"Alright, kid. Just take it from the top, kid."

He wasn't a kid. There was just a three-year gap between them—if that, but that's not what he was here for. He wrung his hands together nervously, not wanting to replay the events. They were already so vivid in his mind, but to retell the tale? That was just too much. The silver haired lifted his head, looking to his partner at the window.

"Minato, get away from that thing and c'mere. We've gotta stay low until the others get back."

The shorthaired male quietly lowered his hand, slipping them both into his pockets as he came to join the others. He stood in front of the sofa across from the other two males. The youngest male's eyes widened slightly. This guy, this Minato, had one white eye and a visible scar snaking up the left side of his neck.

"What happened?" the two simultaneously asked, Minato sitting down.

The odd-eyed male brought his gaze up slightly. The younger pressed his lips together and tilted his gaze down.

"Right." He sighed softly, hands once again pressing together. "It started with Yosuke—he had been having trouble the last couple of days. He said there were these guys coming around, bothering him pretty badly."

"Did he say what these guys looked like?"

"One; he just said that he was a taller guy." Souji brought his hand up high on his forehead, rubbing the side of his hand against it. "Really short bangs."

Akihiko looked to Minato, who shook his head and shrugged. They both gave their attention back to the other male.

"I didn't ignore him; I mean, we've been dealing with this for about half a year now—I mean, frequently. So I had his back. I…" He reached a hand up, rubbing his shoulder. "I stayed with him for a little while. I told my uncle I was going out, so he bunkered down the house. My cousin… little sister, was there, so I guess she's still safe." He paused and lowered his head, shaking it slightly. "Anyway, Yosuke… Everything seemed fine for a while. He went to work, called me if he needed anything; sometimes I went along, or I'd meet up with our friend Teddie."

"Teddie?" Akihiko asked, lifting his brows.

"It's a long story."

"No, I… I think I've heard that name before. He waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, continue."

"One day, Yosuke had to close the store, so I went along with him. During that time, Teddie came back from scouting, so I went to go pick him up from the station. I was going to drop him off at home and then head back to Junes. I was probably gone twenty minutes before…" He sighed deeply, leaning back against the couch.

"Take your time," Minato stated, gaze tipped down towards the table.

Souji nodded his head, continuing anyway. "I got a call… Or rather, I got a message. It was really noisy on the other side. All I could hear was 'Please, please' and then a gunshot. They shot him… Yosuke… but that wasn't it. I tried to call around, see who had saw him last, but I couldn't get a word out of anyone. I didn't go far before Teddie called me back, saying some strange guys came for me. He 'didn't like what was in the box', so I hurried back and…"

He and Akihiko looked to the left towards a corner of the room. Minato looked to his right. They all stared at the bloodied box.

"That's how I found him…"

"Did they ever say where the rest of him was?"

"I got another message, but I haven't read it."

"Don't. We'll need it later," Minato stated, standing up once again and heading back to the window.

Akihiko scoffed but chose not to say anything about it. "You hear anything from Fuuka or Rise?"
"No. But I haven't heard my phone go off, so maybe they're busy," the blue haired replied, back turned to the seated duo.

"Maybe they're all busy," Akihiko murmured, not liking the sound of it. The silver haired stood up and cracked his neck. "I'll go call 'em. You keep him company."

A noncommittal noise came from Minato. His muscled compatriot left, leaving the two alone. The blue-haired waited in silence for a long while until he looked over his shoulder.

"So," he began. "You're the newest recruit."

Souji sighed and closed his eyes. "I guess so."

Minato pulled his hand out of his pocket and pulled down on the blinds, looking to the dark outside again.

"Welcome to hell."