"That IS true." Nate admitted.

"Just have to wait until the sedative wears off." he told her, and then paused for a moment.

"...also depends on if the team gagged her or not..." he then added. When Ebony looked a little confused, he sighed.

"She... well, she kind of has herself in control... or, rather, her personality is there, but she's actively fighting the presence of the dark elf inside her." he explained. "...she told me to kill her." he then revealed.

"She said she wanted to die." he continued.

"...they might have gagged her to stop her from biting her own tongue to the point of bleeding to death."

"Hm?" Nate mumbled.

He then thought for a moment thinking about what he'd given her, when he had, and other such things. He pondered it for about 10 seconds, before shrugging.

"Barring any mana interruptions, or any possible early awakening because of the dark elf's influence... 2 hours or so?" he responded.

"Give or take 20 minutes." he added.

"Why?" he then asked.

"What are you thinking?"

Before he could say anything, she was off, on her way to... wherever she was going.

"Ah... okay then...?" he muttered.

"Weird." he said.

He then shrugged and sighed again. He knew he'd have to tell Angela all this when she returned. She deserved to know who these patients were...

Meanwhile, Ebony made her way to the lab and knocked on it, waiting for someone to let her in. That someone just happened to be Ilias, and he opened the door for her, allowing her entry.

"Hello, Alicja." he greeted her with a smile.

"How can we at the lab help you?" he asked.

Ilias listened to the conversation, and watched a Hazel walked off.

"...huh." he muttered. "Hazel seems... a lot more socially comfortable these days." he commented. "She's really come a long way, it seems." he went on, shaking his head.

"...wonder how I've missed it..." he added guiltily. He saw her almost every day, how did he NOT notice this?

Meanwhile, the phone rang for only a few seconds, before it was answered.

"Yo, Hazel." Ash said, having looked at the caller I.D.

"Sup?" he asked.

"Comin' out for a visit and need a place to stay?" he asked further, which was usually the case. The first part, anyway. She never actually stayed at the Fyrane manor, mostly because she didn't want to be a burden, but that didn't stop Ash and Lindsay from offering.

If she could have seen Ash's expression, it would have matched the silence he was hearing. He was stunned to the point of almost being frozen, for close to 10 seconds, before he cleared his throat.

"Ah..." he stammered.

"Well... I mean... I can try?" he muttered.

"I guarantee nothing, though." he then said. "Depending on how badly... wait... well, whomever it is, is faring, talking might not help." he told her. "But I WILL try." he promised.

"Also... Alicja, huh?" he asked.

"Oh! I remember you, yeah!" he then said. "Or... her." he said confusedly.

"Didn't... know the Unit was where you called home now." he admitted.

"Yeah, sure, 2 hours." Ash responded.

"I can be at the Unit in that time." he told her.

"...and it'll be weird to see you... her... again." he then mumbled.

"Regardless, I'll be there." he assured her.

"I've noted it. And... yeah, should be good." he finished.

"See you in a bit, Al-Ebony." he told her.

Ilias accepted the phone and watched her go, before sighing. He looked at the phone and looked towards where Hazel had gone, before following her to give her her phone back... and maybe ask about her socialness.

Maybe. He wondered if it would be too awkward. Or perhaps too rude. Regardless, she needed her phone back.

-Close to 2 hours later-

Jake sat back in his chair, and stretched out, as he looked and saw Ebony step into the security area.

"Hey." he greeted her, looking at the clock next.

"Ah yeah, about that time." he said. "The one you mentioned is coming should soon be-" he started to say further, before there was a burst of black fire mana in the teleporting landing area, and Ash appeared there.

"Hello, hello!" he greeted the two of them confidently, stepping towards the pair.

Ash nodded at Jake, and Jake nodded in response, before the Fyrane and Ebony made their way inside.

"You're looking well." Ash commented.

"...oh, and for the record, I go by 'Ash'." he told her. "I know that you probably last knew me as 'Ashley', and have known me as such for a long time, but... well, yeah, I just go by 'Ash' now." he restated.

"But call me whatever, I guess. Ashley IS my name." he shrugged.

"Seems this place is doing well, too." he commented.

"Heard it was a dumpster fire recently."

Ash paused for a moment when he heard the names... all three of them.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"Chris's name brings feelings of anger and revenge welling up inside me." he told her. "...but I need to just shove those down." he sighed.

"Ayla... if I remember right, I pity her." he then said. "Didn't deserve to be with Vanessa." he mumbled.

"...and... Erica Windsor... that sounds... vaguely familiar?" he added.

"Not sure... why..."

Ash outright froze when she said that... so casually, at that. He looked at Ebony, and contemplated feigning ignorance and asking what she was talking about, but figured that was pointless. She knew what he was talking about, and there was a high chance she knew that HE knew what she was talking about. So acting stupid would only serve to waste time.

So just sighed, shook his head, shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"Ok. Firstly. Thank you for the heads up on Christopher and Ayla." he said, getting that out of the way.

"Secondly. HOW. The HELL. Do you know about all that?" he asked her.

"Seriously, you just rattled that off like it was something that every common Joe Shmoe should be aware of." he commented further. "How do you know of that?" he asked her.

"...and also yes, I do believe that's where I've heard the name." he then confirmed, before pausing again and thinking.

"Wait... Ebony..." he mumbled. "I swear I've heard THAT name in the... well... hm. I've heard your name before in a group that you are NOT a part of." he told her.