Kokonoe's Personal Laboratory

Smiling softly, Celica followed each of his steps patiently, ready to catch him should his strength drop out. It seemed like he was doing fine, though, no help was needed so far.

Taking another step, Ragna place his blood scythe forward before looking behind him and saw Celica.  “What the hell are you doing?” ask Ragna in a bit of confused voice before taking another step forward.  He could feel the rest of his body healing expect his arm arm and eye.  “What the hell, I don't remember getting badly injured in my arm and I don't even remember getting hit anywhere near my eye.” said Ragna as he now stood still, trying to figure out what was going on.

Celica smiled with a light giggle.
"I´m walking behind you. If you´d fall, you´d need someone to catch you, right? Ehehe."
It was really bizarre to her, saving him again, and yet having to deal with a rude, irresponsible Ragna like this... but it was Ragna, she could tell. It as the same one, the same one she had met and grown to love so long ago. What Kokonoe claimed was true, too... a hundred years passed since. She was more than a bit confused about it, but if it would work out with Ragna this time, she wouldn`t mind.
Then her hand gently wrapped around his right wrist.
"If you need to use it, just let me help~ She giggled a bit as she waved the responseless arm around a bit.

Catch me?  Who was this Celica and why did she care about him so much?  Then suddenly Ragna was hit by a flashback and saw the Sister that had raised his family.  He quickly snap himself out of the flashback.  Why was this girl so familiar to him?  It felt as if he knew her, still he needed to get rid of her as soon as possible.  “Catch me?  I'm not going to fall.  Even if I did, I could get back up on my own.” said Ragna in his usual defiant voice.  

He then tried to move his right arm as Celica warp her hands around it but then remember he couldn't move it for some unknown reason.  If it wasn't for the fact that she had healing magic, he would have told her to get lost.  “Hi, Celica can you heal my eye and arm?  I can't seem to move them at all or feel them.  The rest of my body on the other hand is coming along fine.  To be honest I would like to spend as little time here as possible and I think you guys probably want me gone as soon as possible as well.” said Ragna knowing that being an SS rank class criminal would probably bring unwanted attention before losing his balance and falling on the ground.

"If i could heal them i would´ve done it... somehow they`re not working despite being fine, i´m not sure whats going on..." Kokonoe probably could, but she seemed busy, so Celica didn´t bother. "But as for me, i don´t want you gone at all..."
Instead, she followed him further, gasping as Ragna was about to fall over, as she quickly reacted and caught his back in her arms, practically hugging him. "See? I told you... With that much blood you lost its not really easy to stand upright... come on, sit down." She gestured over to a nearby chair and led him over.

She couldn't heal his arm or eye?  Where they gone forever?  That was impossible, his arm was the Azure Grimiore, there was no way it was broken.  She said they were fine but why weren't they working.  “Shit, what the hell am I suppose to do if I can't use my Azure Grimiore?” said Ragna as his temper started to flare a bit before begin caught by Celica as he fell.  “Fine, you can help me sit down.” said Ragna in an annoyed voice.  He wasn't going to keep making a foul of himself anymore and by the looks of it, Celica wasn't going to give up, thus he decided to save them the time of a pointless argument.  

The sooner he rested, the sooner he could leave and be gone of this place.  As he then sat down and rested he look up to Celica who had just assisted him.  “Why in the world don't you want me gone?  You know I am an SS criminal right?  Do you simply want me here because of my Azure Grimiore?  There is no need to lie to me.” said Ragna as he attempted to figure everything out.  Who was this Celica, what did she want from him and why did she feel so familiar to him?

Sitting the man down, Celica smiled softly at him. "Do i really need a reason, Ragna? So you`re a criminal, what about it? You`re not as bad of a person as you would think. If you were a bad person, no one would´ve helped you, and yet here we are." She wanted to tell him so much more, but he would just be confused and told her to screw off if she told Ragna of her feelings for him. "Can`t you accept it that some people simply want to be your friends, or more?" And there it already slipped her tongue, but she didn´t blush about it- as far as she was remembering Ragna was as dense as a brick.

Was a bit shock by what he heard. “What's wrong with you?  Why the hell do you want to help me so badly, why do you insist on being my friend?  And no I can't accept that, I can't let people get close to me.” said Ragna now remembering what had happened to this family.  He didn't want to lose anyone again.  “Listen, I'm an SS criminal, if the NOL found out that I had friends, they would capture them, torture them and kill them, all just to get to me.  If I'm alone I don't have to worry about anyone slowing me down or having to worry about someone.” said Ragna before catching the last part of her sentence.  “Wait, what do you mean by more?  You don't even know me.” said Ragna now being utterly confused by Celica.  The more he talk to her, the more confused he got.

"And if you`re alone they´ll do that to random People on the street, whats the difference? The difference is that we can help each other. You can protect me, and i can heal your injuries, i can help you deal with bad memories, emotions, anything you can´t deal with yourself..."
She bit her lip, sitting down next to him. Celica was worried about him, the way he was rejecting People willing to help a criminal despite all implications...
"...if you go on like this, you`ll just die alone in a ditch somewhere, Ragna. Please, just... give me a chance, okay?"

Ragna listened to what Celica said with an annoyed look on his face and thought about it for a moment.  He disagreed with her but knew she probably wasn't going to leave him alone, for better or worse he was stuck with her.  “I can't convince you to leave me alone, can I?  Fine but just don't get in my way, don't know why you want to follow me though.” said Ragna in a more relax tone as he look up before looking at Celica.  “So is there a place were we can go to eat?” ask Ragna who was now hungry.  After all he needed energy and nourishment, he had just fought the battle of his life.  It would also be a good place for him to learn about Celica, it was a win win situation.

Hakumen had been playing Possum and it seemed that he'd done a good job, the toy of grimalkin's was no longer before him and instead: the Grimalkin herself rested before him. He'd left her in some silence, as if to contemplate why she'd came, yet her patience seemed to know no actual limits. "...You are correct, your tin soldier did not brutalize me so, he merely caught me in a moment of weakness after battle with the Dark One. A fortune that will not happen again, once I am free from your little cage."

In another timeline, Kokonoe would've just kept Hakumen bound and send Lambda in to do all the fighting for her.

However, since Lambda was who knows where, she decided on the opposite.

"Don't worry, you won't be here long, big guy." The cat-girl beastkin spoke with a smug grin on her face "However, I'll let ya out on one condition..."

There was enough on his mind, attempting to find the means to get out of this imprisonment, as he could not gather the strength from his armor that he normally could. He imagined she was using some reinforced degree of science to hold him and pretty effectively. "What foolishness do you bring before me Grimalkin? Speak of this condition." he would hear it, if Hakumen had a funny bone in his armor, it would have been rattling; what did she think he would agree to?

"It simple. You only need to focus on killing Terumi." Kokonoe explained with her usual blunt demeanor "Which means that this guy," She pointed to Ragna "Is off limits until then. Once Terumi's dead, you can try and kill him to your heart's content."

She paused to give Hakumen time to consider his options but not before adding "If you refuse, I can always send you back to the Boundary. Your choice, though."

He made no efforts to let off anything less than a scoff, she wished to hold his highest priority above his head? What utter idiocy! "I know not where your sympathies lie on the Dark One, but so be it. Terumi is the one far more dangerous in this world, it is my duty to erase him: I WILL erase him from this world. And once I have done my task, then the Dark One can find his fate." he'd stated the simplest of facts, as if nothing more or less mattered. It was merely a statement that would become true as soon as he found and destroyed Terumi.

"Good boy."

With a snap of her fingers, Hakumen's restraints were released. Kokonoe smirked, obviously pleased with her progress; sure, he still wants to kill Ragna, but she was at least able to stop him from doing so for a while. More than enough time to analyze the Grimoire.

And once Terumi's gone, she wouldn't care less.

"I'll assume you'll want to take him along?" She shrugged while pointing to Bang, who was still in the lab.

Did he wish to take Bang Shishigami? There was less of focus, more of a reason that she'd offered it. As the man had stood by his side during this scene, only to be captured after his attempt to assist him in battle against the Grimalkin's tin soldier and her pet. He decided it was best to see the man was released, it was only right by the justice he stood by. "Very well, this man of justice will come with me." he'd say this while looking towards Bang, now that she'd released him, the Silver Knight was prepared to shatter Terumi's bonds to this world and be rid of him once and for all.

"All right then."

Kokonoe nodded to Bang, who nodded back and simply went to where Hakumen stood. For once, he was silent.

"Gimme a moment." She said as she walked up to her teleporter "Gotta recalibrate the warp drive so that it'll take you where you need to go."

The Silver knight could have cared less, as long as he was sent on his way, this tiny mission that fate had entrusted him too was something that he'd intended to bring to a quick end. He would find that man...if he could be called that, the fiend that was the world's greatest evil: then he could slay him and violently. "Do as you must Grimalkin, I will end Terumi's vileness once and for all." the statement was a simple manner, only the most serious of movements that would follow his presence.

(From the Sector Seven Halls)~~~~~~~~~~~~>

The kaka had quietly slipped in through the doors all but soundlessly, of course both Hakumen and the Professor would note the light pattering steps in the darkness. While his heart briefly raced, he'd say nothing while the Professor worked. This wasn't the time for him to pipe up: it was clear that with the frightening presence of Hakumen...free and the scent of Bang Shishigami about that she was busy. His little report would wait to follow this.

"Okay, I got the coordinates set. You guys ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, Professor!" Bang answered back with his usual gusto, which annoyed Kokonoe to no end. The sooner her was out of his hair, the better.

"Well, you know the drill." The Professor explained curtly "Kill Terumi deader than dead. That being said, I'll see ya later. Aaand click!"

Without waiting for either to respond, Kokonoe had activated the teleporter, sending Hakumen and Bang back to Kagutsuchi. It was only after that task was finished that she noticed Kageo.

"Took your sweet time, didn't you?" She said as she turned to her subordinate.

The Silver knight was soon sent off with the radiant man of justice, though the man was loud, he was someone that Hakumen certainly trusted in despite them being almost complete strangers.

(Exuent!)~~~~~~~~~~~~>

The kaka had blushed lightly at the comment, unable to help but feeling a hint of embarrassment. Well he had done a number of things before coming in, though she'd notice he was completely healed up from the day prior. It was a small set of scraps, but ultimately it was worthy to him. "Eh heh, sorry Professor, I ended up needing some rest after following Major Kisaragi. He was rather...colorful of his hate for my following him. But I made sure he was sent off to the hospital, its a Librarium officer where he recovers! And I confronted Carl Clover, who was looking to beat information out of him: I managed to turn him away from Jin Kisaragi as well." he gave her the cliffnotes of the mission, knowing she preferred just the results. "It was a complete mission to say the least."

"I see..." Kokonoe nodded slowly, listening to his every word. She sighed in relief when he mentioned that Jin Kisaragi was in the NOL Hospital, no doubt licking his wounds.

"That's a load off my ass." She muttered aloud, knowing that if she were to forge an alliance with Kagura Mutsuki, Jin's safety was a priority.

The kaka rubbed the base of his head and folded his tail to his side before looking straight to the Professor again, knowing that a complete mission was at least helpful to her cause, but then there was the matter of his fibbing; of which he knew that she knew he'd done so. "And about...uhh...what I did at the restaurant, for what its worth I'm sorry about omitting the information about the unit there..." well he would come clean on the obvious fact, he did imagine that's where it was headed so he'd decided to come clean right then and there. They were friends and he'd intended to keep his word, which naturally he had done just that. Now he still take what came as the consequences of such an act.