Brahampton Stadium was ablaze.

She could feel the stares at her back. The reporters, trying to understand why an armored woman was standing in front of the flames. The cops, keeping them back. The heat from the flames, forcing everyone to maintain their distance.

Without the armor, she’d have had to fall back too.

“Are they coming?” she asked.

Letters formed on the pavement in front of her.

TEN MINUTE TRUCE. THEY’RE ON THEIR WAY OUT.

“Still fighting?”

AGNI WAS TOO BUSY TRYING TO KILL BELESSAR TO LOOK AT THE SKY. I ONLY GOT HER ATTENTION FOR A FEW SECONDS. YOU’LL HAVE TO EXPLAIN PROPERLY.

“Understood. The others?”

DAISY, WANDA, CARLA IN THE CROWD. DONNA TOOK UP A SNIPER POSITION ACROSS THE STREET.

“Suits her,” said Maria.

The stadium door blew open.

Flames raced out, spreading across the street. They stopped short of the police barricade.

Maria noticed that the pattern of flame had surrounded her. The fires maintained a respectable ten feet distance, but they were there.

She had no doubt that they could jump the distance and burn her in seconds.

So be it.

Belessar was the first to emerge. His new armor glistened in the sunlight, the greyhound artwork the only colour breaking up the silvery-grey metal carapace.

He stepped forward, towering over her.

“Are you all right?” his voice boomed.

She nodded mutely.

Nanocloud must have been filling him in, she thought. Well. Here’s hoping.

Agni strode out of the stadium.

The elemental wore a helmet and biker leathers. Gloves, too, and biker boots with a flame motif.

Maria felt a pang of jealousy over the boots. Nanofibre weave boots were functional - but ugly.

The villainess strode up. “And you are?”

“Maria Esperanza.”

“Under that helmet, you could be anybody.”

Maria took a deep breath. Then she unclasped the helmet.

The smoke almost overwhelmed her at first.

She forced herself to stand upright. A little smell was nothing.

Acrid smells, burning…

Stop. It was nothing.

“I’m Maria Esperanza,” she repeated. “I have been held hostage by the Grunters for four years, until Belessar set me free.”

“Are you now,” said Agni. “Truly free?”

“Completely.”

“And how do you repay Belessar for his kindness?”

“I don’t,” she said. “He has never asked a price.”

“But you love him, don’t you? You offer yourself freely to him. A minor thanks, considering all he’s done for you.”

She shook her head. “He’s never touched me. He’s never touched any of us.”

Agni stood still for a moment. “He hasn’t?”

“Not one of us. He never asked.” She shrugged. “And he never will.”

“How do you know that?”

She held up her rifle. “You don’t arm slaves.”

The supervillainess seemed to be thinking for a moment. Then she pulled out a small object and flung it at Maria.

Maria caught it instinctively.

It looked like a hairband. With some strange LEDs lighting it up.

“Put it on,” Agni commanded.

Maria complied.

“Now tell me. What is your name?”

“Maria Esperanza.”

“Truth,” muttered Agni. “What is Belessar to you?”

“He saved me, and my friends, from slavery. He protected us, gave us weapons. I would like to call him a friend. If he’s willing to count me as one.”

“I would,” rumbled Belessar from the sidelines.

“A friend, but not an equal,” commented Agni.

“Since when are normals the equal of ultras? Belessar tries. Grumman, Gravitic, Dreamspeaker - they never bothered.”

“I’m sorry about what you went through with the Grunters,” Agni said. “Your family misses you. They want you back.”

“My family thinks I’m dead. You didn’t speak to my mother, did you?”

“No, but I spoke to your father.”

“You spoke to Jorge Francisco Esperanza. Whatever he told you was a lie.”

“How did you know I spoke to him?”

“Because he’s the one who traded me to the Grunters.”

Agni paused. “Your own father?”

Maria laughed. “He’s not my father. My father died ten years ago. Jorge is the uncle who raped me when I was sixteen.”

Agni took a step back. “He… what?”

“You heard me right. He raped me, then he sold me to the Grunters. Along with Nina Rosario Vasquez, who was shipped to the Grunters in the same container as I was.”

The supervillainess flinched. “You were… shipped here in a container.”

“Yeah. I survived the four years. Nina didn’t. Who was it who told you about her? Her aunt and uncle?”

“How do you know about … Nina?”

“I know how the Grunters think. Those of us who learnt survived, those of us who didn’t ended up like her.”

“What happened to her?”

“She spoke up to Bowers one time too many. So he killed her.”

“I think I need to visit Bowers…”

“Belessar already killed him.”

“Jorge Esperanza seemed credible,” Agni muttered.

“He’s quite charming, when he wants to be. And when that doesn’t work, he has his fists.”

“I think I need to pay him a visit,” Belessar growled.

“He lied to me first,” replied Agni, “so I’ll be dealing with him.”

“No,” said Maria. “I’ll handle it on my own. Although I appreciate the offer.” She turned to Belessar. “And the armor. And the lasers.”

Agni cocked her head. “I see.”

Silence fell.

Agni turned to Belessar. “I believe I may have been misled…. I’m willing to consider a truce. Are you?”

“Only if you promise not to attack any of the soldiers who helped me.”

“Why would I attack them? They’re not rapists.”

Belessar spoke slowly. “I thought you disapproved of ultras associating with the military.”

“Why would I care, again?”

“Don’t you hunt down ultras who support the military?”

“No, I hunt rapists. Whether they wear a uniform or a cape is irrelevant.”

Awkward silence ensued.

Maria spoke up. “So - truce?”

Agni nodded slowly.

“I’ll put out the fire,” said Belessar.

“Don’t bother,” Agni waved her hand.

In an instant, the heat ceased.

Maria turned to look at the stadium. The fires were gone.

Just - gone.

There was still smoke streaming from the facility, however.

“It’ll be hot for about half an hour,” Agni said calmly. “After that, people can go in and clean up.” She flicked on a lighter. “Since Belessar picked the venue, he can handle the cleaning bill.”

“Wait, what?”

Agni vanished.

One moment she was there, the next she was - gone.

“Damned flame teleport,” rumbled Belessar. “Hey - Maria - you okay? I know that couldn’t have been easy.”

“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m… totally fine. And alive.”

“You were incredibly brave,” Belessar said. “And I’m sorry you had to talk about all that.”

“Talking is easier than surviving,” Maria said. “Belessar… I need you to promise me something.”

“Whatever you need.”

She swallowed. “The next time you go into battle, we’re coming with you.”

The ultra paused. “Who’s ‘we’?”

“Me. Daisy. Donna. Wanda. Anyone else who wants to.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Belessar.” She fixed him with a steely gaze. “When I was sixteen, my choices were taken from me. From us.

“I’ll always be grateful to you for getting me out of that hell. But the moment you really helped me was when you gave me this.” She held up her rifle again. “And this.” She pointed at her helmet.

Belessar seemed taken aback. “I didn’t think of it that way. I just needed….”

“You needed to set the trap for the Grunters.” Maria smiled. “You could have done it a dozen different ways. You could’ve hired mercenaries, bribed the Blackhats…. You didn’t need to give us guns. But you did.” Deep breaths. “You gave us power. Power to make our own choices. Now let us make one more.”

“The battlefield’s a dangerous place,” said the ultrahuman.

“It’s our choice, Belessar.”

Seconds passed.

Finally, the armored figure nodded. “I’ll let you know when the time comes.”