2 This day, Ninox died._

Vorsord Suites, Ash's apartment.

Water flows rapidly from the faucet, loud splashing noise echoes across the bathroom.

Ash looks into the mirror, water keeps dripping from his hair.

It has been one year since Zero died, but Ash could still see her face every time when he looks into the mirror. Her voice rings inside his head.

"Take care of Ninox for me."

Ash nods with his eyes closed. He turns off the faucet, silence revises at once.

"It's late, time to get ready for work." he spoke lightly to himself.

He leaves the bathroom and puts on his clothes, he then heads to the dining hall quickly.

He found a note left on the table.

"I will be back by noon, let's have dinner together——Micah."

It is Micah, his one and only younger brother.

Ash smiles at the note for a second, he then grabs his scarf and takes his keys. He leaves the house along with the clinking sound.

As he walks further, the sound disperses. The house turns into a huge empty void, without any sign of life.

▍|▍▍||▍| ▍|▍▍||▍| ▍|▍▍||▍|▍▍||

J. Edgar Hoover Building.

"Damn it!"

Silence was broken through by a frustrating shout, Remington slams at the table with wrath.

"Language, Rem." said Ash along with a cold stare.

"What's the matter?" Trevor comes close and gives a pat on his shoulder.

"I failed again!" Remington covers his face with his hands, along with a deep sigh, "I promised Zero. I promised that one day I'll master my coding skills and become a fine agent like her."

Trevor sighs, "She is different, she is a genius. We're just field agents, coding is just not our thing."

While Ash comes near and checks Remington's laptop. He stares at the code on his screen.

"You're unprepared. Your precaution was too low."

Just by the end of Ash's speech, Remington slams his laptop and stands up facing him.

"Are you trying to mimic Zero?" his emotion arouses, "Stop repeating the words she used to say to me, and please! Stop thinking that you can replace her even though you're the leader now."

Ash sighs, "Calm down, Rem. You really need to learn to control your temper—"

"I told you to stop repeating Zero's words!"

"Enough, Remington!" yelled Ash, he takes a deep breathe, "I know you never like me, but Squad Ninox needs a new leader. We've lost Zero one year ago, it's been tough for all of us, but we need to pull ourselves together! I can't do this alone, I need you to stay with me, we need to stay strong."

Ash's voice sinks, tears accumulate in Remington's eyes.

Remington whimpers, as the pain from his memories spreads across his chest.

"I can't do this."

He knew he couldn't hold on for too long, he knew it from the start.

"Rem, listen to me."

Ash grabs his shoulders, he wants to appease him and changes his mind, yet Remington refuses. He shakes off Ash's arms.

"It's been a year, her last smile still keeps haunting me at night, she just won't go. That's my penance and my punishment, for I'm guilty of watching her die for me. I can't complain and I can't let go." said Remington, holding his tears back, "I should be the one who died in there that night, not her."

Along with his voice drops, he takes down his badge and ID, and he pulls out his gun, he places them nicely at the corner of the table.

"She's dead, Ash. She's dead because of me." said Remington, "I can't do this anymore, I just can't."

Not waiting until Ash could come up with any response, Trevor does the same. He puts his badge, ID and gun down at the same place.

"I'm sorry, Ash." said Trevor, "I can't do this either, I'm sorry."

He leaves the room with Remington, leaving Ash all alone in the quiet room. They never look back.

Ash sits and bends down. He looks at the two IDs and badges on the table, he sighs.

"Zero." he called upon her, who does not exist anymore, "What should I do?"

He closes his eyes and stays silent for the rest of the day, thinking of nothing while holding his emotions back.

▍|▍▍||▍| ▍|▍▍||▍| ▍|▍▍||▍|▍▍||

Vorsord Suites.

That night, Ash reaches home early, but he does not enter the house. He stands by the corridor, holding a cigarette within his fingers.

What would Zero probably do if she would ever happen to be in my shoes? Ash thought to himself, yet he quickly dispels the thoughts.

"Ninox would be totally fine if you're still here... Am I right, Zero?"

Just as his words fall, the door has been opened.

"Ash, you're back!" Micah runs across the door and gives Ash a big warm hug. "Why are you not coming in? I've prepared dinner! Come in, let's eat."

Micah holds Ash's arm and brings him back into their house, Ash sits down at the dining hall quietly. He holds the fork and spoon in his hands, but he does not touch any of the dishes, or just that he does not have the appetite to eat anything at this moment.

"What's wrong, brother?" Micah found him acting weird, "Is anything from work bothering you?"

Ash looks at Micah with a depressed expression.

"Have I ever told you anything about Delta?" Ash finally spoke, "He committed suicide one month after Zero died, because he felt guilty."

Micah stops chewing, he stays quiet and listens.

"I'm not worried about Trv, he has his family staying by him. But Rem..." Ash holds his forehead and sighs, "Rem still finds himself guilty too, I'm worried that he will possibly follow Delta's footsteps."

Ash knew, not anyone of them is guilty of Zero's death, because he is the one who needs to take all responsibility for it. He still remembers that day he filed a report announcing Zero's death after they came back from the failed mission. It was just hours after Zero died, but the director appointed Ash to be Squad Ninox's new leader right away. It's hard for him to believe Zero was actually gone, and he needed to start being prepared to lead their team to walk out of it immediately.

"It's alright." Micah puts down his fork and comes near to Ash, "Rem probably just needs a little more time, things will become better. Everything will be fine again."

Ash looks up at Micah, Micah sees tears flashing inside his eyes.

"I hope so too." said Ash, with a forced smile.

Micah touches his head and gives him a hug.

"Let's tuck in, shall we?" said Micah, sitting back in his seat and starts tucking in to the well prepared meal.

Ash calms himself down and gives Micah a smile again.

If it's not because of Micah, Ash might not be able to overtake all of these.

Although they're seven years apart, Micah is thoughtful enough at his age being able to keep his brother safe from falling apart. Micah has always been the best support Ash could ever ask for.

▍|▍▍||▍| ▍|▍▍||▍| ▍|▍▍||▍|▍▍||

Two months later.

Vorsord Suites.

Again, Micah left a note this morning, featuring his early return tonight for an indulgence of peace and nice self-made dinner together with his brother. Ash left the bureau early and headed back home for it.

As usual, he stays by the corridor to have a smoke for awhile before going back into the house. But today, he realized something is off from usual. Micah did not come out to welcome him and drag him inside.

He keeps himself silent for awhile. He found that he can't hear any sizzling sound or cooking noises from the inside.

"Micah isn't back home yet?"

Ash takes out his phone and takes a quick glance, there's no notification of any messages from Micah.

Strange.

Ash flicks away his cigarette. He quietly pulls out his keys and opens the door, while he found the door was unlocked beforehand.

Ash frowns. That's not good, he thought. He quickly pulls out his gun and steps in carefully.

He looks around the living area. Lights and fans are switched on like how they are supposed to be when Micah's around.

"Micah." Ash called out.

He slowly walks into the kitchen, he finds the sink is wet with a basket of washed tomatoes inside.

"Micah?" Ash called out again.

There is no response.

"Micah, come out now! That's not funny!" Ash shouted.

Still, there is no response.

Ash walks around the house anxiously searching for any sign of Micah, until he gradually hears something. He stops before Micah's bedroom.

Ash hears the sound of water dripping, slowly and quietly. It must be coming out from the bathroom.

Is Micah taking a shower in the bathroom? Is that the reason why Micah never answers Ash?

That's a relief if that's the case, Ash takes a deep breath and puts down his gun. He walks into Micah's room and knocks on the bathroom door.

"Micah, are you in there?"

Ash waits for a few seconds, while all he could hear is the sound of water dripping.

"Micah." Ash called out once more, putting his hand onto the door knob, "Is it okay for me to come in?"

It's a struggle to wait for a response. Ash tries to make a sound of him twisting the door knob just to alert Micah that he's dead worried and he might want to come in immediately. But who knows, the door is opened just by a single twist.

Ash is stunned. Why is the door not locked? Does Micah always not lock his door when he baths? Ash has no idea just because he never tries to open it when Micah is bathing.

"Micah, are you in there?" Ash asked again, pushing the door inwards.

Once the door is fully opened, Ash sees the tub is covered by the shower curtain, but the light is not switched on.

Ash flicks on the switch of the light next to the bathroom door, he then sees the shadow of Micah sitting inside the bathtub behind the curtain.

He is probably too tired and falls asleep when he baths.

"Hey Micah, are you sleeping or bathing?" asked Ash with a light chuckle.

He comes close to the tub and pulls away the shower curtain.

"Micah!"

At once, Ash squats down next to the tub and holds Micah's head.

He is never prepared to see this.

"Micah wake up!"

Micah falls asleep in the tub as Ash expected, but the tub isn't only filled with water and soap, it is filled with diluted blood.

Ash quickly grabs Micah's arm out of the tank of blood. He sees deep cuts on his wrist.

"What have you done to yourself!?"