Maschenny and Maria walk in the dark corridors, half-exhausted, half-relieved to reach their beds. They don't talk to each other, but clarity fills them both. At some point, Maria stops walking. Even if she was two to three steps behind Maschenny, the other girl notices her absence. Maschenny opens her mouth to speak.

"—a note. Just a note." Says a voice on the other side of the room. Not any room but Aguero's. Yet the voice Maschenny hears is certainly not her brother's. Maria looks at her, the wheels on her brain turning in a rapid speed.

"It's not like that." Someone pleads. This, the voice, is Aguero's.

"You said you would chase."—Maschenny opens the door slightly before Maria can react—"I told you that you didn't have to. I told you I would wait."

Aguero hasn't noticed the now wide-open door. He keeps his entire attention to whoever he's speaking at the other line of the Pocket. Maria is also focused solely on her brother and doesn't see Maschenny taking out her own Pocket.

"I'm doing this for you. I'm—"Aguero turns the other way and Maria looks at him devastated. The boy closes the Pocket abruptly and Maria has time to see something shimmering next to her. The Yellow May. Maria staggers between the weapon and Aguero.

"Step aside."

"Maschenny." Maria pleads desperately. Maschenny lowers the Yellow March. She turns on her heels and walks out emotionless, Maria doesn't follow her. Instead, she turns to Aguero.

"Why?"

And Aguero looks back at her without an ounce of regret for lying, for betraying, for using. "You know why."

.

No one sleeps that night.

.

"I had a feeling he was lying," Maria tells Maschenny who doesn't meet her eyes. She doesn't say anything else. She doesn't explain why she never talked about those fears nor why she had covered for him. She doesn't apologize and it's perhaps the one thing that irritates Maschenny more than anything else.

It's her fault. She brought him in. She had talked about families and had tried to put the domestic mundane habits in their lives. She was the one who had forgotten that Khuns lie, and stab, and betray. And Maschenny had believed her.

"I won't let you kill him." Maria tells her. She was betrayed too, Maschenny knows that. Maria had known Aguero longer, had thought he cared for her more than anything—more than his own biological sister—and had felt his betrayal twice. Still, because Maria wasn't like Maschenny and never could be, she continued to protect him. "He's my brother."

And Maschenny can't help thinking that he was her brother too. But what had family bonds ever done for such a family?

.

"What have you done?"

"Given them everything about Zahad's army."

Maschenny nods. It was expected. Her and Aguero remain silent. He doesn't try to lie. She doesn't ask him. "You won't leave from here alive."

Aguero chuckles. "It doesn't matter anymore."

It's this statement alone that makes Maschenny furious. Takes all the hours spent collecting herself and throws them outside. There is not a single reason, not a single possibility of something existing and explaining why one would choose certain death and not all Maschenny had offered. He was a fool to betray them, to betray her.

"What did they offer you?" it comes out more as a plead than a question.

"Nothing. I came up with it myself." He simply tells her and Maschenny can feel herself suddenly understanding. "He has to win the war."

.

"They've brainwashed him."

Maria stares at her unblinking. "I'm not sure."

"They haven't offered him anything." Maschenny tries to explain "He's doing it for the war. The war! I feel like I'm listening to a Guide."

"And what happens now?"

Maschenny stomps her foot down. "We un-brainwash him."

Maria breaks out in laughter. Maschenny doesn't mind the noise.

.

Maria tells Maschenny about a boy with golden eyes, and after pulling some strings, they identify him as Jyu Viole Grace. FUG Slayer, a protégé, Khun's 'associate' and the one who is supposed to fight Zahad. They see videos of him fighting, Maria is impressed, Maschenny laughs.

"I don't know how FUG, or Aguero, see this and think he's going to kill the King." Maschenny tells her "I expected someone more impressive."

"His killing methods were impressive."

"Well yes," Maschenny scoffs "but he doesn't look threatening. He looks like that one summer Ran decided to grow hair because he was, and I quote, done with the suffering of life."

(It's way past midnight when Aguero finds them in Maria's room, both snoring, as the video of Jyu Viole Grace—of Bam—plays in the background.)

.

"I have concluded that I'm not dying any time soon."—Maria pretends to be shocked as Maschenny rubs her eyes—"Which is good, I guess, I won't even have to use Yeon's flame."

"Yeon's flame?" Maschenny asks.

"Truly I'm grateful but I also don't understand why I'm still here."

"We decided to save you from FUG's propaganda," Maria tells him seriously. Aguero doesn't laugh no matter how much he wants to.

"I don't believe in FUG's purpose." Maschenny almost chokes as the words are uttered. Maria grins and mouths 'it worked!'. "Why would you think that?"

"Well,"—Maschenny points at him—"it's your fault really."

.

Aguero is, maybe for the first time, entirely honest with them when he talks about an Irregular he met at Evankhell's hell. It's certainly an experience that leaves both Maria and Maschenny more confused than before. Especially Maschenny. Aguero doesn't dive into the details, just gives them facts and events, and even though Maschenny can't imagine such a boy to be able to wield the Black March, she can't imagine why someone would follow him so passionately either.

"I saw him eating grass once."

"He's an idiot." Maschenny tells him and Aguero shrugs "But you're a bigger idiot for following him."

.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling Yuri."

"You can not kill Yuri." Maria tells her sternly.

"I want to ask her about the Viole guy."

"Why?"

"To make sure he hasn't brainwashed the idiot in the other room."

"He hasn't." Maria insists but Maschenny refuses to believe her. "I think he's just in love."

Somehow, this is worse.

"Don't be ridiculous."—a pause—"We don't do that."

.

Yuri doesn't answer any of Maschenny's call. It doesn't catch Maschenny completely out of guard. The two of them had a very rivalrous relationship, mostly from Maschenny's part, so she didn't expect much help. Still, when her Pocket rang, Maschenny was certain it was Yuri.

"You have so many bad traits." She says "And now I can add the 'doesn't pick up' to the list."

"I called you." The voice says. Maschenny leans back at the wall, shocked to hear the voice talking to her. A talk she had with Aguero in what seemed like years ago comes to her mind. She closes her eyes and it's there and she's back home—"I don't know what you're planning but if you even think of hurting AA, I swear to you I will—"

"Is this how you greet family, Ran? Threats?" Maschenny asks as she crouches down "Mother would not be pleased."

"I don't threaten my family." He replies sharply and Maschenny remembers of the time she learned about Aguero's betrayal and thinks that she shouldn't be hurting like that. "He's not answering."

"He's with Maria. Safe." Maschenny says while Ran sighs in relief "I'm surprised you let him come to me."

"I didn't. We had been separated by the time he decided to go through with this stupid plan." Ran tells her "I want you to let him go."

"I'm not holding him here."

"What? Then why is he staying?"

"He had a small fallout with that FUG Slayer so he ignores having to face him." Maschenny explains "Maria and I are also trying to help him come to his senses and let that kid go."

"He isn't coming back because he got into a fight with Viole?" Ran asks himself. Before Maschenny had a chance to say more, Maria opened the door.

"Did you find Yuri?"
"No, but I found Ran."

"I will kill him!" Ran yelled, "Is he out of his mind?"

"Stop bullying Aguero." Maria said and grabbed the Pocket from Maschenny's hand "Can you help out, yes or no?"

"Help how?" Maschenny asked.

"Isn't it obvious—"

"I will have a therapy session with Viole and he will, probably, come and take him." Ran tells them "If he doesn't, I'll put a gag on AA's mouth and drag him back by the earrings."

"I see how you two are related."

.

Aguero was minding his own business. Which was, undoubtedly, something he always did before disaster struck. This time, tragedy appeared in the form of a wooden pole and Maschenny. She handed, threw to be more precise, the stuff.

"We're fighting."

"Could we not?"

"No, we're doing this." She said as she dragged him in the next room. "I need to check your fighting skills."

"You're a Princess." Aguero tells her "You know that I can't beat you."

"It doesn't matter if you can beat me,"—Maschenny breaths as she gets in position—"I just need to check that you're not useless with a spear."

One way or another, Aguero will return to his other team. It's an unspoken truth among them and Maschenny can't fight it any longer. Eventually, they're going to part and now—just as she found herself worrying sometimes about Ran—she would worry about Aguero. He was sending himself to be caught in a crossfire between Gods. The least she could do is check if he could fight.

He could. Not any extraordinary skills but he could block Maschenny's attacks with ease. However, despite his good blocking skills, he never struck her first.

"Can I ask you something?"—she hits his side—"Is there any scenario in which you don't fight along with this Viole kid against Zahad?"

Aguero jumps to avoid another strike. "No."

Maschenny sighs. "I can't understand your devotion."—she goes to hit him again, he blocks her—"He's a good fighter, I'll give him that, but good fighting doesn't gain you trust."

"It doesn't."—Aguero hits her hand—"Bam's more than that."—another hit—"He's everything the Tower stands against." Aguero keeps hitting her, not really realizing how Maschenny struggles to listen to him while making sure to block his attacks. "I don't follow him because of some silly admiration. I don't follow him because I expect something. I follow him simply because I could never not to."

Maschenny is brought down by a strong hit to her ankle. She lays down, eyes on the ceiling, a sceptic expression plastered on her face. Aguero snaps out of his monologue and extends his hand.

"I think I'll lay here for a little longer."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go check on what Maria is doing. Or burning." Aguero chuckles and begins walking away. "Wait,"

"Hm?"

"Do you, um, remember that thing I had told you?" Maschenny slowly gets up again "About the stairs?"

"Yes."

"If Viole," she stops and ponders for a mere second—"if Bam, asked you to jump, would you?"

Aguero smiles. "From the very top of the Tower."

It's not an answer she wanted, but it's an answer she expected.

.

"Have you talked to Ran?"

"No."

"Oh." Maschenny looks at the disappointment in Maria's face and sighs. When had it come to this? When had she begun caring about their feelings?

"What's on your mind?"

"He's sad." Maria says and she drags Maschenny towards the main hall "I swear when I see that Viole guy, I will—"

"He's not going to come."

"Bite your tongue." Maria tells her "He's going to come."

"Why?"

"Because he has to."—Maria crosses her arm—"Aguero loves him. It's how it's meant to be done."

How it's meant to be done. Maschenny repeats the words in her head. They don't change how the world works no matter how many times she replays it. Maschenny looks around to make sure Aguero isn't close by. She turns to Maria.

(She thinks of everything she ever wanted. She thinks of what she wanted. She's a God, she's an Apex Predator. But she isn't alone in the chain. Somewhere near stand Zahad and Viole. Viole who, no matter what he wants, is shaped to become a God by FUG. And Maschenny? She looks at the two of them and knows two things. Firstly, Aguero is going to be left behind. No matter how hard he tries, Maschenny knows, he can't chase a God.

The second is that Maschenny can become a God. But she isn't sure if it's worth it.)

"Haven't you learned anything from Zahad?"—Maschenny opens the front entrance and catches a glimpse of Aguero's hair standing some feet away—"Gods don't love."

Maria smiles at her. She puts one hand on Maschenny's shoulder and squeezes it. "Weird,"—she points to where Aguero is standing with someone—" I think this one does."

Maria whistles at the two boys. "Should I pack your bags?"

"I've already packed them."

"Rude." Maria laughs and extends her hand "You must be Viole."

"You can call me Bam. Viole is a little—"

"Unoriginal." Aguero cuts in "Chestnut is better."

Maschenny looks at Bam, or Viole, from head to toe. She had been right, he didn't look threatening, and he didn't look like a God either. He looked—

"You remind me of father." Aguero went still as soon as the words were uttered and both Maria and Bam had to check for a pulse.

"Thank you?"

"Not a compliment. I hate my father." She chuckles "But if Aguero thinks so highly of you, I suppose it's wrong to compare."

Bam smiles at this and Aguero lets out a relieved sigh. Maschenny turns to Maria satisfied. "You two go retrieve his bags."

"Don't kill the poor boy." Maria warns and follows Aguero back inside. Maschenny smiles. It's not an answer. Suddenly, Maschenny gasps.

"You're Jinsung's student."

"I am."

"Didn't I try to kill him?"

"You did." Bam tells her awkwardly "But um, he's fine now."

Maschenny nods. "So, you know it first-hand."

"Know what?"

"That I can kill you with ease." Maschenny smiles as Aguero and Maria return "Don't do anything stupid."

Bam looks at Aguero with a smile on his face, his eyes softening. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Notes:

I'm doing two short stories based on this series for Khunbam week in days 4 and 5.
For day 4, Khun and Bam will *finally and officially* get together while Ran, Maschenny and Maria cause chaos and for day 5 you'll have a chance to see exactly what happened with Khun's 'betrayal' through Bam's eyes. (Long story short, Khun pretends to leave Bam-telling only Karen and Shibisu about his plan-so he can work as a spy for the team. Bam would obviously be against that and this is why Khun pretends to abandon him. They'll be much angst and miscommunication so yay.)

I sincerely hope you liked this ride and you stick around. Also yes, I am capable of writing both raw lines and crack. No, I do not do it well but I can do it.