He whipped around to see his very, very, very favorite person in the whole effing world enter in the Golden Dragon. Gunner. He was wearing full combat gear and had an assault rifle strapped to his back. He looked passive but intent as he pulled out a teleport orb from his satchel. Sushi shifted behind the cash register and pulled out a shotgun.

Drift paled as his hand crept to his belt for his shotgun only to find its absence. Out of all days...

"W-what's going on?" Drift demanded.

"I found out," Gunner replied. "that Brite tried to rape you."

Drift's stomach jolted at the word. He never wanted to think about what happened that scarring night that way.

"H-how?" He asked. His eyes became fixed on the ground. His bottom lip quivered.

"She confessed one night. And not only did she confess that, but she also told of Sun Strider's slander." He sighed.

"What am I supposed to do?" Drift asked. His eyes darted all over the restaurant, seeking answers from inanimate furniture.

"That's what we have all joined together tonight for," Sushi said in a low voice.

"Consider this... a gift," Gunner replied, his voice low and gravelly. He smashed the orb into the ground, and the restaurant dissolved into a pure white room with no door. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made out of white light. Three women were already there, chained and struggling against cuffs of light.

His ex girlfriend, aviation teacher, and best friend. The three women were forced on his knees before him with an invisible force. No one spoke.

"What the hell..." Drift breathed, filled with disbelief. Rage rose in his stomach as he saw the women who had caused him so much grief before him.

"These three women have lied, stolen, or betrayed you or of you," Sushi spoke, each word dripping with contempt. "Escaping punishment by either the bat of a seductive eyelash-" he looked at Strider, "-or wisdom of the world-" he looked at Maven, "-or, falsified stupidity of the mind," he turned to Brite with a contemptuous look.

"Y-you lied?" Drift stuttered, looking at Brite. "I-I thought you were always deranged!"

"You know, I probably am... I never wanted to get close with you, Drift," Brite said in a low and saddened voice. "But you just wanted it to happen. I... I had no way out."

"You had EVERY way out! Why didn't you say anything?!" Drift spat angrily. He bit back a tirade of angry words as Gunner and Sushi turned towards him. Brite shrank back, her sullen eyes filling with a despaired look.

"And you! What do you have to confess?" Drift hissed at Maven. "Your secret love for women you were too fearful to admit? Even to the point of seducing your own student?!"

"Drift, punishment will be carried-" Gunner began, but Drift cut him off.

"I want answers first."

"You thought I loved you, didn't you?" Maven said, her brown eyes gleaming. The maliciousness soon drained, however. "You were so handsome... desperate... desperate for anyone to fill your void," her eyes softened. "I hate myself for what I did. I wish I could've been the proper teacher you needed," She hung her head. At this, Brite turned and glared at her. Tiny flames of jealousy flickered across her eyes before it was snuffled to a glazed gaze once again.

"Maybe I could've actually learned!" Drift exclaimed sarcastically.

Finally, Drift turned to Strider. A true beauty no longer, or maybe ever, but a spitting image of glamorous poison that never ran out.

"I assume you want to confess the last dick you rode," he spat with a dry laugh.

Strider glared at him, a catlike scowl forming on her face. "Screw you."

As silence stretched between them, Sushi cleared his throat.

"And as you being the victim, Drift Abernathy, you are to decide the fate of these sinful souls," he finished. Sushi handed him his shotgun. "Unless you chose to be merciful."

Drift looked at the women. He took the shotgun. It felt heavy and cold in his hands. Strider was emotionless. Maven still hung her head. But Brite, Brite was looking up at him with tears in her big blue eyes. Her lip was quivering with unspoken sorrow. This was his former best friend he was condemning. His only friend.

"There is a sole shell in the shotgun," Sushi instructed. For a second, Drift wondered at how this jolly chef could be such a remorseless commander. "You shall choose the sealed fate for one of these women who has wronged you in the most unforgivable way. It cannot be undone."

His resolve hardened again. He lifted the gun and clicked off the safety. He looked right into the eyes of Brite.

"Never again."

He fired, and the blast reverberated throughout the arena, and around his heart as well.