"...if she hadn't, this might be a lot uglier of a situation..." Ilias mumbled. "To massively understate it." he added.

"Just... wow." he said in a quiet tone.

"..." he was then silent, pausing and thinking about something, before shaking his head.

"Yeah... those tests that Aedan said she would be the guinea pig for may need to use Cain." he commented. "Provided he's all right with it, of course." he then clarified.

"I just hope he doesn't go overboard." he said.

"We don't need him getting careless or reckless unnecessarily."

Ilias nodded in response.

"Yes, that's true." he said.

"Anyway, I suppose we shouldn't needlessly dwell on it." he then reasoned.

"We need to continue on with our work." he said further.

"...and on that note, still no progress with the portal to Ciroc's home." he lamented.

"Same here." Ilias responded.

"I wish we had an easier solution that was safe and reliable." he told her.

"...and while I'm at it, I wish there were no problems in the world, AT ALL." he added with a heavy sigh.

---

Ty stood on the roof of the Unit, looking down at the streets below. He was looking at it for a long while, before taking a step back and making his way to another side of the roof, looking down at the alley that was below.

He then sighed, and sat down in the bench that was nearby.

He looked to be contemplating something. Hard.

Ty was silent for a moment, before looking over towards the female that had joined him.

"Oh. Hey, Mira." he greeted her.

"And... that's a difficult question." he said.

"Had a lotta things on my mind as of late..." he admitted, sighing a little, and leaning back in the bench.

"...but I think a bit of a weight's been lifted off my shoulders." he told her, his voice... eerily calm now.

"So the short answer is 'no, don't think so, but that might change very soon'." he added.

"What's changed?" Ty asked. "Nothing, really." he said.

"But I think I might know of a way to relieve this stress and tension is all. Maybe." he said further.

"We'll see." he went on, glancing towards the edge of the roof.

"And troubles with Miki? Oh, no, no, no." he then said. "Miki's been doing quite well, actually." he assured her.

"She's been getting a smidgen more sleep regularly." he reported.

"A shame she has an emotional wreck like me hanging around." he added with a small self-deprecating laugh.

Ty was silent for a moment, before sighing heavily.

"That's sweet of you to say." he said, leaning forward a little and leaning his elbows on his knees.

"But how can I be?" he asked.

"I'm sure I haven't brought ALL bad things to her life, but how can they ever hope to outweigh the fact that I am such a damaged person, that Miki's unique talents make me dangerous to touch?" he asked her.

"My emotional issues would cause her the worst hell anyone could imagine." he said further.

"How can I live with that, and live under the same roof as her?"

"...." Ty was silent for a moment.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"Yeah... I remember that." he said further.

And he did... but... something seemed... off... to Mira.

She could tell he remembered it. He wasn't lying. But... the connection wasn't being made.

Even though she had stated the exact opposite of what he was believing... and he acknowledged it as true... she could tell he wasn't piecing it together.

"Oh well." he sighed.

Ty flinched noticeably when she smacked him upside the head.

He looked towards her and she saw something in his expression. It was almost like his vision was clouded for a brief moment, and it was quick enough that she could have reasonably thought it was a trick of her own eyes.

"I..." he stammered.

"I... wait..." he then said.

"Wait... hold on, what AM I thinking!?" he exclaimed.

He then looked over towards the ledge once more, before jumping off the bench and scrambling away.

"What the HELL was I doing!?" he yelled further, and she could now hear the confusion and fear in his tone.

"I... I..." Ty stammered.

"Yes." he said.

"Yes. I know EXACTLY why I was up here." he told her.

"I remember... just... feeling like I was a burden. But even though I know I've done so many good things for others... I just couldn't make the connection that I shouldn't have been feeling this way." he said.

"I haven't felt THIS way in a... wait... no, that's not accurate." he then mumbled.

"I wasn't feeling 'depressed', per se... I just... remember somehow coming to a conclusion of... well..." he went on, but trailed off at the end.

"Mira, I swear I don't know why that was happening, but it's frightening me that it was." he told her, and she could tell he was sincere with this... even if it made ZERO sense.

"See, if I did it, then... that would be scary." Ty responded.

"Not because of... well, the deed itself. But... because I would have done it in the first place." he told her.

"I AM careless with my life at times, but... never for THAT reason. Well, not for a very long while, anyway." he clarified.

"And... do I think I'll do it again? I... don't know." he admitted.

"I don't want to try right NOW." he assured her.

"But... I can't help but fear that that way of thinking will enter my brain again. Or... I won't be able to connect the dots and realise it's a stupid idea."