The knock came gently—but with purpose—against the frame of the makeshift shelter door. A voice followed. Firm. Polite. The kind of cadence only someone used to giving and receiving orders could pull off without thinking:
"Excuse me. Dragon would like to speak with you everyone here, if you're awake."
Beside him, Riley stirred, letting out a groggy whimper as she burrowed closer to his side. Ralts blinked open her crimson eyes from her perch across his arm and let out a soft, indignant warble, like the mere idea of morning offended her on a personal level.
Satoshi's hand moved instinctively to soothe her, brushing slow fingers through her soft hair.
EMIYA was already turning toward the sound and standing up, though he didn't move to open the door yet—just angled himself like he could assess the situation through willpower alone.
"Wait a moment," he called, sharp but not hostile.
The soldier didn't argue.
Satoshi sighed and forced himself upright, the cocoon of warmth they'd made already unraveling around him. His back ached faintly from the cot. Riley groaned and flopped over into the space he'd just vacated. Ralts followed, draping herself across Riley like a scarf made of sleepy psychic empathy.
"Too early…" Riley muttered. "Tell Dragon it's bedtime."
Ralts approved of her words through their bond—emotional and fogged with drowsy complaint.
Satoshi couldn't help it. He smiled, brushing a thumb along Riley's temple as she curled deeper into the blankets. "You two are a menace," he said fondly.
Across from him, EMIYA smirked—just a little. A rare thing. Dry and subtle. The kind of smile you had to know to recognize. He pulled on his jacket and slipped on the domino mask Dragon had provided the night before—functional, simple, and just annoying enough that Satoshi had refused his on the grounds of I'm not the vigilante here.
The mask settled into place with practiced ease, hiding just enough of EMIYA's face to keep him off facial recognition feeds.
Only then did EMIYA open the door.
The soldier on the other side stood at attention—tall, calm, well-trained.
"Ma'am Dragon requests a meeting," he said. "She said she'd prefer it before the next civilian processing round."
Satoshi watched as EMIYA's jaw ticked—barely noticeable. "Where?"
"She's using the repurposed mayor's office. Three buildings over. Southeast. She said your breakfast is already waiting."
Satoshi rolled his eyes fondly.
Of course it is.
EMIYA exhaled slowly. "Wait a few minutes. We'll be there shortly."
The soldier nodded once, then stepped back and out of view.
The door shut quietly behind EMIYA as he turned toward Satoshi—expression composed, posture already shifting into "strategic planning mode."
"We've got a few minutes," he said.
Satoshi was sitting upright now, still tousled, blanket pooled around his hips. Riley had taken over most of the cot, her small hand gripping the corner of his coat like a lifeline even awake while Ralts nestled beside her with her horn twitching faintly.
"They brought us breakfast?" Satoshi asked, amused. "And here I was thinking I'd have to impress them again with another miracle curry."
"Apparently not. We don't even have to dress properly—just jackets," EMIYA said, crouching slightly to pull on his gloves. "Dragon's efficient."
Satoshi laughed quietly. "Can't say I hate it. Still weird waking up and not cooking."
EMIYA gestured with his chin. "Grab the satchel. Bring the tablet."
Satoshi gave him a lazy, exaggerated salute, complete with bleary-eyed squint. "Yes, commander."
He stood with a stretch, rolling his shoulder. Then he bent to grab the satchel, slinging it over his arm. Behind him, Riley shifted and stood up, Riley following her movements.
.
The mayor's office had been hastily converted into a field command post. The walls were half-cleared of soot and smoke, and heavy cables ran under the carpet. Holoscreens were folded against the far wall, dim and dormant for now.
But what caught his attention was the couch.
Low, slightly dusty, and absurdly comfortable-looking. Satoshi made a beeline for it—not just because he was tired, though that was part of it—but because Riley was trailing behind him, eyes wide and hands fisting the hem of his coat.
Satoshi couldn't show how nervous he felt, not when she was trembling. So, he sat down and gently pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her small form. She didn't resist. If anything, she tucked herself in closer, like a rabbit in a thunderstorm.
Ralts hopped up onto her lap next, giving a soft little chirp as she pressed her forehead against Riley's chest. A ripple of calm shimmered through the air.
Across from them, Dragon's drone hovered at a polite distance—sleek white armor, a low voice that didn't echo, and eyes that glowed a gentle gold.
"Riley Davis," Dragon said gently. "I want to ask you a few things. Is that alright?"
Riley hesitated until Satoshi gave her a small squeeze and whispered, "I'm right here. We all are."
She nodded once.
Her voice, when it came, was barely above a whisper. "…Okay."
"Tell me about your family," Dragon asked gently.
Riley flinched. Her grip on Satoshi's coat tightened. But she spoke. "My… my mom's name was Caroline. My dad was Harold. My big brother was Matt. He was twelve. We had a dog named Chai-Chai. She always slept on my bed."
A pause.
"He tortured them," she said. "Jack. I didn't understand what was happening at first. I just thought… maybe they were sick? Or hurt?"
She swallowed.
"I kept trying to help. He kept smiling. He said I had talent. That I was a 'little miracle.' So I tried to heal them. Over and over. Even when they screamed. Even when I didn't know how... I was six."
Ralts let out a soft, distressed whimper. Her aura pulsed.
Satoshi hugged her tighter. "I didn't know what I was doing. I just wanted them to stop hurting. But he kept hurting them again. And I couldn't keep up. I didn't know enough."
She was shaking now. "When I gave up… when I couldn't anymore… I sat there and I watched my mom die."
Satoshi buried his hand in her hair, fingers trembling slightly.
"She said, 'Be a good girl.' Before she stopped breathing and...I tried." Riley let out a sob, curling into his chest. "I tried. I wanted to be. I wanted to be good."
Ralts was glowing now, the softest pink—calm, comfort, love, everything she could send.
Satoshi didn't speak. He just held her as he rocked her gently, murmuring quiet things that didn't need to be understood, because sometimes, being there was enough.
Dragon's tone remained steady—always gentle, always composed. "I'm sorry for making you relive thse things, but, Riley… can you tell us what happened during the last two years? With the Slaughterhouse Nine. With Jack Slash."
Riley's breath caught. Her voice dropped to almost nothing. "…He's scary. He's always smiling. Even when he's… not smiling."
She twisted the hem of Satoshi's sleeve between her fingers. "But sometimes, he was kind. Not nice. Not gentle. But kind. Like when I finished something and he said he was proud of me. Or when he gave me nicknames. He called me his 'little artist.'"
Her mouth quirked into something that wasn't quite a smile. More like the echo of one. "I just… I wanted to be a good girl for him. He liked when I made things. When I was Bonesaw."
She paused. "I don't regret the things I did."
Satoshi stiffened slightly. Ralts let out a low note, uncertain.
"I know I should. I know it's wrong not to. But I don't feel bad about them. I feel proud. Because I wanted to impress him. Because he said I was amazing."
Her eyes looked distant. Hollow. "I just wanted to be a good girl."
She looked up at Satoshi, and the hollowness gave way to something breaking.
"Is there something wrong with me?"
The words cracked on her tongue, but Satoshi didn't hesitate. He pulled her in close again, hugging her so tightly he could feel Ralts shift between them to press into her too.
"There is nothing wrong with you," he said firmly. "The only one in the wrong is Jack Slash."
"You were a child. He hurt you. He twisted your love into something awful, and then made you think it was your fault."
He brushed her hair back, gently. "Maybe what you need isn't punishment, you just need someone to understand. A new family that won't hurt you."
Riley sniffled once. Her small hands gripped his shirt tightly. "…Can you be my family?"
He blinked, throat tightening.
"I like you," she whispered. "And Ralts too."
Before he could answer, Dragon's voice cut in—still kind, but now firm. "Riley. I'm sorry, but I need to speak to Satoshi and Archer alone for a few minutes."
Riley's breath hitched.
"No," she whispered. "No, I don't want to—don't make me—"
Satoshi immediately leaned in. "Hey, hey. It's okay."
He gently took her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "We're not going anywhere. I promise. Just outside the door, alright? Wait with Ralts. She'll stay with you."
Riley looked unsure, wide-eyed and shaking, but Ralts cooed and nuzzled her cheek.
"Just outside," Satoshi repeated, and smiled. "We'll come right out."
She hesitated, then nodded. Slowly, she slid off his lap. Ralts floated after her, one tiny hand in Riley's as the door opened with a hiss.
Satoshi watched them walk out until the door closed with a soft click.
The room felt colder without them and the silence after the door closed was thick, but Dragon wasted no time.
"Before we move on to Riley's long-term options," she said, voice polite but pointed, "I'd like to ask: what exactly is Ralts?"
Satoshi blinked. "She's… well. I guess you could call her a special kind of Case 53. I found her, or… maybe she found me. We bonded pretty quickly."
"Her powers?"
"She's an empath. She feels the emotions of others—more clearly when they're strong. She likes happy people. But she really likes helping people feel happy." He smiled faintly. "She can heal too, and she's protective when it counts. What she does for Riley isn't manipulation—if that's what you're thinking. She's just helping in the only way she knows how."
There was a pause. Dragon said nothing, her optics dimming slightly—processing. "Very well. However, that brings me to the next matter: Riley Davis. It's clear she will not respond well to separation. Nor would her mental state remain stable if she were forcibly removed from either of you."
Satoshi's heart thumped in his chest. He swallowed. "…Can I adopt her?"
That earned a rare pause from Dragon. "Shouldn't that be a decision you consult with your significant other?"
Satoshi flushed a little, opening his mouth to protest—when Dragon turned.
"Apologies for the breach of etiquette, but when I initially scanned your profile after seeing you unmasked, I looked into your identity. Emiya Shirou."
EMIYA, who had remained silent until now, crossed his arms slightly and responded with his usual deadpan tone: "…Just Emiya."
But he was looking at Satoshi now. Satoshi met his eyes and swallowed again. "…We can adopt her, can't we?"
There was a long, quiet beat. No drama. No tension. Just a moment where two strangers pretending to be a married couple faced the reality of what that might actually mean.
EMIYA finally shrugged. "Sure we can."
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