KISMET ─ vento aureo.

▹ TWENTY-FOUR ;

☆ ⁺ « HE'S MY BABY

★˚⋆ CANNOLO AND MISTA WERE OUTSIDE OF Sector A, speaking in low tones with each other. They looked up as you passed, cutting their conversation short

"You're not dead," Mista drawled, but you heard the undercurrent of relief in his voice.

You showed him the hard drive before enclosing it back in a card and stowing it away. "I told you I'd get what we needed from Polpo." You turned to Cannolo. "I'm assuming Zero had a plan in place for us to get out of the penitentiary?"

Cannolo raised an eyebrow. "You sure you're all done here? I'm not gonna be able to let you back in here if you forgot your undies."

"I don't have time to flack around, Cannolo."

"Fine. Don't get pressed. I'll notify Zero. He'll send over a report that I'll show to Inspector Abbacchio. It will contain directions to have your crew transferred to a different penitentiary. If you can get in touch with your pilot, that would be the time to intercept the ship."

"And how long will that take?"

"Not long. You should be out by tonight. Abbacchio hates to keep people waiting."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Mista said, following Cannolo back to your cells. "Don't you have a bunch of holopads stored away in Party Rock, Cap?"

"None of them work here," you said. "All of their signals get jammed. The only holopads that can gain signals are ones assigned to GA officers and guards."

Fugo had a code he'd created with Coco Jumbo to get in contact with the turtle once you'd learned Polnareff's whereabouts and was ready to escape. Your main priority right now was to retrieve JoJo from Gwess and pinch a holopad from one of the GA's.

The hardest part was over. You just had to get back to your ship and find Polnareff and the Arrow.

"Be on your best behaviour," Cannolo said as you parted ways at the cafeteria. "You don't want to give Abbacchio any more reason to be suspicious before you leave."

You rolled your eyes. "You don't need to warn us. Just get your message to Zero."

You and Mista took a seat at one of the tables in the cafeteria. You could tell Mista wanted to ask about what had happened with Polpo, but you weren't in the mood to enlighten him. You felt off-kilter. Thrown off of your game. The last thing you needed was Polpo, a literal stranger, telling you you weren't yourself. What did that flacker know? You shouldn't have been letting it affect you. Who cared who you were so long as Zero's job was done?

Several minutes passed. Mista ate his mashed potatoes while you tapped out an impatient beat with your foot. Where were Fugo and Trish? They should have been back here with JoJo by now.

"You should go check on 'em, Cap," Mista said. "You're getting on my nerves."

"This shouldn't be taking them so long. I only told them to do one thing. And I sent both of them."

Mista looked up at your harsh tone. "Woah, no need to get on their asses about it. You know nobles. They're always formal as flack and spend hours making chitchat."

"They should know better by now," you said. "Makes me wonder if they even learned anything on this damn crew."

"Are you . . . alright? You're really snippy all of a sudden."

"Why? Do I not seem myself?" you couldn't help asking.

"Well, kinda, I mean—"

"Are you going to be able to steal a holopad or am I going to have to do that myself too?"