The ship's intercom crackled to life, and an older male voice echoed throughout the Catastrophe.
"A message to the crew. The Catastrophe will arrive at Tokyo Bay shortly; be prepared to return to your positions soon!"
When everyone heard that, they all stopped relaxing and started preparing for the mission.
Senzo went to get Princess Sophie and decided to stay close to both her and Yugiri. Momiji and Yo also quickly prepared themselves and went to the bridge, preparing for the inevitable.
Hyoubu, on the other hand, was casually drinking his milk at the bar. Magi sat next to him, and Andy was also in the room.
"Major, why are we going to Japan this time?" Magi inquired, sipping from his drink.
"Hm... no reason in particular."
Andy stood behind the two, feeling the arm he was shot in during the last mission.
"Okay, my wound's all better now, so maybe I'll also have a drink!"
When Hyoubu heard that, he immediately grinned. "Ah, you were shot? Sorry for the trouble," he teased.
"..."
Andy had expected it, but still this guy could be seriously obnoxious and annoying.
"You're telling me this now!?" He grumbled, glaring at the smirking Hyoubu.
Then he quickly changed the subject after requesting a drink from the bartender.
"Ahem, did you hear that the Kingdom of Monarch is in an uproar because the princess straight up disappeared? And also they apparently announced they would be creating a foundation for the protection of espers."
"Oh, is that so?" Hyoubu muttered, still enjoying his milk.
"Really now. You know, having such a beauty be grateful and on this ship, that can't be a bad thing, right?"
Andy teased, looking straight at Hyoubu with a slight smirk.
Hyoubu just shook his head. "You really don't understand a thing, you know. The one I give my heart to is not a princess... but a queen."
"What does that even mean?" Andy replied, staring straight at Hyoubu.
"Heh, you'll see soon enough."
***
Three girls stood on a platform surrounded by ships, their hair swaying wildly due to the wind. All three of them wore school uniforms, and they looked to be around 12 or 13 years old.
Then Minamoto's voice echoed through a communication device they all wore.
"Our target is currently 83 kilometers off the coast of Izushima. Are you thoroughly prepared?"
The girl that stood in the front with long burnt orange hair and crimson eyes looked into the distance with a determined gaze in her eyes.
"It's okay, Minamoto. This time we'll definitely catch you, Kyousuke."
She stated while clenching her fist.
"Understood, but please be careful; it is Kyousuke that we're facing after all."
The three girls looked at one another, and seeing the determined looks in their eyes, they knew they were ready; this time for sure they would catch that guy.
"The helicopter will arrive shortly; make sure to follow all the instructions properly, and don't engage before I say so."
"Okay, okay." Kaoru replied, rolling her eyes at Minamoto's words.
***
While the Japanese were planning a massive intervention, Andy was hiding at his spot, giving his usual report.
"You report, investigator Andy Hinomiya."
Andy gritted his teeth while looking at his superior straight in the eye; he knew he needed to get results fast.
"I haven't been able to access the main block of this ship as of yet."
"In other words, you still haven't completely gained their trust."
Andy just nodded, "That's right, but please rest assured. I still have a trump card. I will complete this mission!"
The older man stared straight at Andy.
"..."
"A large sum of money, as well as many people, has been invested into this mission. Your objective is to secure that device that's aboard Pandra's ship."
"Remember, you were especially selected for this, so failure will not be tolerated."
After saying that the hologram was disconnected, Andy sat there for a while, staring at the wall.
"Well, this is my job. Might as well put in some effort." After resolving himself, he quickly made his way toward the hallways where the special pass was needed to enter the restricted area.
***
In Comerica, on the other hand, Andy's superior was holding his head; the operation Babel was planning would happen soon, and they absolutely could not find that device.
"Has it come to this?" he muttered to himself.
Then, without a moment's hesitation, he picked up his phone and dialed a certain person's number.
"Hello? You are currently speaking with Minamoto Koichi."
"Good, it seems like the operation against Pandra hasn't started yet, right, Minamoto?"
When Minamoto heard that voice, he was rather surprised to be contacted by someone from Comerica; it was very unusual, especially right in front of such a top-secret operation.
"What do you want?" He bluntly stated, keeping his guard up.
"Nothing much; it's just I want to give you some exclusive information about Pandra that you would probably need."
"..."
Minamoto stayed silent on the line but was intently listening to the following words of the man.
"The pivot is aboard Pandra's ship and has joined forces with Hyoubu Kyousuke. I will not tell you where I got this intel, nor will I answer any questions. I'm just warning you to take the proper measures; goodbye."
With that, he hung up the phone and heaved a sigh of relief; that should make sure they don't go too aggressive and acquire the device before their mole can get their hands on it.
Minamoto, on the other hand, kept the phone glued to his ear and stared at the wall of his office in shock; that piece of intel was seriously bad news for their operation.
"..."
He was silent for a long time, just staring at the wall, forming all kinds of plans in his mind. He kept thinking of new approaches, but they all relied on a certain person to help them.
With a sigh he pressed a special button that stood on his desk, and a moment later a beautiful woman stood in front of him with a smile on her beautiful face.
"What's the problem, Minamoto? Isn't the operation going to start any moment now? Why would you call for me?"
The woman asked, tilting her head slightly to the side, a normally cute gesture, but Minamoto knew her better than that and felt shivers run down his spine.
After staring at her for a while, he quickly slapped his cheeks to snap out of it.
"This is no time for jokes, Tsubomi!" he exclaimed.
"Leave the formalities, Koichi. We've known each other long enough to be on a first-name basis, you know."
"..."
"Haah, fine. Fujiko, I'll have you be on standby instead of actually participating."
When she heard that, she raised an eyebrow and stared straight at Koichi, waiting for his explanation.
"I have just gotten intel that the pivot has joined Pandra and is currently on board, so you will have to face him while we continue the operation." Minamoto said, sinking into his chair with an exhausted sigh.
"What!? Are you serious!? That guy is still alive?" Fujiko exclaimed, "Now it all makes sense; this is most definitely an emergency, and a serious one at that."
That guy was a monster in human skin, and they had exploited him, mistreated him, and even tried to dispose of him when they couldn't control him anymore.
"Yes, I am not sure how accurate the intel is, but I cannot take any chances when he is involved, so please protect the children."
Minamoto saluted with a deep bow; his eyes were shut closed as he waited with bated breath for her answer.
"I understand. I'll do my best, but I'm not sure if I'm even a match for him. Remember, he has only ever used two psychic powers, so I know what those are, but the readings said he had three."
After he heard her answer, he immediately raised his head, heaving a sigh of relief, but then the second part of that sentence left him dumbfounded.
"Are you serious?!" Minamoto was alarmed; if what she said was true, this was the worst-case scenario.
"Yes, it is the truth. I wouldn't joke about something like this."