Milla wakes suddenly with a surprised yelp, sitting bolt upright. Frantically looking around, it takes a few moments before she registers the familiar surroundings of the treehouse bedroom. Oh… It was just a dream… yet it seemed so real. A little confused, Milla silently climbs out of bed, briefly considers getting dressed before deciding to remain in her chest wraps and gym shorts, and pads through the den and into the kitchen. Huh… Guess Lilac's busy elsewhere.
Milla pads back to the den, grabs the TV remote, sits on the floor in her usual spot, and turns the TV on to watch cartoons.
What she wasn't expecting was to see pictures of the severely damaged Battlesphere arena. "It… It wasn't a dream…"
"Oh, wasn't expecting you up this early," a soft voice greets.
Milla yelps and nearly leaps out of her fur at the sound of Lilac's voice, raising a Phantom Shield in self‑defence before realising the voice belongs to Lilac. "Oh… Heh, sorry," she apologises, blushing as the Shield vanishes with a pop.
"It's me who should be apologising," Lilac replies, kneeling next to the hound in her mid‑thigh length kingfisher blue nightgown. "I shouldn't have surprised you like that."
"It's OK," Milla assures. "I just… I thought it was just a bad dream, but… Neera was there, wasn't she?" she asks, vague memories of the previous day slowly becoming clearer.
"She healed your injuries with elixir," Lilac confirms.
"Second time she's done that," Milla smiles sadly.
Lilac gently pulls Milla into a comforting hug. "What matters is you're alive and well," she assures.
"Yeah," Milla sighs, smiling slightly. "I just wish… y'know."
"I know."
"How's Hanna?"
"I don't know."
"I hope she's OK."
"Me too."
Deep inside Red Scarves HQ, in a secure cell in the stockade, Hanna stirs awake. I feel like shit… What the fuck happened to me? Confused, Hanna sits up and looks around to find not her husband and the familiar surroundings of her Rage Ravine home, but the cold hard walls of a high‑security prison cell in solitary confinement. "What the fuck‽"
At that moment, all the memories of the previous day flood into her mind.
The severity of those events hits Hanna like a landslide. Shit… I gave in to the power of the Fire Crystal… I nearly killed Lilac… I‑ "No… Please… Please tell me I didn't do it again… Please, someone tell me Milla's alive," she pleads, tears rolling down her cheeks at the thought of having murdered a child.
"Milla's alive," Rob assures, his voice coming from the small speaker by the door.
"Thank fuck," Hanna sighs in relief, though the tears don't stop. "I don't know if I could live with… Guess I'm in here for good, huh?"
"That's not been decided yet," Rob informs.
"Cut the crap," Hanna replies. "I'm a fucking liability, and you know it."
"Well… yeah, that's true, I guess," Rob admits. "But that doesn't mean it's all over."
"Don't fucking lie to me," Hanna replies. "I'm infected with the Shade Virus thanks to that bastard piece of shit. Leaders ain't gonna let me outta here."
"That's not been decided yet," the voice of Leader Lillith Song corrects.
"You sentenced Corazon to death," Hanna reminds. "Thanks to the Virus, I'm more dangerous than she was."
"True, but there's one key difference," Lillith explains.
"What difference?"
"You show remorse."
Hanna allows her tears to flow unhindered. "I just… I wish I'd kept control," she confesses, her voice weak.
The door to the cell opens. "You were exploited by someone you trusted," Rob assures, entering the cell and sitting next to his wife. "I'm not going to pretend you did nothing wrong, but it would be grossly unfair to ignore what he did to you. I promise, no matter how hard it gets, I'm here for you."
"You don't need to waste your time on me," Hanna dismisses. "You'd be better off with someone more… stable, I guess."
"If I wanted stable, I wouldn't have married you," Rob replies, allowing himself a hint of a cheeky smirk.
"That has got to be the most backhanded… It's not even a fucking compliment," Hanna retorts, not sure if she should feel insulted or not.
Rob takes Hanna's hands in his. "I'm not afraid to admit that when we first met, you left a terrible impression on me. Despite that, I decided to give you a second chance. It is not possible to overstate how fortuitous that decision was, as it has resulted in me finding the perfect woman to spend my life with. We may have had a rocky start, but there's no denying how deeply I care for you. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. Thanks to you, I have not just found a perfect companion, I have also found my true self. You challenge me in a way no‑one else can, and in doing so, you have helped me realise the sort of life that, even though it's not what I originally dreamed of, I wouldn't exchange for anything. It is my solemn vow to protect and care for you for as long as I am able, in order that we may both live our lives to their fullest together."
"Your wedding vows," Hanna recalls, smiling at the memory.
"Figured you needed a reminder," Rob replies.
Hanna finally summons the courage to meet Rob's loving gaze. "Look, I know you're going to lay a lot of the blame on Julian, and that's right because he's a fucking lying bastard piece of shit who won't survive the next time I see him, but I must share some of the blame," she begins. "I let my petty desire to prove I'm a better fighter than Lilac to get the better of me. If I hadn't entered the tournament‑"
"Then you wouldn't be who I love," Rob interrupts.
Despite everything, Hanna cannot help but chuckle. "I hate it when you're right," she smiles. "Why the fuck do you put up with my bullshit?"
"I wouldn't be me if I didn't," Rob replies.
"True," Hanna smiles. "So… Do you think the Shade Virus can be transmitted?"
Rob pulls Hanna into a loving embrace and kisses her passionately. "I'm willing to take that risk," he answers once the kiss breaks.
"You're a fucking idiot," Hanna teases, smiling contentedly.
"Can't argue with that," Rob replies. "Come on, let's go home."
"Are… Are you sure it's OK?" Hanna asks.
"It took a lot of persuading, but I managed to convince the Leaders that you'll be much happier at home instead of being locked up in here for the next few months," Rob explains. "It does mean the house will be under round‑the‑clock armed guard, and any attempt to leave the perimeter will result in you being brought straight back here. Also, if you're summoned to HQ, for example for your full psychological assessment in three months, you'll be escorted by armed guards at all times within the compound."
"So, I'll be under house arrest."
"Until the Leaders are confident that you're not going to be the next Corazon."
Hanna thinks about it for a moment. "Normally, I'd argue that it's grossly unfair and there's no way I'd agree to anything like that, but the truth is I need to prove to myself and the Leaders that I can control what's inside me, and if that means I'm under house arrest until I've regained everyone's trust, then so be it."
"Even after all these years, you still manage to surprise me," Rob smiles, pleasantly surprised by Hanna's swift and calm acceptance of house arrest. "Oh, before I forget: the Fire Crystal was surgically removed yesterday and returned to the lab vault under Shang Tu Palace, and the device Julian built has been removed and destroyed."
"Thank fuck for that!" Hanna sighs in relief. "Let's get the fuck outta here."
"We'll escort you to the gate," Leader Lillith Song informs, entering the cell with Leader Aziza Kyokan, both carrying compact assault rifles.
"You weren't kidding about the 'armed' part," Hanna sighs. "Guess I'll just have to get used to it."
"It's for everyone's safety, including your own," Aziza assures.
"I know," Hanna acknowledges. "I promise to make sure you never have to use them."
After her usual hour's meditation, Milla returns to the den to find Lilac has prepared a large and varied breakfast of deep‑fried dough sticks, steamed buns, wontons, and pancakes. The sight of all the food comes as a pleasant surprise, and her stomach growls softly in anticipation.
"Feeling better?" Lilac asks, shuffling up the sofa a little to make room for Milla to sit.
"Kinda," Milla replies, sitting next to Lilac, selecting one of the warm dough sticks, and taking a bite. "Ever since I got infected with the Virus, I've wanted it out of me as quickly as possible. But twice now it's saved my life, and… I'm not sure how to feel about that. Then again, was it really the Virus that saved me, or was it my Shade Form? And what if had I never gotten infected? Would I still have access to my Shade Form? Is it something the Virus has given me, or has it always been a part of me? Is it something I can learn to control, or is it always going to be a last‑minute life‑saver? And if I can't control it, does that make me the next big risk to Avalice?"
Not expecting a barrage of questions without answers, it takes Lilac a few moments to respond. "That's a lot of questions, and I'm afraid I can't answer any of them," she eventually replies. "However, there is one thing I know for certain."
"What's that?" Milla asks.
"You care too much to be evil," Lilac answers.
Milla cannot help but blush. "Thanks," she smiles, relieved. "I still have a lot to learn about myself, and I'm thankful I have you and Carol to help me."
"Speaking of Carol, someone should wake her before we eat everything," Lilac suggests.
Needing no encouragement, Milla quickly finishes her dough stick then dashes to the bedroom. A few moments later, a loud 'YIP' is very quickly followed by a heavy thud and the unamused groan of the sleepy wildcat who's just fallen out of bed. Giggling to herself, Milla returns to the den, piles a plate with a variety of breakfast items, and retakes her seat next to Lilac to eat.
Carol shuffles into the den a couple of minutes later, clearly still half‑asleep and very unamused, her knee‑length black tank top hanging off one shoulder.
"Morning," Lilac greets, pretending a little too hard to look innocent.
Carol mumbles something incoherent as she flops into the chair. "I was having a really nice dream too."
"About Torque?" Lilac asks cheekily.
"For a change, you're actually right," Carol answers as she gathers a variety of breakfast items onto a plate. "He was teaching me how to fly a spaceship so we could rescue you from the billionth trap you'd blindly ran into."
"…OK, I walked into that one," Lilac accepts. "Did you rescue me at least?"
"We'd just boarded the ship you were imprisoned on when Milla woke me up," Carol informs.
"I'm sure you would have succeeded," Lilac replies.
For the next several minutes, the three friends eat in silence, content to simply enjoy the food. However, the peace is eventually interrupted when the phone rings.
"I'll get it," Lilac volunteers, finishing a dough stick as she walks over to the phone and answers it. "Hello… Oh, hey General… I guess… No, I understand… Yeah, we'll be here… See you then."
"Something wrong?" Carol asks as Lilac hangs up.
"The Magister wants to see Milla," Lilac explains. "He's sending a police van to pick her up; it'll be here in a couple of hours."
"But I didn't do anything wrong!" Milla protests.
"Maybe he's trying to avoid attracting public attention," Carol guesses.
"Speaking of, I'm surprised we've not heard from Mayor Zao yet," Lilac replies.
As if on cue, the phone rings again.
"Not it!" Carol and Milla chorus.
Lilac takes a deep breath, answers the phone, and is forced to hold it away from her ear as the voice on the other end yells for a solid minute before hanging up.
"I would've heard all of that even if my ears were tiny," Carol quips without humour.
"Sorry Milla, but you'll have to go to Shang Tu alone," Lilac apologises.
A couple of hours later, Lilac and Carol stand before the irate Mayor Zao in his opulent office in Shang Mu Town Hall and weather the diminutive leader's seemingly endless thunderous chastisement that somehow maintains a constant vivid intensity far beyond what any would think he's capable of.
"Do you have any idea how much your antics have cost me‽ It'll take months to rebuild the Battlesphere!" Zao bellows, finally pausing long enough for Lilac and Carol to respond.
"With respect sir, Shang Tu‑" Lilac begins to remind.
"I don't care about Shang Tu!" Zao snaps. "I want to know how you're going to repay me for all the damage you've caused!"
"But we didn't‑" Carol begins to protest.
"You're meant to be heroes!" Zao barks. "Why didn't you act like heroes‽"
"We did all we could," Lilac informs, relieved to finally have the chance to finish a sentence.
"You failed!" Zao accuses. "Heroes never fail!"
"Mayor, with all due respect, you don't know how hard we worked to prevent the situation from escalating," Lilac protests.
"You didn't work hard enough!" Zao snaps.
"Forget it Lilac, he's not gonna back down," Carol sighs in defeat.
"Damn right I'm not backing down!" Zao confirms. "Now, tell me how you're going to repay me for the damage you've caused!"
"I… I don't know," Lilac admits.
"I do," Zao replies. "You two are going to prove you care about me and Shang Mu by helping rebuild the Battlesphere."
"But‑" Lilac begins.
"Did I stutter‽" Zao demands.
Lilac sighs in defeat. "Very well, Your Majesty," she acquiesces, bowing her head respectfully.
"At last, some sense from you both," Zao replies. "Now, get out of my sight and get to work!"
Lilac and Carol turn to leave.
"Oh, one more thing," Zao continues. "If anyone asks, you volunteered."
Lilac briefly considers protesting, but quickly decides it's not worth the hassle. "Of course, Your Majesty," she agrees.
Zao watches Lilac and Carol leave his office before returning to his chair behind his overly ornate and ostentatiously large oak desk. Once sat comfortably, he opens the small refrigerator to his left, takes out a bottle of amber liquid, pours himself a triple measure that almost completely fills his small glass, and downs it in one go. Damn heroes, always thinking they're better than everyone else… Well, they're not better than me, that's for sure!
Meanwhile, in Red Scarves HQ, the four remaining Leaders sit in their private meeting room in silence, all feeling the weight of the empty seat marked with 木, the symbol of Wood.
Eventually, one decides to speak. "Our failure to recognise the rebel within our midst will forever shame us all," Leader Kyung Moon states.
"Does anyone know where he went?" Lillith asks, receiving nought but negatives in response.
"His sanctum's been completely stripped clean, including the secret lab he somehow managed to conceal from everyone," Tracy adds.
"Which means he planned his escape," Aziza concludes. "If it wasn't for Rob and Milla, we wouldn't have known anything until it was too late."
"It was too late," Tracy corrects. "If it wasn't, then one of our top operatives wouldn't be carrying the Shade Virus. And for the record, I still think allowing Hanna to be under house arrest is a bad idea."
"Keeping her in solitary would have contained her for sure, but it's unfair to isolate her from her friends when she was an unwitting pawn in Julian's disgusting experiment," Aziza replies.
"I guess," Tracy sighs. "Time will tell if we've collectively made the right decision. Speaking of, we have another decision to make."
The four remaining Leaders all look to the empty chair.
"Whoever we pick, we need to be sure we can trust them to uphold the values of the Red Scarves," Lillith states. "The last thing we need is another Julian."
"Then we shouldn't rush the decision," Aziza advises. "It's better to wait and be absolutely sure we select the right person, but I guess there's no harm in tossing a few names into the hat. Any ideas?"
"One, but despite her unusually varied experience and kind‑hearted nature, she is not yet ready," Kyung replies.
"I too have one name to suggest, someone also of unusually varied experience, possessing a kind‑hearted nature, and not yet ready," Tracy reveals.
"Same here," Lillith admits.
"And here," Aziza adds before realising something. "By the Ancients, we're all thinking the same name, aren't we?"
"All say it at the same time to be sure?" Lillith suggests.
"Sure," Tracy agrees. "Three… two… one."
They all say the same name.
"When she is ready, she will be offered the vacancy," Kyung decides, the others nodding in agreement.
