Beirut strode in, his arm crudely bandaged, blood darkening the makeshift wrap he'd managed to pull together. His eyes were sharp, but there was a slight wince as he flexed his hand, still feeling the effects of the trap. Giolio shrank back, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible.

Vargas gave Beirut a quick rundown of what Giolio had spilled, recounting the client's bizarre alias and the hints of some elusive, high-stakes project. Beirut's face grew somber as he took it all in.

"demonssuck?" Beirut repeated, his voice deadpan. "Guess this mysterious benefactor hates demons."

Vargas smirked but quickly grew serious again. "What do you make of it?"

Beirut rubbed his chin thoughtfully, glancing from Vargas to Giolio. "It's suspicious, all right. It's not often you hear about top-secret projects attracting mercenaries with black-market postings and names like that. There's a lot of credits behind it, which means powerful people are involved. And if that's the case… we can't be sure this was a one-time hit."

"You think there'll be more?" Vargas asked, lowering his voice, even though they were alone.

"I wouldn't be surprised. These types never leave loose ends. If these scientists know anything worthwhile, more bounty hunters will come—and they might not be as sloppy as our friend here." He nodded toward Giolio, who raised his hands in a feigned show of innocence.

"Hey! 'Sloppy' is a strong word," Giolio protested weakly. "It was an unplanned complication."

Beirut ignored him, his gaze unwavering. "Raul, I'm going to round up any survivors and put them under direct protection. I'll move them off Triton for now, but if more mercenaries get wind of their identities, things are going to heat up fast."

Vargas gave a grim nod. "That sounds like the only option. I'll help however I can, but I think it's best we keep this whole thing quiet."

Beirut agreed, glancing back toward the station's entrance. "If word of this conspiracy spreads through Triton, the planet could become a hub for bounty hunters looking to cash in. That's the last thing we need—a mess of mercs trying to one-up each other. If you handle the situation here, I'll make sure our scientists stay hidden."

Giolio, standing just out of arm's reach, eyed them both and then cleared his throat. "So, uh… since I told you everything, that means I get a little leniency, right? Maybe, uh, I don't know, a deal?"

Beirut and Vargas exchanged a look, one that needed no words.

Vargas and Beirut moved a few steps away to confer privately, casting frequent glances at Giolio, who stood awkwardly, wringing his hands and visibly sweating.

"He's dangerous, Vargas," Beirut said quietly. "A low-level Awakened or not, the fact remains he killed multiple people. Letting him loose just isn't an option."

Vargas nodded thoughtfully. "I agree, but killing him outright seems unnecessary. Based on his reaction to the gunfire, I'd say he's no higher than a D-class. His real skill seems to be in espionage rather than raw power."

Beirut raised an eyebrow, considering the idea. "Imprisonment could work, then. He'd be isolated, under watch—no way for him to cause trouble."

As they talked, Giolio caught snippets of the conversation, and his eyes grew wide. Suddenly, he burst into pitiful sobs, his hands clasped together as he pleaded with them.

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"Wait, wait! You don't have to lock me up, I swear I can be useful!" he whimpered, the tears flowing freely down his cheeks. "I—I have information. Something valuable."

Vargas glanced over, clearly unconvinced. "Information?"

"Yes! Yes, real information!" Giolio stammered, practically choking on his desperation. "I… I know things. Things about nulls!"

The mention of nulls caught Vargas's full attention. He looked at Beirut, a spark of interest in his eyes, before turning back to Giolio.

Before Giolio could utter a word, Vargas quickly interfered, "Let me take him into my custody. If he's telling the truth, he could be a key source for an investigation I have been working on. He knows how to work the system on Triton; we could use that to our advantage."

Beirut folded his arms, clearly weighing the proposal. "You're serious about this?"

"Yes. If there's any chance this information leads to something concrete, I want it."

Beirut looked at Giolio, who was still sniffling and wiping his eyes, but now wore a hopeful, even relieved expression. "Fine," Beirut said at last. "But he stays under strict surveillance, Vargas. I don't want him slipping away and causing another mess."

Vargas gave a firm nod. "Agreed. He won't be out of my sight."

Giolio, realizing he might actually live to see another day, practically beamed, trying to shake off the fear that had gripped him just moments ago. "Thank you! I'll help, I swear. You won't regret it."

"Let's hope not," Vargas said, a slight edge to his voice as he placed a hand on Giolio's shoulder, keeping him close.

After the aftermath was taken care of, Beirut waved goodbye to Vargas before turning to leave and take care of the survivors.

As Beirut's footsteps faded down the corridor, Vargas remained still, staring thoughtfully at the empty space where his colleague had stood. His face, normally composed, held a hint of unease.

"Did you see his arm?" Vargas finally muttered, his gaze shifting to Giolio, who nodded vigorously. "Looks pretty serious, but he seems fine."

"Yeah, yeah, I noticed too," Giolio replied, shifting uncomfortably. "Didn't wanna say nothin' 'cause, you know… he seemed like a serious type."

Vargas narrowed his eyes, piecing together his observations. Beirut was seasoned, not the kind to let himself get tripped up by a trap, especially in such a predictable place. And yet, his arm had looked like it was twisted in ways not even normal injuries would allow—more like something had restructured the bones.

"Sebastian is a veteran. He wouldn't normally get caught off guard by an enchantment trap," Vargas muttered, mostly to himself. "And the way his arm looked…"

Suddenly a thought popped into Vargas' mind and he turned to question Giolio.

"That reminds me," he said, crossing his arms. "When we fought, it didn't seem like you were capable of… well, that level of damage. All I saw was a lot of pain-based techniques, and instant-kill abilities. Nothing that would mangle an arm the way Beirut's was."

Giolio blinked, looking genuinely taken aback. "Hey, I'll have you know my abilities aren't exactly suited for brute force," he replied defensively. "My 'Dagger of Intention' does exactly what it says—attacks the target's intent and movement, makes 'em hurt when they try to use aera. It's more psychological than physical, yeah? I don't really like the scent of blood all that much."

"Then how do you explain what happened to Beirut's arm?" Vargas pressed, watching him closely for any sign of dishonesty.

Giolio shrugged helplessly. "Maybe Beirut walked into something else. If it was my trap, it should've just stopped him from moving, maybe caused him some pain. But tearing up his arm? That's not me."

Vargas's gaze hardened, his thoughts shifting between suspicion and concern. If Giolio's techniques hadn't caused that injury, then something—or someone—else had.

Why is he keeping it a secret?

Who actually assigned the mission to track Sebastian?

In order to have a mission pop up on the official Bureau website, an Investigator has to get it approved by the mission directors. However he had seen no other Investigator on this planet besides him and Beirut, so who exactly posted the mission he was currently undergoing.

Vargas shook his head at the piling questions in his head, rubbing his temple.

"Fine," Vargas finally said, keeping his suspicions at bay for now. "If that's the case, then there's more going on here than either of us thought." He eyed Giolio. "We're going to get to the bottom of it. But remember, I'm still holding you accountable if I find out you're lying."

Giolio raised his hands in mock surrender, giving Vargas an unsteady grin. "Hey, don't worry about me—I'm all yours for as long as you need." His tone was light, but there was a trace of genuine relief in his expression. "So, uh, what now, Investigator?"

"Now, we dig deeper into this mystery," Vargas replied, the resolve in his voice clear.