Trigger and Ume sat on a corner on top of Akasaka Biz tower overlooking the city below them. Trigger let out a sigh. It left like it had been forever since he had a moment to relax himself. These past couple weeks felt like years, but also felt like it went by in a blur at the same time.

"How do you think the others are doing?" Trigger asked.

"I don't know. I know that they are alive, outside of that I have no idea. However, I don't think we need to worry about them." Ume responded.

"Why do you think so?"

"The monsters we ran into at Firmatha Sanguar seem to be far more powerful than even the likes of Heka. However, they have been quite impressed with me and the Twins. I don't see any of the Tiny Tots falling too far short of us." Ume began to explain,

"So you're saying they won't eliminate such promising human children?" Trigger asked.

"Correct! We can use your own story as a reference point. You were something they fundamentally were against, but they debated getting rid of you, because of your mother's abilities."

"Right… but…"

"Even if they aren't as impactful as your mother, they also aren't perceived to be an abomination of human life, like yourself. No offense…"

"Non taken?" Trigger chuckled.

"Regardless, I'm sure Ken, and Micheal can hold things down just fine without us being there.

"I'm sure you're right. I just feel like they were put in a tough spot because of our decision to help Zac."

"I wouldn't think too much about it. I think they all would have made the same decision in our situation. This is also good for us, and I'm sure they know that." Ume leaned back as she looked up at the clouds.

"You mean if they are splitting their time trying to get them to fall in line, that's less time they spend on tracking us down."

'Correct, and they are smart enough not to overplay their hand. So just trust them, as much as they trust us, and focus on what we need to do." Ume gave Trigger a stern expression.

"I do trust them, it's just…" Trigger sighed as he rested his head on his right knee.

He sat there in silence for a moment, he knew over thinking things like this was not going to help in this situation. When everything was said and done, none of this thought would matter, if he did what he needed to. He closed his eyes and felt the cold wind brush against his skin. He then looked over at Ume with a smile, trying to change the topic.

"Do you come to this spot often?"

"Recently, yeah. My parents live in Akasaka and after dealing with them, I need a place to be alone and clear my head. Since becoming a Chaser, this is the best spot." Ume answered.

"You want to go check up on your parents?" Trigger asked. However, Ume just rolled her eyes, ignoring his question.

Trigger nodded his head in understanding. Ume didn't talk much about her personal life, but he knew that she and her parents weren't particularly close, nor were either of them Chasers.

"This place is pretty nice."

"It's even better during cherry blossom season." Ume responded.

"Is that right? I'll have to bring Akiko then."

"Of course you do…" Ume mumbled.

"Why do you do that? What's the deal with you and Akiko?"

"There is no deal."

"Really?" Trigger said in disbelief.

The two of them weren't openly hostile towards each other, and they actually worked together very well. However, whenever he mentioned one in front of the other they would get irritable or out right annoyed. He heard plenty of people say that Ume had a crush on him, especially from the twins… repeatedly, specifically Zidane. But Ume was too logical and straightforward to sit on such an uncertain emotion. At least that's what he believed.

"Really, there is no deal between the two of us. I'm just curious."

"About what?"

"She's beautiful, she's competent… but there were several who could say the same within our recruiting class, and all of them were interested in you."

"Well, not Mary." Trigger interrupted.

"Hmm Mary, right. Her eyes were permanently locked on Genkei from the start."

"Poor Genkei, he doesn't have much luck when it comes to his attention from the opposite sex." Trigger chuckled, and Ume joined in.

"You had all these options, but chose Akiko. Why?"

"That doesn't really sound like the question you want to ask."Trigger leaned over resting his elbows on his knees.

"Then what do I want to ask?"

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"Why didn't I choose you?" Trigger answered. Ume smirked and started to mockingly laugh at herself, for having such a useless and petty emotion.

"Well, what's your answer?" She asked, and decided to get to the root of it so she could put this behind her.

"First off, I didn't choose her. At the time… tsk, even now the last thing on my mind is a relationship. There's so much other shit to deal with. It just sort of happened, and I'm glad it did."

Resting her head in her hands she turned to look at Trigger, and he turned to look at her. She then said,

"It looks like I should try a little harder."

"You think that's all it takes? For you to put in a little more effort?"

"I usually get the things I want, when I put my mind to it." Ume smirked slyly.

"I'm sure you do, but not this time." Trigger's kurt response dampened Ume's smile.

"Really, why is that? Where am I lacking?" Ume's voice was calm, but carried a commanding tone to it.

"You aren't. Ume… you're beautiful, impossibly intelligent, focused, motivated, surprisingly kind…"

"Surprisingly?"

"Yeah, surprisingly, I said it. You're also open minded, willing to stand by your beliefs, but bend to reason. You're one of the most incredible people I've ever seen. That says a lot given the world we find ourselves in…"

"But?" Ume picked up on Trigger's silence. Trigger let out a sigh and said,

"But…Let me ask you something. What do you see when you look at me?" Trigger asked.

Ume stared into Triggers eyes for what seemed like forever. She didn't know what he wanted to hear. She wasn't sure if it was wise to try and figure it out. She expanded on this subject because she wanted to gain something she wanted, or find closure on something she couldn't have. She turned to look out at the city,

"I see someone with unlimited potential. Someone who has the power to shape the world in any way they want, if they decide to put their mind to it. I see someone who balks in the face of their own greatness. I see someone who just needs a little push, to become something truly legendary."

"And therein lies the problem." Trigger responded.

"What do you mean?" Ume asked.

"What do you expect from me?" Trigger didn't answer her question and just asked another of his own.

"I expect you to live up to your potential, and I think that it will be simple with someone next to you that will…"

"That will push me?" Trigger asked?

"Yes, Exactly."

"Now, what do you think Akiko sees and expects from me?"

"I would hope for something similar." Ume reasoned,

"Nope, she expects nothing. And all she sees is what I'm willing to show her. She doesn't assume anything, she takes me for me." Trigger smiled as he looked off into the distance.

"So you like her, because she's willing to let you wallow in mediocrity?" Ume frowned.

"I like both of you just fine. It is a matter of who I want to be with. And she is not content to let me wallow in mediocrity."

"Then what would you call it?"

"She is willing to let me define what greatness is, and pushes me to achieve it. She doesn't push me towards her perception of greatness." The two of them locked eyes. Ume struggled to find words to refute his argument, but could find none.

Given his situation, where everyone around him kept telling him how great his potential was, how all this weight and responsibility was forced on him against his will. Every day there was more put on his plate. Having someone like Akiko who expected nothing from him, but to try his best, and was willing to do whatever she needed to support him in that,

"She's very freeing, isn't she?"

"Yeah… when it's just the two of us. I forget about everything else."

"That is a priceless feeling, given our situation. A priceless feeling that at present I can not provide… Ok…" Ume let out a sigh and then looked out over the city with a content smile on her face.

"Ok?... T-that's it?" Trigger was a bit confused.

"Yeah, why? What did you think was going to happen? Did you think I was going to throw myself at you? Kiss you deeply, whispering with tears in my eyes, 'I can change'... did you think that was going to happen?" Ume mocked.

"Uuuh… noooo, umm… no." Trigger rubbed the back of his head not really knowing what to expect.

"Good, because I like me, I have no interest in changing. I like me… a lot." Ume started to laugh and pushed the dazed Trigger with her shoulder. They had come up here to lighten the mood, not to complicate their situation further.

"Ok, sooo like, what now?" Trigger asked, as Ume rolled her eyes.

"If you want to know if I'm still interested in you, then yes. I accept nothing but the best. However, I see sensei as more of a father figure. So outside of him, you are the best." Ume said matter of factly. Which caused Trigger to blush a bit at her straightforwardness.

"However, you are clearly taken with Akiko, so I will fall back for now, but relationships end all the time." Ume smiled.

"Wow…" Trigger shook his head.

"It's the truth. So, I'll stop being petty towards her, and let her be the support you need. I will continue to push you towards greatness."

"Which greatness? The one I choose for myself, or the one that you feel is best?" Trigger asked.

"The one I deem is best, obviously. Like you said, I'm impossibly intelligent, and the most amazing person you know. So clearly my choice will be the correct one." Ume started to giggle.

"Fair enough." Trigger chuckled.

"I'd be lying if I said I was pushing you for your own sake. I'm not. The greatest I see in you is something mandatory…"

"Mandatory for what?"

"This world's survival." Ume answer.

Trigger stared into Ume's eyes, her hair fluttering in the wind. He could see the seriousness in them in that moment, and though almost imperceptible , there was a hint of fear. Trigger could never figure out what was on Ume's mind, but he understood that she immersed herself in the world of Chasers more than anyone else. If she was saying that, then it meant that she had discovered, or pierced together something, that was weighing heavily on her.

If she hadn't shared what it was she had found, it meant she was not ready to share, or that she felt keeping it to herself was currently the only way forward at the moment. Trigger let out a sigh, as he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. However, it looked like Ume was in a similar situation as him. He smirked to himself as he looked back over the city.

"Sorry, I wanted to come up here to take our minds off things. But…" Ume began to speak.

"No it's fine… it's surprisingly comforting knowing that I'm not the only one feeling this weight. It somehow feels a little lighter." Trigger smiled as he looked out at the setting sun in the distance.

"Yeah…" Ume smiled in response as she curled her knees into her chest and rested her head.

They sat there in silence for almost half an hour as they began to watch the sunset in the distance. Trigger stared out at the orange hue engulfing the city beneath them, and all he found himself thinking about was how he wished Akiko could see this with him. For some reason he felt a pang of guilt as he looked over at Ume who was enjoying the sight of the setting sun herself.

" I think it's about time we head back. I'm sure my mom's almost done cooking by now."

"Yeah, can we just sit here for a few more minutes?" Ume asked as she didn't seem to have any intention of moving.

"Yeah, we can stay until the sunsets."

"Ok…"

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