It was 2 a.m.
And the base kitchen smelled like strawberry lollipop and black blood.
Niczo didn't care.
She kicked the fridge door shut with one booted foot, unwrapped her candy with a lazy flick of her gloved fingers, and popped the stick in her mouth like it was the only thing keeping her from stabbing somebody. Her entire right sleeve was soaked in dried Shadow guts, and her braids were sticking to her neck from sweat and monster goop.
Classic Tuesday.
The rest of the team had split off like tired roaches after the mission. Kael disappeared into the showers without a word—probably to brood under hot water and think about death or whatever emotionally constipated thing he did in there. Lazra, already yelling about her "perfect eyeliner being ruined by demon blood AGAIN," had stormed into her room muttering threats against the entire Shadow species. And Raiyen?
...Raiyen was, at this very moment, sitting on top of the kitchen counter, reading some weird dream journal and humming like they hadn't just murdered fourteen liquified hellspawns in an alley two hours ago.
Niczo looked at him through her bangs. "You're bleeding."
He didn't even look up. "Emotionally or physically?"
"Physically."
"Oh." He shrugged. "I'll heal."
"You say that every time. Your arm's hanging off."
Raiyen finally glanced down at the slice in his arm, where some Shadow venom was still sizzling in slow little trails of smoke. "Huh. I thought that was my shirt sleeve."
Niczo rolled her eyes so hard she saw the back of her brain. She leaned against the kitchen counter across from him, sucking gently on her lollipop and staring into space.
Silence. Cool silence.
Until—
"BRO I SWEAR IF ANYONE TOUCHED MY EYELINER BAG I WILL FIGHT THE GOVERNMENT."
Lazra's voice echoed down the hallway like a banshee with good contour.
Niczo smiled. Just a little.
A door slammed. Footsteps. Kael appeared next, shirtless, towel over his head, completely ignoring the fact that he was still dripping wet on the floors Niczo just mopped last week.
He walked to the fridge, opened it, looked in, then just… stood there. Like he forgot what food was.
"You lost?" Niczo asked, deadpan.
"Where's the cold chicken?"
Lazra came stomping in next, dressed in neon shorts and a crop hoodie that said "Blow Me Up" in glitter. She stopped in the doorway, pointed a wet mascara wand at Kael, and shouted, "You ate my chicken, didn't you?"
Kael looked her dead in the eye. "…Yes."
"YOU—"
Whatever chaos was about to unfold got cut off by the shrill beep-beep-beep of the base's emergency line going off.
All four of them froze. Niczo sighed and pulled the lollipop out of her mouth with a soft pop.
Raiyen groaned . "Can't we get one night without a crisis? Just one. Like... a nap night. A night of no trauma."
Niczo pushed a button on the wall. A hologram flickered to life, revealing their base leader—a fifty-year-old ex-Vizux general who wore more sunglasses than common sense. His name was Commander Bravik, but they all just called him Grumpy Uncle behind his back.
"Ah, you're all here," he said.
Lazra immediately cut in. "No. We're all traumatized. That's different."
Commander Bravik rubbed his forehead like they gave him weekly migraines. "We have a situation. A Nightmare hive was detected three miles from Sector 7. Civilians are dying in their dreams again. You're the only team I can send—"
"Wow, us again?" Raiyen said, mock-shocked. "What an unexpected plot twist. Never saw that coming."
Kael crossed his arms, water still dripping off his elbow. "We just came back."
Niczo didn't speak. She just crunched her lollipop slowly. Crack.
Bravik sighed, pulled off his shades, and looked them all in the face. "You four are X-level. You're the best team I have. I don't have time for complaints."
Lazra pointed at her chest. "I have mascara in my lungs, sir."
"Take it up with your therapist."
Niczo grabbed another lollipop. This one was cherry. She calmly walked past everyone and muttered, "Gear up."
"Wait, now?" Raiyen called after her.
She stopped, looked back just enough to make eye contact through the curtain of her bangs. "We don't kill Nightmares in our pajamas."
Kael grabbed his sword. Lazra groaned and slammed back an energy drink. Raiyen gave a dramatic sigh and hopped off the counter.
As they all headed to the weapon room, Raiyen glanced sideways at Niczo.
"I still think you're hot with Shadow blood on your face," he said casually.
She didn't look at him. Just stuck the lollipop