07:00 PM
Main Dining Hall, Sector 7 Headquarters
The long wooden table, usually cluttered with maps and weapons, is now covered in a crisp white tablecloth. The aroma of a home-cooked meal fills the air, overpowering the usual scent of oil and industrial dust.
Tonight was the exception. No combat simulations, no server breaches, and no scouting. At Ren's insistence, every member of Nero Familia was required to sit at the same table to celebrate their "readiness" before the massive operation at the Central Bank.
The Last Supper of Sector 7
Ren had prepared an extraordinary feast—perfectly seared steaks, pasta, and various side dishes that these former street children could previously only dream of.
"Eat until you're full," Ren said, pouring grape juice into Mia and Funin's glasses. "We'll need the energy for tomorrow."
The atmosphere was stiff at first.Mako looked confused by the silver fork, while Zack sat so upright it seemed as if the chair might snap at any moment. However, Garry quickly broke the silence.
"Did you guys know? When I was ten, I once stole a donut from a police patrol car," Garry shared enthusiastically, his hands waving wildly. "I ran through a narrow alley, and the only reason I didn't get caught was because the cop was too fat to fit through the fence gap!"
Laughter erupted. Lea chuckled while wiping a smudge of sauce from the corner of Mia's mouth, while Key and Funin began trading jokes about how ridiculous Sinclair's face looked when his radio comms went dead yesterday.
Even Krow, the usually silent sniper, cracked a smile when Mako accidentally dropped her knife after being startled by Zack's booming laughter.
The Patriarch's Speech
At the head of the table, Rion sat quietly. He observed them one by one. He saw more than just "tools" or "weapons." He saw a family he had forged from the ruins of despair.
Rion stood up, and the room instantly fell silent. Not out of fear, but out of respect.
"Tonight, we sit as one family," Rion's voice was deep and steady. "Tomorrow, the world will know us as a threat. Ironport has treated you like trash, and tomorrow, we take back what they stole from us."