[8AM, F.A.T.E headquarters]

  Standing outside the building, Oliver's body began trembling. He couldn't stop it. No matter how hard he tried thinking positively, he could not muster even an ounce of hope. Could you blame him? At best he would rot in jail for the rest of his life, and at worst death was calling his name - saving him a seat in its embrace. With a heavy breath, Oliver walked through the automatic door, entering the lobby.

  Standing in the lobby, Oliver's eyes darted towards every operator that came and went. He looked at each and every one of them with fear and suspicion, wondering if they were going to ambush him and take him out right then and there.

  "Maybe this was a trap... There's no meeting, it's all a trick! I shouldn't have come here... I should just leav-" but as he turned around, he was stopped.

  A lady wearing a dress shirt stood in front of him - blocking his way. Her dark turquoise eyes that were completely void of any emotion stared him down, observing every tiny movement he made. It was like being in the presence of Shirou again... Though she looked way more human. Her hands were placed behind her back, though Oliver could make out that she was wearing various knitted bracelets on her wrists. As he continued to stare at her, the woman tilted her head slightly before showing slight annoyance.

  "Please do not stare at me. It is making me uncomfortable." The woman said bluntly.

  Oliver snapped out of his trance, rubbing the back of his neck as he apologised.

  "Sorry... I'm just really antsy right now..." Oliver explained, hesitation in his voice.

  The woman walked in front of him, humming in acknowledgement.

  "I understand how you must feel. Most people would be terrified of death, Oliver Liam Rand." The woman said, her back turned to the man.

  Oliver turned around with fear and anger swelling in his heart, gritting his teeth as he put his hand into his pocket - trying to grab his driver. Before he could even graze his fingers on the device however, the woman pulled out a pen from her breast pocket - pointing it right at his left eye. Her precision was so masterful, that even just one centimetre off would've caused him to lose it.

  Oliver shook in fear, taking his hand out of his pocket and raising them up in surrender. The woman put the pen neatly back into her pocket before straight out her skirt and fixing her braided hair. She huffed slightly before looking at the man with the same blank expression.

  "As you can see, I - and everyone else in this facility for that matter - can kill you before you can put that device on..." The woman said, her tone indicated complete truth.

  Oliver gulped before nodding slowly.

  "I got it... I got it... But if that's the case... Why don't you just kill me now?" Oliver remarked.

  The woman lifted up her chin slightly before turning back around.

  "I don't get why you're so adamant about us killing you... We are righteous. Not clouded by petty emotions." The woman said as she began walking away.

  She had walked a good few metres away before stopping after realising Oliver wasn't following her. She shot a nasty glare at him, causing him to perk up and follow her.

  "There... That wasn't so hard was it?" The woman hummed, leading the way.

  Oliver grimaced, his guard remaining as he walked behind her.

  "Yeah it's kinda hard to listen to someone who almost took your eye out... Besides, you didn't answer my question." Oliver said, putting his hands in his pockets.

  The continued to look forward, stopping at what seemed to be a dead end. Oliver stepped back slightly, raising his fist to his sides just in case.

  "So you're going to take me out when nobody is looking? I thought you guys were supposed to be righteous..." Oliver said, clicking his tongue.

  The woman's nose scrunched before tapping the wall in a specific sequence. A glowing rectangular outline carved itself into the wall, before the solid wall began evaporating into away like a hologram. Behind the wall revealed an elevator which opened its doors with a ding.

  "We are righteous... That's why we're letting you have a trial to decide your fate." The woman said, walking into the elevator.

  Oliver - who was completely mesmerized by the impressive technological display - had completely tuned the woman out, causing her to huff in annoyance. She stepped out of the elevator, pulling his ear as she dragged him inside - similar to how a mother would for her unruly child. Finally letting go, Oliver rubbed his ear as he made a frown.

  "That hurt... You're seriously losing me with the 'righteousness' shtick..." Oliver remarked.

  The woman shrugged, pressing the bottom most button on the elevator. The door closed, a slight shake indicating that the elevator began moving downward. The woman then leaned her back against the elevator wall, digging into her pockets and pulling out an entire slice of cake. Oliver was dumbfounded by the complete disregard for the laws of thermodynamics. He mouth was agape as he watched the woman enjoying her cake with a quiet hum. He continued to watch in shocked silence... Before eventually asking if she had any more sweets in her pockets.

  "I haven't eaten anything since I woke up..." Oliver grimaced.

  The woman looked at him with a glare, before eventually pulling out a whole dessert tray. Afterwards, the two would enjoy a rather relaxing teatime on the elevator floor as they waited to reach the their destination.

  "It's been five minutes... How far down does F.A.T.E go?" Oliver said as he stuffed his mouth with a cream puff.

  The woman wiped the icing off her cheeks with her fingers as she explained the F.A.T.E headquarters building plan.

  "As you know, there are a total of 5 wings in headquarters that we refer to as "Wards". These wards circle around the entire small island that resides in the coasts of Eile, with the center of the building being a garden." The woman explained, licking the icing off her finger.

  Oliver nodded, sitting down with his knees up as he began listening intently.

  "As you should also know... The detention ward spirals downwards 1000 feet below sea level to minimise the chances of high level prisoners escaping. Well... the place we're going to resides much deeper. In fact... it lays just about the outer core, at the lowest point of earth's mantle." The woman explained.

  Oliver was awestruck by the information. Even if F.A.T.E may or may not want to kill him - he couldn't deny such structural engineering was a downright miracle.

  "Awesome... But, how come the walls can handle all that pressure? Shouldn't they be collapsing?" Oliver asked, sneaking a macaron.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  The woman shrugged before feeding him a donut.

  "We used Festered metal - the same materials we use to create the attachment units - to create the walls and supports in the underground facility. Even a C rank A.U can withstand the max pressures from 7 hydraulic presses.... Something like gravity means nothing to something so illogical." The woman said, nonchalantly. "It also means humans aren't affected by the pressure due to all the descent energy floating about here. It's really not that impressive..."

  Oliver looked at the with judgement, obviously seeing through her attempt to try and humble brag. The woman looked away from him, before a smirk crept up her lips.

  "And here I thought you were incapable of showing any emotion other than annoyance..." Oliver said smugly.

  The woman shook her head before standing up and dusting her clothes of any crumbs. She fixed her hair before turning to Oliver who was still stuffing his face with desserts.

  "You really are a glutton..." She sighed. "You should really stop eating befor-" the elevator door opened.

  The two were met with a long table with 9 different seats that sat only 6 hooded individuals. At the end of the table was Director Branford, who watched Oliver greedily eat with slight confusion.

  "Does he... Realise he's in a professional meeting?" Director Branford asked.

  The woman looked down at Oliver, grimacing as he continued to shove pastries into his mouth. With an exasperated sigh, the woman nudged him slightly, finally breaking him out of his hungry trance. The young investigator tilted his head in confusion, before suddenly realising why she looked so upset. Oliver quickly swallowed his food, before stumbling to stand up straight.

  "Hello Director Branford! Please don't kill me!" Oliver said, saluting with his left hand.

  His actions caused everyone to go silent, judging him with their sharp glares. One of the hooded individuals took off their cloak, revealing herself to be none other than general Yin Yue. Oliver perked up, taking a few steps back in shock.

  "G- general? Good to see you..." Oliver said, laughing wearily.

  Yue sighed, messaging the bridge of her nose as she began mumbling to herself.

  "I can't believe I have to defend him..." Yue said, her cruel words hurting Oliver.

  He looked away, trying to hold back his faux-tears.

  “Meanie..."

  The woman who had escorted Oliver prior began walking towards Director Branford, standing by his side in a professional stance. She bowed slightly, apologizing for her tardiness.

  "No no it's fine, Liael. The elevator needs servicing... It actually took me 5 minutes later than usual to get here too..." Director Branford waved dismissively.

  The woman nodded, before standing up straight and pulling out a clipboard from her skirt pocket. The director smiled, before turning his attention back to Oliver.

  Fixing his tie, he gestured for Oliver to sit - his face showing a more serious expression.

  "Please sit... The meeting is about to begin." The director said- no, ordered.

  Oliver gulped, taking a seat at the furthest chair away from everyone else. He did such a thing as to not intrude on their space - causing less irritation on their part. He looked at all the meeting attendants, unable to discern any facial features due to a privacy technique being woven into their hoods. What he could make out however, were symbols on different parts of each of their cloaks. He was able to see a red claw, yellow wrench, green needle, grey flask and orange ghost. For Yue's symbol, he could barely make out the symbol on the folded up sleeve - but it seemed to him that it was a blue crescent moon. With that knowledge, he was able to infer that whoever these people were, their symbols might reflect who they are as people.

  For the red claw and yellow wrench, Oliver guessed that the former may be a high ranking investigator who has a penchant for violence, while the latter may be a researcher from the manufacturing department. For the grey flask, it was clear that they were a researcher - no doubts about it. The green needle and orange ghost however, Oliver wasn't able to link them to anyone or any faction in F.A.T.E. headquarter's... Though the green needle seemed familiar.

  Noticing his eyes focused on the hooded individuals, Director Branford began explaining who they were.

  "These, my boy... Are F.A.T.E's Vanguards." He explained.

  Hearing the name, Oliver was stumped. Wracking his brain on all sorts of F.A.T.E trivia and information, he had never heard of the term "Vanguard". Seeing his perplexed look, the director smiled.

  "Great... It seems the great F.A.T.E fanboy has been defeated... I'm certainly glad so. Because the Vanguard initiative is one of- no... IS our most secretive specialized operation team. Like their namesake implies, they're the first to respond whenever a threat higher than the disaster class comes up. As such, their identities must remain secret so our enemies don't have an upper hand on us." Director Branford explained.

  Oliver's eyes widened, his outlook on the hooded individuals completely shifting. From cautious hesitance to terrified submission, Oliver knew that getting on their bad sides was suicide.

  "And I already acted like an idiot earlier... I'm fucked..." Oliver thought, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

  Trying to ignore the fear swelling in his heart, his eyes then wandered to Yue as the slow realisation of her being apart of those same powerful people sank in.

  Standing up, he pointed accusingly at Yue.

  "You're that strong, General?!" Oliver yelled in complete shock.

  Yue huffed before crossing her arms and leaning back into the chair.

  "Of course I'm strong... Did you think I was a fraud?" Yue remarked.

  Oliver became silently, realising he might've dug an even deeper hole for himself.

  "W- well... I see where Ren and Katherine get their strength from... Though I always thought general Sieg would've at least contributed a bit to it..." Oliver said, scratching his head.

  The Vanguards then turned to him, their eyes stabbing him with their cold sharp glares. Oliver began trembling, his eyes shut tight - too scared to face reality.

  "D- did I say something wrong?" Oliver squeaked.

  The Red claw chuckled before resting their elbows on the table as they laced their fingers together.

  "Of course it's wrong... That guy is in the top three when it comes to strength..." Their voices altered by voice modification unit.

  That information shocked Oliver even more than realising Yue was a vanguard. The silly, almost annoyingly lazy doctor - who seemed like a frail innocent fox - actually had claws sharper than a blade? He almost couldn't believe it. No... He didn't want to believe it. Because if it were true... That would mean Ren and Katherine were the strongest investigators in the new generation of F.A.T.E operators. That thought was both comforting... And concerning.

  Gulping, Oliver raised up his trembling hand - his mind reverting back to his school days where one had to raise up their hands in the presence of a figure that held more authority than you.

  "U- um... If Mr. Sieg is a Vanguard... Where is he?" Oliver asked wearily.

  His question caused the room to become silent. He turned to the hooded individuals, their demeanor becoming more reserved at the topic being brought up. Meanwhile, Yue seemed to try her best to contain her anger from spilling out... Though the murderous aura enveloping her made her restraint null and void.

  Director Branford gave Yue the side eye before turning to Oliver with a calm expression.

  "General Sieg is being punished for his insubordination. He went against direct orders to fulfill his own selfish desires... This one here would've been punished as well, if her husband didn't agree to receive more punishment in return for her pardon..." The director glared at Yue.

  She tried her best not to cuss him out, however she knew she'd only render her husband's sacrifice vain. All she could do was lower her head and click her tongue.

  At the end of the table, Oliver tried his best to contain his anger as well. He despised how F.A.T.E handled the Leighburne town situation, but what really made it hard to stay calm - was the fact that the only person who had the guts to take a risk and help others was being punished for "disobeying orders". He wished he could yell at them, letting out all his frustrations. However no matter how angry he was... in that room, he was the child. He was at the mercy of these "adults". He clenched his fist tightly, containing the anger inside with pain.

  The director noticed the look on Oliver's face, a look of intrigue plastered on his face. He knew he could push Oliver's buttons, see how far he could restrain himself. He revelled in the idea... However he was the adult in the situation. He must act fairly in the presence of a child. And justice must be brought into court.

  "Now... If you don't have anymore questions... The trial of Oliver Liam Rand, shall commence!" Director Branford said, stretching his arms wide.

  A bright light formed above the table before blinding those inside the room. Oliver was forced to shield his eyes with his arms, closing them for extra measure. As the bright light slowly faded away, Oliver slowly dropped his arms - his eyes widening as he found himself in a ethereal courtroom.

  Looking around, Oliver noticed that te ceiling had been replaced with a vast starry sky while his chair had been replaced by a circular court stand. As his eyes darted about, his eyes landed on the "jury" - the Vanguards - sitting high up in their viewing seats. The scene reminded him more of a Colosseum than an actual court room. Looking straight in front of his, he saw Director Branford sitting high up in his judge's bench with Lieal acting as the court reporter. However, Oliver didn't much care for them, considering the GIANT statue of lady justice behind them holding a golden scale.

  Seeing the structure, Oliver couldn't help but get a horrible feeling in his gut. It was as if it was leaking out judgement - poisoning and tainting the guilty. Oliver's breath became heavier as his chest clenched tightly. Looking up at the director, he had a cold and calculating look plastered on his face. A look that said "I am not your friend, I am your judge". It was terrifying.

  Still... He wasn't going to lose. Whatever the situation may be, he wasn't going to die. Oliver held the sides of his stand, steeling his nerves as he looked at the director with determination.

  "I plead not guilty"