**A few hours later**
By the time I had woken again, I was in a hospital bed. Surrounded by my whole crew and Belle.
"My Greed!" She cried, hugging me tightly along with Ophelia, Star, and surprisingly, even Alice.
Jo had gone on another mission, but she was supposed to come back any day now. My return had been a bit premature after all...
"Teddy! You're okay! You're okay!" Star wailed.
"Don't do that to us ever again..." Ophelia said softly. Her mood was totally different than how it normally was.
"Fuckin' A, Cap..." Havoc said as he leaned in to give me a hug as well, pressing his head on my shoulder.
Brand was there too, hand on my leg where he sat. Nash came over and patted my head, and Code gripped my shoulder.
"You don't have to speak right now. Just take it all in. We're here for you," Code said. He sounded more like a big brother more than usual. I'm guessing he already got the gist of the situation. Him and everyone else here for that matter.
"Where's Ryo?" I asked.
"They're operating on him as we speak," he replied. His look, solemn.
"And the others?"
The room got still. They all looked like they held guilt and sadness in their eyes.
"They've been transferred to the morgue," was all Code said.
"I'm sorry, my Greed," Belle said to me as she put a soft hand to my cheek and held it there.
I remained silent, barely processing what had happened.
It happened all too quickly...
No one said a word for a good hour. They were just letting me process everything.
With Ryo in surgery, I was only looking forward to his wellness. His wellbeing was the only thing that would ease this pain even a little. Even if it was only a band-aid to the deep scar I now have with the loss of three other friends.
"Can I go see them?" I asked, speaking to none of them in particular.
"The nurse said you're also in critical condition, said you can't leave this room yet," Code responded.
"Critical condition?" I said, dark sarcasm in my tone. "What about me is critically injured? Ryo was critically injured!" I shouted; I didn't mean to snap—especially at them.
No one retaliated. They only witnessed the tears forming in my eyes—the aching.
I turned from my bed and attempted to get up.
Belle gently held my arm. "My Greed..." was all she said.
"Babe, please..." I said with a quiet command.
She let go of my arm and I stepped onto the cold floor barefoot, and right when I pushed myself up, I couldn't even remain standing. I fell to the floor, eating shit instantly, and barely caught myself. Like a goddamn fool.
I trembled there for a moment as I finally realized my entire body was bandaged, and by this time, Havoc and Brand were already helping me up. The others remained vigilant all the while.
"You broke every bone in your body," Code said as they put me back up on the bed.
I remembered at last. When that mercenary, Leon, had beaten me to near death and then I, transforming again into that monster state to fight that Apostle... I had almost forgotten about all of that.
"You need to rest, my Greed," Belle said so sweetly. Gently. Motherly. "I'll see if I can get them to let you in soon, but for now, you must recuperate. Please my love." A quiet beg.
I obliged reluctantly. If it had been anyone else here, I don't think I would have listened that quickly.
We continued to all sit in silence in this hospital room as I finally asked, "What happened to that guy?"
Code looked at me with a raised brow, "What guy?"
"The guy who took us here?"
"I don't know who that is. I wasn't there when you arrived. We just got word that you and the others had come, and were at the South Gate upon arrival. From there they transferred you here to the Valley hospital and we all came as soon as we could. But I didn't see anyone else with you… I thought you somehow managed to do it all alone… but that wouldn't make sense given your condition."
I could tell he knew that was impossible. If there was anyone I knew that would pocket this topic, it'd be him.
I didn't reply. I had recalled asking him who he was, but I passed out again before I had gotten his answer. I hoped to say my thanks to him, but it didn't seem like he was here any longer.
"Never mind. Forget it." I said flatly.
Nothing else important was said for the rest of the day.
They had all chosen to stay the night with me, even if the room was small. They didn't care. They slept on the floor and leaned their heads on the walls if they had to.
It wasn't until early morning, 0600 to be exact, the next day that the door of the room had slammed open. And two girls were by it, looking like they were trying to push each other over.
"Move it, maid! I was here first!" a girl with short black and green ombre hair said. Her voice carried a stern tone. Unnatural than her usual detached demeanor. Her attire—Black Wolves, and that thick green dragon tail she was known for whipped from the back.
"Excuse you. I am not just any ordinary maid; I am Master Greed's personal appointed maid. I hold a significant title that allows me to be by his side at any moment of approval!" the other girl said. She had pigtails, one blue and the other pink. Her face was like that of a doll's as her pink colored eyes glowered to the other girl's emerald ones. She was wearing a maid's outfit, and their arms were locked, with one leg stepped over the other—having their own battle as they both matched with their own unique black tights and Mary Jane shoes.
"If you were here already, why didn't you see him earlier!?" the dragon tailed girl asked aggressively.
"Because I was ordered to stay at the Den until I finally got permission to come here, which I am now, so move it!" the doll eyed girl replied. "And what about you? You could have been here sooner as well! Unlike me who had to stay at the Den first, you have the freedom to come and go as you please! How dare you leave for a mission and not be here the moment Master Greed had arrived back! If I were you, and had your role, I'd play it better than how you are right now!"
"Would you, now?" the dragon tail girl retaliated, "There's a reason I have my role and you have yours. High ranking maid or not, you're still just a fucking maid. I am the Black Wolves 1st Ace! I have to take on missions I am assigned. But once I heard GG was here, I completed it swiftly and rushed back! Could you have done that? Oh wait, you can't cause you're not a fucking Ace, are you?"
"Excuse you! I was once the 1st Executive of a past Guild! And a higher position than what you have, if I may add! I know a thing or two about responsibilities!"
"Past is the key word here. Meaning they no longer exist—wonder why?"
"That's not the point! Point is— I was here first and you need to butt out!"
"I was here first, and you need to know your place! Move bitch!"
The dragon tailed girl stomped on the ground and turned it and the doll eyed girl into ice. They had apparently been causing a commotion since they arrived and other nurses and security had been on their way to stop them, but were just a few steps too late—they had been turned to ice as well.
As she stepped into the room, the doll eyed girl grabbed her wrist and when their eyes met, the ice she had been turned into was a cartoon figure, laughing at the dragon tailed girl's face.
"What the hell, Doll Eyes!?" she shouted.
"I told you… Miss Jo… I told you to move!" the doll eyed girl said ethereally in her intimidating form.
Everyone had all just barely woken up when they came, remaining noiseless as we watched them bicker with expressionless looks on our faces.
"And my name is not 'Doll Eyes', it's Kiki—"
Suddenly the sound of friction off two fingers echoed in the room.
Snap…
The two girls disappeared and were replaced by mere pebbles from outside.
Code then fixed his round glasses with his middle finger as he said, "That's better… It's six in the fucking morning. Shut the fuck up." And he walked straight to the bathroom.