When she reached the door at the back right, she hesitated — it was the same one left open when she first arrived.

Carefully, she pushed it open.

Inside was a small room strewn with scattered comics across the floor and a shelf above a worn workbench, stacked high with cans of spray paint. Against one wall, an old CRT television sat atop a low stand, a game console plugged in with cords snaking across the floor.

Curled up amidst the chaos was a dog-boy, sprawled out in a deep sleep.

She stepped in quietly and knocked gently on the doorframe.

"Emilio?" she called softly.

The boy startled awake, blinking rapidly, then slowly recognized her.

"Oh! Hey, you're up," he mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What's up?"

She relayed Lucious's message.

"Breakfast time," Emilio said after a moment's thought. "Thanks for the heads-up."

Before she could turn to leave, he asked, "How'd you sleep?"

She hesitated, unsure how to answer. "...Not sure."

He gave a small awkward chuckle, then waved her off. "Well, go enjoy the food. I'll get the others up soon."

She nodded and left, making her way back to the living room.

Lucious smiled when she returned.

"Thanks," she murmured, eyeing the plate of eggs warily.

"Good meal's a good start to the day," Lucious said. "You'll be okay."

Nervously, she took a bite.

Then another.

Before she knew it, she was eating quickly, as if she hadn't eaten in forever.

To her surprise, it tasted heavenly.

Lucious chuckled softly, watching her.

"Well," he said, "looks like you're gonna fit right in."

Emilio finally emerged from his room, stretching with a lazy grin.

Lucious glanced up from the stove where he was flipping pancakes. "Hey, Emilio, we're gonna need more supplies soon. Can you head out and grab some food and cooking stuff for the house?"

Emilio nodded, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Yeah, I can do that."

He glanced over at her and said casually, "Hey, Nine. Wanna come with?"

She blinked, clearly confused.

He pointed to the faded letters on the back of her hoodie. "It's on your shirt, so I figured it's a good nickname for now."

Before she could get up, Lucious raised a hand. "Wait—hold on. You shouldn't go outside looking like that."

Emilio laughed, "Yeah, you do look a little rough."

Lucious nodded seriously. "You can grab some clothes from Desiree's room. She won't mind — she's heard enough of us by now."

She hesitated but nodded slowly.

She moved toward the door down the hall. As she opened it, a bundle of clothes was suddenly tossed in her face.

"Close the door!" came a sharp voice.

"Change. Now."

She blinked, startled but a little amused, as Desiree's door slammed shut.

She peeled off the oversized hoodie and shirt beneath, then pulled on the rough red hoodie Desiree had tossed her way, along with a plain white tee.

When she re-entered the room, Lucious gave an approving nod. "That's fine for now. We'll get you some proper clothes soon."

Emilio grinned, slipping on his boots. "We'll put that on the shopping list."

He looked at her and held out a hand. "Ready, Nine?"

She took a deep breath, laced her boots, and stood.

"Yeah. Let's go."

Lucious smiled and called after them, "Be safe. And quick."

As the door closed behind them, the apartment seemed a little less cold — a little more like home.