Dimitri was elated when he heard that (Y/n) was already awake. He was even more pleased when he heard that she stood up for him in front of her mean colleagues, namely that unpleasant Hibiscus and her pimp boss. God, he hated that bitch. Trismegistus told him the important parts of their conversation. (Y/n) strongly advocated to help them and even evoked a shady privilege just to mobilize the Garden. Thankfully, things ended in her favor and now the Garden is sending seasoned fighters to their aid. 

He would have loved to think more about how much (Y/n) had learned to love him but he needed to keep his head clear. He focused on the task at hand and began simulating possible assault scenarios in his mind. He was already mapping out strategies to take down their enemy and stacking his backup plans at the back of his mind. 

This battle will not be like any other. Before, he had stealth and surprise as his ally but now his enemies will be out there waiting for him. Knowing Stravage, he will have a trick or two up his sleeve but that doesn't mean that he can ever outsmart the King of Assassins. 

Dimitri arrived at his base to find it in complete desolation. His team immediately scouted the perimeter searching for both hostiles and friendlies. To their utter horror, there was no one left alive on the first floor. The ground was littered with corpses of both enemies and allies alike. 

The silence that had settled on the once-bustling building was deafening. 

It was disheartening to see the faces of their dead friends frozen in fear and horror. Their blood marred the walls, painting the base in the most eerie shade of crimson. Bullet shells littered the floor and the walls were riddled with gunshots. The dilapidation had left the once-pristine lobby into an unrecognizable wasteland. 

Hatred simmered in Dimitri's face. He was already too late to stop the slaughter of his comrades. These people died because they swore their loyalty to him. They defended the empire he built with their lives and they were good people with families who will be waiting for them.

He breathed out a sigh filled with sorrow and regret. He will make sure that their sacrifice won't be in vain. He will kill Stravage and his men and he will rebuild his empire stronger than ever to make sure that this tragedy will never happen ever again.

He heard some footsteps approaching so he turned to meet the person. "Aidoneus, the first floor is clear. We're off to the second floor. Anubis detected movements, so we need to prepare for combat. What are your orders?" Cerberus informed. 

Their team had gathered around him awaiting his command. Aidoneus addressed them, his tone filled with strength and gravitas. "Proceed with caution. Kill on sight but leave one alive for interrogation. The Garden's Operatives are coming for backup but they could take about 10 to 30 minutes to arrive." 

His eyes scanned the faces of his companions. Much like him, the scene around them had affected their morale but this only means that they'll fight harder to avenge their fallen brothers and sisters. 

"Always keep an eye out for Stravage and his traps. It's possible that he has set up explosives to eliminate us so keep a watchful eye on everything around us." He ordered, mustering up his composure and repressing his emotions to the bottom of his psyche. 

"Understood."

Their team proceeded with stealth. Each member moved with lethal coordination, monitoring every nook and cranny to detect any danger. The scenes on the second floor were similar to the ones on the first floor but this time they heard voices.

Dimitri nodded to Cerberus who kicked the door open. Their team flooded the room all ready for a fight. All fingers were on the trigger, and the barrel of every gun was pointed at the figures gathered around the desk. There were three of them all cloaked in darkness and wearing animal masks, but the most notable about them is the emblem of flowers on their chest. 

"Hi, temporary boss!" greeted the shortest one. The woman was chubby and friendly, making the assassins look at each other with confusion. The two others behind her did not say a word and remained ominously standing behind the friendly one. 

"And you are?" asked Aidoneus. 

"Belladonna 618, cousin of Lycoris Radiata 927. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The Belladonna briefly took off her mask and Dimitri immediately recognized her as Eidanne Belfier, (Y/n)'s beloved cousin. 

"Little one, I've been looking for you all over the place," Dimitri ordered his men to stand down and scout the perimeter while he spoke with the Executioner. 

"Okay being called little one hurts a lot but I guess everyone is a little one to you cuz you're so tall." The Belladonna cleared her throat. "Anyway, me and my squad were made to wait here to monitor the entrance and wait for your team. I'll give you a briefing of what we know so far but it's better to get a move on. Let's take the stairs." 

Aidoneus' team along with the three Belladonnas marched towards the stairs. They traversed the blood-covered path with careful steps and professional eyes trained on their path and the path they had taken. Belladonna 618 spoke with Aidoneus in hushed whispers, telling him of what they did so far. 

"We arrived several minutes earlier and we've managed to save 45% of your personnel. They are currently getting medical attention in the clinic of this building. We couldn't evacuate them yet cuz the Med transpo are stuck in traffic." Dimitri nodded, feeling relieved that at least some of his people were still alive. He's thankful that the Garden got here on time before everyone was slaughtered. 

"I and the other Belladonnas have diffused the bombs. There were 20 in total. We've also dismantled the traps but please still be careful." 

"Good work, little one. Any reports on Stravage?"

"Your best friend has bolted himself shut at the highest floor. The battle is ongoing against the slithering snake but we're pushing them back. They don't feel cornered at all. I gotta say he might have something brewing up there. Also, what took you so long? Traffic?"

"That doesn't matter right now. (Y/n) needs you. She told me that you have the antidote for the poison Briar's Spindle. Go now. I'll handle this."

"She drank the whole thing?" Dimitri nodded. 

"Shit, that is bad. It's mostly harmless in small quantities but if she ingested everything in one go it can prove dangerous in about 3 to 5 days." The chubby girl began muttering. "I made it for her so that she could sleep peacefully at night. Apparently, she keeps seeing a ghostly apparition outside her window from time to time." 

Dimitri cleared his throat, awkwardly averting his gaze from the Belladonna. There may be a small possibility that he was that ghostly apparition. 

"She told me that it stares at her ominously so she asked me if I could make her a potion that could help her sleep through that. It also doubles as a suicide potion in case she gets discovered. I have one right here but mine kills instantly." Belladonna 618 pulled a pendant hanging on her chest and Dimitri couldn't help but frown remembering some painful memories regarding a similar object. 

He has been so busy with finding the antidote and dealing with Stravage that he hasn't fully processed how (Y/n) tried to kill herself because of his decisions. The memory of holding her body as the vitality slowly faded from her eyes still haunted him. Dimitri pulled himself from his dark thoughts and immediately turned to the Belladonna. 

"I got news that (Y/n) is awake. Please attend to her. I will take over this entire operation."

"I would love to be by my sister's side but my Iris would throw me out of the 30th floor if I leave my post. Plus, it's highly likely that she'll be fine." They rounded a corner and climbed more stairs, the sound of gunshots and shouting becoming more and more prominent. 

"What do you mean?"

"You went on a date right? Was she wearing red lipstick or did you already eat it off her face before she drank the potion?"

"I may have eaten it... Off her face. We were kissing..." 

Thankfully, Dimitri couldn't see the judgemental face the Belladonna was making behind her mask. There was a short pause before she continued talking. 

"Either way if she's been wearing the lipstick for the entirety of your date that means that the poison has been neutralized. I placed the antidote on her favorite shade just in case something like this happened. It will do nothing for the sleepiness though."

"Then why did she ask me to find you if she knew this?"

"Possibly to send an SOS. You were trying to detain her right? You sniffing around about "Belladonna 618" and (Y/n) missing in action means I needed to save her from you. I was ready to rescue her but then this whole debacle happened." Eidanne pinched her fingers together to highlight her point. "I was this close to blowing up your car, boss. Thankfully, I haven't reported this whole thing to the Garden and thankfully I take bribes for my silence."

"I'll send you a check, little one."

"To formally end my report, one of your bases was beyond salvageable but the other two are nearly dealt with by Miss Hela's people and the other Nymphs. We are mostly winning other than the fact that Morozov Mercenaries are hellborn demons."

"Thank you for all of your service."

They paused on the 29th floor where the battle noise was the loudest. Cerberus was speaking to the other two Belladonnas who told him about what they should expect. Dimitri’s team was poised and ready for combat. Now, they only await their leader's command before storming their way through the battle. 

"Oh, by the way, I got a feeling that you'll be in a serious relationship with sis (Y/n) so I need to give you a briefing of what you're getting into. There's only so much your spies can gather about her so once you're free invite me for tea. That's a code for gossiping."

"Alright." Dimitri turned to address his team. "Everyone, get ready to enter the lion's den. No hesitations, no second guessing. We'll move in five minutes once we get a report from Trismegistus."

"Quick question though," Belladonna 618 added. "If Thanatos dies, can I get his room in your building? I really wanna get away from my stupid and noisy family."

"What do you mean?" Dimitri inquired in perplexity. 

"He's been up there trying to fight Stravage for a while now. He's been shot and hurt but we can't persuade him to back down. He's full-blown murderous. He glared at me and it was scary. I thought maybe he'd get his revenge on me for blowing up his Mercedes that one time." 

"Why wasn't this one of the first things you told me about?!"

The Belladonna shrugged. "Kinda forgot about it with my sister getting poisoned and all. Anyway," Eidanne bowed and as she did so, shadowy figures manifested, bearing the insignia of the Executioner's flower.

"Belladonna 618 up to Belladonna 642 are at your command."