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[b][u]Los Paraisos: Mercy Hospital: Recovery Ward Corridor[/u][/b]

Selan's heart may well have stopped too, she had been so scared.

They all scrambled to the window, to see the source of the music, to see their hero's miraculous reappearance, as heroes often did. But this superhero wasn't wearing a helmet or visor, and the suit was gone as well; Selan's hero was battered and damaged, but very much alive.

Her hand squeezed the diamond ring in her hand.

"Wow!" Lisette breathed, standing on her tiptoes to see over everyone else. "Mister Capuello is so cool-- Uwaah!!" she yelped, covering Kapi's ears from the popping of Trixie's guns.

[i][center]So baby dry your eyes
Save all the tears you've cried
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
Oh baby, we belong in a world that must be strong
Oh, that's what dreams are made of[/center][/i]

The combination of the fireworks and fresh tears lit up Selan's eyes, which sparkled like diamonds. A bittersweet feeling competed with the overwhelming relief and joy that welled up in her heart.

At least for now, they were all safe, and they were all together again.

[I]If only this feeling could last...[/i]

---

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[b][u]Los Paraisos: ???[/b][/u]

A handsome yet severe-looking man with copper-colored hair and dark, amber eyes stood in front of a trio of casement windows, looking down on Los Paraisos. In his hands was a half-empty glass of a dark liquid, the ice inside almost completely melted. Fireworks had unexpectedly shot up into the air and burst into a spectacular array of colors and shapes, and it was almost impossible not to hear the man at the center of it all. The people below swarmed the perimeter of La Macabaret like tiny ants, completely enthralled by the impromptu light show.

Behind him, a door opened and shut.

"Neil." he said in a low growl of a voice, his back turned to the door.

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"Expecting someone else?" Neil smirked, although the grin wasn't his usual one; he had taken quite a beating, from the deep bruise on his swollen cheek and the dried, matted blood in his dirty blonde hair. Even though he was talking to his boss, there was no formality here. There was too much history between them.

"You're late," The man said, still with his back turned. He wasn't angry, but he did want an answer for why Neil showed up bruised and empty-handed. This wasn't normal.

"Complications, we lost the sale." Neil said bluntly, knowing there was no point dancing around it. Although he wasn't about to go into detail about how he got his ass kicked and had to make a hasty retreat.

Fortunately, this was a man who usually didn't give a shit about unnecessary details. "No trail?" The man immediately asked, referring to any means of tracking Neil's movements.

"No way."

"Good." The man replied, turning around. He walked past his younger lieutenant and gave him a hard slap on his bruised shoulder as he passed by, causing the latter to emit a startled and pained chuckle.

"But..." Neil spoke up, the smirk returning. The whole way back, he played out in his head how his boss was going to react to this next piece of information.

"What is it?"

"Well... I hear the [i]songbirds[/i] sound mighty pretty this time of year."

[i]This[/i] got the man's attention. He stopped mid-stride, and his back muscles tensed. A heavy pause filled the hotel room. He turned back, and his fiery golden gaze met Neil's icy blue stare.

"... Is she well? Tell me [i]everything[/i]."

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