Location: "Dragon-Bowl" Ramen Shop (Lowtown)
Time: 8:00 PM (The Next Night)
The "Dragon-Bowl" was not a high-end establishment. It was a hole-in-the-wall shop squeezed between a laundromat and a pachinko parlor. The sign was missing the 'D', so it just read "RAGON-BOWL."
But the ramen was cheap, greasy, and open 24/7. It was Squad 4's favorite spot.
"To GiGi!" Benji raised his glass of melon soda. "The Queen of the Stairs! The Marble Master!"
"To me!" GiGi cheered. She was wearing a bandage on her cheek and a new t-shirt that said I SURVIVED MY BROTHER AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS SHIRT. It was written in crayon on a plain white t-shirt, Sora had personally made it.
She clinked her glass against Benji's so hard that soda splashed onto his laptop case.
"Careful!" Benji yelped. "This machine holds the secrets of the universe! And my fanfiction drafts!"
Dante sat at the end of the booth, quietly eating his tonkotsu ramen. He had removed his Smile Mart vest for once, revealing just the black hoodie. He looked... relaxed. Or as relaxed as Dante ever looked (which meant his shoulders were only slightly hunched).
"You did good," Dante said to GiGi. He pushed a plate of gyoza toward her. "Eat. You lost a lot of blood."
GiGi didn't hesitate. She grabbed a dumpling with her bare hands and threw it into her mouth.
"Matsuzaki is gone," GiGi mumbled, chewing. "But he's right. The Dominion won't stop. They're going to send someone worse next time."
"Let them come," Sora said.
Sora was sitting at the counter, bothering the chef. He had already eaten four bowls of ramen and was currently trying to convince the owner to give him a stamp card for a free meal.
"Come on, Chef," Sora wheedled. "I bring you business! Look at these kids! They eat like vacuum cleaners!"
"No stamps for you," the Chef grunted, slamming a pot down. "You still owe me for last month."
Sora sighed and spun his stool around to face the kids.
"Enjoy the peace while it lasts," Sora said. "Eri is quiet. The Matsuzaki clan is retreating. The city is... stable."
"Stable is boring," GiGi said, playing with her chopsticks. "I want to blow something up."
"Please don't," Benji begged. "My heart rate is finally below 120."
Dante looked out the window. The rain was falling on Kagura-Zaka, blurring the neon lights. For the first time in weeks, no one was trying to kill them. No Ghouls. No assassins. Just rain.
He touched the Hello Kitty keychain in his pocket.
"Stable is nice," Dante said softly. "Stable means I can actually sleep."
Suddenly, the TV in the corner of the shop flickered. The news anchor appeared, looking grave.
*"Breaking News: A massive sinkhole has opened in the Uptown District near the Prism Tower. Authorities are calling it a geological anomaly..."*
Sora's eyes narrowed behind his sleep mask. He stopped spinning his stool.
"Sinkhole," Sora muttered. "In the Uptown district? That's solid bedrock."
"Is it a mission?" GiGi asked, perking up.
Sora stood up. He threw a crumpled bill on the counter (probably not enough to cover the bill).
"Not yet," Sora said. "Finish your food. Go home. Sleep."
He walked to the door, the bell jingling.
"I need to go make a phone call," Sora said. "To an old friend who likes to dig holes."
He vanished into the rain.
Dante watched him go. The feeling of peace evaporated.
"He didn't pay for the gyoza," Dante realized.
"And he took the last napkin," Benji noted.
GiGi shrugged and stole Dante's egg. "More for us."