[Anby POV]
Mousa looked happier than Anby had seen him since they first found him inside the Hollow. He was standing between the two Chocobos with his arms around them, laughing while Billy celebrated beside him.
"I'M FUCKING FREE!"
"KWEH! KWEH!"
Mousa pointed at the birds. "THEY GET IT!"
Anby watched them quietly. She didn't know how long Mousa had actually been trapped inside the Hollow before they met him, but his reaction made sense. People who stayed inside for too long could get lost, forgotten, corrupted or worse. Getting out alive was something worth celebrating.
Even Billy seemed completely energized again despite everything that had happened.
"We made it!"
The commission itself had not gone well. They had lost the strongbox, Silver had transformed into a Superior Ethereal, and what should have been a simple job had turned into something much more complicated. Still, Anby couldn't deny that she felt relieved too.
There was also the burger she had left in the fridge.
It would have been unfortunate if she had died inside the Hollow and the burger had gone bad before she could eat it. Then somebody would have had to throw it away, which would have been a waste.
Anby considered that for a moment.
She might have eaten it anyway.
Probably.
Her attention returned to Mousa when the celebration finally started dying down. His smile was still there, but something about the way he was standing had changed. He was leaning more heavily against one of the Chocobos, and when he tried to take a step toward Nicole's car, his balance shifted badly.
Anby narrowed her eyes.
"Mousa?"
He looked toward her, though it took him a second longer than usual to react.
"I'm fine."
He did not look fine.
One of the Chocobos nudged his shoulder and gave a worried sound.
"Kweh?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Mousa repeated, giving it a weak pat.
That was at least the third time Anby had heard him say that since they escaped.
People who repeatedly said they were fine usually weren't.
Mousa tried to take another step, but his leg almost gave out beneath him. The Chocobo immediately moved closer and let him lean against its side.
Billy finally noticed too.
"You alright, buddy?"
"Yeah, I just think everything is starting to catch up with me."
His voice sounded weaker than before.
Anby started moving toward him, but Billy happened to be closer.
Mousa's eyes suddenly lost focus and his knees gave out completely.
"Whoa!"
Billy lunged forward and caught him under the arms just before his face hit the pavement.
"That was close."
He carefully lowered Mousa onto the ground while Anby crouched beside them.
"Mo?" Billy said, patting Mousa lightly on the cheek. "Hey, buddy. Wake up."
Mousa didn't react.
Billy tried again.
"Mo?"
Anby reached over and moved Billy's hand away.
"Stop."
"I'm checking if he's awake."
"He isn't."
"I noticed."
Anby ignored him and started checking Mousa herself. She had some first-aid knowledge from somewhere in her past, even if she couldn't remember exactly where it came from. There were still large parts of her memories that were unclear, but her body usually seemed to know what to do even when her mind didn't remember learning it.
She checked his breathing first, then his pulse. Both were there. His pulse was a little faster than normal, but there were no obvious signs that something had gone seriously wrong.
"He's alive," Anby said.
Billy let out a breath and leaned back slightly.
"Well, that's good."
The two Chocobos immediately pushed their heads between them.
"Kweh?"
One of them started pecking lightly at Mousa's shoulder while the other pecked at his arm.
"Kweh. Kweh."
Anby watched them for a few seconds.
"They are checking him."
Billy stared at the birds.
"They're pecking him."
"Yes."
"That doesn't seem very medical."
"It isn't."
The first Chocobo pecked Mousa again, this time catching part of his shirt and stretching the fabric.
Anby reached over and gently pushed its head away.
"Stop that. You're going to damage his clothes."
"Kweh?"
The Chocobo tilted its head before the second one immediately tried doing the same thing.
Anby moved that one away too.
"Both of you."
"Kweh…"
They looked disappointed.
Eous was also moving around them frantically, running from one side of Mousa to the other while waving his little arms.
"Ehn-na! Ehn-na!"
Billy looked down at him.
"Easy, little guy. He's still breathing."
Eous stopped for a second.
Then immediately started running around again.
"Ehn-na!"
Apparently that had not helped.
"What is going on?"
Nicole's voice came from behind them.
Nicole had finally gotten out of the car and was walking toward the group, already looking annoyed.
"I told you guys to get in quickly. You know PubSec is patrolling this area, and I really don't feel like explaining why we're standing around near a Hollow exit with—"
Nicole stopped mid-sentence.
Her eyes moved toward Billy, then Anby, then Mousa lying unconscious on the ground. After that, she finally noticed the two enormous yellow birds standing protectively beside him.
Nicole stared for several seconds.
"…Who is that?"
Billy looked up at Nicole and immediately grabbed both of her hands.
"B-Boss…" he said, looking up at her dramatically. "Please save him."
His voice sounded so miserable that Nicole actually froze for a second before trying to pull herself together. Then she bonked him on the head.
"OW!"
Nicole immediately pulled her hand back and looked down at one of her nails.
"My nail!"
Her expression changed instantly as she looked at Billy with pure anger.
"That's coming out of your paycheck, Billy."
Billy raised both hands defensively. "Boss, you know my body is strong! You can't blame me for that!"
That did not seem to help.
"You're compensating me for this nail."
Billy looked genuinely heartbroken.
Nicole ignored his sorrowful expression and turned toward Anby instead.
"And what's wrong with him?"
"He's unconscious," Anby answered.
Nicole gave her a flat look.
"I know that."
Anby looked down at Mousa again.
"His breathing and pulse seem normal, but we should still take him to a doctor for a proper examination."
Nicole grimaced slightly and crossed her arms.
"Yeah, obviously. Fine. We can do that."
She looked down at Mousa for a moment, probably already calculating how much all of this was going to cost.
"We'll pay for the medical treatment for now, and if he wakes up healthy enough, we can ask him to pay us back later."
Billy blinked.
"Boss…"
"What?"
"Nothing."
Nicole ignored him and looked toward Eous.
"But first, we need to return the Bangboo to Phaethon and see if we can negotiate a better deal."
Anby tilted her head slightly.
"Phaethon thinks you tricked them."
Nicole froze.
"What?"
"They thought they were rescuing three people plus two birds instead of just us."
Billy slowly turned toward Nicole.
"They were going to give you a discount."
Nicole's eyes immediately lit up.
"A discount?"
Billy nodded.
Nicole blinked once.
"Great."
She turned toward Mousa again.
"Billy, help us get him into the car."
"Right!"
Billy moved toward Mousa, but then stopped and pointed toward the two Chocobos.
"But Boss, what about them?"
Nicole looked at the birds.
"Do they belong to him?"
Anby thought about it for a moment.
"Kind of."
"Kind of?"
"He says he found them inside the Hollow."
One of the Chocobos immediately leaned closer to Mousa.
"Kweh…"
Nicole stared at it.
"That sounds more like they adopted him."
Billy nodded seriously. "Honestly, I think that's what happened."
Nicole sighed.
"Fine. Then take them back to the Cunning Hares' headquarters."
Billy paused.
"You mean our apartment."
Nicole looked at him.
"Yes, Billy. Our headquarters."
He looked back at the two Chocobos.
Then at the apartment building in the distance.
Then back at Nicole.
"Boss… they're not going to fit."
Nicole went quiet.
That was a problem.
The Chocobos were large enough that trying to squeeze both of them into the apartment would probably result in broken furniture, damaged walls, or both.
Anby looked toward Eous.
"We could ask Phaethon if they can stay in their garage."
Nicole immediately looked suspicious.
"I mean, we could."
Billy smiled.
"Problem solved!"
Nicole's expression didn't change.
"No. New problem."
Billy's smile disappeared.
"What?"
"If we ask Phaethon for another favor, they might add it to our debt."
There was a short silence.
Billy looked toward the Chocobos.
"So… apartment?"
Nicole looked at the birds again.
One of them pecked lightly at Mousa's sleeve.
"Kweh."
Nicole sighed.
"We'll ask Phaethon.