“I’ve been thinking more and more about the group's tactics,” Mercy said as they moved their way through the forest. “I realized that they’ve all been trying to cover all of their weakness in order to defeat all of us.”

“Weakness?” Tallow said. “I think they all share the same weakness of getting beat over the head again and again until they stop moving.”

“I’m not saying we have to account for their weakness,” Mercy continued. “Just that they’re trying to account for ours.”

“So you wanna do what they do?” Tallow asked her. “Pick ‘em off one by one.”

“...Maybe,” Mercy responded. “They have to advantage, though.”

“The two fashion twins,” Mallory added. “I bet they have Stewart as well.”

“Hey, bonehead!” Tallow called out.

“I don’t know if they have him,” Jules said as he led the group from the front.

“Funny that you knew I was talking to you,” Tallow responded matter of factly.

“Leave the boy alone,” Mallory said. “He’s just trying to protect his-”

“None of them need protecting!” Jules stopped and turned back to the others.

Mercy placed her in front of Tallow to stop her approach.

“...I’m sure they don’t,” Mercy responded. “But they’ll be worried about protecting you, won’t they?”

Jules rolled his eyes, then returned to pushing his way through the forest.

“See, he agrees with me,” Tallow said. “We just need to hurt them.”

Mercy caught Jon’s eye. He recognized the pensiveness in her stare.

“...Jules is bad at fighting off magic, right?” Mercy asked, quietly this time. She started walking after Jules again, and the others followed.

“Yeah, so, Mallory will just take care of him,” Tallow said.

“Aw, how kind of you to believe that I can take on someone by myself,” Mallory responded. “So, kind.”

“The short one, Gina, right?” Mercy continued, “she’s good at magic, but she seems to get tired very easily.”

“So, we wait for her to get tired, then we snap her up?” Tallow asked.

“Maybe,” Mercy responded, “but I’m still trying to parse through all of their abilities. Juniper and Dot are the strongest physically… but I wonder if they’re different in any significant way.”

“Oh, Juniper understands how mana works,” Mallory said simply. “She can dispel most of whatever I throw at her.”

“Is she a mage?” Mercy said.

“No,” Mallory said. “She just understands mana. And she understands it enough where she can match my… frequency, which I describe in my… nevermind.”

“Jules is fast,” Jon said to Mercy, who had a puzzled look on her face after Mallory’s sudden change of conversation.

“Right…” Mercy said. “He’s the speediest, it seems. They’re all quite fast-”

“How does that help us kick their asses?” Tallow asked.

“It won’t!” Jules called out over his shoulder.

“Wait up!” Mercy suddenly called, ignoring Jule’s’ outburst.

She turned and started digging through Mallory’s bag.

“Do you mind?” she asked.

“It’s too late to ask,” Mallory said, watching herewith bemusement.

Mercy moved her hands and there was a sudden tearing sound.

“My book!” Mallory reached in with both hands and caressed something. “You destroyed my book!”

“Sorry,” Mercy said. “I left my paper back at the wagon. I thought you said you didn’t mind.”

She took the piece of paper out of the bag and handed it to Tallow, who read it.

“...Ah…” she said.

“How long are we gonna wait here?” Jules asked, impatient.

“Your ass kickin’ can wait a few more minutes,” Tallow interjected.

“Actually, let’s go,” Mercy said.

Jules looked back and forth between the two women, trying to decide who he should listen to.

“You heard the Ninja,” Tallow said, “move!”

Jules gave her a dirty look but resumed his pacing.

Jon was going to start moving forward as well when Tallow grabbed his shoulder and moved past him.

He stopped walking, stunned while he waited for Tallow to speak to him.

Instead, she kept going, releasing his shoulder and letting a piece of paper fall in front of him.

He grabbed the paper and held it up.

Split them up.

Jon grimaced. He understood what it meant. He just wasn’t sure how it would happen.

He went to Mallory’s side and handed him the paper.

“Right,” Mallory said. “Like a banana.”

“Jon.”

Jon turned to the curt expression of his name. Mercy was awaiting his attention.

“...Maybe you should talk with Jules,” she said. “Me and Tallow are gonna recon.”

“Recon?” Tallow didn’t seem to be in the know about this. “What are you-”

“Come on!” Mercy grabbed Tallow’s wrist and led her as they both dashed up a tree.

“...You won’t be able to see them from there!” Jules called. “We chose a…”

He sighed. “Never mind.”

The three men waited around awkwardly until Jules finally spoke up.

“You guys don’t seem as dangerous as those two,” Jules finally said.

“Define danger,” Mallory requested.

“...Scary,” Jules said. “I think that’s a better word.”

“We could say the same about you,” Mallory said.

Jule frowned. “I guess that means the brands working.”

“...Is it your idea?” Jon asked.

“...What?” Jules asked.

“The brand.” Jon didn’t know what a brand was, but he figured that Jules would fill in the blanks for him. His father had mentioned it earlier.

“Oh, right. The threads.” He held out his arms gesturing to show his clothes. “Supposed to make us look threatening. Plus, black looks cool, doesn’t it? That girl seems to agree.”

Jules glanced up at the tree Mercy had run up before bringing his gaze back to the ground.

“Yeah,” Mallory replied. “I guess you could say that’s part of her brand.”

Jules turned to Jon before he answered. Jon didn’t notice this until a moment after Jules started speaking.

“My father made us like this. Tough. Scary. A unit. We trained for years before we could be this fine-tuned. We’ve taken on people who might have even been stronger than us because we always stick to our plans.”

“Your plan of punching people in the face and running away?” Mallory responded.

“No. I mean, sometimes, but no.” Jules grimaced. “You guys are different. You’re weird. You guys fight like you’re gonna die at any moment. Like… there’s something more on the line.”

“Yeah, well, we’ve got some pretty intense people here,” Mallory replied. “Maybe even too intense for you guys.”

Jules snorted. “I’ve seen what happens to guys like you. People who always have things to prove. You’re always falling flat on your faces. That usually happens when people get too caught up in their goals. Sometimes, you just gotta let things go.”

“It’s quite the opposite,” Mallory replied. “You’re fighting people with nothing to lose. And that makes them even more different.”

Nothing to lose? But Helia…

“If you don’t believe me, ask him.” Mallory pointed to Jon.

Jon was bewildered, but Jules had already turned back to him.

“Why are you here, Jon?” Jules asked.

“Helia,” Jon replied.

“Not that,” Jules said. “I mean, why are you here? Traveling with these people. Is it money?”

Jon shook his head.

“To bring Mercy home.”

“Mercy?” Jules looked up. “You mean, the Ninja-looking girl up there?”

Jon nodded.

“The one who can protect herself in a fight?”

Jon nodded again.

Jon watched the realization grow over Jules’s face.

“Holy shit,” Jules said. Jon watched the real “You’re right. You guys are crazy.”

Jon wished he understood what Jules had just learned about him. Jon didn’t understand why wanting to help Mercy made him crazy.

“So, you’re here for the money then,” Mallory said, continuing to the conversation.

“No way. I mean, kind of.” Jules shrugged. “It’s mostly for my Dad. The money helps. I mean, we wanna have a lot of things, you know? We make enough money to take care of each other and whatnot. My Dad also has some debts to pay and whatnot. I don’t want to be here throwing you guys around. But family, you know?”

“I know,” Jules said.

Mercy and Tallow slid back down the tree.

“Let’s go,” Mercy said. “Onwards.”

“Right.” Jules turned back around and they went forward.

After a few more minutes of walking, Mercy suddenly dashed in front of Jules and grabbed him by the chest.

“...They’re up ahead,” she close to his face. “No sudden moves.”

Jules nodded.

She let go of him. Her head swiftly turned back to the foliage in front of them?

“...Is that a fight?” She lowered her body and crept quickly along the floor towards the clearing.

Jon could hear what caught Mercy’s attention. There was a ton of thrashing as if there was a fight up ahead. He and Tallow exchanged glances until and they both crept up behind Mercy to the clearing up ahead.

Once they could see what was happening, Jon learned that it wasn’t a fight he heard.

Hector was curled up into a ball, covering his head with his hands while the other three girls stood around him, kicking at him from all sides.

“Hector!” Mercy drew her black tool and extended it immediately, stepping into the clearing.

The girls stopped kicking him and turned to the group.

“You better watch what you do with that sword,” Gina said, her eyes trained on the extended energy blade. “You wouldn’t wanna get anyone hurt.”

Jack, who was sitting on a nearby tree stump with his sword over his lap, spoke up.

Even if he wasn’t holding his blade, his sword was very close to the hilt. Jon saw that at any time, he could immediately cut down either of the twins, or maybe even both of them.

“You made it!” he said. “Wondering when you’d show up. You have something of mine!”

“Guys!” Jules called out.

Before Jules could return to his sisters, Mercy grabbed him by the throat and held her blade to his face.

Dot’s half-smile disappeared. “Put him down before something bad happens.”

“I hope something bad happens,” Mercy said. “I dare you.”

Juniper laughed.

“We know who you are,” she teased. “The Ninja who doesn’t kill anyone.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Mercy said, bringing the blade closer to Jules’ terrified face.

“...Are you trying to make a trade?” Jack asked. “Because, honestly, it’s not looking good for you. It’s a two to one in our favor.”

“...Hector, I know you still feel bad about the tournament,” Mercy said, ignoring Jack but still keeping her eyes trained on the three women in front of her, “but you don’t have to beat yourself over it.”

“Literally,” Tallow added.

“We can all take responsibility for our own pain,” Mercy continued, ignoring Tallow’s addendum. “Or better yet, we can divide the pain apart between all of us.”

“...Divide…” Hector coughed after he muttered the words. “...Apart…”

He pushed himself up so he could see his friends clearly. “Do you mean…”

“Jon!” Mercy yelled, kicking Jules in the back.

Despite nothing being discussed out loud, Jon understood what Mercy wanted. In his stumbling, Jules had been lined up perfectly with Jack.

His gun was already at his waist, so he only had to pull the trigger.

The blast hit Jules in the back and sent him flying in Jack’s direction.

Jack’s eyes widened, and he dropped the sword off of his lap trying to catch his son in the air.

He wasn’t ready, and both men flew further into the forest.

Mercy ran up ahead, charging towards the three women, sword drawn.

“Idiot!” Juniper yelled. She and Dot took a side while Gina stayed behind, reading her magic.

Whelp.

Jon turned until his gun to the scene, waiting until he got a good shot.

However, Tallow, her razorgrip already equipped, already started swinging.

A large gust of wind traveled across the fields faster than Mercy could run. It caught up with her and sent her flying into Juniper.

At the same time, Hector pushed himself off the ground with fire bursting from his feet, sending himself straight into Dot’s back and grabbing ahold of her.

Tallow raised the sword up, the wind carrying both Mercy and Juniper up into the air.

Hector tackled Dot onto the floor, and a large red sign appeared underneath them.

“Mallory!” Hector called. “Send us-”

“Say no more!” Mallory called out, his own spell circle underneath his feet. “Good luck!”

While Mercy and Juniper were both in the air, Tallow had brought the razor grip behind her back.

“Don’t die!” Tallow called. She swung hard.

Another gust of wind flew from the sword into the two airborne women, knocking them far off into the distance over the trees.

“Thanks!” Hector said.

Hector’s and Mallory’s spell sings expanded across the ground until they connected in the middle.

Mallory raised his hands.

Dot and Hector disappeared within a giant meteor of fire, hurtling straight up into the sky.

“A little help?” Mallory asked.

“I got it!” Tallow yelled. She was already readying her sword for another swing.

Jon hadn’t responded, but he had already raised his gun.

She swung, and Jon fired a gun. Both projectiles hit the fireball and sent it hurtling away.

“What the hell was that?” Gina asked, still staring up at the sky where the fighters had been sent.

“Now, they can’t save your ass while we’re stepping on it!” Tallow said. Jon could see that Tallow was breathing heavily from the spell, but she kept a brave front.

“I don’t need them!” Gina yelled, charging up her hands.

“Yeah, you can lose all by yourself!” Tallow charged at Gina with her razorblade.

“Duck!” Mallory called.

Duck?

Jon didn’t doubt his instincts this time, listening to Mallory and ducking as a sword swung over his head.