I make it back to to my room without being caught.

Your room was just like hers, but all different—the scents, the relationship, even the memories—considerably different now. You sat at the foot of your bed and untied your shoes before kicking them off. You felt back and thought about what you had done—the overstep of your boundaries as a guard, the professionalism gone. Sasha was different, you shrugged. Akiko was… off-limits– forbidden even, yet you let your feelings get involved. To a degree, Akiko had done the same, but she was a gem and was more critical in this world than you.

“You were incredible, Warren,” her voice rang in your skull, the memory forcing a blush and you remembered the lewd sounds and hot sweat from your session. You recalled the grin, her voice… Everything about Akiko glowed in your head.

However, Mikka and Zuprik came to mind, and your thoughts shifted. McKinley, Kenji, and even Sasha, to some degree, had to do something about the cracks in their fractured unit. You briefly wondered what kind of uniform politics were at hand. McKinley seemed weary on the idea of confronting this issue head-on. But why?

With Mikka and the other names of the RTE, you also remember Sachio– the center of attention for Mikka and God-only-knows who else. Was it just Sachio? Who wanted Akiko? Or any of the others you were tasked to protect. There was too much ground to cover for yourself. The thought alone made you feel small and stretched.

Scarlet should be available for hire. She mentioned owing you; this might be the right time to cash in that check. Kenji would be your next person of interest for help, but you didn’t know how far he’d take it, and how he’d drag you into ****.

These thoughts and many more clashed in your head as you brushed your teeth, rinsed, and laid back in bed– unable to focus on one topic more than the other. The virgin-breaking sex with Akiko is still too fresh in your mind to let the serious subjects be the main focus point in your head.

As you fall to your fatigue, two people linger in your head… Kenji… Scarlet… You had to get away from Akiko, not to protect her, per se. But to make sure your reliability as a contractor…