Iris didn’t protest the idea of waiting on the grassy patch, nor of taking a rest nestled against her watch-mate. While Iris nuzzled into the Paxoram’s chest, Zayne dug into Iris’s bag, retrieved a water bottle, and removed the cap for her. 

“Pleece, Iris. Try and take a drink, sweet one.” Zayne frowned as Iris clasped onto the bottle with shaking hands, too weak to do more than bring it to her dry, colorless lips. The Paxoram tilted the bottle for her, ever so slightly, to allow Iris to take small sips. “That’s it…”

Iris sighed as the cool liquid made its way through her tiny body, dispelling the lingering odd feeling that had gripped her. As soon as the world stopped spinning around her, Iris homed in on Khazmine, who had lately arrived bearing a box of apple juice from one of the food courts.

“Can you drink this?” Khazmine asked as the plastic straw punctured its foil barrier. “My scans indicate a system-wide imbalance that is likely worsened with low blood sugar and poor hydration.” As directed, Iris slowly drained the juice box until a hint of color returned to her cheeks.

Toji and Natsu stared at Iris from across the way, the taller man’s jaw clenching. “Dammit,” he muttered. “It wasn’t meant for him.”

Natsu shook his head, his heart aching for the frail woman.

“Is it bad?” Tristan asked. He couldn’t read energies like his uncles could, but he could tell something was obviously wrong with the young woman surrounded by her strange friends.

The Kanakis nodded.

“How bad?” Silver asked, not wanting to know the answer.

“Bad,” was all they said.

Natsu turned to Toji, his green eyes shining. “It has to be meant for her, Neko. There’s no other explanation.”

Toji nodded, rubbing the back of his neck, his gaze sliding back to the group. Natsu was right, but Toji wasn’t about to just hand it over. Maybe it was meant for someone else, and to give it to this weak human would have been a waste. He sighed softly… Yeah, right. The Wanderer knew what he was doing when he and his mate gave him that vial. 

His sharp gaze moved over the three strange off-worlders, lingering for a moment on the largest member of the troupe. An idea began to form in his head, one that would easily break the monotony of the last few weeks. His hand dropped and his three jagged scars shifted as a devilish grin appeared on his face. 

“All right,” he said, turning back to his family. Silver shifted, jumping on to his shoulders, gripping his Master’s bright red hair as he tried not to bounce with anticipation. “But I want to play a game.”

Tristan sighed heavily, slapping a hand to his face. “Of course you do,” he muttered.

Khazmine frowned. “Perhaps coming out today was a miscalculation on our part. You have been pushing yourself a little harder lately, little one…”

“N-no,” Iris said, shaking her head. “I’m fine, Khaz, really, I—”

“Hey there!”

Alden and Byxx stopped in their tracks at the sound of the strange, cheerful voice directed at the Summoner. Zayne stood quickly with Iris in his arms, while Curtis stepped in front of the Paxoram to shield her from these interlopers. Khazmine stared at the men as they approached, her expression blank as she appraised them silently.

Toji’s nose wrinkled and he rubbed at it furiously, sniffing as he grinned at the group. “Sorry, we couldn’t help but overhear your little convo.”

“Who are you? What do you want?” Zayne sneered, staring the strangers down. 

Though his voice was tinged with a low, roiling growl, Toji ignored the Paxoram’s questions.

Silver leapt from Toji’s shoulders directly into Iris’s lap, startling her.

“Oh, my,” she said weakly as the tiny creature smiled up at her. “Why, hello there,” she added with a strained chuckle before resting a hand on his soft back. Delicate strokes of frigid fingertips had a calming, soothing effect as Iris continued. “Aren’t you friendly.”

“I do my best, Miss, thank you,” Silver said. He turned a victorious smile on Toji. “Did you hear that, Master? She said I’m friendly.” He stood, placing his tiny paws on her cheeks. Iris recoiled at the contact, unsure if this talking creature was real, or if another fever had overtaken her. 

Noticing the young woman’s reaction, Silver sat back, curling into her lap, giving her a reassuring smile. Iris’s mind eased, her delicate strokes verifying that this adorable little creature was, in fact, real. “Master Toji calls me a little shit.”

“That’s because you are,” Toji said.

“Oh, I see,” Iris replied with a weak smile, petting the monkey’s head. “Well, that’s…q-quite the nickname. Do you have another name I can call you by, little one?”

“Silver’s fine,” he grinned. “What should we call you?”

“Um…Iris…you can call me Iris.” She offered a fingertip for Silver to shake, and he noticed a feeble trembling in the poor woman’s arm when they touched. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Introductions were made all around, tension still heavy between Iris’s friends as they watched the strangers.

Toji nodded at Iris. “Heat getting to you?”

Curtis’s brow furrowed. “Isn’t it getting to you? That coat looks awfully warm for this time of year…” Toji’s long black coat must have been sweltering in the late summer heat. Plus, with the added weight of what he could only assume was a massive sword on his back, the stranger had to be uncomfortable. The only person he could fathom being unbothered by such infernal temperatures was Byxx, who seemed equally suspicious of this supposed human.

Toji ignored the young man, his mismatched eyes landing hard on Iris’s face. “Or maybe you’re just out of medication.”

Silence descended on the group. All eyes narrowed on the strange interlopers, with humans and off-worlders converging on the Paxoram and the precious cargo he carried.

“I think you’d better leave, mister,” Alden growled as he and Byxx flanked around Zayne to protect the Summoner.

The only one to maintain their distance was Khazmine, whose head tilted like a ferocious animal assessing prey. A twinge in her eye was the only tell that indicated a series of scans was silently transpiring, with the Augment harvesting as much data on these strangers as possible. 

Only when she was finished did the Deceiver deign to ask Natsu a question. “Who are you?”

“More importantly,” Byxx said, his shoulders tensing as he took in the three men. Sensitive nostrils twitched at their scents, which were decidedly not human. “What are you?”

Toji laughed. “Relax, my dude, we’re not the enemy.” He gave a tiny one-shoulder shrug. “Maybe not exactly friends, either, but at least you can trust we’re not here to hurt you.” 

“Mhm,” Alden said doubtfully, easing slightly but still on his guard. The strangers were relaxed, their body language open, not presenting a threat of any kind, but he still had no reason to trust them. None of them did. However, the words that came next put everyone on edge.

Natsu thumbed at Tristan. “He’s a god,” he replied casually. Tristan wiggled his fingers at them.

“Howdy,” he greeted.

Iris blinked in surprise. “I’m sorry?”

“God Prince, technically,” Toji said.

Byxx caught a slight edge to his tone and his eyebrow ticked. Why would that position be such a bother to the scarred man? Against his own better judgment, his reservations were beginning to give way to intrigue. Still, he knew better than to let down his guard. One too many bad experiences had taught him a valuable lesson in that regard.

 Natsu pointed at Silver. “He’s an imp.”

“Little shit,” Toji corrected. Silver grinned up at Iris.

“And you?” Curtis asked, unable to fully take in what he was hearing. “What are you?”

Toji waved it away. “Never mind that right now. Let’s focus on you.” He put one hand on his hip, the other to his chin as he looked Byxx up and down, appraising his size and armor. His gaze held on the sword at the archfiend’s hip and his mouth twitched with appreciation. “Yeah, you’ll do,” he muttered.

Byxx jerked. “For?”

Toji turned his gaze to Khazmine and frowned. He stepped up to her, stopping a few feet away when he sensed a foreign, off-putting energy emanating from her body. The Augment met his stare with her own, unblinking as she harvested as much data as possible, compiling it through unseen orange diagnostic screens. 

“You stink,” he said.

Khazmine raised an eyebrow at this brusque and incredibly rude assessment. “Noted.”

Toji’s eyes narrowed. “Too small,” he muttered. 

The Augment cared little for Toji’s assessment, and merely shrugged with an indifferent expression. All she needed was time. Time to get a fuller picture of who they were dealing with, their capabilities, and any weaknesses worth exploiting.

Silver jumped off Iris’s lap and shifted, shocking the young woman in Zayne’s arms. She couldn’t help but shiver at another strange individual’s rapid and startling transformation. This imp was something else, a strange creature from parts unknown that Iris couldn’t account for. Silver moved to stand between Natsu and Tristan, nodding at the young god. 

“Young Master could do it,” he suggested. 

Byxx stiffened, a mix of anxiety and confusion roiling in his gut. “Do what, exactly?” He glanced at Tristan. “Either answer our questions or leave us be. You’re upsetting our friend here.”

“May as well,” Natsu said with a shrug, Byxx’s words little more than background noise. “Besides, it’ll be a good test for him. He can put to use everything he’s learned so far.”

“Fine,” Tristan said with a sigh. “But if Commander Katsuki and His Majesty Alastar find out about this, it’ll be on your heads, not mine. Don’t forget, I’m technically forbidden from participating in things like this.”

Frustrated at being continually ignored, Byxx turned to usher his companions toward the exit. No good could come of interacting with rude foreigners bearing unclear intentions and otherworldly energy. 

Toji narrowed his eyes on the Archfiend. “Hold up, where do you think you’re going?”

“Home,” Zayne snarled, thoroughly uninterested in anything these interlopers had to say. Iris had grown more pale and sickly in his arms, and the Paxoram emitted a worried whimper that drew Khazmine’s and Byxx’s attention. 

“You sure you really want to do that?” Toji said. “I mean, cool, but you’ll be missing out on something that could really help your little friend, there.” He heaved a dramatic sigh and turned away. “Welp, tough shit for you, I guess.” He put his arm around Natsu. “C’mon, I want to try that fried pickle on a stick they’re selling near the archery range…”

Iris was barely conscious now, and had difficulty holding up her head as Zayne turned toward the exit. The Paxoram would have continued striding away, but a firm grasp on his arm stopped Zayne from escaping with the Summoner.

“Wait,” Alden interrupted. There wasn’t any harm in hearing out this band of strangers if they were offering help. Whether it was the boardroom or the battlefield, Alden recognized an opportunity when it waltzed straight up to him.

Toji stopped, a devilish grin appearing on his lips, one the group couldn’t see. Gotcha.

“Two minutes,” Alden said. “We will give you two minutes to explain yourself. After that, if we don’t like what you have to offer, we’re leaving.”

With a low chuckle rumbling in his chest, Toji turned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small vial that silenced everyone. He held it between two fingers, the sunlight glinting off the clear liquid within, bringing out the soft purple hue.

Byxx stiffened, eyes wide. That can’t be… “Where did you get that?” he asked gruffly. 

“Connections,” Toji shrugged, a feral grin spreading on his scarred face, one sharp fang glinting in the sunlight. “You want it?”

“Byxx,” Zayne said, his eyes glued to the vial. “What is that?”

The archfiend squinted fiercely but said nothing. He couldn’t. What Toji was holding… It was impossible. Knowing where such a treasure came from, and what one had to do to get it… 

“Byxx?” Alden said, cutting through the archfiend’s thoughts. 

“Medicine,” the gilded champion finally managed through a lump in his throat. “Made by the finest healers, and rare as full-dark suns.” He swallowed hard. “It can help Iris.”

Alden’s heart slammed in his chest. “To what extent?”

No one said anything. Toji’s fangs glinted as he grinned. “A great fuckin’ deal,” he rumbled.

“You can find it on our home world,” Khaz said. “Nowhere else that I know of. I find it highly unlikely that you–”

“Lady, you don’t know one damn thing about me,” Toji interjected, his blue and red eyes staring ice-cold daggers into her expressionless face. “Just trust it’s legit and let’s move the hell on, yeah?” 

Not one thing, huh? Khazmine allowed a hint of a smirk to show as her scans continued to compile. Statistics, biological data, gait patterns, movements… Every detail painted a sharpening picture of who was standing before them, or rather, who wasn’t.

Byxx caught a glimpse of the Augment’s expression and motioned to step forward, curious to see what had drawn Khazmine’s interest. Aside from his curt attitude and access to unbelievably powerful Chromaldan medicine, this stranger didn’t seem too tough…but then…how did he get those huge scars on his face?

Khaz put a hand to his breastplate, stopping Byxx cold. “<Wait,>” she whispered in Chromaldan Plainspeak. “<Do not rile this man.>”

“<Why not?>” Byxx replied. Not that he would.

“<He’s resonating.>”

Byxx frowned. “<What, here? How?>”

Khaz allowed an imperceptible shake of the head. “<They’re not from Chromaldus, nor are they from Earth.>”

“<Travelers, perhaps?>”

“<No,>” Khazmine narrowed her eyes at the suspicious foreigners. “<They’re not synthetic, but neither are they mortal beings. They are, however, certainly very dangerous. Their energy signatures are strange and powerful, but it isn’t ether or chemical energy.>”

Byxx nodded, understanding. “<We must be cautious.>”

“<Extremely.>”

“Here’s the deal,” Toji said, flipping the vial through his fingers before placing it back in his pocket. “I’d like to make a proposal; one I don’t think Big Red here will want to pass up.”

Byxx glared at him, partly for the nickname, and partly out of genuine interest. “Go on…”

“A battle. Two on two. Winner takes all.”