Hello, everyone! Thank you all for tuning back in for the next chapter! I hope your summer is off to a great start. Or maybe you're having a pretty crappy summer. In which case…sorry.

Real quick before we get started. coldblue2015, I read your review for the last chapter. To clarify, everything that Ricardio said to Marceline was directed at her and her alone. 'Child with no beating heart,' 'creature belonging in the shadows,' and 'Queen of nothing' were insults towards Marcy. I really love reading your reviews. Your feedback on all my stories is greatly appreciated. That goes for everyone else, of course. Thank you all for your reviews and thoughts.

That being said, everyone please enjoy the chapter!

I do not own 'Adventure Time.'

Chapter 39

Would You Ever Press Yours?

"Oh, my Glob. Daphne is so cool," Phoebe said cheerfully. The princess of flames stared up into the starry night sky with a big, happy smile on her face. "I've been going to visit her whenever I have the free time, and I just love hanging out with her."

Flame Princess had her head resting in the lap of her currently fireproof boyfriend, courtesy of the sapphire pendant she had gifted him. For their date, the Princess was wearing a white and pale-red sleeveless dress and a pair of red, fashionable boots. Her flaming hair was shortened to a cute, neck-length do. Finn, wearing what he normally wore, was enjoying their little camping date. Using his girlfriend as the campfire, Finn smiled as he held a marshmallow over her head. He didn't even have to use a stick, instead using his metal hand to hold the marshmallow over Phoebe's hair. Finn had taken off his jacket, which hung on the handlebar of his bike, parked nearby. Nothung, sheathed in its scabbard, leaned against the bike.

"You still don't call her 'mom?'" Finn asked as he burned the marshmallow to his liking.

"I mean…" Phoebe shrugged. "It's…still kinda weird for me to call her that, you know? Yeah, I know she's my mom, but…I spent my entire life believing I didn't even have a mom. And now that I actually have one…I guess I'm still just trying to get used to it."

"Take it from me," Finn blew on his burnt marshmallow and stuck it into his mouth, speaking while he chewed. "Having an awesome mom is…well, awesome. It's nice to hear that you're spending time with Daphne, making up for lost time and whatnot."

"Yeah, well…" Phoebe dropped her smile and looked to the side. "With you being so…occupied lately, it's given me the free time to hang out with her. I was honestly surprised when you finally called me and scheduled another date."

Finn frowned, biting his lip in a guilty manner. "Look, Phoebe, I'm sorry about…the way I've been acting lately. I'm especially sorry if I've made you feel like I don't wanna spend time with you. I always wanna spend time with you."

"And Huntress Wizard?" FP asked, burning a little hotter. "I've heard you've been hanging out with her a lot recently."

Finn gulped before replying. "Flame Princess, I swear on my mother's digital life, Huntress Wizard is just a friend–and nothing more than a friend–helping me out with something."

"And, what might that something be?" FP asked.

"I…" Finn looked to the side. "...She's just…helping me come to grips, that's all."

"Hmph," was Phoebe's reply.

"Listen, bottom line, no matter what's happened, that's no excuse for flaking on you," Finn said. "And, I'm sorry. I really am."

Phoebe sighed. She took Finn's real hand and laid it on her fiery chest. "It's okay, Finn. Honestly, it is. But, come on. If there's something that's really bothering you, you know you can talk to me about it. Just because you dedicate yourself to helping others doesn't mean you're not allowed to let others help you."

Finn closed his eyes. "...I miss Founder's Island," he confessed. "Or, more specifically, my mom. I miss my mom. A lot. A phone call or a radio contact isn't enough, not anymore. I want my mom to be able to see me, and know that I'm happy and okay. I want to be able to hug my own mom again. At the same time, I'm still trying to figure out how the ham I'm supposed to explain everything that's happened. One look at my metal arm alone is enough to give her an AI heart attack. And I hate the thought of having to do it, but…I owe it to Mom to tell her about Dr. Gross."

Finn clenched his metal fist. "After everything I've done, despite all the hero junk…I feel like I've let my mom down. I'm no Helper."

Flame Princess lifted her head off of Finn's lap, sitting up on the scorched grass next to him to look him in the eyes.

"...I was gonna destroy the Candy Kingdom, remember that?" FP said. "I was gonna burn that whole place to the ground, along with any of the Candy People who stayed behind, and make Princess Bubblegum watch as I razed everything she had ever created." As she said that last part, FP's temperature seemed to increase, but she was able to control herself. "It was you who stopped that. You stopped a war that would have meant the annihilation of an entire Kingdom by my hand."

Flame Princess took a moment to examine her fiery hands. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Finn. You're a Helper, as you call them, it's in your blood. You're the kind of person who stops people like Dr. Gross, and me, for that matter, from hurting innocent people."

"Don't compare yourself to Gross, you're not like her," Finn said.

"Aren't I?" Phoebe said. "The things I'm capable of? The things I've actually done? The explosions and firestorms I've started. The executions I've carried out."

"It's your job to make the tough decisions, it's your job to carry out the heavy sentences," Finn said. "That doesn't make you the bad guy. You're hardly a wicked tyrant, Phoebe. I've met pixies more evil than you."

FP's flames burned brighter as she was getting worked up. "I don't think that I'm a bad person. But compared to you, I'm a freakin' monster. And here you are, feeling bad about not being a straight-up saint. I get that you're worried about what your mom would think about you, but if she can't be proud of the hero you've become, then she can just–"

"Okay, okay!" Finn reached up and placed his hands on FP's shoulders, attempting to calm her down. "I get it. You're right, I shouldn't chew myself out for not being perfect."

"Finally, he gets it." FP threw her hands in the air. "The guy won't stop until wins every gold medal and acts like he committed a sin if he gets silver or bronze."

The Princess then took a deep breath, letting her flames simmer back down to a healthy and normal glow. "...You aggravate me sometimes, you know that?"

Finn smiled. He leaned in to give Phoebe a kiss. Perhaps it was simply in the heat of the moment, but Phoebe met Finn halfway and closed the distance to embrace her boyfriend in a passionate kiss.

Phoebe's fire immediately blazed. The two of them were suddenly sitting in what could be mistaken for a large, witch-level bonfire. Neither of them really noticed it at first until they pulled away from the kiss and took a look around. Seeing the fire that she had become, FP took a second to concentrate and lower her temperature back down. Once her flames had settled back down, the Princess blushed as she stared at Finn.

"Um…sorry about that," Phoebe said.

"It's fine, it's fine, I…" Unable to hold it in any longer, Finn fell into a coughing fit.

"Get your inhaler out, babe, come on."

Still coughing, Finn reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his inhaler. He took two puffs just for good measure before taking calm, healthy breaths of air on his own.

"There ya go," Phoebe said encouragingly. "Feel better?"

"Much," said Finn. "Much."

"Gob, I think your asthma is getting even worse." With an embarrassed and guilty look on her face, FP turned her gaze to the side. "All because of me."

"Well…I mean…" Finn shrugged. "As far as chronic diseases go, asthma is actually pretty common. It can develop at any age, normally at childhood, and–"

Noticing the flat look FP was giving him, Finn decided to stop.

"Ah, come on, Phoebe," Finn said. "It's not so bad, I swear. It's not any worse than anything Marceline ever put me through. She used to leave me beaten and bruised. By comparison, asthma ain't that bad."

FP narrowed her eyes.

"...I believe I have made a mistake," said Finn. "Look, Phoebe. I love spending time with you. I don't care if my lungs turn to straight charcoal, I'll still kiss and cuddle you."

Phoebe bowed her head and closed her eyes as she sighed and shook her head. "...Yeah, I know you will." She scooted up and snuggled against her boyfriend, a smile on her face. "I know you will."

Finn smiled as well and returned FP's affection. The moment was ruined though when Finn's phone rang in his pocket.

The Flame Princess frowned angrily. "For real right now?"

"I'm so sorry. It might be work." Finn took out his phone to see who was calling. When he saw, his eyes darted back and forth between the phone and Phoebe.

"...It's Bubblegum, isn't it?" FP asked, ire thick in her voice.

Finn laughed nervously. "I'm…I-I'm sure it's nothing. Give me ooooooone second." Finn answered the phone call and brought the phone up to his ear. "Hey, Princess. What's up?"

"Finn! I have a job for you!" Bubblegum shouted, sounding frantic. "It's an important one!"

"Um," Finn quickly glanced at Phoebe, not brave to look into her burning, white eyes for more than a second. "Now is not a good time. I'm kind of busy right now."

"Well, then you're just gonna have to put it aside for now!" PB replied.

Finn didn't have the guts to even look at FP this time. "Princess. Unless lives are at stake, I'm not sure bailing on my…current project, is such a good idea."

"Lives are at stake!" Bubblegum said. "Well…mine, anyway."

"Wait, what?" Finn blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Someone's after me. An assassin of extraordinary power," Bubblegum stated.

"What?!" Finn exclaimed. "Where are you? I'll come find you and take down the assassin."

"I'm in hiding right now. I have to be constantly on the move," said Bubblegum. "I need you to look into the assassin for me. From what little resources I can gather from being on the run and in hiding, all I know is that he's called the Scorcher. Very professional. Very expensive. Very dangerous."

"Do you know who sent him?" Finn asked.

"I…have my suspicions, but nothing concrete," said PB. "Look into him and find out all that you can. Call me back once you do. The Scorcher is a magic user, so I doubt he'll hack into our coms or anything like that."

"Where am I supposed to find information about an assassin?" Finn asked.

"I hate to say it, but I think you should go see Ice King about it," Bubblegum suggested. "As a wizard, he might know about the Scorcher."

"You got it," Finn said. "Phoebe's not gonna like it, but you can count on me, Peebles."

"Phoebe?"

"Yeah, we were on a date when you called," Finn explained.

"You mean Flame Princess is with you right now?"

"Yeah," said Finn. "Which is kinda why I wasn't really stoked to do any work for you."

"...I see," PB said. "Anyway, get to it. Not to sound impatient, but there is an incredibly dangerous assassin after me."

"Don't worry, I'm on it," said Finn.

"Also, if you don't mind…I'd rather not involve Flame Princess in any of this. Okay?"

"Um…" Finn blinked. "...Okay, I guess."

"Good. See you soon. Unless I die, of course."

Bubblegum hung up, leaving Finn to stare at his phone with a worried look on his face. "I hope she'll be okay."

"Ahem."

Finn looked over to see Flame Princess glaring at him, arms crossed in irritation and her flames burning bright.

"...Um…" Finn took a moment to moisten his dry mouth. "I…gotta go to work."

"Of course," Phoebe replied bitterly.

"Phoebe, come on. There's an assassin after Bubblegum," Finn protested. "A really dangerous one by the sound of it. I can't just leave her to die."

"Can't Marceline take care of it?" Phoebe complained. "They're hanging out again, right?"

"I'm sorry, I really am," Finn said. "But I gotta go."

"Then I'm going with you."

"What?" Finn asked in surprise. "Phoebe, you don't have to–"

"That wasn't a request," the Princess stated. "I'm not letting Bubblegum ruin our date night. We're doing this together, or not at all. Understood?"

"You'll have to come with me to go see Ice King then."

"...Good try. Really, it was," said FP. "I'm still going with you."

Finn sighed in defeat. "Okay, you win," he said. "Let's go."

Phoebe smiled in triumph as she stood up off the ground with Finn.

"I sometimes feel like I don't really have much say in these relationships," Finn commented.

Phoebe shrugged. "That's what you get when you dig the dangerous ones." She made her way to Finn's bike. "But it's not any worse than anything Marceline ever put you through, right?"

Finn could hear Shoko snickering in his head as he silently followed after FP.

"Okay, here we are." Finn, Nothung strapped to his back, stared up at the large mountain of ice. Ice King's home was never really intimidating. If Finn were to tell the truth, Ice King's home was actually pretty sweet. The view was astounding, no doubt about that. Although, it did get a bit chilly in these parts.

Finn took notice of the fact that the walkway up to the entrance was gone. Possibly since the fight with the Island Guardian. "Good for security, I guess. Keep the front doorway up where no one can get to it."

"Unless, of course, they can fly," said Phoebe. "You'll have to swap pendants again so I can carry you."

Finn brought a hand up to the ruby pendant he was wearing to protect him from the cold. "I can't just wear both?"

"Wouldn't do any good. Their effects would just cancel each other out," Phoebe explained. "You might as well be wearing neither of them if you're wearing both of them. You ready?"

Finn looked down at the Princess's feet. The snow had all melted around her, showing the green beneath. "Um…maybe I should go in alone. Ice King might not appreciate getting his floor melted."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. Put the sapphire pendant on and I'll give you a boost."

Finn nodded before taking the sapphire pendant out of his pocket and switching necklaces, feeling the cold suddenly hit him as the ruby pendant came off. "Launch me."

Finn jumped up high in the air and let Flame Princess blast him with a column of fire. It didn't hurt him, but it shot him upward like a rocket ship to Ice King's front door. Finn flew through the air, praying to Glob he wouldn't splatter against the wall like a bug, before thankfully sailing right through the entrance.

With an acrobatic roll, Finn landed on the floor. Ice King was in the main room, addressing a group of his penguins.

"Ice King!"

"Wazzat?" IK turned around. "Oh, Finn! Sup, bro? Hey, check this out." The mad wizard grinned as he raised an arm toward his team of penguins. "I dressed them up in top hats and bow ties. How hilarious is that?"

Finn looked at the penguins. True to the king's word, they were all sporting little black bow ties and tophats, looking rather sharp to boot. Gunter was at the front of the group, with a small, black cane in his flipper.

"Looking good, Gunter," Finn said.

Leaning on his cane, Gunter tipped his hat to Finn. "Wenk."

"You wanna see them dance?" IK asked. "It's totes adorable."

"Actually, I came by to ask you about something," Finn said.

"Hey, I let Dr. Princess go, what more do you want?" IK asked. "I don't know where her lab coat went, honest. I do know that it still smells like the perfume she wears, but don't ask me how I know that."

"...Uh…actually," said Finn. "I wanted to know if you knew anything about an assassin called the Scorcher."

"Oh, snap. He's not after you, is he?" IK asked.

"Not me, no," Finn replied.

"Phew. That's a relief," said Ice King. "The Scorcher is one high-priced hitman. Flawless record, never fails to do the deed. A top-level pyromancer, a professional killer, he's the full package, yo. You want someone whacked, he is the guy to hire. Really expensive, though, but you definitely get your money's worth with this guy."

"I'm scared to ask this, but, how do you know all that?" Finn asked.

"Funny story, I might've accidentally hired him to kill Jake this one time," Ice King said with a laugh. "I was just trying to hire someone to beat him up."

"...You're not very smart, are you?"

"Comes with the crazy."

Finn groaned and ran his real hand down his face. "Okay, so…so how did you stop the Scorcher from killing Jake?"

"Eh, the payment didn't go through, so the Scorcher quit the job and went home," IK said. "No money, no honey."

"Aside from you, who else would hire the Scorcher?" Finn asked. "What's his usual clientele?"

IK shrugged. "People with money. People with grudges."

"People who would want nothing more than to rid the world of someone they hated," Finn added.

"Who exactly's gettin' whacked?" IK asked.

"That's…classified," Finn said. "...Cool if I use your bathroom?"

"Sure, knock yourself out."

"Thanks." Finn walked away to find the john.

Ice King clapped his hands. "Alright, fellas. Let's take it from the top!"

Gunter twirled his cane fashionably. "Wenk, wenk."

Finn opened and closed the door as he walked into the bathroom. He then took out his phone and dialed a number, bringing him up to his ear.

"Hallo? Wer ist das?"

"Princess. It's me, Finn."

"Oh, Finn, good," said Bubblegum. She sounded tense, but momentarily relieved. "What have you learned from the Ice King?"

"It's like you said, the Scorcher is as good as they come," Finn reported. "From his reputation, it doesn't sound too good for you. I can't say for sure who sent him, but whoever it was had the money to hire him, and hated you enough to send you a top-quality killer."

"What's he capable of?" Bubblegum asked. "From my initial close encounters with the Scorcher, I know his abilities are mostly fire-based."

"Yeah, Ice King said he was a pyromancer. A really powerful one," Finn said. "Beyond that, well, it's not like I ever tangled with him before."

The Princess remained silent. Perhaps lost in thought.

"...How you holding up, PB?" Finn asked gently, taking note of PB's silence.

"Oh, I'm good. I'm good," PB replied a little too quickly. "Just…hopping from hidden bunker to hidden bunker. Trying to stay alive. Hopefully leading the Scorcher away from my people."

"Are you really by yourself?" Finn asked. "PB, come on. Let me call Marcy. I'll give Jake a call too. I'll even drag Simon out of his mountain so we can all take down the Scorcher for you."

"...No, Finn. Not this time," Bubblegum said.

"PB–"

"The last time I did that, Billy died," Bubblegum said. "I will not lose another hero as a result of my own cowardice and desperation."

Finn blinked, hesitating before he replied. "Well...what do you want me to do then? It might help if we could find out who sent the Scorcher. Flame Princess and I could totally do the whole good cop bad cop thing and–"

"Wait, Flame Princess is still with you?" Bubblegum demanded.

Finn took a moment to mentally slap himself, cringing from the sting. "Okay, look, I know you said to keep her out of it, but she insisted that we don't cancel date night, and since it's been a little while since we went on our last date, I thought–"

"Finn. Listen to me very carefully," the Princess said sternly. "The assassin that's after me is professional and expensive. Whoever hired him must hate me enough to make sure that I no longer exist. His abilities are fire-based and powerful. If you're looking to find out who sent him, then who, in your opinion, fits on the top of the suspect list?"

Finn blinked. "You…you think Phoebe hired the Scorcher to off you?!"

"Finn, she fits the profile more perfectly than anyone else."

"Maybe she does, but I can promise you, she didn't do it," Finn argued. "I know she doesn't like you. In fact, aside from her dad, I don't think there's anybody in Ooo she hates more than you. But still, she would never send a hitman after you."

"Until I can gather more evidence, the Flame Princess will stay at the top of my suspect list. Even if she stays at the bottom of yours," said Bubblegum.

"But, PB–"

"I want you to come meet me in the bunker I'm currently hiding in," Bubblegum said. "Ditch Flame Princess, do not, under any circumstances, tell her where you are going."

"She didn't hire the Scorcher," Finn stated.

"I'll text you the coordinates," Bubblegum said. "Memorize them, then delete the message. Peebles out."

Finn tried to argue some more, but the Princess hung up before he could. He considered calling her back but didn't think the Princess would appreciate that.

A knock on the bathroom door startled Finn out of his train of thought. "Yo, Finn! You almost done in there or what?! The IK's gotta BM ASAP!"

"Uh, yeah, I'm coming out." Finn went over and opened the door to reveal Ice King bouncing on his heels, cringing from the great discomfort.

"I gotta lay off the shrimp," IK whined. "Thanks for stopping by, but you probably wanna bale."

"Before I go, can I ask you something?"

"For the love of Grod, make it quick, I beg you."

"If you…had to make a guess, then…who do you think hired the Scorcher?" Finn asked.

"Well, who's the target?"

"Not important."

"Kinda is, though–"

"Just try to make a guess," Finn said. "Lots of money, lots of hate, hires a level 10 pyromancer to off someone he or she doesn't like."

"Ah, gee, I don't normally do that much thinking until I get on the toilet." IK scratched his beard as he gave it some thought. "I don't know, man…Flame Princess, maybe?"

Finn's eyes widened. "What?"

"Hey, man, no offense to your GF. You told me to make a guess, and I did," said Ice King. "I mean, yeah, if Flame Princess wanted someone destroyed, she'd probably do it herself. On the other hand, the Scorcher really seems to match her theme. You know, fiery and downright deadly."

Finn looked down at the floor. "Uh…thanks, IK. I'll…I'll leave you to it, then."

"Please do."

Using a bed sheet he hoped to Glob was clean, Finn parachuted back down the mountain. Phoebe was waiting for him at the bottom, pacing back and forth, leaving a line of green grass where snow should have been.

"Oh, there you are!" Phoebe cried out when she saw Finn floating back down to her. "Well, what'd you find out?"

"Um…a few things," Finn said. "...Have you ever heard of the Scorcher? Do you know anything about him?"

"I don't enlist mercenary work or hitman services," FP stated. "I try to steer my Kingdom away from that kind of thing."

"Yeah, yeah, totally," Finn said.

"Why do you ask?" FP asked curiously.

"Oh. well, uh…all Ice King could really tell me about the Scorcher was what Bubblegum already knew," said Finn. "He's a heavy hitter, as far as assassins come. Someone really wanted to ice Bubblegum if they actually hired this guy."

"Do you know who hired him?" Flame Princess asked.

"No. No, we don't," Finn replied. "Listen, Phoebe. I gotta go find Bubblegum before the Scorcher does."

"You say that like I can't come with you," FP said.

"Um…" Finn prepared himself to speak carefully. "Bubblegum…prefers that I come alone."

"What, she doesn't trust me?" Phoebe asked.

"She…does not," Finn admitted.

"Of course," Phoebe said with flat bitterness. "That paranoid egomaniac probably thinks I hired the Scorcher."

Finn didn't make any reply to that.

Flame Princess furrowed her brow at Finn. "...She thinks I hired the Scorcher, doesn't she?"

Finn shrugged nervously. "You're…at the top of the suspect list, yeah."

Phoebe's fire erupted in a fit of rage, momentarily giving her a devilish appearance. Finn took a few steps back in fright.

The Flame Princess recomposed herself, dimming her flames back down, but still keeping a steady blaze.

"Phoebe, I never believed that–"

"But it was there," Phoebe said. "A little voice in your head telling you that it was me. And I bet it sounded like Bubblegum." The Princess cringed as she struggled to keep her fire down. "...Go to your meeting. I'll see you later."

"Phoebe–"

The Princess blazed away in a trail of flames, leaving behind a path of evaporated snow and scorched grass.

Finn bit his lip and ran his hand along his head. "...I'm in trouble."

Princess Bubblegum's current hideout turned out to be a log cabin deep in the woods. It was the kind of place you would sooner expect a serial killer to live before you would think a scientist and/or a Princess was hiding away inside. It was less of a cabin and more of a shack, really. Lichen covered the walls, moss covered the roof. The only two windows were so grimy, they were pretty much useless as windows.

Finn stared at the small house for a minute, before walking up to the front door, which was just four long planks of wood tied together tightly with rope. Hesitantly, he raised his metal arm and knocked on the door.

"Princess? You in there? I followed your instructions, so it has to be." Finn opened the door. "Gotta say, as far as hideouts go–"

Finn was suddenly yanked into the cabin. The door slammed before even Finn realized what was going on.

"About time you got here!" PB hissed.

"Princess?" Finn asked. "Wow, you…you do not look good."

To be fair to Finn, she really didn't. PB's hair was messy and unkempt, with leaves, twigs, and some pens and pencils stuck in it. Her round glasses were smudged and the left lens was cracked. Over her faded jean shorts and stained, yellow T-shirt, her dirty lab coat looked like she had used it a couple of times as a makeshift shelter. Blackened burn marks could be seen here and there on the Princess's person, suggesting that she had managed to evade the Scorcher a few times.

"You try being hunted by the best assassin money can buy!" PB snapped.

Finn raised his hands in surrender. "You're right, you're right. I'm sorry."

Bubblegum let out a long sigh and pinched her brow. "No, I'm sorry. Today has just been super stressful."

Finn smiled. "It's really good to see you're okay."

PB gave Finn a tired smile in return. "Thank you, Finn. It's been difficult, I won't lie. I've been bouncing from safe house to safe house trying to stay ahead of this guy. I've gotten lucky so far."

Finn looked around the safe house, finally noticing that it looked a lot different on the inside than it did on the outside. Neatly arranged science equipment lined the metal walls, shelves, and tables.

"Dang, girl," Finn said. "I gotta hand it to ya, PB. You really know how to prepare for the worst."

"When you always expect the worst, you're never disappointed." Bubblegum smiled at Finn. "Only surprised and delighted when something good actually happens instead."

Finn blinked, blushing just a little bit.

PB looked past Finn at the door. "You managed to talk Flame Princess into going back home, I see."

"Yeah, I might've gotten some heat for that, no pun intended," Finn said.

"Look, I'm sorry for causing some friction between you and your GF. That time the pun was totally intended," said Bubblegum. "You know I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, but I can't take any chances with this. Not now."

"PB, come on," Finn said. "Phoebe did not hire the Scorcher."

"Then who did?" Bubblegum asked. "Who else has the money, who else has the motive, who else has the whole fire thing going on, and who else has all three of those things?"

"But, PB–"

"It doesn't matter," PB said, raising a hand up to stop him. "My current priority is to find to stop the Scorcher."

"I can offer up all the ice magic mojo I know," Finn said. "Did you have something particular in mind?"

Instead of replying, Bubblegum turned around and walked up to one of the tables. She picked something up off one of the tables and turned around to show Finn, holding it in both hands. It looked like some kind of grenade launcher made of purple metal.

"What's that?" Finn asked.

"A way to extinguish the Scorcher," Bubblegum explained. "The ammunition of this particular gun is a nanotech gel of my own creation. Nonflammable, noncombustible, mimicking the effects of what they put inside fire distinguishers but on a far greater magnitude." Bubblegum aimed the weapon to test the sighting. "I cover the Scorcher with this stuff, and he'll suffocate."

Finn stared at the weapon in Bubblegum's hands. "...I'm sorry, Princess, but, I gotta ask." Finn looked up at PB. "How long have you had that thing?"

Bubblegum met Finn's gaze. "...Okay, that's fair. To answer your real question, no, this was not meant for Flame Princess. In fact, I just got done building it."

"Okay, but, after we get done with the Scorcher, then what are you going to do with that thing?"

Bubblegum looked to the side. "...You know, I've studied human history. I remember reading about the most popular theories of how the Mushroom War both began and ended. The superpowers of the old world possessed nuclear weapons. When one of the greater superpowers was able to get the big red button installed, then the other superpower got their own big red button installed. The point was never to actually press the button, the point was just to make sure the other guys would never press theirs."

"Yeah, and you wanna know what happened?" Finn asked. "Both of the big red buttons got pressed."

"I have no intention, nor any desire, to press mine," Bubblegum said. "Sometimes, all you gotta do to scare away your enemies is to show them the size of your own weapons."

"She's only your enemy if you keep treating her like she is," Finn argued. "That's why she doesn't like you."

"What would you have me do then?" Bubblegum demanded. "Should I just leave the safety and security of my Kingdom, my home, to chance?"

"You need to have faith in others," Finn said. "You need to be able to actually trust someone once in a while."

Bubblegum's face softened somewhat. "...I–"

A scanner on the table suddenly went off with a red flashing light and a lot of beeping. Bubblegum's eyes widened with fear.

"He's here."

Finn drew his sword as the Princess readied her weapon. They both rushed out of the cabin, bursting through the door, sword and gun both ready.

Finn looked around at the forest they were in. "You know, not to micromanage, but, you could have picked a less flammable place to hide from a pyromancer."

Bubblegum gave Finn an annoyed look. "There's a clearing not far from here. We can take him there Hurry!"

PB took off into the woods and Finn followed after her. True to the Gum Golem's word, Finn was led to a clearing in the woods, with space enough for a fair battle. Taking a position at the center of the clearing, they both looked in every direction, waiting for something to happen.

"Come on, where are you?" Bubblegum growled. "You've been hunting me all day, Glob dammit, show yourself!"

Then Finn and PB both saw the smoke. It rose up from the forest, looking like the smoke from a simple campfire. But the startling thing was that it was getting closer. And as it got closer, the flames at the treetops could be seen. For a moment, Finn almost thought it was Flame Princess. However, this seemed far more ominous and slow-paced for FP. Proving Finn right, the figure that burned through the forest and into the clearing was definitely not Flame Princess.

He was incredibly tall, easily twice the height of Finn and the Princess. His long, thin limbs and his bare chest were a dark, roasted, coffee bean color. His wrists, feet, right knee, and left thigh were covered in gray bandages. He wore a sort of tattered loincloth of the same color, and a head wrap on his pill-shaped head, revealing only his blood-red eyes. He was like a fire mummy of some kind. The fire and smoke surrounded him as if waiting for their next order from their master.

"...This guy…yeah, he looks expensive," Finn commented.

"Keep him distracted so I can get a clear shot," PB instructed. "It's gonna take more than one round to take him down."

"Can do." Finn raised his sword and let out a battle cry as he charged the Scorcher.

If the assassin was afraid of Finn, he didn't show it. With the speed of a scorpion's strike, the Scorcher evaded each one of Finn's attacks. His smooth movement was like smoke in the wind, and Finn couldn't land a hit on the hitman. Evidently, the Scorcher didn't really care much about Finn. With arms and hands blazing with hellfire, the assassin turned his back on Finn and began stalking toward Bubblegum.

"Don't you ignore me, you donk!" Finn summoned a chain of ice and wrapped it around the Scorcher.

Steam rose from where the ice made contact with the Scorcher's body. The pyromancer's howl of pain was like a loud hum echoing off in a long, metal tunnel. It was hardly enough to stop him, but it apparently hurt quite a bit. The Scorcher broke free of his chains and turned around to face Finn once more. The flames in his eyes suggested his rage.

"You mad, bro?" Finn readied his weapon. "Let's dance."

The Scorcher raised both of his flaming hands at Finn. A large column of fire shot from his palms and engulfed both Finn and any of the trees that were behind him.

"FINN!" Bubblegum aimed her weapon at the Scorcher.

The Scorcher spared an arm to send a fireball at the Princess, who yelped and leapt out of the way just in time. There was a crater where PB was just a moment ago instead of a puddle of pink goop. Before returning his full attention to his primary target, the Scorcher let the unforgiving torrent of fire go on for a few more seconds on Finn, to make sure the potential threat to his mission was properly neutralized. He let the flames die away, expecting to see the charred skeleton of his foe.

Instead, his foe was still standing there. Aside from a few licks of black smoke rolling off of him, it looked as if nothing had happened.

The Scorcher's fiery eyes widened.

"Fireproof, fool." Finn grinned and tapped the sapphire necklace he was wearing. "You think you're hot? You should meet my lady friend."

The Scorcher clenched his fists angrily.

"Catch!" Finn tossed Nothung at the Scorcher's head.

The Scorcher, looking almost bored, simply leaned to the side and let the sword sail past his head.

Finn smiled. "Oh, I wasn't talking to you, bud."

The Scorcher raised an eyebrow at Finn, then he let out another cry of pain.

Nothung's blade had stabbed into the Scorcher's side. Both Bubblegum and the Scorcher could only see a sword moving all on its own. Only Finn could see Shoko stabbing the Scorcher with Nothung in her real arm. Her other arm was metal with a mechanical pincer.

Finn, using his fridjitzu, summoned a pair of ice katanas and charged at the Scorcher. He shouted as he drove the two katanas into the Scorcher's thin legs. The assassin let out a cry and sank to his knees. The katanas both melted, adding to the pain.

"Finn! Get clear!" PB shouted.

Shoko pulled Nothung out of the Scorcher and tossed it to Finn, who ran away from the Scorcher, giving the Princess a clear shot. PB raised her weapon and fired. The shot of each round made an incredibly loud pop noise, firing a blob of silver goo that stuck to the Scorcher's person.

The Scorcher attempted to get the goo off of him, but shot after shot covered more of the goo on his body. The goo spread across the Scorcher's body as if it had a mind of its own. Princess Bubblegum emptied the gun's ammo capacity onto the Scorcher, until the goo covered nearly his entire body, and then began to cover his head as well.

Bubblegum smiled victoriously. "Only goo can prevent forest fires."

The Scorcher's body turned to smoke and slipped out the top of the goo-suit he was in before it fully covered him.

Bubblegum gasped in despair. "No."

Without anything to cover, the silver goo shivered and fell to the ground in a perfect circular puddle of goo. The Scorcher reformed next to the puddle from the smoke and stared down at the silver goo that almost extinguished him. He then turned his gaze to Bubblegum, developing an angry, burning look in his eyes.

"Princess!" Finn rushed at the Scorcher, ready to attack.

Without even taking his eyes off Bubblegum, the Scorcher raised an arm and blasted Finn off his feet. It didn't kill him, thanks to the magic pendant he wore, but the explosion did send Finn flying. He landed painfully on the ground, too dazed from the pain to immediately react. And even as he was beginning to get back up, smoke surrounded Finn, creeping into his mouth and nose, slowly suffocating him.

Now that Finn was down and dying, the Scorcher stalked towards Bubblegum, who was out of ammo, and out of bravery.

Bubblegum trembled as the tall and imposing, fiery assassin approached her. The Scorcher stopped in front of her and glared down at the Princess, as if inviting her to say her final words.

"...Perhaps…I deserve this," she whispered.

The Scorcher appeared satisfied by PB's last words. He raised his flaming fist in the air, ready to strike. Bubblegum closed her eyes tight and turned her head away.

The ground shook with a sound like cannon fire as something fell from above, crashing into the Earth.

Stomping out of the crater it had created appeared to be some kind of machine. It was an odd, bulky, vaguely humanoid figure looking somewhat like an ancient statue you'd find in front of a temple dedicated to meditation.

Not to say that it wasn't an intimidating work of art. It was a huge figure, about thirty feet tall and maybe a shoulder width of twenty. The lines of light that ran along its body glowed with the color of magma. On its metal, blackened body, fire-orange glyphs and symbols decorated its body like tattoos. The slanted eyes on its smooth head burned the brightest, with the color of a volcanic explosion.

The Scorcher spun around and stared up at the giant, finally developing a look of fear in his eyes. The assassin raised his hands and fired twin geysers of flames at the giant, summoning enough firepower to take out a couple of trolls.

The giant didn't even flinch as the flames seemed to absorb into his metal body. Everything the Scorcher offered, the giant took.

The Scorcher's eyes widened, then they narrowed with burning rage. The pyromancer's entire body became encased with intense and bright, burning flames, and he rushed at the metal giant, leaping into the air and dropping down for a heavy attack.

The giant simply raised his arm and caught the Scorcher in the air. In a panic, the Scorcher struggled like a caught fish to free himself from the giant's grip. He even tried to turn to smoke, but the runes of the giants glowed and something kept the Scorcher from being able to do so. The rest of the glyphs on the giant's body glowed, and the Scorcher's fire began to be absorbed into the giant.

The Scorcher struggled even more, but it was futile. More and more of the hitman's fire was absorbed by the giant. The process took a minute or two, until instead of fire, the giant began to absorb dark smoke from the Scorcher. It must have been what the Scorcher had instead of soul, because the giant absorbed every last bit of it, until all that was left in its hand was a bundle of tattered, cloth wraps.

Finn and Bubblegum both stared gobsmacked at the metal giant. They finally both took their eyes off of the metal being and looked at each other.

"Is…" Finn swallowed. "Is he one of yours?"

"Not one of mine, no," PB replied.

"He's one of mine."

Finn and PB looked up to see Flame Princess descend from the sky on jets of fire from her own hands. Donned in her formal black, metal armor, complete with the crown and everything, FP landed on the ground, burning the grass beneath her boots.

"He's the only one of mine left, actually." FP looked over at Bubblegum. "As you might recall."

The giant clenched its fists and glared down at Bubblegum. PB's eyes widened in fear as the giant's eyes glowed with fire.

"Oh, don't mind him," FP said, placing a hand on her hip. "He knows that you're the one who destroyed his brothers."

"That…that's the Fire Giant?" Finn asked fearfully. "...Wow."

"He didn't always look like this." FP looked up at the giant. "He used to be a protector. Nothing more, nothing less. When he became the last of his kind, I had him turned into this. To keep my Kingdom safe from those who would do us harm."

FP's eyes burned with white fire as her gaze returned to Bubblegum. "My big red button."

PB's eyes widened in shock. She looked down at the weapon in her hands. So did FP.

Finn coughed into his fist and walked up to Flame Princess, smiling nervously. "Uh…you're not still mad at me, are you?"

Phoebe looked at Finn, that white fire still in her eyes. Then she smiled and closed her eyes.

"You are what you are. And I love who you are." Phoebe reopened her eyes. "Of course I'm not mad at you. I know you never believed that I sent that assassin. It was wrong of me to think you did for even a remote second."

Finn let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Phew."

"But…" Phoebe's smile faded. "We…still need to talk."

"Oh. Um…okay," Finn said, sounding unsure.

Phoebe looked at PB and the giant, who both glanced at each other and backed away to give the couple some space.

"Phoebe, is something wrong?" Finn asked.

The Flame Princess took a deep breath. "Listen, Finn. I love this relationship. Dating you has been the best time of my life."

"I love dating you, too," Finn said.

"But, here's the thing." Phoebe looked away and rubbed her arm, an embarrassed blush on her face. "The things that you do to me, it's just…"

Finn's whole face lit up red. "Uh, okay, look, if you really want, then we can have a less physical relationship."

"What? No, not that. Or, not entirely." Phoebe ran a hand down her face. "I am a very…emotional girl. You know that. My powers are tied to my emotions. My powers are a burning furnace and my emotions are the bellows. And, you? You blow those bellows like nothing else ever has."

"What, do I make you angry?" Finn asked.

"No, you make me just about everything else," Phoebe replied. "And, that makes me…dangerous."

Finn blinked. "What…what are you say–" Finn couldn't finish that sentence before he fell into a fit of coughing. He would have doubled over coughing if Phoebe hadn't come up and held him up. The Princess reached into Finn's jacket and took out his inhaler, lifting it up to Finn's mouth so he could take a deep puff from the device.

"I'm saying that we need to call it off," Speaking softly and gently, Phoebe cupped Finn's cheek in her hand and kissed the other one. "...Before I kill you."

Finn's eyes widened. "But, Phoebe–"

FP placed a finger over Finn's lips. "You're the strongest person I've ever met, Finn. But you're not invincible." The Princess took her hands off of Finn and smiled. "I'll see ya later, ya sweet dummy."

Flame Princess turned around and walked towards Princess Bubblegum. Finn reached a hand out to stop her, looking like he was about to say something. But instead, he let his hand drop and looked sullenly down at the ground.

Bubblegum, having watched the whole thing from a distance, took her gaze off Finn and looked to Phoebe as she walked up to her.

Frowning, FP looked down at the weapon in Bubblegum's hands. "That could still work on me, couldn't it?"

PB hesitated before nodding.

Flame Princess sighed through her nose. "I'm not going to take it from you, Bubblegum. I'm used to this kind of stuff from you." FP turned around and began to walk away. "It's just who you are."

Bubblegum stared at FP, then at the weapon, then back at FP.

"Wait!"

Flame Princess stopped and looked behind her at PB.

Bubblegum turned around and walked up to the cabin. She kicked the door open and tossed the weapon inside. Then, she walked back to Flame Princess, took her phone out, and dialed a number.

FP raised an eyebrow. "What exactly–"

The cabin went up in a fiery explosion.

Finn and Flame Princess both jumped back as the cabin went up in flames. With looks of pure shock on their faces, they turned their gazes from the burning cabin to Princess Bubblegum.

"What in the name of Grob, Gob, Glob, and Grod was that?!" FP demanded.

"The weapon itself, the blueprints, the prototype, even the dirty napkin that I drew the initial design on was in that cabin," PB explained. "Now, there exists no trace of the weapon in the entire world."

Flame Princess responded with a look of confusion. "I…I don't understand. Why did you do that? What exactly are you trying to prove to me?"

"I'm not trying to prove anything to you. That's the honest truth." Bubblegum smiled. "For the first time, I think, in my entire life…I am simply choosing to have faith. The purpose of this is not so much as to prove anything to you, but…rather to prove something to myself."

Finn smiled proudly at PB.

Flame Princess didn't smile, though. Instead, she simply stared at Bubblegum. It was hard to tell what she was thinking through her poker face.

"...Whatever." FP turned around and walked away. "Nothing's stopping you from making another one as soon as you get back to the Candy Kingdom."

"On my word as a Princess, I swear I will not," PB said.

"Yeah, well, here's hoping your word actually means something." With that said, Flame Princess blasted off into the sky. The fire giant gave Bubblegum one last dirty look before taking off like a rocket ship after his mistress and Queen.

Princess Bubblegum sighed before walking over to Finn, who was staring down sadly at the ground.

"Hey," PB said gently.

"Huh?" Finn looked up from the ground. "Oh. Hey."

"You got dumped, didn't you?" PB asked.

"Oh, so you heard all of that?"

"No, I pretty much guessed it as soon as FP said 'we need to talk'," PB replied. "You still have a lot to learn about dating, man."

Finn looked back at the ground. "...Did…I do something wrong? This is the second time this has happened."

"No, you didn't do anything wrong." Bubblegum reached up and placed a hand on Finn's shoulder. "Flame Princess loves the kind of person you are. But, neither of you can deny or change what the two of you both are. You caused her emotions to spike drastically, and, therefore, her powers as well. Not to mention the fact that your skin might not be blackened, but your lungs are definitely getting there."

"Well…to be honest, I think we both kinda knew it wouldn't last." Finn frowned. "Still, though…getting dumped sucks."

"It really does," Bubblegum replied glumly. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Finn and PB walked away from the burning cabin, heading home, side by side. Finn glanced back at the wreckage of the cabin.

"That was pretty cool of you, Peebles," Finn commented. "Glad to see you're finally showing some trust in Phoebe."

"I can only hope she'll return that trust someday," PB said. "But, I honestly doubt she ever will. And who can blame her, really."

"Bubblegum?" Finn looked at the Princess. "Why is it so hard for you to trust other people?"

PB seemed surprised by the question. She closed her eyes as if working up the nerve to answer Finn's question.

"...My first family…I created them from my own DNA when I was only a child," PB began. "I had Cousin Chicle, Aunt Lolly, and…Uncle Gumbald. I also have a twin brother named Neddy, but, he's a whole different story.

"Anyway, I created my family because…" PB shrugged. "Well, what else can I say? I was lonely. I wanted to connect with others like myself. But, back in those days, the few sane people you could find were only out for themselves. Looters, thieves, and such. So, I created my own family. My own kin. Together, we built the roots of the Candy Kingdom. Candy Town, we called it back then. We farmed. We built. We landscaped. Things were simple. And…honestly, I was happy."

Bubblegum sighed. "But, then, one day…they betrayed me. They didn't like the world I was trying to create, I guess. They formulated a compound that would turn me into a docile and simple-minded Candy Person. Uncle Gumbald, after using the compound on Aunt Lolly and Cousin Chicle, tried to use it on me. I got lucky, and the stuff got on him instead."

Finn blinked. "I'm…I'm sorry. That whole thing sounds…downright nanners."

PB replied with a single nod. "I learned at a very young age that the only person I could ever fully trust was myself."

"But…what about Marceline?" Finn asked. "You let her into your heart, right?"

Bubblegum blushed. "That… When I first met Marceline…honestly, I was just a fan girl with a crush. I worked all the time, I…I-I started to crave a…companion. When Marceline actually asked me out, of course I said yes… But…I don't think I ever actually gave her my full trust. It just wasn't in my nature. It's one of the things that led to our eventual breakup."

"Isn't there anyone who ever earned your full trust?" Finn asked.

"...The only person who ever managed to earn my full trust. The one person who I never felt an ounce of doubt or suspicion towards…" Bubblegum smiled. "was you."

Finn blinked, then blushed as he smiled back. The two walked together in silence for a little while before PB spoke up again.

"By the way. I wanted to ask you about your request for me to cease my efforts to contact Founder's Island."

Finn frowned. "Uh, Bubblegum, I–"

"I understand it might not be something you want to talk about," PB said. "But, as a concerned friend, I can't help but be curious as to what brought on such a decision. Do you truly no longer wish to contact your island? Your family? Your mo–"

"Princess," Finn interrupted. "I appreciate all your help and support, and I'm sorry about all the wasted time you spent on that communication link. The thing is, though…I've been looking into a…different way to see my mom again."

"How do you mean?" PB asked, eyebrow raised up curiously. "What do you have planned, exactly?"

Finn looked away. "That's a…trade secret between me and Huntress Wizard."

"...Very well," said the Princess. "As I said, I trust you, Finn."

Finn made no reply.

Bubblegum returned her focus to the path ahead and so did Finn. After a brief silence, PB gave Finn a sideways glance.

"So. Now that you're single again, what will you do?"

Finn blushed, the question taking him by surprise. "Um…" He looked to the side to see Shoko frantically pointing and gesturing at PB. "I'm…not sure."

"Ah," Bubblegum replied. "...Would you like to join me for some tea and candy crumpets back at the castle? My way of thanking you for saving my skin yet again."

"I…" Finn shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Sounds nice."

"Terrific."

Shoko did an overjoyed and victorious fist pump.

Bubblegum tapped her chin. "I still can't help but wonder who sent that assassin after me. If it wasn't Flame Princess, then who was it?"

(Meanwhile)

"Oooooooooooooh…hit-man." Lemongrab adjusted his glasses as he re-read the words on his computer screen. "...It would appear that I have made a terrible mistake."

The Earl of Lemongrab clicked out of the browser. "My bad."

Well…would you?