At last, Project 913 had been found. But the Lily Moon, or rather Fiona, Sophie, Rosika, and Siegfried, had made a deal with The Joker. They now had to find the key.
Sophie: "So now we have to find the key."
Fiona: "Yeah... A deal is a deal... Besides, it's risky to anger Joker."
Siegfried: "Hmm."
Rosika: "And... where are we supposed to look?"
Lina: "Hmm."
Violet: "Why did you even tell us about this?"
Meliodas: "And me as well... even though you know how risky it is."
Fiona: "I don't hide anything from Lina and Violet. They're my frien... (cough)... coworkers. And my master... is still my master."
Meliodas: "I understand so."
Sophie: "But we need to learn more about the key... what if it's something terrible?"
Fiona: "I'll take care of that..."
She stood up.
Sophie: "What, alone?... Without anyone?"
Siegfried: "Take someone with you."
Fiona: "I'm a Crow... It's my job to watch over all of you."
Meliodas: "And it's my job to watch over you and everyone else... Then I'll come with you."
Fiona: "No, Master... You stay here... If something happens to you, then I'll get into even more trou... (cough)... trouble."
Meliodas: "At least let me accompany you... A master is allowed to go on missions too... That's an order."
Fiona: "Hahhh... Alright... Fine... But before we leave... put on something better... And use something, you sweat a lot... You're still wearing the same suit from last week."
Meliodas: "(Sweating)... Can you really smell it?"
Sophie: "Yeah... We've actually complained about it."
Meliodas: "What... But Fiona never did."
Sophie: "Because she's either used to it... or she didn't want to bother you... or maybe the smell feels kind of... fatherly to her?"
Fiona: "Nughhh!... Sophie... Stop that..."
Sophie: "Oh, come on, Fiona... We all know you like Master Meliodas. To you, he's like... the father you never had."
Fiona: "Sophie!"
Meliodas: "Hahahahaha..."
Fiona: "Ghhh... I'll head outside first, Master... so get your butt moving."
She walked outside and then started pouting.
Sophie: "(Sweating)... She always pouts whenever she looks at the Master... That's when you can really see... that she can still be like a child."
Meliodas: "Hehehe."
Siegfried: "Hmm."
Meliodas: "Alright, I won't keep everyone waiting."
A few minutes later.
Fiona: "...Ughh... Where is he... Good grief..."
Click.
Fiona: "Hahhh..."
She looked at the cigarette.
Fiona: "Mmmm... Hahh!"
She threw the bag back inside.
Fiona: "I'm not throwing it away. I paid for it. And Einsenheim never gave us the money. He claimed it was used for Lil instead. Tss... So I ended up doing another job without getting paid... At this rate I'll have to find a second job..."
He walked outside.
Meliodas: "Hey... Sorry it took so long."
Fiona: "Hmm... Nice suit, Master."
Meliodas: "Oh, thanks... Shall we? After you."
Fiona: "No, you walk in front."
Meliodas: "You don't have to do that anymore. Let's just walk side by side."
Fiona: "Okay."
They walked together.
Meliodas: "So... How have things been lately?"
Fiona: "I'm still waiting for my salary."
Meliodas: "(Sweating)... I meant... how you've been feeling."
Fiona: "I'm okay... As long as everyone else is okay."
Meliodas: "That's very kind of you."
Fiona: "Hmm... I'm fine."
Meliodas: "Good to hear..."
Fiona: "I'd feel even better if someone would finally pay me. I haven't received anything in the last three months. What's that all about?"
Meliodas: "Well... hehe... Umm... You'll have to ask Ms. Valentine."
Fiona: "Hahhh... I don't even have enough money to buy anything now. What a great business. I work my ass off and travel everywhere, and what do I get? Zero Coil? Well... except coins... Luckily, I still have the money from the dead Saint Lois members."
Meliodas: "What? Give it here immediately! What are you thinking?"
Fiona: "What? Huh?... I want something too..."
Meliodas: "That's not right, Fiona. Hand it over. That's an order."
Fiona: "Mmmm..."
She handed him the money.
Fiona: "Hmm."
Meliodas: "You haven't spent any of it."
Fiona: "No. Good grief..."
Meliodas: "Good girl."
Fiona: "Tssss..."
She walked ahead of him.
Meliodas: "Are you angry?"
Fiona: "No... It's not like I've worked so hard over the last three months that I got nosebleeds from all the stress and work... I want my money for my painkillers."
Meliodas: "Wait... You don't have any left?"
Fiona: "No."
Meliodas: "You should've said so right away... But... do you really want to keep living like this?"
Fiona: "Yes."
Meliodas: "You'll become addicted."
Fiona: "Hah. Master, I'm already addicted."
Meliodas: "Maybe you should see a doctor."
Fiona: "And tell him what?... That I work for the Dark Umbrella... That I have a curse that makes my leg hurt all the time... That my leg is made of bones and smoke and I have to hide it from everyone?"
Meliodas: "Oh... Sorry... I didn't think about that."
Fiona: "(Cough)... (Cough)..."
Meliodas: "You've been coughing more lately."
Fiona: "Of course... I've just been working hard..."
Meliodas: "You can't take a vacation because Colletta, Rio, and Marcus are already on theirs."
Fiona: "No. Ms. Valentine rejects my requests every time anyway. She always says, 'Oh, Fiona... You work hard, but Lily Moon doesn't work that much... Come on, work more.' Back then I thought, 'Hey, at least I'm getting paid.' Now what do I get? Nothing."
Meliodas: "Alright, I'll talk to her."
Fiona: "No need... I'll just sell some things."
Meliodas: "Oh?"
Fiona: "Some of our people want to sell things, and so do I... My watch... my old watch... my old jacket and my pants..."
Meliodas: "Oh... they're pretty old."
Fiona: "I'll just sell them to some simp. They haven't been washed, and there are enough men who'll think, 'Ooh... women's sweat...'"
Meliodas: "(Sweating)... Umm... Okay."
Fiona: "Of course, that's only a few men... but they do exist... Anyway, we're here."
Meliodas: "Hmm. Ah, the library."
Fiona: "Maybe there's something here about the key."
Meliodas: "I wanted to visit the library anyway. What a coincidence... But I need to go to the first floor."
Fiona: "I'll keep searching until I find something."
Meliodas: "Alright. If anything happens, let me know, okay, Fiona?"
Fiona: "Sure."
Meliodas: "Okay."
They went inside. The library was filled with students, staff members, and even people taking a break from work. The library was called Nek, and people could actually drink coffee, eat, and have beverages there as long as they stayed quiet. Because of that, many people even called it a restaurant cafeteria.
Meliodas: "Alright... Do you want me to help you?"
Fiona: "No, it's fine. I'll search by myself."
Meliodas: "Alright... Feel free to order something. Here."
Fiona: "Ugh."
He handed her some money.
Fiona: "But... Master."
Meliodas: "Isn't that what you wanted? Buy yourself something to eat. You look exhausted."
Fiona: "Hmm."
He gently stroked around her eyes.
Meliodas: "And get some more sleep..."
Fiona: "Mmm... Is that an order?"
Meliodas: "No... A request."
Fiona: "Mm... Okay..."
Meliodas: "Good."
She walked away and looked around.
Meliodas: "Hmmm... What am I supposed to think... Hahhh... She does receive her salary... but Ms. Valentine puts it directly into rebuilding the station... I understand why she's angry about never actually getting any money..."
He sat down and started reading when suddenly a woman sat beside him.
The Joker: "Meliodas, right?"
Meliodas: "Ugh..."
He looked at her as she sat beside him.
The Joker: "Hehehe... You're handsome."
Meliodas: "...Are you The Joker?"
The Joker: "Correct. I knew you'd come to this library to learn more about the key. Hmm?"
Meliodas: "Ghhh... (She's really clever...)"
The Joker: "Hehehe... I just wanted to say hello. The book you're reading... The Silence Within Tears... I've already read it... Hehe."
She stood up and walked upstairs.
Meliodas: "Maybe I should go upstairs and check on Fiona."
Meanwhile.
Fiona: "Mmm..."
She ate a sandwich while reading several books.
Fiona: "Hmmm... Hmm... Nothing... (Nothing... There's nothing here...)"
Suddenly she heard someone pulling a chair back.
Fiona: "Hmm..."
The Joker: "Hello."
Fiona: "Hahhh... Of course."
The Joker: "Am I disturbing you, my dear?"
Fiona: "I thought you were smarter than this, The Joker... Since you're here... that probably means I'll find something."
The Joker: "Yes... and no."
She sat down beside her.
The Joker: "I just wanted to see you, Fiona... Hehehe... You look exhausted."
Fiona: "Mhm."
The Joker: "Oh, come on... You have such a beautiful feminine face... Why work so hard?... How about it, Fiona? Work for us... Hehehe... You can earn as much money as you want."
Fiona: "...Hahhh... No thanks. I may be strict... and willing to kill... but not innocent people like you do."
The Joker: "Hehe... There really isn't such a thing as an innocent person... Hehehe..."
Fiona: "Hmm?"
The Joker: "Do you have any idea whether that boy over there... won't become evil in the future?... Or maybe he already is... Or perhaps he's already done terrible things..."
Fiona: "I don't care what he does... As long as it isn't part of my mission."
The Joker: "Hehehe... If a mission ordered you to kill an innocent person... would you do it?"
Fiona: "Hmm?"
The Joker: "What's the difference between the Dark Umbrella ordering you to kill an innocent person... or the Hunters doing it? Hmm?"
Fiona: "...In principle... none."
The Joker: "See?"
Fiona: "But... do you ever carry out missions where you actually help people? Hmm? Tell me."
The Joker: "Hehehe... You're right about that... But... we've done good things too. Eliska... one of us... you probably know her. She was the woman who worked at the bank for me... when that cute boy Marcus came."
Fiona: "Hmm... The green-haired woman."
The Joker: "She takes care of orphaned children... The girls call her Father... the boys call her Mother... See?"
Fiona: "And what good have you done?"
The Joker: "Hehe... That's disgusting... Boring. I'm not Eliska, my dear."
Fiona: "Right... Joker."
The Joker: "You seem to know quite a bit about me."
Fiona: "I know that during one mission... where you were hired to kill the child of a wealthy man... you murdered an entire school... including fifty children."
The Joker: "Well, no one showed me which child it was... so I didn't have a choice. Hehe."
Fiona: "And once you murdered a mother in front of her children... and forced them to bathe in her blood."
The Joker: "Oops... You knew that too? Where did you hear that?"
Fiona: "One of the survivors... before taking his own life because of the trauma you caused... wrote it down in his notes."
The Joker: "Oh... But I killed the children afterward anyway... Ahhh... Hahaha... Though I spared one. He was... ugly."
Fiona: "Hmm?"
The Joker: "You know, Fiona... The more I like someone... the more... I love... watching them suffer."
She leaned in so close that her nose brushed against Fiona's cheek.
The Joker: "And you too... Oh... I can hardly wait... to shower you... in your friends' blood... and then finish you off... Hehehe..."
Fiona: "You are... seriously... disgusting."
The Joker: "Nohhh... Did you think I was nice? Oh right... Sandy... Hehehe..."
Fiona: "What do you actually want? You must have a reason for talking to me."
The Joker: "Yes... That's right... And that is..."
She rested her arm on Fiona's shoulder.
The Joker: "That wasn't part of the deal, my dear."
Fiona: "Hmm?"
The Joker: "I helped you find that foolish child... so you should honor your side of the deal... Otherwise... there will be consequences."
Fiona: "...Ugh!"
The Joker stared at her with furious eyes.
The Joker: "Do you really think I'm joking around here?... Huh?"
Fiona: "What are you going to do... kill everyone here?"
The Joker: "Huh... Hehehehehe... I'm not stupid, little Fiona... But I'm not here alone."
Fiona: "Ugh..."
The Joker: "Don't look around, my dear..."
She grabbed the book and threw it onto the floor.
The Joker: "And stop sticking your nose into this... or I'll stick a knife into your... beautiful eyes... Hehehe..."
She cupped Fiona's cheeks. The people around them stared, thinking it was some kind of romance.
Fiona: "Hey... stop... people are staring at us."
The Joker: "Aww... You're so cute..."
She licked Fiona's cheek.
The Joker: "This is a warning... By the way... you had ketchup on your cheek... I licked it off for you."
Fiona: "Ghhh... You're seriously creepy."
The Joker: "Hehe."
She stood up.
The Joker: "By the way... I don't like repeating myself... Fiona... Keep your hands off... that book... And yes... your feet count as well... So... goodbye..."
She disappeared into the crowd.
Unknown Man: "What was that about?"
Unknown Woman: "It looked like they were... you know... hehe."
Fiona simply looked at them.
Fiona: "Um... It may have looked like that... but I don't know that woman."
Unknown Woman: "Are you alright?... It looked like she was bothering you... Is she your fiancée?"
Fiona: "Ghhh... No... she's my... sister."
Unknown Man: "Damn... Stepsister and sister? Hooo... That's better than any yuri I've ever read. Hehe."
Unknown Woman: "Behave yourself. Shh."
Fiona: "Hahh... I'd better leave."
Meanwhile.
Meliodas: "Huh?"
The Joker looked at him and smiled.
The Joker: "Farewell, handsome guy with the pea down there."
She walked away.
Meliodas: "Huh?"
Fiona: "A pea?... Master?"
Meliodas: "Huh... Fiona, are you alright?"
Fiona: "Yeah... We should leave... She knew we'd come here..."
One hour later.
Sophie: "So... what do we do now?"
Fiona: "No idea."
Lina: "Hmm."
Meliodas: "For now, let's just focus on finding where the key is instead of what it is. It's a miracle she didn't kill anyone."
Sophie: "Yeah."
Violet: "Mhm."
Sophie: "Okay."
Rosika: "Hmm."
Meanwhile.
The Joker: "Hehehe... I think that's enough..."