Erich let Griffin fade back into his soul as he stepped from the building, transitioning seamlessly from the prowling gait of his hero-self to the crisp military stride of his civilian-self as he did. He needed to get to Rudersdorf with the information he’d gathered as soon as possible, before anything else could happen to prevent him.

(Damn, damn, damn and blast.)

(It didn’t take a genius to determine that Aizen’s attack was no fluke.)

(Either he’d been injudicious with his use of truth-sensing or someone had been incautious with their words.)

He took a careful breath and tamped down his seething frustration until his mind was clear, then pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tapped one out. The small ritual was enough to occupy his darting thoughts and the feel of warm smoke in his lungs helped settle his mind and bring things into focus.

He’d need to be careful from here on out. Dragging his name through the mud could so easily lead to his untimely death being written off by everyone who mattered. He’d be just one more unfortunate statistic hidden amongst a hundred other unfortunate statistics.

(And how many of those unfortunate statistics were caused by more than simple misfortune?)

(Damn, another thing he’d have to investigate.)

Erich blew out a lungful of smoke and watched it drift into the sky, already dreading the coming meeting. Unless Rudersdorf or Zettour pulled something wild out of thin air, he knew what his options were and which option his superior would favor; with a conspiracy of this level, chances were good that he’d need to work closely with Crimson Fox in order to clear his name and take down Aizen. Which meant getting Fairy involved, because there was no better option for overkill than Fairy.

(That, and she had an absurdly high ability to resist many forms of control.)

(Unless Aizen had abilities stronger than a demigod, he had no hope of manipulating her if she was forewarned.)

Erich turned down the street that led to the Strategic Headquarters, inwardly exasperated by how close Crimson Fox lived; either Intelligence had fallen down on the job or people knew where a condemned criminal lived and… were doing nothing about it.

(He didn’t know which answer he preferred.)

He breathed out another lungful of smoke and shot the not-cat that was following him a dry look. He’d seen them around the area before, their disguise near seamless except for the tiny, niggling sense of falsehood that clung to them, but had never connected them with any person in particular.

But now…

What were the odds he was being followed by Yoruichi Shihoin, the only one of the trio he hadn’t yet met.

“Going to keep an eye on me, hm?” Erich murmured as he switched the cigarette to his other hand and flicked the ash off the tip. “I suppose backup wouldn’t go amiss.”

The cat shot him a startled look that quickly morphed into calculation, and Erich snorted at the blatant curiosity that took over.

“You’re obviously not a cat,” he told Shihoin with amusement, purposely keeping his reasoning vague. Let her make of his statement what she would.

(If he was going to have to throw his lot in with these criminals, he might as well have some fun at their expense while he could still muster the strength for it.)

Shihoin sniffed and darted away, every inch an offended feline, and Erich covered his smirk by taking another drag at his cigarette. He wasn’t certain how he felt about criminal backup, but… Shihoin had been renowned for her skills long before she became renowned for becoming a criminal. If he could trust her to watch his back, he’d be that much safer while in headquarters.

Erich paused by the doors long enough to stub out his cigarette and toss the butt in the trash, then strode into the building, returning the guards’ salutes as he passed. He strained his ears as he walked down the hall, waiting for someone to point him out, waiting for the cry of traitor to go up…

He made it to Rudersdorf’s door without even being stopped.

“Enter,” Rudersdorf ordered when Erich knocked. He glanced up as the door swung open, raising one bushy eyebrow as Erich entered. “Mmmm. Welcome back, Lieutenant. I apologize that your leave was canceled early, but reports from the north are worrying.” The man’s gaze darted sharply to the side and back to Erich, an indication that he suspected his office was bugged once again.

“Of course, sir. Are you going to want me to leave today?”

Rudersdorf shuffled the papers on his desk for a moment then gathered a handful and rose to his feet. “Yes. You’ll be taking the next train out. I need you to investigate what’s actually happening up there and report back as soon as you have an idea.”

Erich stepped aside as Rudersdorf strode past him, then fell into step with the man when he gestured.

“I was two hours away from ordering Fairy back to rescue you,” Rudersdorf murmured as they turned down an empty hallway heading towards the dining hall. “Report.”

“I was too injured and Fox didn’t hesitate to take advantage,” Erich quietly admitted, grimacing at how weak that made him sound. “Aizen’s presence nearby made him panic when he knocked me out, which is why I was kidnapped.”

Rudersdorf hummed and rubbed at his chin, the thin gold band of his wedding ring catching the light. “Aizen was the one who accused him as well.”

Erich eyed the man’s ring for a moment, then mentally reached out and brushed against the feather he’d gifted Rudersdorf with when he first came under the man’s command. The enchantment on it was beginning to fade once more, so he poured a touch of strength into it to renew the truth-sensing ability.

Token restored, Erich said, “According to Fox, Aizen is a traitor.”

“A man of high intelligence and a man with your unique talents…” Rudersdorf heaved a sigh. “What a mess.”

‘And the only way to fix it is to first make it worse,’ Erich didn’t say as Rudersdorf strode into the nearly empty dining hall and towards the only other occupant. He knew that Rudersdorf was already making plans; the orders north would get his civilian identity out of the way for a while, letting him dedicate all his resources to helping Crimson Fox take Aizen down. Fairy could use her illusion skills to make his presence up north believable, and when they had all their ducks in a row she’d be called back to Central and the group of them would take Aizen down.

(At least, that was how he hoped it would go.)

“Sit and have a meal with us,” Rudersdorf ordered as he pulled out the chair across from Zettour and sat down. “Train won’t be leaving for another two hours, so you might as well have lunch first.”

“Yessir.” Erich grimaced inwardly as he sat down, not looking forward to the ‘meal’ he’d have to eat but knowing that this was his superior’s habit.

(Many unofficial things were discussed across the dining hall table.)

(With Zettour’s ability to sense spies and the sheer size of the dining hall itself, well…)

(It was an easy way to guarantee privacy, since most people avoided it like the plague.)

Zettour gave him a small, secretive smile. “Welcome back, Lieutenant von Rerugen.”

“Thank you, sir.”

A waiter came out and set plates of food and glasses of water in front of them, then left as soon as Zettour indicated they were fine. Silence settled, broken only by the gentle clink of silverware on china as the three of them started their meal. Erich used the breathing room to reach out to the feather he’d gifted Zettour, refreshing its strength the same way he’d done with the one he’d gifted Rudersdorf.

(He needed to ensure that these two were as protected as he could make them.)

(Gifted feathers weren’t as strong as his innate truth-sense but… they certainly helped.)

“I take it you have something to report, then?” Zettour asked as he set his fork down and took a sip of water.

“Sir.” Erich ordered his thoughts, nodded once, then launched into the short retelling of what had happened after he’d woken up. He spoke of where he’d found himself, the questions he’d asked, and the truths he’d received. Spoke of the offer Crimson Fox had made and the warnings the man had given him.

The silence that fell after his story was a thoughtful one, and Erich used the time to force down another few bites of food. Already he could feel his stomach starting to rebel, but he needed the sustenance and he knew it.

“I told you there was something fishy about that article,” Rudersdorf grumbled as he poked at the food on his plate. “Explains why certain individuals have been nosing about of late, too.”

“Hmm.” Zettour ate another bite of food then set his plate aside. “It would, wouldn’t it. And what should we do about these certain nosy individuals and the mess they’ve decided to create?”

Erich resisted the urge to squirm under the regard of both Generals, holding his body still and his shoulders square as he met their gazes with as much confidence as he could.

(He knew what was coming.)

“Think you can work with them?” Rudersdorf asked, gaze sharp and brows furrowed. “It’s our best solution while we work to dig up evidence on this end.”

“I can.” Crimson Fox had seemed convinced that it was in Erich’s best interest, at least. He didn’t know how much he could keep from Fox though, and secrets like that had a habit of causing trouble at the worst possible moment. “Sir, am I permitted to…?”

Rudersdorf and Zettour exchanged looks, but it was Rudersdorf who answered, “We trust your discretion in this matter.”

Erich gave a shallow nod, already considering how much information would be enough to satisfy Fox when Erich returned to them. He’d need to be upfront about most of it, he suspected, but… if he could get away with only the bare bones of an explanation, he would.

“Lieutenant,” Zettour spoke up, waiting just long enough for Erich’s attention to snap to him before he continued, “I expect you to brief Fairy on these events as soon as you reach her encampment. Inform her that she’s to maintain your presence there until ordered to return.”

“Yessir.”

“Good luck. Let us know if you need anything from us.”

“Of course, sir.”

(He was going to need that luck…)

(Why him?)