Summary: After everything has blown up (figuratively and literally), it's about time that the situation deescalates a bit.

Author's Notes:

I'M SO SORRY I ALMOST FORGOT TO UPLOAD. I was playing FGO FML MY FEELINGS-

Anyway, happy New Year's Eve to some of you! Last chapter of this thing! Let's go! Why can't I write anything short?!

Again, rated T for Tomato's action. It's just for one part of one scene though.

After Dark

Sakuragi Rei places the stack of papers on the table and regards the officer in front of her. "Thank you for the report, Hoshimi. I'll read through it in a bit. Is there anything else you need?"

"None, ma'am."

The older woman nods. "Then you're dismissed."

But just as Junna is about to walk out the door, the woman adds one last statement.

"Ah, Hoshimi? Take the rest of the day off. You and the others."

"Ma'am?"

"Tendou and Saijou aside, the rest of you need the rest as well. I doubt any of you will be able to operate efficiently given your current exhaustion, with or without injuries. I'm surprised you were even able to complete the mission report. Didn't your glasses get broken during the mission?"

"It did-"

"Therefore, you need a replacement."

"My spare is just fine." But Junna can't even voice that rebuttal with confidence. They're the wrong prescription and that isn't helping with her growing headache.

Rei shakes her head and sighs, looking more like a mother berating her children than her captain at the moment. "Let Amemiya and Masai handle the interrogation. They'll be fine."

As much as Junna wants to argue, she's been looking forward to crawling into bed and cuddling with Nana since she first registered her stinging knuckles after knocking out the Beast on the train. And it's been a full seventy-two hours since then.

So Junna concedes with a nod. "I'll inform the others that they have the rest of the day off."

The captain of the Ninth Division bids her subordinate one last farewell for the day before Junna shuts the door behind her.

Junna considers heading to the interrogation room to check on how Shion and Kiriko are fairing, but the pounding in her head convince her to decline that idea.

The next thing she knows, she's leaning against the wall and barely controlling her breathing. There's another body next to her, warm hands on her arm and back to keep her steady.

"Junna-chan, are you okay?" a familiar voice asks.

Junna tries to nod, but even that hurts. "I'm okay, Nana. Just a little dizzy."

"You really should go home…"

Anger shoots through her, giving her a brief surge of energy to whirl around and glare at Nana. She runs her gaze up and down the taller girl, taking in all the bandages and plasters decorating the parts not covered by clothing. For some reason, Nana is rather energetic for someone who is suffering from a concussion and has most of her head wrapped in bandages.

"I've been telling you that," Junna retorts.

No, it does no good to get mad at Nana. Nana did nothing wrong. Oh, her head feels like it just crashed through a bunch of bowling pins again; bowling pins shaped like men twice her size wearing giraffe masks.

Junna sighs. "Ne-Never mind. The captain gave us all permission to leave early anyway."

"Sakuragi-san did? That's great!" Nana smiles. "She's always been a logical one. And since it's an order, you can't refuse right?"

"Geez… I keep saying you don't have to wait for me."

"But who else is going to take care of Junna-chan?"

Nana's kind words and reassuring smile send another shock of warmth through Junna. But this time there's no anger, only love.

Junna has no choice but to give into Nana's warmth. "Alright, let's go tell the others and then head home."

"Oh, Karen-chan and the others already left."

"What?!"

Nana hums. "Maybe half an hour ago? They wanted to visit Maya-chan and Kuro-chan, so they told me not to tell you and went ahead."

As much as Junna wants to berate them, she can't find the energy nor the proper reasoning to actually be mad. She wants to pay a visit to the hospital as well, but she can barely stand right now.

As if reading her thoughts, Nana says, "We can visit together once you get some rest. Oh, and once we get you another pair of glasses. I don't think those two will be discharged anytime soon. Especially Maya-chan."

"How are they?"

Nana suddenly scoops Junna's legs up and holds her in her arms in a bridal carry. Although the smile she flashes is her usual one, Junna notices a hint of mischief in her intentions.

"I'll tell you once you're tucked in bed~"

"Na-Nana! I can walk by myself!"

"But you look so tired, Junna-chan! And you wrote the final report all by yourself without getting any rest these past three days."

"Nana, are you upset?"

"Hm? Why do you ask that?"

"I just think-" Junna yelps as Nana shifts her captive in her arms, forcing Junna to wrap her arms around Nana's shoulders to keep herself steady. "W-Wait, Nana! There are people watching! N-Nana!"

Masai Kiriko jumps from the table rattling under the strike of her partner's palm. The interrogation isn't producing any helpful results. The most Kiriko's managed to write down is that their prisoner replies with 'I understand' a little too often.

It isn't the first time interrogations don't go smoothly, but it usually means her partner will resort to more forceful methods to get people talking. They aren't front-line officers like Tendou Maya, Saijou Claudine, or any of the other five. Shion comes closest to qualifying, but even she admits it isn't her line of work. They work better backstage, taking care of the unseen protocols that have to be completed once a criminal is apprehended.

Kiriko documents and keeps track of notes while Shion handles direct communication. Their dynamic has worked so far, and she's certain Amemiya Shion won't stop until Kirin gives her the information she wants.

"This is the last time I'm going to ask nicely. Where is the rest of the prototype?"

Oh, Shion's using her no-nonsense voice now. Kiriko can't help but admire Kirin for lasting this long. Then again, contrary to all their other prisoners, Kirin doesn't look disturbed at all.

In fact, he even flashes her a smirk. "As I stated before, that is not something I can answer."

"Not because you won't disclose it, but because you don't know. And you expect us to believe that?"

"What is truth, officer?"

Shion sighs. "I think Daiba dealt a greater hit to your head than she reported."

That causes Kirin's smile to falter. "I have to admit, my loss… truly took me by surprise."

"Checkmate," he says with a smirk before slamming the door of Carriage 9 shut, cutting off Tendou Maya's pursuit. Kirin backs away enough just as the train shakes from the explosion caused by the bombs planted on the outside of Carriage 8.

With that, he is certain Tendou Maya and the other officers will no longer pursue him. Breaking the railway coupling with a few extra explosives also breaks this last carriage from the rest of the train. Indeed, he can already feel the carriage's speed slowing down.

Just as his body relaxes, a sudden spike of pain flares from his left thigh. Looking down, he finds blood staining his trousers from an unexpected bullet hole.

He brandishes his weapon and whirls around, but another bullet bites into his hand and forces him to release the knife. Another one tears into his upper arm just where the Kevlar doesn't cover his body.

Before he can recover, his assailant slams their foot into the bullet wound in his leg, forcing him onto his knees from both the impact and the pain. The barrel is pressed against the top of his forehead.

"No, this is checkmate."

He meets the cold gaze of unfamiliar green eyes. Blood cakes her blonde hair and most of her face. In fact, it's practically staining every white surface of her chef uniform. Strangely enough, her hair is styled in pigtails shaped like banana bunches.

(Bananas…?)

"A hidden officer?" he guesses.

"Maya-chan and Kuro-chan aren't the only ones who can run and climb on the top of trains."

"Ah, I understand. You are an associate of Tendou Maya. An officer of the Ninth Division I assume. Pardon, I don't recognize you."

"That's fine. My name isn't important."

Kirin flashes her a smirk, already running through multiple possibilities to disarm his opponent. "Oh? But I would like to know the one who successfully apprehended me."

Before he can choose a course of action, the woman raises her gun and whips the butt against the side of his head. The blunt force knocks Kirin off his knees and onto his side. Blood pours from his new head wound.

"You can learn it after this ends."

That is all he hears before his consciousness leaves him completely.

"Daiba Nana, was it? I understand. I will surely remember that name from now on," Kirin mutters.

"Concussion or not, that answer isn't acceptable," Shion says, bringing them back on topic. "What kind of head of a drug syndicate doesn't know where his supply chains are?"

Kirin shrugs. "I suppose that makes me a rather incompetent leader."

Kiriko's eyes widen. Kirin's words elucidate another possibility that they hadn't considered before.

"Amemiya-san, what if he's not lying?"

Shion whirls around. "Huh?"

"What if he isn't the head?"

"Wha-What? Are you saying he's been lying about everything else?"

"I have done no such thing," Kirin interrupts.

"Hey, we're talking right now." Shion turns back to Kiriko. "If he's not the leader-"

"No, he might be telling the truth. Organizations like this are often broken up into sectors. Every group has a hierarchy. It's possible that Kirin is the head of the part located in Japan. But what if he answers to someone else?"

Shion's eyes widen. "Then…"

Kiriko nods gravely. "This drug syndicate - the Shadow Radiance - may have connections with far greater reach than we thought."

This is already the second time in ten minutes that a hospital personnel has to stop Karen and tell her to not run in the building. She apologizes and manages to contain herself at least until they walk out of the elevator. Then she's back to bouncing on her toes again.

Thankfully, Mahiru grabs onto her hand to keep her from straying too far.

"Karen-chan, if you run off you're going to get scolded again," Mahiru chides. "And then we'll never get to Kuro-chan's room."

"It's not like either of them can leave their beds," Hikari points out. "Especially the one who's most likely still unconscious."

Karen chuckles. "Sorry, I'm just so excited!"

"We were here yesterday," Hikari states.

"Yeah, but it's weird not seeing Tendou-san and Kuro-chan whenever we can. We've gotten hospitalized before, but this is the first time it was ever that serious for those two." Karen's expression falls. "That Kirin must've been dangerous if he can injure those two so much."

Karen hopes she can do more than stare in shock when she visits Maya today. Their last visit had been… awkward.

Hikari nods. "That's why I extended my infiltration period by another month. If we were even less prepared…"

"Someone might have actually lost their life," Mahiru finishes, her gaze turned to one of the walls. "Tendou-san almost…"

"We're here," Hikari announces before Mahiru can finish that sentence. She knocks twice and says a quick 'Excuse us' before opening the door and entering without waiting longer.

To the surprise of all three, the room is empty.

"Eh? Where's Kuro-chan?" Karen wonders.

"She's not supposed to be out of bed! Where could she be?!" Mahiru shouts.

Hikari frowns. Then her eyes widen.

"Ah, I know where she is."

Hikari spins on her heels and walks out of the room down the hall. She doesn't wait for the other two to follow.

"Eh? Hikari-chan?" Karen calls out. She jogs a little to catch up to Hikari. "You know where Kuro-chan is?"

Hikari nods. "There's only one possible place she can be if we assume she wasn't kidnapped. And that possibility isn't likely."

"Ahh, that's true. Kuro-chan can fight against anyone even when she's injured…"

They stop in front of another room. Hikari does the same thing she did with Claudine's room and enters. This time, the three do find people in the room. More than one actually.

"Ara, you three." Claudine stares at them blankly. "Were you coming to visit again?"

Sitting in a chair beside the hospital bed is another patient who shouldn't be out of her room. But Claudine has never been one to sit still for long. Karen remembers Claudine forced herself to stay home for only one day to rest from a fever before returning to work the next day, pretty much completely healed.

But her injuries this time won't allow her to shrug off rest so easily. Her left arm will be incapacitated for at least a month. The stab wound has been carefully tended to; her arm is wrapped in a brace that's held by a sling attached to her shoulder. The sling is held with straps connecting her forearm with one wrapped around her chest area instead of her bruised and tender neck. Like Karen herself, a bandage is wrapped around her head and a few plasters cover her face. In addition, Claudine's right hand is nearly completely wrapped in bandages too.

Karen mentally grimaces, remembering how Claudine's right hand had also gotten injured.

(Non non dayo. Now's not the time to get depressed!)

Karen shakes her head and greets the others with her usual smile.

On the opposite side of the bed are Futaba and Kaoruko, the only two involved in this mess besides the other passengers who aren't covered in injuries and bandages. Futaba is standing while Kaoruko is seated on the cushioned bench by herself. Despite being a little shorter than Karen, Kaoruko is somehow radiating enough of her presence to take up the entire bench by herself.

(Kaoruko-chan… is really amazing.)

Mahiru sighs in relief. "Kuro-chan, there you are! We were worried something happened!" She turns to the other two occupants in the room. "Futaba-chan, Kaoruko-chan, did you two come to visit too?"

Futaba grins. "Had to make sure Kuroko here's still alive as soon as we could. That Junna really did help keep the interrogation period to a minimum. We were out in less than two hours. Then we had some other business, but that's all taken care of."

"That was minimal?" Kaoruko groans. "That Amemiya-han wouldn't leave me alone! She's more dislikable than Junna-han!"

"Oi, don't let Junna hear that." Futaba shakes her head at Kaoruko but turns her smile to the other three. "You guys just get here?"

"Karen would have ran the entire way here if she hadn't gotten scolded twice already," Hikari says.

"Hah? How do you guys have the energy? You guys are injured too!"

Karen puffs out her chest. "Nothing can stop us from visiting our friends!" But then she deflates and scratches the side of her head where a bandage is wrapped around it. "Well, Mahiru-chan had to help me change my bandages and plasters first…"

Futaba shakes her head. "You sure have a handful, Mahiru."

"Do you even know how to change them yourself, Karen?" Claudine asks. "For that matter, I've never seen Hikari do it herself either."

Mahiru slaps Karen's hand from her head to stop her from agitating her still-healing wound. She does the same for Hikari who is picking at the brace on her arm.

"Karen-chan doesn't know how to do it without wasting more material than she should use." Mahiru shakes her head. "And then there's Hikari-chan, who doesn't use enough to treat her injuries. She wasn't even going to get her arm looked at even though it was fractured."

Hikari frowns. "It wasn't hurting that much."

"I heard something crack in your arm!"

"It wasn't a compound fracture though."

Claudine grimaces. "Mon dieu, your pain tolerance is terrifying."

"Says the person who was stabbed straight through the arm."

"And I'm still stuck in this hospital," Claudine retorts. "One day is enough. But they hardly let me leave my own room."

"Then are you breaking the rules, Kuro-chan?" Karen asks.

Claudine looks like she wants to cross her arms, but that's impossible with one in a cast and held in a sling. She settles with huffing and turning her head, but even that causes her to grimace.

Karen catches a glimpse of the dark purple bruises covering her neck. They look a little better than yesterday, but not by much. Karen had almost mistaken the bruises to be part of a black turtleneck under armour until she noticed Claudine's actual skin color past her collarbone.

"Kuro-chan, you really should rest," Mahiru says.

"I'm fine. Really." Claudine turns to scowl back at the patient lying in bed. "It could have been worse."

Like yesterday, Tendou Maya lies asleep in her hospital bed. An oxygen machine helps facilitate her breathing through the mask covering her nose and mouth, while a few wires connect to various parts of her body to help with nutrients and other means of keeping her alive while monitoring her status. She's wrapped in so many bandages that Karen almost mistakes her for a mummy for the second day in a row.

At least her breathing is steady.

"Kuro-chan…"

"How utterly vexing. I did not ask for her to save my life. And yet she goes and does it anyway. And here we are-"

Futaba sighs over Claudine's grumbling. "She's been ranting about this for hours. It's only gotten worse since she up and decided to get out of her room and sit in that chair next to Tendou's bed."

Kaoruko flips open her fan and covers her smirk with it. "Tendou-han this, Tendou-han that. It's all she talks about. Is Kuro-han always this obsessed?"

"I wouldn't call it that," Mahiru says. "Kuro-chan just… really cares for Tendou-san. Those two are inseparable."

"Meaning she's worried beyond her limits if she's that angry," Hikari notes.

Futaba's expression softens. "I think it's her way of talking to her. You know, hoping Tendou wakes up soon and all that. Not that Kuroko will ever admit that."

"I can hear you, Futaba."

"Ara, and what will you do if Tendou-han had actually lost her life?" Kaoruko wonders before anyone can stop her.

Claudine shoots out of her chair, knocking it over behind her. "That will never happen!"

"Wait, Kaoruko. Don't add fuel to the fire-"

"I will never let that happen."

Silence falls in the room. The only sounds come from Claudine's heavy breathing. Even Kaoruko is stunned in awe.

Not for the first time, Karen admires the bond these two top members of the division share. One night many months ago, Maya had sworn nearly the exact same oath in Karen's presence during a rare moment alone. There had been a fire reflected in Maya's lilac eyes, the same that now burns in Claudine's own magenta ones.

The lengths these two will go for each other is what sets them apart from normal officers. They manage to maintain professionalism during their job and all necessary operations. But they work together better than every pair Karen has seen.

Hikari's even praised those two before. Karen considers that a win; her childhood friend almost never pays attention to anyone else. It took her three months to not be shy around Mahiru even though all three of them live together in the same apartment. And that was only after Mahiru started to nag her about organizing her life.

But as strong as Karen knows Maya and Claudine are together, it just means that their fall will only hurt that much more. She's never given it much thought until a few days ago. Seeing Maya lying so still, hearing Claudine calling for Maya in French, watching as the anger transitioned to despairing concern- it reminds Karen that even those two at the top are not infallible. Karen may not know a single sentence of French, but she has enough common sense to understand what Claudine meant when she shouted ma Maya to the said-unconscious person.

Karen doesn't think she's seen Claudine so distraught. In fact, it was the first time she had seen either of those two in the states they were in. So weak, so vulnerable…

She'd be lying if she said it didn't remind her of the things she can't afford to lose herself.

Karen pushes that thought to the side. Everyone is okay now. Maya is sleeping, but she's okay. They're all okay. And that's what's important.

"My, my Kuro-han, such dedication," Kaoruko praises. "It's almost as admirable as my Futaba-han's."

Futaba rolls her eyes. "Kaoruko, if you keep egging Kuroko on she really will strangle you. Having one hand isn't going to stop her. And I'm not going to be your shield forever."

"You've sure got it hard, Futaba-chan," Karen teases. "To work with someone like Kaoruko-chan."

"I don't want to hear that from you of all people, Karen. Mahiru's told me about some of the things she's had to do just to pull you out of bed."

"It's… it's really not that bad," Mahiru mumbles.

Karen's never thought about how much effort Mahiru puts in to help her in the morning. She frowns in thought.

"As if they're any more ridiculous than what you do for Kaoruko," Claudine says, putting her good hand on her hip.

Karen tilts her head in confusion. "Wait, isn't Futaba-chan Kaoruko-chan's bodyguard?"

Hikari frowns. "And someone of your status should have your own personal maid."

"Ah, but no one can wake Kaoruko but Futaba. She's rather special."

Kaoruko doesn't take Claudine's bait. Instead, she proclaims proudly, "That's right. No one but Futaba-han understands me well enough to take care of me. But at least I acknowledge that I care."

"Excusez moi, what is that supposed to mean?!"

The tense atmosphere from before begins to dissipate into lighter teasing and more pleasant chatter. Mahiru fills Claudine in on what's happening at the department. Claudine laughs when Mahiru mentions Nana's plans to get Junna to go home and rest.

Karen glances toward the bed. Despite all their livelihood, Maya remains asleep.

Even after visiting hours are over and everyone leaves, Claudine insists on staying in Maya's room as long as she can. She doesn't plan on going back to her room until she's dragged back by force or sedated.

Claudine refuses to miss the opportunity to yell at Maya the very moment she opens her eyes. She has this right after Maya made her worry for her so much.

The hospital room is silent save for the steady beeping of the heart rate monitor. Claudine picks at a loose seam in her hospital gown, pulling the stream up in tandem with the rhythm of Maya's heartbeat. Despite the bandages wrapped around her hand and fingers, she has enough dexterity to grasp the thin string just fine.

She doesn't have anything left to vent to Maya's unconscious form. Or rather, all the anger from before has evaporated and now Claudine is just tired.

Beep. Beep.

Claudine focuses on the rhythmic beeping of the machine. Its simple beeps are much more welcome than the other sound that's become a permanent white noise imprinted in her mind.

Beep. Beep.

If it's too quiet, she won't be able to ignore the sound of Maya's gun firing. Then she'll relive that entire scene.

Beep. Beep. B-

The breathlessness from the Gorilla's dead body pressing down on hers.

Her heart clenching from hearing Maya's pained cry.

Her entire world coming to a crashing halt when the back of the carriage erupts in a flash of fire with Maya-

RIP.

Claudine stares at the disconnected seam in her fingers, no longer tied to her gown. At least it isn't a large enough piece that requires her to request a new gown.

With a sigh, Claudine flicks the weightless string to the side and turns her attention back to the woman lying in bed. For a moment she wishes both her arms had been injured; she isn't sure what to do with her right arm. Her fingers twitch, but Claudine quickly quashes any desire to hold Maya's hand before she can follow through with it. She settles with grasping the sheets next to Maya's closest hand instead.

Claudine sighs. "Mechante va. I can't surpass you if you're unconscious."

Not good enough. Their current positions only serve as a punishing reminder of Claudine's weaknesses. If only she had noticed Kirin's knife sooner, she wouldn't have been incapacitated and could have properly fulfilled her role as Maya's partner. But because of that one mistake, she was placed in a position that forced Maya to disregard her own situation to save her life.

And now they're both here. Her partner unconscious in a hospital bed, and herself barely any better.

('Ara, and what will you do if Tendou-han had actually lost her life?')

Kaoruko's offhand comment replays in her head. As if seeing Maya's prone form isn't enough of a reminder, that spoiled heiress has to harass her as well.

"I won't let that happen." Claudine grits her teeth. "You aren't allowed to lose except to me. I won't accept your loss any other way."

Yet it had almost happened. Due to Claudine's own presence no less. If only she had not allowed the Gorilla to take advantage of her wounded arm. She should have locked onto the Gorilla's own injuries and incapacitated him first before he could turn the tables on her.

Beep. Beep.

However, that is all in the past. There's no point in what ifs. The damage is done. The bitterness will linger, but there is nothing Claudine can do about that in her current state.

Taking a deep breath, Claudine returns to listening to the heart monitor's steady rhythm, letting it lull her into a sense of calm… listless… serenity…

…

…

"Tendou Maya! Of all the times to be annoying! Tendou Maya!"

Claudine puts her free hand over her mouth, covering her coughs and stopping any more smoke from entering her lungs every time she takes a breath. Her eyes squint against the flames enveloping half the carriage.

The enclosure isn't that big. That insufferable woman has to be somewhere-

"Maya!" Claudine drops down on her knees, pushing away some of the rubble covering Maya's body.

Her skin is too pale. The color is even whiter than her dress shirt that's covered in soot and blood.

Everything is on fire, including part of Maya's hair singed from the explosion. Claudine makes sure to extinguish any burning parts with her bare palm and keep Maya's long hair away from the rest of the flames. She brushes back Maya's bangs with the back of her fingers, hoping her gentle touch can bring some clarity to Maya's half-open gaze.

That cut across the bridge of her nose will need to be looked at. And the bruise on her face. And the cuts on her arms. And the tear in her shoulder. And most likely her ribs from the first gunshot dealt by Kirin. And-

"Kuro-chan!" she hears Karen calling. But her voice is distant. Claudine turns her focus toward Maya's labored breaths, making sure Maya continues breathing above anything else.

"Saijou, your arm." She hears Hikari hiss beside her. "This is Tendou's jacket. It's drenched in your blood."

Mahiru gasps. She's beside her now too. "Kuro-chan, you need to get this looked at!"

Her arm? What does that matter? It isn't as if her arm needs to breathe. What takes precedence is-

Maya's eyes, previously glazed but at least open before, start to close.

"Tendou Maya! Maya! Don't you dare!" Claudine moves her hand to cup the side of Maya's face. But no matter how much pressure she applies, Maya's eyes continue to shut. "You are not allowed to lose here! I won't allow it! Ma Maya cannot lose in a place like this! Maya! MAYA!"

"Saijou-san!" Junna drops down next to her, but that isn't the voice Claudine wants to hear.

"She's losing breath." Somehow, Hikari's whisper strikes through the ringing in Claudine's ears.

This is happening. This is- No. No no no no no no-

Mahiru's voice catches in her throat. "Does that mean…?"

"I know- I know." Junna clenches her teeth and moves her hands around Maya's prone body. "I won't- I'll keep her-!"

Maya's eyes close, and her chest no longer rises or falls.

Taking Claudine's heart with her.

"MAYA!"

…

…

Claudine's eyes flutter open. A sting of pain shoots up her back and flares in her neck. For a moment her body tenses against imaginary flames. But her mind quickly catches up, reminding her that there is no danger in this room. All that's wrong is the impromptu horrible decision she made to sit hunched over in an uncomfortable seat and actually succumb to her fatigue. Her neck in particular is not happy with this mistake.

Claudine rubs her sleepy eyes and gingerly twists her neck to relieve some tension. "Mon dieu, I fell asleep."

"Indeed. You were sleeping so soundly that I didn't have the heart to disturb you."

Claudine shrieks in response to the unexpected voice, toppling out of her chair and landing on her bottom. She winces in pain; her butt, neck, and arm agree with her ego that that greeting was completely uncalled for.

Only one woman can ignite such intense anger that it drowns out the lingering sense of bitterness. Claudine finds herself easily falling into their usual tempo. For a moment, she indulges in their typical bantering because Maya is awake.

"Te-Tendou Maya! What kind of greeting is that?!" Claudine demands.

Sitting up in her bed is the aforementioned woman. The oxygen mask is gone and her bed is tilted to let her sit up. But everything else is still in place, including all of her bandages wrapped around her from head to toe. Although part of her hair was singed from the explosion, most of it is still intact and tied in a loose, side ponytail hanging over her right shoulder.

Maya frowns. "My greeting? What is wrong with it?"

"After lying unconscious for three days that's the first thing you say?!"

"No, the first words I spoke were 'Please let her sleep' to the doctors when they came to check on-"

Claudine groans. "That's not what I meant and you know it! And stop smirking at me! For someone who went through an explosion you can sure move your muscles!"

"Anesthesia is a wonderful thing."

Claudine's expression softens. "How are your injuries? Are you in pain? I can ask the nurses to increase the amount of painkillers if you need it."

Maya's smile falls. She shakes her head. "No, that won't be necessary. This is satisfactory."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Why does every word that comes out of Maya's mouth have to be so indirect? Even a simple 'it hurts a bit' would suffice. 'Satisfactory' doesn't mean Maya is fine.

"Should you be sitting here in your current state?"

No, no, Maya isn't allowed to deflect the conversation to her own injuries when she's the one covered head to toe in bandages. When Maya is the one paying for Claudine's own mistakes.

As much as she tries, Claudine can't keep the slight growl from her voice. "I am fine. I've rested plenty. I wasn't the one who nearly lost her eyes because she decided to turn her attention and save someone else's life instead."

"Ah, is that why you are upset? Would you rather I had let the Gorilla break your neck?"

"You almost let our target escape!"

Maya's expression relaxes into one of surprise. "'Almost?'"

Claudine huffs. She hates not being able to cross her arms. The most she can do is place her one good hand on her lap and try not to pick at her hospital gown. "After Kirin detonated the railway coupling, the carriage he was on disconnected from the rest of the train. Thankfully, Nana had already climbed into it from the roof and was able to apprehend him before he could make a full escape."

"Daiba-san? I see."

Claudine nods. "We didn't lose in the end. We almost did, but we didn't."

"If it meant sacrificing your life-"

"You won't do it. I know!" Claudine looks away. "I know. So you should know how I feel about that."

"Saijou-san-"

"Your heart stopped. For a moment you were clinically dead."

(Because I was there. You nearly died because you had to save me.)

Recalling the lack of a pulse beneath her fingers makes Claudine's own heartbeat erratic. She's sure if she looked at Maya right now it'd completely burst out of her chest. So she finds a dirty spot on the wall to fixate on instead of a face wrapped in bandages.

"Junna was able to start it again." Oh mon dieu, even her voice is betraying her. "You should… thank her when she comes to visit. She went through a lot of trouble for you."

For all of them, considering Junna is the one who wrote their mission reports for them. But that isn't Claudine's point right now. Not that she wants to make her point clear. If she says it out loud she really won't be able to forgive herself for the consequences.

"I will… remember to thank her," Maya says.

Claudine refuses to look at Maya. She can guess the expression Maya's wearing right now. A mask of indifference, hiding multiple complex layers of guilt and self-reflection regarding their mission. Regardless of how Maya herself feels, Claudine knows if she makes contact with lilac she won't be able to stop herself from revealing what needs to stay locked away. Because if that box is open, its contents will pour out endlessly.

She's not ready for that. So Claudine swears to keep it locked away. She throws that key away-

"Claudine."

-and it's picked up by Maya, who tugs on the lock with one single call of her name. Maya pulls her in with a voice so soft that Claudine wants nothing more - to her utter embarrassment - to just let herself be guided into comfort. It's much different from the usual firmness in her voice; if anything Claudine would say she picks up on a hint of vulnerability and overall enervation. As if she wants Claudine to see the path she's paved for Claudine to take, and Claudine alone. Because if Tendou Maya ever chooses to show weakness, she has sworn it will be to one special person and no one else.

How unfair.

Claudine snaps her head to finally face Maya. "What? What do you have to say for your-?"

Anything else Claudine wants to say dies on the tip of her tongue. It's enough of a cue for Maya to say her part.

"I apologize for worrying you. My injuries are a product of my own faults. Not only did it hinder the mission, but I have caused you great distress as well."

"I… I wouldn't put it to that extreme," Claudine mumbles.

Maya doesn't even raise an eyebrow to question Claudine. They both know that arguing will only derail from the topic.

All she does is reach over to grab Claudine's other hand, taking care to not mess up the bandages covering her slightly burnt skin.

"You are not at fault."

Claudine refuses to run away from any confrontation. Even now, when Claudine wants nothing more than to turn away from Maya's sincere, resolute gaze, she stays firm where she is by Maya's side.

But because of that…

The lock breaks.

"Not my fault…?" Claudine rips her hand from Maya's grasp, standing with enough force to topple her chair over. "You say that when I'm the reason you're in that bed?! You had to defend me because I couldn't win against my own opponent! Because of my weakness, you had to divert your attention to me! If I hadn't held you back, you wouldn't have almost died!"

Her voice is trembling, but Claudine doesn't care. The anger and fear from nearly losing Maya comes crashing back to her, dragging up every insecurity she's kept buried for the past three days. She doesn't want to bare her heart like this to Maya when they're both injured and hospitalized. But it's all open now and Claudine can't stop it herself.

"'Held me back?' Is that what you believe?"

Maya's calm voice breaks through the haze of anger clouding Claudine's thoughts. It isn't the levelness that catches Claudine off guard, but the uncommon anger simmering beneath the calm.

It's rare for Maya to get mad. She's always on guard, never showing any sign of weakness. Or that's what Claudine has come to believe.

"It was not your weakness that led to both of our current circumstances, but my own. I am in this state because I failed to react against my own opponent's attack. You should know that I am fully capable of focusing on multiple assailants at once." Maya's hand that held Claudine's before clenches the bed sheets in her grasp instead. "In the first place, it was my own failure to guard against Kirin's knife that caused you to suffer such a critical injury. Yet, you came to my aid against what would have been a second opponent for me. In the end, it was not your weakness that placed us in danger, but my own."

Claudine stares at Maya in shock. First the palpable anger, and now an admission of her own faults? Claudine has no idea what to make with this information. Tendou Maya is not the type of person who speaks so freely about her own weaknesses. She is perfect, unbeatable; she has never lost.

But that isn't true. Claudine knows this. She knows Maya makes mistakes. As capable as she is, even Maya is not infallible.

She had forgotten. Or rather, it's something Claudine still refuses to acknowledge.

"I saved you of my own accord," Maya continues. "I was fully prepared to suffer the consequences after. But losing you is not acceptable."

Too much. This is too much for her. Maya's resolute stare saps most of her strength from her legs. Claudine sits down on the side of Maya's bed before she can fall back to the ground. This time, it's Claudine who reaches over to cover Maya's hand. With her eyes still on Maya, she gently peels Maya's fingers from the covers to have her own digits take their place.

"Mechante va. What am I supposed to say against that?" Claudine grumbles.

That pulls a smile from Maya. "I won't be able to promise that it will never happen in the future. I will choose to sacrifice what is needed, but never you. We are partners, and I cannot fathom having anyone by my side other than you. As such, I will discard what I need to if it means I do not lose you. Just as I know you would do the same for me."

"Then you know how stupid your decision was."

Maya nods. "Despair that drives you close to insanity. Caring for someone can give you strength. At the same time, cripple you when nothing else can. But rest assured, I will never leave you. After all, you are much too important to me."

And then Maya ruins the moment with that all-too-familiar smirk. Claudine already feels her face turning red even before Maya finishes speaking.

"I have to say, you really are cute when you cry, ma Claudine."

"So you did hear me! You detestable woman!"

"Good morning, Kuro-cha- Oh! Tendou-san!"

Mahiru doesn't know what she's surprised at more: finding Maya already awake, or the fact that she and Claudine are already arguing about something as mundane as how Maya's new face scar must look in contrast to the one that must stretch across Claudine's forearm. Or rather, Mahiru doesn't know why she is even surprised that she walked into either of these two scenarios.

Claudine's expression turns a one-eighty when she greets Mahiru and the others. "Oh, bonjour. Hello you three. You're rather early."

Karen yawns. "Mahiru-chan got us to wake up earlier today." But once her eyes land on Maya, all traces of sleepiness evaporate. "Oh! Good morning, Tendou-san!"

Maya smiles. As much as she can with her facial injuries anyway. "Good morning, Aijou-san."

Karen exhales in relief. "It's great that you're awake! Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes. I am receiving all of the care that I need from the hospital as well as my partner."

"Karen-chan was so worried. We all were," Mahiru says.

Something similar to surprise flashes through Maya's eyes. "I see. I seem to have worried everyone."

"Oui. Do you know how scared Karen was when she saw you like that?"

"Karen wasn't the one yelling profanity at her in one second, then crying the next," Hikari remarks.

"I was not crying!"

Karen shakes her head. "Hikari-chan, that's not right. Kuro-chan wasn't crying. When she wasn't shouting mean things at Tendou-san, she was trying to wake her up by talking to her in French! No one could understand her at that point! She was trying to coat… court… co…?"

"Coax her," Hikari supplies. "That happened. But there were definitely tears."

"You two… Do you want to be used as training dummies for my physical therapy?!" Claudine bristles.

"Oh?" Maya smirks. "I underestimated your concern for me."

"Oh shut your mouth, you insufferable woman." Claudine turns away from Maya toward the rest of them. "Anyway, you three can't have woken up this early just to make the most of your day. What else brought you here?"

"Something about Ba-" Hikari fails to stifle a yawn, "-Nana planning to come around with sweets. And that we shouldn't miss it."

"We all planned a celebratory meal after capturing Kirin," Mahiru says. "But since you two are still in the hospital…"

"We're bringing it here!" Karen exclaims.

Maya's eyes brighten. "Ah, I am looking forward to Daiba-san's sweets."

Claudine glares at Maya. "You are on a strict diet until you've recovered enough."

Maya's pout actually takes Mahiru by surprise. She can't remember the last time Maya made such a face!

(I wonder if something happened? Or maybe…)

Maybe those two are just like this in private and their recent injuries have caused them to disregard all sense of decorum. Mahiru stops herself before she starts thinking too deeply about other people's private lives.

"I am sure there is no harm allowing a small exception for this one time," Maya argues.

"No. You are not hindering your recovery just because you wanted some of Nana's food! You can eat that after you're not stuck in a hospital bed."

Even if Maya is awake, it doesn't change the fact that she won't be discharged any time soon. It isn't known when Maya will even be allowed back in service. Most of the bandages are still in place, and Mahiru isn't knowledgeable enough to guess when she'll be able to see Maya's full head of hair again.

Then there's Claudine, who really should not even be out of her bed yet. For all of her worrying about Maya, her own insistence on staying by Maya isn't helping with her own recovery.

Mahiru is thankful that her two important people aren't hospitalized.

Even though they probably should have. Hikari's pain tolerance is both a blessing and a curse. And Mahiru almost wishes Karen didn't have the tendency to stand back up every time she's knocked down. Both of their habits inevitably lead to sustaining even more injuries.

Then there's Junna, who stayed up for three days straight to finish writing their mission report and debriefing their captain on its details. Junna, who finally acquired a new pair of glasses and stopped relying on her spares.

And of course Nana, who stayed with Junna the entire time despite her own injuries and fatigue.

Mahiru groans. She works with a bunch of hardheaded lunatics who disregard their own well-beings too much. Not that she can say much considering she didn't come out of their mission unscathed either. But at least she ices her injuries!

Knock knock. "Hi hi! We've come to visit!" Nana announces from behind Mahiru and the others.

"Good morning, Banana-chan. Are your injuries okay?" Mahiru asks.

Nana nods. "Junna-chan made sure I got plenty of rest once we got home. I was able to sleep soundly knowing Junna-chan was resting beside me too."

"And then I woke up and found Nana making food." Junna sighs. "So all of you should be thankful for Nana's hard work."

"Yes, mini captain," the others drone.

"No! Don't call me that either!"

"But it has a good ring to it. Don't you think, Futaba-han?"

Oh no. The true source of chaos is behind her. Mahiru hasn't known the Hanayagi heiress as long as some of the others, so she's even less defenseless against Kaoruko's teasing. She hopes it's directed away from her for as long as possible. She won't know what to do if Kaoruko brings up another one of her fantasies regarding Karen or Hikari.

"Don't drag me into this. I still can't believe you nicknamed me Short Retainer," Futaba says.

"You drag me around all the time," Kaoruko argues.

"Just like today, I assume," Claudine quips.

"Actually, Kaoruko was the one who said she wanted to visit you guys. She even brought a gift."

Seven heads swivel to Kaoruko (or rather six; the owner of the last head can't move freely enough so she settles with widening her eyes).

Kaoruko huffs. "This place is so dreary. It could do with some of my charm."

But no matter how high Kaoruko tilts her head and acts haughty, the blush dusting her cheeks is as clear as day. Not to mention she's attracting everyone's attention to the bag shaking in her tense hands behind her back.

"Well, that's… awfully nice of you," Claudine admits.

Maya nods. "Thank you for your generosity, Hanayagi-san. As well as assisting us on our mission."

"Even if you made some unnecessary additions to our planning," Junna says. But Mahiru doesn't think she's as upset as she thinks she is.

Nana claps her hands together. "Everyone's here and everyone is awake! Let's take this time to celebrate!"

"I can't wait to try what Banana's made today!" Karen exclaims.

Hikari nods in agreement, eyes already trained on Nana's bag of food.

Futaba sighs, deadpanning in response to how Kaoruko's eyes light up when Nana starts unpacking her food. "You guessed that Nana was going to be here today. That's why you were so excited to come."

"Ara, you've caught me red handed, Futaba-han."

"Do those boxes even have anything inside?"

"How rude of you to assume I would be cheap."

It turns out, there is only one box for Maya. And in it, a single piece of candy and a piece of paper with Kaoruko's handwriting that says 'Congrats on the new scar!'

"K-Kaoruko-chan!" Mahiru gasps.

Well, at least Maya looks happy. Mahiru wonders how many times she'll be surprised by Maya today. Even with her face obscured by bandages, Maya's bright smile makes her look like a child who just received a new toy. Even though there's only one tiny piece of candy in that box.

"It will look good," Hikari says. "One of the older officers back in London had one too."

"Hikari-chan, that isn't the point!"

"But Tendou-san is really happy," Karen remarks. "She must really like it!"

Kaoruko puffs up her chest with a satisfied smirk.

"No, she's just like then when it comes to anything she can put in her mouth," Claudine says.

"Indeed," Maya says, her happy smile pulled up into a smirk directed at Claudine and Claudine alone.

Junna smacks her head against the table she's helping Nana put the food on. Her glasses almost break again.

"Junna-chan!"

"Nana, just kill me."

"Maybe you need to rest more…" Nana says as she helps Junna right herself.

Junna grumbles something under her breath that Karen doesn't catch thanks to Kaoruko's next remark.

"Oh my, how lewd, Kuro-han." Kaoruko smirks. "Maybe I should have gotten you something too. Like a-"

"KAORU-"

Before Claudine can rise and actually kill the heiress, Futaba slaps both her hands over Kaoruko's mouth. "Nope. You are not finishing that. No one is dying in this hospital!"

"Ba-BAnaNA-chAn! WHAT DID YOU BRING TODAY?" Mahiru screams, raising her voice to direct the conversation away from a topic that isn't appropriate at all.

"Oh!" With Junna alright, Nana moves away from the table and gestures to all the items placed on it. "Banana muffins, banana shortcake, banana pancakes, fried bananas, and some hot banana milk! Junna-chan helped make the shortcake!"

"Why does everything have bananas in it?" Kaoruko asks.

"I did say it's her trademark," Futaba says.

Nana lifts up another box. "And just for Maya-chan, her favorite!"

Maya jolts with wide eyes. "B-Baumkuchen!"

"Tendou Maya, stop staring at the food like that!" Claudine shouts. "And no, you are not allowed to eat all of that! Nana, why are you enabling her?!"

"I told you, Nana." Junna sighs. "Saijou-san is very diligent about Tendou-san's well-being."

"Well someone has to!" Claudine shouts.

Maya and Nana both pout.

"But ma Claudine-"

"Oh don't you pull that on me, you disagreeable woman!"

Karen grabs a plate and a few utensils. "Hikari-chan, Mahiru-chan, let's eat!"

Well, even as she says that, Hikari is already putting a piece of shortcake onto her plate.

Mahiru smiles. Despite the rowdy chaos of the room, her mind is put at ease. Everyone is okay. Everyone is happy. And most of all, they can spend more days like this together.

"But Daiba-san's homemade baumkuchen…"

"TENDOU MAYA!"

"Hikari-chan, say 'ahh!""

"Karen, this is embarrassing. Nom."

"Look Futaba-han, they're feeding each other. So feed me."

"Do you really want to be compared to Karen?"

"Junna-chan, the shortcake is good! I should have you make it more often!"

"That's-! It's because I followed your directions!"

Mahiru chuckles. Even if all of her friends are ridiculous.

"Wait, let me feed you too, Karen-chan!"

"Oh, thank you, Mahiru-chan! Ahhh~"

It's fine though. There's nowhere else she would want to be.

And Mahiru is certain that's true for all of them as well.

Author's Notes:

Aaaaand… that's it. Phew. This really got longer than I planned to make it… But I'm finally done! Yay! How did this get so out of hand?! I just wanted to write a stupid scenario for a police!AU -_-

Could I expand this more? Of course. Will I? Hell no. I don't have time for that.

For those of you coming from LWA and read my crap stories, the next and final story I'll update will be for Heart of Titanium. I've kept you guys waiting for too long XD I'm switching back to every other week updates, so see everyone in two weeks!

Fun Fact:

Yes, all of the chapter names are actually song titles. Chapter 1 is a Korean song sung by Big Bang, chapter 2 is the English song by Drowning Pool, and chapter 3 is sung by the Japanese group Asian Kung-Fu Generation. No, none of the lyrics of any of these songs have anything to do with the story. I just had a super hard time coming up with chapter titles and I threw them in.

On a similar note, the title of the story is an adaptation of the idiom "loaded for bear," which means to be fully prepared for a confrontation.