https://youtu.be/iTCK5_A5wN4

Deep breaths. Closed eyes. Be still, beating heart. As she stood in the barren corridor by her lonesome, she stared at the door, knowing the Mikado did not like to be kept waiting. Never before had she seen such an intimidating door - and it was just a door. No, that wasn't right. It was the prison hiding a despicable monster.

Well, not much time. As Valerie gave a singular pound to her chest to psych herself up, she opened the door and saw the Mikado sitting there, alone. Valerie sighed, having hoped that Creed was at least there as well, but alas. This was going to be a doozy. It had been a few days since Galileo's downfall, so naturally it made sense that the situation was more dire. If she didn't hate her job, she wouldn't be able to fault the Mikado for this.

As she entered, she saw the Mikado look up from her paperwork and regard her with her typical icy expression. "Good morning, Golgo." she told her. "Have a seat."

Valerie, or 'Golgo', as it were, nodded obediently, heading over to the wooden chair laid out in front of the desk, making herself as comfortable as she could - which, given the hard seat and the tense atmosphere, was no easy feat. "Ah...good morning, Mikado..."

"It isn't often I call you, I know. You must be surprised." the Mikado continued. "I trust your training has been going well?"

"I haven't been slacking off, that's for sure..." Valerie murmured, closing her eyes and taking another deep breath.

"I'm glad to hear that." the Mikado   nodded slowly, and Valerie waited silently for the bombshell she was certain was going to drop any second now. "Because you're going to need it in due time."

Valerie sighed, looking up in resignation. "Let's hear it."

"With the attack on Galileo, we need to up our game. The die is cast, and it's our turn to act." the Mikado explained calmly. "And among our enemies is a most formidable opponent, indeed."

"So formidable that you couldn't get Coyote to do this instead?"

The Mikado raised an eyebrow in fascination, something Valerie immediately saw as dangerous and took as a sign to abort that train of thought immediately. "I, uh, I mean-"

"Coyote has a separate role in this operation, and he has done his due diligence collecting data on our target." the Mikado explained calmly, shifting through her paperwork before pulling out one sheet in particular, handing it to Valerie and letting her read it. "Of course, I doubt you of all people will need that too much, but it pays to be educated nonetheless."

Valerie remained silent, only half-listening to the Mikado's words as her eyes scanned the paper. On it contained a summary of abilities, and helpful tricks for dealing with them. The owner of the abilities in question was drawn in detail at the top of the page, and just seeing his face made her freeze, reading frantically as it slowly set in that, after avoiding one another for so long, she was going to have to go face to face with, and do battle with Iago.

"...do I have to, Mikado?"

"Of all our agents, I believe you are the most suited for this task." the Mikado said dispassionately, eyeing Valerie closely. The green-clad younger woman didn't dare look away from the paper, staring at it with a subtle bit unmistakable look of fear and doubt. "I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't believe it was necessary."

"You know what happened between us, Mikado!" Valerie protested, looking up at the Mikado only to lower her tone of voice as she saw her giving a most quizzical stare. "I-I don't think I can do this..."

"Are you not strong, Golgo?"

"I am, but that's not really-"

"Then what is the issue? You've never had any trouble taking down our targets before." the Mikado tented her fingers on her desk, continuing to stare deeply into Valerie's soul. "Now that it's someone you know, you have second thoughts? Even as he slaughters your allies by the dozen, you want to stand here and tell me you don't have what it takes to save them? Don't you think that's rather...selfish?"

As the Mikado spoke, disapproval dripping from her every word, Valerie suddenly felt incredibly small - like she was on trial, being judged for her selfishness, and before her was an entire jury - even if, logically, she knew she was alone with her. "I-I mean-"

"But you're a selfless woman, aren't you, Golgo? You'd never damn your fellow comrades like that - unless I'm mistaken?" the Mikado continued, a look of faux-concern on her face. "So surely, that means you must have some other plan? If so, I'd like to hear it."

"N-No..." Valerie mumbled, looking down at her shoes, every word making her want to curl up into a ball. She certainly didn't want to think of herself as being so selfish, and she knew any alternative plan she could come up with would never turn out well. "...you're right. I'll do my best, then."

"That's good to hear." the Mikado nodded, returning to her placid neutrality and looking down at Valerie. "Just follow your instructions, and this will go as planned."

"...yes, Mikado." Valerie murmured, placing a hand on her head as she went over the tips on the sheet, despairing all the while. She had never been much of a strategist, so it was nice that the plan had been laid out for her, but the objective was anything but nice. She just had to pull through, knowing someone was going to suffer either way. Such was the life of an agent of Libera.

"Revise that well. We set off two days from now." the Mikado replied coolly. "Now, you are dismissed."

"Understood." Valerie mumbled, standing up and beginning to leave. The Mikado watched her walk out the door, and closed her eyes as it, too, came to a close. Now that that was out of the way, she had things to put in place. And she had two days to do it. Better get to work, then.

.........

https://youtu.be/Px6aVsyVcs8

Despite her various duties as the Mikado, Kotoba had to admit, it was quite pleasant going out every once in a while, observing the world and the way it changed over time. But she didn't get much free time, and today was no exception. As she strolled through the streets of Arc, she kept her eyes sharp, looking around for her target, who was bound to be around here by this time. And though most people didn't recognise her, she knew to be cautious of the few who may have been.

Hence, her disguise. Far from her usual pantsuits, Kotoba wore a dark grey hoodie with a wolf symbol on it, with black jeans. All on Creed's recommendation, naturally - she trusted his judgement with this sort of thing, and the weather was cool and cloudy enough that she wouldn't look out of place. As long as she kept her hood up and her head relatively low, this would go fine. Though she did get a few odd looks, at least nobody thought to approach her.

She walked, making sure she was on time by checking her phone - and it being exactly 8:10 meant it was likely he was at least somewhat nearby. So as she came across the Java Hole, she made sure to loiter around, keeping an eye out for her mark. Admittedly, there were factors that could cause this to not go as planned - perhaps the Doctor had assigned him an impromptu mission. But she was patient, after all, and this was a regular haunt of his. So she waited around, and as the minutes passed, she spotted him approaching, dressed in his white suit and hat - typical, really.

So she wasted no time in acting, approaching the younger man and standing in his way, causing him to eye her suspiciously as she gazed down at him. "Follow me, Makoto."

Evidently recognising her voice, and most likely parts of her appearance as well, Makoto's eyes widened, and he immediately stepped back, hands poised to summon his weapon instantly. "Sister?"

She nodded, making a beckoning gesture without calling her own weapon to hand. While he seemed to panic slightly, she was utterly calm. "Always so eager to rush to violence. You won't get anywhere with a mindset like that." she shook her head slowly. "Come. I only wish to talk."

Makoto eyed her cautiously, trying to determine whether or not his next move - which if she had to guess, would be tossing his naginata right in her face - was at all wise. She knew the answer, of course, but whether or not he'd be able to reach it himself was worth testing. And eventually, he came to agree with her, sighing and relaxing his stance. "Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere we can talk in private." Kotoba responded, beginning to walk away and checking to make sure he was following - which he was, naturally. Sighing, she began to lead him across the streets, back the way she had come. After all, she had found some interesting-looking alleyways on the way here. Making sure the distance between them was a very short one, she passed one, making sure it was empty before grabbing him and pulling him inside.

Despite slight resistance on his end, she was able to get him inside, and she crossed her arms once she let go of him, looking down at him. "There. I'm sure you must have questions."

"Of course I do! You haven't explained anything yet!" Makoto protested, only to lower his voice as Kotoba pressed a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture. "Why are you facing me in person, after all this time? And...why an alleyway? Now we look like...some criminals!"

"We are criminals."

"W-Well, yes, but..." Makoto began, only to realise he had no actual rebuttal and sigh. "What are you after, sister? If it's not to capture me, I don't know what you could want."

"I have a favour to ask of you," Kotoba began. "But first, I am interested in what you've been up to all this time. I trust Minori hasn't found you, yet?"

Makoto eyed her strangely, but as her expression remained unwavering, he let out another sigh. "She's active. I know that for sure. She did something big in Caerulus just a couple days ago." he explained. "...but she hasn't found me yet."

"That is good to hear." Kotoba sighed slightly. "Tell me, how goes the hunt for the Red Joker?"

As she spoke, Makoto caught himself slowly becoming at ease in her presence, and he put a stop to that immediately. She was his sister, but she was still a dangerous criminal menace. "He continues to elude me." he said, a statement that would have been true...but admittedly, he'd been more lax in his pursuit, as of late. He wasn't even wholly certain whether or not he could continue the hunt. "...but he's still out there."

"Naturally. My men have failed to capture him, as well." she nodded. "But I do have a plan."

"You don't have to tell me what it is." Makoto frowned, crossing his arms. "I'm going to be the one who kills him."

"Indeed, you are. That is why I have come here." Kotoba said calmly. "I want to request your cooperation."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me." Kotoba said, remaining cool in the face of Makoto's growing bewilderment. "I can't get you to join Libera, so I'm calling for a temporary truce. We may obtain victory if we join forces."

"You're...willing to let me do the deed?" Makoto murmured, bowing his head. "But...why?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Kotoba asked, continuing her speech before Makoto could answer that. "Aren't we scaling the same cliff, Makoto? We were both affected by the loss of our honour. Frankly, it doesn't matter who kills him, as long as it's one of us."

"...as long as we agree that it's gonna be me." Makoto replied, resolution shining in his eyes. Kotoba nodded, glad to get him on the same page.

"Agreed." she said, smiling a little. "Now, in two days, here's what I'm going to need you to do..."

.........

https://youtu.be/U2Qd9TRY1Ro

The hours passed by like a whirlwind, and as the clock struck eight, Inigo opened the door, the smell of grease swarming his nostrils as he walked into the Blackstar Diner with his usual dead expression. Today had been relatively peaceful - just a normal day of fighting crime, stealing from thieves and wrangling Iago. Finding his black-clad friend had been the easy part; once he entered Furvus, he just had to follow the corpses.

Libera had yet to attack him today, though. Something told him that wasn't for the better, but he didn't know what they could be plotting. Whether it was an attack on him once again, or whatever, he recognised that it gave him time to think about a few things.

First, and most urgently, the Ravener had gotten away once again. Once he'd heard about him from Silas the other day, he'd been keeping an eye out for him - but no dice. There was just no telling where or when he was going to strike again, but so many lives were at stake for as long as that man roamed free. He'd resolved to keep an extra close eye on the news, at least.

On the topic of the news, yesterday's battle at Ruben was all over the headlines - unlike at Caerulus, there were eyewitness reports galore, so while he hadn't received media attention, thankfully, the same couldn't be said of his fellow Spectrums. As he walked up to his usual booth, he saw Silas and Jude sitting there, both looking at their phones intently, and took a seat next to the latter.

"Hey, 'heroes'." he greeted, his voice taking on a slightly playful tone as he made himself comfortable. "How was your day?"

"It was...a day." Silas sighed, looking up from his phone. "Once it hit noon, everyone started recognising my face, and...well, it was weird."

The brown-haired man chuckled, smiling slightly. "Everyone kept asking me all these questions, and I was just trying to earn my paycheck, you know?" he said. "That's not easy when everyone's asking you stuff like 'was the white-flame menace really that strong?' or 'how are the battles against Libera these days?' and you're just standing there wondering if you can profit off this somehow."

"I, too, have gotten suspicious looks," Jude added, putting his hands together and smiling. "But thankfully, those in a church are much more inclined to show respect."

"Give it a couple days." Inigo snarked, before clearing his throat. "You know, Azurine always riffs on me for being late. What's she up to?"

"She's upstairs. Recovering, you might say." Silas pointed to the staircase leading to the next storey. "She got recognised, and...well, she's always had stage fright, you know?"

"I did not." Inigo shook his head. "Nor did I see it coming. Her, of all people?"

"Shocking, I know." Jude hummed. "At a time like this, she's likely praying to Deus Spero. It's best not to disturb her."

"Alright, sure, but I'm gonna give her hell for this when she returns." Inigo shook his head, leaning back in his seat.

"So, now that we've covered our loud hanger-on," Jude spoke up once again. "Where's yours?"

"You mean Iago?" Inigo chuckled a little. "I left him in Arc so he could book our inn room. And, hopefully, keep me updated on Libera's movements."

"As long as he doesn't kill anyone, I think that should be fine, then." Silas shrugged. "Are you sure he'll find anyone there, though?"

"I don't know, honestly. This is just in case." Inigo admitted. "For now, though, here's hoping things go smoothly..."

.........

https://youtu.be/VrdMXoqp8Q4

After booking a room for two, Iago's next move was naturally to go on the hunt for his usual prey - Libera. He wasn't certain that they'd be in Arc, but with him already being there, he might as well search there. So he stepped outside, finding he was quite at home under the night sky. He smiled happily, keeping an eye out for anyone who seemed suspicious - and for any strange red animals. He wasn't about to get ambushed by Coyote again.

He hummed, trying to look out for anyone he recognised. He knew a few faces, that was for certain, and he was aware of some of their higher-ups. He was especially hoping he could spot Galileo and finish what he'd started the other day; but the best mark of all would be the Mikado herself. He'd already planned what he was going to say in case he ever crossed paths with that fiendish woman.

As he walked, his thoughts drifted to Inigo, and a wide smile came to his face as he thought of all the latter had accomplished. He was really coming into his own as an enemy of Libera - just like he'd always wanted. A shame he preferred to stay out of the public eye - he could've truly become like the man whose grave had inspired him.

But, what Inigo wanted was what Inigo wanted - which didn't quite seem to fully align with what Iago himself wanted but there was always hope. He took in a deep breath, trying to find his targets, only to immediately pause once he felt a vibration in his pocket. That would be his phone, which he immediately fished out, wondering right away if he had a request or update from Inigo. But, as he looked at the notifications, he noticed that the text he'd received was from an unknown number.

That didn't happen often. The last time any strangers had gotten his number was that charming gentleman who pretended to be his long-lost uncle. But this person was different from that - unlike that idiot who couldn't even grasp that his name was "Iago" and not "Lago", this person seemed quite...familiar.

"Good evening, Iago. You may call me Solar."

"I come to you not with an alliance, but a warning, and you would do well to heed my words."

"You consider yourself a hero, a deliverer of justice. But you could not be more wrong. What you bring is not justice, but death."

"You are a hypocrite and a fool, no better than those you oppose. And the reckoning for your sins is coming in due time."

"Consider yourself warned. you will reap what you have sown"

"Signing off, Solar."

The first thing to come to mind was that this had to be some kind of threat from Libera. The Mikado was always fond of intimidating her opponents. But to do it through anonymous texts like this felt...oddly juvenile of her. As he read over the messages, he stared at the words on the screen, the buzzwords echoing in his mind.

"Justice"

"Hypocrite"

"Fool"

As such a scathing indictment of his mission festered in his mind, he felt those words attacking him like knives wielded by a deadly assassin, and shook his head, putting his phone away and looking to the sky with a broad, almost crazed grin. He was no villain. He was the hero - and this world was much better off with him in it!

"Tch...you're the fool, Solar, if you wish to contend with me." he said, shaking his head before placing a palm on his forehead. "...I swear, this sunny new friend of mine sounds just like that blasted Munchkin..."

At that, he tried to shake off the warning, but he couldn't help but wonder if he needed to be more careful. Or perhaps, he needed to be less careful, and show his enemies even less mercy than usual. If this was a challenge from his enemy, then the gauntlet had been thrown, and he had to show his mysterious messenger the true meaning of justice.