“Hey, where are you going?” The girl tugged the man’s coat. Rick sighed as he knelt on his knee and faced the girl. “I told you already, didn’t I?” Rick smiled softly and began to gently stroke her hair. Maru bit her lip as not to cry. “Hey, why are you crying?” Rick looked alarmed. Maru puffed her cheeks. “I’m not crying!” She pouted. Rick chuckled. “I promise I’ll be back soon!” He stood up and gave the girl a quick head pat. “Promise, promise?” The girl turned to him as he began descending the stairs. “Promise, promise!” He shouted with a wave goodbye. As she heard the door close, the girl let out a whimper. This was the first time the two of them would be separated since they met. * “Morning, shrimp!” A tall man opened the door to the apartment. Maru turned her head to look at the man. “Chris...?” Maru questioned, looking up. “What’s with the co

“Chris, sir?” A man knocked on the door. “Clark?” “Y-yes, sir.” “C’mon in.” The man opened the door. “Sir,” Chris shot him a dirty look. “...Chris,” the man corrected himself. “Get on with it, Clark.” Chris raised an eyebrow. “W-well Chris,” Clark stammered. “Before we came the other night to investigate the Labs, we set up cameras.” Chris sat up a bit. “And?” Clark handed him a camera. “Well, this...this isn’t one of our men.” As Chris pressed play, his eyes widened. “Is that...” * A man wandered the rubble whistling, swinging his keys. “Yeesh.” He sighed as he kicked a tiny piece of the ruin. “Glad I wasn’t on shift during this shitstorm.” The man suddenly froze. He looked around cautiously. There’s no way. Before the man could take another step, something grabbed at his leg. Startled, the man dropped his k

Norio closed the newspaper and huffed. “Looks like I’m officially out of a job.”He sighed as he sank back into the couch.“I’m surprised," Faye began.“I didn’t think you would be upset about it,” she continued as she placed tea down on the table.“You’ve said several times that you didn’t enjoy working at such a place.”Norio picked up the tea and blew on it a couple of times before taking a sip.“Weren’t you working there because you had heard rumors your bro-”Norio turned with a glare.Faye let out a sigh.“What’s got you in such a bad mood this morning, baby brother?” Hiromi questioned as she sat on the arm of the couch, ruffling his hair.“I didn’t sleep well, I guess.” He muttered.“Oh!” Faye exclaimed as if she had just remembered something.“What&rs

Just as Norio was about to sit on the couch, he heard a knock at his door.He let out a groan as he walked over to the door.“Who’s there?” He questioned.“It’s your sister.”Norio scratched his head.“I have three; which one?”Hiromi opened the door.“Do you not know our voices by now!?” She huffed as she entered.“Come on in, I guess.” He sighed.“What are you freaking out for?” He asked, taking a seat.“You know mother is coming home today, right?”Norio slapped his hand to his head.“Crap...” He growled.“Nori, what are you going to tell her?” Hiromi looked at him.“Hah?”Hiromi pointed over to the room where 247 was napping.“Oh, right.”Hiromi huffed.“You can’t just be so nonchalant about everything

As morning came, Keren found herself awake in a strange environment.She pulled the blanket off her head quickly."Not again..." She let out a sigh.Then she promptly remembered the man from last night.“Wait a minute..." Before she could finish, she heard a man and a girl talking.She quickly pulled the blanket back over herself."What's that?" Emersyn asked, pointing at a lump on the couch."A person." Norio nonchalantly replied."Eh!?" Emersyn turned to him."Is it dead!?" She cried out, swinging at his stomach.Norio grunted as he bent down, placing a hand on her shoulder."Relax. Relax!” He cried.Emersyn stopped and sniffled."Listen," he began."She'll be staying with us too, but temporarily."Emersyn looked up teary-eyed."I think." He quickly added.Come on, Keren, make a good entrance, Keren thought to herself.Suddenly, the bla