Calypso

The winds coalesce, forming something like a smog that covers a majority of the skies above. A city of the most beautiful colors and lights so full of vibrancy, yet it was almost completely void of biological life. And the scent of undeterred industrialism riddles the atmosphere with filth.

The winds coalesce, but instead of carrying smog, they carry words—rumors and gossip of a silhouette taking inconvenient routes that aroused suspicion.

"The alleyway," said one.

"No, no, I saw them jumping the rooftops!" claimed another.

Days passed, and just as the rumors were about to fade away completely, the first sighting was reported.

The lifeless body of a soldier was found in an empty street in the night, his body maimed and stripped of all the cybernetic implants that were obviously there before. Investigations were conducted, but the culprit was never found.

The next day, two bodies. The day after, four bodies. It was noted that only the city guards were being targeted. With each passing day, the number of casualties increased exponentially until a state of emergency was called. While the rumors persisted, one thing was clear; a defect had arisen.

Plastered upon a brick wall along a packed road were many posters of the same kinds that have been there for seven years. First and foremost was one that exhibits a perfect depiction of one called, "Holiday," a defect that belongs to the now liquidated Athenian squad, "Calypso."

Even though the reward was one of the highest ever seen, they have not been caught to this day. Many drew the assumption that it might be them, but it was quickly dismissed. Why would Calypso come back after disappearing for seven years?

For days, the rumors continued and manifested into a larger whole as more and more people claimed to have seen imperceptible figures lurking in the shadows of every corner of the city. A bump in the night, a ghost in the halls, and the scent of blood. Even with the streets now crawling with guards, the murders wouldn't stop. If anything, their presence only added to the number of victims.

Talk amongst the people became commonplace as the murders would happen daily and without delay. Whoever it was, they were able to assassinate their targets flawlessly without even so much as the faintest whisper. This is no ordinary run-of-the-mill serial killer. This is a heavily experienced and trained killer.

Upon the eve of the year's end, the High Order fell apart with not a single bit of progress in catching the culprit. That was until one of their surveillance cameras was forcibly altered. Not just that, every screen across the entire city locked onto a single channel that showed only static.

The people fixed their watchful gazes while the High Order was scurrying about, trying to lock down the source. However, as the clock struck the first hour of the year's end, they realized they didn't need to.

The screen altered once more, and the static faded, revealing the one who started it all. A girl in a red tactical outfit sat on the ledge of a crane that overlooked the vibrant city below. A pair of goggles held the front of her long pink hair in place while the rest fell on her back. Those soulless eyes of blue and yellow glared with serene animosity at the camera while a splatter of blood adorned the left side of her face.

"No... N-no way..." one of the watchmen gasped.

"Is this real?" another one asked. "Hey! This ain't one of you interns messing with us, right?!"

Suddenly, the many screens in the surveillance room began flickering, and one by one, they changed to different security cameras scattered throughout the city—each revealing the rest of Calypso, standing among the bloodied bodies of the city guards.

"Oh, wow~ Seven years, and you guys are still as shortsighted as ever," Loki smirked with a seductive wink. "Hello, sweeties. Missed me? Don't ask me if I missed you, though. Cuz I don't."

"Hey, hey! Is this thing on?!" Minerva shouted as if she were dying. "Can ya hear me? Hello~?! Don't leave me out, you guys!"

"...Well, shit," Astrid muttered with a slight hint of annoyance. "Way to go, Minerva. You've successfully ruined our debut."

"Eh? I did? What'd I do?"

Zephyr merely looked at the camera for a single second before looking away with a visible sigh of unrelenting disappointment.

"What a beautiful night, don't you agree? High Order?" Holiday asked.

She stood up and twisted her head, showing a murderous glare for all to see. With the entire city as her witness, she will reignite the flames of revolution to a scale unseen since seven years ago.

"I'll only say this once, so listen up. Calypso will now advance. Prepare yourselves as best as you possibly can, or do nothing at all—it won't make a difference. Ah, and before I forget... Theo De Leux. I'm coming for you. Calypso-01, out."