[It... hurts. Almost as much as much as the end did? Even more than the end did? Maybe it's pointless, trying to quantify it. It hurts, it truly does, to see the Boss like this. It tests Doppio's respectful boundaries more than anything else, makes him wish so strongly that he could-- do something that he can hardly deny it and so he has to try even harder not to think about it.]

That's okay, Boss.

[It's ridiculous. He can't hug the Boss.]

You'll get other powers. I'll... I still can't do a lot, even like this, but I'll be by your side anyway. And...

[He gulps. It's not easy at all to really explain how he feels; of the two people in this room, he's not the one with a gift for words.]

Maybe... Maybe it can't be just like it was before, and that's okay. But even if it's something else, I know you can make it just as good! Or even better!

[The problem with the Boss's identity being far more public than ever is... not something Doppio knows how to work around. Not just yet. Hopefully he won't mind him glossing over it. But...]

I've kept an eye on the underworld this whole time, Boss. ... I've been waiting for you.