[MORNING – SATO RESIDENCE]
The doorbell rang. It sounded aggressive.
Noah opened the door. There was no one there. Just a cardboard box sitting on the mat. It was heavy. The cardboard was reinforced with duct tape.
"Delivery!" Noah called out, dragging the box inside.
Lilly walked into the hallway, toothbrush in her mouth.
"Who is it from?"
Noah pointed to the return address.
SENDER: NANA.
LOCATION: [REDACTED - MUD STAIN]
Lilly froze. She spit out her toothpaste.
"A supply drop," Lilly whispered. "From the Handler."
[THE UNBOXING]
They placed the box on the kitchen table. Noah grabbed a knife to open it.
"Careful," Lilly warned, stepping back. "It might be booby-trapped."
"It's from Nana, not the Joker," Noah laughed.
He slit the tape.
Inside were three items:
A large jar of murky, green sludge-liquid.
A thick, heavy vest.
A note.
Noah picked up the note.
"Noah. Use these. You are getting soft. - Nana"
Lilly read the note over his shoulder. Her blood ran cold.
Getting soft.
The Commander is displeased with his current performance.
These are corrective measures.
[ITEM 1: THE ELIXIR]
Noah picked up the jar of green sludge. It smelled like earth, pine needles, and something that might have been dead.
"Ugh," Noah said. "Nana's 'Healthy Juice'."
Lilly stared at the jar.
"Healthy Juice?" she asked skeptically. "Noah, that glows in the dark."
"Yeah, she puts... I don't know, glowing mushrooms in it? She says it builds immunity."
Lilly's mind raced.
Immunity builder. Toxicology resistance training. It's a mild poison designed to harden the internal organs.
"I have to drink this every morning," Noah sighed.
"Can I... try it?" Lilly asked.
If she was going to survive in this house, she needed to be on his level. She needed to build immunity too.
Noah looked surprised. "Really? It tastes like a swamp."
"I can handle it."
Noah poured a shot glass.
Lilly took it. She sniffed it. It smelled like chemical warfare.
Bottoms up.
She drank it.
IMPACT.
Her throat burned. Her stomach contorted. Her vision blurred. She felt her soul leave her body for a split second before snapping back.
"Gah...!" Lilly gasped, clutching the table. "P-Potent..."
"Right?" Noah said, pouring himself a full mug. "You get used to it."
He chugged the mug in one go.
"Ah. Refreshing."
Lilly stared at him with watery eyes.
He drinks a mug of neurotoxin for breakfast. He really is a monster.
[ITEM 2: THE ARMOR]
Next, Noah pulled out the vest. It was gray and looked like wool, but when he dropped it on the table, it made a heavy THUD.
"Nana's winter vest," Noah said. "She knits lead weights into the lining."
Lilly touched it. It weighed at least 20 kilograms (45 lbs).
"Why?" Lilly asked.
"She says the cold wind will blow me away if I'm too light."
(Lilly Translation: Weighted training gear. To increase speed and stamina by limiting movement during daily life. Like Rock Lee.)
"Put it on," Lilly said. "Let's see the fit."
Noah slipped it on. He moved his shoulders.
"A bit tight," Noah complained. "But warm."
He walked around the kitchen. He moved normally. The 20kg vest didn't seem to affect his posture at all.
"Does it feel heavy?" Lilly asked.
"A little. Like a heavy hug."
"Can I try?"
Noah took it off and handed it to her.
Lilly took it.
Her knees buckled immediately. She grabbed the counter to stop herself from collapsing under the weight.
"Oof!" Lilly grunted. "This is... insane!"
"It's good for posture!" Noah said cheerfully.
Lilly struggled to stand straight. She was sweating.
He wears this to school? He walks around with this handicap and still dodges assassins?
If he takes it off... how fast is he really?
[ITEM 3: THE MYSTERY]
There was one last thing in the box. A small, wrapped package.
"For Lilly," Noah read the tag.
Lilly froze. She was still wearing the crushing weight vest.
"F-For me?"
"Yeah."
Noah handed it to her.
Lilly's hands trembled. Nana sent me something. Is it a weapon? A test?
She unwrapped it slowly.
It was... a scarf.
A hand-knitted, red scarf.
It was soft. No weights. No poison.
There was a small note attached.
"It gets cold in the spare room. Keep warm."
Lilly stared at the scarf.
Tears pricked her eyes. Not from the poison juice. From... kindness?
"Oh!" Noah smiled. "She likes you! She only knits for people she plans to keep."
Lilly wrapped the scarf around her neck. It smelled like cedar and safety.
"She plans to... keep me?"
"Yeah. Like a stray cat she decided to feed."
[CONTROL ROOM]
"Status report on the package," the Commander ordered.
"Contents analyzed via X-ray before delivery," the analyst said. "Class-4 Biological Agent (The Juice). High-Density Training Armor (The Vest). And... a textile object."
"The textile object?"
"A red scarf. Given to the operative Lilly Cross."
The President smiled faintly.
"It's a collar," the President said.
"Sir?"
"Red. The color of ownership. Nana has officially claimed the girl as part of the Pack."
The President leaned back.
"She's not a spy anymore. She's family now. And God help anyone who touches Nana's family."
[BACK AT THE HOUSE]
Lilly sat at the table, wearing the heavy vest and the warm scarf, recovering from the poison drink.
She felt heavy. She felt sick.
But she also felt... warm.
"Noah," she said.
"Yeah?"
"Write her back. Tell her... the juice was yummy."
Noah grinned.
"You got it."