hasn't been reassessed since. Given the devastation she has inflicted on the Empire's forces, don't you think that title has become somewhat trivial?"
Atlas paused, his camouflage-covered head tilting thoughtfully. "Hmm… I'll make sure the database reflects an updated classification," he replied, his mind already working on the task.
Those were the last words Yuvuel heard from him before his signal vanished entirely from her radar. A sense of silence enveloped her as she realized he was now far beyond her sensor range.
Atlas... there was something about him she always found interesting, his ability to slip away undetected. He truly lived up to his nickname, 'Requiem's shadow.'
Even without the aid of optical camouflage equipment, he would give anyone the creeps. His expertise in evading detection, regardless of his actions and the circumstances, was abnormal. In the 5 years they worked together, not once has he made a mistake. It was borderline, as though he had infinite options with backup plans and redundancy at every corner.
He could even have someone within the organization watching for any changes in technology to try to keep a step ahead. Who knew if he was even human with how calculated he was. The man was an enigma, but he did his job exceedingly well, so it didn't matter what his physical and personality quirks were.
Yuvuel picked up her gear and began walking, her mind racing, her body tense. There was a lot to think about, and even more to consider. What the Empire wanted from the Exalted, the Apocalypse class's words, and Eclipse herself.
Where did it take the child, and what did it want with him? Why would Eclipse need it, let alone go so far to acquire it? So many questions and no answers. It was enough to drive a human, or android, crazy.
"I guess it doesn't really matter." She sighed as her thrusters heated up, her body lifted, and she rocketed into the air, "For now, I'll do my job."