Prologue

Lunchtime rush was coming to an end when Calli and I arrived at the Gladiator Diner off Colosseum Court. It was an interesting place that looked like two linked dining cars of a passenger train had been pulled off the tracks, bolted down in the heart of a parking lot and turned into a restaurant. Seeing all of the trains that passed through South District day in and day out, I would have been surprised if that was exactly how things went.

Calli pulled Adam Saddler into the diner's parking lot. There, we were greeted by two large billboards facing Industrial Way. One of them was a billboard of the so-called Gladiator himself, Mr. Axel Syrios, winking at us while he held a juicy-looking hamburger in hand.

"Eat at the Gladiator. You'll be Glad you did!" the tagline read.

Seeing that one nearly made me chuckle. I would have cut back and told Calli all about it too if it weren't for the second billboard beside Axel's. It was an ad of Baelz Hakos in a fancy pinstripe suit standing tall and proud beside a peculiar locomotive - the diesel engine of her famous Casino Train.

" No pain, no gain! All aboard the Rail-Road Amusement Train! "

I mean, come on. I'm trying to take a break from work here - and enjoy my time with one of the most beautiful women in the world! Why does work have to keep popping up everywhere I go! Now I'm thinking about how Ame was getting along with Death-sensei, or what sort of clues she was able to dig up.

That, and I wondered if North Elysians really were punny people.

Calli stole glances of me. It was almost like she was trying to gauge my reaction to them. Hrgh, how can you be so cute!?

For now, I had to hide my frustrations. The lukewarm laugh I gave was pathetic, but that was the best I could do. I'll give you something more genuine than that next time, Calli. Next time.

And so, we weaved through the cars of the lunch-goes on their way out and found ourselves a parking slot. Then, Calli and I walked into the Gladiator Diner. The chime of a tiny door bell - and the bright smile of a tall, apron-wearing gentleman with orange, red-highlighted hair greeted us.

The gentleman on the billboard behind us. Axel Syrios.

-Signed, Kiara Takanashi

"Welcome to the Gladiator Diner!" Axel cheered, beaming at his two newest guests. He looked like he was about to go on a practiced spiel when he stopped himself halfway. His eyes turned to Calli and his excitement doubled, "Ayo, Calli! I was starting to wonder if you were gonna show up, cap."

Cap? Kiara tilted her head, as in Captain, perhaps?

"Yo! Of course I'm gonna show up, butters - my dawg." Calli grinned.

Butters now. That's a Second Lieutenant - Army lingo.

While Kiara was mulling through her deduction, Calli and Axel started doing some sort of secret handshake. It was a flurry of moves that baffled and amazed Kiara.

"By the way, Cap, I've got another delivery coming later tonight." Axel started, "You want in on this batch?"

"Hell yeah, my dawg!" Calli answered without hesitation.

Kiara tensed up.

Is this some sort of illicit deal?

Axel's blue eyes turned towards Kiara all of a sudden and asked Calli, "Does your new friend want in too?"

"Want in on what?" Kiara asked, absolutely bewildered.

"Oh, it's pizza!" Calli explained cheerfully, "You know B. Tubb's Pizza, Hinotori?"

"B. Tubb's?" Kiara tilted her head, "That pizzeria up North?"

"The one and only, missy." Axel winked, "They're deep in Shrimps territory, but their pizza is damn good. Real trap shit!" He started spinning imaginary pizzas in the air and added, "Plus, I know their pizza chef."

"You mean the Maglord!?" Kiara gasped.

"Yeah, the great Magni Dezmond!" Axel confirmed, "You know him?"

Kiara laughed uncomfortably. She remembered Magni hyping up the pizzeria while she demolished Bloop in a drinking contest. Kiara decided to keep that story to herself and just nod.

"Awesome! I know that cheeky bugger too!" Axel spoke with great energy, "We play poker over at the Dicey Odds across the street after hours!"

Dicey Odds, huh? Those two billboards being together isn't a coincidence, then.

Axel suddenly stopped and caught himself.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Axel cleared his throat and offered his hand to Kiara, "My name's Axel Syrios - doctor, gladiator and now a diner owner! Pleasure to meet you!"

"I'm Hinotori." Kiara shook Axel's hand, "I'm a new Fixer helping Boss Mori out at Swingwell!"

"Boss Mori?" Axel snickered, letting go of Kiara's hand. He turned his blue eyes towards Calli and asked, "Seriously, cap? You make her call you that?"

"N-no I don't!" Calli suddenly blushed, "That's just how she's called me all this time."

"Ya' didn't bother to change it?" Axel raised his brow, "For someone you're bringing here ?"

The Queenpin lowered her head and pouted, "It's kinda busy at Swingwell right now, you know."

"And I'm guessing she's in on that spicy plan of yours." Axel deduced.

"She is." Calli admitted.

"Hmm, if that's the case…" Axel hummed. He turned to Kiara and smiled, "Here's a pro-tip for ya, Hinotori. Calli doesn't like being called Boss by people she's close to, you see, but she puts up with it. For regular grunts, it's probably fine. But for folks in her inner circle - folks like you, Hinotori - she haaates it!"

"D-dude!" Calli tried to snap, but it was half-hearted.

"Ayo, it's true though!" Axel insisted, "Remember how the cheeky blue twins kept calling you 'Dad'?" His eyes narrowed, "Regus and that brat who calls me Brian?"

Calli couldn't keep eye contact with Axel at this point. She turned away from him and mumbled, "T-they still do, actually."

Axel folded his arms and nodded triumphantly. He turned to Kiara and urged, "Take my advice, chief. Call Calli here anything but 'boss'. She'll love ya for it!"

"L-love!?" Calli nearly exploded.

Kiara, on the other hand, started to fidget around nervously.

"If that's the case…" Kiara started out cautiously. Her pink-purple eyes gingerly met with Calli's. Her voice trembled, "M-may I call you 'Calli' too?"

Calli was torn between screaming internally and screaming at Axel, leaving her a nervous wreck at a loss for words. All she could manage was a bashful nod.

Kiara's heart started doing summersaults. She fought hard to stop the rest of her body from doing the same in the Gladiator Diner!

Axel burst into laughter.

"It's all good in the neighborhood, innit'?" Axel guffawed.

"Shut up you cheeky dogboy!" Calli growled at him and pointed to the menu, "You owe us two number nines!"

"I'll throw in a milkshake." Axel winked, "On the house, of course~!"

"Make it two!" Calli demanded.

"You got it, cap!" Axel gave Calli a small salute and excused himself to work on their orders.

Calli's sharp eyes turned towards Kiara and she pouted.

"What are you smiling about, Hinotori?" She tested.

"Nothing at all, Calli." Kiara answered cheerfully, "I can call you that, right?"

"Y-you may." Calli finally gave her formal approval. She turned away from Kiara and muttered just out of earshot, "I'd like that very much."

Calli and Kiara took seats at the counter and watched Axel do his thing in the kitchen. Axel served them glasses of water and left the two to chat. Calli chugged down her water and suddenly gasped.

"Guh!"

Kiara nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Oh, sorry." Calli apologized, "It's a habit of mine."

She set down her glass. In a few short moments, Axel swung by and refilled her glass. Calli smiled and thanked the so-called Gladiator and turned to Kiara.

"Axel here's an old friend of mine." Calli started, "The same goes for the Maglord of B. Tubbs, Altare Regis, that community leader we talked to a while ago and another madlad who… well, I haven't heard from him in a long while." She picked up her refilled glass and looked at her reflection, "They're the Tempus boys - a little band of brothers that I saved during the War."

"Is that so?" Kiara hummed, leaning towards Calli with keen interest.

"You don't mind stories from the War, do you, Hinotori? It's a sensitive topic for a lot of the veterans."

"Not at all! Please speak your mind, Calli. I'm here to listen."

"Alright." Calli heaved a sigh and told Kiara her tale.

Calli told Kiara about the origin of her nickname as the 'Reaper'. It was something that the City newspapers and a lot of the Deadbeats liked to call her, but that was a name that came from Calli's Army days.

During the war, Calli rose up the ranks to become an Army captain. She fought bravely and won her battles, but there were many times when Calli ended up being the only one in her units that didn't come back home in a bodybag. Because of this, Calli became a symbol of victory - but also a bad omen.

"I'm very good at killing. I know that." Calli spoke and looked out the window.

For a moment, Kiara thought that she could see a thousand-yard stare in the Queenpin's eyes. After a short while, though, the color returned to Calli's eyes and she managed a small smile.

"Everyone talks about how many enemies I killed on Sunfish Hill or how many battles I won." Calli shook her head, "But the thing I'm most proud of are the ones that I managed to save. The Tempus boys are living proof that I can save people. I don't just take lives - I can help build them." She turned to Kiara and added, "That's why I want to make this coming war as painless as possible, Hinotori."

"I think that's a noble goal, Calli." Kiara wholeheartedly agreed, "Your heart is in the right place - and you've got the power to do the right thing here, with all the friends you've got all over the place." She grinned, "A part of me thinks that you might be able to stop this war from starting altogether!"

"You really think so?" Calli asked, eagerly waiting for Kiara's answer.

Kiara nodded firmly. She reached over and laid her hand on Calli's.

"I believe in you, Calli. Give peace a chance."

"Hinotori…"

Tender, peaceful silence lingered around the Queenpin and her protege. Axel watched the two sharing their moment and waited a few moments before serving them, smiling the whole time.

When he did, he brought over their two number nine combo meals - and their milkshake.

"Order up!" Axel announced.

Calli turned towards the milkshake. It was larger than the usual serving, so she raised her brow.

"I thought we asked for two?" Calli asked.

As soon as Calli said this, Axel brought out two straws and stuck them both into the large milkshake. Calli and Kiara were promptly flustered. Axel, on the other hand, winked at his two overheating customers.

"Enjoy~!" He started, "Oh - and you're welcome!"

Eleven

You'll Be Glad You Did

To Be Continued