Yuri did not sleep that night. She lay beside Cap on the double bed, listening to him snoring. All she could think about was how Aquila had frozen him in place before he could even start moving. If it really was an ambush, and Balthazar was there...

    She tried to be supportive once he woke up and began his morning routine, but she could tell he knew something was wrong. But the one thing she wanted to ask of him, to beg him to do, she could never say to him.

    Don’t go.

    After breakfast he held her and tried to reassure her. “It’s okay,” he told her. “If something happens, anything I can’t handle Aquila can.”

    “Except for Balthazar,” she pointed out. “Please be careful.”

    “If Balthazar tries to fight, he’s all Aquila’s,” Cap said. “I know I can’t take him.”

    Yuri forced herself to give him a smile and pretend it reassured her. But, she still couldn’t get the image of Cap frozen in mid-stride out of her head. If Balthazar cornered him...

    “All right,” Atria said, walking into the common room holding a duffel bag. “Let’s get you both wired for sound.”

    Yuri watched Atria explain the earpieces and the comms as though in a dream. If Balthazar cornered Cap, it wouldn’t matter if he had an earpiece or a hidden microphone – he’d be frozen in place and unable to talk!

    Later, she wouldn’t be sure when she made her decision. All she knew was that it hadn’t happened when Atria first came into the room, but it was done by the time she had finished explaining the communications setup.

    “We’re going to be on the comms at all times, and I’m going to be one of the people monitoring,” Atria said. “It’s the least I can do for you. If you run into trouble, don’t worry about trying to act natural – just call for help and let us do the rest.”

    Cap gave her a nervous smile. “No code words?”

    Atria shook her head. “Without proper training, you’d just forget them in the heat of the moment.”

    “Are we going to have soldiers backing us up?” Aquila asked as Kasumi gave her hand a nervous squeeze.

    “Not in a combat role,” Atria replied. “Based on our intelligence and what we’ve seen in prior skirmishes, they’d get just mauled if they tried to get in the way. The JSDF side of the support is extraction. They’ll be waiting at an extraction point for you in armoured vehicles. If somebody gets hurt, we’ve got an ambulance standing by on alert.” She gave them both a reassuring smile. “Now, let’s go over the plan.”

    “Are you okay?” Yuri heard Sayori ask. She turned to see Yukari standing beside Sayori, both watching her with concern.

    Yuri gave her a sad smile. “How could I be? Cap’s going into danger.”

    She turned back to what Atria was saying, forcing herself to keep her expression passive as she took careful note of which intersection the meeting would be held at. It wasn’t one she was familiar with, but she’d be able to find it on a map easily enough.

    Now she just needed to make sure nobody stopped her.

    “Balthazar’s side has a pattern,” Atria said. “They have never endangered civilians in any of the skirmishes thus far. We have no expectation of this changing. So, when you approach the intersection, check to see if there are other people in it. If that intersection has been cleared, then it’s a trap. Don’t even bother entering it – just turn around and walk to the extraction point.” Atria took a deep breath. “So, are you two ready?”

    Aquila and Cap glanced at each other and nodded. “As much as we’re going to be,” Cap said.

    “No being reckless,” Kasumi warned, embracing Aquila.

    “Don’t worry,” Aquila said. “My reckless days are long behind me.”

    Yuri embraced Cap and squeezed him for dear life, and then gave him a deep kiss. “I love you – you come back to me!”

    Cap gave her that charming smile that made her want to kiss him again every time she saw it. “I’ve got all the powers of superhero,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”

    “Okay,” Atria said, holding the door open for them. “Let’s get you to your transport.”

    Yuri watched, her heart racing, as Aquila and Cap stepped through the door, Atria following and closing it behind her.

    Yukari plopped herself down on the couch. “This is going to be a long day.”

    Kasumi sighed and sat down across from her. “It won’t be my first.”

    “Oh?” Sayori asked.

    Kasumi nodded. “The last time this happened was in that battle on Daiki Yamato’s world, where Aquila almost got killed. At least that time, I had something to do while I waited.”

    “I don’t think we’ve heard all of this story,” Yukari said, leaning forward. “It’s a way to pass the time, at least.”

    Yuri checked her watch as Kasumi started talking about the battle. Knowing Atria, the car with Cap and Aquila would have already left for the meeting. And that meant...

    “I think I want to get some fresh air,” Yuri said. “I might be a while.”

    “We’re be here if you need us!” Sayori called.

    Yuri nodded, grabbed her pink wool coat, and headed down the hall. She had almost made it to the front door when a firm hand grasped her shoulder.

    “And just where do you think you are going?” Atria asked.

    Yuri forced back the urge to cry. “Please don’t stop me.”

    Atria shook her head. “According to my information, in a fight Cap can slam into somebody at the literal speed of sound. If a trained soldier wouldn’t be able to help them, what could you possibly do?”

    A tear rolled down Yuri’s cheek. “You don’t understand – Aquila and Cap made a deal back in the story worlds. If he could beat her, she’d come here with him and join the fight. All he had to do was run a short distance without her catching him. That’s all. She froze him in place before he could even get started! If Balthazar catches him, he’ll do the same...and Cap won’t even be able to speak. You’re right – I can’t fight. But, I can beg for his life! It’s the only chance he will have...please, let me give him that chance!”

    Atria grimaced. “I don’t have time to wire you up properly – I only requisitioned two earpiece sets!”

    “That’s fine,” Yuri said. “I’ll accept that risk. Please let me go!”

    “Have you even got enough money for transportation?” Atria demanded. “Do you know where you’re going?”

    Yuri nodded. “We came here with lots of cash. You caught us before we could spend most of it.”

    “All right,” Atria said, grimacing again. “But there’s one condition, and you know that I’ll be able to tell if you’re lying to me when you accept it! You stay at least one block back from anything that is happening, and you only go in if you get visual confirmation of Balthazar! If you don’t see him, you stay put!”

    Yuri nodded. “Okay, I agree.” She paused. “Please don’t tell Cap.”

    “That’s asking a hell of a lot!”

    “If he knows I’m nearby, he won’t be able to cover Aquila because he’ll be too busy worrying about me. I promise, I’ll stay back, and I won’t go in unless I actually see Balthazar.”

    Atria closed her eyes and shook her head, and then said, “Okay, fine! But you be bloody careful!”

    “I will,” Yuri said. “You won’t regret this.”

    “I already do!” Atria snapped. “Now let me call you a damned cab!”

Aquila stared at the intersection in the distance and wished she had Cap’s eyesight.

    “Well?” she asked.

    “Lots of people,” Cap replied. “And three of them are loitering and waiting around.”

    “Better than I had hoped,” Atria’s voice said over the earpieces. “Are they standing together, or in positions to cut off the points of exit?”

    “They’re together,” Cap said.

    “Okay then,” Atria’s voice said. “At the moment it looks legit. Be careful, though.”

    Aquila looked at Cap and took a deep breath. “Let’s get Natsuki back.”

    They stepped walked into the intersection, stopping on the sidewalk before the three who were waiting. One was a caucasian with red hair and a goatee. The other was a tall Japanese man in a long leather coat. Beside them was a short, compact Japanese woman with mousy green hair in a bomber jacket.

    “I take it you’re from Balthazar’s side,” Cap said.

    The man in the leather coat nodded and turned to look at her. “And you must be Aquila.”

    “I am,” Aquila stated. “You have our friend.”

    The man in the leather coat nodded. “Natsuki Toshiro. She’s safe – we would never harm her.”

    “That’s not nothing,” Cap muttered. Then he blinked. “The rest of you are pretty quiet.”

    “I was designated to do the speaking,” the man in the leather coat said.

    Aquila took a deep breath. “Well, here I am, as you asked. My name is Aquila Agawa, and I have agreed to mediate this conflict as a neutral party. I’m not from this world of gods of creation, and neither are any of the members of my group. I’ve never done this before, but I will do my best to ensure that both sides are heard and respected in negotiations, and that there are no violations by either side of the cease-fire. If you have any questions, I’ll answer them within reason.”

    The man in the trenchcoat nodded to her. “I think we’re good, but we’re going to have to ask you, Aquila, to come with us. Alone.”

    A chill went down Aquila’s spine.

    “We were here so that you could vet her,” Cap said.

    Aquila checked the character description of the man in the leather coat. His name was Ken Tanaka, and he was from a horror story world. Her eyes flashed to the other two.

    They had no character descriptions.

    “But I’m afraid that our boss wants to speak with her,” Ken said.

    “I think we’re done with Mr. Tanaka,” Aquila stated, careful to keep her voice even and calm. “We should head back.”

    The background noise of the intersection faded away, as did the two people standing beside Ken Tanaka. Aquila looked around to find themselves standing in an empty intersection, the other two in strategic positions to cut off escape, the red haired man holding his hand in the air and dropping it to his side.

    “I’m afraid that’s not happening,” the red haired man said. Aquila quickly read his character description, and the woman’s.

    “That one is named Darius, and he’s a mage,” Aquila said. “The other is named Selena, and she’s a super-soldier and a mech pilot. The one facing us is Ken Tanaka, and he’s from a zombie apocalypse story – he fights with a sword.”

    Ken stepped back, drawing a naked sword out from his coat. “You’re going to come with us, Aquila. We’re not going to hurt Natsuki, but Balthazar needs to speak with you.”

    Behind her, she heard the click of Selena removing the safety from a firearm.

    “You mean kill,” Cap declared.

    “If necessary,” Selena said. “It’s nothing personal. If we have to do it, we have to do it.”

    “Atria, we’re going to need that backup,” Cap said.

    The earpieces were silent.

    Selena held up a small device in her free hand. “The communications technology of this world is so easy to jam. Simple, really.” She put the device into her jacket pocket.

    “Just make it easy on everybody,” Ken demanded. “Come with us.”

    “We’re going to have to fight our way out,” Cap muttered to her.

    Aquila closed her eyes and forced herself to quell the rising tears. “I don’t want...if I fight them the villain will come out, I can feel it!”

    “I know,” Cap said quietly. “But what choice do we have?”

    “You don’t understand,” Aquila said, beginning to sob. “I was finally becoming somebody I might not have to hate!”

    “You coming or not?” Selena asked.

    “We’re discussing it!” Cap barked. He started buttoning up Aquila’s coat. “Aquila, you are allowed to be a villain when there’s no other choice. You are allowed to be angry at somebody other than yourself. And I don’t know about you, but after everything these bastards have put us through, I am furious!”

    “But my promise,” Aquila said weakly as Cap buttoned up the last button. “I swore never to kill again!”

    “They’re heroes,” Cap hissed, wiping away her tears. “They’re tough. We don’t need to kill them – we can just hurt them a whole lot. Let’s show them what we can really do. No holding back. I’ve got the magic punk.”

    Aquila looked Cap in the eyes and took a deep breath. A cruel gleam lit up her eyes. “Okay, superhero,” she said. “No holding back.”

    Aquila stepped away and rose into the air, summoning all three rings of her swords. They accelerated into a blur, criss-crossing and rotating around her. Below her, Ken stared in alarm and readied his sword.

    “How cute,” she declared with a sneer. “But mine are better.” She fired a barrage of longswords in his direction. His katana moved in a blur, deflecting each one. She gave him a malicious smile as her swords exploded into shrapnel behind him, forcing him to scream in agony as he fell to his knees. Then he gasped as she shot one sword into his shoulder and one into his gut, impaling him to the hilt with both.

    “I’d suggest staying down,” Aquila declared, turning to Selena. The super-soldier stared at her in barely concealed shock and fear and levelled her gun.

    Aquila laughed in delight. “Did Balthazar not tell you what you would be fighting? You face a god of destruction!”

    “And you face a super-soldier!” Selena roared, emptying the magazine of her pistol at Aquila. The rounds ricocheted harmlessly off Aquila’s rings of longswords as she began to rise higher into the air. Selena dropped her gun and drew a long knife, holding it in a reverse grip.

    Aquila smirked and fired a barrage of swords at her. Selena leapt into the air, landing on a sword blade and pushing off it, using each sword to launch herself higher and higher, making her way to Aquila...

    ...who just grinned and kept the swords coming as she rose to a hundred feet above the intersection.