October 7th, 2026. 10:30. Unknown place. 

As the various subjects continue the experiments of their Zlocan overlords, the overseers on the other side check on their own tablets and files of the latest results from these experiments. Some of them possess those sly smiles on their faces, reading through each number and method used by those who gained the will to kill. Others, however, only give tiny little smirks when it comes to those that show those who have less than expected results, sometimes even failing in their sole test, which while merciful for some, may not be the same for those related to the subjects. 

But none matter as much for those who feel the highest potential in seeing some of them survive their experiments, if only to then pray for an answer in doing something to save them from a hell like this one. But a Zlocan eye is watchful most of the time, because if there is even a small infraction or sign of "weakness" to any of them, then they would meet a very dire fate at their own hands. Even if they survive, a trace of them may be gone forever, even if they escape from the Zlocu's grasp. 

The monitors display either individuals kneeling, puddles of blurry blood, or something in-between, with five Zlocan operators analyzing every detail of it. Aside from those with their smiles, are those with nothing in their expressions, just pure calculations to measure, reports to fill the rest and then nothing else. 

Save one. 

A door slides open, and Julian heads inside with a table in his right hand and walks around most of the room, moving aside to let the other Zlocans either exit the room for another assignment or let them mind their own business on whatever they're reading at the moment. 

Yet Julian's mind is on something else more than the results of many, as his wrinkled brows are drawn together with circles forming around his eyes as he stares at the one report he reads in detail, eventually stopping around a corner as read every single detail in it. His eyes read left and right with every single detail it can get ingrained inside of him, from the killing blow used on the competing subject, the status of the body during the test and whatnot, all while Julian tries to breathe slowly, the report being likely something too much for him to handle. 

Rita... Please don't... I don't want to lose you too... His lips quiver as he sets aside the file with the result, setting aside as he closes his eyes and glances away from seeing any of the screens showing the tests. Seeing someone like his dad, Jason, turning into a mechanical monstrosity is already complicated enough for Julian to bear, but to hear what Rita did, even in the circumstances like this, would be almost like a breaking point for someone like Julian. Even when trying to stabilize his breathing rhythm, dread fills his head about what could happen to Rita next. What could happen next to them if they do survive at all? 

But before Juilan can try anything, chuckles are heard nearby, yet he doesn't glance to see where they are from.  It comes from none other than Dakrin being accompanied by two Zlocan Knights operating nearby as they approach where Julian is, holding their tablets near their hips while also keeping their distance from Julian while Dakrin keeps his grin in check with the escorts. 

"Hey, Garreth Junior? You miss your little girlfriend?" Darkin asks followed by a brief laugh coming from him, which makes Julian gasp in response, a noticeable increase in the pitch of his voice as well as he tries to maintain eye contact with them, unsure of what they intend to do. 

"Huh?! Little... What are you talking about?" Julian asks, eyes widened and keeping his distance from Dakrin and his escorts as well. What do they want from him at this time? 

"Come with us, we got a little surprise for ya," Dakrin replies with a sly grin on his face while pointing at the door with his right thumb. Despite the pause between him and Julian for a few seconds, with a few glances back and forth between the Zlocans observing and Dakrin, it seems that there's not much else to do if he refuses. 

"Fine..." Julian replies as he steps forward and follows Dakrin's lead out of the room, with the escorts watching closely behind Julian in case he tries something funny as he heads to the other side. Not that it matters that much to him at the moment, but the possibility is still there as he and the rest march into an empty hallway that's full of armed patrols as well as cameras in every part of the ceiling, all while screens in some walls left and right show the progress on the battlefields on Earth. Some show static with a headline that says "Ongoing maintenance. Standby for further orders." while others show a variety of events going on around the world such as marching troops escorting prisoners, hover tanks checking on the streets for any suspicious activity, patrolling space ships in the sky, and so forth. Julian doesn't bother to glance at either of those things as he looks down, avoiding his gaze in front of others to see what he feels. 

Turning left, they see the pathway to the elevators on both sides, including the buttons to head upwards or downwards.  Dakrin presses one that leads them down, which makes the door open immediately. Without any other word, they step inside, in which Dakrin presses another button, this time to one marked with "S" on the bottom of the panel. 

As it further descends on the floor, silence fills up the room, with the Knights still keeping their rifles in check, observing if there is some potential heating near the barrel, if the energy fuse is full enough, all these sorts of things they can take care of while waiting. Julian, on the other hand, only continues to gaze down, unable to utter a single word, not even getting the strength of clenching his fists, they are as loose and open as they can be, and his breathing is even faint at that point, the sound of machinery around the elevator being the noisiest there can be around the group at this point. Whatever Dakrin intends to show to Julian, as indicated by the fact that he still keeps that wide grin may mean something for Julian too, for good or ill. 

A few seconds pass by, and the elevator stops right there. The door slides open, revealing a big, square room that's split between the one they're in that lets them observe the one on the other side, which is even more spacious and wide, even brighter than the dimly lit room the other side has where they step in. Inside the other half of the room, there are a few chairs and tables lined up in a hexagonal manner, with screens dangling on the ceiling of the room while coated in a chromic color, and just one single door on the backside. 

"You probably heard of the results by now, right, Garreth Junior?" Dakrin says as he joins the rest of the group overseeing the room, with Julian following closely behind. 

"I did, yes..." Julian replies with a whisper. 

"But this requires more than the brawn of one's muscles, one also has to speak their soul when it comes to one's truth. Or so they say," a familiar voice replies, which makes Julian jolt to his right to see the one who said that. It's from none other than Boris, still with his restrained smile as he taps on Julian's shoulder, which makes him tremble for a bit. 

"Hold up, old geezer, I think witnessing it is far better than uttering words that mean jack," Dakrin replies, yet it doesn't faze Boris at all as he still observes the lone figure located in the table at the center of the room. 

Leaning closer to it, Julian's eyes widen in response as he finds out the one who's strapped in the chair with metal straps holding their ankles, wrists and arms on every side, the head facing down with what appears to be a thick cable-like wire attached to their navel. There's no doubt about it. 

"Rita...?" Julian whispers once more, which prompts Dakrin to laugh in response as he slightly elbows him in his right arm. 

"That's right! Your sweet little girlfriend proved to be more than a match in sustaining the new substance they developed for the tests, exceeding far beyond our expectations like an ace in the hole. But of course, she may walk the walk, but for the Zlocu, talking the talk is just as important." Julian is silent for a bit, his lips quivering and his body slightly trembling in response to what's shown to him. The rest, however, only focus on what's important as they observe Rita from afar. 

"But... Who's gonna test her?" 

"She will," Boris says, and before they know it, the door on the other side of the room opens, revealing another feminine figure, this time one who wields armor with a certain amount of spikes and white gloves in the hands. As well as the familiar hair bangs that cover the face from the eyes, light green eyes to be exact as she takes a seat where Rita as she holds her chin to raise her head up to face her. 

The one and only Yamja Tomentradi. 

"Hello there, young trainee," Yamja says with a soft tone, still holding her chin as if to make her regain consciousness in front of her. What's more, her words can be heard on the loudspeakers at the other end of the room, which startles Julian for a bit. Still, with no response, she tightens her grip on Rita's chin, which then makes her spring her eyes open as she winces in response to the pressure applied by Yamja. She chuckles a bit in response as she releases her grip on her, who by that point, only answers with a scowl towards Yamja. 

"Where am I? Is this another one of your sick games?" Rita asks as she tries to break free from her restraints to no avail. 

"Mind your language, child. This is merely the next step to understanding what we, the Zlocu, are made of for all of you. You may see us as unnecessarily destructive, but you will see that we actually want to make you grow." 

"Grow into heartless killers like how you forced me, you say? Yeah, right." Rita scoffs as well, still using most of the strength she has while still feeling conscious at the moment. 

"We kill for a purpose, all of us do, yet most don't see in front of them what's the true rule of existence. And for that, as an alternative to Project Joshua, we devised this little test to sort you out and become proper beings, ones with their true purpose in the open." 

"Like I'll fall for it, you bitch..." Yamja sighs for a bit as she places her hands on Rita's wrists, tapping them for a bit as she leans closer to her, almost dangerously close to tapping into her forehead. 

"This will be to prove if you have the right mind and conviction to know what's at hand, namely what's true and not, and if you answer wrongly on each question, then..." Just as she explains, the screens around the room turn up, revealing to be inside someone's body, specifically the image of a beating heart with a mechanical device strapped to it. The beating matches Rita's steady breathing, which gets faster the more she looks at it, especially when she gazes down to see the cable attached to her navel. "Our little Catcher would teach you some manners." 

Watching from afar, Julian, Dakrin and Boris observe this little warning with a variety of responses. Dakrin taps into Julian's shoulder once more while Boris can only give a small smirk over what's to come. The same can't be said for Julian, however, with his still wide eyes and irregular breathing over the implications of Yamja's statement. 

"Now, let us begin with one simple question, which I'm sure you will answer in no time," Yamja says as she takes her seat once more, her eyes piercing at Rita's own being as she tries to keep her scowl in front of her, even controlling her breathing rhythm in light of what she has inside of her. 

"First question; Your name is Rita Su. True or false?" 

"Obviously true... You happy?" Rita says without missing a beat, which elicits a chuckle from Yamja as well as some of the personnel on the other side of the room. For such a tense atmosphere, this sort of question seems innocent enough so far. But when it comes to Yamja, nothing is certain about what to expect from someone like her. 

"Up for a good start I see. Yes, it's quite true, everyone must be capable of knowing their own names. It's a common concept after all." Rita only replies with a scoff as she gazes away from Yamja, not in the mood to hear such comments coming from her in something like this. 

"Now, this is where it gets really good. Second question; You have a relative working for the guerillas who goes by the name of Hyon Su. True or false?" This makes Rita widen her eyes in response while gasping as well, which makes her heart beat faster on the screen shown in front of her. How could they know her connection to a man like him? 

Julian leans a bit closer to the window while holding his hands in front of it, all while Dakrin laughs in response to Julian and Rita's reactions over this sort of question. 

"You can thank me later if she succeeds, man," Dakrin says while gazing at Julian, still in shock while observing Rita who is standing paralyzed at the question in front of her. 

"Well? What's it gonna be?" Yamja asks once more, her tone being the same as usual including her smile while Rita continues to breathe heavily, something that continues until she scowls at her while furrowing her brow in response. 

"It's false, there are many men out there with the surname of-" But just as she completes the answer, Yamja lifts her index finger in response and in the screen, the Catcher tightens its grips on Rita's heart, which makes yelp and wince in response while trying to wiggle herself out of her seat to no avail as she groans to contain the pressure from the device. 

"It's true, Rita. You know he's doing everything he can to find you, whatever it takes, but don't worry, we'll find a way to deliver you back to him either way," Yamja says with a smirk forming on her face, and by that moment the Catcher loosens its grip on the hearts, which makes Rita hyperventilate for a few seconds, trying to regain a bit of her composure for the event. 

"Please answer well in this one. Third question; Rescuing someone even when not carrying a weapon to defend yourself is an admirable trait. True or false?" Rita can only look down in response to this sort of question, something that Julian even shares as he looks at both sides if there is a way to get her out of this, but it's no use when the Knights and especially Boris are present. 

"You want the answer...? You won't trick me, it's true because-" Yamja lifts her finger once more and the Catcher tightens its grip on Rita's heart even harder, which makes her cry out loud and whimper as well as she tightens her grip on the restraints applied to her. This also makes Yamja drop her smirk for a bit as she looms over her. 

"False! Because to go into battle without a weapon is to foolishly charge to your death. And Death is the final failure of the weak." Yamja says as she raises her voice, with noticeable venom coming out of her tone as Rita continues to flinch from the pressure applied by the Catcher. The Catcher loosens up again, but the force is enough to make her eyes teary and puffy as well as clenching her teeth and breathing as much as she can, even though knows that it can get worse the more it gets prolonged. 

"Quite unfortunate, actually. To see someone like her still clinging to lies," Boris says as he places his hand on Julian's shoulder, who by that point, he's nearly about to kneel with his wobbly knees yet the presence of the rest holds him back. No sign of weakness must be known in front of him, at least in a public like this one. 

"Do not disappoint on this one, Rita Su. Fourth question; Empathy and compassion are nothing but shackles holding us back. True or false?" Rita can only tremble and hyperventilate as she gives a long stare at Yamja, already unsure if she's gonna make it on the next attempt by the Catcher to torture her heart more than ever, both for Rita and Julian, for as that one meeting back on Illusion Island may be the biggest regret they would get in their lives forever. 

As she regains a stable breathing rhythm and holds her tears back while still trembling and quivering in response, she delivers another one. 

"It's... It's false because fuck you." Without warning, the Catcher tightens even harder, which makes Rita shriek even harder than ever, tears falling out while she grips her chair harder as well. This prompts laughter from Dakrin and the rest of the Knights over this sight, with the exception of Boris and Julian, all closely observing things from afar although for different reasons. Boris remains as stone-faced as ever, but through Julian, he breathes even heavier, even fighting to hold back his tears. 

The third attack from the Catcher ceases, leaving Rita to pant in response as a way to calm her rapid breathing while still trying to contain the tears she has left at the moment. But before she can do, she receives a big slap from Yamja, who is now clenching her teeth. 

"Ah, but it is the unquestionable truth, Rita Su! The absolute truth you ungrateful humans refuse to accept as you also dwell yourselves with things like money or the existence of false gods!" Yamja shouts as she holds Rita's chin once more and tightens it, which makes her wince in response before releasing it once more, this time as Rita' rapid breathing is heard across the room, something that even Julian can barely hold himself back in what's to come. 

"This is your final warning. If you answer wrongly one more time, then you'll wish you were never born. Final question;  A world where only strength and evolution matter is the perfect one for all living beings. True or false?" Silence follows aside from Rita's sobs and hyperventilation, probably this time, it's when it's better to be safe than sorry, even if it may cost her own soul. For as she delivers a simple answer. 

"It's true... It's true... It's true..." From this alone, slight smirks form around Yamja and Boris, while Dakrin claps in response over finally answering "correctly" for once, something shared with the other Knights as well. Julian, however, can only remain in mere silence over this. He can't believe it, the impossible must have happened. 

"Oh, you are correct on this one. It is ever the fate of the strong to determine the fate of the weak, and the Zlocu determines the fate of all life. For that is why we are the perfect ones to create that new world, right?" 

"Yes..." Right after that, the screen turns off, and the door on the other side opens, revealing two Zlocan guards heading to the table in the center the restraints around Rita are loosened up, but she doesn't even flinch at this, as she merely drops her head down, no reaction whatsoever as the two drag her away from the room through her arms, already finishing what looks like to be the other test for her. Even if she may survive, her soul may not. 

Something Julian knows closely, as he's dragged away by Boris, he closes his eyes as tears finally fall down, sobbing quietly too. 

Rita... I'm sorry I failed you...