The streets of Orient Town

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>(From The NOL Main Gate)

As the Silver knight brought himself to the edge of a familiar zone, he continued his pace down into the nearby downtown area of Orient Town. "Perhaps I can find some peace here, it was bad enough so many fools asked for a crushing defeat." there was little remorse in destroying those N.O.L operatives who still chased him, they should've been worrying about the infiltration of their own HQ. But he imagined they were foolish enough to seek him out.

While he may have been wounded, he was certainly not worried about the lowly soldiers or their pitiful arms. Little meant anything before Ookami, he would destroy them should they have made it their business to seek him out. Hakumen feared nothing as even in a weakened state, he would crush any obstacle until his goals were met. He knew no failure and would not fall until he finished Terumi off once and for all.

"Now to find a quiet place to remain for a time." now the next goal of his was simply to find some cover, some building or perhaps a place of business that would not find him in the open. With the kind of chaos going on at N.O.L he had no doubt he'd be more than able to find some place to reside for a time.

As he walked the streets, Reiei saw something unusual.
NOL operatives scattered all over the ground. It was a big loss for the NOL, Reiei noticed for himself. He didn't care about them. Some were still whining in agony. Those lowly weaklings are disturbing my sense of hearing., thought Reiei.
At the extremity of the way Reiei followed, he noticed a person he knew very well.
Not for meeting him often, but for having been told many tales about him: it was Hakumen. Reiei stayed calm despite his joy, changed his blue NOL vest for his trademark black one, and approached his idol...
"Greetings, Hakumen, sir.", said the werewolf while looking at the masked hero. "You... look slightly injured. Mind if I help you?" His voice didn't show his concern for the health of his idol.

Taking caution at the approach of someone near his back, Hakumen turned cooly and listened to the young man's words. He was asking if he needed help? And yet he wore the uniform of one of NOL's operatives, what was this supposed to be? Some kind of trick?

"Well stranger, my current status is one that requires aid. But surely with a uniform of NOL, you cannot have me believing that you are here for my welfare?" his tone was calm, and at this point calculating what this individual could be up to. The Susano'o Unit of course giving him a clear indication that this was not a human being, he remained simply ready.

While this person made no aggressive actions, he would not simply drop his guard at the mere request of someone's attempt to aid him.

Reiei let a little smile appear on his lips. That was something rare with him.
"I heard words of you from Sir Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, if that name reminds you of anything." Reiei was sure Hakumen knew Valkenhayn well enough. This sentence was just to make Hakumen know he was not an enemy. "If you want to know, madam Rachel didn't require me to do anything about you; but you seem to be in need of a little rest. I'm merely giving you the respects you deserve, sir."

"Valkenhayn...I see." the first name of course was one of his comrades, while the mention of Madam Rachel the one often identified as 'Rabbit' by the Black Beast amongst other things. This of course was no surprise to him, but all in all this was a shock to find someone resembling an ally. He would take the chance without question and chose the more positive response.

"Well if it was a mere offer to help, then I accept it...I am rather damaged after a battle, so...if you know of a location to rest. I would be thankful for the assistance that you offer." nothing more than the truth, the Silver Knight was glad to have someone who was here that he didn't have to fight for a change.

"Hum... I would be glad to offer my hospitality in my home, White Void. Since my 'fellows' are rather xenophobic towards me, I'm not visited very often; and that is an understatement.", said Reiei. "And don't thank me: it's a honour to help you. My home is... um, not exactly here. It's close to Lost Town, with the Kakas and stuff. Now, if you could follow me, please."
Reiei walked away while looking if the White Knight followed him.
--> To Lost Town.

Well Hakumen having heard his tale and the location of his home, gave an internal sigh; as he held a distaste for the Kaka Tribe. But surely not enough to trouble him upon recovery. His own qualms about something were not to interrupt what was to be an ally of a kind assisting him. He gave him a prompt nod, acknowledging all that was said and his response to the situation, which he made verbal shortly following this.

"Very well, then as your home is remote, it will serve a prime spot for my recovery. I will not trouble you for long, but I will accept your kindness as it is given. Please lead the way." the gesture of course given politely, as he noticed the tact with which this fellow responded to him with. There was no doubt that he was one of Rachel's acquaintance.

"And there is no need for such titles, if you please as an ally, you may simply call me Hakumen." he offered him the option really, the respect was nice, but not necessary in such a state of the situation.

(Exuent)

-------(From Sector 7 HQ)--------->
Noel walked quietly in the streets, as if every step she took was watched by the NOL. Only the presence of her friend reassured her, but she didn't manage to get actually calm. "Say, Makoto, do you really think we will be able to gather useful intel here?" She seemed to be lost, not knowing really what to do.

Makoto shrugged and walked beside her, looking around with a smile.

"If not here, where else? You get the best information from the people themselves. But, eh, lets not ask everyone at random... maybe get to a quiet place and chit-chat with someone..."

Whilest she was trying to make it look like she wanted to gather information unsuspiciously, she was basically just trying to have some fun in Orient town with Noel. But, seeing how she was filled with a sense of duty that came from god-knows-where, she needed a reason, and that was information gathering. Who knows, maybe they really would find some intel here... that`d be cool.

Noel wasn't shocked at all by Makoto's behaviour. She smiled at recognizing the behaviour of her best friend back in the time they were both at the Academy. "Do you know some place we will really be totally quiet? If you do, then I'll be glad to be there. I feel observed." She was really trying to evacuate the stress that came to hold her in a mere day.

Makoto blinked, then realized that she didn´t know where to go yet. On the streets they had vigilantes, in the bars and restaurants there were idiots and dangerous guests aplenty. And going to a nightclub or a cinema was more like a date than an information gathering mission...

"Eh... i dunno. What do you think..? Restaurant, Movies or getting tipsy?"

A sly, mishiefous grin told off Makoto´s insecurity with the situation, she simply didn´t know what to do at this point. Plus, Noel might be uncomfortable with either option, so she asked before she acted on instinct.

Noel was surprised at Makoto just wanting to hang around, but she remembered the days when they were at the Academy. She was starting to actually want to go to the restaurant, and than watch a movie, well, have a fun time, but she remembered the first words she heard when entering the Sector 7 HQ: "You are not safe anywhere now that the NOL looks for your assassination. Remember vigilantes are everywhere, and we here at Sector 7 don't want you to be captured. So stay absolutely safe if you ever go out of here."
At these words coming back to her, Noel simply freezed and told Makoto what she "learned": "Restaurants and maybe even cinemas are full of vigilantes around these hours... We... just can't do anything here. It's unsafe... for me."
She didn't know what to do and only remained her anger at Lambda's murderer. Shaking from it for a little while, she suddenly started to run in a random direction that comes to be the one of the NOL's Kagutsuchi Headquarters, going once again all vengeful and workaholic.

Makoto was about to say something to her, to calm her down, when the girl suddenly darted off into one direction, running away from her.

"H-Huh?! Noel, what the..."

She had no time for words, she had to run after Noel and keep her out of trouble... because her and trouble were like opposeing magnets, and because she would be fired if Noel got captured or killed.
And who would want that to happen.

"Damn that girl. Damn her and her overfloating emotions. Damn her and her.. extremely short skirt. Didn`t i tell you to wear panties, Noel?!"

But now was not the time to look at her ass, she had to get going and catch up with her.

Noel went off even more quickly as Makoto yelled her name. Now she was sure to be confronting enemies, she would better confront the enemy she wants... Siegrain for example. As she ran, she began talking back to her friend: "Makoto! We'll get caught if you continue shouting my name like that! Now we're off we can bring that Siegrain to the fate he deserves for killing Lambda! Quick!" Now she didn't care of any lacking panties or indiscrete looks, she was focused on the objective she gave herself: killing Lambda's murderer.

-----------(To 'The Invasion into the Headquarters')------------>

Makoto sighed, nodding a bit as she caught up to Noel, running beside her.

"Alright, alright... but after that we go clothes shopping, you understand..? These people shouldn´t see my little Noel like that..."

---------> Invasion of the Headquarters

----------(From 'The Invasion into the Headquarters)-------->

Finally relieved from the revenge she accomplished for Sector 7, Noel was simply walking and bearing the box. She looked completely destressed, but a detail still bothered her... "Makoto, mind if you buy me some new clothes? I'm so gonna get recognized in this..." She took a look down at her clothes... Finally, that outfit had never been any good for her, no matter how much she loved it.

Makoto nodded, seeing how the girl finally used some reason. It was about time, she didn`t think there was enough room for reason left in her head.

"Right, and some panties too. That box of yours seems to be just a mishmash of various sizes..."

Strangely enough, Makoto did not seem to question where these panties came from or who got them in the first place. Instead, she took Noel`s arm and dragged her off into one direction.

"Over there´s a nice shopping mall. Lets take a look..."

Forced by Makoto to the direction of a mall, Noel managed somehow to stop her mere meters away from it. "Is she imagining that I won't be recognized here?"
She hid somewhere near after giving some money to her friend and explaining why she didn't want to go there herself for now, just waiting for her favourite squirrel to get her what she needed.

Teleporting near the entrance of the shopping mall, Nu finally let go of Zeta and smiled at her. With a sweet look on her face, she took Zeta`s hand and went in, looking around for the clothes departrment, which she had found after a short search...

"There we are... now, lets see if there isn´t a cute outfit for you here somewhere.. people will get suspicious when you walk around like Mu, you know?"

Through digging into bargain bins, checking racks, stands and other convinent shopping devices, Nu didn´t notice the squrriel beastman just a few metres away from her...

Zeta followed Nu to the clothing shop, her hand keeping a grip on Nu's one because she could really get lost in such a lively place if she did lose track of Nu. As she followed Nu through the rays looking at the displays with a fascinated look on her face, she tried to have a closer look at some stuff, but what Nu pointed out motivated Zeta for a new thing. Zeta must hide the fact that she's Zeta, because else people will be suspicious... She had a little doubt about it, so she whispered to Nu: "Why should Zeta hide that she's Zeta?"
Since she had eyes for Nu only at this moment, the presence of anyone else slipped from her attention. Even Noel and Makoto's presence nearby kept unnoticed.

Nu smiled to her, patting her head. The innocence and naviity reminded her of how she once was... yet, she had to learn the truth.

"Because people really don´t like Murakumos a lot. Noel blends right in because she has a name and a uniform and all that, but Nu has it tough sometimes."

Her acadamy outfit was okay as a disguise, and Noel was out of the question for most people, but Zeta´s Murakumo dressup sticked out like a sore thumb.
That was evident when Makoto noticed the two and walked over.

"Hey! Aren´t you the girls from earlier? How`d you get here so fast?"

It was a silly question, seeing how they left before Noel and Makoto, but Makoto was known for her silly questions.

As Nu pointed the problem, Zeta wondered if she should hide anywhere and tried to be as discrete as possible. But as shy and calm as she should behave, Makoto's presence right next to them and her attitude easily screwed it up. Zeta answered simply.
"Um... Zeta doesn't know, Zeta doesn't think it was that fast..." She hesitated a bit, being in thought and tilting her head to her side, before asking Makoto another question. "Um... Who are you already, squirrel girl? Zeta doesn't remember seeing you..."

Makoto blinked, then grinned and crossed her arms. She didn´t think they were that subtle, but then again, she didn´t take into account that Zeta spent most of the time crying while Noel and her were talking to Nu.

"I`m Makoto, a friend of Noel... and i think it was pretty fast, me and Noel went here directly without takeing any detours and you got here at the same time.. You´re looking for something, aren´t you?"

Nu nodded, smileing a bit.

"Zeta is about as subtle as a purple cow. She needs some disguise to blend in."

Given Nu's straight-to-the-point explanation, Zeta could say nothing: she just nodded in approval with a kind of shy smile. "Um... We took a sort of shortcut, Zeta thinks. Do you mind helping Nu and Zeta please?", she said shyly while she considered Makoto. Considering the squirrel girl's outfit, she was almost less subtle than Zeta herself is she had Nu's attitude; was her truly able to find a cute outfit for Zeta? "By the way... who is Noel? Is she... n°12?"

Makoto smiled softly and looked through the various pieces of clothing, quickly comeing across an outfit that caught her eye.

"That´d suit you well, i think. Besides, if its only for a disguise... it only needs to be normal."

She handed Nu an outfit made of a black shirt, a pair of red pants and what appeared to be a one-piece underwear.
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Nu thanked her politely and then turned to Zeta.
"Noel is Mu, yes. Nu doesn´t know why she prefers that name, but Nu thinks that she might´ve lost her memory and her programming, and thinks that she´s a normal human."