Wright had recovered enough to move, but he was still curled up on the ground, his face pale. When he saw George, a desperate light flickered in his eyes.
"Wright Jackson, you are under arrest." George pulled out his handcuffs. "You have the right to remain silent—"
"Wait!" Wright blurted out. "I want to make a report! I know plenty of secrets about other gangs!"
"We'll discuss it at the station," George said coldly.
Scarface also regained consciousness, and when he took in the situation, despair filled his face. He knew it was really over this time.
Two officers cuffed Wright and Scarface, ready to escort them downstairs.
"Mr. Voss." George walked over, smiling gratefully. "Thank you so much for your help."
"No, no, I didn't do anything—it was all my friend," Voss said quickly, waving his hands. "I just watched from the sidelines."
"You're too modest." George pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it over.
"This is my contact information. If you ever run into trouble in New York, call me. If it's within my power, I'll help you."
Voss accepted the card, still puzzled. "Officer George, you're awfully enthusiastic—it's a little overwhelming."
The young officer nearby couldn't hold back. "Mr. Voss, maybe you don't realize it, but catching Wright and Scarface is huge for the department!"
"Shut it, Jack!" George snapped.
"It's fine," Voss said with curiosity. "Why is it such a big deal?"
Jack glanced nervously at George, then explained:
"These two are the leaders of the Wright Gang. We've been after them for ages, but they never left their headquarters. If we tried to raid the place, we'd suffer heavy casualties."
"I see," Voss said, finally understanding.
"And…" Jack lowered his voice, "bringing down two big shots like this could really help the captain get promoted to chief."
George's face flushed. "You talk too much!"
"Haha, congratulations then!" Voss grinned.
"So it was Artoria who did the heavy lifting?"
"More than that!" George clapped Voss on the shoulder. "Miss Artoria has done a great service for the people of New York!"
"Artoria, you've become a hero!" Aqua cheered, clapping her hands.
"Protecting the weak is my responsibility," Artoria replied modestly.
Tom and Jerry exchanged a look. At least with Wright and Scarface gone, they wouldn't have to worry about trouble from those two again.
"We'll take these two back to the station," George said. "Mr. Voss, we'll need you to come in tomorrow to give a detailed statement."
"No problem," Voss nodded.
"And Miss Artoria," George added, turning to her, "we'll need your cooperation too."
"I'll cooperate," Artoria said firmly.
The police escorted Wright and Scarface downstairs, and the building grew quiet again.
As Wright was led outside, despair twisted his face. He knew this was the end. Not only had the attempt on Voss's life failed, but now he was in police custody, and the Wright Gang was finished.
Worse still—once Kingpin learned that his betrayal had come to light, prison would be a mercy compared to what awaited him.
"It's over… it's all over…" Wright muttered.
Scarface didn't look much better off. He only hoped he might survive a few more days in prison.
Downstairs, the wail of police sirens faded into the distance.
"Phew… finally over." Voss let out a long breath. "Artoria, thank you."
"It's nothing. As your Servant, protecting you is my duty," Artoria said, her tone softening.
"This goddess wants to learn combat too!" Aqua piped up, eyes sparkling. "It looks so powerful!"
"You?" Voss pictured Aqua fighting and winced. "Forget it. Just stick to practicing games."
"Why?! This goddess is clearly full of talent!" Aqua protested.
Tom made a little "you'll only hurt yourself" gesture while Jerry tried not to laugh.
"Speaking of which, are you hungry?" Voss asked suddenly. "I heard Heroic Spirits need food to recharge their energy. Want something to eat?"
Artoria's eyes lit up instantly. "(★ ω ★) If it's not too much trouble…"
"No trouble at all! After all you did for us tonight, it's only right I treat you," Voss said quickly.
"Then this goddess wants food too!" Aqua raised her hand. "I was so scared I'm starving!"
Tom and Jerry nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Alright then, takeout's on me. Fried chicken, pizza, and soda for everyone!" Voss decided.
"Hooray!!!" the group shouted in unison.
An hour later, the table was covered with six fried chicken combos, three large pizzas, and six big bottles of Coke.
"Wow, it smells amazing!" Aqua's eyes shone as she looked at the feast. "This goddess is so hungry, my stomach is eating itself!"
Artoria's eyes welled up with tears of gratitude. "Master, you're too kind… o(￣﹃￣*)ゞ"
"Don't be so formal—just call me Voss," he said. "If it weren't for you, we'd all be dead."
Tom and Jerry were already munching away, eating happily.
"In that case, I won't hold back!" Artoria said, picking up a drumstick and taking an elegant bite.
The next second, her whole face lit up. "This taste… it's incredible!"
"Eat slowly, no one's taking it away from you," Voss chuckled.
But he quickly realized he was wrong. Artoria devoured the food at an astonishing pace, drumstick after drumstick vanishing as her ahoge wiggled with joy.
"My god… how long has she been starving?" Voss muttered.
"This goddess refuses to lose!" Aqua shouted, and immediately began wolfing food down as well.
Tom and Jerry looked at each other in alarm and immediately guarded their plates.
Half an hour later, the table was stripped bare. Artoria patted her stomach, satisfied. "Thank you for the meal. That was the most delicious food I've ever had."
"Same here!" Aqua flopped onto the couch. "This goddess is stuffed!"
Voss looked at the mountain of empty boxes and clutched his wallet with a pang of sorrow. His food expenses were about to skyrocket.
"It's late. We should get some rest," he said, tidying up. "Tomorrow we still have to give statements at the station."
"Um… what about sleeping arrangements?" Artoria asked shyly.
Voss glanced around his tiny apartment. Only one bedroom, and Aqua had already been stuck with the couch before.
"How about this—you and Aqua take the bedroom, I'll crash on the sofa," he said.
"How could I take your bed!" Artoria quickly waved her hands. "I can sleep on the sofa."
"This goddess thinks sharing is perfect!" Aqua beamed. "We can talk until dawn!"
"Don't be ridiculous—we need to wake up early," Voss said, exasperated. "It's settled. The bed's big enough for two."
Artoria still looked hesitant, but seeing his insistence, she finally nodded. "Then… I'll do as you say."
"Not at all—it's us imposing on you," Voss reassured her.
Later, as everyone settled down, Voss lay awake on the couch, staring at the cracked ceiling.
This place was too small. And Hell's Kitchen was far too dangerous. Tonight had made that crystal clear—if they stayed here, trouble would only keep finding them.
With the money from his writing, plus Tom's income from the restaurant, he could afford something much better.
"Tomorrow, after the station… I'll start looking for a new place," Voss resolved silently.