Camilla and I had just arrived at the building, we took her car, and I used the opportunity of the ride to explain as carefully as I could to Emma about why she couldn’t come. The Sun was setting by the time we got there, and we agreed that it would be better to run about in the dark than broad daylight. I was a bit nervous, this would be the first time Camilla and I went out together with a specific goal of finding something and fighting HEARTLESS.

“Stay close, act like we belong here.” She murmured before going around the corner. I hovered closely just behind her, and together we entered the building. It seemed like a normal business, I was thankful it didn’t seem as highbrow as the last place that was robbed. I debated with myself whether or not what we were doing was illegal as I followed her toward the back of the building. My uneasy feeling only grew. I tightened my hold on her shirt.

“What? We won’t get in trouble if-” She started to say.

“No.” I shook my head, and looked toward the door she was heading toward, “They’re in there. I know it.”

“Yes, Fin. Good work.” Jett whispered at me, even though he couldn’t be heard by anyone else. Camilla nodded, and as subtly as she could she reached her hand into her bag, probably to hold onto her flail. I followed closely as she approached the door, still faking confidence enough to get passersby to disregard our presence.

She opened the door, just slightly, and very quietly. There were other civilians in the room, some of which must have been HEARTLESS. She drew back, gave me a silent look, and then we both entered. I had to avoid making eye contact, because apparently that was part of what triggered that wicked grin, then our cover would be blown.

We scoped out as best we could, and didn’t find the piece, until she noticed a concentrated group of people over near the storage room door. She coughed lightly, and nudged for me to look. Here’s where the plan came into effect. She quickly made eyes for the nearest exit, and I moved behind a pillar by the edge of the hall. When she was ready, she walked casually to the group of people around the storage room.

“I need to get in there.” She said, testing. To my surprise, one of them answered. The voice was dull, and robotic.

“We are waiting for Frida.” They said, expression stony.

“I don’t care. I need to get into that room.” She responded again. I knew what she was doing, she wouldn’t normally care. She would normally push them out of the way and did as she pleased.

“We are waiting for Frida.” They said again.

“Frida can kiss my ass, move aside.” She demanded.

“We are waiting for Frida.” Again, they seemed to ignore her. It looks like words were ineffective. What would Camilla do then? She seemed to think, for a minute, and she looked around the large room. I decided to peek too. Of the people in the room, only two or three were continuing their daily business. All the others were looking straight at her from where she stood. Ah, so she had gotten their attention. I went back around to continuing to watch Camilla, who seemed to have come to the same conclusion.

Suddenly in a flash she kicked out behind her, and the person who she was speaking to tumbled to the floor. Just like that, everyone in the room was watching tensely, even the normal civilians who had heard the body drop. She went back up to her full height, and like a switch was flipped, all the HEARTLESS were after her. She finally took her hand out of her bag and used the flail to lash at anyone who got too close, and the civilians ran in terror when Camilla began running through the room. Everyone’s footsteps echoing in the large space made for an interesting symphony, that ended with a menagerie of people cluttering after her through the exit door. Just like that, the room went silent again. The sense of danger never left, however.

“Alright Fin. Now’s your chance.” Jett told me, and I stepped out into the open. Now that the whole room was back in view, I saw there was one more person left standing before the door. He was watching me blankly. I drew Jett, and activated him without further preamble. The HEARTLESS showed no reaction, surprisingly.

“He’s different…” I said.

“And stronger.” Jett agreed, “Be careful.”

I nodded, and took a few steps towards the man, my footsteps were loud in the otherwise silent space. It was distracting. I charged the man, who sidestepped easily. Jett made a harsh screeching sound as he dragged against the metal door before the man made a fast movement by striking my stomach and tossing me back.

I coughed from where I lay on the floor. Ouch. I got to my feet again, and aside from having moved ahead of the door a few feet, the man still watched blankly. I made a frustrated face, and charged again. This time I caught the sidestep before it happened, but he grabbed my arm before I could pierce him, and he swung me around and I ended up smashing my face against the door with another painful sounding screech from the sword hitting the metal. I took several steps away and made some distance. I smelt the blood before it started dribbling down my face, it caught on my lip and I could taste the metallic tang it brought.

“Okay…” I glared, trying to assess what to do. “Jett, any thoughts?”

“Yeah. I’m thinking about how he isn’t actually attacking. He’s just preventing you from entering the room.” He said, except I could already gather this.

“Thanks, sherlock. I meant if you knew how I should handle it?”

“I dunno yet. Try for the legs.” He tried, and I sighed. I didn’t look down at the man’s legs, I didn’t want him to know what I was thinking.

I took one step forward, two steps, and then I ran. I held the sword up as I ran, and as I got closer I swept it down to try and catch him in the legs. He jumped in a startling movement, and proceeded to kick me in the face. My head rattled at the force of it and I retreated once more. I panted. Nothing was working. I suddenly remembered Jett’s other form, and I stood. When I lifted Jett, he was a bow again.

I drew that beam of light, and began to take aim. I wasn’t fast enough.

“Finlay! Watch out!” No sooner than I had pulled the drawstring the man charged, and rammed his body into me. I ended up rolling away with the force, and Jett clattered from my hand, returning to just a hilt in the process.

“Don’t try to shoot someone when they’re close enough to just charge you, dumbass!” Jett yelled at me, but I was hardly listening. Nothing was working so far. My eyes began to sting through tears that were trying to build. I got to my hands and knees, after being momentarily entranced by the blood splattering against the floor from my nose. I crawled hastily to Jett, and picked him up. He returned to being a bow.

I stood, and ran a far enough distance away that I’d be able to see a charge coming, and shoot before he got too close. I sniffed, and took aim. The HEARTLESS didn’t seem to like this. I heard him grunt in what sounded like annoyance. His hands went behind him, and in a flash he had a gun in his hand and pointed right at me. I let go of the arrow in surprise before I had lined it up properly, and it missed. At the same time, the man fired. I closed my eyes tight as the too-loud sound blasted and echoed through the empty hall.

. . . .

“.. inlay.... Finlay…. Finlay!” I opened my eyes. I was still alive, on my knees, on the floor. The man had missed. Jett stopped yelling at me, and I dared a glance up at the man. He had returned to his idle position and blank stare, but this time with a gun in his hand. My ears were still ringing, and my face felt on fire from the tears. I thought I could hear panicking coming from the room outside the door we came from, over the ringing.

“Finlay, come on. Get your shit together!” Jett yelled at me again. I shook my head, partly in an attempt to lose the ringing, partly because I just… Couldn’t…

“I can’t!” I whispered behind a sob, my whole body was shaking, I realized. “I can’t do this!”

“That’s bullshit and you know it, Fin. Get up and fight.”

“I’m telling you I can’t!” I cried out, basically yelling now. “Nothing works! If I can’t even beat this guy how am I supposed to win at all?”

“Fin-”

“I’m helpless. He was right, I’m just a- weak thing. Why did it- have- to be me?” I began struggling with my breaths, I realized too late that I was hyperventilating. I felt like I might pass out.

“Fin! Get it together!” I could hear Jett yelling as my brain went fuzzy. Everything was black for a moment, but only a moment, I was still conscious. Then a flash. Scenery. A paper cut-away cliff. That person was standing, he was tall- another flash, and I blinked. It startled me so bad I stopped breathing completely, and awareness began rushing back.

“Fin. You’re okay. Come on back to me.” Jett was still talking, and I let out a slow breath. “That’s right, breathe Fin. You’re fine.”

I tried to follow, pausing from time to time with a stuttering hiccup, but at least I was breathing better.

“Alright. If you need to retreat, you can. You can go home and get safe, Camilla can handle this, I’m sure.” He tried to reassure me, or something. It felt like a slap back to the present. I looked up, the man was still standing there, blankly. I actually started to laugh.

“Fin?” He sounded concerned.

“I probably look ridiculous right now.” I said, as I stood on shaking legs. “But look at this guy, he doesn’t judge me for that at all.” I gestured to the man, still, staring, blank. Jett didn’t respond. I took a few more shuddering breaths, and took a few steps forward. Jett was hanging limp at my side in loose fingers, unthreatening. The man didn’t move. I guessed it was because I hadn’t shown any signs of aggression yet this time.

“Well… Here goes nothing.” I finally said.

“Fin, what are you doing?” He sounded shocked as suddenly I charged the man, full bodied, going first to shove the hand with the gun away from my direction. The struggle was rough and dirty, and we both ended up in a heap on the floor as we wrestled. I took several blows, but for once the adrenaline was helping me ignore the pain rather than focusing on it. By the end, I found myself overpowering the man, with the gun having been tossed several feet away.

Next I knew I was knelt over his body, blade poised and at the ready. I saw only the briefest flicker of expression cross his numb features before I dropped my arms with whatever strength they had left, and the blade seared through his body. Just like that, he crumbled away into ash, before it broke down further and drifted away in a cloud of smoke. For a second there, I felt like the ‘Princess Mononoke’ before the man dissolved below me.

I breathed hard, and struggled to my feet. I used the blade as leverage to lift myself before it deactivated. I limped to the door, and looked about the room until I stumbled upon a sealed display case, with an ornate rod within. I didn’t bother finding a key, I used the hilt of Jett to shatter the glass. I grasped the item and turned back to the door only to flinch.

Camilla was there, I wondered how long she had been watching. Her lip was split and her hair was out of place, but she looked happy. Somewhat. Camilla wasn’t really a happy person.

“Come on, we don’t have long. The cops were called.” She said, turning away from the door, starting for the nearest exit.

“Shit…” I agreed, and began stumbling my way after her, I shoved Jett and the rod into my satchel as I exited the room. I hobbled after her as we left the building, and got in her car to speed away probably faster than what was allowed.

We were quiet in the car ride, until Jett spoke up again.

“I’m impressed.” Was all he began with.

“What? You? Ha. Why?” I leant back against my seat, I saw Camilla glance at me out of the corner of her eye. She always seemed curious about what Jett was saying.

“Because. You took care of it yourself, even after I gave you an opportunity to run. ” He said.

“I also had a total panic attack. So I wouldn’t call that a win.” I snorted, tiredly. Man I was exhausted.

“Yeah, it was kind of pathetic.” He said, and I could only cast a tired glare. “But. That’s part of why it was so impressive when you took him down. It was a complete 180. You did well.”

My gaze softened, I looked out the window rather than him.

“Thanks, Jett. I appreciate hearing that.” My words were quiet, and Jett was too. Until a moment later when he seemed to backtrack.

“Hey! Keep it up, and maybe you won’t be completely useless against AAAAA?” He made a mocking tone, and while it was technically rude I didn’t have the energy to make some sort of comeback. I just exhaled a light chuckle as I watched the city buildings pass by. It was a relief when we made it back to the antique store, I limped my way inside while Camilla brought her car to the parking.

Briar was waiting worriedly in the kitchen. He made an alarmed expression at my bruised and bloodied face, and came over to worry at me. I laughed tiredly.

“Briar, Briar, come on old man. I’m fine. Here, look.” I reached into the satchel, and passed him the scepter. He looked at it with wide eyes.

“So you did it…” He said aloud, I laughed again.

“Yeah, the plan worked fine, there was just… A straggler. He got me pretty good.” I scratched at the dried flakey blood on my face.

“Oh, my boy.” Briar laughed lightly, and pulled me into a hug. I huffed, and winced at the pain it brought in my sore body. I hugged back though, pleased I was able to help. Camilla came in as we separated.

“Hey, go take a bath.” She said, “You reek.” but it sounded almost like ‘you deserve it’, coming from her tone. I rolled my eyes and nodded.

“Yeah, I need to sleep, after. Goodnight guys.” I agreed, then dragged myself to my room. I put Jett on his pedestal before grabbing myself pajamas. I finally got to clean up and then just sit back and relax, without thinking of anything else for a moment.

I was back at the cliff, the man was no longer standing. Rather, he was leaning back on his hands. Like he was looking up toward the sky rather than the ground. The tune he was humming was somehow simpler, but happier. I sighed again, but this time in real life, and I woke up to find myself still in the bath. I grimaced at the cold water, and dragged myself up and out of the tub.

When I made it back to my room I practically collapsed into bed, and the goodnight I said to Jett was slurred and hard to decipher. As my consciousness faded, I had one last lingering thought- ‘I need to call mom’- just before I went under.