Hector walked swiftly to the wagon, heading directly towards the back where everyone but Helia was sitting.

“Listen,” Hector said, looking up to the others. “If it looks too bad… I want you to run.”

“Nonsense,” Mallory said. “We’re not leaving without you.”

“I don’t think these guys are anything to talk about,” Hector replied, “but I want to avoid any fight more fighting. At worst, deliver the twins to the safe house, then come back. I can only imagine that they’ll take me ransom and force my Dad to pay out.”

“Or, they could kill you, you know?” Tallow said. “Maybe? Did you think of that while being so forward thinking and morbid?”

“I don’t think they want to kill me,” Hector said. “Even if people may or not like my father, killing someone like me would leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouths. Bad for their business. However…”

“Beating your ass will be a good story to everyone,” Mallory finished. “Makes sense.”

“Does it?” Hector asked with a hopeful face.

“...Could be workshopped a bit more,” Mallory said, “but overall, good effort. I wouldn’t exactly be happy about that, but...”

“Thanks,” Hector said. “Remember, leave-”

“We’re not leaving you,” Mercy said, sitting up ever so slightly.

“Remember the mission,” Hector said, after a slight pause. “That’s more important. Even if what we did was false, we opened up a collaboration between the Kingdoms and the clans. With some forward momentum, we might even be able to make open paths between the two entities. And Mercy, you’ll be able to come back and forth as much as you want. And they’ll be relying on us to fulfill this. Plus…”

He looked at Helia in the front. “ And there’s the small things we have to look out for as well.”

“Spoken like a true king,” Mallory said, glumly.

“Yeah…” Hector sighed, then he began walking to the open field.

“This idiot,” Tallow mumbled.

“Brave idiot,” Stewart added.

Helia dropped out of the front of the carriage and ran to Hector, hugging him.

She reached up for his face, but he pushed her away before she could get any closer.

“I’m ready,” Hector yelled. “Bring out your best warrior!”

“I don’t even think you deserve that!” Jack said. “But, I’ll honor that request. Get ‘em, Dot!”

“My pleasure,” Dot said with a smirk. She stepped forward to meet Hector in the field.

Hector had to stand at the bottom of the slight hill between himself and Dot. He looked at her with a solemn face.

“I’ll be the referee,” Jack continued, “so that you don’t have to worry about any foul play.”

Dot hopped with anticipation a few feet in front of Hector.

“Why don’t you fight me yourself?” Hector called out to Jack.

“Cause I’m trying to leave a legacy for my kids!” Jack yelled. “It’s not all about me.

Both Hector and Dot lowered their stances as they prepared for battle.

“No armor?” Hector asked.

“No armor,” Dot repeated.

Hector looked at her open hands, which she was placed in very distinct positions. Her right arm lowered. matching up with her waistline. Her other arm was bent at the elbow, completely vertical, leaving her open palm next to her head.

“No weapons?” Hector said.

“Your face,” she blew a kiss.

“That’s not original,” he replied.

“Alright, you can start swinging at each other!” Jack called out.

Mallory frowned. “You can’t just start a match like-”

Hector quickly deflected a kick to his chest with the side of his sword.

He turned back and forth, defending more and more kicks as he moved backward.

“Why doesn’t he just chop off her leg?” Stewart asked very normally.

“She’s too close, you idiot,” Tallow said. “She’s on his ass, and he can’t get a good swing. Besides-”

Hector batted away her leg finally, pushing back against the incoming foot hard enough to push her back.

“Well, come on, then!” Stewart yelled. “Go on! Get her!”

“Would you shut up, Stewart?” Helia yelled.

“Come on, Helia, don’t you wanna cheer him on?” he asked. “You would get more out of it than anyone!”

Helia frowned, then returned to the battle.

Hector made heavy swings left to right that brought him forward. Dot was bent back with each strike as moved away from him, dodging them.

“Certainly he’s better than swinging than that!” Stewart remarked.

“Stewart, he’s trying to gauge her range and attacks,” Mallory rushed to say, not taking his eyes off the fight. “Come on and get with the times.”

“Well, is he gauging her?” Stewart continued. “He certainly doesn’t look like he knows what he’s doing.”

“Shut up,” Tallow said, although it was slightly lower and didn’t have as much sting as usual.

Jon understood. Dot was smiling the whole time. In fact, she seemed to be toying with Hector.

Jon didn't like how much fun she seemed to be having.

Finally, Hector stopped swinging wide, hopping forward with his sword above his head.

He made a large two-handed downward swing, striking right where she was before she moved to the side.

“Ha!” Dot had yelled, leaping back, but Hector was stepping to the side to her position, to the side, already prepped for her evasion.

His momentum carried his elbow as he smashed Dot in the face, then kicked her feet from under her, dropping on the floor.

He held his sword pointed down at her while she was on her back on the floor.

“Don’t move,” he said.

“Rightie-o!” Stewart screamed, pumping his arm up.

“This idiot... stab her!” Tallow yelled.

Jon was surprised by Tallow’s bloodthirst. He understood when Dot reached up and grabbed his leg.

She tossed him to the side with ease. Hector soared in the air for a few feet before crashing into a roll.

It wasn’t a recovery roll, though. Hector was clearly getting tossed around inside of it.

By the time Hector stood back up, she had ran up and kicked his sword out of his hand, sending it high above them.

She leaned over on one leg and kicked him a few times in the chest with the same leg.

“Oh!” Stewart exclaimed with pity.

Hector stumbled away, still standing, but holding his stomach in mild pain.

Even in his pain, he was already reaching up, with his free hand catching his sword from the air as it landed.

He made a quick one-handed swing down at Dot’s already extended leg, but she spun around on one foot, like a dancer. She spun multiple times, coming at him from the side. She stopped her spin and struck Hector several times in his opening before striking him several times.

She made a horizontal chop at the back of his neck, and along with Hector’s hard gasp, his armor split open down the middle, returned to its darkened jacket form.

She then grabbed Hector’s wrist from behind and twisted it, disarming him of his blade again. This time, straight to the floor with little to no fanfare.

Hector, not to be discounted, threw his head back, hitting her in her face.

She recoiled slightly, but not enough to lose her grip. She wrapped her other arm around Hector’s neck and squeezed hard.

Hector was trapped in hold, struggling to get out.

“He can’t get out of that?” Tallow asked. “Seriously?”

“...seriously…” Mallory answered. “Unless…”

“Guess the armor didn’t matter after all,” Stewart said.

Hector reached up with his free hand and try to pry her arm off of his neck. He pulled hard, and her arm slowly unfurled.

“Just kidding!” she brought her arm back to his neck, this time trapping his other hand within her elbow as well.

Jon understood that Dot was strengthening her body using mana. What he was surprised to understand was that Hector wasn’t doing as much of the same thing.

He was clearly struggling to break himself free.

“Pass out… pass out… past out…” Mallory muttered.

Hector struggled until Dot finally pushed him away.

“Lame,” she said casually. “You really are nothing underneath that armor.”

Hector was breathing hard, but he slowly brought his fist up next to his face.

“I’m trying not to hurt you…” he said.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tallow stood up and yelled at him. “Kill her! She’s not your friend, or your sister!!”

“You’re still standing!” Jack called out. “Keep going!”

“Relax!” Dot called back to her father. “I don’t wanna kill the weakling!”

“...You didn’t let me go ‘cause you were bored...” Hector said. “You let go cause you were scared.”

“Scared of what?” Dot asked.

“Getting burned.” Hector punched forward.

A giant wave of fire jettisoned towards her.

She ducked underneath the wave and weaved to the side to give herself space from the flame.

Hector kept punching forward, alternating between left and right fist as he followed her with his flame.

“Good control…” Mallory complimented lightly.

“He’s always shooting fire like that,” Tallow said. “What’s so different?”

Jon knew the difference. Here, Hector was steadily controlling streams of fire with his hands. He stayed calm and was carefully following the movement of his opponents.

Eventually, he changed to kicks. His fire attacks changed from columns to wide arcs that sailed parallel to the ground, or whatever slight angle Hector decided to kick at.

Dot had to work harder to evade these attacks. Hector then switched between punches and kicks, keeping her on her toes.

“...he’s fighting like Macy!” Mercy exclaimed quietly, still keeping herself low so that she wasn’t seen but she could still watch the fight.

Jon saw it. He was fighting like Macy. Except Macy was much quicker and aggressive with her attacks, and her fire was shot with short bursts.

Hector’s attacks were very large and deliberate. He never changed positions until he was ready to make the next attack.

Eventually, Dot stopped moving and stood up straight in lieu of an incoming blast.

Hector punched forward again, but she extended her fist in front of her and waited for the fire to come to her.

The column of fire heading towards her collided with her fist but stalled in contact with her fist.

“Look at that!” she cried. “I don’t know even know what I was scared of!”

Hector made the first real face of concern Jon had seen that fight.

He looked at his fist as if it was somehow not working, then returned his glance to his approaching opponent.

He prepared for her by moving backward to give himself more space and time to react to whatever she had planned.

Dot made a wide kick, and Hector covered his face with both of his hands in anticipation.

The kick landed on the outside of his arms, and yet, Jon knew that Hector had felt most of the blow on his head.

It was reminiscent of Amalia being hit by Raglace through her shield.

It was made more so obvious when Hector dropped his guard and had an extremely exasperated look on his face.

Dot made a short hop and kicked upwards, punting Hector in the chin and tossing his head back.

She moved forward for another punch, but Hector ducked out of the way and returned his own uppercut to her chin!

“Return that hit!” Mallory yelled suddenly, to everyone’s surprise.

Dot stumbled, leaving Hector to try to sweep her legs again under again.

Whether it was by instinct, or by preparation from seeing it last time, Dot was able to quickly snatch Hector’s by the shoulders before he could drop down.

She dropped her weight backward, bringing him down with her before tossing him over her head.

Hector went higher than Jon thought he would. There was at least a second of time passing before Hector landed hard on his back. Dirt spewed from where he landed, making the fall look extra bad.

Dot jumped high, clearly attempting to land on Hector with both of her feet.

Hector dived out of the way, just before Dot hit the ground, breaking what was left of the ground into large pieces of debris.

“Well, she’s trying to kill him!” Tallow cried. She tried to leave, but Mercy jumped up and took the dagger out of Tallow’s sheathe before she could grab it.

Hector was on his still back his trying to scramble away from Dot, but she quickly caught up to him and kicked him hard in the side.

“I think he braced himself for it!” Mallory called.

Jon didn’t know if what Mallory said was true. Still, after Hector rolled over from the attack, he was still able to stand back up, readying his arms to block more attacks.

He punched fire once more, but Dot simply weaved past it and hit Hector in the stomach, right between the opening in his jacket.

While he was bowed over, she reached up and slammed her elbow on his back, then promptly rose her knee up and hit him in the chest to stop him from falling too fast.

She folded her hands together above her head and slammed it on his back, sending him straight to the floor.

“Hector!” Helia cried.

Jon looked up to Mallory for reassurance.

“...Are you looking for reassurance?” Mallory asked. “Nah, he’s screwed.”

“Are you serious?” Tallow asked. “He can take that!”

“I don’t think he can take it…” Mercy said. “I think he’s seriously getting hurt.”

Hector hadn’t moved from where he was in an alarming amount of time.

“Let me…” Mallory climbed out of the wagon and jogged towards the fight.

“Hey!” Jack called as Mallory made his way there. “You can’t stop the fight!”

“He’s clearly out!” Mallory said, stopping next to Hector and gesturing to him.

“Is it true?” Jack conferred to Dot.

“Don’t ask her!” Mallory yelled.

Still, Dot nudged her food into Hector’s side. “Nah, he’s faking.”

“I”m… not faking,” Hector groaned from under her foot.

“Good!” She pulled her foot back and kicked hard, flipping him over.

“I told you,” Jack called, “you fight 'til you can’t fight anymore!”

Hector looked up at Mallory from his back.

“Go...” Hector said. “It’ll be fine.”

“That’s not fine!” Mallory said. “She’s hitting you too hard. She’s not holding back. And your armor-”

“I’m fine!” Hector yelled. “Back off before I lose!”

Mallory stepped back as quickly as he could.

Hector jumped back to his feet, shrugging his shoulders to fix his jacket placement.

“You not gonna armor up?” Dot asked.

“Like you said,” Hector remarked, “it wouldn’t matter anyway.”

Dot smiled. “He gets it!”

She danced on her feet just out of reach.

“Go, sis!” Jules yelled from the side.

“Go show ‘em!” Juniper called out.

“They’re cheering for you,” Hector said. “You know what that means?”

“What?” Dot responded.

“They’re getting overconfident,” he said. “Are you?”

“Am I?” Dot laughed. “I’m overconfident as-”

Fire flew from the bottom of Hector's feet, just barely launching him forward.

He struck her hard with his extended elbow, hitting her in the nose and causing her to stumble.

“You left yourself open,” he said. He started hopping from side to side.

She charged forward, a large gut-punch ready to go.

Hector shifted to the side and kneed her in the gut.

He followed up with a chop to the neck, pushing her forward.

“You stole my move!” she yelled, turning, but she received a fist to the face.

“I just wanted you to turn around!” Hector responded. He ran to her and jumped up, kneeing her in the face.

Still in the air, he then grabbed her head and they tumbled down together, rolling to the bottom of the small hill.

Hector had the advantage with his legs wrapped around her neck.

“He’s using the hill!” Mallory yelled, standing up in the wagon and nearly pushing Tallow aside. “That mad bastard!

Jon stood up as well, and Mercy leaned over to catch more of the fight.

They all watched the two roll down until they reached the bottom of the hill and Hector held her down in his submission.

She tried to reach up, but he grabbed her arm and twisted it.

She screamed.

“Aw, shut up!” Hector yelled. He unwrapped his foot and slammed his heel down on her face before quickly wrapping his leg around her again.

“You have no form!” he yelled.

Before she could move around too much, Hector forced her into a roll, both of them flipping over the ground one without him letting go of her.

Once she was disoriented, he then chopped her face again.

“You just throw your strength around!” He continued. “You try to make up for your lack of training and from with brute strength!”

“Break her arm!” Tallow yelled. “She’s not your sister!”

“I don’t think he can…” Mallory said. “You know…”

He turned her over and tossed her to the side. He then quickly crawled up to her and caught her in an armbar.

“My sister can fight a hundred times over you, and she’s half as strong…”

“Get… off!”

Despite’s Hector’s best efforts, Dot groaned until she was fully standing up again, with Hector still hanging on to her arm.

Whoa, Jon thought.

She grabbed him by the collar and head-butted him, his head dropped to the side.

She then turned and tossed Hector back to the wagon.

Hector’s body was sent high. So high, Mallory raised his hand to the sky.

A large tentacle reached up to the sky, catching Hector in the air before his body flew past the wagon.

“My turn…” Tallow spun in the wagon while lowering her position a feat nearly impossible with everyone standing next to her.

She pulled her dagger from Mercy’s grip and hopped out of the wagon.

“No!” Mercy tried to chase after Tallow, but Jon stopped her from leaving.

“No,” he told her. “I’ll go.”

He jumped out of the wagon and ran after her.

He knew he wasn’t gonna catch up, but he could try to get there before anything major happened.

He pointed the gun and fired, dropping down to the floor.

Like he expected, he started sliding down the hill on his knees.

He shot again, keeping his momentum as he slid up the adjacent hill and putting him right behind Tallow, who was already trying to challenge Dot.

“Come on, cheap shot!” Tallow yelled. “Come take me!”

“Gladly!” Dot was bleeding a bit from her mouth, but she pulled back her fist in preparation.

“Dot!” Jack called.

She looked back at him, and he tossed his head back as a gesture.

“He’s out!” Jack said. “Let ‘em go!”

“You lucky Daddy won’t let me beat your clock in,” she said.

“You couldn’t even count high enough to use a clock!” Tallow remarked.

Dot suddenly had a concentrated look on her face. Jon readied his gun.

He watched as she searched through her mouth with her tongue before she spat out a bloody tooth.

She was mildly astonished at the sight. She picked up the tooth.

“Hey!” she held it up and turned around. “He got a tooth!”

“Means you were slacking!” Jack responded. “Got too happy!”

“Yeah, well!” she gripped the tooth in her palm and started walking back.

“So, that’s it?” Tallow yelled, arms open wide. “You just gonna listen to Daddy?”

Dot ignored her.

“So, what next?” Tallow continued. “You gonna bend over and yet whatever guy have his way with you, just ‘cause Daddy told you?”

This made Dot turn around with curiosity.

“Yeah, come on!” Tallow said. “Where’s Mommy? Let me guess, he told her to go to hell!”

“Tallow…” Jon said.

“You don’t talk about mama like that,” Dot responded.

“Oh, I don’t get to talk about her like the whore she probably was?” Tallow continued. “I wouldn’t be surprised if all you had different fathers-”

“Tallow, shut up!”

The words left Jon’s mouth so quickly he didn’t even realize what they were until Tallow turned back with look of disbelief.

“Did you just…”

“Hector’s hurt!” Jon blurted out. He could already feel the tears burning through his eyes.

“We have to get back to him.”

Jon then turned away, walking before he had to deal with the consequences.

He walked quickly. He didn’t know what to expect. If Tallow didn’t like what he had to say, then she could probably leave him.

Is she gonna leave him?

While he had that in his mind, he also kept thinking about what Luther said.

You have to control your people.

Jon didn’t want to control his friends. He wanted them to be happy. He wanted them to make decisions to keep themselves happy, even if it killed them.

He didn’t want their decisions to kill them, but he also felt like it wasn’t his right to decide that. It was their right to decide that. He had left the farm to live as a mercenary, and he could be killed, it was fine because he died doing what he wanted, and he felt like that was what he wanted to do and it should have been everyone’s right.

He walked what felt like faster and faster before he felt a grab on his shoulder.

He turned quickly to see that it was Tallow.

“...You're right…” she said. She grimaced. “Let’s get back.”

She patted him on the back and walked forward.

Jon didn’t know what to make of it, so he just walked after her.

She suddenly turned around and jabbed him in the chest.

“If you ever speak to me like that again!” she said, “I’m gonna chop off your manhood and shoot it out of your stupid gun and I don’t even care if it kills me!”

Jon nodded quickly. He didn’t know whether to believe her, but he knew to be scared.

“Fine, then.” she slapped Jon lightly twice on the face and continued walking to the wagon.

Jon a small wisp of a smile. He was glad to have Tallow here, and he didn’t want her to listen to him all of the time. He needed her to be on her toes, and he always knew she would step up to protect him and his friends.

But now wasn’t the time for that.