=== Curt ===

Cindi was acting weird, but I couldn't quite put my finger on how. I watched her sashay forward and stand before the heavy, stone door. I joined her, and she grinned at me, holding her hand out; I took it, and we walked forward. We floated through the wall and came out on the other side. After landing, we got all of four steps before I stopped, gaping at her. She turned to me and pouted. "Essy? What is it?"

"Y-you . . . You're wearing clothes."

"Curt, I promise you, tomb sex is not nearly as fun as it sounds. For one, a lot of dirt and sand gets into places you'd rather not have it."

"No, no, no, not that," I replied, shaking the thought away with my hand. I couldn't let my wife distract me. And that's what that was. She was trying to distract me. I moved closer to her and said, "Your clothes didn't fall off when we went through the wall."

She grabbed my face and smiled at me. "I knew you'd pick up on it, eventually. It was quicker than I thought, honestly."

"I'm not a complete moron, Cin. What's going on?"

"You're not a moron at all, husband. The only thing you are is mine."

"Are you not going to tell me?" I asked, annoyance creeping into my tone. Cherry didn't look surprised or hurt or even all that invested.

"Do we have to do this here, Curt? I'm hungry," she said softly. I sighed and nodded, grabbing her hand. We snapped to Sigournal Weaver, and I collected the drone and put her in my bag. One of the benefits of piggybacking off of other people's networks was that I got phone reception pretty much anywhere. So, I called ahead to a nice restaurant and got a reservation before popping back to our hotel room. We showered the dirt off and got dressed in some nice clothing. Cindi, of course, was dressed to kill in a slinky dress that showed all six of her cherries. One on either shoulder, on either hip, and two on the small of her back. I grinned. In preparation for the wedding, Cindi had taught me how to dress for high society, and I'd taken the lessons to heart. I had a nice jacket tailored precisely, a nice dress shirt, slacks, and glossy black shoes. They fit well. They were even comfortable after a while. The only thing that was consistent with my old outfits was my rig. I still wore the AR glasses, and my bracelet was ready to pop out of the sleeve with the shake of my wrist.

We appeared half an hour later outside of the restaurant. It was a ritzy little place in Avalare. The maître d' seated us immediately, and we ordered some wine. Then I leaned over the table, having already decided what to eat before we'd arrived. "So?"

"I'm thinking the salmon," Cindi said, not looking at me. I stared up at the ceiling despondently. Cindi grinned at me. "Not big on fish? I'm shocked. Perhaps the chicken, then?"

I couldn't help but smile, meeting her eyes. "I'm not getting the fish here. Maybe a little later. As a dessert."

She closed her menu and leaned over the table. "You're not going to believe me when I tell you. So, I don't really see the point."

"I'll believe you!" I insisted. She raised a brow at me. I hedged a little, "I-I'll try to believe you."

"I met with the goddess Pinikir who was locked away in the statue."

"I . . . Okay. That's a big deal. W-what's she like?" I asked. My disbelief must've been apparent on my face because she rolled her eyes and leaned back.

"I told you you wouldn't believe me."

"Okay, okay. Cin. I'm trying. I've always been bad at faith claims like that. I'm sorry. So, you met a . . . being . . . named Pinikir. And she's. . . claiming to be a goddess."

"Yes. I guess she's always been with me. Since I picked up the statue. She's been . . . kind of like my patron. She's the reason we met."

"And she was in the figurine?" I asked, trying to keep the doubt out of my voice.

"Yes, Curt." Annoyance was creeping into her tone. I held up a hand and thought it through.

"Okay. Yes. I'm sorry. It's just . . . You met with someone. What did she say?"

"She was hurt. She thought I was abandoning her."

"What? Why?"

"I was returning the statue." I laughed. I had to. She glared at me and opened her mouth to continue, but I cut her off.

"No, no, no, Cin. It's not that. I . . . Cindi Drei, Buck Cherry, the world's greatest thief, decided to return something. And this . . . This is so wrong a goddess steps in to correct it. It's just . . . I think . . . I think I believe you on that alone. Divine providence correcting this. It's just . . . so perfect." Cindi watched me for a moment, trying desperately to maintain an air of bemusement, only to break into a small laugh herself, shaking her head. I finally calmed down enough to continue. "So, what? You were granted more power from her?"

"I don't think so. I think . . . she's closer now."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, the statue is inside me. I think I just have better control over the ability now."

"Huh. Well, that's interesting. I guess this is a good thing. This means you can wear clothes on jobs now."

"And ruin my brand? Curt, this doesn't change anything. I am Buck Cherry." She reached out and grabbed my hand. I stroked her thumb with my own and nodded. I didn't get it, but it was what she wanted, and I had to respect that much. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something bright and pink and mauve. I took my hand back from my wife and flicked my wrist. The rig jumped out of my sleeve and surrounded my hand. I started to jump out of my chair, but a red, silky gloved hand caught my arm and pinned it to the table.

I looked up, and Smash Gal was staring down at me. She wasn't in her costume. Not precisely, anyway. She wore a dress with her heroic initials emblazoned in a broach at her breast. It was attached to a little shawl draped loosely around her shoulders like a cape. The dress was the same color as her usual costume, that bright, almost neon pink. And with her physique, it'd be impossible to mistake her for anyone else. Her gloves ended just below the fading scars of where I had tried to disarm her. Literally. The impermanence of my actions weighed on me. I should have finished her there. "I caught you, Curt. You're going in."

"Oh? Is he?" Cindi asked. Her voice was ice.

"PM, grab her," Kari responded.

"Kari, no. We're not doing that. They're not hurting anyone; they're just trying to have dinner. Just like anyone else," Professor Mind chimed in from behind her. Like her, he had customized his costume to be a little more formal. His logo had become a lapel pin, and his everyday skin-tight jumpsuit was replaced with a dress suit in his dark blues and whites. Kari turned to him, annoyed, but never let go of my arm. He met her gaze without flinching, which was something I don't think I could've done. My other hand was shaking just being this close to her. I couldn't tell if it was from fear or rage. Probably both, realistically, I thought. Chuck Berry, Professor Mind, spoke again directly at me. "Mister Drei, may we join you? I think we have some things to discuss."

That threw me for a loop. I looked between the two of them, searching their faces. Behind his domino mask, Professor Mind was impassively waiting for an answer. Smash Gal was gaping. Well, at least someone is just as confused as I am. I looked to Cherry. She was trying to suppress a giggle. Before I had a chance to say 'No' or 'Fuck off' or 'Why the fuck would I ever agree to that!?' Cindi spoke, entirely incapable of keeping the grin out of her voice, "Yes, I think this would be a grand time to discuss our issues. Here, in a very public place. With lots of people watching."

Kari whirled on her and looked dumbstruck. Well, maybe just dumb, I thought. I looked at her and tried to understand my wife's goals; She just smiled at me. She doesn't have a plan, but she's buying time. And she's right. There are lots of people here. Kari's reckless as hell, but she'd never do something that would endanger the public. Not on purpose, anyway. I took a few deep breaths, trying to shake the reply my mind had crafted immediately. Not that she'd have to. "I . . . Pact of Nonaggression, doctor?"

Doctor Berry had taken my meaning and nodded. "I'll do what I can. Kari, kindly release Mister Drei's arm."

Kari peeled her hand off my arm, and I rubbed my wrist before standing and sliding my chair to be closer to my wife, never taking my eyes off my enemies. Professor Mind gestured with a few fingers, and two chairs from empty tables floated over. People were staring at us, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Smash Gal sat across from me, leaving Berry next to me and across from my wife. I watched all three of them warily. Cherry spoke up, "Doctor, I never did get a chance to thank you for your help at Bion's compound. Also, I don't think we've ever been properly introduced. Curt, if you would?"

"I . . ." I watched her for a moment, trying to understand what the fuck she was playing at. Then it clicked. This is revenge. Against all of us. Me for being generally thickheaded, Kari for being an absolute bitch all of the time, and Professor Mind for attacking either of us. I sighed, and in a low voice, I introduced them. "Cindi, this is Chuck Berry, psychiatrist, and Professor Mind. And th-this is Kari Stewart, Smash Gal. And this is my wife, Cindi Drei, Buck Cherry."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet the most distinguished guests of our wedding," Buck Cherry said, emphasizing her title for them. She grinned and held out her hand. Berry took it immediately, shaking it once. Smash Gal looked at it and then at Cindi. My eyes widened; my heart was pounding in my ears; my hands were shaking violently. If she does anything to hurt Cindi . . . My eyes flicked around, marking spots. Under the table, I navigated through menus selecting the other sides of the portals. Every weapon I had at my disposal. I will level this entire fucking restaurant. Kari took my wife's hand and shook it stiffly.

"Curt," Smash Gal said, facing me again. Her voice was neutral; it was forced. I knew it was; it had to be. She hated this just as much as I did. "You agreed to the truce. Stop setting up your stupid portals. They wouldn't matter anyway."

"I agreed to the truce with him. As far as I'm concerned, you, Smash Gal," I put as much hatred as I could into her name as I could. "Are a threat. A bomb waiting to go off. Ready to try to destroy me and take away the things I care about."

"Speaking of bombs, how's your cult? Kill any children recently?" Incensed, I leaned forward, gearing up to just punch her in her stupid fucking face. Both Professor Mind and Cindi grabbed me and pushed me back into my seat. "Looks like I'm not the only bomb at the table, huh?"

"Kari," Chuck began neutrally, sitting back. "Antagonizing him isn't helpful."

"He started off antagonized," she spat back.

"Did I?" I asked softly but not calmly. I stared at the candle in the middle of the table, eyes only barely registering the scene in front of me. A waiter came by to deliver the wine, bringing me back to reality. He was scared out of his mind but also starstruck. We ordered, and he retreated back. But I could see him off in the distance, watching us from the kitchen. Lots of the staff were. There were murmurs from the patrons. People were recording us. Great. I'm going to be on the news again.

"Of course. You tried to kill me. You've constantly been threatening me. Even right now, you're thinking about how you could do it. You should give up. I'll survive. You can't win," she whispered the last part, leaning in. "You'll lose."

"Yeah, that's probably true. Especially given your recent attitude towards crime lately. Kill any criminals lately? Did that fire element user survive? Or Lady Blade? I heard that Doc Oak woke up from the coma you put him in. Are you proud of that? Putting people in comas? He's the second person we know that your recklessness has put in a coma."

"Mister Drei, you also shouldn't antagonize Kari. We're here to talk."

"With all due respect, which is very little, by the by, we are talking. It just so happens that this woman has ruined my life, and it's taking all of my willpower to not go nuclear. And she would deserve every bit of it and then some."

"Oh, Essy, come now. Let's let bygones be bygones, okay?" Cindi asked. Her voice was velvet. The kind of voice she used for a mark. But it wasn't directed at me alone. It was for the table. She took my hand and rested both on the table where everyone could see. "After all, you and I met under . . . difficult circumstances, and look at us now. Married, just returned from our honeymoon. Stronger than ever."

"I . . ." I sighed. Being this angry and terrified was exhausting, and that was the biggest problem. If I was going to fight Smash Gal, I needed to have energy. I needed to conserve everything I had if this got ugly. "Doctor Berry. You're the reason we're all here. What do you want to talk about?"

"I want to see if we can get to a point where you two won't be at each other's throats."

"I'm not at his throat. He's the violent one," Kari retorted, meeting her boyfriend's eyes. I glared at her.

"Ah, yes. I'm the violent one. I'm the one that flew me up to the stratosphere and then charged down at me at Mach 3. I'm the one who tried to choke the life out of the person you love most in the world. I'm the one who burst into a private event and put someone into a coma. I've stalked you all over the goddamn world, obsessed, trying to destroy everything you've built." She looked like I had swung on her. She couldn't meet my eyes. "I wasn't the one who made this personal, Kari. I just met you at your level."

"That's not . . . It's not like that, Curt."

"The fuck it isn-"

"Mister Drei, you've had your say. Let her speak," Chuck cut me off. His voice was calm and composed. Cindi squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"Whatever," I said, withdrawing my hand from Cherry's to cross my arms. She watched me.

"Chuck, this is pointless," Smash Gal said, gesturing to me. "He's not going to listen to a word I say."

"I think he'll hear you more than you or even he thinks. Give it a shot. This is the most you've spoken in months without trying to kill each other."

"Yet," I muttered.

"I'm not here to attack you, Curt," she responded softly.

"You wouldn't get the chance to. The instant you make one hostile move, I'll unload everything I've prepared on you."

"So you're going to attack me?" Kari asked. She sounded hurt.

"I'm not breaking the truce. I just don't fucking trust you. Not after everything you've done." My words didn't do anything to lessen the pain playing across her face, but she nodded.

"I . . . I hurt you. I didn't. . . It wasn't something I was trying to do, but I can admit that much. It . . ." She turned to Cindi. "I'm sorry that I . . . I'm sorry, okay?"

Buck Cherry sat tall next to Smash Gal, who was, even slouching, taller. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Curt," Kari said, turning back to me. She took a moment to compose herself as I glared daggers at her. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. I just wanted you to . . . stop. I wanted you to live up to all of the potential you have. You're better than this. You don't have to steal things. Hell, with what you've built, you could change the world without ever stealing anything ever again. No one would have to get hurt. You could make a real difference in the world."

"He already has, Miss Stewart," Cindi interjected. Kari eyed her, irritation playing across her features briefly. "Don't look at me like that, darling. And stop downplaying my husband's accomplishments. He has done things that no one else can. He is a thief, but that thieving has improved the world. More so than your heroics ever could. Just two nights ago, he saved thirty people from drowning. He's the reason that bastard Bion was taken in at all. If it had been up to you two, he'd still be out on the street, mining on that planet and endangering everyone on Earth."

=== Kari ===

"Yeah, right," I began, unconvinced. "The man who teamed up with Marcelli is a great guy. Real stand-up individual. Come off it. He does that other stuff to ease his conscience. He knows what he's doing is wrong!"

"You don't know a goddamn thing about my relationship with Marcelli. Because you're too fucking stupid to understand anything."

"Mister Drei, do not insult her like that," Chuck said. There was a brief pause as our food was delivered. We all thanked our waitstaff, and they quickly receded, having sensed the mood at the table. After they were gone, Chuck continued, "Curt, I would ask you to use kinder words when speaking to us. We're not your enemies."

"She literally just called me a sociopathic thief."

"Yeah, because you are."

"Kari!" My boyfriend shouted at me. "That also isn't helpful! . . . Mister Drei, if you would. Maybe explaining what happened with Marcelli might help us understand. We never got the full story . . . Given how that night turned out."

"You mean when he almost sawed my arms and legs off, trying to kill me."

"I believe that only happened after you strangled me unconscious because I stood in your way from killing him."

"I-" I began, then took a deep breath. "We were both in the wrong that night. I . .. I can admit that. I don't think he could ever admit that he's wrong, though."

"I can absolutely admit when I'm wrong. For instance: at one point, I thought you were a good person. I was incredibly mistaken about that. You're just a narcissist and a moron." Chuck began to say something, but Esvanir pointed at him violently. "No. That isn't an insult. That's an assessment. If you're going to be impartial, be impartial. But so far, you've been much more lenient on every word she said against me than the inverse."

"Your language has been far more inflammatory, Mister Drei."

"Implying I have a cult that murders children is plenty inflammatory." Curt's voice had become stony. "For your information, Kari, after you ruined our job at Marcelli's, he was so enraged that he managed to implant a bomb in Cindi's back and threatened to kill her. I had no choice but to work for him until I could get rid of him."

"You could have asked for help," I replied petulantly.

"And who could have possibly helped me. Who would have? Your solution, your only solution, would be for us to turn ourselves in and die in prison."

"I . . ." I sighed, causing the candle between us to almost flicker out. "Would that be so bad?"

"I, personally, greatly prefer fine wine and king-sized beds to dying in prison," Cindi replied softly, cutting into her meal and taking a bite.

"Kari, genuine question," Curt began, trying to school his voice into something approaching calm. "What would be accomplished by sending us to prison?"

"You wouldn't be stealing anything anymore. People wouldn't die trying to protect their property."

"People would just die from the hoarding of resources. People like Bion have killed more people with their businesses than Cindi or I ever could."

"You should work in the system to change it. Stealing from him doesn't solve the problem."

"The system is explicitly designed to protect people like him, Kari. There isn't anything in the system to stop him. That's where I come in." I met Curt's eyes, searching for something, then sighed and took a bite of her food, my gaze faltering.

"Maybe." I knew he had a point. I hate it, though, I thought. It's not fair! Why does he have to have a point? The voice in my head sounded childish. I knew why he had a point. He's right because he's smart enough to see what's going on in the world, and he's doing something about it because he cares, another calmer voice countered. Even if he does it in the wrong way, he does care. My mind flashed to the image of Doc Oak. Another criminal activist just trying to right the wrongs he saw in the world. And I put him into a coma.

=== Flashback ===

He was too slow to react. I charged forward. My senses were so much sharper after training with Suiren and her grandmother. I could track his eyes trying to follow me. And they couldn't. In less than a blink of an eye, I was behind him, causing a gust of wind to tear through the foliage he'd grown. He was turning, but it was still too slow. Everything is too slow. I swung my hand without thinking. It connected to the back of his skull, and he crumpled underneath it. He slammed hard into the ground, bouncing roughly a few times. Chuck cried out and tore free from his bonds, collapsing in front of the criminal. I reeled on him. Then I saw the blood. There was blood painting my fist. I . . . I hadn't used that much force. I was under control, I tried to assure myself. But it was a lie. I saw Chuck choking and dying and didn't think twice about eliminating that threat. Chuck called for an ambulance. One was there in a few minutes. I could have flown him to a hospital. But the truth was I didn't want to.

=== Present Day ===

What I'd done didn't scare me, but not being scared by it did. I felt completely justified in what I was doing. I had saved Chuck; I had stopped an eco-terrorist. I'm doing the right thing! I've told myself this over and over again. But the way that Chuck looked at me. The way people skirted around me on the street. A week later, after I'd stopped Lady Blade, it was even worse. Suiren thanked me for saving her and her grandmother, but the other people there, the partygoers, didn't look at me the same. They were scared. I couldn't help but remember the way Curt looked at me. Filled with rage and anger. Calling me a monster and a threat. I looked up from my plate to the man sitting across from me. Curt's face had become harsher since his secret had come out. He was a lot more angular. He'd always had deep bags under his eyes, but they had darkened to perpetual bruises. He had become more predatory too. He reminds me of a caged tiger waiting for the first sign of weakness to pounce. Andrew Wan's words echoed through my head. He doesn't see me as a friend anymore.

When we were kids, he'd look at me with admiration and affection. He'd try to play it off as though he didn't love me, but I knew. Everybody did. That look was gone. It'd been gone for a long time. It had been replaced with fear and anger, and hatred. I tried to ignore the pang of pain echoing through my chest. It broke my heart to have him look at me like that. I cared about him even if we weren't what we once were. I wanted him to be happy. And he hated me.

"Curt," I began in a small voice.

"What?" He asked heatedly. There was so much distrust and loathing in that one syllable, I thought. I closed my eyes.

"You've asked me a lot about what I should do about you. You . . might have a point about me. You might have a point about the way I've treated you," I said, turning my head away from him. He scoffed. "But you've never offered me a counter. What do you want me to do?"

=== Cindi ===

I frowned at the woman in front of me. Even just being this close to her was difficult. She'd almost killed me twice. She made Curt reckless. What do you want me to do? Her words echoed in my head. I want Curt to realize that he's beyond you. I want him to just know you're not worth anything. I clenched my fist and then released it, trying to relieve all the tension in my hands and chest. I want you to be gone, out of our lives. I want Curt to just leave you behind, where you belong. In our past. After a long moment, Curt spoke in a rough, strained voice, "I think I've been pretty clear about this. I want nothing to do with you. I want you to leave me alone."

"So, I can't ask you to stop, but you can demand that I stop?" Smash Gal retorted, her hand balling into a fist. "How is that fair?"

"Kari," Curt began, considering her words, deflating. I watched him work through the problem. Trying to figure out how to handle her. He scooped up the last bite of what he had on his plate and downed it. "Smash Gal, I'm not asking you not to be a hero. I'm asking you to stop chasing me. To stop trying to kill or capture me. My wife. To stop trying to ruin my life."

"That was never my intention!" She shouted, slamming her fist on the table. Amazingly, it didn't break. I looked away. "I don't want to hurt you. You just . . . You just . . ."

"Won't surrender," I offered, looking at my husband. Curt is a man of singular devotion. Whatever he cares about is all he sees. And he wants to fix the world. And he can. I can't. I never cared to try. But he does. And that's part of why I adore him. The woman glared at me.

"You won't stop committing crimes!" She countered.

"You're both right," Curt replied quietly. "I won't stop. I won't surrender. And neither will you. And that's the problem."

"Mister Drei, I don't think that's fair. You two are talking here."

"To what end?" Curt asked.

"What do you mean?"Mind asked, frowning.

"To what end? What are you trying to accomplish?"

"I think if you two were willing to stand down a little more, you might not be friends again, but you wouldn't have to kill each other," Professor Mind said, trying to keep his tone even. This man's goals were entirely against my own. But I can use him, I thought. He wants to try and get them to reconcile. But Curt would be hard-pressed to make up with anyone. Especially with someone who has done as much as she has. I tried not to think to me at the end. When I looked at her, I couldn't help but see her floating over me, her hands around my throat. Struggling to breathe. A voice in the back of my head countered, CHILD, YOU NEED NOT FEAR HER ANY LONGER. I AM WITH YOU. HE IS WITH YOU.

He? I asked Pinikir.

YOUR HUSBAND IS CLEVER. I AM STRONG. BETWEEN US, YOU ARE SAFE. Her presence did make me feel safer. So did Curt's. I smiled at him softly.

"That will never work," Curt replied, voice small. The three of us all laid eyes on him.

"Why not?" Professor Mind asked. He was looking for an opening to trick them into getting along. I grinned inwardly, already knowing that Curt could never accept that.

"What you're asking of us goes against everything we believe. What we're asking of each other goes against our very natures. Kari has a strong sense of justice. She'd never be able to just let a criminal like me go. And I'll never stop stealing from the rich. They're killing people with their incompetence and their indifference. And I can't stomach that."

"Does that make stealing from them okay?" Kari asked. "Does it justify hurting innocent people and getting them killed!?"

"You and I both think that it does. That's why you almost killed that katana-wielding psycho. It's why you almost killed Doc Oak, even though he's objectively correct."

"I did no-"

"Kari, you did use more force than was warranted," Berry put in. "We've discussed this before. You didn't care if he died as long as you stopped him. I hate to say it, but Mister Drei has a point. They aren't exactly dissimilar."

Kari glared at her lover. He held up his hands placatingly. Curt took out his wallet and threw down some money. Enough to cover everything and a healthy tip. Professor Mind turned to me. "You're leaving?"

"I don't see the point right now. If I stay, we will end up fighting. And I'm just so tired. I don't intend to go to jail. So, this is the other option."

"I think there's potential here," Doctor Berry replied. "Would you be willing to work on this again in the future?"

"I don't know," Curt said contemplatively. "I don't think she can work with me on anything."

"You did get off an alien planet together," I added, reaching for his hand. This wasn't over, I thought. Curt hasn't realized that he's already surpassed her in every way that matters. Fortunately, he has me to help him teach him that and many other lessons. I smiled up at him.

US, Pinikir added in. WE ARE ONE NOW. HE IS MINE. HE IS YOURS. HE IS OURS. I considered this for a moment, trying not to frown. I'd never thought for a moment that I'd have to share Curt. He's always been mine. He just didn't realize it until I had the bomb in my back. Something Professor Mind said brought me back to reality.

"She also stood up against Bion," Mind said. "I don't think your goals are that different."

"What!?" Kari demanded, ignoring her lover, directing her attention to Curt. Discomfort shifted in me. Both my own discomfort and Pinikir’s. I’ll unpack that later. Right now, I have to focus. "I can do whatever you can. Better, even."

"Then I have a challenge for you. Something that should be easy for the mighty Smash Gal," Curt responded snidely. It took a lot of willpower to not roll my eyes.

"What?"

"Meet with Doc Oak. Listen to him. Bring the Professor here. Apologize. Free him." Curt emphasized the word apology. I frowned at this. He's still trying to teach her. Redeem her. Why is she so important to him? One little kiss. There was a shift inside me. Both Pinikir and I were revolted at the thought and prickled at it.

"He is a criminal! He endangered people!" Smash Gal spat back.

"He was nonlethal to everyone until the cops tried to kill him. He didn't hurt anyone seriously,” Curt responded in a bored tone.

"He tried to kill Chuck!” The woman in pink exclaimed.

"And this is exactly what I mean." Curt's hand reclaimed mine, and the world shifted.