As she laid on her back, Erza's long hair melted over a single pillow. Her body was wrapped in freshly warmed sheets. The snug and cozy sensation seemed to diminish any worries that sought to ruin the peaceful night.

The weight of someone sitting upon the side of Erza's bed had caused her eyes to flicker open and release her from the insane world of dreams.

Once her vision was no longer unfocused, she immediately found herself looking at Waichirou, who wore nothing but pants made of a type of black, silk material. His upper body most definitely stood out, appearing to be fairly toned and muscular. Each ab was highlighted by the moonlight that peeked out from the window. Droplets of water rolled down his flawless skin, revealing that he must've just taken a hot shower. (By himself, thank God.)

Erza had never said it aloud yet, but she did find the male slightly attractive.

...

Just so happened, Waichirou decided to make himself comfortable on Erza's bed-- for who knows how long.

Of course...

She was expecting that.

Almost every night, he would do the exact same thing...but never said a word about it the next day. He'd always just sit there by her feet and look to be reminiscing, the spy guessed.

Waichirou really was something.

He could be so strict and focused on the task at hand, but then also downright perverted and sometimes a tad kind. And then like this exact moment, surprisingly quiet. Waichirou was just a complicated man, to put it bluntly. A puzzle that not even Erza could solve.

There was an inquiry stuck to the back of the spy's mind just then. Since she wasn't overly groggy from being awoken, she aimed to let it slide off her tongue while Waichirou still invaded her space. She was taking quite a risk though... For this question may not have been answered.

"Why, Waichirou?" Erza's voice came out clear, yet soft as she sat up from lying down. "Why are you involved with the Mind-Readers?"

The man made no reaction towards hearing her voice-- not even a glance in her direction. But surely enough he had something to say (like he always did).

"Getting a little nosy, now aren't we?"

Erza stared at him as if she desired to burn a hole into his forehead. She was dead serious. Depending on his answer, maybe, just maybe Erza could find some way to put the smallest pinch of trust in her boss.

...

"They took my family," Waichirou finally exhaled against the palm of his hand, while his elbow rested on his lap. "It was Christmas Eve night, and all members of my family came over to visit. Everything was sunshine and teddy bears before the Mind-Readers had suddenly broke in, immediately grabbing hold of each loved one," he told the story like a flashback of the event played in the background. "While everyone else was being shoved out of the house, the Mind-Readers restrained me with their own bare hands...and allowed me to watch in horror as my relatives vanished before my very eyes. I have a feeling I was the first, or one of the first victims of the supernatural beings, for not once did I ever hear a word of them until after that night. Only then did they end up all over the news...and I spent my holiday scared to death." That's when Waichirou concluded his sad tale, wiping his head around to study the expression of the woman only inches away from him. "That is why I come sit by you at night--because I'm scared. Scared that one night they'll come for me and me only."

Erza didn't know how to react. His reason for sneaking into her dorm all the time was almost childish. But on a side note, she could relate. After all, she wasn't getting much rest either with her comrades being away. Despite how many others were in the same situation, Erza still felt lonely and a dash of fear...

Just like Waichirou did.

But was he telling the truth? Dancing with her pity? There were pin-pricks of suspicion playing in Erza's mind, yet the integrity in his eyes was almost too bright to bear.

Waichirou gingerly scooted closer to Erza, reaching out his hand so it could tenderly slide down the red head's bare arm. Erza tried to ignore the leaps of her heart. Getting too attracted to her boss wasn't on her To-Do list, but she leaned into his touch in spite of herself.

Waichirou closed the distance between them, his lips nearing Erza's. Their breath collided with one another's as they inhaled and exhaled through slightly gaped mouths.

...

Alas, nothing ever happened.

The two stayed in that very position until Waichirou hesitantly pulled away, only wishing the female a good night.

He rose from the bed and departed from the awkward room, leaving Erza with mixed emotions.

What the heck, Waichirou?

~~❤~~

Once more, Erza walked the path that led to the office she'd visited far too many times. She felt satisfied and ready for anything at the moment, being filled with a healthy and hearty breakfast. Erza was determined to do better on the mission. Not only for her sake, but for every single person in the MRSA that lost someone dear to him or her.

Including Waichirou.

She'd help everyone's lives get back to how they were and end all the madness-- no matter what the cost. Because that's what a member of Fairy Tail* did best. ✨

(*Fairy Tail was a guild for wizards Erza used to be a part of in her...past life, we could say.)

Slender fingers wrapped themselves around a golden knob, opening the squeaky door until a familiar face was in view.

Waichirou's head shot up from staring blankly at his desk. A thin line molded on his lips, obviously not appreciating that he didn't hear a single knock. Seeing him again after what almost happened last night sent a rather uneasy feeling to the spy's stomach...

She chose to ignore it. There was a mission to get over with.

"What are my orders for today?" Erza demanded, leaning her elbows upon Waichirou's sparkling desk. She never did see a speck of dust on that piece of furniture... it almost scared her.

"Well, as you are aware..." Erza's boss stood up from his chair right after the question was asked and waltzed over to an over-sized window. "...the Mind-Readers usually remain indoors during the day. Therefore, I will send you towards the location of their sanctum, where you should be able to acquire information without having to chase them down like rats."

"Their sanctum is where they keep the hostages, correct?" Erza raised a brow. "Since I'll be heading straight over there, could I not attempt to retrieve some innocents while I'm at it?"

Waichirou jolted, a sweat drop hovering over his head. "Have you lost it, Scarlet? Attempting to do that is like saying 'Hey! I'm gonna go to the bathroom and pee all over the floor!', and no one would care."

The bewildered spy only blinked. His way of telling Erza that her suggestion was clearly a bad idea was unlike anything she'd heard before.

Waichirou sighed and mastered an epic face palm. He tried restating his point. "Believe me, I've tried that myself. It's practically impossible."

...

Erza's chuckle echoed through the office. "Peeing on the floor, you mean?" ~⭐

"N-no! Retrieving the hostages!" 💢

~~❤~~

Red strands of hair danced in the air as a gust of wind zoomed by. Bare feet were planted atop of a chilly, metal structure, known as the Mind-Readers' vile sanctum. The sun beamed down over our spy in training, Erza Scarlet, who happened to be pondering on words that have been duck taped to her brain ever since she heard them.

"I will forbid you from tagging along any weapons today, Scarlet. Perhaps concentrating less on your self defense and more on the task at hand will help you do somewhat...better, this time."

Erza glanced at her empty hands and sighed. It was bad enough she couldn't wear any armor. Now she stood unarmed.

Usually Erza wouldn't have worried of such things anymore (particularly overcoming the fear of not sporting armor, quite a while from then). But these beings had her friends. She didn't feel like taking much risks with their well-being possibly at stake.

"Scarlet," Waichirou's crystal clear voice rang through Erza's left ear. "I have detected a hidden entrance into the sanctum. It should lie on the roof where you stand. See if you can pinpoint where it's located."

Erza had only taken a step forward, which seemed to activate a single platform to slide over with ease. She peeked inside what the metal square had just revealed and instantly noticed it led straight into the ceiling. If she could find an air vent to exit through, it'd be a sure way inside.

"Found it."

Our beloved spy dropped down into the dust filled ceiling, wiggling her nose to prevent from sneezing her guts out. She crawled through a maze of left and right turns until a pinch of light was seen in the distance.

She grinned. There lied an air vent.

Erza squeezed her fingertips between each dial on the vent, twisting and turning them, then slipped her svelte body through the opening with a gentle landing to a gleaming floor. After earning some bonus praise from Waichirou, Erza followed her orders and headed deeper into the hideout.

It was time to hack into some minds. ✨

~~❤~~

Before long, Miss Scarlet found herself kneeling atop of an indoor balcony built in the hideout.

Narrowed eyes scanned the white hued room. It was quite strange... Not one piece of furniture was placed on the tiled floor, nor did any flat screens or picture frames take over any section of wall. All that roamed were a number of the Mind-Readers themselves.

Wait... Exactly how many were there?

One...

Two...

Three...

Four--

Erza abruptly yelped. There were far too many for her power to manage.

The pulsing sensation she usually felt whenever near a Mind-Reader just went full blast. She clasped her hands to the sides of her skull. It was like a million, tiny hammers were repeatedly thwacking her brain in perfect unison. It was like a nightmare with no end.

Small cries of agony and fear passed through Erza's gritted teeth. If she accidentally yelled loud enough for the beings to hear, she was burnt toast.

"Scarlet, remain calm. Breathe for me," Waichirou said soothingly thorough her ear piece. Hearing the man's voice right then was heaven compared to the horror she already had enough of.

Straightening her posture as she sat on the balcony floor, Erza tried to avoid hyperventilating and take slow breaths in and out. "I've never been in the presence of so many...."

"Indeed. I dreaded this would happen," replied Waichirou. "This is your first time coming in contact with more than a single Mind-Reader. Therefore, your power will have to greatly adjust to how many it senses at a time. This part is usually very challenging to control, so you'll need to master it quickly. For if you do not, there could be extreme consequences."

"Dammit... Why didn't you tell me you dreaded this before I left? How can I read their thoughts in this state?" Another yelp was caught in Erza's throat. The surges were beginning to intensify by every minute.

Waichirou told Erza to look at each Mind-Reader as if they were a word in a book. First, you'd glance to the left and begin reading one mind, then slowly proceed reading as your eyes shift to the right until every mind in sight was scrutinized.

This little trick she was taught actually paid off quite quickly....

Erza focused just like last time, her eyes glowing out of control. She locked onto a being...

Then another...

And another...

Waichirou was right! Slowly shifting from one mind to the next made that situation a lot easier on her sensitive senses. As all the thoughts came flooding into her own mind, there were only two words she could comprehend...

Punishment and realm.

All too quickly, a being wiped his head around and Erza's pupils shrank. If they had that stare down for much longer, Erza's intentions would've been revealed... And she'd never hear the end of Waichirou's insults.

"Waichirou, time to bolt. Where's the nearest exit?"

"Jump off the balcony, hang a right and kick the door open. Retreat quickly now-- Never let them read you."

His last words echoed through her head.

Never let them read you.

When Erza first became an MRSA spy, that was the first thing Waichirou ever said to her...

And hearing them again somehow left her invigorated.

Strong hands grabbed hold of the balcony's railing and Erza's body swung forward, sending her soaring over the crowd of alarmed Mind-Readers.

She had enough craziness for one day. Interesting info was itching to be shared.

~~❤~~

"Punishment and realm..." Signature caramel colored shoes paced back and forth as a silver ponytail bounced up and down. Waichirou repeated realm in particular so many times, the word itself began to sound weird.
He seemed to understand why the Mind-Readers' thoughts would be set on punishment, but realms looked to be far beyond his expertise.

Waichirou set aside his confusion and turned to his blooming spy, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. He told her she'd be rewarded greatly for her efforts, as he appeared to be fairly pleased with the information he was given. Added on top of that...he smiled...

That smile seemed to tug on Erza's heart quite a bit.

A reward, you say? It better be money for some well-deserved strawberry cake.

✨ End of Episode Two~! ✨