"James!" Dess had to yell above the furious whir of her pedals.

James glanced back at her. "What?"

"We only have 20 minutes and 15 seconds before-,"

"We'll make it back on time."

Dess rolled her eyes. He would always be one step ahead of her. At least with him she wouldn't have to waste her breath when she already needed it to peddle without passing out.

James stole another glance at her. He seemed to be laughing to himself. He knew how much she was suffering.

Shut up, she said.

Stop your bike.

What?

Just do it.

Dess, relieved and confused, pulled the brakes on Melissa's bike and climbed off. She nearly collapsed.

"Come on," James said, hardly shaken from the four miles and three meters they'd just biked, and grabbed her hand.

As she let him lead her, she realized that she was gradually gaining speed. Not losing energy, but regaining it, and more.

"Are you-, she began, looking up at James.

He grinned down at her. "Mind over matter."

"You'd be useful to have around."

"I'm hoping you'll let me stick around."

"Are they still on to us?"

"They've given up."

Dess dropped his hand and stopped. She suddenly realized something else.

"James, we're heading toward the badlands."

"I know." He continued walking, but stopped when Dess pulled him up short.

"James, that's where darklings live."

"They won't hurt us."

"Just like they haven't in the past, right? You remembered how we met."

"I'd never forget."

"Then you see my point."

"Which is?"

Dess sighed exasperatedly and whirled around.

"Wait, where are you going?" James asked.

"To find someone who'll take me seriously."

"Dess," James called after her. "C'mon Dess. Life's no fun if you can't joke around, right?"

"Death is no laughing matter James."

"I hang out there all the time! They never come out. Would I put both our lives in danger?"

"You're lying. Even when we're miles away from the badlands they try to kill us. You know what? I'm not gonna deal with this. I'm just gonna go back."

"Don't worry about that. They're coming back for you anyway."

"What?"

"That's what you wanted, right?"

Dess stopped. She turned around so that she was yelling at James's back. "You'd have to be crazy to go there!"

"At least I know what I'm doing," James hollered back, still advancing toward the badlands.

Dess watched him incredulously, then grabbed a fistful of her hair and sighed irritably. She had no idea as to what she was doing, but she wasn't about to let James get himself killed. Not that there was much she could do to protect them. She tugged harder on her hair when she realized she'd left her weapons at home. She figured that if anything was wrong, he'd sense it, so she sighed and stomped some more, before finally hurrying after James and slipping her hand into his. "If you're not right about this-," she warned.

He smiled. "I'll send them someplace else. How's Honduras this time of year?"

"They'd never believe that."

"It'd be evil of me, wouldn't it?"

"It really would."

"Even if I sent Melissa away?"

Dess hesitated. "Well-,"

James grinned. "Who's the evil one now?"

"Just keep walking James."