Location: The Bureau Medical Bay (Highway Shrine HQ)
Time: 11:45 PM (One Hour After the Gluttony Fight)
The Medical Bay wasn't a sterile white hospital room. It was a renovated storage closet that smelled like antiseptic and incense.
Benji was sitting on an exam table, hyperventilating into a paper bag while a medic applied a bandage to a microscopic scratch on his finger.
"I think it's infected," Benji wheezed. "I saw a rat look at me. Rats carry plague. Am I patient zero?"
"You're fine, Benji," the medic sighed, slapping a Hello Kitty band-aid on him. "It's a paper cut."
Across the room, GiGi was refusing medical attention. She was sitting on top of a cabinet, hissing at anyone who came near her with a needle.
"No shots!" GiGi growled, baring her fangs. "I heal naturally! Give me a steak and leave me alone!"
Dante sat in a chair in the corner, shirtless. His torso was wrapped in fresh bandages. His piercings were finally cool to the touch, but his body ached. He was holding his black hoodie in his lap, staring at the small, pink star sticker Roxy had slapped onto it.
Gold star, he thought. Don't lose it.
The door opened. Sora walked in, holding a clipboard. He looked unusually awake.
"Good news," Sora said. "The Bureau is covering the medical bills."
"And the bad news?" Dante asked, putting his shirt back on.
"The bad news," Sora said, tossing the clipboard onto Benji's lap, "is that Commander Vane filed a formal complaint about our 'unorthodox methods.' Specifically, she didn't like that GiGi rode the monster like a pony."
"It was tactical!" GiGi shouted from the cabinet.
"Also," Sora continued, looking at Dante. "Eri sent a message. An encrypted file."
Dante looked up. "The spy?"
"She sent us the bill for the warehouse we destroyed," Sora said. "Just kidding. She sent us a name."
Sora pulled a photograph out of his pocket. It was a grainy surveillance shot of a man walking through the Kagura-Zaka airport. He was wearing a white suit. Platinum blonde hair slicked back.
GiGi froze. She stopped swinging her legs.
"Matsuzaki," she whispered.
"He's here," Sora confirmed. "And he's not alone. He brought the Iron Guard—his personal elite unit. They've locked down the West Docks."
The room went silent. The playful energy of the victory evaporated.
"Why is he here?" Benji asked, his voice trembling. "Is he going to attack the Bureau?"
"No," GiGi said softly. She hopped down from the cabinet. She didn't look feral anymore. She looked tired. "He's here for me. The Matsuzaki Clan doesn't tolerate runaways. It stains the family honor."
She walked over to the window, looking out at the dark highway underpass.
"I have to go," GiGi said. "If I stay, he'll burn the city down to get to me."
"You're not going anywhere," Dante said.
He stood up. He winced as his ribs protested, but he walked over to GiGi.
"We just killed a Gluttony Demon," Dante said. "We can handle a guy in a suit."
"He's not just a guy," GiGi said, turning to face him. Her red eyes were shimmering. "He's my brother. And he's better than me, Dante. He's perfect. I'm just... the mistake."
Dante reached out and flicked the titanium hair clip he had given her. It made a small ping sound.
"You're not a mistake," Dante said. "You're Squad 4. And nobody quits Squad 4 unless they fill out the proper resignation paperwork in triplicate."
GiGi stared at him. Then she let out a short, wet laugh.
"You and your paperwork," she muttered.
"Besides," Benji piped up from the exam table. "If you leave, who's going to eat all the expired hot dogs? The ecosystem of the store relies on you!"
Sora clapped his hands together. "Exactly. We don't abandon teammates. It's bad for morale. And it means more paperwork for me."
Sora walked over to the door and held it open.
"Go home. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we start training for a duel. If Matsuzaki wants a fight, we'll give him a war."
Location: Smile Mart (District 9)
Time: 2:00 AM
Dante unlocked the front door of the shop. The chime screamed "GYYY-URRR-KHHH."
It was music to his ears.
He walked in. The store was still a mess from the fight days ago, but it was their mess.
He walked to the counter and picked up his black umbrella. He looked at the Hello Kitty keychain. Then he looked at the pink star sticker on his hoodie.
He smiled, just a little.
"Clean up on Aisle... Life," Dante whispered.
He put on his headphones. The Cure started playing.
He picked up a broom.