The vibrant hues of the setting sun bathed the landscape in warm, golden light.
Seated by the edge of a cliff, Bane inhaled deeply from his cigarette, watching as the world quieted down around him.
TAP TAP
Footsteps echoed from behind, breaking the peaceful stillness. Without turning, he spoke.
"What brings you here?"
"Have you calmed down?" came the casual reply.
"...yeah." He replied back.
Leone plopped herself down beside him, crossing her legs. Her curious gaze swept over Bane as if she were analyzing him for the first time.
Then, without warning, she unleashed a flurry of questions like a machine gun.
"Smoking's a bad habit, you know. How long have you been at it? Where did you work before this? Why do you always wear that mask? How'd you get your Teigu? What's its name? Why do you look so serious all the time? Don't you think life's too short to frown all the time—"
"....."
Bane, having endured the barrage of questions without a word, finally turned his head toward her.
His aquamarine eyes locked with her golden ones. For a moment, the only thought in his mind was, 'Extrovert. High-level extrovert.'
Ignoring the aura of relentless energy radiating from Leone, he exhaled a plume of smoke and replied with calculated calmness. "This cigarette is my medicine. Anything else, ask Najenda. As for my Teigu, its name is Jörmungandr."
Leone paused, blinking in surprise at his blunt response. Then her face lit up. "Alright, your turn. Ask me anything! I'll answer truthfully."
Bane's first instinct was to decline, but her enthusiasm was almost contagious. After a moment of thought, he asked, "How did you even find me? I left no tracks."
Grinning, Leone tapped the side of her nose. "My sense of smell is unmatched, thanks to my Teigu, Lionel. You can run, but you can't hide from me."
Her smirk grew wider as she shifted the conversation. "By the way, about Tatsumi's friends—you remember them from the medical room, right? After the Night Raid meeting, we decided they can't be let loose. They'll be sent to one of our hidden bases to handle non-combat tasks. And as for Tatsumi…" She paused dramatically.
Bane raised an eyebrow beneath his mask. "...what about him?"
Leone grinned, clearly enjoying the suspense. "He's officially joined Night Raid as a combatant. The boss gave him two options, and he didn't even hesitate."
Bane took another drag, mulling over the information. "Do you think he has potential?"
"Absolutely," Leone said, her tone brimming with confidence. "That kid may look like a puppy, but when it came to avenging his friends, he didn't hesitate. He killed the torturer without blinking. For a first kill, that's rare."
Bane nodded slowly, a flicker of respect crossing his mind. Interesting. He recalled his own first kill, the tremor in his hands that had lasted hours after the act.
Breaking his thoughts, Leone leaned closer, her eyes narrowing playfully. "In the medical room, I noticed you watching Tatsumi closely."
"........"
Bane didn't answer right away. He stared out over the horizon, watching as the sun dipped lower. Finally he said, "He reminds me of someone... but he's different. He hasn't lost hope yet."
Leone fell silent, sensing the weight of his words. Then, eager to change the somber mood, her eyes flicked to the white metallic belt around his waist.
"Is that your Teigu?" she asked, pointing at it.
Bane nodded.
Leone broke into a wide grin. "You know, we have so much in common! Both our Teigus have animal designs. We're experts in assassination. We're both from the Border Capital slums. And—oh, this is the best part—we even have the same name! Leone and Leo!"
She leaned back, laughing uncontrollably. "Honestly, even our genders might be the same! Your hands are way too pretty to be a of a guy under that mask!"
Bane froze. His aquamarine eyes narrowed into a glare as Leone's laughter echoed across the cliffside.
He inhaled deeply, his tone deadly calm. "If you don't stop laughing, I will throw you off this cliff."
Leone waved her hands frantically, still chuckling. "Alright, alright, my bad! But hey, just so you know, Lubbock was the one who said you had to be a girl. You might wanna watch out for him, he's the type to peek during baths."
"That green-haired pervert? Of course he'd say something like that." Bane sighed, clearly exasperated. "But for the record, I'm a guy. If you've talked to Najenda, you should already know that."
Leone leaned forward conspiratorially. "Well, since I laughed at you, I owe you one. Let me make it up to you with a joke."
Before Bane could protest, she grinned. "When we told Tatsumi that we're an assassination unit deployed to take out high-ranking figures in the Empire, you know what he said? 'So, you're assassins of justice?!'"
For a moment, there was silence between them. Then Bane's shoulders began to shake. He let out a low, melodic chuckle that soon grew into full-blown laughter.
"'Assassins of justice,' huh?" he repeated, his voice rich with amusement. "Where does he even get that idea? 'Assassination' and 'justice'. If he sticks to this line of work, he'll learn that fast enough."
Leone joined in his laughter, wiping tears from her eyes. "Right? It's cute, though. He's got this... innocence to him that's hard not to like."
Bane sobered slightly, staring at the horizon. "Innocence won't last long in this world," he murmured as he looked Leone, 'Maybe she likes him.' He guessed inwardly but decided not to tease her.
Before Leone could respond, her gaze snapped downward. Her posture shifted instantly, becoming alert. "We've got intruders," she said, her tone sharp.
Bane followed her line of sight, his senses sharpening as his hand instinctively moved toward Jörmungandr.
"Get ready for the hunt," Leone said, transforming into her beast form. Her grin was wide, revealing sharp fangs.
"Yeah," Bane replied, his voice calm but deadly as he activated his Teigu.