Kokonoe's Personal Laboratory

"Oh, that?" Kokonoe nodded as she walked to her computer, looking through the data given by the readings from the aforemention restaurant "Oh, don't worry about that." she said in a tone that would make one worry "In fact, I have a most interesting assignment for you concerning that..." As she said all this, she wore one of those smiles that Tager had learned to fear by now.

"Professor?"

"Ah, Cajun! Perfect timing!" The cat-girl scientist turned to acknowledge the lavender-haired girl as well as their newest recruit "Kageo, meet Lusec Misaki, the latest addition to our little screwed up family. He and Cajun will be accompanying you on the mission I'm about to brief you on..."

And yes, that unsettling smile was still there, signifying that she had the appropriate punishment for the kaka.

"We're here," Lusec announced his and Cajun's entrance into the lab. "Hey, Ki-"
Kitten.
He suddenly remembered how temperous she was and he coughed. "Hey, prof. What's up with us being sent to Kagutsuchi?"

Lusec nodded and gave Kageo a little wave as he was introduced to him. "Yo. Looking forward to working with you." he greeted.

Oh he was certainly worried about it, but he'd also learned to steel himself for whatever lay ahead. the kind of frightening things that the Professor was capable of did worry him. But he'd not let it stop him, in fact the kaka stood ready for the matter. Having noticed both Cajun and a new entrant to the lab. As he was introduced to the apparent newest member of the Sector Seven Group, he'd give a polite nod in his direction.

"Always good to see you, Miss Cajun, and nice to meet you Lusec." he'd turned his head back to the Professor and had let off a mental sigh, it was coming down to this and he'd have to complete the mission: especially if he was obviously getting such help. "So Professor, what's the mission details?"

"First, may I direct your attention to the screen?"

Cajun listened to the Professor and did so, her eyes widening at what she saw: several images of a blonde girl with long, braided hair and clad in a blue and white flowing dress flooded the screen along with schematics and notes on said schematics.

"Is that..."

"Yes." Kokonoe nodded at her inquisitive student "That is Unit Es, an early version of the Murakumo Units that dates back from more than a hundred and fifty years ago. I managed to drag her out of the Boundary almost the same time I got Hakumen out. When she awoke, she warped out in a panic."

For this next part, she turned her attention to Kageo "I managed to track her down (albeit unintentionally), but I was...impeded."

He'd flinched mentally, yeah...it was exactly who he'd thought it was, 'Es...I'm so sorry...' he couldn't just say no or refuse it, such a thing would be breaking the very thing that pushed him so often on the foundations: his loyalty to Kokonoe. The very thing that was in question, up for the face of action. He was certain that thing whole thing was going to go downhill for him from here. "And you wish us to monitor her or bring her in?" oh if it were the first it would be so easy...but he sure as hell knew better. Especially because he'd been the reason she was impeded.

Lusec had the same question in mind. Obviously, it was going to be hard if they were to bring her in, but somewhere in his gut tells him they'd have to resort to that eventually.
He simply looked at Kokonoe for the answer to Kageo's question.

"Bring her in."

The words Kokonoe contain no malice, just impersonal necessity. While having Lambda alone gave her a fighting chance against the darker forces manipulating the NOL...getting one more trump card wouldn't hurt. Any personal feelings that may come will have to be cast aside.

"I don't need to repeat how important taking Terumi down is." She reminded them for the umpteenth time (or the first, in Lusec's case) "As such, we'll need every advantage we can grab to bring that f**ker to his knees. Any questions?"

"Where do we look first?"

"Her last known coordinates were this base, but she's long gone." the pink-haired beastkin explained "So I'll warp you all to that restaurant, where she was last seen."

As it were the kaka knew that she was devoted to bringing him down, Terumi...the man that he could not have touched, as far as he knew the power output was many degrees above his own. He wanted to help the Professor as much as he wanted Es to be free. But as much as he would regret his actions, he'd not be able to defy these orders. "We can probably attempt to track her down from there." he'd say that while his tail twitched gently, something told him that the path ahead was dark and dangerous in many ways."

Celica`s face relaxed from the frown she previously had, and contorted into a smile, before she nodded. "The cafeteria, yes. Although the Mensa`s located there too, so if you`d rather have rumpsteak than cake its fine too." She took his hand and guided him out of the room, slowly, one step after another, before increasing the pace bit by bit, making sure he could stand tall without falling over first.

Ragna closed his eyes and tried to relax. Looks like he was going to spend his time again eating with someone he barely knew, at-least this time he wouldn't be paying for it or worry about getting chase out. Opening his one good eye, he spotted Celica grabbing his hand and guiding him out of the room and to the restaurant. The girl seemed to be in a much better mood now. It seemed she was intent on staying by his die no matter what. “The restaurant is fine.” said Ragna in response to her last comment. As the two continued to walk, he wondered how much longer until he would go back to normal. “Hi Celica, do you know by any chance how long it's going to take my eye and arm to go back to normal?” ask Ragna as the two of them started to pick up the pace.

"Hmm, i might be able to tell you that if i knew what was wrong with them in the first place... but i don´t." Celica had to admit, looking back at him with a light frown. Then again... the Ragna she knew always had trouble with his eye and arm. "I don`t know whats wrong, but... i bet Kokonoe does. She has that kind of look on her face when she knows something you don´t, and doesn`t want to tell you... maybe she´s got some sort of forcefield around this lab that disables Armagus?"
It`d be a feasible explaination, at least. It didn´t explain his eye, but who knew how far the Azure Grimiore had been eating on him by now.

Ragna began to deeply think about what Celica said.  If what Celica said was true then perhaps the NOL could also create such a device.  He was going to need to learn how to fight without his right arm and right eye.  After all Rachel and Jubei both told him that the power of the Azure wasn't his own, thus he would need to learn to fight with just his left hand and left eye.  Master Jubei could probably help him out with that, after all he only fought using on eye. “I guess we will ask her after we eat.  Hopeful she can fix this, if not then I guess I will just have to see Jubei and train with him some more.  Though in the mean time, this might make going to the washroom a bit odd as I am right handed. Now then, why don't you tell me why you want to be around me so much?  While your explaining that, why don't you tell me a bit more about yourself.” ask Ragna now trying to figure out Celica.  He had never meet anyone who wanted to be around him so much.

Celica led him into the mensa at this time, a large, modern looking restaurant with seats for at least 150 people- the left side housed the cafeteria, the right had the typical large-scale kitchen, but for now, Celica just let them to a seat so they could think this over.
"....Okay, now that Kokonoe isn´t around, i guess she wouldn´t get mad... Kokonoe cloned me, from what i understand, and took my soul from the boundary to reanimate me- a hundred years after i last remember anything. But from what she told me, the real me only died rather recently... on the same day, and the same place your arm was cut off." She pointed at his useless, limp arm, looking a bit serious. "She told me i took care of you, and Jin and Saya, before Terumi killed me as a weak old woman... but like i said, i don`t remember any of that, my memories date back to the year 2107." Celica swallowed a bit, trying to figure out how to explain this next part. "And back in that day and age, i met someone named Ragna, who looked exactly like you, had an arm and eye that didn´t work, just like you, your voices were the same, your weapon... the only difference was that he had a lot more graditude for being saved by me. We presumed he died when he fought the Black Beast head on, to give us a year time to prepare and fight the beast ourselves, but... now that i see you here before me, i´m really curious what your connection with that Ragna from the past is, why you look exactly alike... and from what i heard, you´re fighting for a good cause, so i want to help you too."

"Then let's get going," Lusec said as he picked up his dear weapon. "I'm ready when all of you are."
Working in a team, huh...
It hasn't been that long since he last worked in a team, either.

Ragna blink with his one good eye after Celica explained everything.  “Stop the crazy train here, cause I'm getting off.” said Ragna in response to Celica explanation.  I mean the things she was talking about was impossible.  Yet some of the things she said did make a bit of sense.  He then took a good look at Celica and she instantly reminded him of the Sister that had raised him, Jin and Saya.  Maybe she was a clone of the sister that had raised him.  Still the rest of her explanation was to crazy to believe.  “Alright you do look like the sister, so I guess you could be a clone of her or whatever you said you were.  Still the rest of it I can't believe.” said Ragna not sure what to think anymore.  Yet the more he thought about it, the more he realize that it was either a joke or that it was true.  “If this isn't a fucking joke, I assume you can prove it in some way.” said Ragna now trying to wrap his head around everything that trying to make perfect sense of it all.  If what she said truly was real, then she would have some proof or Kokonoe would at least.

Celica blinked and dropped her jaw as Ragna just flat out didn´t believe her- she tried to make this as believeable as possible, how did he fail to see the connection inbetween things? Agh, blockhead.
"...Just quiz me, then. I should know anything about the fight against the Black Beast, history book stuff or whatever. As for the rest.... hm... well, since you two looked identical i can´t really go 'you have a birthmark in that place, i know it because i saw it!'...afterall you could just say i looked that up when i was fixing your wounds..."

Ragna took a moment to think about what she said.  "Well then I guess I could just ask Jubei.  I mean he was around there at that time.  If someone did hold off the Black Beast for a year, he should know.  I could always ask Rachel as well, that rabbit seems to know everything, though I doubt she would give me a fucking straight answer." said Ragna as his stomach then growled.  "So when do we eat." ask Ragna now looking around to see if there was any food before the last part of Celica statement click into his head. "Wait, what did you see when you were fixing me up?  You weren't staring or peaking where you?" ask Ragna who was a bit furious now.  Seeing how much she seemed to like him, she probably did peak and stare.

Celica retreated back a bit as Ragna got furious, a tiny blush on her face. "No! I`d never take advantage of a patient like that! If i wanted to see, i`d ask you first..."
She sighed, seeing the relationship with Ragna getting more and more complicated by the minute. She didn´t think she could stand this for much longer, constantly fighting against his paranoia.

Taking a deep breathe in, Ragna calmed himself.  He wasn't sure but it seemed Celica wasn't lying.  “Alright, why don't we just all relax and eat some food.” said Ragna as he closed his eyes.  The rest of his body was starting to feel much better, only his arm and eye were still causing problems.  “So what kind of food do they have here?” ask Ragna in a much more calm manner.  At this point he simply just wanted to eat his food, rest up and not deal with any more crazy revelations.  The combine insanity of Nu and Celica was enough to last him a life times. That being said, eating his food wasn't going to be easy, he could only move on arm.

As he imagined the idea would be best to consider just getting to know the other two on this journey. Even if he was dreading it directly. "Well I hope we work well together, normally I'm sent on the kind of missions that look off for others, but I'm pretty good at going along with others too.~" it helped that Tao always dragged him around in time's past, he could get along with others, as he knew Cajun pretty decently: it would just be the same chance for him to establish a connection with Lusec as well.

"If that will be all, then you're all dismissed. Meet me here in two hours time, cuz I still gotta let the warp drive cool off after sending Hakumen to Kagutsuchi earlier." Kokonoe said with a nod before walking towards wherever Ragna and Celica are, no doubt to check on them.

"I suppose we can use this time to prepare." Cajun nodded to her two team mates "I suppose we'll have to be going over the mission parameters now, yes?"

(Rags and Celica went to the cafeteria, so Celica could tell him the truth about her without Koko getting mad.)

"Well, the ususal stuff, i guess... i haven´t been here for long, but... heck, you know what your typical restaurant serves." She smiled a little bit, crossing her legs and finally relaxing a bit again as Ragna no longer accused her or verbally attacked her. "I´m sure they´d whip up something special too, for a special guest like you! .....That being said, are you sure you can even eat it...?"

“I will be fine.” said Ragna not wanting anyone to help him eat his food.  He was a grown man and an SS class criminal.  There was no one way he was going to let Celica help him eat his food.  “Also lets keeps the fact that I am Ragna as quiet as possible.  I mean I do have the world's highest bounty after all.” stated Ragna not wanting to get into a fight in his current condition, not that he couldn't handle himself but he might not be able to protect Celica in his current condition.  That being said, he might actually need some help eating depending on the type of food.  After all he was right handed which could make things difficult.  “Well then let's take a look at the menu.” said Ragna as his stomach growled.

"I guess," Lusec said, really not used to this kind of setup. Usually, he'd just be sent off somewhere with a simple order, then he'd have to do with himself.

Working in a team surely wasn't new for him, though it surely helped him feel less lonely.

"Since that is the case, might I suggest we talk in my lab for a change of scenery?" Cajun nodded daintily before making her way out of the lab.

As the door slid open for her, she turned to her comrades with her usual wistful smile "Shall we get going, Agents Kageo-kaka and Lusec Misaki?"