The first stirrings of insects and their simple serenades began with the dawn. The war was over. Scott once again, survived a dire night-battle that threatened to tear him asunder.

"I didn't even know that we could still get injuries like that," said Frank with a snickering laugh. He tried his best to hold that laughter back for Scott's sake, but the situation was too ridiculous.

Scott sighed at him, then opened up the bag on his crotch and added in a few more pieces of ice. "It'll heal... in time. At least I gained something out of it."

"Your stats really increased?" asked Frank in amused incredulity.

The would-be master of the city nodded his head softly, and then removed the bandages on his chest as they had soaked through once more. Frank helped him to wrap new ones around his torso while Scott explained his new growth. "Nine points of stamina, five hit points, even a point in vigor and durability."

"Damn! What did they do to you?" asked Frank with another laugh.

A haunted look came to Scott's eyes as the memories of the night before assaulted his mind. "Everything," he whispered in a tremulous voice.

His evening with the girls started well-enough. He was large and in charge, so to speak. As time passed, however, their superior physicality and growing comfort with the situation led to a point where he was no longer quite as in charge as he had been previously. They took what they wanted and he enjoyed every exhausting, terrifying, minute of it! However, now he paid the price of that enjoyment.

Excellent training regimen aside, he could not survive another encounter like the previous one. His body simply was not ready for the love that his lady friends had to give. Abused genitals were not the only left-over reminders of his previous encounter. Massive wounds, and innumerable smaller lacerations, across his back and chest told the tale. Once the girls became too frisky, he might as well have been made of butter.

"You sure you don't want to take a health potion?" asked Frank.

"Nah. Eloa explained a little more about stat training this morning before she took Rosa and the others off with her," said Scott. "If I let these wounds heal on their own I can get stat points."

"Does it work that way for everyone?" asked Frank. "I've been hurt a few times and not much has happened."

"Difference in stats between us, man." Scott rose up from his seat then sighed languidly. "Mine are high enough that surviving a deadly encounter like last night can send my status soaring. Just letting someone beat your ass won't cut it, though."

"I thought lower stats were easier to raise?" asked Frank thoughtfully.

"In general, yes." Scott adjusted the ice pack on his crotch the sighed. "Higher stats mean you can deal with more trauma, though. I went through that for hours last night. If my stats were lower I might have died, or at least been done a lot sooner."

Frank put down the roll of gauze and looked at him thoughtfully. "There's more to it, though. You said letting someone beat your ass wouldn't work? Why?"

"It's something to do with emotional states, actual mental stress, and all that. You have to actually be pushed to your limits and fear for death." Scott yawned loudly then shook his head to clear the growing cobwebs inside his mind. It had been a while since he knew exhaustion on the level that he currently knew it. "If your friend beats your ass, it doesn't count enough to matter since you know they aren't really going to kill you. Might as well do push-ups to exhaustion."

"Maybe you should have a wedding night every night," said Frank with a grin.

Scott shook his head rapidly. "No. No."

The big man laughed at Scott's antics for a moment then sobered. "You sure you're going to be alright? We're supposed to go meet with the others at the bridge this afternoon."

"I'll be fine. The worst of this will just be angry scars by then," Scott yawned loudly then fought off his exhaustion long enough to blink and look up at Frank. "I'll pop a healing potion this afternoon. Given how fast I heal now, I'll probably gain most of the stat boosts that I'm going to get by the time we get ready to leave."

"Sounds good, but—" began Frank.

"I'll keep one on my nightstand in case we're attacked," said Scott in a slightly slurred voice. He tried to stand, but found it difficult. Frank helped him to his feet and then down the hallway.

The big man lowered his faction leader and helped him get into bed. Scott smiled at him then apologized for the mess.

Frank looked at the blood stains on his white shirt then shrugged. "I've had worse."

"Look man—" began Frank, as a thought occurred to him. However, Scott's eyes had already closed.

Briefly concerned, Frank checked to see if he was still alive. Thankfully, his chest rose and fell regularly.

"Damn. Thought my old girlfriend was rough..." said Frank with a soft laugh.

He turned to leave, but then remembered something. He pulled out a healing potion and sat it on the little nightstand near Scott's bed.

Most of the faction members were currently out trying to collect resources on the other side of the river. Other than Scott, who was now unconscious, only Frank and Rachel remained inside the house. Harley and Hana kept watch in the tower. Lorelei could be doing pretty much anything at the moment, but she was supposed to be gathering useful supplies for the faction from the grotto where the mermaids gathered.

"How is he?" asked Rachel as Frank returned to the kitchen.

"He's pretty beat-up, but he seems to be fine with it," said Frank.

"I kind of feel bad for making jokes last night," said Rachel. "I know he's had to fight a lot, but I didn't know he went through stuff like this, too..."

"You saw those scars on his body back when we all first met." Frank poured himself a glass of water then took a refreshing sip. "He's been fighting like a madman since the day this all started."

Rachel sat down at the table then sighed heavily. "I don't know how he does it. I get a little dinged up and I just want to run away."

"You've done alright," said Frank. He walked over and sat down next to her. "He's the odd one. Most people were too afraid to go outside at all, but he dived off into the deep-end of this crap and just swam for all he was worth."

"Is that admiration I detect in your voice, Mr. Harris?" asked Rachel lightly.

Frank barked out a laugh. "A teenager calling me Mr. Harris... What am I, a shop teacher?"

Rachel giggled excitedly then shook her head. "You still have all of your fingers."

They shared a chuckle at the strange normalcy in the conversation. For a brief moment they were just two people speaking as though the world were not in its current state.

The conversation slowly shifted and soon Frank could not help but smile. "Yeah. It was never really my thing, but my sister loved it so I did, too."

"So, your sister was your anime pusher?" asked Rachel with a grin. She waggled a finger then said, "The first episode was free, but then she jacked up the price?"

Frank barked out a laugh then shook his head. "I'm a cop you know..."

Rachel leaned in closer and offered him a smug smile. She offered him her wrists. "Gonna arrest me, officer?"

He laughed again and tried to fight off the mirthful tears that welled up in his eyes. It was nice to talk about things that didn't matter one damned bit.

"I see that Cia's been rubbing off on you," said Frank lightly.

She retracted her arms and snorted in amusement. "She tries to rub off on anything that'll stand still long enough."

Frank snickered slightly. "Really? She barely talks to me outside of punchlines, and even less to Michael or your dad."

"Yeah, it's because they're someone's dad and she doesn't want you to get the wrong idea," said Rachel.

"Why would I get the wrong idea?" asked Frank, curiously.

Rachel grinned at him then whispered, "Hey. Wanna know a secret?"

Frank ducked down slightly then whispered conspiratorially, "Sure."

"Cia's totally got a crush on Scott, but won't press it because of Rosa and Harley... and like a billion others." Rachel giggled slightly then taped her lip with her finger. "She constantly complains that she doesn't want to take a number, but she can't help herself."

Frank barked out a laugh. His hand curled into a fist and he nearly slammed it down on the table, but stopped himself. Mirthful tears leaking from his eyes, he looked to Rachel. "I don't know who to feel worse for, Scott or all of those girls waiting in line."

"Scott," said Rachel. "At least the girls after him only have to worry about getting their feelings hurt. The boss passed out from all of the injuries that he took last night, right?"

His soft chuckle served as his only response for a time. Frank looked down at his glass of water then took a drink. While he did so, he could not help but notice Rachel make an attempt not to look at him directly. However, her eyes continued to slide in his direction.

After a brief time passed, Rachel said. "So, Mr. Harris... Just how old are you?"

"Old enough to know we shouldn't continue this conversation," said Frank softly.

Rachel flinched a little then lowered her eyes. "I see..."

Frank saw the hurt expression on her face and sighed. "I'm pushing thirty."

"What does that mean?" asked Rachel.

He grunted at her. For a moment he remained quiet, but he soon admitted that he was only twenty-seven years old.

"Really?" asked Rachel. "I thought you were older than that! Didn't you say you were?"

"Nah. Between being a cop, and the end of the world, a man ages a bit," said Frank. "Besides, it's stupid but in my experience people tend to respect a cop more when they think he's in his thirties."

"So, the end of the world ages people?" asked Rachel in a slightly sweet tone.

Frank nearly choked on his glass of water. His eyes slide sideways and he saw a certain look in Rachel's eyes. "Just how old... No. Never mind."

He rose up quickly and downed the rest of his water. "I should get some sleep."

"Ah, I should go to bed too..." she said lightly.

He took an involuntary step back then lightly rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, you should. You've got that room of yours all to yourself right now."

"Doesn't have to be," said Rachel with a sweet smile on her lips.

Frank blinked at her. His jaw dropped slightly and he seemingly tried to conjure up some sort of words to speak in that moment. Nothing came to mind, however.

Rachel bit her lower lip briefly and followed him with her eyes as he left the room quickly. Once he was out of her sight she released a softly giggly sigh. "Congratulations Rachel, you scored a few points there."

She interlaced her fingers then stretched her arms forward even as she arched her back. "Yep. Good talk."