Hana's apartment
Morning came quietly… until it didn't.
"We have a new mission!" Hana shouted, slamming the door open.
Lucien flinched so hard he nearly fell out of bed.
"Can it wait till after breakfast… or after death?"
"No, now. There's a hive of souls heading toward the barrier. If they reach the city, it'll be chaos."
"Ugh. Chaos sounds nice… as long as I don't have to move."
Valerie smacked him with a pillow.
"You're moving. Get up, king of naps."
– The Cafeteria
After the morning briefing, everyone gathered at the DKA cafeteria for a pre-mission meal. The air buzzed with chatter, clinking trays, and the sound of Mcgruffin trying (and failing) to flirt with the cashier.
"Hey beautiful, you ever see a man survive lava?"
"No."
"Wanna?"
"Next."
Rejected for the eighth time that week.
Valerie facepalmed.
"We need to get him a leash."
Then, Lisa walked in — unusually quiet and clearly upset. She slid her tray down next to Hana without a word.
Hana raised an eyebrow.
"You okay, Lisa? You look… deflated."
Lisa shook her head quickly.
"It's nothing. Really."
Lucien tilted his head, noticing her trembling hands.
He sighed, then smiled softly.
"Hey. You're terrible at lying, you know that?"
She looked down, avoiding his eyes.
> "I don't want to make a big deal out of it."
Lucien leaned closer, his usual lazy grin replaced with rare sincerity.
"Lisa, look around. You've got the loudmouth, the flirt, the walking muscle, the commander, and the devilishly handsome—"
"—idiot," Valerie interrupted.
"—devilishly handsome idiot," Lucien corrected. "Point is, we're a team. You don't bottle things up when you've got family."
The word family lingered in the air. Lisa finally sighed.
"Some of the cadets… they made fun of me. Said I didn't deserve to be here. That I only got in because Hana pitied me."
The group went quiet. Too quiet.
Valerie's expression hardened.
"How many?"
Bradley cracked his knuckles.
"Who?"
Hana's eyes glowed faintly.
"Where?"
Lisa panicked.
"Guys! It's no big deal! Please don't—"
Mcgruffin stood, crossing his arms.
"Don't worry, Lisa. We're just gonna have a friendly talk… maybe teach 'em the meaning of fear."
Lisa pointed shakily toward a table across the cafeteria — seventeen loud, cocky cadets laughing over their meals.
Lucien smiled calmly.
"Seventeen? Oh, easy math. That's about… three each."
Valerie turned to him.
"You're joining?"
"Even hell has standards."
Later that evening, the group of bullies were heading home, still laughing and boasting about how "weaklings didn't belong in the DKA."
They stopped when six shadows blocked their path.
Bradley cracked his neck.
"Evenin', gentlemen.
"Who the hell are you?" the lead cadet sneered.
Valerie stepped forward, her smile unsettlingly sweet.
"The ones who heard you've been picking on our roommate."
"Roommate? What, are you her parents or something?"
Bradley grinned.
"Nah. Just the family you didn't ask for."
Lucien yawned mid-threat.
"Let's just make this quick. I've got soup getting cold."
The delinquents charged first — a big mistake.
In less than a minute, chaos erupted.
Bradley's punches sent shockwaves through the alley.
Valerie weaved through them gracefully, her kicks fiery and precise.
Hana was a blur of pink and fury.
Ethan and Mcgruffin tag-teamed, though Mcgruffin mostly yelled things like:
"Take this— the Mcgruffin Slide!"
"That's not even a move!" Ethan shouted back.
"It is now!"
Lucien didn't even look like he was trying — just sidestepping attacks and "lightly" knocking people into walls like it was a casual game of dominoes.
Five minutes later, the seventeen bullies lay in a heap, moaning softly.
Lucien brushed off his sleeves.
"That should do. Family matters handled."
That evening, everyone gathered around the dinner table, laughing and eating like nothing had happened. Lisa looked around nervously.
"Um… you guys didn't… do anything bad, right?"
Valerie sipped her tea calmly.
"We only had a little talk. Told them not to mess with you again."
"A talk that might've broken a few bones," Bradley added proudly.
"I hate you all," Valerie muttered. "But nobody messes with my roommates."
Lucien grinned lazily.
"You're safe now, Lisa. I'd never sit this one out."
Bradley blinked.
"You? You actually helped?!"
"I mean… I moved my arm once or twice."
Mcgruffin raised his cup, smiling smugly.
"And I delivered the final blow!"
"No you didn't," Ethan said flatly.
"Emotionally, I did," Mcgruffin replied.
Everyone burst out laughing, even Lisa.
Lucien leaned back, looking around the table — at the mismatched faces, the laughter, the warmth.
"Our new roommates suck…" he muttered with a grin.
Then he smiled wider.
"…but damn, they suck together perfectly."