"Edward! Right on time!" Maxis called from down the corridor as I walked through the doors of the facility. I just smiled back at him. "Come, boy. I've some new faces for you to get aquainted with." Maxis hopped right into the day, giving me no insight as to what was in store for me. I followed him down the hallway, as I had done the day before.

Within minutes, Ludvig and I came to the end of the corridor, where an elevator shaft lay. Both of us stepped in, and after Maxis punched a few buttons, I felt the pull of gravity as the elevator took off. DING! The elevator stopped and I stepped out, only to be greeted with another bland hallway, a little shorter than the last.

"I hope you will enjoy the company of your new co-workers," Maxis broke the eerie silence that lay while we walked through the chamber. "They are all very excited to meet you."

"Oh... well I'm looking forward to meeting them as well," I said a bit awkwardly, as it was a lie. Ludvig veered off his course, setting foot in a large room with a gigantic, perfectly round metal table. Filling the chairs around it were five others.

"Hello, everyone, I'd like to introduce you all to our newest member of Group 935." Maxis pointed to me as I stepped cautiously through the door frame.

I waved a bit, trying to etch a smile on my face. "It's very nice to meet you all." They all just nodded at me, which made me feel unbelievably embarrassed.

"Sit down, Edward." Maxis vaguely ordered. I took one of the remaining two chairs, and Maxis took the other. I felt very out of place in this environment, and all eyes fell on me. I fought hard to keep the blood from rushing to my face.

"Now, why don't we just have a good round of introductions?" Maxis began the conversation which I was reluctant to be a part of. "Dr. Schuster, why don't you begin?"

The first man at the table glanced around and then stood up. He seemed to be an older man, probably in his late forties. His brown hair was graying and the wrinkles on his face were quite prominent. He wore a white lab coat. "Hello, Dr. Richtofen, I am Dr. Frederick Schuster. I will be your research partner for the time being." He reached over the table and extended his hand towards me, smiling warmly. I smiled back and accepted his handshake. "I look forward to working with you," he said, and sat back down. I noticed Maxis nod in the direction of the second man.

This man was much younger than the last, but probably no younger than me. If I were estimating, I would say that he was in his early thirties, judging by his healthy looking brown hair and smooth features. He stood up. "I'm Henry Porter. It's nice to meet you." He spoke in an American accent, much different from Dr. Schuster, who had a distinct German one, like me. Nevertheless, I extended my hand towards his and shook.

"Dr. Porter is from our American division. He's here visiting for a few months. You really must see his new project, he's working on a machine that can upgrade weapons in a matter of seconds!" Dr. Maxis happily chimed in.

"Oh really?" This I was interested in. How could such a machine be possible?

"Yes. Of course, it's still a work in progress, merely an idea at that, but within a few years, Henry should be able to bring this device into reality!"

"Fascinating. I'm very impressed," I said, looking to Henry, who nodded and looked away. The next person stood up. This man had dirty blonde hair, and seemed to be around Henry Porter's age.

"Peter McCain. Glad to meet you." He shook my hand, as so many others had done.

":Peter is our American correspondant. He is fairly new to our cause, as well, Dr. Richtofen." Maxis filled me in a bit more. I nodded and Peter sat own, signaling the next member to rise.

"Dr. Richtofen, Niklas Groph. Happy to have you here. I'll be working with you and Dr. Schuster for the time being." This man seemed to be the oldest in the room, probably in his fifties. Even Maxis, who sported a fluffy white beard, seemed to be a tad bit younger than Dr. Groph.

"And last but not least, we have Doctor Harvey Yena." Maxis introduced the man, who stood up and immediately shook my hand. He did not say a word.

"He's a quiet one... but also very smart!" chuckled Maxis. "I suppose that concludes our first meeting together, yes?" The others nodded, and I joined in. "Well, as the leader of the German division of Group 935, I hereby dismiss this comittee. Good luck today in your scientific endeavors! To improve the human condition!" The group arose and repeated the phrase in unison, then exited the room. To improve the human condition? Was it some sort of slogan? As I followed the others, Dr. Maxis's voice stopped me. "Edward?"

"Yes, Dr. Maxis?"

"Go with Dr. Schuster and Dr. Groph. They will show you the ropes. And, the best of luck to you. I hope you enjoy your time with us." He nodded and followed me out of the room, taking the opposite hallway to ours and breaking away from the group. I quickly pursued Dr. Schuster and Dr. Groph, catching up to them in due time. No one spoke for what seemed like hours, until the silence of the awkward elevator ride was broken by Niklas Groph.

"So, Dr. Richtofen, you should tell us more about your life. Maxis has told us that you are one of the smartest members to ever join Group 935." Groph finished. I was flattered by the statement, but preserved my ego and went with a more modest approach.

"Certainly not, I am a mere rookie. Look at the highly trained doctors and scientists that run this facility!" I commended with a little chuckle. There was no response.

"So which are you, Richtofen? A doctor or a scientist?" Asked Dr. Schuster as we strolled down the hallway I had first arrived in. From my knowledge, I could tell that we were headed for the laboratory.

"I'm... Both, I suppose." I replied, unsure of which to say.

"How can that be so?" Dr. Schuster continued. "Have you professional training in either? Are you unsure of your intentions?"

"I have a degree in both medicine and science," I said with uncertainty.

"Fascinating," Dr. Groph said, loosening the mood a little. "A fantastic addition he will be to our cause." With those words, we arrived at the entrance of the laboratory. I followed both men into the massive room which housed harsh bright lights and tons of people in white lab coats, as it had the day before. I must admit, I was a bit intimidated by the high expectations of this all but strange place.

"Tell me, Richtofen, what do you know of Germany's current weaponry?" Schuster questioned, allowing no time for one to think to himself.

I debated on whether I should tell the truth about modern weaponry, or butter it up a bit. I had studied for weeks on the current weapon crisis that Germany was in when I first learned that Group 935 had called upon me. Though I had never actually shot a gun myself, I knew a great deal about them.

"To be painfully honest, Dr. Schuster, I believe that our country's weaponry is falling well behind the standards of our closest enemies, the Americans. If we do not strive to secure the most advanced technology, I believe that Germany could be in grave danger should a war of any significance break out."

Dr. Groph and Dr. Schuster stopped in their tracks and turned to me. My heart fluttered. Maybe I should have covered the truth a bit.

"A wise man," Groph said finally.

"Indeed." Dr. Schuster smiled, a little forced. I nodded, looking around a little awkwardly.

After that, I was directed towards a bench on which blueprints lay. Weapons blueprints.

"Are these the new weapons blueprints?" I asked one on the people working next to me.

"But of course. Only the best!" The blonde headed German man said. I glanced down at the blueprints again. To me, they looked pretty efficient. The first blueprint looked like an alien weapon, with a round base and some sort of energy conduit. This intrigued me so.

The next gun looked just like any other German pistol, with a simple spout and a trigger slapped on a piece of metal. It didn't look overly interesting.

As I studied over the papers meticulously, a high pitched female voice broke through my thoughts.

"Mr. Richtofen? Is Mr. Richtofen here?" I looked up to see who had called my name. Before me stood a dark brown headed lady, probably in her mid-thirties, with acid green eyes and ruby red lips.

"Yes? I am Richtofen," I replied.

The woman looked me over. "Very well, follow me," she instructed as she headed in the other direction. Once again, I was lead down the same bland hallway that had come all too familiar to me. I was sure that by now I could pick out every crack in the redundant brick of the lonely corridor. I silently wondered what this walk had in store for me this time.

~Eliza's POV~

My heart beat steadily as I stood in the bland, confined visiting room of Group 935's facilities, awaiting Sophia's return.

"You have a visitor, Mr. Richtofen," I heard Sophia's distinct high pitched voice ring out from around the corner. I blushed at the sound of his name, and her reference to me as a visitor rather than a servant, as Maxis would have called me. I always was fond of Sophia, beside the fact that she had aspirations of actually joining Group 935's scientist team in the near future. But in order to get on the team, you have to get closer to the leader, Ludvig Maxis. And that's exactly what she's been doing.

Before I had time to step out of my thoughts, there were two figures in the doorway.

"Eliza?" Mr. Richtofen spoke and raised an eyebrow, his gentle German voice tickling my ears. I looked up to meet his hazel eyes, and was taken aback by how close he was.

I blushed a little when he gave me a warm smile, and cursed myself for doing so. I cleared my throat, remembering what I had come here for.

"Your lunch, sir... You forgot it this morning." I held out the paper sack, waiting for my master to take it.

He stared at the bag for a moment before he looked back up at me, and removed the lunch from my grasp. He gave a genuine smile, looking straight into my eyes, which only made me blush harder.

"Thank you, Eliza," he gently said, as I took a step backwards to avoid any further embarrassment.

"You're welcome, Mr. Richtofen." I bowed to show courtesy. I stood there awkwardly for a moment, and then turned to leave. "Goodbye, Mr. Richtofen. Goodbye, Sophia," I said quickly and headed out the door, making sure to maintain speed as I walked back to the house.

~Richtofen's POV~

I was rather surprised by Eliza's visit, the thought still lingering on my mind as the woman, whom I now knew as Sophia, escorted me back to the lab. I'm quite sure I could have found it on my own, but she insisted. She seemed quite nice.

"If I didn't know any better, Mr. Richtofen, I would think that Eliza was not your servant at all," Sophia said, rounding the corner toward the lab.

"What ever do you mean?" I asked, curious as to her intent.

"Well, the way you treat her, and she treats you. Forgive me for saying so, Mr. Richtofen, but with manners like those I'm quite surprised that you don't have yourself a wife by now."

I became a bit embarrassed at this point. "Oh? Umm... Thank you..." I scratched the back of my neck nervously as the lab door came into view. And how thankful I was to see it.

"Happy inventing, Mr. Richtofen," Sophia smiled, nodding her head.

I smiled back warmly. "Thank you for everything, Sophia." I walked back to my station, and Sophia scurried off down the hallway. I glanced up at the clock. 11:35. I found that same blonde headed German that I'd questioned earlier, since he seemed alright, and inquired about something which had bugged me since Eliza's visit. "Excuse me, sir, what time is lunch?"

"Oh, 12:00, sir!"

"Ah, thank you." I looked up at the clock again and smiled. Soon I would once again taste the delectable expertise of my talented servant. And I could hardly wait to see what delicious treasures that little brown bag held.