[Belle POV]
After finishing her check of the HDD system, she finally pushed herself away from the console and stretched, rubbing one of her shoulders after sitting there for what felt like forever. Another commission had somehow ended without the HDD exploding, Eous getting permanently damaged, or anyone being left behind inside the Hollow, which was already enough to call it a successful day in her book.
"Another successful job for Phaethon."
A familiar voice came from behind her. She turned around to see her older brother standing a few steps away with his usual nest of grey hair and tired-looking eyes. Wise somehow always managed to look like he hadn't slept properly in days even though she knew for a fact that he usually got around eight hours of sleep. Sometimes she genuinely wondered how he managed it.
"Of course," she said proudly, placing her hands on her hips. "Did you expect anything less?"
Wise gave her a look. "I expected you to come back without nearly getting Eous run over by two giant yellow birds."
Her smile disappeared. "That was not my fault."
"I didn't say it was."
"You were thinking it."
Wise didn't answer, which was already enough of an answer for her. She narrowed her eyes at him while he tried, and failed, to hide the small smile forming on his face.
"That silence means yes."
Wise finally let out a quiet laugh before walking toward the counter. She followed him, still pretending to be offended even though she knew he was only teasing her. Now that everything had calmed down, Random Play felt strangely quiet compared to the constant noise inside the Hollow.
"Still," Wise said as he leaned against the counter, "Anby and Billy made it out safely. That's the important part."
"Yeah. For a rescue that almost turned into complete chaos, I'd say it went pretty well."
Wise glanced at her. "Pretty well?"
"Nobody died."
"That is a very low standard."
"It's a good standard."
He shook his head, but she could see the small smile on his face. She leaned against the counter beside him and let herself relax for the first time since connecting to Eous.
"You know, it was kind of fun," she admitted.
Wise looked over at her. "Getting chased through a Hollow?"
"Not that part."
"Almost getting Eous flattened?"
"Also not that part."
"Then which part?"
She thought about it for a moment, tapping one finger against the counter. "I don't know. Just being back out there again, I guess."
His expression softened slightly. "You say that now."
She immediately looked at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you always say that after a job, and then the next time something goes wrong, you complain for half an hour."
"That is not true."
Wise raised an eyebrow.
She lowered the finger she had been pointing at him. "Okay, maybe a little."
"A lot."
"You're supposed to support your younger sister."
"I do support you."
"Not enough."
Wise sighed. "You want praise?"
She smiled immediately. "Obviously."
He stared at her for a second before finally giving in. "Fine. You did well."
Her smile widened. "See? Was that so hard?"
"Yes."
"Rude."
Wise laughed again, and she leaned more comfortably against the counter. It was nice to have a quiet moment like this after everything that had happened. If they didn't have commissions to worry about, she knew exactly what she would probably be doing right now: lying in bed, eating junk food, and playing fighting games until she lost track of time.
Honestly, it sounded like a pretty good life.
Being one of the best Proxies in New Eridu had its advantages, though. Commissions came regularly enough that they could actually choose which ones suited them instead of desperately taking every job that appeared on the Inter-Knot. They even had their own video store acting as a perfectly normal front for their definitely normal business, although Random Play sometimes got a little neglected whenever Phaethon got too busy.
"Belle."
"Huh?"
She snapped out of her thoughts and looked back at Wise. He was standing there with his arms crossed, staring at her with a knowing expression.
She froze for a second.
Busted.
"Hehe…" She scratched the back of her head with an awkward smile, hoping that would somehow get her out of whatever lecture was coming.
Wise sighed and rubbed his forehead. He already knew that look. Whenever she smiled like that, it usually meant she had either done something stupid or was desperately searching for a way to change the subject before he could question her.
"Anyway, Wise, have you ever seen those birds anywhere before?" she asked, immediately jumping onto the first distraction that came to mind.
He looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you asking me?"
She straightened herself before getting out of the chair and walking over to him. "Who between us is the documentary guy, then?" she asked, giving him a couple of pats on the shoulder as if the answer should have been obvious.
"Ugh…"
Wise actually looked a little guilty for a second, which only made her more confident. Considering how much of their money had disappeared into documentaries and movies over the years, maybe he had a reason to feel guilty. Instead of defending himself, though, he brought one hand to his chin and genuinely thought about her question.
"Hmm. I've never seen birds like those anywhere in New Eridu before," he finally admitted. "And from what I could see, they didn't look like Ethereals either."
She waited.
Wise remained silent.
She waited a little longer before staring at him seriously. "That's all?"
"What else do you want me to say?"
She crossed her arms. "No more docu-movies."
His expression immediately changed. "Wait, Belle. Don't be rash."
"Nope."
"I answered your question."
"Badly."
"I told you everything I know."
"Still nope."
Wise sighed again while she smiled victoriously. Threatening his documentary collection might actually be the easiest way to get revenge whenever he annoyed her. She made a mental note to remember that.
"Belle."
"Nope."
She was about to return to her chair when another thought suddenly came back to her. Between the two giant birds almost trampling Eous and everyone finally escaping the Hollow, she had almost forgotten about the strangest part of the entire rescue.
"Oh, right. There was another person with them too—"
Beep. Beep.
The sound of a car horn outside interrupted her before she could finish. Both siblings turned toward the back of Random Play, and she recognized the sound almost immediately.
"Looks like Nicole is back," she said.
Belle and Wise opened the back gate remotely, and a moment later Nicole's rusty car came rolling into the backyard. The vehicle slowed to a stop before Nicole and Anby climbed out, while Eous followed right behind them. The little Bangboo spotted her almost immediately and hurried across the yard before wrapping his small arms around her legs.
"Hey, Eous. Good job," she said with a smile, reaching down and scratching the top of his head.
"Ehn-na!" Eous answered happily, leaning into her hand.
"That was quick, Nicole," Wise said as he stepped outside beside her. "Did you run a red light again?"
Nicole turned toward them with an offended expression. "No! We just happened to pass through completely normal green lights. R255 on the RGB scale."
She stared at Nicole for a second. Somehow, the fact that Nicole knew the exact RGB value she needed for that excuse made it sound even more suspicious.
"You're saying that like it makes it better," she said.
"It does make it better. Green means go."
Wise folded his arms. "You made sure nobody followed you?"
Nicole nodded immediately. "Of course. I checked the whole way here. No PubSec, no suspicious cars, nobody following us. Completely clean."
"That's good," Wise replied.
While they were talking, Anby opened one of the rear doors of the car. That was when she finally noticed the person lying across the back seat.
Her smile faded.
Mousa. That was what Anby and Billy had called him.
The last time she had seen him was through Eous, just before disconnecting. He had looked desperate and kind of lost, like he still didn't fully understand what was happening around him. Now, though, he was lying unconscious in the back of Nicole's car.
"What happened to him?" she asked, stepping closer to get a better look at his condition.
"He collapsed shortly after we left the Hollow," Anby explained. "His breathing and pulse are stable. I believe it is exhaustion."
Nicole leaned against the open car door and glanced down at him. "He pretty much dropped the second we were safe. We couldn't exactly leave him lying there, so we brought him along."
She moved closer and looked inside. Up close, he looked even worse than he had through Eous. His clothes were dirty, there were marks from everything he had gone through inside the Hollow, and he looked completely drained.
"So what are you planning to do with him?" Wise asked.
Nicole rubbed the back of her head. "Well… that's actually one of the things I wanted to talk to you about."
There it was.
She looked at Nicole knowingly.
Nicole immediately noticed. "Don't give me that look."
"I haven't said anything."
"You were thinking it."
Wise quietly looked away.
She almost smiled at the irony.
Nicole brought her hands together. "Could you guys keep an eye on him for a little while? Just until we finish dealing with everything else."
"You want us to babysit an unconscious stranger?"
"When you put it like that, it sounds weird."
"It is weird."
Anby looked toward Mousa. "It would be safer for him to remain somewhere quiet until he wakes up."
Nicole nodded quickly. "Exactly. See? Anby gets it. We still need to deal with the rest of the commission, Billy is on his way with those two giant birds, and dragging an unconscious guy around New Eridu doesn't exactly sound like a good idea."
She looked toward Wise. Her brother looked back at her, and the two of them had one of those silent conversations siblings eventually learned after living together long enough.
She sighed. "Fine. For now."
Nicole immediately brightened. "I knew Phaethon was the most reliable and trustworthy Proxy in New Eridu!"
"Save it, Nicole."
Nicole paused.
She narrowed her eyes.
That tone was far too flattering.
"What?" Nicole asked innocently. "I haven't even said anything yet."
"That's exactly why I'm stopping you now."
Nicole placed a hand against her chest as if she had just been personally offended. "Wow. Is that really how you greet someone after she just came back from a dangerous Hollow?"
Wise glanced at her. "You were about to ask for something else."
Nicole looked between them before sighing. "Okay, maybe I was."
She crossed her arms. "Before you ask for anything else, I believe there's the small matter of our payment."
Nicole's expression changed immediately.
"Not so fast!"
She blinked. "There it is."
"That's not what we agreed on," Nicole said, raising one finger. "The commission was my people and the client's item. You've only completed the first half."
She remembered the strongbox almost immediately. "Right. The strongbox."
Nicole smiled again. "See? I knew Phaethon was reliable and trustworthy."
"That compliment worked better the second time," she admitted.
Wise looked toward Anby. "What happened to it?"
Anby stepped away from the car. "According to what we saw before extraction, the strongbox is currently inside the territory of a highly dangerous Ethereal. The White Star Institute has it registered as Dullahan, a superior Ethereal."
She frowned slightly. She had heard the designation before, and none of the information associated with it sounded particularly pleasant.
"So Red Fang Guy became Dullahan?" Wise asked.
Anby nodded. "His Ether corruption was severe. We attempted to recover the strongbox before extraction, but the situation became too dangerous."
Nicole let out a frustrated sigh. "Which means the commission isn't finished until we get that box back."
Before anyone could continue, a loud voice came from somewhere beyond the open back gate.
"MAKE WAY! PRECIOUS CARGO COMING THROUGH!"
Everyone turned.
Billy came running toward Random Play with the two massive yellow birds following close behind him. One of them looked perfectly content trotting along while the other kept trying to peck at the back of Billy's jacket.
"Stop that! This jacket is part of my heroic image!"
"Kweh!"
"That is not an apology!"
She stared at the scene.
Wise stared too.
Nicole slowly placed a hand against her forehead.
Anby simply watched them approach. "Billy has arrived."
"I noticed," Nicole muttered.
Billy finally reached the backyard and dramatically spread his arms. "Mission accomplished! Two mysterious giant birds delivered safely and without incident!"
The Chocobo behind him immediately pecked his shoulder.
Billy recoiled. "Mostly without incident."
Both birds stopped the moment they saw the car and hurried toward it. One immediately pushed its head toward the open rear door, checking on Mousa, while the other stood beside it and made a quieter sound.
"Kweh…"
She watched them for a second. Whatever these things were, they were clearly attached to him.
Nicole pointed toward them. "And that is my second problem."
She looked at Nicole. "No."
"Come on! I haven't even asked yet!"
"You're going to ask if they can stay here."
Nicole froze.
Wise glanced at her. "You're getting good at this."
She smiled proudly at her Bro. "Thank you."
Nicole groaned. "Just temporarily! Look at them. They obviously don't want to leave him, and there is absolutely no way those things are fitting inside our place."
Billy raised a hand. "I believe our headquarters would benefit greatly from two noble steeds."
"No," Nicole and Anby said at the same time.
Billy slowly lowered his hand.
She looked toward the Chocobos again. The garage did have enough room, at least temporarily, and keeping them close to Mousa would probably stop them from trying to follow Nicole's car through half of New Eridu.
"Fine," she said eventually. "They can stay in the garage for now."
Nicole clasped her hands together. "You're the best."
"But if they destroy anything, you're paying for it."
Nicole's smile weakened slightly. "Define destroy."
"Nicole."
"Fine, fine!"
Billy walked over toward them while one Chocobo remained beside the car. "By the way, Manager, you should have seen that Dullahan! Red Fang really got the worst possible end of that deal. His corruption must've been crazy if he turned into something that dangerous."
"So you couldn't get the strongbox before extraction?" Wise asked.
Billy shook his head. "We tried! But that guy was tough, and by the time we had an opening, he dipped getting everyone out was way more important."
He looked toward Nicole. "What exactly is in that box anyway? Is it really worth all this trouble?"
Nicole's expression changed almost immediately.
"Funny you should ask."
Nicole reached into her clothes and pulled out a small object before holding it toward the siblings.
She stared at it.
It looked like a tooth necklace.
Nicole held it out toward her.
She accepted it carefully. "A tooth necklace? For me?"
Nicole nearly recoiled. "What? No! Look at it properly."
She turned it around in her hand. Once she looked closer, she could see exposed metal beneath one damaged section along with several burn marks.
Wise leaned closer. "That isn't just jewelry."
"Exactly!" Nicole said. "It's a mini storage device. It belonged to Silver. I picked it up inside the building before leaving Fourteenth Street."
"So it's basically a flash drive disguised as a necklace?" she asked.
Nicole snapped her fingers. "Exactly! Silver always had it on him, so whatever's inside must be important. I'm betting it has something to do with the strongbox."
Anby looked at the damaged casing. "It has suffered considerable damage."
Billy leaned in as well. "Yeah, look at those burn marks."
Nicole moved closer to her with an expectant smile. "Phaethon, think you can work some of your complicated computer magic?"
She looked at Wise before examining the device again. The HDD was mainly built for processing Hollow data, but if all they needed was whatever remained on the storage device, there were other possibilities.
"The HDD itself probably won't help much," she said, "but if we only need to extract the data…"
Wise understood where she was going immediately. "We could try recovering it using Inter-Knot's computing power."
Nicole's eyes lit up.
"Perfect! Then it's a deal. We'll keep searching for information about the strongbox, and you guys work on recovering whatever's inside that thing."
She turned toward Mousa. "And him?"
Nicole followed her gaze. "We'll take him back with us once we're done here. I don't think leaving a complete stranger unconscious in your video store overnight would be a great first impression."
"That's probably the smartest thing you've said today."
"Hey!"
She smiled and handed the damaged storage device over to Wise.
Nicole clapped her hands together. "All right! Then we'll go our separate ways after this and meet up again once one of us learns something new."
"Sounds good."
Nicole nodded happily before suddenly becoming suspiciously quiet.
She immediately looked at her.
Nicole smiled.
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm going to say!"
"Yes, I do."
Billy looked between them. "Wow, Manager. You really do know Nicole like the back of your hand."
Nicole ignored him and stepped closer. "Phaethon, I have something to discuss with you."
"We don't offer discounts on commission fees," she said immediately.
Nicole stopped.
Billy put a hand over his mouth, poorly hiding his amusement.
"Just listen first!" Nicole protested. "I'm not asking you to mess with the official price. Just open another account on Inter-Knot and give me the discounted price there like before."
She stared at her.
Nicole smiled hopefully.
Anby stepped forward with the same expression she always wore. "Proxy, please give us a discount or Nicole won't let me eat. Cry as you say this."
Nicole whipped her head around. "Don't read out what's in the brackets!"
Anby looked down. "Understood."
Billy immediately turned away because he was very obviously trying not to laugh.
Nicole looked back toward Phaethon. "Anyway, we really need the discount. It's just a liiittle money. That's nothing to someone as successful and generous as Phaethon, right?"
She looked toward Wise.
Wise looked toward her.
Neither of them said anything for a few seconds.
Nicole maintained the biggest smile she could manage.
She finally sighed.
"Ugh. Fine."
Nicole immediately raised both fists in victory. "Yes!"
Billy pointed dramatically toward her. "Another legendary partnership between the Cunning Hares and Phaethon!"
Anby nodded. "Successful negotiation."
"You didn't negotiate anything," Nicole said. "You threatened me with the eating line."
"I followed your instructions."
"You weren't supposed to read the instructions!"
She couldn't stop herself from laughing while Wise shook his head beside her. Somehow, this entire commission had started with a simple rescue and had ended with an unconscious stranger, two enormous yellow birds living temporarily in their garage, a damaged flash drive, a missing strongbox, and Nicole bargaining for another discount.
Just another normal day for Phaethon.
Near the car, one of the Chocobos lowered its head through the open rear door again and gently nudged Mousa.
Anby walked over to Mousa and carefully lifted him into a princess carry. The two Chocobos immediately followed her as she carried him toward the video store, staying close to her the entire time like they were making sure she wasn't taking him somewhere dangerous.
"Careful, Anby. Don't drop your prince," Billy joked, making an exaggerated gesture with his hands.
Nicole immediately sighed and pointed at him. "Billy, stop it!"
"What? I'm just saying."
Anby ignored both of them and continued inside while the two birds followed close behind. Once Mousa had been laid down somewhere more comfortable, one of the Chocobos moved closer and gently nudged him with its beak.
"Kweh…"
He didn't move.
She watched for a moment, remembering what she had been about to tell Wise before Nicole arrived. Mousa was a man who didn't know what a Bangboo was, and the two creatures following him were something neither she nor Wise had ever seen before. Somehow, all three of them had appeared inside a Hollow together.
She had a feeling this commission had just become a lot more interesting.
Interlude End