It's been more than a week and a half since they returned to the Rinascita bunker. Brina has started to reacquaint herself with the routine of life in the shelter, consisting of various small tasks and training sessions. These things don't weigh her down, but the task of writing a detailed mission report has truly put her to the test. Brina is a woman of action, and theory has never been her favorite part.

Brina savors her morning coffee ration and reflects on how fortunate she is to enjoy these small luxuries at Rinascita. Milano approaches her table with a smile, carrying a tray.

"Good morning, Brina!" he greets, sitting down in front of her.

"Let me finish my coffee first, and maybe it will be a good morning," Brina replies playfully.

"I know you're not exactly a morning person, but you should be happy! We're safe in here, we have decent food. No scorching desert or psychopathic raiders," Milano comments while breaking a protein bar.

"I admit your unwavering optimism is reassuring," Brina sighs.

"Let's enjoy these moments of calm. Who knows when we'll have to go back out there," Milano says, munching between bites.

"You know it's not polite to talk with your mouth full, right?" Brina playfully scolds him. "Anyway, I still have Shit-head's words on my mind," Brina continues thoughtfully.

"You mean Saverio, right? The bald raider? Those two really had an intimidating and menacing aura. Personally, I'd rather not cross paths with them again," Milano comments.

"They threatened that Toronto would come looking for them," Brina recalls.

"As scary as they may seem, we have General Venturi on our side. And then there's the captain," Milano says with a satisfied smile. "It's Toronto who should fear the captain; she's the one looking for him!" trying to boost morale.

"Otilia is truly a force of nature," Brina agrees. "By the way, it's been a while since I've seen her." "She's focused on training the new recruits, including Michele. She's really putting him through his paces," Milano explains.

"Uh-uh, Zombie is training? I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. Otilia can be really strict."

"Strict is an understatement. She becomes a real beast when she's in instructor mode!" Milano says, laughing. Brina knows well what he's referring to, still having vivid memories of the tough training she had to undergo to become part of the explorers. "Yes, I definitely prefer her in captain mode."

"Anyway, I saw Zombie the other day," Milano reports.

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"Oh, really?" Brina responds, intrigued.

"He dropped by my workshop."

"And what did he want?" Brina asks.

"He asked if I could do something for his Etriclo. Honestly, it's in terrible condition, and it might be better to dismantle it and salvage the parts," Milano explains.

Brina laughs, imagining Michele's sad, wounded cat expression upon hearing this news. "Indeed, I felt a bit sorry for him... I told him I'd do my best. It's going to be a challenging job, with many components to replace and technology to upgrade," Milano sighs. "But it's an interesting project to bring that wreck back to life and turn it into something cool."

"I imagine it will also be expensive," Brina remarks.

"That's right, but Michele promised me that he'd cover most of the costs with the credits that will be credited to him on the next paycheck," Milano responds.

"Even though they won't be many," Brina observes with a worried look, thinking about her own salary.

Milano smiles. "I'm too kind... Michele is really a nice guy. I've grown fond of him."

"He's really cute. Ahahah... I almost feel like protecting and pampering him," Brina jokes.

"Wow, even the unyielding Brina seems to have a soft spot for that boy?"

"Let's just say I enjoy spending time with him. It's a shame we haven't seen much of each other since we arrived."

"Would you like me to arrange a date for you two?" Milano suggests.

Brina hesitates slightly. "Ehmm... Don't overdo it. You know your way of doing things; you'd make it awkward."

"Oh, come on! You're always so hard on me! By the way, his birthday is coming up soon, remember? That's also why I agreed to repair his Etriclo."

"On June 21st, right?"

"Exactly, even though it's an unlucky date. But there's no reason not to celebrate."

"I wonder what I could get him..." Brina reflects.

"Speaking of birthdays... Two days after we returned to Rebirth, Michele asked me some strange questions," Milano continues.

"Like what?" Brina asks, curious.

"Well, he asked for our birth years."

"Whose?"

"Mine, yours, and the captain's."

"Maybe he wants to get us gifts? How sweet, Zombie," Brina jokes.

However, their tranquil conversation is suddenly interrupted by a deafening alarm that fills the mess hall, announcing an emergency.

The siren wails, the emergency lights flash red, and everyone in the room stands up, ready for the worst.

"What the hell is happening?!" exclaims Brina, clearly surprised.

"A fire?" Milano guesses.

But their assumptions are quickly disproven by a voice coming from the intercom speakers: <>