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After an uneasy night of sleep, Belle has woken up with a pounding headache, her eyes puffy and red due to crying through the night, having been really upset at the fact Masa had an ulterior motive for the friendly outing and Sofia and Lamar agreed to it.
Belle: Ugh... My head absolutely hurts...
Belle then places a hand to her head as her vision adjusts to the world around her, realizing she's in her room at MD-5's hideout, with rapid flashbacks of the previous day flooding into her head all at once, causing her headache to worsen as she clutches her head in a futile attempt to calm the pain, with one memory in particular of Masa essentially confirming he still didn't trust her, even after all of the events that happened over the course of the past year.
Belle: Damn you, Masa... Why do you still not trust me...?
Belle then thinks back to the day that she was initiated into MD-5, with Masa even congratulating her himself when it was all over.
Masa: Welcome to MD-5, Belle! It's nice to finally have you on board after so long.
Belle: Was it really necessary to do this?
Tari: They had me and Theo do it when we joined.
Sofia: It's just something we do for others to prove they are worthy.
Belle: Even though you've known me for how long now?
Lamar: A few years at the very least.
Belle: So why do it at all?
Sofia: It's just something we do for the heck of it.
Masa: Regardless, it's over now, and you're now an official member of MD-5, which is all that matters in the end.
Belle: So what now?
Sofia: Our lives go on.
Lamar: And we hope that nobody else goes mad with power and tries to ruin the lives of others.
Masa: Once we recover enough, we'll try to return to our normal lives, or as much as we possibly can after everything that went down.
Belle: Speaking of which...
Everyone then looks over to Belle, curious as to what she wants to say.
Belle: Sofia... I'm sorry... For last night...
Sofia then smiles at Belle before walking up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.
Sofia: All is forgiven, Belle. You apologized to Tari for what you said, and for me, that was enough already.
Belle: T-thank you...
Sofia: You're welcome.
As the memory comes to an end, Belle opens her eyes, her head still pounding slightly from the headache she still has.
Belle: Why... Why did you and Lamar go along with it, Sofia...? I thought... You two trusted me...
As Belle continues to be tormented by the betrayal of her friends from the previous night, Tari soon after begins to wake up, hearing Belle lightly sobbing, her cheeks dry from the previous night.
Tari: Belle?
Belle then suddenly looks behind her upon hearing Tari's voice, completely having forgotten that she was right next to her.
Belle: Tari?
Tari: Yes, it's me.
Belle: Hey...
Belle then turns her head away from Tari, causing the blue-haired cyborg to worry, instinctively wrapping her arms around Belle's torso and pulling her close.
Tari: I'm right here, Belle. I'm not going to let you suffer alone.
Belle then presses herself up against Tari, simply wanting nothing more than to feel the warmth and comfort her lover can provide. Eventually, Belle breaks the silence.
Belle: I don't understand why Masa still doesn't trust me...
Tari: I... Don't know myself...
Belle: Did I really cause so much damage he can't entirely trust me anymore...? Why did he think that I was only dating you to replace Lucinia...?
Tari: I'm afraid I don't know...
Belle: I wouldn't expect you to know... Even still... Why didn't he just ask us...?
Tari: Masa has had trust issues for some time from what Sofia and Lamar have told me... He learns more from observation than just hearing what one has to say alone... Doesn't mean it wasn't wrong for him to do that...
Belle: What if he was right...?
Tari: Huh?
Belle: What if I did actually start dating you to replace Lucinia...? What if I have subconsciously been doing that this whole time...?
Silence then fills the room with Tari not answering Belle for some time. Eventually, the blue-haired cyborg breaks the silence.
Tari: Belle, could you turn around for me?
Belle: Huh?
Tari: I want to ask you something, but I need you to face me before I can ask it.
Belle then quickly turns around to face Tari, the latter's expression clearly one of serious nature.
Tari: Is there anything that Lucinia and I have in common?
Belle: You have the same eye color as her...
Tari: I see...
Tari then closes her eyes briefly before opening them again, her expression unchanging.
Tari: Tell me, Belle... When you look into my eyes, who do you see? Me, or Lucinia?
Belle then looks into Tari's eyes, unblinking as she feels the sensation of looking into Tari's soul, searching deeply in an attempt to see if anything from Lucinia will show up. Eventually, Belle blinks, bringing her back to her senses.
Belle: I... see you. I don't see Lucinia at all... Even with you and her having the same eye color, I don't see her...
Tari's expression then changes into a soft and warm smile.
Tari: Then I know you didn't date me to replace Lucinia, and you still aren't.
Tari then pulls Belle into a kiss, catching her off guard, with the latter returning the kiss soon after, wanting to feel every ounce of love and comfort Tari is giving her, the two only pulling away when they need to breathe.
Belle: Babe... What did I ever do to deserve your love?
Tari: You were there for me when I needed you most, even in spite of all that happened before that.
Belle: I still wish that I didn't say the things I did...
Tari: Hey, that's all in the past now. We forgave each other and moved on from that moment.
Tari then takes hold of Belle's hands.
Tari: And as long as you continue to love me, I will never stop loving you~
Belle: Thank you~
Tari: You're welcome~
As the two pull each other into a kiss, Tari thinks back to the days following Belle's initiation into MD-5, looking back on the day that they talked about restarting their careers, with Tari having been in her room, simply relaxing with nothing really going on, until Tari hears a knock on her door.
Tari: Come on in!
Soon after, the door opens with Belle walking in moments later.
Belle: Hey, Tari.
Tari: Hey, Belle. What's up?
Belle: I'm not interrupting you, am I?
Tari: Not at all!
Belle: Good, because there's something I want to talk to you about.
Tari: Oh?
Belle: It's something important. Mind if I sit next to you to talk about it?
Tari: No. Go ahead.
Belle then walks over to Tari's bed and sits down next to her, looking at her directly.
Belle: Tari, do you remember when I talked to you about the dream I had where Lucinia told me that I had to forgive you?
Tari: I do. What about it?
Belle: At the end, when she finally moved on, I promised her that I wouldn't let her legacy die. I've been thinking about a way to possibly do that, and I believe I found a way to do that.
Tari: Oh? What did you have in mind?
Belle: Becoming a Meta Runner again, with you being my partner.
Tari: Wait, what? Me?
Belle: Yes. You.
Tari: But, why?
Belle: Because I feel Lucinia wouldn't want us to stop being Meta Runners.
Tari then looks away from Belle, tilting her head down.
Belle: Tari? What's wrong?
Tari: While I do feel that your idea is good... I'm hesitant to be a Meta Runner anymore...
Belle: Why's that?
Tari: Because I'm worried...
Belle: Worried about what?
Tari: I'm worried about game warping...
Tari then looks up to Belle, her expression somber.
Tari: I'm terrified of game warping again... The first time it happened, I brought Theo into the world, and every time he was outside of a contained server or game, he was glitching out, and it only got worse as time went on... I don't want the same thing to happen to another character due to warping out of a game... But as bad as that would be, it's not the only reason I'm worried...
Belle: What would that be?
Tari: I'm afraid of being trapped in a game after warping... After the incident involving Sheridan warping every Meta Runner into his server, I've been terrified of being stuck in a game after warping...
Tari then feels tears forming in her eyes.
Tari: I don't want to wind up trapped in a game due to warping... That would be worse than bringing another character into the real world...
Tari then feels the tears begin falling from her eyes, with Belle looking on as she feels sorrow for her friend.
Tari: I'm sorry... I know I shouldn't be worried, and yet-
Before Tari can finish speaking, she feels a pair of arms wrapping around her.
Tari: Belle?
Belle: Tari... You shouldn't feel bad about this... Honestly, I had never even considered that a possibility... And now that you've told me, your fears are one hundred percent justified.
Tari: You aren't mad at me...?
Belle: Why would I be? You have a power that I don't, and you understand it far more than I do. After what happened with Sheridan, I honestly can't blame you for being scared of warping again. Honestly, you being trapped with no way out would honestly be terrible, and after losing Lucinia and Theo both, I don't want to lose anymore friends and loved ones.
Belle then begins to rub Tari's back in an attempt to calm her down, allowing the blue-haired girl to cry on her shoulder.
Belle: I don't blame you at all. You have justified fears, and I don't want to force you into doing anything you aren't comfortable with.
Tari: Is there a way I could possibly still do it? I can't keep living in fear, but I don't want to risk anything by warping either... What if... Belle?
Belle then pulls away from the hug to look at Tari directly.
Belle: Yes, Tari?
Tari: If I were to improve my skills without warping, would you be willing to have me as your Meta Runner partner?
Belle: Would you be comfortable without using your abilities?
Tari: It wouldn't be easy, but I want to at least try. You're right about keeping Lucinia's legacy alive. I want to help you, and I am willing to do it as long as I don't have to use my game warping abilities.
Belle: If that's something you want to try, then I'm willing to help you.
Tari: You mean it?
Belle: I do. Honestly, I feel it would also make up for me refusing to teach you when you asked me almost a year ago when we first met.
Belle then gives a small chuckle, which causes Tari to sheepishly smile.
Tari: Y-yeah. I think it would.
Belle: Then it's settled. After I help you get your skills up, we'll restart our careers. Not as rivals, but as partners. And if anyone tries to give you a hard time, I will let them have a piece of my mind.
Tari: T-thank you, Belle.
Belle: Don't mention it, babe.
The flashback soon ends with Tari coming back to her senses, holding Belle close to her with the latter having her head under Tari's chin, simply content with being held by her lover.
Tari: Comfy?
Belle: Mhm~
Tari then instinctively begins to rub Belle's back, causing the latter to press herself further into Tari's embrace, feeling at ease in her lover's caring arms.
Belle: Tari~
Belle then let's out a happy sigh as Tari continues to rub her back, simply happy to be held by her lover and be able to at least temporarily distract herself from the previous night's events.
Tari: It seems like Masa is the one who upset her the most... Personally, while I am disappointed with all three of them, Sofia and Lamar did push back against her, which shows they at least weren't comfortable with it...
Tari then closes her eyes as a pensive expression forms on her face.
Tari: We can't hold a grudge against them, but I don't know how easy it will be to forgive them... Especially Masa...
Meanwhile, as Tari does her best to comfort Belle, Sofia has been awake all night, having been unable to get a full night of sleep after everything that happened the previous night.
Sofia: What was I thinking...? Why did I agree to help him in the end...?
Sofia then looks over to a photograph that the group all took together a few weeks after Belle was initiated into MD-5.
Sofia: How could I betray them in such a way...? What would Lucinia think of me...?
Sofia then thinks back to a time when Lucinia was still alive, having been a year prior to her disappearing from TASCORP.
Lucinia: Hey, sis.
Sofia: Hey.
Lucinia: Did I come in at a bad time?
Sofia: I haven't been able to get this thing to work... I've tried everything, and yet it always crashes...
Lucinia: What even is it?
Sofia: A data protection device. After getting my last phone hacked into and it's data erased, I've been trying to create a program that stops any form of malware in it's tracks and removes it, but with no success...
Lucinia: That doesn't sound fun.
Sofia: It isn't... I just don't get what I'm doing wrong...
Lucinia: Well, you know far more about this than I do. You're the hacking expert in the family.
Sofia: And yet I can't figure this out...
Lucinia: That doesn't mean you won't be able to figure it out. I know you better than any of our friends, and you've never let a temporary roadblock stop you.
Sofia: You think so?
Lucinia: I know so. Even during the times we've argued, you've always managed to make things right. You're the kind of person that never gives up and you don't let anything stop you from achieving your end goals.
Lucinia then pulls Sofia into a hug, causing the latter to smile and return the hug moments later.
Sofia: You always have managed to cheer me up when I'm down.
Lucinia: I'm your older sister. It's the least I can do for you.
Sofia then smirks and rolls her eyes.
Sofia: Well, thanks for the words of encouragement.
Lucinia: Anytime, sis.
Lucinia then turns to leave, stopping in the door way and turning to look back at Sofia.
Lucinia: By the way, you misspelled the word function in your code. That's probably why it isn't working.
Lucinia then leaves the room, leaving Sofia flabbergasted and sifting through her code until she eventually finds the line, indeed confirming that function was misspelled. After correcting it, Sofia then performs another test, which produces a successful result. Sofia then facepalms, embarrassed that her woes were all down to a simple typo.
Sofia: All this time it was a simple typo... I really need to step my game up...
Sofia then looks over to a photograph on the wall of her and Lucinia, smiling with their arms around each other's shoulders giving the camera a thumbs up.
Sofia: Thanks, Lucinia. I don't know what I would do without you.
As Sofia's flashback ends a few moments later, she then hears a knock on her door, causing her to worry.
Sofia: W-who's there?
Lamar: Relax, Sofia. It's me, Lamar. Can I come in?
Sofia: Come right in...
Lamar then opens the door to Sofia's room, walking in soon after and closing the door behind himself.
Lamar: I take it you couldn't really sleep?
Sofia: I only got a few hours before I woke up... I couldn't fall back asleep after that...
Lamar: Neither could I...
Lamar then goes over to a nearby chair in the room and pulls up near Sofia, taking a seat near her.
Lamar: I came here to talk about what happened... I tried talking to Masa, but he's not responding right now...
Sofia: Lamar... We really screwed up...
Lamar: I know... Agreeing to Masa's ploy was the dumbest decision we've ever made...
Sofia: How could Tari and Belle possibly forgive us...? We betrayed them...
Lamar: That's why I came here... We need to apologize to them...
Sofia: But how? After the way Tari spoke to us, I don't think she'll ever forgive us...
Lamar: Sofia... You and I both know that Tari isn't like that...
Sofia: How could we even forgive her...?
Lamar: By coming completely clean and being honest with her...
Sofia: Do you believe that would even work...?
Lamar: I don't have any other ideas...
Sofia: I guess we could at least try... But when...?
Lamar: Well, we probably won't get Masa up anytime soon, but I think we should try to apologize to them right now...
Sofia: Right now? Is that even a good idea?
Lamar: We might not even get a chance to apologize later...
Sofia: You do have a point... Alright...
Sofia then hesitantly gets up from her bed and stands up with Lamar standing up soon after.
Sofia: Let's go try and apologize...
Lamar and Sofia then leave the latter's room and make their way to Tari and Belle's shared room, pausing in hesitation before silently nodding at each other and knocking on the door, catching Tari and Belle off guard.
Tari: Hello?
Sofia: Tari? It's me and Lamar...
Belle: W-what do you want?
Lamar: We came to apologize to you both...
Sofia: It's just me and Lamar...
Tari: Come on in...
The door to Tari and Belle's room then slowly opens with Sofia and Lamar walking in moments later, both looking very remorseful.
Lamar: Hey...
Tari: I hope you both realize that I'm not very happy with you two...
Sofia: We know...
Lamar: And we're not proud of our actions either...
Tari: But as upset as I am with you two, I'm far more upset with Masa... Where is he...?
Lamar: I tried to talk to him, but he didn't respond to me and his door was locked... I then went to see Sofia and told her we should come to apologize to you both...
Tari: I see...
Sofia: Nothing we say or do can undo the damage we caused...
Lamar: We won't blame you if you can't forgive us...
Sofia: But we both just wanted to let you know that we're sorry for what we did...
Lamar: And that what we did wasn't right...
Sofia and Lamar then hang their heads low in shame, both on the verge of tears as the two feel intense regret and remorse for their actions; the silence deafening until Tari eventually sighs and speaks up.
Tari: I believe in forgiveness, and it isn't healthy to hold a grudge. I can also tell that the two of you genuinely feel guilty and remorseful for your actions, so I will forgive you. However, it's Belle you owe the biggest apology to, since you upset her so much.
Sofia: I'm really sorry, Belle... I went against my better judgement and followed along with Masa's stupid little plan...
Lamar: I did too... I deeply regret my actions, and I wish I hadn't listened to Masa...
Sofia: Nothing we say or do can undo what we did...
Lamar: And if you can't forgive us, we completely understand...
Sofia and Lamar continue to hang their heads low, both full of regret and remorse for their actions. A deafening silence follows until Belle eventually speaks up.
Belle: I have one question for you two...
Lamar: What would that be?
Belle: Do you two not trust me...?
Sofia: I will admit, we were a bit worried that you were dating Tari to replace my sister, but considering nothing bad happened, that feeling went away for me and Lamar really quickly...
Lamar: We didn't feel that any further observation was needed, since we had seen you two together numerous times already, and we were able to determine your feelings for Tari were genuine...
Sofia: We could tell that you two were happy together, and that's why we didn't want to go along with Masa's plan, but he managed to talk us into it regardless...
Belle: I see...
Lamar: I'm sorry, Belle...
Sofia: I'm sorry too...
Belle: For as much as your actions hurt, it isn't you two that I'm the most upset with...
Sofia and Lamar then look up in shock and confusion.
Lamar: We aren't?
Tari: You aren't that upset with Sofia and Lamar?
Belle: No. They both said they didn't agree with what Masa wanted to do, and even though they did, it at least shows they are willing to give me a chance and trust me... It's Masa that I'm upset with...
Belle then sits up and faces Sofia and Lamar.
Belle: I thought that he and I had sorted things out once the motion to expose Lucks was put into action, but based on his actions, it seems like that was a lie...
Tari: Belle...
Belle: Despite how much your actions hurt, I can find it in my heart to forgive you two. As for Masa... That will likely require far more than just a simple apology...
Sofia: That still doesn't mean what we did was right either...
Lamar: We are grateful you can forgive us, but we still regret what we did...
Belle: That's what makes you different from Masa... You guys actually have hearts...
Another round of silence fills the room soon after, with everyone feeling a mix of different emotions all at once. Eventually, Tari breaks the silence by speaking up.
Tari: It will take some time, but I do believe that forgiveness is the right choice. As for Masa... I feel like that will take longer...
Sofia: Is there anything we can do to make it up to you two?
Lamar: If there's anything you want us to do, we'll do it. We really want to make it up to you two.
Belle: For now, I just want to be alone with Tari.
Tari: I want you two to make sure Masa doesn't do anything stupid. I'm worried he'll try to do something he won't be able to take back at all...
Lamar: We'll do it.
Sofia: We'll keep you updated.
Sofia and Lamar then turn to leave, but before they can head out, Tari stops them.
Tari: Hey.
Lamar: Yes, Tari?
Tari: Thank you for apologizing.
Lamar: You're welcome.
Sofia and Lamar then take their leave soon after, giving Belle the privacy with Tari she requested.
Belle: Well, at least that's those two taken care of...
Tari: You were able to forgive them that easily?
Belle: As I said, they weren't the ones that hurt me so badly. It was Masa...
Belle then let's out a sigh.
Belle: I truly did think that everything was in the past with me and him, yet it would seem I was naïve enough to believe that he entirely trusted me...
Tari: Belle...
Belle: I just want him to trust me... I truly do love you, and I didn't start dating you to replace Lucinia... Was I really that much of a problem prior to me reuniting with them that he still doesn't entirely trust me...?
Tari: I... Don't know... I really don't...
Tari then pulls Belle into a tight hug.
Tari: But what I do know is that I'm not going to let you suffer alone anymore... Whenever you're feeling down and you want to be with someone, I'm always willing to let you cry on my shoulder... As your girlfriend, I vow to always love you...
Belle then feels tears forming in her eyes.
Belle: Babe... What did I ever do to deserve you?
Tari says nothing as she pulls Belle into an emotional kiss as tears begin to fall down Belle's cheeks, returning the hug in earnest as she gets lost in the kiss with Tari. As the two share an emotional and tender moment, Masa has been in his own room at MD-5's hideout, feeling shame and disgrace for his actions from the previous night.
Masa: I really managed to make things worse for myself... Why didn't I just ask her directly? Did everything that happened at TASCORP really make me distrust Belle so much...? Dammit...
Masa then looks over to a photograph of everyone in MD-5, his memories returning to the day Lucinia disappeared where Lucks had requested everyone important to come in.
Lucks: Thank you all for showing up on such short notice. Sadly, I'm afraid this isn't for a positive reason...
Masa: What's going on?
Lucks: It's in regards to Doctor Sheridan and Lucinia Porter.
Belle: What about them?
Lucks: I'm afraid both of them have gone missing.
Belle: What!?
Masa: Missing? You can't be serious...
Lucks: I'm afraid I am... We don't know where either of them are... Also, it would seem an accident happened in Sheridan's lab, and a result, his lab is now quarantined for safety reasons. We're still investigating, but unfortunately, no signs of him or Lucinia were found from initial searching.
Belle: No... This can't be...
Masa: You mean you don't know what's going on?
Lucks: I'm afraid I don't. Neither do any of the researchers doing an investigation. They haven't been able to find anything.
Masa: Dammit...
Lucks: Until then, I suggest everyone tries to focus on other things. I only hope that both of them are found safely eventually. With that being said, this meeting is now adjourned. Please return to your areas and wait until further notice. Once this investigation concludes, we will resume everything as normal. I'm sorry that I had to bring this up to you all. I only found out myself a few hours prior...
Everyone then leaves the meeting room, with everyone going their separate ways. A few days pass with Lucks having told everyone that no signs of Lucinia or Sheridan were found, and they are still assumed missing, or dead. Masa, not believing Lucks' words and feeling that he is hiding something has decided to defect away from TASCORP. Before leaving, Masa decides to tell Belle what his plans are.
Masa: Sorry for this being on such short notice, but I don't buy a word of what Lucks is saying. I feel like he's covering up something and isn't telling us.
Belle: How can you be so certain...?
Masa: Think about it, Belle. An accident in Sheridan's lab, the lab being quarantined, Lucinia and Sheridan going missing with no traces in the latter's lab of either of them? None of it adds up together.
Belle: Lucks has always looked out for us, Masa. I have no reason to doubt him.
Masa: Come on, Belle... None of it adds up... I know Lucks isn't telling the truth. He's hiding something from all of us.
Belle: Do you have any proof?
Masa: Well... No, but-
Belle: Then zip it, Masa. If you're going to make blind accusations, then I have no choice, but to report you to Lucks...
Masa: Fine... Be that way... Not that it matters, because I'm defecting anyway.
Belle: You're what?
Masa: I'm defecting from TASCORP. Sofia doesn't believe that Lucks is being honest either, and neither does her friend Lamar.
Belle: How can any of you be sure without any evidence? Don't you realize how crazy you're sounding?
Masa: It doesn't matter. I've made up my mind.
Belle: You're an idiot... I'm sorry Masa, but I have to report you to Lucks for this.
Masa then stands up, turning to take his leave, stopping just in the doorway.
Masa: I'm disappointed in you, Belle. I know you miss Lucinia, but if you aren't going to believe me, then I'm afraid this is where we part ways.
Belle: Just go...
Masa: Don't need to tell me twice...
Masa then leaves the room as Belle begins to call up Lucks to report Masa for defecting. Masa then hangs his head low.
Masa: If only you weren't so stubborn and blinded by anger and sadness... I wish it didn't have to come down to this...
Masa then rushes to leave the TASCORP building before anyone can stop him, running until he eventually ducks down into the noodle shop that Sofia and Lamar are currently at, busy converting it into a makeshift hideout and command center.
Masa: I barely made it out of there... I think I lost them...
Sofia: Where's Belle?
Masa: She's made up her mind... She's not defecting... Lucks has essentially turned her into his right hand woman...
Lamar: Damn...
Masa: I'm afraid it's just us three in MD-5...
Sofia: Well... It can't be helped... I know Belle's a stubborn woman, and I feared she might be hesitant to defect... But we can't let that stop us from achieving our goal of finding out what happened to my sister.
Lamar: Sofia's right. We need to focus on that now. Even without Belle's help, I feel like we can accomplish our goal and uncover the truth.
Masa: You're right. Time to focus on exposing TASCORP and Lucks.
Soon after, Masa's flashback ends. Masa then looks away from the photograph as a pain filled expression forms on his face.
Masa: I really am unfit to be MD-5's leader... Even though Belle proved herself after all of that, I still doubted her based on the past... Tari and Belle can't possibly forgive me for a screw up as big as this...
Before Masa can continue to deprecate himself, an audible knock rings out from his room's door.
Lamar: Masa? You in there?
Sofia: We need to talk.
Masa then let's out a sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers.
Masa: Hold on...
Masa then gets up and walks over to the door, unlocking it before opening it to reveal Sofia and Lamar both waiting.
Masa: Hey...
Lamar: May we come in?
Masa: Yeah, come on in...
Masa then moves aside to allow Sofia and Lamar to head into his room, closing the door behind them and turning to look at them both.
Lamar: You can probably guess why we're here.
Masa: Considering what happened, there's only really one thing it could possibly be.
Sofia: At least you're taking it seriously.
Lamar: We just got done speaking to Tari and Belle, and Belle said that you really upset her.
Sofia: Do you really still not trust her?
Masa: I've been asking that question since last night... I barely got any sleep...
Lamar: So you feel guilty about it?
Masa: I do... I'm not proud of what I did...
Sofia: Well, at least you regret it, so that's one step of the process out of the way.
Lamar: Tari and Belle are more upset with you than they were with us, and honestly, I can't blame them.
Sofia: Even still, why would you not trust her? She's more than proven herself.
Masa: I was genuinely worried she was dating Tari due to losing Lucinia, but observing them clearly proved she wasn't...
Sofia: While I do understand you were worried about that, why couldn't you have just asked them directly?
Masa: I honestly don't know, aside from the fact I was suspicious of why she was dating Tari, and I guess I just wanted to observe for myself to make sure... After what went down with TASCORP, I guess I've grown more used to spying on others than asking directly... That, and I feel like I wouldn't have been satisfied by just asking them directly...
Lamar: Well, now that you put it that way, it does make some sense, but it still couldn't have hurt to ask first and if you weren't satisfied, then maybe you could have observed them on your own instead of dragging us down with you?
Sofia: That likely would have avoided this whole mess...
Masa: Well, it's too late for that now... How am I going to apologize to them...?
Lamar: By being honest and sincere for starters.
Sofia: Especially Belle, since you really upset her.
Masa: You're right... The sooner I can do it, the better...
Lamar: Belle wanted to be alone with Tari for the time being, so she likely doesn't want to see you right now.
Sofia: We did promise to keep them posted, so I'll send Tari a message to let them know you feel bad for what you did.
Masa: Thank you... I guess all I can do now is hope that they'll be willing to let me apologize sooner rather than later...
Sofia then takes her phone out and shoots Tari a message.
Sofia: Hey, Tari? It's Sofia. Lamar and I have gotten to talk to Masa, and he's ready to apologize to you both whenever you are ready to confront him.
Tari: Thanks, Sofia. I'll let you know when Belle and I are ready to see him. For now though, Belle just wants to be with me.
Sofia: Understood. Just keep me posted, okay?
Tari: I will.
Sofia then puts her phone away, turning her attention back to Masa.
Sofia: Well, I let them know, so all we can really do now is wait and hope it'll happen sooner rather than later.
Lamar: Until then, we should probably try to get our days started.
Masa: I'll likely be out soon. I just... Need to get myself together first.
Lamar: Take your time, man.
Sofia: We'll let you know when Tari and Belle are ready to see you.
Sofia and Lamar then head out of Masa's room, both wanting to simply start their day after apologizing to Tari and Belle. As the members of MD-5 attempt to get their days started, Evelyn Claythorne has been sulking in her prison cell, still very upset at the news that her sworn enemy and former teammate are now dating and happy.
Evelyn: As if life couldn't get any worse... First that blue-haired freak shows up and steals my spotlight, then she and her pathetic friends all foil my plan to kill her, landing me in jail, and now this... Life is cruel indeed...
Evelyn then looks over to the window to her cell, looking out into the outside world for a few seconds before looking away.
Evelyn: Damn you, Tari... Damn you, Belle... You ruined everything...
Evelyn then thinks back to the day that Tari arrived at TASCORP, her mind seething with rage.
Lucks: Hello everyone!
Everyone present, including Evelyn, turns their heads to look at Lucks, a proud smile plastered on his face.
Lucks: It is with great honor that I introduce you to our latest recruit to the TASCORP family. Say hello to Tari!
Moments later, Tari walks into the room in her TASCORP issued uniform, hanging her head low.
Lucks: Now now, Tari. No need to be shy. Say hello to everyone!
Tari: H-hi...
Lucks: That's more like it. Tari is a very special and gifted Meta Runner. Easily one that holds a lot of promise here at TASCORP.
Evelyn: What's so special about her?
Lucks: Tari here has the ability to warp into any video game she plays.
Evelyn: What!?
Lucks: It's true. I've seen it with my own two eyes. She's easily going to be our star Meta Runner going forward. As a result, there's one thing I want to make absolutely clear. Anyone caught treating her terribly will be immediately removed from TASCORP and all associated programs. Understood?
Everyone in the room agrees and nods at Lucks.
Lucks: Perfect. Now then... Belle?
Belle then walks into the room soon after, standing on the other side of Lucks.
Belle: Yes, Lucks?
Lucks: I want you to be the one to get Tari accustomed to living here at TASCORP. Can you do that for me?
Belle: Yes.
Lucks: Perfect. Tari, follow Belle. She and two of my personal guards will show you to your room.
Belle then motions for Tari to follow her, with the blue-haired girl following soon after with two guards in tow, making sure Tari doesn't try to escape while Belle leads her to her room.
Lucks: Now, with all of that being said, that should be all of the personal business to attend to.
Before Lucks can leave, Evelyn speaks up.
Evelyn: But Lucks! What about my exhibition match!?
Lucks: Oh, right. I'm afraid that will have to be put on hold for the time being.
Evelyn: What!? But-
Lucks: No buts, Evelyn. If you wish to stay on board, you will listen to what I tell you.
Evelyn: Y-yes, sir...
Lucks: You will get your exhibition match soon enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to.
Lucks soon after leaves, leaving a soul-crushed Evelyn behind. Soon after, the memory ends, bring Evelyn back to her senses in the prison cell she's contained in.
Evelyn: Had she not showed up, I wouldn't be in this mess... I would have had my exhibition match and everyone would have loved me... I would have been famous...
Moments later, the prison warden shows up and knocks on Evelyn's cell door.
Warden: Miss Claythorne?
Evelyn: What do you want...?
Warden: I came to tell you that your request for parole was denied.
Evelyn: Great...
Warden: But at the same time, I do have some good news for you.
Evelyn: What would that be?
Warden: If your behavior improves, you might just be able to have some leniency around here. Of course, I can't promise anything, but it is food for thought.
Evelyn: Meh... It wouldn't even matter after what I did... I'm in here for life... Thanks to that blue-haired freak and her now red-haired girlfriend, I'm living out the rest of my days rotting in a prison cell...
Warden: Suite yourself then. Even still, keep it in mind. You never know what lies in store if you turn your life around and turn over a new leaf.
The warden then leaves the area with Evelyn continuing to sulk in her cell, the words of the warden repeating in her head.
Evelyn: Good behavior... Leniency... Hmm...
Evelyn then smirks before silently chuckling to herself.
Evelyn: This just might be what is required...
Evelyn then closes her eyes as a plan begins to formulate in her head.
Evelyn: Yes... This will work perfectly~ If I play my cards right, I might just be able to get out of this wretched hell-hole.
As Evelyn silently begins to plot, Tari has been helping Belle, soothing her pain and reassuring her that she's there for her and loves her.
Tari: Feeling better?
Belle: Yeah. I really needed that... Thank you...
Tari: You're welcome, Belle.
Tari then pulls Belle into a hug before the two pull away soon after, smiling at each other.
Belle: Babe... I think I'm ready to confront Masa now.
Tari: Are you sure?
Belle: Yes. I don't want this whole thing to drag on for a long time, or things will just end up how they did when Lucinia disappeared a few years ago... I don't want a rift to form between myself and anyone else ever again... Especially those I'm close to...
Tari: You do have a very valid point. Well, I'll let Lamar and Sofia know. I think it would be easier if they were present as well.
Belle: Thanks.
Tari: You're welcome.
Tari then proceeds to call up Sofia, whom picks up soon after.
Sofia: Tari? What's up?
Tari: Belle is ready to confront Masa.
Sofia: Alright. I'll let Lamar know and we'll meet up at your room.
Tari: Alright. See you soon.
Tari then hangs up, turning her attention back to Belle.
Tari: They'll be here soon, Belle.
Belle: Alright. I can wait.
Tari and Belle then sit together in relative silence until Sofia and Lamar eventually arrive, knocking on the door before entering.
Sofia: We're here, Tari.
Lamar: You two ready to confront Masa?
Tari: I am.
Belle: As ready as I'll ever be...
Sofia: Alright. Then let's go.
Lamar: Masa is in his room, so we'll head there.
Tari and Belle then stand up, walking over to Sofia and Lamar, whom then head out of the room with Tari shutting the door behind them, the four soon after walking to Masa's room, arriving within seconds.
Belle: This is it... No turning back...
Tari: Don't worry, Belle. You've got all of us to support you.
Belle: I know. I'm... Just nervous, since this isn't the first time he and I have been on bad terms...
Sofia: We know, and the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can move past it.
Lamar: Let's get this over with.
Lamar then knocks on the door, with Masa responding soon after.
Masa: Yes?
Lamar: It's us, Masa. Tari and Belle are here to see you.
Masa: Come on in. The door is unlocked.
Lamar then opens the door with he, Sofia, Tari and Belle walking in moments later before shutting the door behind themselves.
Tari: You probably know why we're here...
Masa: I do. It's why I wanted to speak to you both.
Tari: I'll let you take over from here, Belle.
Belle: Thanks, babe...
Belle then takes a seat facing Masa, inhaling deeply before opening her eyes.
Belle: Masa... Do you not trust me...?
Masa: It's complicated, but I do trust you. I wouldn't have had you initiated into MD-5 if I didn't. I was more worried that when you and Tari started dating that it was due to you missing Lucinia, but as I found out, that wasn't the case.
Belle: Was there a reason you felt like spying on us instead of asking us directly?
Masa: I felt like just asking you directly wouldn't have quelled my fears entirely. But despite the fact I used yesterday's outing as a method to spy on you two to confirm you weren't dating Tari due to Lucinia's passing, I did genuinely want you two to enjoy a day of fun after all you two went through.
Belle: Huh?
Masa: You and Tari went through a lot at TASCORP and with Sheridan. I wanted you two to just have a day of fun largely to yourselves after all of the crap you two endured. But it is true that I did use it to spy on you as well... Something I really shouldn't have done...
Masa then closes his eyes and hangs his head low, regretting his actions from the day prior, leaving Belle bewildered and a bit shocked with the silence only being broken by Tari soon after.
Tari: Wait... The whole thing wasn't just a ploy to just spy on us?
Masa: No... It wasn't...
Tari: I... Uh...
Lamar: Wait... You mean you're telling me you actually wanted them to have a good time?
Masa: Yes...
Sofia: This whole time... You actually wanted to do something for them?
Masa: I did.
Belle: I... Uh...
Masa: However, what I did still wasn't right, and all it did was cause pain... I should have just trusted you and shouldn't have worried about you at all...
An awkward silence then fills the room, with nobody able to truly process what Masa has revealed to them all. A deafening minute passes until Belle breaks it.
Belle: So let me get this straight... You only didn't trust me due to fearing I was dating Tari out of loneliness and not for anything else?
Masa: That is correct...
Belle: Were you planning on observing me and Tari the whole time?
Masa: No. I didn't decide upon that until later, and I decided to tell Sofia and Lamar about it so they wouldn't think I was spying on you for anything nefarious.
Tari: Uhhh... Is that true?
Lamar: Girl, I'm just learning about this now.
Sofia: Masa didn't tell me or Lamar this... We thought that he was planning on this whole spying thing the whole time...
Belle then silently stands up, still looking at Masa.
Belle: Masa...
Belle then walks over to Masa, getting really close to his face before silently slapping him across the face with her left hand, causing everyone to become shocked at her sudden reaction.
Tari: Belle!?
Belle: You're an idiot, Masa...
Masa then looks up at Belle, his hand on the part of his face that Belle slapped as a stinging pain hits his cheek.
Belle: This whole time I thought you didn't trust me... You scared the hell out of me, because I felt like that heart-to-heart we had was meaningless... I'm not even upset or mad... I'm just disappointed in you... While I am still upset by what you did, I can understand why you did it, and at the end of the day, your fears were somewhat justified... I'm just disappointed in you now...
Masa: You have every right to be, and I absolutely deserved that slap.
Lamar: I'll say you did.
Belle: Don't ever do that again, Masa... Losing Lucinia was bad enough this year, I don't want to lose anymore friends for one reason or another...
Masa: I swear I won't ever do it again, Belle. It's something I can never take back, and I have to live with it for the rest of my life. I'm very sorry for all I've done to you...
Belle: Good. With that all being said and done, I feel that this should just be put behind us all, and we should move on with our lives...
Tari: A-agreed.
Sofia: Yeah, let's just do that...
Belle: Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to eat. I haven't gotten the chance to eat since last night...
Belle then walks over to the door to excuse herself with Tari rushing over to join her with the two leaving soon after, leaving Masa, Sofia and Lamar by themselves.
Lamar: Masa... I'm never going to help you spy on our friends ever again. We almost lost them both due to this...
Sofia: I hope you've learned a valuable lesson from all of this, Masa... Losing Lucinia and Theo was painful enough, and we don't need to lose Tari and Belle either...
Masa: I have. I just want to put this behind myself now.
Sofia: With that being said, today was the day that you wanted your Meta Runner arm worked on, right?
Masa: Oh, right. It was.
Sofia: Well, let's go get that taken care of so we can attempt to put this behind ourselves.
Lamar: Agreed. Let's try to get our minds off of this and just move forward.
The three then all make their way out the door to Masa's room, all heading into the main area so that Sofia can begin to work on Masa's Meta Runner arm. Once everything is prepped and ready, Sofia then gets to work with Lamar being close by.
Sofia: I must admit, losing two Meta Runner arms in less than a year isn't the most fun thing ever, but at least you didn't lose your life.
Masa: It wasn't easy living with just one arm after Lucks shot off the first one I had.
Lamar: How did you ever manage to do it?
Masa: Stubbornness and needing to make a living.
Lamar: Stubborn is right.
Sofia: Regardless, Marco was nice enough to allow you to even have an arm after the stunt you pulled to gain the second one you lost.
Masa: Well, I did that so we could save Tari and finally expose TASCORP. Sure, it was underhanded, but in the end, it did help us accomplish that goal. That, and I didn't want Lamar to lose his arm either.
Lamar: Y'know, despite all of the dumb things you've done, I can tell that while you don't always make the right decisions, you have done them for the right reasons.
Sofia: Though maybe you could tone that down a bit? I just want to have a somewhat normal life going forward after dealing with Lucks and Sheridan.
Masa: I don't intend on doing anything stupid anytime soon. I'd rather not risk losing more friends.
Lamar: Keep that up, and we shouldn't have anymore problems.
Sofia: Agreed. Now, while everything looks good, let's make sure that everything is working properly.
Masa: Right.
Meanwhile, Tari and Belle have grabbed themselves some food and have been silently chowing down as the other three go about their business.
Tari: Hey, Belle?
Belle: Yes, Tari?
Tari: Are you going to be alright?
Belle: I will be with time. I just... I was most worried that this whole thing would cause a fracture between all of us... I don't want to lose anyone else... Especially you...
Tari: I promise you won't, Belle. I will personally ensure that everyone in MD-5 stays safe and that nothing bad happens with us ever again.
Tari then wraps her arms around Belle, pulling her into a sideways hug.
Tari: You mean the world to me, Belle, and I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you or our friends ever again.
Belle then smiles a small smile at Tari before kissing her on the forehead.
Belle: Thanks, babe. It really means a lot to hear that~
Tari: You're welcome, Belle~
Tari then releases Belle from the hug as the two go back to eating. Soon after, Belle checks her digital planner, taking note of the next date they are scheduled to be at a tournament, being a few weeks away.
Belle: By the way, our next tournament is in a few weeks from today.
Tari: What game are we going to be playing?
Belle: Skybreakers. There's a big promotional event going on and they want us to be part of it to endorse it.
Tari: Got it. Thanks for the reminder, Belle.
Belle: You're welcome, babe~
Belle then pulls Tari into a tender kiss, which the latter happily returns. Despite the events from the previous night, the two were able to forgive their friends for their actions and hope to simply put all of it behind them. Sofia, Masa and Lamar also are optimistic about what the future holds and simply wish to also move on from the prior night's events. Despite it all, Masa has learned a valuable lesson in trust and Tari has a strengthened resolve to never let her friends down and has made a promise to keep them all safe and ensure nobody is lost ever again. Whatever comes their way, they'll face it all, and no matter what brings Belle down, Tari will never let her girlfriend suffer alone.