The remains of Black Dwarfs were scattered across the ground. I couldn’t walk without stepping on a black piece of metal or a disembodied robot arm. All of my friends were huffing with exhaustion in a little circle by our cruiser. None of the ruabrum seemed nearly as tired as us. What I wouldn’t have done for their athletic bodies!

Shu patted my back, sending me stumbling. “Excellent work, my friend. We really shown them who was the boss. That is how that expression goes, is it not?”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said. ‘For now, let’s focus on the info that Beth and I got while we were in that ship—”

As I said that, the ship hummed to life behind me. I turned around just as it hovered up and zoomed off into the sky. Thank goodness we were done with that thing. I shrugged and joined the friend circle as I asked Beth to help me explain what we’d learned. Together, we talked about the detention camps and the control center. Shu’s eyes widened in horror, and I was sure the rest of the ruabrum would mirror his expression once he told them.

“So we almost died for nothing? Again?” Kaela asked. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. If we don’t fail at least twenty times today I’ll consider this mission a success. Going after one tower was hard enough, so I assume we’re saving all that crud for the end. Right now, we should be heading for the control center.”

“It would be unwise to sended everyone to one location,” Shu said. “Especially if that location is shielded. None of us will be able to go inside.”

“You’re right,” I said. “Which is why I think we should send a few of our troops to every shielded camp. They’ll wait for the shields to drop, and, when they do, they’ll storm the camps and free the ruabrum inside. Meanwhile, I’ll work on getting the shields down in the first place.”

Shu tapped the ground with the heel of his foot. Seeing as his eyes were closed, I assumed that he was deep in thought. I couldn’t blame him as there was a lot to take in, not to mention that the entire plan hinged on my getting into a shielded building, defeating whoever the heck was guarding the controls, and shutting everything down.

“I trust you, friend, but we will need more warriors,” Shu said. “Yesterday was difficult, and I do not wish to repeat it. I trust that you understand.”

I held up a finger. “Give me one second.”

I shut my eyes and concentrated on the Knowledge Stream. The interference from the surrounding towers was scrambling my mind, so, if I made it through at all, the connection would be unstable. Despite that, I felt the connection establish itself. The other person would be able to hear me.

And ,by person, of course, I meant “AI.”

“Tera!” I thought through the stream. “I could use some of that data right about now.”

“Alpha?” Tera’s voice replied in my head although it was wobbly and a layer of static crackled over it. “Why are you contacting me this way? Lord Exo has a communicator.”

“Too much interference down here; it’s a long story. Listen, can you see the whole city? If so, I need you to take note of each detention camp made to hold ruabrum. They should be shielded, but the shields are hard to see.”

“Luckily for you I’m an Aggressive Intellectual, or half of what you just said would have been gibberish. Give me a zeptosecond to—and done! I have the location of each one of the camps. What about them?”

I took a step further up the infinite staircase known as the Knowledge Stream and peered through Tera’s eyes. Unlike Exo’s fleshed-out mind, Tera’s was more of a shell. It wasn’t simplistic by any means, but it felt…hollow. As she was an imperfect copy of her former self, I supposed that was to be expected. It didn’t make experiencing it any less sad.

Through Tera’s eyes, I spotted a screen that displayed the whole city on some sort of grid. It seemed simplistic, but the numbers and letters scrolling across the screen begged to differ. I scanned it several times over to memorize the locations of the camps, but…it seemed I didn’t need to. If this was recorded in the Knowledge Stream, then all I had to do was peek into it whenever I needed a refresher. Having access to this thing really was like having all the information in the galaxy.

“Excellent! Tell Exo to send AI to all those locations. They’ll be liberating the camps alongside ruabrum, so I hope they speak the language.”

“AI know every recorded language in history. This newest alliance will be no issue. End transmission.”

We weren’t exactly on a phone that could be hung up, so I just pulled out of the Stream. I shook my head as all of my human senses rushed back. The rusty scent of Red City filled my nostrils. Had it smelled like that the whole time?

I glanced around at my friends and found their eyes glued to me. How long have they been doing that? Creepy. Since I had their attention, I went ahead and explained what had just happened. Shu nodded as I spoke, a sign that he had no problem with the plan. People were getting snatched by Dwarfs as we stood there talking, so the, sooner we got on the same page, the better.

“Understood,” Shu said. “Since we ruabrum know where the camps am located, we shall head there immediately. Any ‘Dwarfs’ that we met on the way will be destroyed.”

“Thank you.” I faced my team. “Back in the cruiser, kids. Time for another field trip.”

I hopped back into the cruiser. As everyone else took their seats, I watched the ruabrum. They leapt around like grasshoppers as they took off down the street. They didn’t even need vehicles. That was why I trusted them with something like this. Them and the AI. If anything, we were the ones who’d need help.

The drive to the Red City Filth Field Control Center was as long as its name. No one spoke on the way over, but there was plenty of background noise. Explosions and distant screams sent chills down my spine. Buildings crumbled as Dwarfs soared through them. A Dwarf crashed down in front of us, crumbling the pavement where it made an impact. I swerved around it as its red eyes bore into me. It wouldn’t have taken more than a few minutes to dispatch that thing, but our mission was time-sensitive.

“Why do I have to watch Frost destroy so many cities?” Kaela asked as she shook her head.

“Same goes for me,” Nessa said. “When I ran away from home, it was during an invasion like this one. I figured that it’d be a big enough distraction. My mother would never find me in a crumbling city. Seeing the horror from a new perspective makes me regret what I did. If she worried about me…then I wish she had cared that much while I was around.”

“Speaking as a fellow runaway, you either owe that woman an apology or a gift card,” Laura said. “Even I wouldn’t have had the guts to leave during an invasion. How do you even know that your mom’s still alive?”

Nessa slumped in her seat. She didn’t know. She hadn’t had contact since the day she left. If we survived all this, maybe she could change that.

The Red City Filth…the RCFFCC drew nearer. I spotted the white pipes that were spread all over the building. Red and white tubes sprouted out of the top, bellowing blue smoke as usual. I couldn’t see the shield that surrounded the place, but I knew it was there.

I drove toward the building’s parking lot, but, once I got close enough, the cruiser bumped into a transparent blue dome. I already knew it was shielded, so that wasn’t a shock. It reminded me of the shield of the other ship. Both must have been made out of special solidios.

“Everyone out. It’s time to deal with this headache.” I climbed out. Everyone followed my lead and waited to hear my plan. “Beth’s teleporter can get us inside, but we’re not all going. Some of us should go help out around the city, maybe even meet up with Surge and Dylan. Anderson, Nessa, and I are the ones heading inside.”

Laura scowled. “Haven’t you learned anything from last time? You’d be dead if I hadn’t helped out back then.”

“I know, Redhead. It’s just that I’m not the only person who could use your help this time. We’ve got a whole city under attack here. Besides, I chose this team for a reason.”

Nessa nodded, understanding my statement perfectly. If Frost herself wasn’t inside, then there was only one other person who could be.

“Backup isn’t going to happen this time.” Laura motioned to the shield. “If anything goes wrong, it’ll be up to you guys to make it right.”

Now that I thought about it, I’d needed backup for a lot of encounters over the past few months. That made me wonder if I could do anything alone. Did I need to?

“Don’t worry, we’re ready for this,” I said. “We’ll see you all when the shield’s down.”

Laura’s scowl stayed in place for ten seconds then faded. I flashed an appreciative smile and stepped closer to Beth. She calibrated her wrist as I pulled Nessa and Anderson closer too. Blue filled my eyes as Beth teleported us a few feet forward. We landed inside the shield.

“Whoa! How about a warning before you pull that crazy crap?” Anderson rubbed his eyes.

“Come on, let’s get inside.” Nessa marched toward the building.

“Yeah, we should.” I turned to Beth. “Get back to Laura and Kaela. I’ll see you when the shield’s down.”

“You really don’t want me to come?” Beth asked, sounding uncharacteristically concerned. “It’ll give my teleporter a chance to cool down.”

“Tell them that I’m sorry, but I need you to drive the cruiser for them. I don’t trust either of them with it.”

“We can still hear you!” Kaela protested as she crossed her arms. “I can drive just fine. Jerk.”

Beth smirked. “So you’re trusting me with something? Fine, just find us when you’re done.”

Nodding, I followed Nessa and Anderson through the parking lot. I gazed up at the building as we approached its front door. It clicked and clattered as it slid aside for us. The interference must have been messing with its hand scanner. The interior was just as dark as it had been the last time.

The metallic clanks of our feet echoed around as we marched inside. I ignored the outlines of machinery while heading for the elevator that I knew was in the back. The ruabrum battle from my last visit flashed through my head: That was the day I stopped using a blaster. I saw the damage that one did to a ruabrum.

I glanced down at the pistol attached to my hip. Shame washed over me. The whole adventure had changed me so much. I couldn’t keep up with who I was. If I met the person I thought I was going to meet here, would I be fine with killing him? He was a danger to the galaxy, so it wouldn’t be wrong to do so. Heck, I’d already tried putting him in jail, and that hadn’t worked out.

“Everything will be fine.” Nessa’s hand grasped mine. Our fingers interlocked as if we were an ordinary high school couple. “Not the kind of thing I’d say, right? It’s because you taught me to think that way. Take your own advice.”

How did she know I was troubled? This situation should have been reversed. It was Nessa who should have been worried about what would happen next. Her stress-free eyes filled me with pride. She wasn’t going to let that man dictate her behavior anymore.

“I’m trying my best, but how can I not worry?” I said. “We’re in the middle of what might be the final battle of a centuries-old war. The pressure is just below ‘crushing.’”

Nessa snickered. “Then how about you just focus on the life we’ll have after the war?”

“What, you mean like, our life? Together?”

“I wouldn’t be that forward about it, but perhaps. You’re the one who wants to try a normal relationship. I’m willing to attempt it as well.”

That just brought me back to my conversation with Beth. I’d been chasing normality because it was the complete opposite of what my life was now. Maybe it was wrong of me to want that. Pushing aside the dynamics I had now wouldn’t be better for anyone. I had to live in the present. I had to go along with what worked.

“That’s okay. It doesn’t matter what kind of relationship we’ll have. As long as it’s ours and we’re happy with it, we’ll be fine.”

Nessa grinned. “I think so as well.”

“Speaking of living in the here and now, can you two focus on the war we’re trying to win?” Anderson asked, reminding us of his presence. “Sheesh, it’s like I kept the TV on for too long and some sappy romance show popped up.”

“Dude, you know I was a loner in high school. Just let me have this! It’s not like—”

Light burst into existence, dispelling the darkness. We stopped in our tracks as we searched for whoever had summoned the light. The dark machines became visible for the first time. Their pipes and tubes extended all around us like an industrial version of a children’s playground. I considered climbing the stairs in the back, but I thought we needed to explore this floor first.

Someone just turned on the lights, I thought to myself. Who, and why?

I felt a tingle in the back of my head, like a TV turning on. Or, in this case, maybe an elevator being used?

“Hide!” I commanded as I sprinted toward a bundle of pipes in the back.

I jumped over the pipes and ducked down. There was an opening on the bottom where the pipes didn’t reach the floor. I peeked through it: it allowed me a view of the room. I couldn’t see Nessa or Anderson, so it seemed like they had hidden in time. The elevator slid open, and out stepped a familiar green-suited man.

Connolly’s footsteps were louder than my own heartbeat as he marched into the room. I’d known he’d be there, but, apparently, my frantic nerves hadn’t. If he really was the only person there, all we needed to do was take him down. After that, we could disable the shields. Easier said than done. With all the interference, I couldn’t even call my teammates to strategize. I’d have to trust that we were all on the same page.

And that page said to hide until the time was right.

“Hey, what’s up?”

I looked up and found myself staring into the barrel of Connolly’s arm. Yelping, I jumped away as a green blast soared past me. My stomach dropped when I made eye contact with Connolly. His stupid smirk made his face that much more punchable.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” Connolly’s arm slithered on the floor as if waiting for the command to strike. “Seriously though, I’m tired of seeing you on every assignment. I think it’s about time for my revenge. The fact that I failed to imprison you just works in my favor. Now I get to tell Frosty that I tried.”

“I’m tired too. I’m tired of talking to someone who’s hurt so many people that I’ve loved. This ends today.”

I flung a bolt at him. It wouldn’t affect his insulated suit…but his face wasn’t insulated. Connolly ducked below the bolt, which exploded against a wall behind him. He glanced back at the scorch mark it created then fired a green blast at me. I dodged and watched as it dented the wall behind me. We were too used to fighting each other.

A high-pitched whine like that of a computer struggling to start up filled the room. Both of us turned toward a bundle of pipes. The whine started up again followed by frustrated whispering. I had a feeling that Nessa was behind those pipes, desperately trying to get her plasma palms to work. The interference must have been bugging them. Its effects felt inconsistent, but that was what happened when you had multiple towers covering multiple areas.

“Come on!” Nessa furiously whispered as metal clanked against metal. I imagined her smacking her palm to get it to work.

Connolly shot a green ball of plasma at the pipes. They exploded into a cloud of blue steam that Nessa skidded out of. She groaned as she struggled to push herself up and failed. I raced to her side, but Connolly’s arm smacked me away. His barrel pinned me down. It filled with green energy but didn’t fire. I took that as a warning to stay still.

“Bothering daddy at work yet again, kiddo?” Connolly asked as his smirk grew. “When will you learn?”

“Stop.” Nessa finally pushed herself up. Her steely gaze wasn’t brimming with fury anymore. She had control. “Your taunts won’t work this time. I’m not here for revenge. I’m here to protect this city. Ridding the galaxy of your evil is just a bonus.”

Connolly’s face fell. Nessa had just exploited his crippling weakness by refusing to make him the center of attention. The snake arm backed off from me and zoomed toward Nessa instead. I yelled a warning, but she didn’t move an inch.

The snake lurched at her face but stopped an inch before reaching it. That was because Nessa had seized her father’s arm. She squeezed the rubbery, extended part of it in her right hand. Connolly’s eyes widened at the act. Nessa tugged on his arm, dragging him toward her. Then she struck him across the face, knocking him back.

Connolly groaned and rubbed his face. His arm cannon grew brighter as the green plasma continued to build up. Nessa aimed the barrel at him just as he fired the blast. It hit him, sending him even further back. She cheered with well-earned satisfaction.

I pulled out my old wrench and rushed at Connolly’s limp body. Just before I swung at him, he jumped up and kicked me. Then he smacked my hand with the snake, sending the wrench flying. Connolly laughed triumphantly as it twirled away…only to stop when Anderson leapt out of cover to catch it.

“You dropped something.” Anderson reeled back and chucked the wrench. His enhanced strength turned it into a bullet. It soared through the air and slammed into Connolly’s chest. Connolly coughed as the air was knocked from his lungs. That must have been quite the impact if he could feel it through his suit.

“Annoying ass brats!” Connolly hugged himself as he twitched. His arm wiggled like it was taking aim. “If I’d known you would hold such petty grudges—”

“Petty?” Nessa spat. “You nearly ruined all our lives! Defeating you means that no one else has to suffer like we did. Final chance, Father: surrender, or finally face the consequences of your actions.”

Connolly chuckled. “You knew my answer before you asked the question.”

We all did.

Connolly’s arm snapped toward us and fired a burst of green. We all avoided it and rushed toward him. He dodged Anderson’s blows and swept his legs, knocking him off his feet. Nessa unleashed a burst of silver that I’d watched her build up. It blasted Connolly’s chest, propelling him against a series of pipes. Clearly, she could use her palms as long as she built up the energy first.

Connolly’s arm shot out and sunk its fangs into Nessa. The snake lit up at the same time as Nessa’s suit. He was draining its power. Great. Now his arm had that ability too? Nessa’s legs wobbled. If her suit lost power, she wouldn’t be able to walk anymore. Connolly chuckled as he continued to drain the life from his own daughter.

Nessa’s palm glowed with power as she held it up. She screamed and seized his arm. Connolly gasped as he realized his mistake. Silver filled the whole room as it ripped through his arm. The barrel clattered to the floor, while he stumbled back in shock. The rest of the arm fell by his side like a limp noodle.

Anderson cheered. “Got a comeback for that one, asshole?”

Connolly…trembled. I’d never seen him look so scared before. It felt good. He whipped around and scurried up the stairs. Anderson hurried after him, but I hung back with Nessa as her legs were continuing to wobble.

“Can you walk?” I asked as I hooked an arm around her.

“Yes, but your assistance is appreciated.” Nessa draped her arm over my shoulders. “Let’s finish this.”

Together, we hobbled up the stairs. I had to close my eyes when we reached the second floor, because a blue star sat at the center of it. In actuality, it was some sort of glass chamber that was filled with blue plasma. Sticking one’s hand inside would eliminate it within seconds. I assumed the plasma functioned as a source of power for parts of the facility. More importantly, it explained the blue steam that was erupting from the top of the building.

Anderson stomped toward Connolly as he backed up into the chamber. Connolly gasped once his back clattered against the glass. We had him cornered.

“Where’s that surrender?” Anderson pushed Connolly against the glass. “Can’t lie your way out of this—”

Connolly grabbed Anderson and slammed him against the glass. Then he plucked Anderson’s pistol off his hip and pressed it against his head. I let go of Nessa and rushed toward them, but Connolly held up his elastic arm, halting me. It wasn’t a weapon anymore, but Connolly himself was still dangerous.

“I’m sure this suit of yours makes it impossible to keep you restrained for long.” Connolly tightened his grasp on Anderson. “That’s why I’m gonna vaporize your brains if you try moving. Am I bluffing, Hero?”

One last taunt about Maria’s death? He was going to regret that.

“What more do you want?” I asked. “You can’t hurt us anymore. You’ve basically lost already. Just let us take down the shields.”

“This war is all I have, brat!” Connolly spat. “I’m risking it all now because, if this war ends, I won’t have another reason to go on. Right now, I don’t care about my position or about what Frost’s going to do to me if I kill you. I want to live in a galaxy that’s tearing itself apart. Peace is boring, and, if you disagree, you have no reason to fear death. That’s all the peace you’re going to get with me around!”

It was as if a demon had possessed his body. How could anyone think like that? Nessa made eye contact with me. Even her steely gaze was gone. All that remained was sorrow. After hearing what her own father had just said, it was what I expected. There was something else in those eyes: a message. A question. She didn’t have to ask it, because it was written all over her face. I nodded in confirmation.

Nessa took a little breath and limped toward Connolly. Her suit was still partially drained, so her mobility wasn’t all there. That must have been why Connolly didn’t seem concerned. He just watched her like she were a fly buzzing toward him, and he pressed the pistol against Anderson’s head. Nessa stopped a foot away from him and met his insane gaze.

“When I was five, I was scared of trains.” Nessa tucked her hands behind her back. “Too fast, and too loud. I cried after watching a movie in which a train with a face terrorized these other two trains. One was magic? The movie was weird. I couldn’t stop crying even after the movie was over. That was why you carried me out of the theater, assuring me that everything would be okay. You took me out for ice cream and asked what my favorite part of the ‘horror’ movie was. I said the beginning…the part before the trains even showed up. You laughed, so I laughed too.”

Connolly’s expression softened. It was like the madness had faded away. Even his grip on the pistol had lessened. He was remembering a time when he had cared about things other than war…like the family that he had betrayed. He may have been willing to hurt Nessa, but he had still been there when she had been born. He had watched her grow up. If anyone could bring him back to those times, it was his daughter.

“I…” Connolly seemed like he was at a loss for words. What could he say at this point? “I’m proud of you. You’ve come this far despite your injury. You’ve done what your grandmother never could. If she had…maybe things could have been different.”

Nessa shuddered. Was that the first time her dad had ever said he was proud of her?

“I know.” Nessa sniffed. “I wish things could have been different…Father.”

Her voice broke on that last word. I wasn’t even sure what I was watching anymore. Luckily, I was still paying attention. I almost missed my cue: Nessa ducking down, as if she were bowing in respect. I choked back my emotions, reeling back and shooting electricity at Connolly’s head. Blue singed his face before he could react. Energy soared toward the ceiling as he pulled the trigger. It completely missed Anderson.

Nessa raised her palm into the air; the one that had been charging plasma throughout her story. She unleashed the built-up energy at Connolly. The blast was so blinding that I couldn’t make out its actual size. It rammed into him, shoving him into the glass that shattered under his weight.

Glass rained down around us as the silver light carried him into the blue plasma stream. His screams echoed, and he was reduced to a silhouette. Inhuman noises filled my ears as his silhouette was ripped apart like a wet piece of paper. I couldn’t look away. Not until his body was reduced to nothing and Jason Connolly was no more.

Silence fell as reality dawned on everyone. Nessa fell to her knees either because her suit’s power had finally run out or her strength had. Anderson glanced at the pistol that Connolly had dropped before going into the stream. He reached for it but then stopped and closed his fist. After what had just happened, I couldn’t imagine him ever wanting to use it again.

Nessa’s body shook with silent sobs as she mourned her father. He had been cruel, twisted, and selfish, but, at the end of the day, he had still been her father. Now he was gone because of her. I couldn’t imagine what that felt like.

I thought back to the story that Nessa had told Connolly to lower his guard and how effective it had been. I’d thought that she was making it up and hoped he wouldn’t remember whether it was true or not. After seeing his reaction, I didn’t know what to believe anymore.

I knelt down and rubbed Nessa’s back. She rested her head on my shoulder as tears continued to stream down her face. I was proud of her for finally accomplishing her goal, but that didn’t seem to be the sentiment she wanted to hear at the moment.

“Would you get over here?” Nessa suddenly shouted at Anderson. Only she could go from crying to shouting within a second.

Anderson’s eyes widened as he pointed at himself. “What? Me?”

“He hurt you and your bro too, didn’t he?” I said. “Come on, hugs aren’t as bad as you make them out to be.”

Anderson grimaced like I’d just asked him to put on a wet sock. He inched toward us and spread out his arms as he knelt down. The three of us held each other in silent reassurance that the nightmare was finally over. No one else had to die because of one insane man. Frost was the only psychopath still kicking, and I dreaded seeing what she had in store for us…