Alright then, Henrietta.
Do you have any trouble sleeping, nausea, or slight fevers?
No, Dr. Bianchi.
Be honest. This is for your own sake.
It's the truth! I've been just fine lately!
So are you confident you can listen to your Handler
and control your emotions?
Yes.
I'll try my best.
Henrietta-chan is as adorable as ever.
Seeing a girl that innocent makes me want to win one over.
I'd take the girls before you Italian men could.
And then I'd make a ballet company out of them.
--That's a good idea. --Isn't it?
Amadeo. I have an even more creative plan.
What's that, Giorgio-kun?
--A soccer team. --That's perfect!
What's with you Italian men?
Hey, now. Stop playing around with my Henrietta.
Giuse-san. We're just kidding.
Rough people like us can't possibly handle such a delicate girl.
"Fairy Tale"
Alrighty then.
I'm done with her; could you bring Angelica in 10 minutes?
Understood.
Henrietta.
I'll ask again now that the scary lady is gone...
Are you really all right?
Doctor? Please don't keep me from working.
I've only killed 4 people this month,
but last month I killed ten!
That's probably more than Triela!
So you're lying about being all right?
No!
But if I don't say that, I don't know if I'll be useable...
You always report to someone, right?
She really is delicate...
--So please-- --Henrietta. Control your emotions.
Once you can do that, you won't need to worry anymore.
Alright...
If only I could make her into a ballerina...
Olga...
You're up next.
I win.
Come in.
Ah, Angelica. Have a seat.
Do you remember me?
Doctor Bianchi...
That's what my ID says.
You seem well lately.
Oh, I made it!
Aww! My Etta-chan already left?
Don't bother asking, Priscilla.
Giuse-san! Lend me Etta sometime!
I found this great boutique!
How many people do you recognize in those pictures?
Number 6, Number 9,
Number 13, and Number 20...
Doctor. How many have I forgotten?
Have I lost any important people?
It's just a little test. Don't worry about it.
Do you remember this story?
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom of pasta.
In this kingdom there lived a prince who loved pasta,
and he ate pasta everyday.
That sure brings back memories.
Well?
Doctor. Can I start working again soon?
I'm not the one who decides that. Ask Marco.
Okay.
Giuse. Are you satisfied now that you know what she's thinking?
I let you watch Henrietta's interview because you asked,
but what you need is not knowledge, but faith.
Marco.
Conversely, the reason I forced you to come here
was to renew your former interest in Angelica.
What happened to your old enthusiasm?
Bianchi. You should know how I wound up like this-
we went through it together!
I worked hard to teach her all sorts of things,
but the cyborg engineers--
--the conditioning doctors came and made her forget it all!
Maybe you can rationalize it to yourself because you're a doctor,
but would you say the same thing if you were a Handler?!
I understand how painful it is.
They're studying the implants and conditioning.
Their current side effects may be reversible someday.
Angelica might not make it in time,
but abandoning her would be horrible.
Marco-san.
They finally released me today! Now we can be together again!
Oh, I got this book from the counseling doctor...
When do I start work--
Your unsteadiness would only be a handicap!
It's too soon for work. Go change clothes and run laps!
All of the girls at the Social Welfare Agency are far from happiness,
but nor are they especially unhappy.
Long ago, there was another unfortunate girl known as Angelina.
Pero...
Her own parents tried to kill her.
Shortly before her father's factory went under,
he took out a large insurance policy on his daughter.
Around that time, I was--
So you were dismissed because your eyesight grew bad?
Wasn't it a workplace injury?
Not going blind was enough for me!
Even if my eyesight is bad... Patrizia.
I can see your eyes and lips perfectly.
You have quite an impressive history, Marco Toni.
Alright. You're hired.
Thank you!
By the way, do you like children?
Yes, I love them!
What is the new organization attached to? The State Department?
Bianchi recommended you. Did he not tell you anything?
Just that the rules said he couldn't talk.
It would seem the rules are being upheld.
Well then, allow me to explain your job.
Daddy... Mommy... Pero...
Where am I? Who are you?
This is the hospital of the Social Welfare Agency.
That's strange...
I went on an errand with Pero and then this car came at me...
...and then I couldn't move.
We used magic to make you all better.
Where's Daddy? And Pero?
Your parents had to do something, so they're somewhere else.
And Pero's with them, of course.
Are you giving me a shot?
You don't like shots?
No...
No kids do.
Here, I'll tell you a story so you won't notice it.
Let's see...
--Do you like pasta? --Yes.
Then I'll tell you the 'Prince of the Pasta Kingdom' story.
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom of pasta.
In this kingdom there lived a prince who loved pasta,
and he ate pasta everyday.
But there was only one fork in the whole kingdom,
so the prince always had to eat pasta alone.
Even really delicious pasta has no flavor if you eat it alone.
It hurts after all...
Yeah, I should've figured.
Continue...
The pasta story...
I'll tell you more when you get your next shot.
Now be a good little girl.
The nearly-dead Angelina was reborn as a cybernetic test subject.
I named the brand-new cyborg 'Angelica'.
Her parents were absolute scum,
but I felt they were correct to call her an angel.
Oh, wow!
Who's the cutey, Marco-san?
Is she your daughter?!
Stop talking like that, you perverts!
She's the cyborg.
Oh, so she's the one?
I'm the missionary of love, Amadeo.
Good to meetcha--
I'm the fallen angel of love, Priscilla!
Back then, Section 2 consisted of Angelica and less than 10 members.
We never got any real work, so we had lots of spare time.
How is she?
Almost too good. Cybernetic implants are incredible.
Does she ever ask about her family?
On occasion.
That's when the Pasta Prince story comes out-
once she hears that, she quickly forgets 'em.
Though I just make it up as I go along.
Oh? That was your story?
I figured it was from one of Patrizia's children's books...
Have you told her about this job?
No. I'll tell her next week.
Welfare work? I thought you were with the military police?
Remember that man, Bianchi? He got me in.
What kind of work do you do?
How do I put it... I take care of children.
That's great. Now we can see each other all the time.
It's the perfect job for you!
Every time I saw Angelica, she pestered me about the rest of the story.
As I was completely out of ideas,
I had some idle members help think up the pasta tale.
Don't all fairy tales have a princess?
A princess kidnapped by a dragon or something...
A dragon, huh?
Seems kind of ordinary...
We're not pros, and it doesn't need to be complex.
--What are former public security elites --Fairy tales you still remember
--and Russian spies doing? --as an adult
--What's the harm? There's nothing to do anyway. --are simple and have memorable scenes.
--Wish they'd get her back in combat shape --The dragon that kidnapped the princess
--and give us some work. --seems evil at first,
but he just wanted a friend, like the prince. How's that?
Sounds good!
As per Giorgio's hopes, Angelica's implants were successfully replaced.
By the time Prince Pasta met Princess Pizza,
Section 2 had finally become strong enough to take on terrorists.
Why is the prince's name 'Pasta'?
Only the prince of Pasta Kingdom can eat pasta.
There's only one fork that gets passed down,
so only one person can be named 'Pasta'.
Just when I thought you rarely see me,
I never expected you were writing a fairy tale for a little girl.
What are you writing?
It sounds interesting, so I want to take notes.
Say, Marco. Can't you tell me where you work?
Sure. The 'Social Welfare Agency'.
It's your average government group.
Is that so...?
Yep.
Legs a little farther apart. Stick your arms out gently.
Don't touch the trigger until you're about to shoot.
Alright. Take a shot.
Don't be surprised by the sound or recoil.
Wow! I wouldn't have thought that was a little girl's first try!
Cybernetic implants really are amazing.
Here to waste time again?
What's with the suspicious sunglasses?
Give me some credit.
I just did hand-to-hand combat training.
You train too, Priscilla-chan?
I am in charge of intellectual work,
but if I'm going to be in this organization,
I should toughen myself up.
--Strength brings possibilities. --Possibilities...?
Right. Possibilities that can be used for good or bad things.
I wanted to help you like how the prince saved Princess Pizza.
But from the looks of it, you should be protecting me.
Well? Was it scary shooting a gun?
No. I had to do it, so I was fine.
Conditioning sure is scary.
What's your problem?
We do nothing but baby-sit!
So? The pay is good, and we get to be with girls.
You're just here for the chicks? Marine trash!
Are all army officers this stupid?
--Do you love murder that much?! --Why, you...!
That eager to fight, huh? Talk about childish!
I want to fire the both of you,
but the agency doesn't dismiss people that easily.
I'll make you suffer instead.
For the next 3 months, participate in the army's operations.
If you want to exert yourselves that badly, then go do it there.
--Yes, sir! --Yes, sir!
I tested the possibilities that Priscilla-chan talked about.
Maybe I was wrong?
Not at all. You did great.
Ironically, this incident spurred on the use of cybernetic implants,
and soon Section 2 was given a chance for real combat.
And then we learned of the side effects of cybernetic transformation.
--They're so pretty! --Yeah.
Angelica.
Amadeo-san! Giorgio-san!
Oh, you're finally back?
Those were the three months from Hell.
--You brought it on yourself. --Yeah, I know.
Angelica. Here you go.
Hey. Apologize.
Yeah, yeah!
I'm sorry about before.
Did something happen?
I never thought you two would break up...
Dr. Bianchi. What was his real job?
It's--
--against the rules to tell me?
He said the same thing.
While still smelling of gunpowder...
I want Marco to be a normal person...
...so I broke up with him.
Oh, yes! Whatever happened to that story?
The Prince Pasta and Princess Pizza one?
The main story was finished. They even made a side story!
Doctor. Could you tell me what kind of story it was?
If it's alright with you, I'd like to make it into a book!
I no longer tell her the story.
I don't want to think that everything I did for her back then was in vain.
She no longer remembers the story.
One more lap and we'll call it a day.
Yes, sir...
"Cluster Amaryllis"