An air of tension hung over headquarters like a storm cloud. People talked quietly in groups and pairs, most unable to sit. Richie had managed to organize a game of Go Fish, but they were all too disheartened to make more than one move per minute.

Outside the window, the sea of monsters stretched out in all directions. Churning waves of black surrounded the administration building, hundreds of advancing enemies all visible in the fading sun light, all drawn towards the surviving souls. Their ranks were endless. Occasionally, the Battlefront heard a crash from below them, as a trap was set off, and a giant hammer smashed through the attacking line. It would be some time before HQ was breached, Hannah reasoned. These traps were built to withstand divine forces. But when the monsters did reach them… she'd be waiting.

Hannah leaned against the far wall of the principal's office, a teddy bear held to her chest. Despite the crowding of the room, she was given a wide berth. People appreciate weapons, but don't like to acknowledge their presence until they have no other choice.

Not that I mind, Hannah thought to herself quickly. I need to be gathering my thoughts anyway. She clung to her teddy tighter.

Arg, what was Fred thinking, going off without me! My skills could be a great assistance. And besides, she knows what I want more than anything, even more then survival, is to meet the Father.

A motion on the periphery of her vision immediately caught her attention. She remained still, her eyes half-open slits as the motion drew nearer.

"Howdy!" Luke beamed, punching Hannah's shoulder softly. "Hey, are you awake, Hannah?"

Hannah resisted the urge to smile. "Yes, Luke. Even I couldn't take a nap at this point."

He chuckled awkwardly. Most of what Luke did was awkward; it was kind off his default. "Oh, uh right, yeah! That makes sense. So, um, I was wondering, if you wanted to come over and play some Go Fish with us? We could use another player."

As it frequently did around Luke, Hannah's mind skipped a beat. Her survival instincts were ruffled, they swarmed noisily like a swarm of bees without a hive. What was Luke's deal? Why does he refuse to let me be alone?

A possible answer presented itself. Ah, that had to be it, that would make sense.

"It isn't going to work," Hannah said coldly. Luke broke off from his stuttering monologue on the comparative benefits of Go Fish over War (Go Fish is a far superior, obviously. It's a sophisticated game of psychology, while War is a simplistic method for amusing children) to listen to her, confused.

"It won't work," she repeated. "My mission is to bring justice against the Lord. No matter what you offer me, I will not give you protection. If you are danger, Luke, I will not help you."

Luke scratched his head. "Oh, uh. Well, that makes sense. Sounds good." He hesitated. "… Does that mean you don't want to play with us?"

Hannah blinked. Wait. What?

She stared fixatedly out the window. "… I don't understand.

" Could you… Luke, what was your life like?" She glanced at him. "It's all right if you don't want to tell me. It's just; I want to know, so that I can… understand."

Luke twiddles his thumbs. "My life? Oh. Oh. Well, it wasn't really dramatic, or anything like that.

₪I was the middle child of seven children. Growing up, I never achieved anything that set me apart. I was never the worse, and uh, never the best. I was just… average. Boring. The kind of face you notice in a crowd, and then forget about. When I was eleven, I hit my head while swimming, and drowned.

Luke smiled ruefully. "Hardly a heartbreaker, I know. The worst part of my life was having to wear hand-me-down clothes. If Mike's right about this world being a place to where those with troubled lives are sent, then I'm not sure how I ended up here."

He looked up at her. "I'm glad I did, though. Ended up here, with the Battlefront, I mean. I've met people who make me fglad to be with them."

Hannah's brow had narrowed into a strict V. "You are confusing me immensely."

"I'm really sorry. I do that sometimes, but usually it's just because I'm bad at explaining. My mind jams and I can't get the words out right."

In that moment, Hannah found she couldn't find the words. So she was silent. But oddly, Luke didn't seem to mind.

Elsewhere in the room, the tension rose steadily. Emm met Richie's gaze. Below them, the floor rumbled as something was triggered. There was the resounding crash of overturned filing cabinet. Leonard met Albert's gaze, their eyes both narrowing. Bridget sat on the window sill, her fingers rapping it gently. The monsters marched onward, tap-tap, the floor shook again, tap-tap, the HQ's lights flickered, tap-tap-

"Go fish," Leonard replied mildly.

"I REFUSE!" Jake screamed, throwing his hand down onto the table as he bolted upright. "ARG, I CAN'T STAND THIS! I can't just sit here!" He stood there, panting.

At first, no one replied. They just made eye contact with their comrades, with un-blinking intensity.

Richie silently put the cards away.

"You know," Emm growled softly, "she made us promise to protect the others…"

Asher chuckled, low and earthly. "Funny, that. Lots of different ways you can protect someone." He nodded out the window. "They're pretty dense up against our doors, but after that, they thin out. With some light mortar fire, we could… well."

"The back-up entrance," Hannah spoke up. "There's the back door to the guild, in the gardens outside the cafeteria. That's only short sprint away."

TK folded his arms proudly. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."

"Isn't that a Bob Dylan song?"

"Yeah, but it fits the situation."

Another crash shook the floor below them, it sounded like a desk has been thrown into a wall. "I guess, the thing is," Luke began halting. "What are we afraid of more? The shadows and what they might do to us,"

"Or do we care more about Fred, and what she's about to face?"