May 20, 2021. 17:48. Central Italy.
I take one good look around the facility.
Arasaka soldiers move throughout the compound, securing whatever remains while the Camorra finishes sweeping the surrounding buildings. Neo-Tanwir bodies have been removed from the main areas, prisoners are restrained, and whatever evidence hasn't already been copied is being packed away.
For all intents and purposes, it's over.
Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any less uncertain about everything, though.
If I'd known earlier that agreeing to Wissen's initial contract in Vancouver was gonna go beyond a simple snatch-and-grab, I would've told myself to prepare for a massive mental clusterfuck.
Instead, I'm in the middle of Italy fighting for a mafia, having discovered a terrorist group fighting against megacorporations that have already embedded themselves too deeply into society for any of them to be easily pulled out.
And that doesn't even take into account Autumn Blade and whatever the hell they want from all of this.
All because Wissen dragged us into this, who, conveniently, isn't even here because he's off on another one of his "business adventures".
Fucking Wissen.
I glance back toward the others.
Then again… who am I kidding? This is way too interesting for me to nope out now.
For us and Dante, at least, the outcome is ultimately good. Bittersweet, maybe, but good.
The Neo-Tanwir's organized presence in Italy has effectively been dismantled. Whatever smaller cells remain aren't enough to pose the same threat anymore, and Dante finally has one less enemy to worry about while putting the Camorra back together.
The railgun, though? Autumn Blade? J?
Those questions aren't going anywhere.
Not yet, anyway.
A short distance away, Dante finishes another call with Wissen, giving him a complete report of everything that happened. From the assault to the railgun, the schematics, and eventually our little discovery on the terminal.
I remain unusually quiet throughout most of it.
My eyes drift back toward the recovered messages.
— J
"Choom."
I don't respond.
"Choom?"
I blink and look over. "What?"
Remi is staring at me. "You good?"
"Yeah." I hesitate. "There's just something on my mind."
"What?"
"It's that… out of all the places in the world... why Italy?" I shake my head. "I don't know what they're planning, but it feels like we're pieces on someone else's board. First Elias's stupid shit, and now this."
Remi shrugs. "Eh. Sounds like a future-us problem."
I immediately turn toward him. "Seriously?"
"What? We ain't got shit right now, choom. What're we supposed to do? Fly around Europe asking if anyone's seen the mysterious gonks?"
I glare at him.
Remi raises both hands. "I'm just sayin'."
"Ugh…" I sigh. "The whole thing is just damn fishy."
"Oh yeah, that's valid and all."
"But..." I grimace. "You're kinda right, I guess. It wouldn't exactly be productive."
Remi immediately smirks. "Rare time I'm right, choom."
"I said kind of."
"Still counts."
Across the room, Tetra isn't having much better luck getting everything out of his head.
I glance at him, then back at Remi, and the two of us match Tetra's pace as he walks around the room.
"What's up?" I ask.
Tetra pauses and looks at us, a little surprised that we noticed.
"It's..." He trails off for a moment. "I keep thinking about my brother."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"Well, the more we learn about the Neo-Tanwir, Autumn Blade, the corporations, and everything else going on, the more I keep wondering how he fits into all of this." Tetra looks down, thinking. "Somehow, he has ties to this growing web of who knows what, and… I just don't know how deep those ties go or how any of this actually connects back to him."
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
What the hell am I supposed to say to that?
Remi seems equally stumped for a few seconds before sighing.
"Yeah... not gonna lie, this shit's too fucked for us to understand." He pats Tetra on the shoulder. "Gonna have to put it on hold for now, choom."
Tetra doesn't look entirely satisfied with that answer, but after a moment, he nods.
"You're right." He turns and walks with us back toward the others. "I think we're done here."
Shock looks away from one of the terminals. "Like, done done?"
"With Italy? Probably."
Mister gives him a small nod. "I would agree."
Around us, everyone else seems to be reaching similar conclusions in their own ways. Linh remains off to the side going through whatever information Biotechnica managed to copy, while Michelangelo oversees the last of Arasaka's work. Dante and Rafael are deep in conversation with each other, probably discussing whatever comes next for the Camorra.
That leaves the rest of us together to figure out what comes next for us.
Mister glances around the facility one last time.
"The Neo-Tanwir's main operation here is gone. Arasaka has the railgun, and practically every party involved today has the schematics. We've copied whatever intelligence we could find, and anything else is probably going to take time to figure out."
"And Autumn Blade?" Shock asks.
I shake my head. "It's... probably a dead end. For now, anyway."
Everyone goes quiet for a moment.
"Apologies for overhearing."
Dante's voice catches our attention as he walks over, leaving Rafael behind to continue coordinating with the others.
"But I believe you're right." He stops beside us. "For now, there's really only one thing you can do. Go back to Vancouver, regroup, and wait to see what Wissen wants from your end."
I take another look around the facility.
With the operation complete, there's also the matter of actually getting paid.
Thankfully, Dante doesn't disappoint.
Every agreement he made with us is fulfilled, including the terms each of us negotiated before this entire clusterfuck spiralled into something much bigger than any of us expected. By the time everything is settled, nobody has any complaints.
Remi certainly doesn't.
"Gah damn." He stares at the amount for a second. "Okay, yeah, Italy was worth it."
"People died, Remi," Tetra reminds him.
"I know, bro! I'm talking about the eddies!"
"That doesn't make it sound any better, man."
Dante lets out a quiet chuckle before looking across all of us.
"You'll always have friends within the Camorra. Should any of you ever need allies in Italy..." His expression becomes a little more serious. "The family will answer."
That's... actually a pretty big promise.
"As for me, the Camorra still has much to rebuild." Dante briefly glances toward Rafael. "But while we do, I intend to finish what the Cosa Nostra started. They overextended themselves."
A faint smile crosses his face.
"We'll make sure they never recover."
"Well, good luck with that," I say.
Looking around the room, though, one thing has become pretty obvious.
Italy doesn't have any reason to keep us here anymore.
Our work is done.
"Artemis," Dante calls out to me.
I look back toward Dante. "Yeah?"
"There's still the matter of the favours I owe you."
Oh. Right. I'd almost forgotten about those.
"Have you decided what you intend to ask of me?" Dante continues.
"Not completely." I shrug. "I've got some ideas, but nothing I've fully settled on yet. I'll let you know when I do."
Dante nods. "Very well."
"Ayoooo, so like... favours, choom?" Remi immediately asks. "New whip?"
Shock practically lights up, bouncing slightly on her feet. "Yeah!! C'mon, Artie, spill!"
"And what are you gonna use them for?" Remi adds.
"None of your business." I sigh, shaking my head.
"Awwww, come on!" Shock pleads.
"Artemis negotiated those terms herself," Mister cuts in. "She's under no obligation to disclose how she intends to use them."
Tetra nods. "Yeah... if she wants to keep it private, leave it alone."
Remi looks betrayed. "Bro."
Shock looks equally disappointed. "You two are no fun."
"Thank you," I reply, giving Mister and Tetra an appreciative nod while Remi and Shock reluctantly back off.
"Fine," Remi mutters.
"For now," Shock adds.
I narrow my eyes at her.
Dante watches the entire exchange with visible amusement before his attention eventually settles on Shock.
"One more thing."
Shock looks at him. "Hm?"
"About your place in the family."
Her expression shifts slightly.
"You don't owe me an answer today." Dante smiles faintly. "Our parents fought so we'd have the freedom to choose our own paths. And... you've earned yours. Whether you return to Vancouver, stay here, or walk away from the Camorra entirely... I'll respect your decision. So… take all the time you need."
Shock looks at him for a few seconds.
Whatever she eventually decides, I get the feeling that's a conversation between the two of them.
Around us, everyone finally starts preparing to leave the compound.
Arasaka has already finished packing up, and the soldiers are moving toward the exit. Camorra vehicles are being readied outside as Rafael heads out first with whichever men are left.
Linh packs up her things, giving us a strange look before offering a smile and a small wave, almost like this won't be the last time we see her.
"Good luck with whatever this J situation turns out to be," she says. "Hopefully, the next time we see each other, it'll still be on friendly terms, yeah?"
"Hopefully," I reply.
Her smile widens slightly before she turns and heads for the exit.
Meanwhile, I'm already mentally preparing myself for the flight back to Vancouver when a familiar voice stops us.
"Before we part," Michelangelo starts.
I turn around just in time to see him walking toward us.
"I owe you all a meal," he continues.
Remi blinks. "Wait... what?"
Michelangelo looks at him matter-of-factly. "It's what normal people do, no? A way to decompress after an operation."
There's a pause as we all skeptically look at each other.
Shock raises an eyebrow. "Is this… an Arasaka operation?"
"No." Michelangelo looks between us. "I'll make my own pasta."
Remi immediately shrugs. "Fuck it, we ball."
Why am I not surprised?
I stare at Michelangelo for a second.
Part of me really doesn't want to voluntarily spend more time around the Arasaka cyborg who's spent half the operation watching me like I'm some interesting science experiment.
On the other hand, Remi just agreed to go to this man's house without even asking where it is.
I sigh. "Fine. I'm coming too."
Remi grins. "Knew you'd come around."
"I'm making sure you don't do anything stupid."
"Why does everybody keep saying that?"
"Pattern recognition."
Tetra seems a little more hesitant, looking Michelangelo over before eventually nodding. "I'll come."
Something about the way he says it tells me it's partly because he doesn't want us going alone.
But judging by the way he studies Michelangelo afterward, I don't think that's the only reason. After everything we've seen today, he's probably genuinely curious about him too.
Shock points at Michelangelo. "I'm holding you to the pasta thing~!"
"I would expect you to."
"Thennnnn I'm in!"
Mister considers the invitation last.
"I'll accompany everyone," he eventually says. "Although I'll politely decline the meal."
Michelangelo gives him a small nod. "That's acceptable."
And apparently, that's that.
The sudden whiplash isn't lost on me, and I can't help but feel the slightest urge to laugh.
We went from whatever the fuck we just went through earlier to ending the trip by having homemade pasta with an Arasaka cyborg.
You know what?
Sure.
Why the fuck not?
…
May 20, 2021. 19:51. Central Italy.
Michelangelo keeps his promise.
By the time we arrive, he's somehow managed to use Arasaka's resources to reserve an entire private restaurant for the evening, because apparently that's a thing he can just do.
There aren't any other customers around, and aside from a handful of staff members, we practically have the whole place to ourselves.
It's a smaller restaurant tucked away somewhere in Central Italy a few towns away from the Neo-Tanwir base we raided.
Where exactly? Fuck if I know.
Somewhere outside the cities we've spent most of our time in, surrounded by old buildings and enough countryside that everything feels strangely quiet. The restaurant itself is surprisingly cozy, with warm lighting, closely packed wooden tables, and the kind of old-fashioned interior that makes it feel like it's probably been here forever. It's completely disconnected from the terrorist compound we were shooting our way through a few hours ago.
Even stranger is seeing Michelangelo in the kitchen.
I saw a bit of his more "civilian side" when we had that improvised karaoke night at Remi's place, but it's still strange watching him casually make pasta.
Y'know... this is the same cyborg who dodged a fucking railgun round earlier and just so happens to also be really good at making pasta.
So yeah, pretty damn strange.
I take another bite, staring down at my plate.
Wow.
Across from me, Remi is already demolishing his.
"Bro." He points his fork toward Michelangelo in the kitchen. "I'm not even gonna lie. This shit fucks."
Tetra nearly chokes. "Can you describe food normally for once?"
"The fuck you want me to say? It's exquisite?"
"That would actually be an improvement."
"Aight, fine, choom." Remi straightens himself in his seat and clears his throat. "Y'all are bitches."
He takes another bite.
"Mm. Yes. Exquisite," he says, suddenly changing his voice to perfectly match some Victorian gentleman. "The delicate composition of flavours produces an unparalleled experience upon the palate. Truly, the culinary craftsmanship displayed before us is nothing short of extraordinary."
I snort in surprise, blinking twice as my brain registers what just happened.
"Wait... what the fuck? Wha—" My mouth hangs open for a moment. "How... how'd you just..."
Remi immediately drops the voice. "Choom, I make lyrics."
"But still... the way you just completely changed how you talk..."
"Listen, you gotta learn how to pull shit outta your ass on the spot."
"Right..." I lean forward, raising an eyebrow. "And that explains why you're so good at it."
"... Fuck you." Remi sticks his middle finger out at me.
Tetra shakes his head, but he's smiling while he goes back to eating.
"Alright, guys. Let's go back to enjoying our food."
For the first time in what feels like a long time, none of us are talking about terrorists, mafias, corporations, railguns, conspiracies, or whatever the fuck Autumn Blade is doing.
Instead, I overhear Shock somehow turning the dinner into an Italian lesson for Mister.
"Okay." Mister leans slightly toward Shock. "And if I wanted to say someone would've told me something, it'd be... mi avrebbe detto?"
"Yep!" Shock nods. "Assuming whoever you're talking about is already obvious from context."
Mister repeats it quietly to himself. "Mi avrebbe detto."
"But if you wanna make it obvious you're talking about him, you'd say…?" Shock pauses, giving him a second to figure it out.
Mister thinks. "Lui mi avrebbe detto?"
"Almost! Lui me l'avrebbe detto."
Mister tilts his head. "Lui me l'avrebbe detto. Why the l'?"
"It replaces whatever he would've told you. So you're basically saying, 'He would've told it to me.'" Shock points at him. "The mi also becomes me when you combine it with another pronoun like that."
Mister goes quiet for a moment, processing it.
"Italian compresses a surprising amount of information into very little."
"Exactlyyyy!" Shock grins. "See? You're getting it."
"Lui me l'avrebbe detto," Mister repeats, considerably more confidently this time.
Shock gives him an approving nod. "There you go!"
From the kitchen, Michelangelo calls out without even turning around.
"Your avrebbe is slightly off."
Mister pauses.
Shock's jaw drops. "OH, COME ON, GIRL! I'm teaching himmm!"
"I can still hear you."
"And he was doing good!"
"He was."
"Then stay out of my lesson!"
Michelangelo continues working as if the conversation isn't happening. "Correcting his pronunciation would seem beneficial to the lesson."
Shock points accusingly toward the kitchen. "Nobody asked you!"
Mister, completely unfazed, repeats the word under his breath with the corrected pronunciation.
Shock slowly turns toward him. "Don't encourage him."
"I'd prefer to learn it correctly."
Her eyes narrow. "Traitor."
I take another bite and glance around the table.
This is… actually kind of nice.
Weird as fuck, considering who's hosting us, but nice.
"You've been quiet."
I look up.
Michelangelo has returned from the kitchen carrying another dish, setting it down near the middle of the table before taking his own seat.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"I'm eating."
"I can see that."
"Then why'd you ask?"
There's the slightest pause from him.
"You're usually more argumentative," Michelangelo says. "And considerably more... spirited."
Remi immediately laughs. "HAH!"
I glare at him. "Shut up."
"Nah, he's got you figured out already."
"He does not." I roll my eyes.
Michelangelo calmly begins serving himself. "You carry yourself with a certain confidence. The attitude seems to come with it."
I stare at him. "Are you calling me sassy?"
"I was attempting to be diplomatic."
Remi fucking loses it.
He bursts out laughing so hard that he jerks forward over the table, one hand slapping against it while the other immediately comes up to cover his mouth. The laugh catches him halfway through swallowing, turning into a sudden cough.
"Fuck—" He coughs again, pounding a fist against his chest before finally recovering. "Nah, nah, I'm good."
He takes a breath, only to look at me again and immediately start laughing.
My eye twitches, but I ignore Remi and shoot back at Michelangelo instead.
"Listen... you spent half the day staring at me," I say. "It's pretty understandable that I'd be a little confrontational."
"I was observing you."
"That doesn't make it sound better!"
Shock giggles from across the table.
Michelangelo looks genuinely confused by the distinction for about half a second before returning to his food.
I stare at him, then at my plate. "The pasta's good, though."
"Thank you."
"Like, annoyingly good."
"I don't understand why that would be annoying."
"Because now I have to compliment you."
Tetra laughs under his breath.
Michelangelo gives me the faintest hint of a smile. "I'll try to make it worse next time."
I pause, mouth still open, blinking a few times as my brain catches up with what he just said.
Was that a joke…?
Shock immediately points at him. "OOOOHHH! He's learning~!"
Michelangelo slowly looks toward her. "Learning what?"
"Us!" Shock gestures around the table. "You're actually starting to get our humour now instead of acting like you've got an Arasaka stick permanently shoved up your ass!"
Michelangelo stares at her.
Remi nearly chokes on his food.
"Shock," Tetra mutters.
"Whattttt? Tell me I'm wrong!"
Michelangelo's eyes narrow slightly. "I understood your humour before."
"Understanding that something is a joke and actually playing along are two different things," I point out.
"Exactlyyyy!" Shock snaps her fingers toward me. "Seeee? Before, you'd just stare at us like we were some weird social experiment."
I raise an eyebrow. "He still does that."
"That's… true." Shock winces.
Michelangelo looks between us. "I don't believe I've changed as significantly as you're suggesting."
Remi looks at Tetra.
Tetra looks at me.
I look at Shock.
Mister remains perfectly still, although the slight tilt of his head tells me he's absolutely following along.
The silence stretches just long enough for Michelangelo to realize exactly what we're doing.
"...I see."
That's enough to finally break me.
A laugh slips out before I can stop it, followed almost immediately by Shock and Remi. Tetra joins in shortly afterward, while Mister simply leans back in his chair, his shoulders shifting with what I'm pretty sure is a quiet laugh beneath the mask.
Michelangelo looks around the table before shaking his head.
"Perhaps I'm still somewhat disconnected from normalcy," he says, almost as a statement of fact.
"Awwww, noooo!! Don't say that!" Shock replies. "You're finally starting to get it!"
"I understood your humour before."
"Yeah, but now you're actually joining in~!"
Michelangelo pauses for a moment. "I'm beginning to question whether that was a wise decision."
Remi snorts. "Too late now, dawg."
"I don't recall asking for your assessment."
"See?" Shock immediately points at him. "That! You're doing it again!"
Michelangelo looks at her, then down at his food. "An unfortunate development."
That gets another laugh out of me.
"Deal with it. What did we call you before? Big M?"
"Actually, that was my nickname for him, choom," Remi cuts in. "Trademarked and everything."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, rockerboy."
"Respect the brand, bro."
That gets everyone laughing again.
It's so weird.
Back in Vancouver, we worked with him and even got to see him as a "regular person" for a little while before he quickly had to leave for work.
Although, given the circumstances, I wonder if I would've done the same thing had something similar come up for me.
But anyway, now we're working with him again in a completely different country on a mission that, once again, somehow connects back to the other person's.
Even so, he's Arasaka, we're not, and neither side has forgotten that. Elias and that cyberpsychosis virus or not, there's still a line there. Hell, I doubt any of us are going to forget it anytime soon.
But sitting here, the distance feels a little less rigid than before.
It's not gone, but I can't help wondering if maybe there's someone underneath all that machinery after all.
Michelangelo goes back to eating, and the conversation naturally moves on with him still sitting there among us.
Shock takes another bite before looking down at her plate, then back toward Michelangelo.
"Okay, sooo... wait." She points her fork at him. "Where'd you even learn how to make this, anyway? I doubt Arasaka has cooking classes for the ninjas."
Michelangelo looks at her. "Here."
Shock blinks. "Well, yeah, obviously Italy!"
"You asked where."
"You know what I meant!"
"I grew up here, Shock," Michelangelo reminds her. "As did you."
"I knowwww, but growing up in Italy doesn't automatically make you good at cooking!"
"No. Learning to cook does."
"Smartass..." Shock stares at him. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Only slightly. I genuinely do mean it."
I smirk into my food while they talk.
Mister, meanwhile, seems genuinely interested. "Did you learn from your family?"
"Initially," Michelangelo replies. "I learned more on my own over time, whenever I wasn't on assignment."
"What did you do differently with this?" Tetra asks, looking down at his plate.
Michelangelo glances toward him. "Differently compared to what?"
"I don't know." Tetra takes another bite. "I've had pasta before. This just tastes... different."
"Choom, respectfully… that's because you've been eating garbage at sea," Remi says.
"That's… fair." Tetra looks at him. "Although, I don't know if I wanna hear this from the guy that suddenly started calling it 'exquisite' because we teased him five minutes ago to change his vocabulary."
"Exactly, bro. I've evolved."
"You've eaten two plates."
"Growth comes fast. Y'know, in writing, we call that a character arc."
I immediately look at him. "You? A character arc?"
"Ay, I'm just sayin', I ain't gonna get zeroed, so clearly I'm due for an upgrade."
Tetra laughs. "Okay, let's not start tempting fate now."
"Or me," I mutter under my breath.
Tetra turns toward me. "Artemis, did you say something?"
"H-Huh?" I blink. "Oh, nothing."
Remi squints at me suspiciously.
I innocently take another bite.
Eventually, he lets it go and sinks farther into his chair, one hand resting lazily over his stomach as the beginnings of a food coma visibly start taking hold.
"Shiiiit, chooms..." He exhales contentedly. "I'm not moving for at least an hour."
"Good," I say. "Less property damage."
He raises a middle finger without even bothering to sit back up.
Mister turns his attention back toward Michelangelo. "I would still be interested in learning how you prepared it."
"So would I," Tetra adds.
"Ooooh!" Shock perks up. "Cooking lesson!"
I keep eating, pretending I don't care, my expression giving absolutely nothing away.
But… I actually kind of do. Maybe a little more than I'd like to show.
I already know how to cook, but if Michelangelo's doing something I haven't tried before, there's no harm in remembering it for when I'm back home.
Whether it's for myself or someone else I care about, knowing a few extra tricks wouldn't hurt.
Michelangelo gets up and retrieves a few things from the kitchen, and before long, what was supposed to be dinner somehow turns into an impromptu cooking lesson. Nothing particularly formal. He mostly points out a few of the choices he made while Mister and Tetra ask questions.
Shock contributes whenever she feels like it. Or, more accurately, pesters Michelangelo with whatever question enters her head.
"Wait, wait, wait! How much of that did you use?"
"Enough."
"That's not a measurement!"
"It was sufficient."
"Michelangeloooo!"
Meanwhile, I contribute whenever I can pretend I'm not contributing.
"So you added that before?" I ask after watching him explain another step.
"Yes."
"Hm."
Michelangelo looks toward me.
I raise an eyebrow. "What?"
"You appear more interested than you're implying."
"I'm making conversation, just like everyone else is."
"I see."
I narrow my eyes. "Don't start."
Tetra gives me a faintly amused look before turning back toward Mister, who's started experimenting with the recipe himself.
Ugh, jackass.
Shock immediately jumps back in, stealing Michelangelo's attention again.
"Okay, but seriously, if I make this myself and completely fuck it up, how do I know what I did wrong?"
"There are numerous ways you could ruin it."
Shock's mouth falls open. "Woooow. You don't sayyy."
"You asked."
"I was expectingggg encouragement!"
"You wanted cooking advice."
"I can have both!"
Michelangelo pauses as if genuinely considering that. "I wish you the best."
"See? Was that so hard?"
"Yes."
Shock gasps while Tetra laughs beside her.
Remi, meanwhile, has contributed absolutely nothing for the past few minutes beyond slowly sinking deeper into his chair, apparently content to let everyone else learn how his next meal gets made.
The whole thing keeps going like that for a while.
Mister asks the more technical questions, Tetra occasionally follows up, Shock refuses to let Michelangelo give a vague answer without interrogating him further, and I continue not paying particularly close attention while mentally remembering several things for later.
Eventually, though, the conversation drifts away from cooking entirely when Michelangelo asks us a question.
"So how did all of you first meet?"
Shock looks over. "Us?"
"Yes." Michelangelo pauses. "I know some of the circumstances surrounding your work in Vancouver, but not how the group itself formed."
"Ohhhh, well, you probably know it started with Wissen and—"
"And what happened to Azure?"
Shock stops mid-sentence.
Just like that, the table goes quiet.
None of us really know what to say. Or, maybe more accurately, none of us know if we even want to say anything.
I certainly don't.
There's still the faint sound of activity from the kitchen and whatever quiet music the restaurant has playing in the background, but nobody says anything.
Ah... yeah... that.
Azure didn't exactly leave us with a nice, clean ending. Whatever the fuck happened between us, her, the railgun, and everything surrounding it never really got properly resolved.
And even now, there's still this faint pang of guilt mixed in with everything else.
I wonder if I'll ever see her again.
Michelangelo looks around the table, apparently realizing from everyone's reactions that he's stepped onto something.
Remi isn't slouching quite as comfortably anymore. He's sitting a little straighter now, looking between the rest of us with the same sudden alertness.
Shock's smile has faded.
Mister says nothing.
Tetra eventually clears his throat.
"So, uh... what happens to you now?" he asks. "I've kind of been meaning to ask, but I wasn't sure if it was appropriate."
Michelangelo looks toward him.
There's a brief moment where he seems to understand exactly why Tetra changed the subject.
Then he nods, accepting it.
Nobody explains Azure, and Michelangelo doesn't push.
The conversation simply moves on as though the question had never been asked.
Michelangelo sets down what he's holding.
"Since we're discussing what comes next, there's something you should know."
We all gradually turn towards him.
"The operation here is concluded. With the railgun recovered and the Neo-Tanwir cell in Italy dismantled, Arasaka considers our objectives in Italy fulfilled."
"So you're done here too?" Tetra asks.
"With this operation, yes."
Shock tilts her head. "And then…?"
Michelangelo pauses before continuing.
"My next assignment is Autumn Blade."
Wait, what? I frown, tilting my head slightly.
Mister straightens slightly. "Specifically?"
"To determine who they are. It's a mystery how they acquired technology of this sophistication, and what their actual objectives are." Michelangelo looks between us. "The railgun has elevated them considerably beyond what Arasaka initially understood them to be."
"And the Neo-Tanwir?" I ask. "They're still all over Europe."
"They are. Responsibility for pursuing their remaining European cells has been reassigned to another operative."
Remi finally lifts his head from his impending food coma. "So you're ditching the terrorists to go chase the mystery dudes?"
"In considerably simpler terms, yes."
"Aight."
Michelangelo continues. "My superior believes Autumn Blade represents the larger unanswered question. The Neo-Tanwir can be tracked through personnel, facilities, finances, and logistics. Autumn Blade has proven considerably more elusive."
"Soooo..." Shock gestures between Michelangelo and the rest of us. "We're all interested in the same people now."
Michelangelo considers that. "It would appear so. Although, I assume Wissen hasn't contracted you to investigate them on his behalf."
"No, he hasn't," I say, folding my arms and leaning back against the wall as I glance at everyone else.
"Although, I think it's pretty safe to assume he will. Realistically speaking and all."
Shock looks genuinely intrigued. Mister is already thinking about it. Tetra's gone quiet again, probably because anything involving Autumn Blade inevitably circles back toward his brother. Remi looks like he's trying to decide whether this information is important enough to interrupt his food coma.
And Michelangelo just stands there, like he didn't casually tell us his company is now chasing the exact same mystery we're probably going to end up chasing ourselves.
Yeah… I get the feeling we're gonna be seeing him again.
Eventually, dinner comes to an end.
Plates are cleared, and everyone gradually starts getting ready to leave while the conversation carries on.
"I'll let Dante know we're done here," Shock says, checking something on her phone.
Tetra glances back toward Michelangelo. "Still feels kinda weird, though."
"What does?" Remi asks.
"I mean... Michelangelo's chill, but a few hours ago we were fighting terrorists with Arasaka. Now we're supposed to just ignore all of that and eat pasta together?"
Remi shrugs. "Eh. Just enjoy the vibes, choom. Big M pulled all this together for us."
Tetra thinks about it before nodding. "Yeah... alright. For now."
Meanwhile, Mister turns toward me. "What are everyone's plans once we return to Vancouver?"
"Music shit," Remi answers immediately. "Especially now that the Dead Kings are helping me out. Might as well take advantage of it."
"I don't really have anything immediate," Tetra admits.
Shock immediately perks up. "Welllll, I plan on taking a nice vacation~! My offer still stands if you wanna bunk with me, babes~!" She pauses. "Besides... I still have no idea what I'm gonna tell Dante, so I've got some figuring out to do."
Tetra smiles. "Yeah... I'd actually like that. It'd be nice to have some company while I wait."
"Perfect!" she beams.
I hesitate for a second. "Speaking of plans... I'm staying."
Remi stops.
Shock turns around.
Tetra blinks. "Wait... what?"
"I'm staying."
There's a brief silence.
"Girl..." Shock stares at me. "Why did you just drop a bomb on us. Like... NOW?!" She tilts her head. "In Italy?"
"It's temporary, relax."
Remi squints at me. "Choom, the fuck? There wasn't any buildup. Or mental prep for us."
"Sorry?"
"Then why the fuck are you staying?"
"I've got something else to take care of."
And then I'll have to figure out what the hell I'm doing until my fashion shoot rolls around later in August.
But… that's future-me's problem.
Shock's eyes immediately narrow with curiosity. "Ooooooh?"
My stomach tightens slightly, but I keep my expression neutral. "No."
"I didn't even ask anything!"
"You were about to."
"Okayyyy, yeah… maybe I was."
Mister studies me from behind his mask. "You'll be returning to Vancouver separately, then?"
"Yeah. I'll catch another flight later."
Tetra looks a little uncertain. "You sure?"
"I'm sure."
He watches me for another second before nodding, almost looking a little disappointed. "Alright. Just... stay safe."
"I smile at him. "I will."
Remi throws an arm up. "Aight. Don't get zeroed without us."
"Thanks, Remi. Very touching."
"I got you, choom."
I roll my eyes, but there's still a little warmth behind it.
Dumbassery aside, he cares.
Shock continues staring suspiciously at me for another few seconds before apparently deciding she isn't getting anything else.
Then her attention suddenly shifts.
"Wait..." She slowly turns. "Misterrrrr."
He looks toward her. "Yes?"
"Did you actually eat any of the pasta earlier?"
"I've had sufficient nourishment."
"That's not what I asked."
"I believe it answers the question."
Shock narrows her eyes. "Have you secretly been sneaking bites under there?"
"Wouldn't that make them rather poor secrets if I told you?"
Her eyes widen. "WAIT! So you have?!"
"I didn't say that."
"But you implied it!"
"I did no such thing."
"You totally did!"
Mister calmly adjusts one of his gloves.
I stare at him.
Wait... actually... did he?
I was sitting at the same table as him the entire fucking time earlier, and I genuinely can't remember seeing him take a single bite.
Then again, this is Mister we're talking about.
For all I know, he's perfected some weird technique where he sneaks food underneath his helmet whenever nobody's looking.
Shock stares at him for another few seconds before realizing she's getting absolutely nowhere.
"One day I'm gonna figure you out."
"I wish you the best of luck."
Yeah. Good luck with that, Shock.
I snort and turn toward them both. "Mister, I just wanna remind you that we could've peeked under the helmet back at the hospital."
"Yes," Mister replies. "I'm well aware. And… I'm extremely grateful that you didn't."
We all reach the entrance with Michelangelo walking alongside us.
He gives us a small nod.
"Arasaka will handle anything remaining here. As for me, I hope the next time we meet..." He pauses. "It'll still be under friendly circumstances."
There's that weirdly formal Arasaka professionalism behind it, but his tone is sincere.
"Likewise, Michelangelo," Mister replies.
"Yeah. Be seeing you, dawg," Remi adds.
Shock gives him an enthusiastic wave. "Byeeee, Big M! Don't let Arasaka work you too hard!"
Michelangelo gives her a look. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Yeah..." I give him a small nod. "Take care."
Tetra hesitates for a moment. "Hopefully next time it's somewhere a little less... violent."
"That would be preferable."
And with that, we exchange our final goodbyes and head out.