Although Lux is in the hallway, he can still feel the rising rays of the morning light. He stands up just as slow as a sloth, yawning as he cracks open Bailey's door. "Yo," He greets a space with no presence in sight, glancing towards Bailey's small bed with yellow covers. He fully walks inside and looks around. The entire room is covered in an odd looking plastic, even the floors and the ceiling. "What the fuck...?"

Lux hears a door open to his left, and glances in that direction. He hears someone walking out of the bathroom as they hum softly. Bailey steps into the room with nothing but a white robe on, and is startled when she realizes Lux is in her room.

"Oh! Y-You came in here?"

"Yeah. I didn't see ya. Figured you got nabbed or some shit. What is all this for? Are you a germaphobe?"

"U-Um, it's because of me. Sometimes I sleepwalk. Not too far though, just in my room. I, um...touch a lot of things when it happens."

"Is that what those gloves were for?"

"Hm? Oh, yes."

"You burn shit or somethin'?"

"N-No. Not all the time, anyways. I decay any organic life I touch. It works oppositely when I sleep. Neither works when I wrap an area entirely in plastic, though. It's a psychological thing, I guess."

"C'mere. Touch me."

"H-Huh?"

"I didn't stutter. I wanna see if it works."

"Oh, o-okay."

Bailey slowly walks over to Lux, hesitatingly placing her hand on his cheek. As she gazes into his eyes, she can't help but to blush. Past all the rough skin, the bruises, and the scars, Bailey can see indistinguishable features of attraction. "U-Um..."

"Might wanna tighten your robe a bit more."

"Huh...?" Bailey glances down, and notices her chest is nearly exposed. In a panic, she quickly grips the material of her robe to hide it. "I'm sorry."

"All good. I'm outta here."

"Wait, where are you going...?"

"I stayed the night. Now you get me my cigarettes like I asked."

"Um, I don't even have your number."

"Huh. That's a good point."

Lux pulls out his Blackcell, then tosses it to Bailey without warning. Unprepared, Bailey drops it on the floor, then quickly bends over to grab it. Her cheeks are burning in embarrassment as she puts in her number. After she's finished, she hands the Blackcell back to Lux. "H-Here..."

"'Ight. Call me when you get my shit." Lux turns to leave. Once he's at the front door, he opens it and closes it behind him after exiting the apartment. Bailey glances at her hand, then towards the front door.

"B-Bye."

As Lux walks out of the apartment complex, he stretches and yawns. "Hell am I gonna do today?" It doesn't take long until Lux's Blackcell suddenly starts vibrating. With a huff, he pulls it out of his pocket and instantly answers the call. "Yo."

"Cheers, Lux. It's your mate, Joel."

"You steal somebody's phone or something?"

"Not exactly. Uh, Tora gave me a...Blackcell you all call them? It's a nice piece of tech. Tora did an amazing job with it. She informed me that you can even download games up here without WiFi. I don't even know what that means," Joel answered, sounding excited to be confused about the technology at his fingertips.

"Wow. That's just super," Lux exclaims in an exaggerated tone. "Why are you calling me?"

"Oh, right, sorry about that. Just wanted to see if this worked. Jade told me it was better to test it out on your number."

"'Course she told you that. Well, it works, so I'm hanging up."

"Oh, hold on, mate."

"Christ. What?"

"You know how I showed you the blueprints to my new boosters the other day? Well, I finally got something and I want you to see it firsthand. I'll send a picture too. Something I can also do with this Blackcell."

"'Ight. I'll come by when I feel like it."

"No rush. Anyways, I'll be seeing you."

They disconnect, but Lux stands there weighing his options. After a short moment of thinking to himself, he decides to travel to Ethereal HQ's map room. On the way, the elevator stops at Tora's workstation. She practically hops into the interior, smiling when she sees Lux's blemished face. "Morning!"

"Hm."

"Did you sleep alright last night?"

"Can't think to answer that with the interrogation. ...I slept alright."

"That's great! I'm glad to hear that. Sometimes, I have trouble sleeping too. I didn't realize how much fatigue it causes when you don't get any. Oh, yeah! I might be a little late coming home tonight."

"Oh, no. We'll all miss you."

"Hey! Quit being so sarcastic! Hmph! Just when I got you a gift too."

"Hm?"

"Oh, now you're interested!"

"Shaddup and tell me what the "gift" is."

"Here, you meanie." Tora pulls out a small speaker from her bag, handing it to Lux. Inspecting his newly gifted speaker with a wide grin, he actually smirks in appreciation. "It isn't even my birthday. 'Preciate it, Tora."

"If you appreciate it so much, then how about saying something nice once in a while?"

"Hmm...Nah, I'm good."

After the elevator doors open, Lux steps out. Tora stomps the metal floor, letting out a light growl in frustration. "Grrr...! You big hea-" The elevator doors suddenly close before Tora can finish her words.

"What did you say? Ain't hear that last part." Lux shrugs without a care and continues walking forward. "Oh well."  He approaches Dawson, who greets him in respect when he sees his sparring partner.

"Halcyon."

"Yo."

"If you're not doing anything later, I'll be in the training room."

"Damm. You in a rush to get your ass kicked again?" Lux asks. Dawson smiles in response to Lux's cockiness.

"I've got some new tricks up my sleeve. This next time won't be easy."

"Good. I was starting to get bored."

"Unsurprising. Just wanted to relay that information to you. In any case, did you need something?"

"Let me see the mission list if you got it."

"No problem," the Ethereal Commander replies, handing Lux a blue folder. "Here you are."

"...What's this shit about?" Lux inquires after taking a moment to read through the details.

"Matthias wanted to discuss the mission details with everyone himself. Come on, we're going into the briefing room." The pair walk towards the meeting room stepping inside. Upon entering, Lux sees Jade, Klaus, and Tora sitting in their usual spots, Joel is sitting on Jade and Tora's side a few chairs down, and Sakuro and Ichi are sitting in the chair that's next to Lux's near the front. Vern is standing at the farthest wall. When he sees Dawson and Lux walk in, he greets them.

"Ah, perfect timing. Let us now begin our briefing."

Lux walks over to his usual spot, and sits down in his chair. Dawson sits in a chair in the far back, then the holographic screen turns on, displaying a certain location of Jeogen. "This is Wohali. It is a reservation for many tribes in southwestern Jeogen. Recently, we have received reports of a Blightshade infestation. Miss Zelterra."

Tora nods and turns in her chair to face everyone as she begins her explanation. "These specific Blightshades that are infesting a lotta parts of the reservation are called Wolven Nocta. They're super dangerous and travel in large packs."

"Dun! Dun! Duuuun!" Klaus cries out, his voice similar to a toddler as he wiggles his fingers.

"How did the infestation start?" Jade asks, turning in her chair. Vern takes the baton to speak and provides his companion.

"We believe that one of the members of the Hesutu tribe showed early symptoms, but was simply ignored."

"Ignored? Why would they do that? Do they not know how Blightshade infections work?"

"The tribes in the reservation aren't very fond of anything that comes from Annihilation. That includes the Federation, Abnormals, and Blightshades alike."

"So they'd rather let one of their own die and become a mindless being than to try and save them," Sakuro utters, her voice reflecting her vehemence. Arms crossed, Lux leans back in his chair, already irked by what he deems as pointless information.

"This already sounds like a headache. The hell do we care about this?"

"That reservation is on the border of Orimos, the Golden State," Vern replies, continuing on with the briefing. "If we eliminate these Blightshades and gain the tribes' trust, we'll have a vital invasion point into the state."

"The AAF will most likely send their sub force, the ABF, to handle this situation." Dawson warns, adding in his own two cents. "Even though they're preferably equipped to handle Blightshades, we shouldn't underestimate their combat ability."

"Our mission is to dispose of the Blightshades, gain the trust of the tribes, and possibly gain control of the reservation. We will leave as soon as possible."

Taking the submarine to travel inland, the group switch to an armored car transporting them to the reservation's location. Using Dawson's cloaking, the group are able to drive past AAF checkpoints unseen. When they pass the last checkpoint to the reservation and enter, they look out the small window to glance outside. The reservation has an enormous sandy-like mountainside prominence. There's many hills to go over, with many twists and turns and points of elevation and downfalls.

The group are now proceeding to the main mountain hillside, where most of the tribes live. The mountains in the distance are tan and bleak with many vultures flying above in the low clouds. Dawson uncloaks the armored car behind a wide slope, then Vern, Lux, Sakuro, and Joel all hop out. Joel glances around the red sand and dialed bleakness before chuckling. "Ah, nature. My brother Jules would absolutely despise this."

"There are many mountains in the distance. The vultures are flying above. Patiently waiting for one's life to wither away..." Sakuro finishes her seemingly cryptic line in her poem. Ignoring any signs of a deeper meaning, Lux casually lifts his left hand above his head, catching nothing but dirt and sweat with his makeshift net.

"Dry as hell out here. Hope somebody brought some water."

"Ah, I did not think it would be so peaceful here." Vern faces the car, and gives Dawson a reassuring nod. "Thank you, Dawson. Have a safe return to Atlacall. We shall take it from here."

"Sir. Be careful out here." With that, Dawson closes the doors and cloaks the armored car once again. As the reinforced vehicle retreats, Lux steps forward.

"'Ight. Where to?"

"If y'all take the mountain path in front of you, it should lead you to the camps," Tora directs from everyone's mind.

"Then forward we shall go," Vern declares, heeding his specialist's words.

"This is incredible. She really can communicate with our brainwaves," Joel mumbles to himself, taking out a small notepad from his right pocket. He continues to ask questions aloud, ensuring to keep up with the others as he goes. "How is that possible? I'm a foreign life form. Telepathic abilities. Pyrokinetic and Cryokinetic abilities. Ability to control a power source called electricity. Antimatter. What have I stumbled upon...?"

The group steps up, taking the wide dirt path directly in front of them. It leads them to a small mountain pass with many rock formations, towering dry trees, and dirt meddled roads, with the strain of violent howls in the distance. "The hell was that?" Lux asks, curiously turning his head toward the sound. Sakuro dips her head, commanding her body to take a position similar to Ichigo when he's concentrating on listening.

"They're calling for each other. They know we are here."

"It'd be unwise to focus on any distractions," Vern advises, shuffling caution to the front of his eloquent deck. "We are quite exposed on this path."

With Vern's lead, the Ethereal's continue walking along the path. They finally enter a small elevated area with a few rock formations surrounding it, creating a central circle. The way forward will lead the group to the camps, however, after they take a few steps, they suddenly hear deep growling in the darkness of the shade in front of them.

Their attention is pulled to the front, only to see a wolflike creature emerge from the shadows. It presents with pure black ruffled fur with long, sharp gray claws. It growls violently, its deadly fangs clamping together to create a row of sharp weapons. "Careful. That's one of the Wolven Nocta that I mentioned before," Tora exclaims, warning her companions.

"We don't got time for this. Let's kill this thing and keep moving," Lux expresses, readily prepared for a fight.

The wolflike creature opens its mouth, its jaw sliding back and forth in an effort to speak. When it does, a deep, extremely raspy voice forces its way out of its throat. "You...grrraaah! We need your flesh..."

"It-It spoke?!" Tora's voice filled with shock and confusion. The wolflike creature raises its head. An echoing howl fills the area, suddenly, multiple creatures of a similar kind to the one in front of the group appear above them, perched on the edges of the rock formations.

"Well, isn't this great?" Joel's tone is as light-hearted as it can be despite the situation. It sounded as though he was at a local market, placing a crisp, red apple in his hand. Vern assimilates each and every creature surrounding him and his teammates, formulating a plan before speaking aloud.

"How unfortunate. I was hoping we would make it to the camps before we encountered any Blightshades. Do not by any means underestimate what we're dealing with, my friends. Focus on your safety and flanks," he advises. The creatures all howl in unison. With a snarl of command, they all drop down in front of the group, who then respond by assuming their fighting stances. Nerves creeping into her mind, Tora sends one last warning to everyone.

"Be careful, guys!"

Joel makes the first move by throwing multiple flash grenades in front of him, blinding a small amount of the creatures. Sakuro quickly follows up. She draws Ichigo, and with a swift lunge, she swings her blade and sheathes it that split second. Immediately after Ichigo is sheathed, the small amount of Wolven Nocta that were blinded are cut down by an unseen force.

Taking a few swipes to the arm, Lux shouts in anger, wiping out a crowd of creatures with a blazing emission of energy. Vern eliminates the ones remaining. After he flies into the air, he stops once he's a fair distance away. Snapping his fingers to conjure an arsenal of ice spears behind him, then waves his right hand in command. "Perish."

The ice spears descend towards the remaining Wolven Nocta at a rapid speed. Upon impact, the icicle poles pierce their heads, instantly killing them. Suddenly, another wave of Wolven Nocta enters the fray. This time, however, there are four large Nocta along with them standing up straight on their hind legs.

"More of them!" Tora calls to attention. "They're as hairy as cousin Harold when he ain't shaving!"

Lux immediately enters his powered form. He yells loudly as a bright orange aura surrounds him with small rocks floating in the air due to the force of his immeasurable power. Just from his shout alone, he emits a violent wave of bursting energy that causes multiple Wolven Nocta to expand and blow into pieces. "YOU'RE FUCKED!"

Lux jumps, ascending so high into the air that he's above the clouds. He forms a wide smirk on his face, instantly descending downward, shattering the skies like a burning star. When he makes impact onto the ground, an enormous blast covers the entire area, scorching any remaining enemies to ashes. He reverts to his original form after the way forward is clear, then casually swings his right arm in a slow windmill. Vern nods, confirming that he now feels a malicious presence has stopped targeting the group. "I believe that was all of them."

"Is everyone okay?"

"We're fine," Joel affirms to the voice in his head, carefully wiping an indigo blood stream from his gunblade. "I'm not exactly a fan of those things."

"The way their blood spilled onto the ground as I cut them down...It was riveting," Sakuro mutters to herself while she stands over one of the corpses. Lux says his peace. Both expressing himself to her and the others.

"Bet it was, weirdo. Are we going to keep goin' or wait for more of 'em to show up?"

"Lux is correct. It would be best if we continued on. Viens."

With Vern leading the way, the group continued down the original path. After some time, they finally happen upon an enormous, cavelike area. There are many tents, huts, and sandstone buildings everywhere you look. Some are even constructed on the outer walls of the area.

There's a wide river that's flowing across the entire village area coming from an opening towards the far right with a large sandstone bridge over it, seemingly splitting the village in half. The group can see many tribesmen and women wearing modern clothing, with a mix of bright leather coats and ponchos walking about, entering and exiting the buildings or huts.

The group walked up a small gate entrance. In front of it, are two, bulky tribesmen wearing tan shirts, matching jeans and brown boots with ponchos masking their upper bodies. The two are standing guard, diligently looking forward without blinking. Lux steps up to the gate, almost passing the two guards until they form a blockade in front of him. Although they are larger than him in size, he looks up and down at them both unimpressed.

"There a problem here? Get out of the way."

"The Eyanosa are not taking in tourists at the moment. Turn around and leave."

"Oh right, right, okay. Let me just go back home. I'll come back when you guys are ready." Lux walks directly in front of the guards, looking them both in the eye. "Get the hell out of my way. I don't have a problem with fightin' a few of you."

A short lived laugh escapes Vern in reaction to his comrade's behavior. He walks up to Lux and softly places his gloved hand on his right shoulder. "Calm yourself, Lux. I will handle this."

"Whatever," He impassively replies. He shrugs his shoulders then walks back with his hands in his pockets. "He just saved you guys."

Vern places his hands behind his back and nods at the two guards before speaking in a peaceful tone. "You'll have to excuse my friend. He is very enthusiastic when something needs to be done. Now, onto the reason why we are here. We are not mere tourists. We are here on the behalf of the Ethereals. I am Matthias Vern."

"You are the one leading the Abnormal terrorist group, yes?"

"The word "terrorist" is a word that is thrown around a lot these days. Oui, I am their leader. We came here to discuss a deal with yours. You see, we know all about your Blightshade infestation. In addition, we both know that the Federation will take this chance to evict you all from the reservation. Let us through and we shall speak to your leader."

The two guards give each other cautious glances before speaking amongst themselves in their native language. "They know about those creatures that are blighting our lands. He also raises a fine point."

"Yes. I feel as though we now have no choice but to let them speak to Tahoma. It's only a matter of time before those Federation dogs come here as well."

"Very well. We shall let them through."

Nodding in agreement, the two guards face the gate, and slowly push it open. "Go. Our chief, Tahoma, resides in the largest hut on the north side of our village."

"Merci. You have our word we will not cause trouble while inside." Vern looks back at the others then motions his head for them to follow behind him. Having been granted entry, the hires file inside the village.

"Wow! Woah! I've never seen a village like this in my life! I mean, I mostly live in concrete buildings, but still! Wow!"

"Nice architecture," Joel boomerangs after Tora. "I'm impressed that these buildings are still standing."

"The ABF will surely resort to violence if and when they get here. May I remind everyone that we are not here to cause trouble of any kind," Vern exclaims without having to look toward anyone.

"He could only be referring to one man," Sakuro pitches, glancing up at who she deems as the person Vern is indirectly speaking to. Having a notion of everyone's thoughts, Lux hurls his first scoff of the mission into the air, much like he does his enemies at times.

The group explored the south side of the mountain village. During their exploration, they find sand filled scraps of items they feel are useful, and rare materials. After they've finished sightseeing, the group cross the wide bridge to enter the north side of the village. As they make their way through the north side of the village, they are greeted with many side eyes from the tribespeople.

Finally locating the Chief's tent, the group approach a sizable, yellow hut with a red lined design. There are two tall lit torches in front of it, as well as two female guards wearing similar clothing as the first two male guards. One of the females notices the group approaching the tent and she nods knowing exactly who they are. "Matthias Vern of the Ethereals?"

"Oui. I am Matthias Vern."

"You may enter. Tahoma wishes to speak with you now."

"Thank you."

The group step past the two tribe women, and enter the hut. The inside of the hut is fairly sized. There's a sort of sandstone floor, and dark red cloth ceiling. There are multiple long torches in a wide circle surrounding a wide fur chair. Sitting on the chair, is a tall, slim, tan-skinned man with a red tattoo in the shape of a bear on his forehead.

The man is wearing the same clothes as the male guards, except he has a long, ripped, burgundy scarf around his neck with an odd looking hat which the group assume is specific to a chief. He studies them all as they walk in, quickly forcing an unwelcoming glare onto them. "The spirits send me their whispers. They tell me that a small group of violent beings are here to speak with me. Tell me. Why are you here?"

"Excuse our sudden appearance," Vern answered with a well mannered gesture. "We are here due to receiving information that you and your people are dealing with a Blightshade infestation of sorts."

"Hm. Yes. That is true. But it has nothing to do with outsiders. Especially outsiders like you. Too many have tried to take our lands and they have failed. What makes you so different from them?"

A chilling rush of aura grips the air in its clutches. Though Lux can't see his face, he has a feeling Vern is wearing a nearly invisible smile after hearing him chuckle.

"It seems there has been a misunderstanding. I do not care for your land, nor your people. Regardless of that fact, I have come to strike a peaceful bargain with you. Your lands will allow us to continue our work and I will not let such a frivolous obstacle stop me. The Federation wants this land and your government cannot protect you if you are burdening a Blightshade infestation. Let me be frank. You are failing and it has gotten worse. The Federation will come. You know this. I offer my help and protection. In exchange, you'll get to keep your lands undisturbed."

"Under a rule of shells harboring evil born from the wretched day."

"You may feel what you want about us, however, the fact still remains that you will lose everything if you do not do something. Unless, you would rather bow down to these supposed Federation dogs?"

Tahoma stays silent for a moment, glancing away in thought. He knows what Vern says is mostly true. "Hmm. Very well. I will accept your offer, demon."

"I'm thankful you are making the right choice for your people. After we are finished, we will not disturb your lands. Now, tell me how this infestation started."

"Why does that matter?" Tahoma inquires back, still untrusting and wanting to keep his secrets tucked away.

"These specific Blightshades you are currently dealing with are called Wolven Nocta. They are humans that have been mutated to the point that they take the form of humanoid wolves. Of course, like wolves themselves, they have a pack leader. Your patient zero is most likely that leader."

"Knowing about this person will help you, yes?"

"Yes. That is correct."

Tahoma's face is instantly filled with anger and hate as he lowers his head. When he looks back up, he speaks in an irritable tone. "The woman you are looking for...her name is Awinita Nekoma. She showed symptoms of that sickness, yet informed no one. She betrayed us by spreading the infestation to my people and taking them from us."

"It's no wonder they were near that path, then," Joel calmly interjects from Vern's near left. "It's smart. An efficient way to kill any tribesmen coming in and out."

"A Blightshade who intentionally spreads its disease to others. Interesting," Sakuro mutters, leaving herself as the only receiving party. Lux delivers his second scoff of the mission. He deliberately directs his waspish attitude to Tahoma.

"So your dumbass didn't think to kill her or something when you found out?"

"By the time we found out what she was doing, she had already taken many of my people and escaped the village."

"Do you know of anywhere she might be hiding?" Vern inquires, preserving his highbrow posture.

"Hm...yes. The Garjin Mine. She went there a lot in her spare time. I sent some of my men there and they have not returned."

"That's because they got fucked up," Lux carelessly jams into the conversation with a laugh.

"If they killed any intruders near the mine, that is most likely where the den is located. Where might we find this mine?"

"Once you leave the village, the winds will take you southwest. Look for an abandoned village, it is near there."

"Very well. We shall return with news of success. Should anyone else show symptoms, place them in a quarantined area."

"Or not. You can just let 'em die or mutate like you already have."

"Hmph. Go and do what you promised."

One by one, the group leaves the hut. After they do, a young man with a brown fur outfit and a bear hide over his head emerges from the shadows. "Follow them. We will not allow those dogs, nor these demons to take our lands. Make sure she is dead and be sure to lead the Federation in the same direction."

"Yes, Chief Tahoma."