“I’ve warned you again and again already, Iru, M0,” sighed Murayama, giving a strong yank to the back of Iru’s clothes and ripping his body away from the pinned down M0. He could feel a vein nearly popping out on his forehead with the bubbling anger inside. “No. Flirting. In. Public.”

“Then why don’t you go away, Yamase?” said Iru, sideways glancing at Murayama after having pulled his clothes free from his hand. A mischievous smirk was lightly tugging at the corner of his lips. “If you humans would scram from our lives, we wouldn’t be flirting in public anymore. You’d be doing a favour to everyone.”

“I’m not falling for your 'who’s truly the one to blame' machinations this time,” scoffed Murayama, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at the two super soldiers. “Now, if you’re done frolicking around… Ah, congratulations on winning, Iru. Since you’ve completed the last exercise of the physical examinations, Nakatani-san is waiting for you. He’d like to have a word with all of you regarding tomorrow’s field trip.”

“Perfect,” acknowledged Iru, getting up first and then motioning his hand towards M0 to aid him to a standing position. “I was also in need to have a conversation with him.”

“Ah… Why?” asked Murayama, an eyebrow slightly arched in suspicion as he observed the two super soldiers start to walk towards the observation area. He readily also began walking alongside them, trying to squeeze any information before they reached the general’s location. “Is something the matter? Will there be another attack to the base?”

“I’d rather it had been that…” softly whispered Iru to himself, taking a glance at M0. He only tilted his head quizzically while wondering what was happening. Seeing such, Iru couldn’t help but release a sigh, entwining his fingers with M0’s after having held his hand.

Although most of the audience had already scattered back to their corresponding areas in the base, now that the fighting show was over, the general of Tokyo’s main base had remained behind. By the time they reached the observing area, Nakatani was having a conversation with Miue and Eki about the results and conclusions they had obtained throughout the last three days of constant testing and exercising.

“Sir, they’re all here,” said Murayama, offering a brief salute to the general upon their arrival.

“Thank you, Murayama,” acknowledged Nakatani with a sharp nod of his head. “First of all, Ms, I’d like to thank you for your cooperation with these tests so far. Though we have called them tests, I’m sure you’ve come to realise by now that they’re more displays of your abilities rather than experimenting further with your bodies. Experimenting with lives, human or otherwise, is a line the Japanese military would never cross.”

Is it really, though?, inwardly wondered Murayama, his gaze tightening for a fraction of a second as he listened to the general’s speech.

“All of you have shown outstanding results in all fields,” continued Nakatani. “Calling you anything other than ‘super soldiers’ would be underestimating your mental and physical capabilities. You have always said you were different from us, humans, and you’ve made your point across with these tests. If what you wish for is to be seen as something other than a human being, we’ll acknowledge such. However, the freedom of one ends when the freedom of another begins. Even if you're not human, you’ll still need to respect the rules we follow. They may not be applied to any of you, directly, but they must be followed when it concerns us humans and our society. The only way for you to earn our respect and cooperation is by respecting us and cooperating with us in return. That’s the human’s way of living.”

“What a riot,” snorted Mitaru, rolling his eyes around at the general’s words.

“I know. What I just said probably sounds like hypocrisy to you, having been created to fight in a war between humans,” acknowledged Nakatani, not bothered by that remark in the least. “How exactly are we supposed to respect and cooperate with humans when they can’t even respect and cooperate with one another… right? But you see, Ms. The more similar we are, the harsher is the backlash when a small difference in views appears. Unfortunately, several different views appeared all at the same time and the results are what they are. Another world war. If humans would learn to mind their own business at all times and only worried about what is rightfully theirs, war wouldn’t be a concern. But we can’t help but interfere in others’ matters, be it because we want to aid a convenient ally or become one with them, be it because we think ourselves to be so good and saintly that we need to protect those we consider to be victims, even if wrongly so. After a world war begins, it’s quite complicated to remain a neutral country.”

“I’ll be honest with you, Shuukyuu. Those are only excuses,” scoffed Iru, a glint of disgust on his eyes as he stared directly at the general. “The moment humans gained their own individual consciousness, one that overruled natural instincts, war and conflict became an inevitability. Humans are all the same species but your individuality makes you all different from one another. A rabbit would not suddenly think that it’s a good idea to eat meat only, nor would a monkey ravish an entire forest to build wooden houses for their community. Both operate in the same way, at all times, no matter how many of them there are. But when you try to force the same ideals to everyone within your community, rifts appear because one, two, maybe half of them don’t acknowledge nor agree with them and try to fight to impose what they find to be correct. It’s no use trying to blame it on your inability to mind your own business. This is simply the way you were designed to be.”

“Maybe so,” said Nakatani, an uncomfortable smile on his lips. “The opinion of those observing from the outside is more often than not the correct one. Nevertheless, as the highest standing individual of this military base, I’d like you to act according to my views and believes in humankind. Hence the respect and cooperation speech.”

“If by ‘respect and cooperation’ you mean to imply we should keep ourselves out of your business, then that’s what we shall do, seeing as never once was within our plans to mingle with your kind more than it’s strictly necessary,” acknowledged Iru, a knowing smirk slowly starting to tug at the corner of his lips. “Good neighbours don’t interfere with one another’s lives, do they?”

“It’s reassuring to know we at least have this much common ground between us,” said Nakatani, satisfactorily nodding his head at the positive response he had obtained from the super soldiers' commander.

“Is it really, though?” inquired Iru, the glint of mischief in his grey eyes startling Nakatani into a stiffer semblance. “We’re Mass Murder Machines, the ultimate human weapon created by The Union. Perhaps they made the mistake of creating us a little bit too similar to human beings and gave us far too much individuality and freedom of action. Because of that tiny mistake of theirs, we became runaway rebels. We’re super soldiers, sure. The Union was our developer and creator, yes. But our ideals are not in agreement with The Union’s. The moment you issued the secret mission of dismantling the lab and apprehend all workers and ‘lab rats’, you became an accomplice to our rebellion. Shuukyuu, what is it that the military does to rebels, to deserters?”

“...”

“Hehehe… It seems our common ground can become a liability to your base in the future,” laughed Iru, wrapping his arms around M0’s waist and hugging him from behind, his chin lightly leaned over his shoulder. “The Union obviously knows of the destruction of that lab, the killing of their workers and scientists and our rebellion against them. The top brass most certainly knows where we are. They will eventually strike back, whether to eliminate us, whether to capture us.”

“Are you trying to make me have second thoughts about allowing your stay in my base, Iru?” asked Nakatani, a deep frown creasing his brows. “I’m not very lenient when threats are thrown straight to my face, I’ll let you know.”

“No, that’s not my intention,” denied Iru, snuggling M0’s body more closely against his chest. “Just like you exposed your friendly intentions towards us, I’m sharing with you our not-so-friendly relationship with our creators. The Union is a liability to you just as much as it is to us. Under no circumstances will I allow this threat to keep on hovering over his head, much less to the point where it becomes a recurrent problem. I believe that we’ve amused you plenty throughout these last few weeks. We also cooperated with your tests, which will be over tomorrow after the so awaited field trip to the city. As such, I’d like to inform you that we’ll be away from this base for no longer than a week. One lab might have been taken down, but there’s still plenty around that need to be closed permanently.”

“...What?” interjected Nakatani, completely flabbergasted at hearing that sudden announcement.

“It’s just like you said, Shuukyuu,” said Iru, giving a small shrug with his shoulders. “Humans should deal with human matters and solve their problems themselves. You started this war, you should end it yourselves. The Union is a different story. It’s our problem. And we will solve it ourselves.”

“Fifth and final mission has now begun,” softly said M0 within his expressionless demeanour.

“You’re going to destroy The Union?” asked Nakatani, those being the only words his brain could formulate while he absorbed all of that information and trying to piece it together.

“Destroying it is the only way to reassure that something like this does not repeat itself,” pointed out Iru. “We said as much when we demolished the lab’s structure, did we not?”

Both general and soldiers were left at a lack of what to say after finally hearing the true intentions behind the Ms’ escape from the lab and their stay in Tokyo’s main military base. Complex and conflicting feelings were spinning inside of their minds and chests.

Relief at not having to directly face those deadly super soldiers.

Concern over being suddenly attacked by The Union and the super soldiers under its command.

Indecisiveness towards their choice of picking the Mass Murder Machine’s side when they already had a world war to fight.

“For as long as we follow the right direction and work towards the end goal, you won’t need to worry about your safety,” reassured M0, his head slightly tilted as he observed the adamant expression in the humans’ faces. His grey eyes briefly flickered crimson red. “For as long as you have nothing to do with super soldiers, you will not be involved in our conflict with The Union.”

“Very well,” acknowledged Nakatani, crossing his hands behind his back as he turned around on his heels to leave the training grounds. “You still have your field trip to Tokyo tomorrow so we’ll discuss further details about this after your return.”

“There’s one last thing I’d like to say,” interrupted Iru, preventing the general from leaving as he was about to take his first step forward. Without any reason or explanation, a moody frown creased his features as he took one of his arms from M0’s waist and motioned his hand forward, sticking his index finger towards all of the onlookers. “All of you are only allowed to call him Rei once a day. Any more than that and I’ll chop a slice off of your tongue. Abuse this privilege too much and you’ll eventually lack it altogether.”

“Iru-kun…!” called Rei, a happy smile shadowing his lips as he craned his head back and took a peek at the super soldier hugging him from behind.

“You did it, Rei-chaaaaa- Huff!!”

“You included, Atsumu,” grumbled Iru, lunging his hand sideways and grabbing Atsumu by his face right as he was about to join their hugging stances with a hug of his own.

“Awww…”