A day had passed. Nighthawk arrived in Persetta near dusk, exhausted from the Riche carriage ride. Their muscles ached, and voices were hoarse from the never-ending banter that followed their squad.
The carriage dropped them off in front of HQ, where civilians watched from their daily routines of rebuilding in silence. Rin jumped first from the cart, map in hand with her hammer bouncing on her back. Averin followed with droopy eyes, and Shonjo next, landing with a stumble.
Rin made for the door with a hint of pride, pulling it open to reveal the lantern-lit halls of Memento's headquarters. The hallway loomed ahead, decorated with newer phoenix-stitched carpet that led to deeper chambers. A testament to Correna.
Rin walked with casual urgency, Averin and Shonjo followed shortly behind. The scent of Persetta Mint-green coffee filled the halls, and that's how Rin knew Danzo was home.
They approached the awaiting war-room, surrounding the table in silence, as Danzo looked on in confusion.
"Nighthawk? I thought you all were stationed in Riche?"
"We were," Rin grinned, before tossing the map onto the table. She nudged it to Danzo's side, which he turned using his fingers. "Thought you'd like to see this."
Danzo observed, before his lips curved into a giant smile. "You all… just made my day a bit brighter."
"A bit?" Shonjo joked, passing the bottle he held in his hand toward Danzo on the table. "This might raise that further."
Danzo glanced, before shaking his head and pointing at his coffee. Shonjo shrugged.
"Those idiots were sneaking some kind of goods through those tunnels. But more importantly, sir…" Averin said, eyeing the circled area.
"Gives us another opportunity," Danzo finished with a flickered smile. "One that doesn't require entering an opened gate, and expecting it to go well."
Rin waited eagerly for Danzo's next words. She placed the hammer, metal to the floor, and leaned her chin on the handle.
"Good work—no, great work, Nighthawk. Go take a rest day. You earned it."
Rin pumped her fists in the air, before giving Averin a celebratory uppercut to the abdomen. He winced, but took it like a champ. Shonjo was already out the door.
The other two left shortly after, already enjoying the start of their short break. Danzo lingered in his office, fingers wrapped around his freshly brewed coffee.
"An underbelly below Igumi… then, the second invasion may come sooner than we thought."
He sighed slightly, before grabbing some ink and a quill to map out plans. Though the others would be resting, he wouldn't—because Maro wouldn't.
Back outside, Persetta carried on. Among the active citizens, Tona walked through the square with his hood up. The night was calm, but his outfit read that the day hadn't been. His coat was torn at the seams, with droplets of blood across the white cloth. He didn't wear the scarf, instead, his mask remained loosely hanging from his neck in its place. The faint trail of blood crawled at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were tired.
He began to take the cloak off, tossing it over a shoulder. Underneath, a tighter black tee outlined each muscle—it clung like it was afraid to let go.
He walked toward Memento's HQ, face burdened and stripped of his normal colors. He pushed the doors to the building open slightly, trudging forward in unhurried steps. His room was three doors down from the entrance on the right. When he reached the room, he lifted a hand to the knob, before a note caught his eye.
It was slid under the number near the top, reading one-hundred and six. He gently lifted the note, opening it hesitantly. The handwriting was familiar, even if it wasn't signed.
"Tonight, at the cliffs. Be there. No excuses."
No embellishment or anything—and yet, Tona knew exactly who wrote it.
He gave a quiet sigh, shoving the note into the pocket of his baggy, dark pants. His steps led him further through the HQ, eventually reaching a second hallway. He scanned the doors, eventually reaching a room two-hundred and twelve. He knocked once, in which the faint echo of a voice came from inside.
"Come in!"
Tona opened the knob gently, stepping through the frame. Correna sat at her desk, adding a finishing touch to a white coat. On the back, a large grin was visible—one awfully similar to his mask.
"Hey, how can I—OH, TONA!" she said, raising her voice. She swiped the coat off the table in a single swipe, before standing with her hands behind her back.
He rubbed the back of his head with a softer smile. "Surprised?"
"Yeah, kinda. You haven't exactly been around recently. Everyone's been worried!"
His smile faded slightly, before he closed the door behind him. "Yeah… I know. May I sit?"
"Yeah, of course," she said instantly, pointing at a chair beside her bed. He pulled it further up, before sitting with an inhale.
Correna seemed upset, her eyes reaching Tona with a hint of disappointment.
"Be honest… did you see it?"
Tona turned his head in confusion—one he was definitely faking.
"Hm? See what?"
Correna squinted her eyes, like she was judging his honesty, before sighing. "Alright. I might as well show you while you're here."
She leaned down to where the coat had dropped, picking it up, and dusting it off slightly. It was a beautifully pristine white, with the iconic grin of the Ghost imprinted on the back.
"Your little fanclub asked me to craft this for you. I made it in two days," she said, smiling with the smallest sense of pride.
Tona stood, eyes catching the glint of the newly made cloth. "Wow. Looks much better than this guy," he joked softly, holding out his ripped one for her to see.
He threw the older, torn coat back over his shoulder, before grabbing the new one with admiration.
"Thank you, Correna. Really."
She gave a warm smile, content with his gratefulness. She sat down at her desk, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you like it. Truly. Anyways, was there a reason you stopped by? It's been some time since you last visited me."
Tona looked to the floor. Correna watched the shadow reclaim his expression, the weight settling back over his shoulders.
She didn't ask what was wrong, she knew he wouldn't say.
"Hey," she said softly. Tona glanced over, curiosity resting in his violet eyes.
"You know you can talk to me… if you're struggling. I'm here."
"Yeah."
It wasn't dismissive, but it wasn't an answer either. He pushed himself out of the chair, strolling over to her workbench. His fingers traced the edges of a freshly sewn mask.
"Masterful work as always."
"I do my best," she replied.
Tona gave a soft hum and made for the door, his stride unhurried. He stopped just as soon as he took the first few steps.
"Heading out already?" she asked, still resting in her chair. He turned slightly to look at her once more. "Yeah, just wanted to stop by for a bit."
His tone was a bit quieter than usual. He played with the ring sitting on his index, spinning repeatedly. She knew there was another reason.
"You know… you both are too patient for your own good," he said out of the blue. It caught Correna off guard.
"What do you mean?"
"Some people need a push. Someone like Hatori."
She blinked, color flooding across her cheeks. "I… don't—"
"Yeah, you do. I haven't forgotten, y'know."
Somehow, her blush deepened. She gripped the mask she had sewn a little harder now.
"Why… why bring this up now?"
"Dunno. Just been thinking that some people deserve to hear what they mean to someone."
Finally, he looked back at her. For a moment, the mask of composure slipped—his eyes warm, almost gentle. A loose strand of dark hair fell across his face, but it didn't hide the directness of his gaze.
"You and Hatori make a damn good team. Always have. And when he comes around this time…"
He paused for just a moment, breathing calmly. "Don't push him away. Especially, when you feel the same."
"I just… hardly feel that war is the time for that," she said, her hand covering her heart now—as if it would pour from her chest if she didn't.
"It's better to tell him now, than to never get the chance."
He half turned again, a single violet eye was visible beneath the dark hair and his shoulder.
"Of course… I wouldn't let that happen—but you get the point."
With that, he opened the door, giving a two-fingered salute before leaving in silence. Correna remained, the warmth of Tona's words lingering. Her thoughts inevitably drifting to Hatori, as she held her hand closer to her heart than before.