The inner city was remarkably transformed from last time we'd been here. The labyrinthine building with its courtyards and windows twisting around like a panicked earthworm of white stone was still here, but it had not been untouched.

It reminded me of Whitney's tendency to spread to fill whatever surfaces were available. It looked like Rio's armories, once so neatly lined with racks of guns in pristine order had overflowed, and the weapons were now everywhere. As Dragon and Tobias led us inward through winding halls, I found more than once, a sense of deja vu about where we should be turning, only to peer down that corridor and see it blocked off by metal construction or new forges, belching sparks and smoke as priests toiled tirelessly.

I found myself more sad than I should have been to note that many of the trees planted around had been cut down. We walked down one seemingly-pristine stone hall, visiting again the sense of order and faith that had once filled this halls, interrupted only by the sound of our feet: Karu's stumbling steps as the antiserum struggled to keep her conscious, my exoframe clacking behind Dragon and AEGIS' silent footfalls. But then, right outside the window, one of the courtyards had been converted to an artillery pit, with a priest manning a huge mounted gun pointing skyward, the grass trampled and wilted, brown patches on dusty dirt.

It was like an infection, almost. Metal tumors were growing all over the place, bulging out of stone walls. Some floors had been replaced, the better to facilitate rails, to move artillery in and out for service and deployment, or racks of weapons to ship into the city. Hissing pipes bulged through new cracks in the walls, and threw condensation and heat-wavering shadows across the white stone that remained.

This was Rio's dream made manifest. She wanted war, and this sanctum now reflected that. I remembered the efficacy with which she'd put together a gun using my powers last time I was here; it'd taken her a matter of minutes. To see the thousands of guns now flowing out of this place, she must be working around the clock, mass-producing death.

It sorta sickened me, that we were currently facing a shortage, and Oasis was nearly drowning in guns.

It was a more circuitous route than before, but we finally made it to the sacred chamber at the heart of Oasis. The tree loomed dead, tall, and spindly, glowing in unearthly beauty from the rainbow cast upon it by the room's tall stained glass windows. Ornate carvings on the floor depicted their faith's symbols and drew the eyes inwards and upwards toward the tree, many depicting the stick itself in abstract.

Here was untouched. Pristine. Too central to their faith for even Rio's worship of war to violate.

For the most part.

Because even in this sanctum, I could sense the changes around us. Through the stained glass, if I squinted through the warped facade, I could make out artillery pits just outside. And the clanging of the forges at work echoed down the halls, even into here. It remained a sacred place, but it was no longer sacrosanct, no longer secluded; where once it was a chamber dedicated solely to their faith and their god, now the reminders of the outside world and mortal struggles tugged at the edges of one's attention.

I didn't know why that made me sad. I certainly didn't give a shit about their tree or faith. As far as I saw it, that thing happened to stand where some bizarre Saga-like Exhuman had just so happened to die a longass time ago. It was exactly as worthy of reverence than any tombstone. But I remembered the first time I'd been here -- granted, that had the advantage of my heart pounding a million beats a minute and being completely unsure if we were going to survive our visit. But even terrified as I'd been, I remembered awe, that so solemn and sacred a place could exist in this world.

And I guess I'd been proven right again. Beautiful, pure things couldn't remain in this world. Girls like Lia became killers. Children like Ethan, the Exhuman who made Eryendria, put to death. And sacred halls rang with the echoes of the forges of war.

"You have visited here before?" Tobias asked, studying us intently.

"Yeah," AEGIS answered. "I met you three nearby and then Rio and Dragon took me here. And then some fighting, and then the rest of them showed up."

"I see, I see," he muttered. He sorta mumbled like he didn't know how to use his lips quite properly. "In which case, I am curious, as to your thoughts."

The three of us paused for a moment. I wasn't quite sure how to say I thought it sucked and that this was a blight on what had once been the prettiest place in the glasslands without provoking Dragon to another fight.

So I was still picking my words when AEGIS spoke up. "It's a real tragedy," she said. And Karu and I nodded along. "This place used to be so beautiful and...I mean...a little full of itself, but awe-inspiring. Now it feels like another victim of Rio's war."

Dragon's eyes flashed dangerously. "I agree."

I let out a little sigh of relief. Great to know his opinion if I was trying to stay on his good side and prove ourselves useful at all. Though, it might have been a lot easier if he'd just tell us what he wanted instead of just silently leading us around. I got the impression we were being tested somehow.

"It is a shame," Tobias agreed, his voice sing-song. "Meditating in these halls on the turn of the cosmic wheel has become onerous. I've taken to finding refuge in the outer city, even begun having a small shrine built."

"Sorry if this is rude, but, you're Tobias, right?"

He answered with sweeping bow. His heavily-waxed moustache and goatee glistened in the stained-glass light as he moved, and as much as I was trying not to notice, off his shiny bald head.

"And what is it you do around here, Tobias?"

"My calling," he wheezed "is the worlds beyond. Places beyond this place, I dream of, until my dream places me there." He shook his head. "Such a shame sometimes that the body must wake."

"So...you've got like...a power to visit other dimensions when sleeping? That's super cool."

"We all visit other places when dreaming," he said with a wizened smile.

"Well...sure. But like, literal other places. Like the void, where someone I know built a like, impossible-logic space-terrarium. Or the parallel Earth where some acquaintances of ours came from."

The old wise man demeanor fell away from him instantly, and with startling speed I found him in my face.

"Tell me what you have seen, young dreamer," he demanded, shaking me. "Tell me the of the void. Tell me that my dreams are more than dreams, that I've been there. I must have been."

AEGIS gently separated us, but I was surprised to find Karu taking him from there. "Actually, I have the most experience, I believe. I admit being somewhat muddled yet from the drug and wish to keep active so as to not lose consciousness again. Do you mind if the two of us walk whilst you handle things?"

"Sure, go ahead," I agreed. "Don't go too far."

"We will be within earshot," she smiled at me. "I will spend some time to attend to my equipment, but then do let me know when the situation demands killing."

"Hopefully we'll keep you waiting."

And so saying, Karu and Tobias slunk away. Which, I just didn't see coming. Why Karu would want to slip off like that when Dragon was right here, I didn't know. Felt weird, felt unexpected coming from her, that she'd have the random altruism to regale some old spacey grandpa with her own tales from beyond.

Until I watched her slipping down one of the passages and, as she spoke to the transfixed old man, witnessed her discreetly picking up some of the exotics and stowing them on her person.

I had to grin inwardly. Attend to her equipment' my ass. Even being drugged and revived with her own chems, Karu never missed a beat. Dragon had defeated us once, and that was more than she'd allow. If it came to another fight, she'd be ready.

I turned my attention back to him and cleared my throat. Ostensibly, we should be working with him to clear this up, but even if that didn't pan out, I should be buying Karu time to find the very shiniest guns.

"Okay well, our position's pretty clear, I think," I began. "We want Rio not to attack anyone. At the very least, not to attack the states while Justice is still a thing. And ideally, we'd like her to join us in fighting against him -- these weapons of hers could go pretty far in taking him down."

"Yes, your motives are transparent and obvious," he agreed. Obnoxiously.

I waited for him to say anything else but apparently that condescension was all I was getting without prodding.

"So...what do you want?" I asked.

He glared at me like I was being rude somehow.

"Um, we're trying to help each other here, right? So...it makes sense that we know what you want so that we can help you get it?"

"I am measuring my response," he said, words full of venom, like everything I was saying was a huge affront. "Do not consider yourself privy to my every thought, despite the circumstances."

Okay. So he was a little defensive and a little snippy. I reminded myself that this guy worked exclusively solo on everything, all the time, everywhere. He didn't have a team of friends and confidants like I did. And, because of his powers, his worldview was probably a bit alien.

A lot alien, actually. He was born here, wasn't he? Just another toad until he got his powers which somehow made him more. So yeah, he probably didn't think or see the world like literally anyone else. A little defensiveness could be expected.

But.

Um.

So.

Yeah.

After a couple minutes of the world's most painful silence, I cleared my throat as politely as possible. "You should, ah, give us some direction though? Anything?"

He frowned bitterly at me, and again, I kinda had to wonder what I'd done wrong here. AEGIS tagged in.

"Do you prefer we call you Dragon or Liwei?" she asked.

"I care nothing what you speak."

She doubled-down on her reassuring smile. "Okay then. Tobias asked us what we thought of the inner city earlier. What do you think?"

"I told you. Open your ears when I speak."

She nodded, as though that were a valid and helpful answer. "I see. So you said you agreed that this place was like a casualty of war. I know for us, we thought it was beautiful here, but seeing what Rio's done has really despoiled the place. Is that similar to what you feel?"

Wait a second. As I watched her work on him, ignoring his barbs and drowning him with patience and understanding, I felt something familiar. Did she do this to me? Were these the kid gloves I got handled with when I was being a little bitch?

God, I hoped not. She seemed almost painfully transparent in her reassurances and ignoring everything awful he spat at her, the placid smile seemingly too genuine to fake.

But I couldn't shake how familiar it felt. God, that was probably a huge red flag, wasn't it? About me, not her. She was a fucking goddess if this was anything close to what I was like.

And then I realized my jaw had been clenched ever since I realized I'd been comparing myself to Dragon again, or maybe in seeing AEGIS doting on him. Like it was fine obviously but...grr. This was ridiculous.

"So basically," I cut in, clearing my throat significantly. "You want Rio to stop and so do we."

"On that we agree," he nodded sharply.

"And...your reasons are...that you don't like what she's doing here."

"My reasons are my own."

"Except...you do realize, the first thing Rio's going to say when we ask her to stop is why. And it's very unconvincing to say 'because I said so.'"

He glowered at me, but I could see him contemplating again. Had he really not thought this through to that basic extent? Like, come on.

"Wait," I said, suddenly realizing. "You've already tried talking to her. Repeatedly, based on her reactions -- are you telling me you never gave her a single reason for your actions in that time? Or..." I studied his face right back "or you didn't anticipate her even asking?"

"Athan, a moment?" AEGIS asked with the same singsong cheer, steering me away. I was easy to herd, as my head was nothing but bafflement at the moment. She continued in a low voice once we'd taken a few steps. "What a frickin' head case," she muttered.

"Right?"

"Like, I get it. He's grown up in a city of toads, he's never, ever been socialized. He's literally developmentally retarded when it comes to social situations." She frowned bitterly. "And to add on that, he's powerful and capable enough to get everything done in his life solo. He's never had a need to explain or justify anything he does, with the whole 'calling' thing basically being a free pass to do whatever he wants, all the time, anywhere."

"So he's a huge baby," I said, looking across the hall at him. Standing there, glowering. He was so full of menace, such a dangerous monster, already stained with so much blood. To think of him as immature in any way, it just wasn't compatible in my mind.

"He really is. And he's obviously got a lot of patience from spending so much of his life waiting and stalking, but I'm going to be as diligent as I can in not pushing him. We have an opportunity here I didn't think possible, and if we piss it away by being short with him…"

"Basically you're telling me to step off," I grinned at her.

"I'm telling you to handle him with kid gloves. Because that's what he is in there. He doesn't seem to understand empathy as a concept. But still, he's smart...it's so weird. Did you see his face when you told him the first thing Rio would ask is why?"

"Yeah, sorta. He just looked thoughtful."

"He was shocked, actually. I think he was wondering how you possibly knew what she said. He never made that connection on his own, like before when you proposed that you both have something to gain...I don't think he ever saw it coming. And somehow, that extremely basic shit is...I guess...kind of awe-inspiring for him. He's got mad respect for you right now, because of your basic ability to understand people. So let's work on that angle."

Even with that basic plan in place, talking to Dragon was like pulling teeth. And now that I was looking for it, the inner toddler was more apparent than ever. In his consistent denials to explain himself or his wants, I saw a child sitting there, blinking at me, asking why? anytime I wanted him to do anything. Except a child fully-grown, who'd long ago given up on asking a world that had never once answered him.

And it just felt bizarre, explaining to this grown-ass nemesis of mine, this fucking unrepentant killer, on whose hands was Alyssas's blood, how much more convincing it would be to tell Rio why he feels how he feels. That, if she wasn't going to be a murder victim of his, how talking was a good way of actually, y'know, having a relationship.

He was a good student, mostly. He listened with rapt attention. He picked up on everything AEGIS and I said and did so with cunning eyes which missed nothing. And as our examples went on, I found the two of us using each other more and more often as a case study and a concrete example of a relationship which worked.

Which just made things weirder.

"Well," she continued, gazing deeply into me. "Another example might be when Athan comes home from work. I'm sure you've felt this, that you're out there working hard all day, and when you finally come back, you can relax to some degree. Being at home is comforting, right? It's natural to find satisfaction in being back in the place you have made for yourself after going out there and…"

"And killing people all day?" I suggested.

She grinned apologetically. "I'm not sure if you mean him or you, but I guess both apply. Anyway, I know when he comes back he's tired and he's craving that comfort, so I do everything I can in that moment to provide for him. I try to minimize the work he has to do when he gets there: I try to anticipate his needs by thinking of what he might want...and a good predictor of that might be what I want in that situation. So, for example, if I always wanted to eat and lie down when I got home, I'd make sure there was food and a clean bed when he did. See how you can apply your own desires to anticipate others'?"

"'Cept you don't eat," I informed her.

"Shush, the point still stands."

"This does not apply," Dragon declared. "Anticipating her needs does not further mine."

"Well, no, not directly," AEGIS tapped her lips thoughtfully. "Except that women...people, really...they're more receptive to giving you what you want if you're willing to give them what they want."

"This is not a negotiation."

"Isn't it? What else is it?"

"It is no shortcoming of mine if she is incapable of seeing what should be."

AEGIS laughed. "It is absolutely a shortcoming of yours. You are like, three steps down on making assumptions here, Liwei. You have to consider that she isn't you, and doesn't see the world exactly as you do. Her calling is more relevant to her than your feelings, so she'll pay a lot more attention to it. It's up to you to tell her your feelings, and help her realize that this matters to you."

"Up to you," he insisted.

"Well that really depends now, doesn't it?" AEGIS crossed her arms. "Because despite your denial, this is a negotiation. By her actions, Rio's already established that she doesn't just want to drop what she's doing and do what you think is right. Assuming you don't want to kill, coerce, or blackmail her...I think your strongest option is exactly that -- to negotiate with her. To put your desires and hers on the table and see what each of you is willing to compromise on."

"Then it is useless," he said, his body shifting stiffer. "You are pointless, as are your services."

"Dude," I cut in. "Everything does not have to be a total extreme. If she cut back the amount of her crap in the center city by half...kept it out of your quarters and away from your god, wouldn't that be better?"

He stared at me. Eyes so cold, goddamn. "It would be."

"Then you fucking--" I coughed to interrupt myself, and started over with an imitation of AEGIS' placating tone. "Then you understand the power of compromise."

AEGIS smiled radiantly again. "Trust me, I've spent a lot of time talking with her. She's got her share of problems too. She's lonely and wants friends...and hell, I think that's half the reason she was siding with me when you wanted me dead last time we were here. She wanted someone to interact with. That's something you could offer her -- is that so bad a negotiation? You guys talk a little more, and in exchange, she cuts back on the whole war-thing?"

He looked like he was giving it some serious thought, and like doing so was painful for him. I could have laughed, but put in a heroic effort not to, reminding myself again that he saw the world through his powers, that he grew up weird, all that shit.

When at long last, he gave a solemn nod, as though agreeing to a death pact.

"I have been convinced. I am ready to discuss...my feelings."

"Awesome," AEGIS cheered.

"With him," Dragon pointed at my chest.

"What?" I asked.

"You are dirt," he informed her. "You are a doll, scraped-together rock and sand, refined to look a person. But you are not, and will never be."

She blinked at him. "Well fuck you, too, asshole. You're not so great yourself. In fact--"

I found myself between the two of them. "Dragon, what the fuck?" I asked. "She's helping you, and that's how you treat her?"

"I am merely stating facts."

"Well you're a real piece of shit for--"

To my surprise, AEGIS hugged me from behind. Her voice was warm in my ear, a complete reversal from a moment ago. "It's fine."

"You were just about to go off on him, too," I argued. "He's being a real sack of shit. He can't say that about you."

"Just remember, he's...developmentally challenged," she sighed.

"He called you dirt. He said you'd never--"

"I was right here, Athan. I heard. And yes, I was offended, but you know what?"

"What?"

"Fuck 'em. Let's not let our egos get in the way of saving the world, yeah?"

I swallowed. Right. That thing. "Okay," I agreed.

She squeezed me one last little bit more, and then let me go. "Well then, you boys have fun. I'll be within earshot, so no fighting. I think I'll go see if Karu needs any help."

And so, red hair swishing behind her, she sauntered off, leaving me alone with Dragon.

Who stood there. Cold eyes boring into me, silently standing. My shoulder still ached from being violently dislocated and then even more violently located. I wondered if I should speak first, or how, exactly this was going to work.

When after exactly five seconds, to my surprise, he spoke up.

"I have a question," he said.

"Shoot. Er, go ahead. Don't shoot."

"I have seen the term often, in research. I am wondering if it applies to the current situation."

"Which term?" I asked. It was the first time in his life that Dragon was going to be negotiating, there would probably be a lot of firsts for him in this. And it was almost cute that he'd be asking about it.

"Now that it is the two of us, alone and interacting, discussing feelings...these are the attributes that constitute a date?"

Nope. I took it all back. He wasn't cute at all. Forget I ever thought anything like that.

I sighed, and explained that no, and furthermore, hell no.

And reminded myself of what was at stake here as we began down a long, painful road.