Prologue

It's finally here! The day that I'd get to spend some time alone with Calliope Mori herself. Ame-senpai's quite the trooper - tagging along with Death-sensei to give me this opportunity. I'd salute you if we weren't so deep in Deadbeat territory. Instead, the two of us exchanged nods and went our separate ways.

I won't let this chance go to waste, Ame-senpai!

Calli dropped off 'Pudding' and Death-sensei at the home of one of the community leaders - a gated mansion filled to bursting with Peafowl motifs - and we went on to another mark.

Now that Calli and I were alone, she smiled at me and invited me to sit beside her. I took her up on her offer and hopped over.

As soon as my butt hit the cushion, my heart started to race. That was when it dawned upon me.

We're all alone AND next to each other!

My hands started to tremble. I couldn't even reach for my notepad - it would have fallen off my freaking hands. Our whole operation could go up in flames because my target happened to be so stupidly, incredibly hot!

Cool it, Takanashi Kiara. Right now, you're Hinotori. Wipe that starstruck look off your freaking face! You've got to show this Queenpin what you're made of!

Just… let me look at the side of her face and her windswept hair for a little bit longer.

Hehe.

…

Kiara reined in her rowdy heart and propped up her mask of Hinotori once more. Calli barely seemed to notice Kiara's quiet struggle and the brief flashes of rising temperature around her. Instead, the Queenpin just prattled on about the Deadbeats and the South District like a proud tour guide.

That bought her time to chill out and get back to business. By the time they reached the first community leader on their list, Kiara was Hinotori once more.

During their stint, Calli and Hinotori would visit a number of colorful figures - community leaders in the Southern District with their peculiar set of skills and quirks. They were loyal to the Deadbeats and wanted to throw their lot in with Calli during the war - so much so that Calli's superstar presence wasn't enough to sway them out of their wartime commitments.

On the way to each of the leaders, Calli went over the stalemates of her negotiations together with Hinotori.

One leader, a girl who tied her silver hair into buns that looked like cat ears, was adamant about sending special agents up North for the war. That - and she knew someone who knew someone who could convince the Penguins of Netherite Avenue to betray the Shrimps.

Another leader, a pink feathery-haired hawk-lady, had some sort of Secret Society that wanted to pull strings in the shadows for the Deadbeats. She also offered to send her best agent, a masked Orca, to beat the fear of Tokino Sora into Gura's gangsters.

Then, there was a pair of leaders - a brother and a sister with blue hair - who were rich kids in an arms race over how much wartime support they could give Calli. In the same breaths, they seemed to call Calli their dad.

Kiara didn't ask too many questions about the third one, but she did find it cute.

So far, Calli had tried to cut deals with them and convince them that the Deadbeats could dismantle the Shrimps in a lightning war. She argued that it would be over before the Shrimps could pick up their fire axes. Despite all the evidence Calli tried to show, the leaders were unconvinced. They wanted Calli to win overwhelmingly.

Kiara listened closely to Calli's account of things and rubbed her chin. Then she smiled at the Queenpin confidently.

"I think we've got these ones in the bag." Kiara declared, "We just need to talk their language - put things that they want on the table."

"We do?" Calli tilted her head, "Death-sensei said that these folks were unlikely to budge no matter what we do."

"I'm not Death-sensei, Boss!" Kiara winked, "Take another stab at it - i'll support you! We're closer to getting what we want than you think!"

She started to count with her fingers, offering her suggestions for each of the leaders. Calli hummed thoughtfully and listened to Kiara intently. Her face was a mix of fascination and delight - a cute mix that threatened to make Kiara blush yet again, but Kiara kept her composure.

When Kiara finished, Calli nodded and smiled back, "I haven't thought of those. We might be able to get through to them that way." The Queenpin beamed, "It's good to hear some positivity and can-do attitude around here for a change!"

Kiara's smile became complex. She didn't have the heart, or the evidence, to share her suspicions of Death-sensei with Calli just yet. Instead, she just kept quiet and let Calli drive them to their destinations.

The reinvigorated Calli, accompanied by Kiara, burst into the negotiations. Calli put on her businesslike attitude and offered new deals to the community leaders while Kiara spoke to them with tenderness and her personal touch.

To the cat-haired girl, Calli asked her to focus on defensive counter espionage and Kiara promised to make sure the Penguins are evacuated to the South District safe and sound if the war broke out.

To the hawk-lady, Calli requested a quick-response defense team together with her Orca in case the Shrimps broke into the South - and Kiara heaped the hawk with praise and insisted that this was a special mission that only she could do.

Then, to the blue-haired siblings, Calli had the two of them compete for who could bring more humanitarian aid for the aftermath of the war. Kiara, meanwhile, eased the tension between the siblings and treated them with motherly warmth.

As a matter of fact, she played the role so well that by the time they left the sibling's office, the siblings were calling Kiara 'Mommy Hinotowi'.

By noon, the three stubborn community leaders that had been giving Calli so much trouble were finally giving Calli what she wanted. They were not going to participate in the war - at least not directly. Needless to say, Calli was impressed.

"So, where to next?" Kiara asked, eager to talk to yet another community leader.

"Lunch." Calli smiled at her protege, "There's this cool diner at Colosseum Court. A buddy of mine runs the joint! My treat."

"Eh… really?" Kiara was struck by self-consciousness. She started to fidget and sink into the pickup's passenger seat.

"Yeah, really!" Calli grinned, "You don't know just how many lives you've helped save today. The least I can do for you is pay for lunch!" She made a strange gesture and added, "Plus, their milkshakes are gangster!"

The Phoenix froze at first, but she suddenly burst into laughter.

"Pfft~! What the heck is that, boss!?" Kiara guffawed.

"W-wha…!?" Calli was taken aback, repeating her strange gesture, "What's wrong with calling milkshakes gangster?"

Kiara laughed even harder. She couldn't put it into words, but Calli started to giggle too.

"I can see why the leaders responded so positively to you now." Calli caught her breath and turned her eyes back on the road, "Meeting you and 'Pudding' that day at Swingwell must have been fate." She paused and hummed, "Maybe peace isn't as far away as Death-sensei said it was."

"Hopefully so." Kiara agreed wholeheartedly.

On that note, a warm silence lingered in the cab of the pickup truck. The Queenpin of the Deadbeats and her new protege rode on to Colosseum Court and found their destination.

The Gladiator Diner.

…

Queenpins

Peace In Our Time

…