Sunny lay in the silence for a long time after Gamma team left. The data chip felt heavy in his palm. 'Hazard bonus? What could SEM possibly pay that much for?'
He fumbled with the bedside terminal, finding a universal port. The hospital system was basic, but it could read standard data chips. He slid it in.
The SEM logo flashed on the screen, followed by a transaction notification.
His breath caught in his throat.
[CREDIT TRANSFER: 2,000,000 CREDITS - FROM: SEM CORP. - MEMO: HAZARD COMPENSATION & DISCRETION BONUS (RADIANT DAWN MISSION)]
'Two... million?' His eyes scanned the numbers again, then again. 'No. This has to be a mistake. That's... that's Player registration money. Twice over.'
His mind raced. 'Are they trying to buy my silence about that knight? Or… did they actually think I was worth this much for getting those heroes out?' The amount was staggering. Enough to change everything.
Then he noticed smaller notifications, tucked beneath the main SEM transfer. Tiny, almost insignificant amounts in comparison.
[CREDIT TRANSFER: 5,000 CREDITS - FROM: G. MAVERICK (PERSONAL) - MEMO: DRINKS ON ME, KID. YOU EARNED IT.]
[CREDIT TRANSFER: 7,500 CREDITS - FROM: M. ROSTOVA (PERSONAL) - MEMO: FOR THE ROOKIE WHO AIN'T SO ROOKIE ANYMORE. STAY SAFE.]
[CREDIT TRANSFER: 6,000 CREDITS - FROM: J. ADEBAYO (PERSONAL) - MEMO: A LITTLE SOMETHING. YOU DID GOOD, SUNNY.]
[CREDIT TRANSFER: 4,500 CREDITS - FROM: C. JENKINS (PERSONAL) - MEMO: DON'T SPEND IT ALL ON BAD BEER. HA!]
His vision blurred. Not from injury this time. 'Garrett… Miller… Jackson… Cooper… They… they pooled their own money?' It wasn't much, not compared to SEM's fortune, but it felt heavier, more real.
A strange warmth spread through his chest, quickly followed by a sharp pang of something else. Sadness.
'I have it,' he thought, a wave of elation washing over him. 'I actually have enough. The Player exam… I can finally take it. Starfall… I'm coming for you.'
The elation was immediately chased by a cold dread. 'But this means… leaving. Leaving SEM.' He thought of Gamma team's easy camaraderie, the way they looked out for him, even risked their own safety to visit him.
The dirty jokes, the shared beers after a dangerous shift, Miller's gruff concern, Jackson's quiet wisdom.
'They were… good to me. They didn't have to be.'
The hospital room felt suddenly too small, the silence too loud. He had the means to achieve his lifelong goal, the path to his revenge. But it meant walking away from the first place he felt even a flicker of belonging since his parents died.
'This is what I wanted, isn't it?'
He stared at the glowing screen, the millions of credits a stark testament to the blood and terror he endured.
'The price of a new beginning,' he thought, 'is always an ending.' And this ending, unexpectedly, hurt.
A few days passed in a blur of healing and system notifications. The hospital staff mostly left him alone, likely under SEM's instructions.
Finally, a doctor signed his discharge papers. He changed into a fresh set of clothes SEM had provided – simple, dark, and practical.
'Freedom,' he thought, though the ache in his shoulder was a constant reminder of what he had been through. 'Time to face the music. Or, well, the Player exam.'
He walked out of the hospital's main entrance, blinking in the afternoon sun. And stopped.
Aria, Brynn, and Lina stood there, looking much recovered, though faint bruises still shadowed their faces. Nyx was with them, leaning against a nearby wall, arms crossed, looking pointedly away.
'Oh, great. An audience.'
Aria stepped forward, a polite smile on her face. "Sunny. We heard you were being discharged today." Her gaze was direct, appreciative. "We wanted to thank you. Properly."
Brynn grinned, stepping up and offering a hand. He took it, and she gave his a firm, calloused shake. "You saved our asses back there. Seriously. We owe you one. Big time."
'She seems genuine,' he thought, feeling a little awkward.
Lina was next, her eyes bright with a mixture of curiosity and gratitude. "Your actions were… statistically improbable. And incredibly brave. Thank you for your intervention. If there's ever any data… I mean, any help you need, please let us know."
'Data.., lol.' He managed a small smile.
Then it was just Nyx. She pushed herself off the wall, sauntering over. Her usual smirk was in place, but her eyes… they looked different. Less hostile.
"So," she began, her voice trying for its usual bite, "the pack mule actually survived. Color me surprised."
He met her gaze, tired of the games. "You're welcome for the save, Nyx."
Her smirk faltered. She looked away for a second, then back, the hardness in her expression softening, replaced by something unreadable.
"Yeah, well… don't expect a parade." She paused, then her voice dropped, so low only he could hear it. "Look, that tough act… it's… it's just so I don't get hurt anymore."
He frowned. 'Hurt? What's she talking about?'
she scuffed her boot on the pavement, not meeting his eyes. "Everyone I… get close to. Or even just fight alongside for a while. They always… they always end up gone. Smashed by some monster, vaporized by a trap, betrayed…" Her voice was barely a whisper. "No matter what I do, I keep losing them."
She finally looked up, her dark eyes filled with a vulnerability he'd never seen. "I just hope… I hope it's different for you. That whatever you're chasing, you actually get it without… ending up like the rest."
She turned abruptly and walked away, rejoining the others without a backward glance.
Sunny watched her go, stunned into silence. 'She… what was that? Is that why she's always so angry?' He thought of his own losses, the emptiness his parents left behind.
'She's afraid. Just like…' He didn't finish the thought. The idea of Nyx, the ferocious B-rank hero, being afraid of losing people was… unexpected.
'Did she… does she actually care? After everything?' The thought was fleeting, quickly dismissed. 'No. She just doesn't want another ghost on her conscience.' But a small, uncertain part of him wasn't so sure.