Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Alba Cavanich; the capital city, the city that’s always in the news, the city that’s lit. Big fancy streets with expensive restaurants and elaborate decorations, enormous networks of sewers and alleys, highways and traffic stops and broken lights – it was an old industrial town oozing with history, it was a metropolis with 3 million residents, it was the jewel of the Ardainian Empire. Back in Fonsett, everyone had wanted to move here…

-now that Rex is living here, he’s not so sure. He really needs to get home right now to finish his homework and cook dinner, and maybe shower, but instead he’s stuck in the underground with a very large and annoyed crowd thanks to ‘technical difficulties’. There’s not much to do apart from holding his bag and shuffling around in place, because there’s people and sharp elbows surrounding him on all sides.

Until there’s not.

The train arrives, and people flood toward it like an actual tide – Rex is born and raised in Fonsett, a fishing village, so he knows how tides swallow everything in their path, just like that.

-Of course it’s too crowded for him to actually get on this train. He’s left with a much smaller group of people to wait another five minutes or more. At least the trains are running again! He tries to cheer himself up with that thought…

It’s quiet except for the rumble of traffic above them, and people are either tapping at their phones or tapping their feet in impatience. Rex waits, adjusting the strap of his bag, and lets his thoughts drift away until-

There’s a shout from the escalators, and at least five heads whip around to stare, Rex included. The shout is soon followed by a brilliant flash of light, and then you can hear running footsteps and the voices of two people, taunting each other. The noise comes closer and closer, a teenager lifts his phone to start filming, and then two figures burst out of the corridor above the escalators.

(-this is the reason why Alba Cavanich is constantly in the news.)

The first figure is unmistakably the Aegis. Her white veil and shining green sword has in urban legend become a sign of hope, of resistance: our hero is here. She’s a vigilante fighting against the terrorist organisation known as Torna, which must mean that the second figure is…

Logos, her arch-enemy. Covered from head to toe in gleaming black armour, he wields a massive purple sword with a finesse that shouldn’t be possible while wearing that much heavy metal. He brings it up to block the Aegis’s sword, lightning-fast, and kicks at her. She dances out of the way and stabs forward only to draw back and slice his arm instead, and Logos’s sword clashes against hers with a sound that seems to rattle the whole room.

Rex is partly awed and partly terrified, and when the train slides into the station no one dares to move. The Aegis is gaining ground on Logos, but then he gets a lucky hit and the Aegis goes flying down the escalator-

Rex’s heart is in his throat, but then there’s a flash of blinding light-

-and when it clears, the Aegis is slicing away at Logos’s defenses again, at the top of the escalator.

It’s mesmerising to watch. And also very, really, ridiculously dangerous.

…Rex still takes out his phone for a video. C’mon, he’s a Fonsett kid. This is basically a child’s fantasy come to life, battling in the underground with swords as long as his arm…

-When Logos shouts, “This isn’t over, Aegis!” and retreats up the corridor, Rex cheers along with the rest of the station. People start to move again, remembering grocery lists or kids to watch, and the train starts filling up. Rex scrambles to put his phone away so he won’t miss this train too, but his bag decides to pull a prank and notebooks and papers spill out in an avalanche and onto the shabby floor of the underground. Dammit.

Rex crouches down and starts to hastily shovel papers into his bag, but the train pulls away as he reaches for the physics book. Architect dammit.

“Studying archaeology?” asks a voice, and Rex looks up with a retort not to touch his stuff-

-and swallows it. The Aegis is just crouching there casually, holding up his archelogy book. Her face is covered by an ornate white and gold mask, so he can’t tell her expression.

“Um, yeah. I’m studying at Ayvill University…” Rex trails off, and wonders what in Alrest he’s supposed to say now. Thankfully the Aegis hands him his book back, so he can busy himself with stuffing it into his bag. He puts away the last of the papers, and closes his bag.

He looks up, and tries asking, “So did you study at Ayvill University…?”

The Aegis hums noncommittally. “Yup. Cooking.”

“And then you… became the Aegis?”

“Something like that.”

Rex is like, 75% sure she’s lying. About at least one part of her story. Though he can’t even imagine just… picking up a sword, putting on a mask, and going out to fight terrorists. Making a change. So… she’s got her life, Rex has got his. And they’re vastly different. (he’s never thought much about what heroes do in their free time before…)

“Is that your train?” The Aegis asks, and Rex jerks to motion.

“It is. Thanks for your help, Miss… uh, Aegis.”

Beneath her mask, her lips pull into a smile, and Rex just looks at it, that small happiness. “No problem. It was nice meeting you-“

“Rex,” Rex says before he can stop himself.

“Rex,” The Aegis echoes, and Rex feels like some sort of deal has been sealed. “Don’t miss your train.”

“Yeah, right.” Rex grabs his bag and starts moving, looking over his shoulder, once. The Aegis is looking at him, still, so impulsively he raises his hand and waves goodbye. And the Aegis, champion of Alba Cavanich, hero of the defenceless, shining light of hope, waves back.

What a day.

Chapter Text

The Aegis crawls in through the window, which is as always left open, stands up in the cramped living room, and pulls off her mask.

“How’d it go?” asks Mythra, her twin sister, from where she’s lying on the sofa and writing furiously in a notebook. The TV is blathering on in front of her: The Aegis made the news again.

“Logos escaped,” Pyra says, and removes the white veil she has to hide her hair (it’s a bright red colour…), dragging a hand through it. She then starts working on removing the rest of her suit (specifically the white Kevlar on her chest) and is looking very intently at her gloves as she says neutrally, “I met a boy in the subway.”

“Oh?” Mythra says almost gleefully. “Was he maybe… cute?”

“Maybe.” Pyra dives down to take off her boots, hiding her blush face from Mythra’s view. “He was polite, anyway. And he’s a student at Ayvill, too.”

“What’s his name?”

Pyra looks up to give Mythra a look.

“I’m not going to stalk him! I just want to know if I have any classes with him.”

Pyra sighs. “Alright. He didn’t give me a surname – just Rex.” Handing out surnames to strangers is a pretty dumb idea. Even if said stranger is The Aegis.

Mythra nods, but her expression makes Pyra fear that she’s planning something, but what could that possibly be? There’s no way she’ll manage to find Rex – and that’s good. The Aegis shouldn’t come striding in and mess up the lives of civilians…

A week later Pyra is in their little pastel-coloured kitchen, loading the dishwasher, because the kitchen belongs to her and her alone; she’ll never let Mythra touch the stove again – when Mythra appears in the doorway. Pyra looks up, clutching a plate, ready to remind her where she put that packet of oreos (cupboard above the sink) but instead Mythra says, “You remember my girlfriend?”

“Um... Nia, right?”

“Yeah. So we were thinking that it’d be great if you two finally met – AND I know you’re free tonight.”

Trapped and defeated, in her own kitchen. “The Aegis isn’t free tonight,” Pyra says.

“Yeah she is. You said yourself it’s been quiet this week.”

Pyra puts the plate down, asking, “So Nia is coming over?” Mythra and Nia had been together for a month, and had been chatting for years before meeting each other at Ayvill. Three months later, and wow, Mythra is in an actual romantic relationship; it’s almost like some kind of national holiday. Pyra cautiously observed the situation from afar, happy for her sis… but okay, admittedly kind of sulky, because Pyra’s last boyfriend had been a disaster so now she was single again—

-and somehow, Pyra had managed to never actually meet Nia face-to-face. It’s not that she didn’t want to – Nia sounded really funny – but. It was just… Meet-the-family-s are always, by some magical rule, incredibly…

“No,” Mythra says. “We’re going to her place. She’s got a cat, but you like cats, right?”

Well it’s hard to dislike cats. “Her place…? Where-“

“It’s close to campus.” Mythra looks at her. “You’re coming, right?”

Pyra glances down at the dishwasher. “Sure, I guess…”

Mythra rings the doorbell, while Pyra waits partly in dread, partly in anticipation. Maybe she should’ve brought… something. Flowers? Wait. No, absolutely not, it’s not like they’re meeting Nia’s mother. Chocolate? Food? Pens maybe? Students love pens-

The door opens.

Pyra has seen pictures of Nia, obviously. So her first thought is: she’s short. Which is rude even if she didn’t say it out loud, so Pyra quickly says and actually stumbles over the word, “Hello!”

“Hullo,” Nia replies. “So are you two coming inside or what?”

Pyra hesitantly steps inside, while Mythra closes the door. She looks around. Nia’s apartment is a bit bigger than Pyra’s and Mythra’s, but about as messy. An effort had clearly been made, but socks, mugs, plates and books are still scattered around the living room, miscellaneous trinkets and game-controllers, papers and pens and a dictionary shoved in a stack on the table. It was starting to look a lot like Mythra, too lazy to clean, had entered a relationship with Nia, a person who also didn’t like cleaning…

That’s when she spots the cat, lounging on the floor by the sofa.

“Aw.” Pyra crouches next to it. That’s just what you do when you spot a cat, no question. It’s one of those fancy breeds from Tantal, those that seem to be made of 70% fur. Fluffy. She turns back briefly to ask, “What’s their name?”

“His name is Dromarch.”

“Dromarch,” Pyra repeats. “Hi Dromarch.”

She looks up, and Nia grins. She slumps down on the couch, and leans over to pet Dromarch. Pyra carefully holds out a hand-

-and then there’s another cat, slinking out from behind the couch.

“And who’s that?” Pyra asks, smiling.

“That’s Gramps.”

“…Gramps?”

“Well I don’t know. It’s my roommate’s cat.”

“You have a roommate?” Pyra asks. Strange. Mythra didn’t mention anything about a roommate… And where has Mythra disappeared to, anyway? Pyra looks up with a glare ready, but Mythra isn’t anywhere-

“Yeah, duh. He’s probably hiding in his room-“ and then Nia shouts, “REX! We have guests!”

Pyra has a whole little heart-attack for like three seconds, but then rationale comes rushing in and of course it isn’t him, ‘Rex’ isn’t that uncommon a name, I knew a Rex in kindergarten-

-A door in the corridor leading up to the living room slams open, and then ‘Rex’ pokes his head out, looking stressed.

Oh. Oh shit.

It’s him. It’s actually, somehow, that guy from the subway, and Pyra is going to do horrible things to Mythra, she’s going to get-

“Rex, this is Pyra, Mythra’s sister,” Nia says, marching on like Pyra isn’t dying right next to her, and Rex steps fully out into the corridor, runs a hand through his hair awkwardly and says,

“Hello? So, uh, I’m Rex, but you already knew that…”

Chapter Text

“Hello? So, uh, I’m Rex, but you already knew that…”

Rex tries a smile.

Mythra’s sister, Pyra, makes a… sound.

Nia looks like she’s about 20 seconds away from pulling out her phone to start filming.

Rex starts talking, because he might as well. “I’m her roommate and... Uh.” The cats. That’s a subject to talk about. “That’s my cat! Gramps. I mean – not Gramps, I just – his name’s Azurda. With a Z. Yeah.”

“Oh…kay?” Pyra says very, very slowly. Her eyes are very red. So’s her lips, too. And hair! Gosh, let’s not make this weirder… “I’m… Pyra. Your cat’s really… uh… blue.”

“He’s a Leftherian domestic shorthair!” Rex blurts out. Because Leftherian domestic shorthairs typically have blue or violet tinged fur and gee, Rex should really end this conversation before it gets any worse, shouldn’t he? “Anyway,” he forces himself to say with a smile, “Where’s your sister? I… borrowed a book from her, so I need to give it back. You know, because I don’t just steal stuff from my friends. Roommates’ friends. From anyone.”

“The kitchen,” Nia says in a strangely choked voice, “She’s in the- oh my god-“ a helpless peal of laughter bursts from her throat and she doubles over laughing, while Rex makes his Grand Exit, almost sprinting out of the room in desperation.

As soon as they’re out the door and Nia’s said goodbye, Pyra turns to Mythra and says fervently, “I need to move to another country. Architect, I’m going to die if he ever sees me again – did you hear that conversation? Did you? And dinner-“ she lets out a strangled whimper. Mythra bites her lip like she’s trying not to smile, and Pyra snaps, “This isn’t funny! Your matchmaking and – you could’ve told me! I ruined everything, damn this-“

“Hey wait, it didn’t go that badly-“

“Really? Really? He went to hide in his room as soon as dinner was over! I spilled that sauce over him and then he apologised-“

“Pyra,” Mythra interjects loudly. “Next time you can make a better impression, but right now we should just go home, and then we should eat that mint ice cream that’s been in the freezer for two months. By tomorrow you’ll have forgotten this ever happened.”

“No. I have to go out tonight-“

“The hell you do. Nothing’s happened all week.”

“Flamebringer’s got information for me. Tonight.”

Mythra looks at Pyra for a long moment, and Pyra defiantly stares back. There’s no way Mythra can prove whether she’s lying or not, not in this. Flamebringer knows people in high places, so she usually catches wind of rumours or titbits of intel faster than common folk, and she doesn’t mind sharing if she trusts you. The Aegis has never missed out on a briefing so far.

“Does she.” Mythra says. “For you specifically? I could go, otherwise.”

…The problem with sharing a persona with your twin sister is that she can pull cards like these. Thankfully Pyra is the one who decided to make them allies with Flamebringer, the one who has Flamebringer’s number, and the first of them who got to know that Flamebringer’s real name is Brighid Imbolc. To put it in simple terms: Flamebringer likes Pyra more, haha.

“For me,” Pyra says.

“…Then go.” Mythra’s face still looks like she’s just about to accuse Pyra for fleeing, just because she wants to never talk about this evening again ever. (Still – Mythra doesn’t say anything, not a word, not for the whole walk home)

Pyra leaves. As soon as they’re back at their apartment she changes clothes and climbs out through the window, once again using their dear old rusty fire escape ladder thingy, which the city of Alba Cavanich sometimes seem to forget they have so many of, based on the fact that along the mountainside is some sort of large labyrinth made entirely of broken ladders and old rails spiralling down into the abyss. That’s a serious hazard for dumb teenagers – the city really ought to remove it.

-Anyway. She really does have a meeting with Flamebringer tonight.

Pyra wasn’t lying. She doesn’t like lying more than absolutely necessary – it just makes the person Pyra feel fake and plastic if she lies as herself in addition to lying as the Aegis. She likes honesty. If people stopped lying, having reasons to lie about everything – stopped cheating and murdering and Architect knows what – then this world could really get somewhere. It’s already getting better but Pyra wants to help too and-

Well. That’s the Aegis. Hi!

Flamebringer – Pyra is really meeting her tonight, but it’s more of a weekly any-new-broken-ribs routine chit-chat than any sort of… scheduled this-information-is-of-utmost-importance meeting. To be honest, Pyra is feeling all kinds of awful right now and wouldn’t mind running into Logos or one of his minions, but just meeting with Flamebringer will have to do if nobody needs help…

Watching the sunrise while curled up on trusty ol’ Fire-escape-thingy, Pyra feels a realisation dawn upon her much like the sun slowly rising beyond the rooftops and chimneys. Rex – if she ever in her life wants to talk to him again – he only dislikes Pyra, right. She only made a fool of herself being herself. But the Aegis. The Aegis had a very short but nice discussion with Rex – and it could happen again.

The Aegis could hang out with Rex.

The Aegis prods at the idea, at the warm glow of possibility, and feels so strangely exhilarated that she has to stand up.

The Aegis could even know where Rex lives – Pyra is fairly sure Nia is involved in the whole vigilante business in some way or another. The Aegis could visit Rex – the Aegis should probably not do that, actually, if Pyra puts any more rational thought into this she’s gonna lose her nerve but-

The Aegis is going to visit Rex.

It’s not a long way to his apartment, and only in the door does Pyra actually stop to think- what in Architect’s name am I doing?

Oh no. She can’t do this. It’s weird, it’s- it’s pretty crazy considering she has met him twice. She can’t do this. Emotionally, morally, logically – she can’t do this, she’s leaving, she’s-

The door is opening.

Pyra zooms right past shock and mindless panic and into an eerie sort of calm. Leave, step back, and run down the stairs – she executes it all flawlessly, and proceeds to hide behind the building to freak out.

Chapter Text

Rex, reasonably cheerful compared to Nia, who looks like she’s ready to commit murder if it means she gets coffee in the mornings, exits his apartment. He doesn’t bother locking the door seeing as Nia will be going out in about five minutes, but halfway down the stairs he’s almost changed his mind. He glances suspiciously up at the stairs, gaze cutting to the window. He feels…

Hmm. Paranoid.

He gets his phone out and sends a quick text to Nia: heading to class.  

Think some1s maybe following me?

Nvm

He walks down the rest of the stairs gingerly, pausing for a minute before stepping outside. Though there’s no one there. Why would there be? He’s just… feeling watched for some inexplicable reason. Well, he’s got a test today, so that’s stressful yeah – and he made a complete fool of himself last night. Yikes. His face feels warm just thinking about it. (and it’s not because he’s thinking about Pyra. Architect, he’s such a clumsy dumb fool sometimes…)

Rex doesn’t spot her. Small mercies, Pyra supposes. The Aegis follows him discreetly to the campus, using corners and bushes to keep out of sight. Not that it’d be a big deal if he spotted her, right, because he doesn’t know that Pyra is the Aegis and he never will. And the Aegis can absolutely track people to make sure Logos or Crystal doesn’t surprise attack them or something like that – it’s all very noble and restrained, yes.

-until Pyra remembers that she also has school today.

She hasn’t slept any, and she doesn’t have her bag either, and she’s wearing the Aegis outfit to boot and really- but really, she can’t skip school again, what is she thinking? Chin up, coffee, normal clothes – it’s fixable, she’ll be late of course, but she just has to stop by home and then she’s good to go! In theory. Fuck practice, she’s gonna do this. Get her mind back on track: homework, cooking, school.

The second time Rex meets the Aegis begins with the fact that he’s at Argentum Mall, shopping for clothes. Or more precisely: he’s done with the clothes shopping since pretty much all he got was socks and underwear (without any patterns; he’ll never let Nia buy him anything ever again) and he’s walking towards the exit just going along with the stream of people, but the crowd just thickens and thickens, people slowing until they’re not even moving anymore. Which, annoying.

-and then he catches a glimpse of what has everyone so enraptured, and it’s – the Aegis. The Aegis talking to two security guards, and there’s something there which is letting out long wispy plumes of smoke, hidden somewhere behind the camera flashes and the curious shoppers, but the Aegis. She’s never usually spotted in any crowded places, other than the underground or the square by Senate Hall, so this?

Did Logos attack the Argentum Mall?

It’s gotta be covered in the news, right? Or maybe he’d find a video of what happened on the internet…

Finally the crowd starts to move again, slowly, pushing towards the doors. The Aegis appears to have slipped off to somewhere, so now what’s left is just two regular ol’ security guys who probably aren’t paid enough for this, and nobody ever finds normal people interesting. Life goes on. It always does – it’s kind of comforting. Life in Alba Cavanich wasn’t so different from living in Fonsett after all; people were people and he’d always have homework, no matter where-

“Hello,” says a very, very sudden voice, and Rex spins around so fast he almost topples down the stairs to the underground-

“Aegis,” Rex gasps. Architect. He clearly can’t be trusted to meet or talk to a human being not in post-mortem ever again; first Pyra, now this?

“Rex,” says the Aegis, and tugs him along so that they’re climbing down the stairs together. You know, because apparently that’s what being a vigilante is all about nowadays: striking up conversation with hapless university students. Get a grip Rex. “You’ve been shopping?”

“Uh, yeah. I saw you at the mall.” So did about a million other people too. “Was it Torna?”

“It was Crystal,” says the Aegis, and then she pauses for just a moment. “He’s with Torna, so yes... It was Torna.”

“I see.”

They climb down the stairs. People turn to stare at them as soon as they’re down in the underground, and it’s still five minutes until the train will arrive. Well. Enjoy the spotlight, Rex!

The Aegis doesn’t seem to notice. Heck, she’s probably immune to staring at this point. Rex slumps, trying to look even more inconspicuous in his big blue hoodie, tightly clutching his shopping bag, while the Aegis stands tall next to him (taller than him), chin up, regal and ethereal in all white. Somehow the bright gold and green details in her armour (clothing? Kevlar?) seem to shine beneath the shitty underground lighting and sheesh, this isn’t even fair, how does she look this majestic? Rex would gladly let her step on him.

The train hisses to a stop, and the doors open.

Rex glances at the Aegis one last time, and then she says, asks, “Can I escort you home?”

“I- no? I mean – but why? I’m not in any danger, aren’t you- isn’t-“ The Aegis holds up her hands in a placating gesture and starts backing away, so, well, what’s he supposed to- “Yeah.” Rex can taste the sweet tang of blinding stupidity on his tongue. “I mean. You’re the Aegis. So I mean…”

“We better get on the train.”

Oh, normal sentence. “Yeah, we’d better…”

The third time happens because the Aegis saves him from a chunk of falling debris, and Rex was sort of hoping he’d be seeing her again but wow was that never gonna happen, so a week of nothing passed and Rex did homework and went grocery shopping and watched too many videos of the Aegis, and then this shit with Logos and buildings under construction happens and-

-she leaps in and pushes him out of the way, and Architect, Rex’s hands are shaking and it feels like his breath is too, rattling in his chest like a terrified bird, but the Aegis calls his name and doesn’t leave. “Rex, it’s okay, hey,” says the Aegis, and he breathes back that he’s fine, really, and the Aegis springs back up to lunge for Logos, who’s – who might be looking at Rex.

Who might be looking at Rex, and this is the deep end, already, because the Aegis is interested in Rex for some inexplicable reason and now Logos might know. This is why he should’ve said no at the underground, shouldn’t have given out his fucking address.

But he did. So here we are.

Chapter Text

“You’ve been acting strange.” Mythra eyes her across the table, not actually pointing at Pyra with her chopsticks but it felt like she should be doing it. I’m watching you.

“Really?”

“Mm. You’re disturbingly cheerful.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? …Why are you even asking anyway?”

“Just thought there ought to be a reason why you’re so cheery at the prospect of patrolling.”

Pyra shrugs, and very deliberately takes a bite of her food. Fish. Yummy. Never had she had a dish this fascinating before, it absolutely devoured all of her focus and attention, yes.

“So. That boy the Aegis has been spotted with twice now, it’s kind of suspicious, isn’t it?” -Oh, Mythra, that manipulative nosy matchmaker.

“I wouldn’t know,” Pyra chirps, trying to lower the temperature of her face by force of will alone. “It’s weird how your girlfriend’s roommate looks so similar to him, isn’t it? Such a shame I’ll never be able to talk to him…”

“You could.” Mythra looks at her with a way too serious gaze. “Our place. Movie night. I’d get Nia to bring him with her. It’d-“

“No.” Pyra’s stomach roils at the thought, all that yummy fish she has consumed suddenly flopping over. “Nevermind. Don’t do it.” Please don’t do it.

“I’m serious.”

“So am I. Don’t.”

(and maybe she should’ve agreed, maybe she was just being a coward. Maybe she was just creating problems for the future. But things were going well as they were, and Pyra felt loath to try and change anything and upset the careful balance of the universe)

On the nights that it’s Pyra’s turn to be the Aegis (which were most nights, and honestly they didn’t use to do this much patrolling before, so possibly, maybe, had Pyra pushed it a bit) Pyra had started to hang out closer to campus. She knew she shouldn’t, alright, she was aware. The Aegis was a bit of a danger magnet, and she was technically infringing on Lady’s territory, and she shouldn’t be throwing all her socialising effort in with the Aegis-

-but Rex had told her she could come and visit, after that second meeting in the subway, when they had both been standing in his kitchen and he’d awkwardly offered to make coffee. That was kind of sweet, wasn’t it? His earnest interest in archaeology was cute to watch, too, and-

-and Pyra was just lucky that Nia hadn’t been home that night.

She had a standing invitation. Seeing Rex was a thing that was on the table, it was available and an oh-so-shiny offer, and it wasn’t what the Aegis should be doing with her time, but who was going to stop her? So she used her invitation. Several times, but mostly on Mondays. She debated a bit of homework questions with Rex, played cards with him, cuddled his cat, criticized his taste in TV-shows, and the one Monday night that Nia actually was at home Pyra just sat and clung to the windowsill, sharing a bag of marshmallows with Rex through the open window.

“The light,” Rex asks suddenly. “That thing you do, with the light – how do you do it? Is it some kind of equipment you use or um, is it-“

Pyra has never told anyone, because Mythra had been born with it too.

Flamebringer haven’t asked.

-So, the obvious answer is to not answer at all. If you’re a superhero then you have superpowers, and if you don’t have superpowers then you have cash that enables you to look like you have powers. Pyra’s bank account is currently crying into its hands, so no. It's not any equipment which gives her her abilities. She’s already decided anyway – Pyra can almost hear Mythra’s voice inside her head going: don’t do it Pyra, don’t say it, but… (and it’s not that she doesn’t trust Rex, it’s that once she’s begun telling him personal stuff then where will it end?)

Her voice of reason sounds more and more like Mythra nowadays.

“No gadgets. It’s natural.” Pyra says, and that’s not very deep yet so it’s fine. “Actually,” she says and smiles, “I could show you?”

Rex opens his mouth but then closes it again without saying anything. Pyra holds up one gloved hand between them. A drop of gold glimmers in her palm, slowly blooming into a gentle glow. Something shapeless but bright, so bright Rex has to squint at it.

“…That’s pretty neat.”

“Not especi- don’t touch it! It’s hot-“

“Sorry!”

Maybe he actually had gotten more confident after meeting the Aegis, some of her recklessness infecting him. Not that shopping late was actually dangerous, normally, but it was dark as night already thanks to the clouds, and cold rain was drizzling down in a wet miserable haze. Just enough water to irritate everyone, but not enough to form puddles. Everything just looked grey and all the noises were muted so that you wouldn’t really hear if anyone was sneaking up on you…

Rex was trekking from the underground back to his apartment, shopping bag in each hand. Then suddenly he realised how dark it was. And how short and unsuspecting he looked like, with his bags and no umbrella and definitely no company.

-well. What could he do, really? Besides, it was just a bad feeling – they come and go.

Oh yikes.

He almost feels relieved when someone suddenly blocks his path – because hey, apparently his gut feeling works! Anyway, common sense kicks in the literal second after and he nearly drops his groceries because holy shit, holy shit, that guy has a sword; he’s really tall and masked and he’s got a sword (please be a cosplayer please be a cosplayer please don’t be with Torna-)

“You know the Aegis,” he states, his voice soft and almost conversational, nevermind the goddamn sword, or how he just slipped out of that crack between two buildings like he’d been waiting to ambush someone.

“Uhh,” Rex stammers. “Maybe? Wha-“ AAAAAA.

Tall-Creepy-And-Dressed-In-White is turning out to be scarily fast, and Rex finds himself pressed to a wall with that sword at his throat in the time it’d take him to blink, groceries scattered all over the pavement. Dear Architect. He can feel the cold blade against his skin when he swallows nervously and he’s going to start panicking, he knows it, gods he cannot start hyperventilating right now-

“How long?”

“Um – I – it’s-“ Steely blue eyes without any remorse or feeling stare into his soul and that’s, that’s when Rex starts hoping he’ll at least die quickly. He croaks, “A month.”

His future murderer cocks his head and says, “Tell me your name.”

Like fuck- “Rex Padraig,” he blurts out.

“Rex,” says Murder-Guy, and then another voice abruptly yells,

“Crystal!”

He calmly turns his head to look behind him, the blade pressed against Rex’s throat not even dropping slightly. Rex glances up too, prays to the Architect, and then his eyes land on another vigilante. She’s short, dressed in simple grey and red combat and training wear, and she’s wearing a kitsune mask which somehow makes the outfit actually fit together. She’s pointing a knife at them.

“Drop the kid, Crystal. And get off my campus.”

“Lady,” says Murder-Guy.

“Fuck off, icicle.” She’s now holding a second knife, and Rex is trying to take deep breaths and stay cool, but again, sword at throat. “Stop creeping in my territory.”

There’s a long moment.

And then, Murder-Guy lets go off him and steps back. “Very well,” he says, and turns around and walks away. Rex is too busy gasping for air and slumping on the ground to give even a single shit about where Murder-Guy is heading next, and he’s alive, gods, he’s never going grocery shopping again- oh Architect-

“Take deep breaths,” says a distant voice, right, that girl- “Count to three. Easy, okay, take a deep breath, now count to three- 1… 2… 3… let it out, yes, yeah, now take another…”

When Rex feels a little less like he’s about to fly to pieces, he immediately struggles back to his feet. The-Vigilante-Who-Saved-His-Life gives him a scrutinising look and says, “I can walk you home.”

“Not nece-“ Rex wipes a hand across his throat and is this blood, it feels wet, and okay yeah- “No, wait: yes please.” She just saved his life, how bad could it be? Besides, that sleeveless outfit makes it very clear exactly how shredded she is, which is way more than Rex – he wouldn’t even win a fight against a dedicated racoon, probably.

“Alright. Afraid your food’s ruined,” she says drily. “You might be able to salvage some yoghurt though.”

“Doesn’t matter. Thank you.” Rex turns to face her, trying to put the full weight of his relief into his voice when he says, “Thank you for saving my life.”

She shrugs. “Yeah, well.” Pause. “Anyway, I’m Lady. Don’t count on me being here next time.”

“Next time…?” Oh no. No no no.

Lady must’ve picked up on his horror-struck expression as she quickly says, “Don’t worry, Torna usually don’t stick their noses in around here. Crystal probably won’t bother you again. They’re mostly throwing a fit near Senate Hall or Hardhaigh Palace – terrorists, you know. They’re not really interested in fucking with random civilians.”

“What do they even want?”

“You know how Mor Ardain’s conquered a lot of places? The Torna Province is one of those places, and they got a real shitty deal when the Ardainians took over. Most of the Tornan people are poor as dirt, they didn’t use to get to vote, and there’s rumours about experimenting on— But anyway-“ Lady waves a gloved hand. “So most Tornans hate this, obviously, and some Tornans decide to, like, start a terrorist organisation about it. So what they want is, well, change.”

Chapter Text

(“You know how Mor Ardain’s conquered a lot of places? The Torna Province is one of those places, and they got a real shitty deal when the Ardainians took over. Most of the Tornan people are poor as dirt, they didn’t use to get to vote, and there’s rumours about experimenting on— But anyway-“ Lady waves a gloved hand. “So most Tornans hate this, obviously, and some Tornans decide to, like, start a terrorist organisation about it. So what they want is, well, change.”)

Rex can’t resist asking more questions, because if he’s about to be killed by Torna he’d like to know why. Apart from ‘fraternizing with the enemy’ you know – or actually, simply knowing why the Aegis and Logos hate each other so destructively and famously would be nice too. He tries to strike up conversation with Lady as they’re getting closer to home sweet apartment, throwing out a wayward sentence: “So Torna thinks the best way… to make things change, is to threaten senators?”

“Well I don’t know what they’re thinking,” says Lady dismissively. “That’s all I know about. Maybe they secretly bribe senators too.”

Why wasn’t past-Rex who lived an innocent life in Fonsett more invested in Ardainian politics? It sure would’ve been handy now. “And the Aegis?”

“What about her?” -was Rex imagining it, or did Lady sound particularly snappy just then?

“Uh, just… why do the Aegis and Logos fight each other all the time?”

“Did you not hear a single word I just said? Logos is like the boss of Torna, and the Aegis is the guardian of this city. The bloody ‘shield of the people’. Of course they’d fight each other.”

“I see.” Rex contemplates this as they steadily approach his apartment building. He’s feeling a lot calmer now, even though he doesn’t have the groceries and will have to go and get them tomorrow instead and risk another Shady Encounter, which is also what he shouldn’t be thinking about right now because he would like to sleep tonight. He’s got tests. He’s got essays to write and books to read and homework and grocery shopping, he’s got no time for getting harassed by outlaws.

-They’re waiting outside his door, Lady hanging by the stairs and probably silently judging Rex as he tries to actually unlock it (sometimes the key just doesn’t work okay), when Rex finally has the courage or morbid curiosity enough to dumbly ask, “So why me? Why would Torna… target me?”

“Because you’re close to the Aegis, duh,” Lady says, and Rex just knows she’s rolling her eyes beneath that mask. Architect, who does he remind her of? “I have absolutely no idea what she sees in you, but apparently there’s something. Too bad for you that you got caught in that video.”

Too bad, yeah.

Oh Architect they better not know where he lives…

“Do you think,” Rex asks, hand frozen on the lock, heart sinking in his chest. “That they know… where I live?”

“Possibly. Though if they did, Crystal would probably have come here instead of cornering you on the street.”

Rex breathes out. This time when he tries, he gets the key twisted the right way and the door opens. “Thank you,” he says to Lady, who’s already beginning to walk down the stairs. “And wait! Last question-“ Lady stops. “-my roommate, Nia, do you think they’ll – that she’s in danger?”

Lady is silent for a moment and Rex is basically waiting for Lady to say that she found some dead Gormotti girl in a bush, that her? -Lady doesn’t say that. “She’s safe. Sweet that you worry, but just you worry about yourself for now, got it? Great.” Lady does a haphazard wave that Rex responds to even more clumsily. “See ya around. Gotta go.”

“Bye Lady! Thank you for saving me, and talking and all that…” Rex trails off, and turns back to his apartment. It’s dark inside so Nia can’t be home yet, so the first thing Rex does after locking the door is to switch on all the lights. Then he sits on the sofa. Then Gramps comes and begs for food so Rex has to go up and put some in the bowl instead of having the breakdown he was longingly considering.

Money is a bit of an issue, but at least it could be worse, as Pyra thinks every time she has to manage their finances. She doesn’t have a job. She should try to get one, try again, look harder, but there hasn’t been anything that has stuck. At least Mythra has a job! Pyra… the closest thing she has is the Aegis. Now if Alba Cavanich would actually pay her for that, that’d be something. Though then they would have to pay Flamebringer or Big Bang and Lady too or else they’d look bad – and then they’d make Being A Vigilante seem like something profitable and they can’t have that…

Pyra almost feels like calling dad. They don’t just call each other unless there’s money problems but it’s not that bad now, so she’s got no excuses.

Maybe not (and Mythra doesn’t like calling him anyway… not that she’s home right now)

Mythra is being the Aegis tonight and she told Pyra to just get some sleep for fuck’s sake when she left, so here Pyra is. Sitting at the table and watching the dawn slowly paint the rooftops gold. Two hours of sleep in the evening, and since then she’s been finishing all the homework for this week and the next and now there’s nothing left to do. Am I tired? She wonders. Am I sad? Bored?

The sky ripens into a warm rosy colour with streaks of cloud, and Pyra gets up and changes from her pyjamas into her usual knit sweater and jeans and starts making breakfast. Pancakes, as usual. Mythra doesn’t really appreciate fruits but Pyra chops some up for herself. Can’t let bananas go bad. She brews some tea (for herself, Mythra only likes the too sweet kinds), and when Mythra climbs in through the window Pyra has just finished with the dishes.

“It’s like six AM Pyra,” are her greeting words, “Why have you already made breakfast?”

“You’re back late,” retorts Pyra. “Did something happen?”

“Traffic accident. Flamebringer says hi – also she wants to talk.”

“Great. I’ll go out tonight, then.” Pyra grabs her bag. “See you at school.”

The history teacher thought that doing a group project would be a fun way to broach their next topic, so now Rex is stuck doing a presentation on Judician society with two other losers. Adenine actually seemed to know a lot about Judicium, while Dagas only was interested in layout, colour choices, insulting Rex’s design choices and giving off narcissist vibes. All three of them are trying to make themselves the boss of this project, Rex mostly in to try and vote down Dagas. And also because they need some text in this thing, and Dagas keeps changing the font.

Then comes a knock on his window.

Rex smiles to his screen.

He shuts off his computer after sending a satisfying gtg to his project-mates, standing up and unlocking the window swiftly. “Hi,” he says, as the Aegis climbs through said window.

“Hi,” replies the Aegis with a smile. “What’s up?”

“Group project. Though you’ve been busy.”

“Hmm?” She leans her sword (the Aegis’ actual sword holy shit) against his bookcase and sits down on his bed. Gramps immediately claims her lap as his new bed.

“Do you ever sleep?” Rex asks it mostly as a joke. Mostly. “You helped out with that traffic accident at 3 AM, and then that afternoon robbery, and now you’re here…”

“Oh.” The Aegis looks down so that he can’t see her eyes, and Rex is again (for the 183th time) reminded vividly that he’s never seen her without that mask and veil. “I sleep. I’m not superhuman if that’s what you’re… Yeah.”

“I was just worried,” Rex says hurriedly. “I don’t want you to feel drained.”

“I see.” The Aegis says. And then she pets Gramps for a moment, and Rex just stands there and stares. He’s got enough self-awareness to admit that he’s not even summoning up any Great Conversational Starters or Thoughtful Observations: he’s just looking at her. Until she looks up and he’s again (for the 194^th time) startled by how red her eyes are. “What about you, Rex? How are you feeling?”

“I’m good!” Which is the answer Rex would say with a smile and a nod even if you had just pulled him bleeding out of the Cloud Sea. “Everything’s going as usual, pretty much… or no.” He takes a deep breath. See, he really ought to tell her even though he doesn’t want to be a bother but on the other hand… “I ran into some guy called Crystal a few days ago-“

“Crystal?” The Aegis snaps to attention. “What did he do to-“

“Just some threats! Um. So you know him?”

“Yes. He’s a leader of Torna and very dangerous.” The Aegis stares into his soul. “Rex, could you tell me what happened?”

“Uh, just – I was walking home and he just ambushed me. Said some things.” Rex swallows at the phantom touch of a blade, rubs his neck self-consciously. “I got saved by this vigilante – Lady. Do you know her too?”

“Yeah. There’s a few of us running around the city… Lady though. I guess we’re allies?”

“Allies?” Rex says with amusement. “Got any rivals too?”

“Haha. And no. Only arch-enemies.” The Aegis sighs. “Only Torna. If we knew who they were…”

“…but nobody wants to have a public ‘secret identity’,” Rex finishes her sentence. The Aegis nods, and Rex takes a leap of faith and asks, “Would you ever tell anyone?”

“I’ve already told – oh nevermind.” The Aegis quickly gets up from his bed, Gramps meowing at the lack of warmth. ‘I’ve already told…’ Rex literally stares this time, as the Aegis proceeds to climb right back out through his window, still reeling from the surprise-

“Hey wait-“ Rex rushes to the window, but the Aegis only waves as she drops outside.

There’s something so calming about sitting on a roof in the dead of night. Flamebringer gives off a faint blue glow from where she sits cross-legged, and the Aegis lets her legs dangle down off the edge of the roof, looking downward. The streets look so thin from up here, the cars so fragile. Flamebringer could be looking at the sky or at her, but Pyra doesn’t know – Flamebringer wears a blindfold as a mask, and a cloak to top it off.

The Aegis asks into the night: “Do you think I should tell Rex?”

“If you want him to know. If you trust him.”

“I don’t know. I just feel so guilty that I haven’t told him… I told you. After only a month of knowing you.”

“I saved you thrice in that month,” reminds Flamebringer with an amused curl of her mouth.

“I was just starting back then Flame, give me some slack.” Pyra’s cheer dissipates as fast as it came. “If he was a one of us too-“

“You don’t want that.” Flamebringer always sounds so sure and steadfast. Honestly, Pyra doesn’t get why Mythra doesn’t like her – Flamebringer would be a great big sis. And Flamebringer is right. She says, “I’d never want my fiancée to do this. It’s reckless, it’s foolish, it’s hard and tiring-“

“-it’s a last resort, it’s addictive, it’s thankless.”

Flamebringer says, “If Mòrag herself wished to do this then I’d support her of course. But I hope she never will.”

Pyra doesn’t want Rex to put himself in danger like this, she’d never want that. And he’s so fragile! He’s short and naïve and a too big heart stupid boy, and he’s got no powers, not like the Aegis and Flamebringer have. No divine light, no flames to command, he’s not even been trained in any martial arts like Lady has, has he? He’s already in danger! And it’s not as if this is the point anyway, it’s not because of this that Pyra has been pacing and thinking  and wondering and letting herself be consumed by guilt.

She’s not even lying to Rex, he knew what he signed up for. Always masked vigilante.

“I really want to tell him.” Do you really? “But he’s already met Pyra, and it was awful. It’d be so awkward…”

“Aegis,” Flamebringer says seriously. “You have time. You don’t have to decide tonight-“

“-I can’t just see him again feeling like this! Without any-“

“Pyra. If he likes you as the Aegis then he will like you as Pyra, but this is a decision you can’t make just because it feels wrong to lie. This lie protects your life, your family. You have to be sure beforehand, because this is one thing you can’t take back after you’ve said it.”

Great. Now she has gotten ‘The Talk’, superhero edition. For one absurd moment she wonders whether Torna has ever faced this dilemma.

“Then…” Pyra breathes out. “I won’t tell him.”

Chapter Text

She’s not going to tell him.

It’s what Mythra would want right (probably), it’s definitely what Pyra wants (whenever she isn’t gazing into Rex’s eyes…), it’s a very simple and smart choice. Yet still…

-The thing is, Rex should never have mattered. If he hadn’t been Nia’s roommate, then maybe she would never have seen him again and that would have been it. But Nia and Mythra managed being in a relationship on top of everything else, so… And it isn’t even about that! Rex isn’t… Rex is a breath of fresh air, that’s all, Leftherian fishing town boy in Alba Cavanich. Pyra had absolutely not thought about being in a romantic relationship with him, never! (…or at least not that much, Mythra can stop being so smug already!)

Rex isn’t the city’s most interesting person, or the smartest, or funniest or – or anything (is that not the point?). He’s honest. He’s studying archaeology because of his love of mythology and ancient cultures and a genuine interest in the craft, and a childhood of searching for exciting things that had been washed ashore on Fonsett.

And he didn’t care that she was the Aegis! He never made a big deal about it after those first three times, and even if he did mind – he’s never said anything, only welcomed her into his home with a smile and a ‘what’s up?’ …and that’s just it, isn’t it? The Aegis coming in and messing up his life and Rex never said anything, just smiled in that cute way and talked to her, worried about her, the Aegis, she who’s so much more dangerously powerful than he could ever be. She who’ll put him in so much more danger than he’ll ever deserve.

Crystal already found him once, and if Crystal knows then the rest of Torna won’t be far behind.

See! Pyra – no, The Aegis – is far too dangerous to be friends with. She’s too close to him. But if she stops visiting him now, then maybe, just maybe, it won’t be too late. Rex will be just a small mistake, a too friendly boy, not a sweet young student dead in a ditch because the Aegis couldn’t leave him alone. If she stops. If she never sees him again, then Torna would leave him alone. Right? Right.

(he can’t protect himself, he has no powers. He shouldn’t have to be afraid because of her)

(he’s the brightest thing in her life, but Pyra will make do with only candles for the rest of her life, anything as long as he doesn’t die like-)

She’s decided. She won’t tell him, because she will never see him again.

…Unfortunately Mythra was not privy to this fateful decision.

“What’s got you looking so down in the dumps?”

“It’s nothing,” Rex sighs dejectedly.

“If Rex-Rex need a break, Tora and friends will work on project in meantime!”

Rex looks down at his notes, on which he’s been doodling for some time now. The scribbles are dark and blotchy and confusing and Rex kind of starts feeling a tiny bit self-conscious by looking at them. Wow, is that a broken heart he’s been inking in so carefully?

“I’m just a bit stressed guys, okay?” Rex puts on a smile. “Kasandra, you said you’ll handle the early life part, right? Then I can take death and legacy…” He can’t let this group project go south all because he’s a little melancholy, right, so he makes an effort and soon everyone is staring at their own computer screens again, working diligently. Rex looks at his notes, his sad little drawing attempts, and wonders where he went wrong.

-Like, in life in general. He knows he’s no good at art.

He never should’ve asked her about her identity. It’s been three weeks now, (3! Weeks!) and Rex is beginning to doubt she’ll ever show up in his window again. Crazy talk, that he’s been getting so used to hanging out with the Aegis that he now won’t believe that it’s over… Nah. No, nope, she’s probably just really busy – last he read the news (which is right now; he’s reading the news when he should be researching some old playwright) they said that there’s been a fire in the industrial district recently. Also that fight with Crystal and Crow, not to mention regular crimes…

It’s been so quiet.

Nia’s more out of the house than in, Gramps and Dromarch can’t talk, and Tora is always really sketchy about hanging out together. Honestly, he almost makes it sound like he’s secretly storing dead bodies in his basement or something… (he’s a bit weird but not that weird right?)

-and the Aegis hasn’t talked to Rex in weeks. And no offense Tora, but Rex would rather talk to the Aegis.

But she doesn’t want to talk to him, so what’s he gonna do? What’s he able to do?

The only thing he’s got is faith.

-Seventeen years ago-

Beneath the beautiful desert night sky stood a lonely house of white stone, surrounded only by shrubs and a few short and pitiful trees. The night was crisp and silent, save for the birds and the insects who never knew when to shut up, and all the windows of the house were dark and empty. Until a light flickered on at the second floor – only to just as quickly die… And then switch on anew! And disappear again…

“Stop playing with the light switch,” whisper-hissed Pyra, who was trying to sleep. Dad had told them they shouldn’t mess around with machines just because they thought it was fun, because things could go wrong and they’d get hurt. If Myth did get hurt now, then they would have to go and wake dad up because it was night-time now, and then he’d be all disappointed and ‘you should be sleeping! Kids need to sleep! What were you two doing up?’

“I’m not!” Myth whispered back fervently, almost excitedly, always defending her honour. Then like only a whole three seconds after that, the light flickered on again.

“Myth!” the light switched off. Pyra rolled around in her bed so she could look crossly at Myth’s bed, and then she rubbed her eyes because the light made them feel itchy (like when the sand blows in your face). “Dummy, would you quit it?”

“It’s not the lamp!” Myth all at once sounded positively giddy. “Paya, it’s not the lamp, wait, wait-“

At the sound of Myth getting out of bed and sneaking across the room Pyra groaned out loud in frustration. “Myth! It’s bed-time! Please stop playing with the-“

“Paya!” Myth interrupted her. (Was that baby name nicknaming never going to stop??) She was sitting on the floor by Pyra’s bed and Pyra briefly felt tempted to whack her with a pillow. “Paya, Paya look at this-“ she held up her hands, palms up. Pyra let out a big heavy sigh like dad always did when he read the newspaper and looked at Myth’s hands. She wiggled her fingers and then they started to glow. Just like a lamp, but the light came from Myth’s hands, seeped out along her fingers, her fingertips glowing extra bright…

“Myth,” Pyra began, but then she went quiet ‘cause she had nothing to say.

“Paya,” Myth said, grinning in the glow of her own light. “C’mon, I’ll show you – give me your hand…” And so Pyra hesitantly let her sister manhandle her hands into whatever position she wanted them to be, and then Myth said: “Now imagine there’s a fire in your hands…”

Pyra thought about campfires, and about the one time dad had tried making barbeque, and about the fires on TV- she imagined she could have a candle in her hands… and then the flame was just there. Heat spread in her palms and the flame flared bright, bright white and red, and Myth sounded so happy when she said, “See! I taught you, now we both can do it!” Two small blond girls, giggling at this light, their new special thing.

(for them both, and only them. And never will they tell anyone…)

There’s no rain tonight. It’s been weeks and there’s nobody out to ambush him, of course not, just the same old streets as always and when Rex gets home he’s thinking about homework, about that show he’s considering to watch, about how Corinne is doing, and reluctantly about the Aegis, is she out tonight? Shining in the dark, fighting Torna, leaping across the rooftops like a knight in a modern fairy-tale-

Is he making up stories? Is he being ‘too much of an optimist’? Does he need to feed Gramps?

Yes.

He puts down Grocery Bag #1 to get his keys from his pocket, unlocking the door and seeing that the lights are on. So Nia’s home, then, which means that maybe he won’t actually need to feed Gramps. Rex locks the door again and puts the keys away and then he – then he’ll do homework, then he’ll google on why he’s so sad, so blue down in the dumps miserable all because of-

He’ll put away the groceries.

Rex shrugs out of his jacket and hangs it up (they’ve got some weird colour thing going on. All his stuff’s blue and all Nia’s are either grey or yellow). Rex takes the grocery bags and goes through the living room to the kitchen, except he doesn’t get that far, because he sees Nia crouching by the sofa and says as a greeting, “Hey Nia.”

-Nia reacts kinda like he’s just dropped down from the ceiling while waving a sword. She shoots to her feet and stumbles backwards, fixing him with an intense look and exclaiming, “Rex! What the bloody ‘ell are you doing here?”

“I’m – I’ve been shopping?” Rex takes a hesitant step backwards. “Um, groceries?”

“Great!” Nia says far too loudly. She’s still staring and Rex is still staring, and then he has to look down because the tension is rising to dangerous levels- and then he sees that there’s someone lying on the sofa. So Nia’s flustered and there’s someone lying on the sofa, and Nia clearly wasn’t expecting Rex to get home this fast, and Rex is desperate to stop this train of thought before it gets any further-

Rex looks around the room for literally anything else to focus on, and then he spots the sword.

The Aegis sword, dumped on the coffee table like it’s a theatre prop, but Rex knows that glow, that’s the real deal. So unless Nia has actually robbed the Aegis then-

“Aegis?” Rex says in a voice like a squeak. Four weeks and two days, shouts his inner countdown helpfully. Rex is suddenly painfully aware of the fact that he’s still standing there looking like a loon with the grocery bags held like he’s trying to shield himself from Nia. He drops them rather unceremoniously and steps closer.

“…Rex?” the voice sounds rougher than he remembers, hesitant like it’s not sure of his name. Ow. “This is a bit of a bad time.”

“What do you… mean…” Rex trails off into stunned silence as soon as he’s standing so that he can actually see her over the back of the sofa. Her veil’s still on but she’s holding a pillow in front of her face, and then Rex spots her mask on the floor but at this point he doesn’t care, his stomach is doing nauseating flips while sinking through the floor as he just stares. The Aegis’s stomach is bare, the cloth looking like it’s been torn clean off, and there’s-

-a whole lot of blood.

“Oh,” Rex whispers.

“Okay, okay,” Nia hisses, “Now move, some of us are trying to stitch here-“

Rex scurries out of the way, feeling like a shitty background character in his own story. Useless. He doesn’t look back as he quickly takes the groceries, starts – starts pretending he’s helping by putting away the yoghurt and cheese and milk. Right now, that’s… all he can do.

Chapter Text

That image, of the Aegis and her bloody wound, haunted him for the rest of the night and for all of next day until Rex decided that okay, he’ll ask Nia whether the Aegis is doing alright or… not. Since neither any blogs nor news sites had seen the Aegis since last night, and Rex couldn’t just carry on with his business like nothing had happened. She may have cut ties with him (and doesn’t that hurt… but okay, fair) but he can’t just delete his concern now, it’s too late, he’s been caring for a while already. And Rex had known that the Aegis often got into dangerous situations, but actually seeing her lying hurt on his and Nia’s sofa made it so much worse.

And what could he do? What can he possibly do to help her?

…He didn’t even know whether Nia would know anything about the Aegis’ health or not. Sometimes asking really is the best way to get answers.

-Rex therefore corners Nia in the kitchen that afternoon, as she’s preparing cereal for dinner.

“So Nia,” he begins innocuously. “You’re friends with the Aegis?”

She gives him a long jaded look. “Where are you going with this?”

“Why was she here yesterday?” Mostly here, specifically. “Do you like, patch up heroes in your free time-“

“No!” Nia scowled. “I usually don’t! And when I do it’s mostly her, okay, I owe her one, I’m studying to be a healer, it’s good practice – and none of your business.”

Rex asks just a bit desperately, “Do you know whether she’s alright?”

“After that huge gash in her stomach?” Nia sighs. “She heals up pretty fast.”

“So do you think-“

“She’ll be okay.” Nia gives him a look. “Why are you so bloody worried, anyway?”

“Because she was bleeding all over our sofa?”

“-And you’re a good person, right.” Nia gives him a sullen look. “So did ya come here to grab something, or was it just to pester me?”

Rex takes a yoghurt he really wasn’t planning on eating and escapes.

-Six years ago-

“Not bad!” Addam, their self-defence instructor and occasional fencing instructor when he wasn’t being practical and boring, grinned from where he lay knocked down on the floor, face flushed. “Not bad,” he said approvingly, only to then immediately reprimand, “Still, you could use a little work on your skill…”

“Pssh! You’re just whining ‘cause you lost.”

“Nuh-uh. I was just-“ he clambered to his feet. “-down for a bit. And as I was saying: you and your sister could really learn a thing or two from each other.”

“Like what?” Dared bold sixteen-year-old Mythra. Her sister, Pyra, with her short hair the colour of wheat and her small lithe form nearly swallowed by a sweater, watched curiously from a bench.

“Mythra, your problem is a lack of control, of… finesse.” Addam turned to face Pyra on her bench. “And you, Pyra, you don’t have to hold back as much as you do. I’m not made of glass – see, Mythra haven’t even dented me yet! Even though she’s tried her hardest… And besides, if you do get in any real trouble then you want it to hurt. Just give me your worst next time!”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am! Actually, would you mind getting up here and trying some moves?”

“Now?” Pyra anxiously looked down at herself and Mythra rolled her eyes. Honestly.

“Just take off that sweater and get your ass over here.”

Pyra squeaked something which might have been an ‘okay’ and pulled off her sweater. She laid it carefully back on the bench and Mythra rolled her eyes heavenward once more. Pyra jogged up to them and Mythra backed off, watching Pyra and Addam (and can you believe Pyra still called him ‘Mr. Origo’?) get into position. She started counting down in her head, watching as Pyra’s face hardened uncharacteristically into lines of determination, something seeming to almost… light up in her eyes.

Pfft.

-then Pyra moved and blinding light exploded from where she and Addam collided.

Mythra instinctively shut her eyes, a painful white seared onto her retinas nevertheless, and she heard a loud crackling, hissing sound. Another sound, hit, like someone falling over, and Mythra quickly peeled her eyes open again. She had to squint at the gymnasium, for the room was all of a sudden nearly dark. All the lamps had blown or whatever-the-fuck had happened, in any case it was pitch-black apart from Pyra, who was kneeling with her hands alight.

That flickering flame, which slowly turned from shining white to a normal red-orange-blue, made Pyra’s expression of shock stand out like a beacon in the dark…

“Holy shit,” said a surprise male voice, and Mythra remembered with a stab of cold that Addam was still here, and he must’ve seen it all, of course he had. “What – what in Alrest…”

-They never exactly told him. They didn’t talk about it.  They didn’t mention it, like that would make them forget his expression that day (Mythra swore he looked awed, Pyra insisted he looked sad, but both agreed that he looked afraid). Addam treated Pyra a little more warily, but he kept smiling at them, and joking, and generally being Addam. He never asked. They never said anything. A month or so later Mythra made dad stop paying Addam to give them lessons – and Pyra’s birthday card to him, sent by mail, was the last sort of communication between the three of them.

Pyra loves her sister dearly. This combination she’s got of really hating to lay injured in bed, and really loving to practically be spoon-fed chicken soup – not so much. Mythra hates to be coddled but loves that she doesn’t have to do anything, even though she’s missing several days of school thanks to her ‘influenza’ and also several days at work, and Pyra really needs to get a job; it feels like their money is disappearing into thin air and they still need to eat.

She looks frantically for employment, checks in on Mythra, does homework, and checks in on Mythra.

“Fuck that Logos guy,” Mythra grumbles the third time that Pyra shows up in her doorway. “I swear he hits harder when it’s me in the mask. What the hell.”

“He can’t possibly know,” Pyra stresses, and ignores the fact that their eyes are very obviously different colours. It’s not like Logos should be able to see anything through that bucket anyway. Pyra adds absently, “And don’t cuss, Mythra.”

After then leaving to make some dinner, Pyra shows up again with two plates of risotto. Mythra gives her a look. “Why couldn’t it have been crab sticks?”

“You should try eating a vegetable,” advises Pyra. “They’re good for you.”

“And?”

“They come in different flavours.” Pyra sighs. “And I know you don’t have anything against risotto.”

“Crab sticks are better.”

Pyra changes the topic, because like Mythra said earlier, Pyra usually doesn’t get this badly injured. Therefore, she’s worried, and mostly she doesn’t want to argue foodstuffs with Mythra again. You just can’t win in any meaningful way in arguments like that. “How are you feeling? Do you want more painkillers?”

“I want crab sticks.” Mythra huffs.

“Mythra.”

“And sheesh, I’m fine, it’s just a scratch-“

Pyra looks at Mythra with a sad expression to match her worries, and Mythra actually looks away. She grudgingly says, “Nia said I’m gonna be fine. She’s good at this kinda thing.”

Really? Pyra doesn’t say it out loud, because Mythra obviously trusts Nia a whole lot. Maybe Pyra should try and go see Nia next time she falls down a staircase…

“Well, anyway. I’ll stay home for a week.” Pyra already doesn’t like her own decision but they obviously have to follow it anyway. “The Aegis got injured. She can’t be up and about in just a couple of hours, so I guess… I’ll have to take the next few evenings off.”

Mythra gives her a look. “What about that guy you’re always sneaking off to see?”

Pyra blurts out a, “What?”

“Don’t look at me like that! You’re way too fucking cheerful about playing the Aegis nowadays, and taking far too many patrols. And then, like a month ago…” Mythra trails off. “Actually, you’ve been pretty distant lately…” Mythra stares at her in this thoughtful way that Pyra really doesn’t like, still blushing but now hoping to maybe, somehow salvage this discussion. Mythra’s next look unfortunately makes Pyra doubt her resolve, as she says slowly, “It is a boy, right?”

How have you even noticed anything?! Is what one of Pyra’s squeaky inner voices angrily proclaims, while Pyra painstakingly says out loud, “Yes…”

“Yeah, great for you. Won’t he be so very sad if you don’t come and see him every other night?”

Mythra is both being freakishly observant, and really oblivious.

Pyra contemplates miserably about what she’s going to say. She picks the truth: “He’s… it’s Rex. That guy, it’s Rex, and he doesn’t know my real identity,” Mythra would’ve thrown a fit if Pyra had told him, probably, “and he’s just a civilian, but he’s really sweet and smart, and…” (Pyra wonders for a moment, if maybe she should be telling a friend about this instead of dumping it all on a bedridden Mythra. (then she realises, she pretty much already did, and that friend was Flamebringer, who’s actually got her life together and is happily going to marry a rich lawyer lady next sprng or something like that)) “…and I can’t get Rex into danger,” finishes Pyra sadly.

Mythra cocks her head. “Wait. Are you telling me you were actually seeing some boy, but now you’ve stopped because…”

“Yes! It’s Rex, you know exactly who I’m talking about, don’t you? ...And maybe I’ve been seeing him.” Pyra fights not to blush. Dear Architect, they haven’t ever even done anything! “And – and I can’t anymore, because Crystal already threatened him once. I can’t get Rex into more danger just because he knows me.”

What if Logos or Crystal had followed her when she went to Rex’s apartment? What if they had found out where he lived? What then?

Her decision has been haunting her every single day of this month, but rather this than Rex getting hurt. Torna have killed before and they could do that again.

(and ignoring people until they happily forget you has worked well enough in the past…

…And Pyra has always been so good at disappointing.)

-Mythra seems to turn Pyra’s little speech over in her head. Then she says, “That’s… pretty shit. How did Rex even react to this?”

“I don’t know.” Pyra slumps. “I haven’t told him anything, but I’m-“

“Hold on, are you saying you just up and disappeared on him? Without even saying why?” Mythra is starting to look almost mad.

“Well what should I have told him?” Pyra asks in despair.

“That you’re dumping him, I don’t know! Your approach is just rude!”

“I haven’t even been dating him!”

“Wow, really?” Mythra stares at her. Pyra angrily stares back. “You just sound… well okay. Tell him you’ve found a new best friend, then? Or, you know, warn him about Torna?”

“I don’t want to scare him!”

“Better scared than dragged to a hospital!”

Pyra looks down at her hands. Mythra’s eyes burn into her, even when she’s not looking. “Pyra,” she says. “You need to talk to him. This Rex guy appears to be really important to you, and haven’t seen him for…”

“A month.”

“A month,” echoes Mythra. “How do you even- Okay. Alright, woman up and go talk to him. I’ll get Nia in on this if you don’t, see how you like that.”

That’s not fair.

(and this is hurting Pyra too, not just Rex. She’s not doing any of this just ‘cause she can)

It’s almost funny that Torna is barely even up on her Top-Five-Problems list anymore. There’s Rex, there’s the money issue, there’s her crush issue, there’s school…

“Okay.” Pyra clears her throat. “I’ll explain this to him. But nothing more.”

Chapter Text

She’s got to do this. She’s going to do this. She’s on her way, she really is, it’s Monday night and she’s heading straight for Rex’s apartment, not at all praying that there will be a mugging on the way or a robbery or some other violence that she can dedicate massive amounts of time to stopping. It’s a quiet evening. Silent night. Not many people out and about in this part of town, just some people who seem to be blowing up bottles closer to campus, but that’s not the Aegis’s problem. Mythra won’t take that as an excuse. Pyra herself won’t stand for using that as an excuse.

She needs to do this. Talk to Rex. That’s all. After that then… it can be over. She can tell him goodbye and then never see him again, she could make sure to avoid him for all eternity after this. She can do whatever she wants. Because Rex can’t contact the Aegis, Rex doesn’t know her real identity, and Pyra holds all the cards here.

And, maybe, she’s been cruel with them.

She didn’t mean to. Agonizing thought-

…but she could at least have said goodbye. Maybe Mythra was right.

That sudden stab of guilt is enough to blow all her reservations about this apology-plan right up, which is what finally gets Pyra to climb the building and knock on Rex’s window. When she looks inside through the window, however, there’s nobody in the room. The door’s ajar, however, like some sort of challenge or invitation. If you’re looking for hidden meanings underneath the thoughtless and mundane, that is.

She knocks again, but Rex doesn’t show.

The window is unlocked.

Pyra takes a moment to think, sorry, and then she opens the window and crawls inside. Rex’s room is familiar enough, at least. There’s his books, worn but cared for, there’s his many school papers; there’s his backpack lying on the floor and spilling its guts over the carpet. There’s his bed and desk with stickers on it and the little cacti in a pot, and the trinkets from Leftheria. She contemplates raising her voice and calling for Rex, but if Nia is also home then that’ll be… not so good.

Time to play burglar.

Sneaking around in Rex’s apartment is a good distraction though. She can’t panic about anything else if she’s too busy watching out for Nia. Though luckily she doesn’t seem to be home. And it’s not like it would matter even if Nia was at home, seeing as Pyra just resolved to tell Rex anyway. Quick and painless. She hopes. Sure, it’ll be awful to never see Rex again, but it’s for the best. She’s already decided! She’ll explain her reasons, which is what she’s on her way to doing now, and she’ll be as gentle as she can, say goodbye, and then that’ll be the end of the Rex Chapter in her story.

She finds him in the living room. Pyra stops just before stepping out into the open, takes a deep breath. Adjusts her mask, which feels like a sudden and uncomfortable pressure against her nose. Judging by the sounds, Rex is watching TV and eating something chewy.

“Hi,” she says, and walks out to face the music.

(more like tip-toes out with her heart in her throat, but it’s not like anybody will know)

Rex drops something which clatters to the floor. His eyes are wide. His lap’s full of papers and other student things and he’s got a bag of those Narcipear sweets that get stuck in your teeth for hours open next to him. His hair sticks up like he’s been running his hands through it repeatedly and he’s got smudges underneath his (bright golden, like butter or sunshine) eyes, and he’s looking at her. It’s the worst thing ever how Pyra’s stomach flips itself over and she realises, that thank the Architect she is ending this friendship tonight, because otherwise she’d be well and truly screwed.

“Aegis!” Rex exclaims and practically leaps up from the sofa, more of his stuff dropping to the floor. “You’re alright, you…”

“Why wouldn’t I be-“ Pyra says, shocked out of common sense by Rex being so worried, and then she remembers how Mythra got hurt last week. Eh. Mythra is almost completely healed up anyway, this is not a slip-up. “I mean. It’s sweet of you to be concerned but… I’m just fine!”

“Good,” Rex says firmly. Then he shifts awkwardly. The TV says something about the news coming soon, and Rex says all in a rush, “Um. I’m sorry. About your privacy. And-“

“It’s all good!” Pyra is quick to interrupt.

Of course Rex had been concerned, he’s sweet like that. He’s decent like that. He’s apologizing, goodness.

Pyra blurts out, “Thank you for your concern! But – I just – I can’t meet with you anymore.” Like ripping off a band-aid, right. “It could be dangerous. For you to be seen with the Aegis. And you said Crystal already-“

“It wasn’t that big a deal-“ Rex tries-

“Yet! It isn’t a big deal yet!” Pyra curls her hands into fists. She doesn’t know if it’s early regret, or anger or sadness, that’s trying to choke up her throat, but she bites it back and marches forward with her speech. “I don’t want to stop meeting you. You’re sweet. You’re so optimistic and you always cheer me up, but I’m the Aegis,” I’m Pyra, the boring twin, the anxious worrier, “You’re so good. You have a good normal life, here. And I can’t put you into danger with – with my vigilante baggage, and coming to your apartment and eating your snacks and being seen hanging around campus every Monday night-“

Strangely it’s easier, saying it in the mask. Or maybe it’s easier because now it hurts.

“Torna can’t be that bad,” Rex begins, and then the news jingle sounds from the TV, loud and abrasive. Rex spins around in annoyance like he’s gonna turn it off or chuck the remote, but instead they both freeze, because obviously the evening can get worse that this, as the words IONA MINOTH TAKEN HOSTAGE BY INFAMOUS ORGANISATION TORNA scroll across the screen.

A reporter says smoothly, “Our earlier news broadcast this evening was interrupted by what has now been identified as the terrorist organisation calling themselves ‘Torna’, cutting into the sending to make demands to Loyalist Senator Cole Minoth about-“

Pyra’s already turning to bolt as she throws out the words, “I have to go.”

The first thing she does is to sprint back to her own apartment, leaping across a bunch of rooftops and taking shortcuts, making it in record time. She needs information. She can ask Mythra, because doubtlessly Mythra has been looking into this because Pyra is already out in the mask. When Pyra drops in through the window Mythra does not disappoint: she tells Pyra where Iona Minoth, 12 years old, was taken, and that her bodyguard Mr Vandham was also taken, and that the internet is more useful than you’d think in finding useful information but is still ‘pretty shit when it counts, goddammit’.

They haven’t really needed it before.

Torna hasn’t ever really done this before.

Pyra doesn’t know what else to do than to grab her sword and her phone before getting right back out. She makes her way over to the cinema outside of which Iona was grabbed. They went out through a back exit or some other celebrity shit, to avoid the crowd, but whoever’s idea it was, it didn’t work. There’s not really any blood or obvious footprints around, but a bunch of chairs have been knocked over so. Pyra guesses there was some sorta struggle involved.

‘I guess there was some sorta struggle involved, hm hmm’.

Sometimes Pyra really can’t stand herself.

And she doesn’t know what to do next. Architect. This is – talking to Rex was nothing compared to this.

Her phone vibrates against her hip. When Pyra gets it out all it is is a message from Mythra saying, got lady on the case.

Right. Pyra calls Flamebringer. They have a one-minute discussion which essentially boils down to, oh shit fuck, and then Flamebringer gets too busy doing whatever it is she does to get around the city so she has to cut the call. She promises she’s keeping her ears and other senses open though, which makes Pyra feel a tiny bit better. Like she can still help, even if helping right now is just by calling in other people to help.

Pyra scrolls though her contacts list, but the only other ‘superhero’ who’s number she’s got is Big Bang. She’s elusive and almost never in the Aegis’s part of the city but. Pyra calls. Big Bang, blessings to her, picks up on only the third ring, saying, “What’s up, green-girl?”

“Iona Minoth-“ Pyra begins. Big Bang cuts her off.

“On it. There’s this gal, Poppi, and you won’t even believe how amazing her contacts-“

“What?” Pyra can’t concentrate on some Poppi right now. She just can’t. At least she tries her best to sound more apologetic as she demands, “But do you know anything? Please?”

“They’re definitely in your area of the city.”

Alba Cavanich used to have a lot more factories back when steam-powered anything was still the hottest thing on the market. Along with the fire escape ladders, and the rails and rusting balconies wrapped along the mountainside, there’s also abandoned warehouses, some tunnels with more ancient railways, and odd structures like old containers and water towers and all kinds of old, bent metal dusted over with sand hanging around nearby. It all looks very striking if you look at it from the right angle at sunset, in the right weather.

Apparently it’s not only that Lindwurm group Flamebringer warned her about that likes to use these old buildings. There’s a lot of buildings though. Most of them broken down, rusting to pieces along the mountain. Civilisation crawled up from valley, over the mountain, dragging all their garbage with them, and then they left it all out here when they gravitated down toward the new harbour and Hardhaigh Palace.

The Aegis is alone here, by virtue of her being the closest to the location and the others all busy giving her information.

She doesn’t need directions at this point (not that there’s any coming). She can see tracks. She can see light coming from a building up in front of her, the windows broken but the roof still intact.

Pyra takes a deep breath and then she goes, focused. The Aegis plans to climb the building or find some other secret way in, survey the situation first. It’s highly unlikely that there’ll be anybody with a gun in there seeing as the gun laws in Mor Ardain are (thankfully) so tight that no one even bothers trying to get hold of a firearm. That’s always good, as she’s reminded every time she watches TV-shows from Uraya.

Focus, focus.

-When she’s close enough to the building to start climbing, however, she can also hear the sounds of struggle.

She doesn’t freeze, because now she’s the Aegis on a mission, and instead she quickly scales the building and clambers over to the closest broken skylight like a squirrel. She jumps in without a thought, barely registering how high the roof is above the floor, but there’s an indoors balcony which she hits instead of the floor. The second she straightens up again all eyes fix on her, and she takes in the room, analysing, ripping her sword off her back and getting into position-

There’s Iona, bound and gagged but unharmed and dumped in a corner, and Logos, always looking threatening in his armour, and – Vandham, that bulky bodyguard, held at scythe-point by Calamity, as usual in his blue armour. Calamity looks so utterly nonchalant and indifferent about the whole thing, lips nearly a smirk beneath his stupid domino mask, and it makes something in Pyra’s core burn and harden to steel.

“Let him go,” she demands coldly. Her fingers are wrapped so hard around the hilt of her sword that they almost hurt; she forces herself to loosen up. Better grip for fighting.

“Ah, Aegis!” Calamity smiles like she didn’t say anything. “How lovely of you to join us on the stage tonight!”

“Let them go.”

Logos barks a laugh.

“I don’t think I will.” Calamity leisurely presses the tip of his scythe closer to the throat of Vandham, who mostly looks pissed, but Pyra’s stomach drops a few notches and into ice water.

“It’s alright, kid,” Vandham manages to say, sounding almost fatherly. The tip of the scythe is close enough to draw blood and-

“I’ll fight you for them.” Pyra swallows. Let this work. “I’ll fight you and Logos. A duel. If I win… you let them go.”

Calamity cocks his head. Then the scythe drops until he’s holding it like a walking cane, and he says slowly, “A duel… what do you say, Logos? A fitting end to this act, is it not?”

Pyra feels something in her chest loosen.

“Then fight,” Logos snaps, and then he’s already swinging his sword and Pyra lunges forward to block, Calamity dancing out of the way. The Aegis pushes forward, parrying and blocking, using her superior speed and agility to her advantage just as she always does. When she’s fighting like this everything else melts away except her resolve, and now she’s got no problems swinging her sword one-handed just so she can set her other afire.

No self-consciousness. Just, burn.

But then Logos draws back and Calamity jumps in, and he’s faster. “Aegis,” he mocks. “Some fire? Is that all you can do?”

Just for that, she dives forward and lets light explode like an actual bomb in her hands, and at least that gets rid of Calamity, which just means Logos returns with vengeance. Pyra can’t keep watch on Iona and the bodyguard this way, she’s too focused, preoccupied, fighting two at once, but she hopes and prays that they’re both staying out of the way where they belong.

-then Logos gets lucky and hits her arm with that black stuff that can eat through metal, and Pyra dashes backwards and throws up her hands to-

And then Calamity comes from behind, hooking his scythe around her throat instead.

She’s breathing hard and the blade stings of electricity against her skin, but at least her arm isn’t dissolving, she’s managing, one twist and she-

(Later, she’ll think she should’ve seen it coming, should’ve been faster. Better-

But right when it happens, she definitely isn’t)

As sudden and subtle as a car crash, Vandham throws himself into the fray with a battle cry, armed with only a fucking metal staff, and in response Logos moves. Calamity moves, Aegis moves, both leaping in different directions and Vandham charges forward but Logos just twists his sword to the side-

-and Vandham stumbles.

Logos strikes again, but then Pyra crashes into him, swords deafening as they slam into his armour-clad shoulder. Viciously Pyra rams an arm into him, metal buckling underneath her and her flames, but as she jabs at him with her sword to get him to go down, stay down, and spins to look for Vandham it’s too much, too late, there’s too much – blood.

“Iona,” Vandham chokes out.

Calamity’s emotionless voice: “A plot twist! How exciting.”

Iona.

The Aegis rushes to Vandham’s side.

“You’re a good kid,” he mumbles, red blooming through his green jacket. Pyra can’t tell who’s meant to hear it. “Please – get Ion- Iona-“

Every beat of Pyra’s useless dumb heart screams out, he’s dying he’s dying he’s dyinghe’sdying.

“It’s alright.” She hears herself say.

Then she snarls and gets to her feet. “Logos-“

Iona.

The Aegis lunges for the girl instead. Iona is screaming or sobbing through her gag. The Aegis cuts her ropes in a sloppy stroke and pulls the girl up, up, up. Slings her up in a fireman’s carry, and Iona clings to her and for a split-second, Pyra almost loses it. Then the Aegis pulls her sword again, and gets them right out of there.

Chapter Text

The news don’t dwell on that bodyguard, Vandham, for very long. Instead they focus on Iona being escorted back to safety by the Aegis, and Senator Cole Minoth publicly thanking the Aegis for returning his beloved daughter to him, and him saying that she’s a real hero, while Rex watches it and- and he thinks about that bodyguard, dying in front of little Iona. And Architect, the Aegis was probably right there too. She probably had to watch Vandham die.

-So, Rex had gone to sleep at about 3 AM (because he was worrying, goddammit!), woke up three hours later, and immediately put on the news. That was the instant he knew that today would be an awful and irredeemable day, as the city had woken with a metaphorical bang!

And now, seeing as he’s already up, he might as well try cooking some proper breakfast for Nia – no reason she should have a bad day too (he’s totally not just trying to distract himself). So, those weird bread things she liked – what were those called again? – and cream oranges…

Recipe, right, right.

-Nineteen years ago-

Aunt Corry took his hand and told him, very softly almost like whispering, to put the flowers down. The flowers were white and red and yellow and they were heavy to hold but they smelt nice, so Rex tried to find a good place to put them. They couldn’t have them sliding off the cas- the casket, that’d have been very bad, so he tried to put them with some other flowers.

“Good,” Aunt Corry whisper-said, and she looked so sad. She had cried earlier and Rex had asked what was wrong and she had said that she was just sad, because they were never coming back. Then Rex had felt bad about asking, so he had said okay and gone outside to play with the neighbour kids.

“Mama won’t come back?” He looked up at Aunt Corry and waited.

“No. I’m sorry, Rex, I’m so sorry.” Aunt Corry sniffled and pulled him into a hug. Her hugs felt different from mama’s (mama always smelt like some sort of spice. And dad smelt like chopped wood. Corry smelt like the bread before it was bread) “I’m sorry,” Aunt Corry whispered again, and again, and kept hugging Rex. It was a bit too warm and weird.

She stroked his hair and Rex felt small and confused.

“Then where is mama?”

“She’s in Elysium,” Aunt Corry said, and then she was crying.

“Please don’t cry.” He was scared and he didn’t want Aunt Corry to cry ever again.

“I’m sorry.” She sniffled, but hugged him close. Warm and soft but she wasn’t mama.

And mama wasn’t coming back.

She heaves herself in through the window, slumps to sit behind the sofa in the living room.

Mythra sits down in front of her and pulls the mask off her face.

“Pyra,” she says. One word. Soft and simple.

She leaves. Comes back and drapes something over Pyra.

It’s a blanket.

Her skin feels cold and she trembles, an earthquake trapped underneath her skin. Her fingers glow as she pushes her face into them, bowing her head, and she’s making noises, hitches in her breathing, gasping or sobbing.

The Aegis, the heroine of Alba Cavanich, the very picture of grace as she tries not to cry. Still in costume, curled up on the floor.

Mythra sits next to her, quiet, and Pyra whispers, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Mythra says immediately. “You did all you could, and you did it all alone. Whatever those Torna shitheads did you are not to blame, it’s not your fault-“

“I-“ Pyra says, and then Mythra drives right over her sentence.

“Nope,” she says with aggressive cheerfulness. “You saved that kid tonight. You did amazing, and as your big sister I’m so proud of you, do you get that?”

Pyra clears her throat. “We’re twins.”

Mythra stares her down with an almost scary intensity. Pyra concedes defeat and mumbles, “I know.”

“C’mere,” Mythra says, and Pyra shuffles up against her so Mythra can hug her. Pyra can almost feel her patheticness level ratcheting upwards but she feels too bad to really care. She’s probably gonna fail school too because all of the Aegis work she’s been doing, all this Aegis work that only led to that man’s death. Maybe Logos and Calamity would’ve let them go if- if Minoth paid a ransom or something, and then Pyra ruined it-

“Shh,” Mythra hushes. “I can hear you thinking stupid shit. So quit it. You did good.”

Pyra doesn’t have it in her to argue. So she tries to think about something, anything else – and the first thing she thinks of is Rex…

“Torna can’t be that bad.” Well, if Rex had been trying to convince the Aegis that they’d never seriously hurt him – tonight had utterly obliterated that argument. And if anything happened to Rex… No, no, no. She feels sick at the thought. If you’ve got powers, then you feel like a murderer every time you can’t save someone. Because she’s supposed to be able to do it, always, and now she can’t think about Logos running his sword through Rex because she’s already shaking too much.

…Which is when exactly, that she remembers that they never finished their conversation.

“Mythra,” she says.

Mythra lets her go and looks at her.

“I…” Pyra clears her throat. “I still haven’t… I need to… Rex.” Just talk to him. Finish it. And then she won’t put on the costume for a week. She’s pretty sure that if she took it off now then she wouldn’t be able to look at it again.

“Seriously?” Mythra grumbles. Then she sighs. “I’ll wait up for you.”

“Okay,” Pyra says in a small voice.

It feels kinda like she’s asking her mom for permission to sneak out at night.

Though she’s never had a mom, and never had that particular problem anyway. Pyra was a very polite little girl, and even if she hadn’t been Mythra would’ve made her look good in comparison.

Mythra gives Pyra the mask, and she slips it on, arranging the veil to hide her hair properly. And then she crawls back out the window again, and starts making her way towards campus…

The parathas look very sad.

Rex thinks he’s doing a bit better with the orange cream, at least. Nia is probably still asleep, so he’s got time.

He sways along to the music he put on in an effort to forget everything, taking a few dance steps over to the counter, and then he flinches backwards so hard he almost drops his bowl because the Aegis is sneaking in again.

She stops in the corridor, just staring at him. She looks miserable, red eyes bloodshot. No sword with her. She’s got a bit of blood on her costume that Rex didn’t notice back on TV-

Architect, it’s really the Aegis, really here. Rex feels dizzy with relief that she’s here, and that she’s in one piece.

“You – are you alright?” Rex practically throws his bowl back on the counter and rushes up to the Aegis. Nothing matters but the Aegis.

“Probably not,” she says, voice thin and tired. “And you should probably take your parathas out of the oven.”

Rex must be staring at her with a ‘what the fuck is an oven’ expression, because the Aegis just marches over to his oven, opens it, and shoves her hands in. She pulls back his tray of ugly parathas and says, “And parathas shouldn’t even be cooked in the oven to begin with.” She turns his oven off.

“Okay,” Rex says. “Um.”

The Aegis takes a deep breath-

Rex quickly says, “I saw what you did. On the news, I mean. It was incredible.”

“Um,” says the Aegis. Then she sighs, her whole form slumping. “And now you see,” she says. “That Torna are dangerous. Getting in the crossfire between me and Logos- Rex, you can’t. I mean, I can’t. I can’t meet with you anymore, I’m sorry but it has to be this way, and-“

Rex isn’t stupid. He can see plainly how this has been building up, exactly what the Aegis is doing here, and he doesn’t want to hear it. This is the best goddamn part of his life, a little danger isn’t going to keep him away. And if what the Aegis said was true – “I don’t want to stop meeting you. You’re sweet. You’re so optimistic and you always cheer me up” – then the Aegis might just need him, too. Which is the most ridiculous thing he’s considered in a long while, but…

But he can’t handle not knowing whether she’s alright or not.

Rex takes a deep breath, and then he squares his shoulders.

“-I guess this is goodbye, Rex…” the Aegis finishes, looking away like she can’t bear it.

“The Salvager,” Rex corrects her calmly. “That’s my superhero name.”

“What?” says the Aegis.

Rex stares her down, nonchalantly leaning back against the counter. “I’m going to be a superhero, too. So I guess we’ll see each other out in the field? Just one vigilante to another, you know?”

The Aegis stares openly at him, red eyes wide. Rex stares back resolutely.

“No,” Aegis then exclaims in horror. “No, Rex, you can’t. You mustn’t, you-“

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

“No, please.” She looks so horrified that Rex feels abruptly chilled. Begging, “Please, Rex, you can’t.”

“I will,” Rex promises, ignoring his clammy palms and creeping guilt at this charade he’s pulling, “Unless!” He says quickly, “Unless you promise to come here and see me after bad fights. I want to know what’s happening out there.” I need to know you’re safe, you have to be safe, just please fall for this so I can-

“Of course,” the Aegis says at once. “I – I’ll do it, I’ll do it as long as you don’t become a vigilante. Please Rex, you don’t have any abilities, please…”

“Yeah,” Rex agrees. “Yeah,” he says, voice going precariously frail like it’ll snap, and then he forces the words out, “And by the way, I lied. I’ve never even considered being a superhero, I just- you can’t just run off and never speak to me again like that’ll solve everything, you can’t. I’m sorry, but I can’t take it.”

Please.

Aegis stares at him. Then she says, quietly, “Alright.”

They shake hands on it, like it’s some kind of oath. Rex hopes it is. Then the Aegis leaves, like always, and Rex goes back to unenthusiastically fighting the parathas until Nia wakes up.

-This can’t have ruined anything. Everything. It’s just a new beginning.

And they’ve got each other – so what if Rex will never get to know who she is under the mask, get to pull it off and kiss her? As long as he’ll know she’s safe – he can take it.

-Two weeks later-

The microwave won’t start. After checking that it’s still firmly plugged into a socket, Malos resigns himself to the fact that Mik has gotten his hands on it and now it won’t start for a week. Now what the hell is he supposed to do with yesterday’s leftover coffee?

He drinks his coffee cold and black.

Through the window he can gaze out across the rooftops of old Alba Cavanich, watch the sun rise by the harbour. Or he can turn a bit and look at Hardhaigh Palace, glowing red in the early sunlight, or he can look past the palace at the towering buildings and skyscrapers, the glass and steel monuments. The light glistening off of the spires of the Rhadamanthus Tower, right in the heart of the city. Every rich asshole and snobby celebrity and piece-of-shit senator in the city, all clustered right here. Malos included.

What a place.

He smooths out his frown into a neutral expression as Mikhail steps into the kitchen area, scowling and with hair standing on end. “Good morning,” Malos says cheerfully, to which Mikhail raises one finger.

“Mikhail,” chides Jin absently, walking in after Mik, looking significantly more awake than their son. Then he starts making breakfast, so Malos makes Jin’s tea, and Mikhail feeds the cat then steals the packet of poptarts and vanishes. Probably back to bed, who the fuck even knows what he does all night. Besides the ill-advised Torna business. Jin doesn’t really like that Mikhail’s officially joined Torna, and Malos likes it even less…

They sit down to eat, and Malos hands Jin his tea with a kiss to his cheek. Jin graciously accepts his tea, and says, “The Aegis was back last night.”

“I thought she broke her arm three days ago?” Malos scowls at his breakfast.

“She did,” Jin says, slowly.

There is not much else to say about it. The Aegis – an ever-present thorn in their side, so goddamn tenacious. You broke her leg and a few days later she was back and running through the city. The Aegis. The first and last to stand in their way, with her light, almost a strange mirror to Malos’s darkness. Cursed boy, like stepfather used to spit at him.

“Nothing keeps her down,” Malos mutters. If the Aegis wasn’t always interfering then Torna could already be done with their crusade. Perhaps Mikhail never would’ve had the opportunity to join. Perhaps, maybe, what if – goddammit.

Malos lets that go. They eat their breakfast and all is as peaceful as always, up until the point when Malos opens up the news app, scrolls leisurely down past the ‘superhero’-focused articles and sees article number five. “Goddammit,” he growls, and hands the phone to Jin, then watches his expression go blanker and blanker as he reads. ”I hate this fucking country-“

They can’t just take away the rights of the Torna Province again, what the hell is this debate even-

“Can you do something?” Jin’s calm grounds Malos.

“Maybe,” he grits out. “I’ll have to- I’m going to work.”

Jin just nods at him, and Malos goes to put on his coat.

What a place indeed.

Chapter Text

Nia likes to cite spite as her main driving force.

The Echells had been one of the richer families in Torigoth, up until the point when there no longer was any family. Nia had grown up in an old family villa, learning politeness, learning to play piano, dance waltz, learning things her sickly little sister could also participate in without risking her health. And her little sister had loved playing princess, and Nia always wanted to play along, because Nia had loved her sister almost more than her sister had loved Nia. But love couldn’t beat a terminal illness, no shit it couldn’t, and so Nia was an only child again at age thirteen.

At the funeral Nia almost started a brawl with two distant cousins, spat ‘You didn’t even know her fuck you’ in the face of one of daddy’s posh stupid friends, and refused to cry where everybody could see. And then she went home and cried.

She decided: she would become a doctor. A nurse. A surgeon. She wasn’t entirely clear on which until she moved to Mor Ardain and got in at Ayvill to study to a healer, which was a title that didn’t even exist in Gormott. At Ayvill Nia then met Mythra in the flesh, took up the vigilante mask for real – in the day, learning to sew wounds properly and diagnose illnesses. At night, standing guard over the campus and confronting assaulters, breaking noses and wrists and laws.

‘You gotta pick your battles.’ Yeah, fuck that too, Nia can fucking multitask.

She doesn’t mind that there’s other people doing the same thing as her. The more ‘superheroes’ around, the safer the streets should be, right. Nia doesn’t work with anybody though – patching up the Aegis (any Aegis) doesn’t really count. She’s not up for teamwork.

Pyra wants that to change.

Some other brand-fresh vigilante, Big Bang, had originally pitched the idea to Flamebringer, who then told the Aegis, which then led to Pyra really loving it and turning on her puppy-dog eyes to send Mythra out to bully Nia into it too. And Mythra apparently decided that the best time to ambush Nia with this, was when they lay comfortably buried on Nia’s bed, arms deep in snacks, with the last episode of that anime they watched ‘ironically’ just starting on her laptop.

“Why.” Nia says.

“It’d be faster to know everyone else’s business before starting territory disputes. Also, back-up.” Mythra rolls her eyes. “Not like I need it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I so fucking don’t. I’m powerful, I shoot blasts of light-“

“You’re an angry glowstick.”

“Hate you too, babe.” Mythra groans. “Give it a shot. When Pyra shows up to invite you to the club, try it. I’ll be there too, like half the time, there’s no way I can get out of it, since we’re both the Aegis.”

“Where would you even meet,” Nia grumbles, closing down the anime tab. She checks a weather app, then pulls up the news app.

“There’s hundreds of empty warehouses in this city, we’ll just pick one to squat in.”

“A team.” Nia looks at Mythra. “You want that? An actual team of – vigilantes?”

Nia is suddenly hit with the vivid memory of a gang of boys that used to hang out next to the family villa in Gormott. They wore matching clothes, were always soaked in mud, and always tried to hit passer-bys with their football. They were known as ‘The Team’, and instilled much fear in innocent dog-walkers in the neighbourhood.

“Hey, no,” Mythra says petulantly and points at the laptop screen. Nia hisses because don’t touch the screen with your cheese-dusty fingers you absolute buffoon, and Mythra says, “That article right there says I’m a superhero. Superheroine, whatever. We’d be a team of superheroes.”

“They’re talking about Pyra.”

“Yeah? Do the reporters know that? No? And I made the costume,” Mythra says, huffing. “That’s at least 15% credits to me, that outfit is becoming iconic.”

Nia doesn’t answer because it’s taking too long for her to find a snappy comeback. The Aegis outfit does make Mythra look very… dashing. Knight in shining Kevlar. “Maybe,” Nia allows grudgingly, and returns to looking at the news. A team. Guh.

“And I’d get to boss people around, as the obvious leader of that team, which is another-“

“Shut up,” Nia tells her, because she’s just found an article. TORNA HAS GONE TOO FAR – WE WILL NOT GIVE IN TO TERRORISTS.

They both read, Nia’s mood getting stormier with each sentence. What the fuck is this garbage nonsense? Taking away the autonomy of the provinces? Because of Torna? Which shithead even suggested this complete insanity-

She wants to scream.

“They can’t do that.” Nia grits her teeth. “They can’t.”

“It’ll be fine,” Mythra tries to soothe.

Nia snaps, “No it won’t! Why are they doing this?”

The silence is damning. Nia slams her laptop shut and burrows into Mythra’s side, and Mythra starts petting her hair. Nobody says a thing. Nia seethes, and despairs, and seethes some more, and Mythra cards her fingers through her hair, and Nia lets her even though they’re fucking cheese-dusted.

She’s still Gormotti. She lived there her whole goddamn childhood, watched the whole political circus. And Gormott had it better than Torna, yeah, but she’s not going to let them do this.

But she can’t stop it, what can she do, what-

(Mythra and Pyra can’t get where Torna get their desperation from. Nia gets it better)

Nia wants to rage at something. Smash some expensive china. Instead she hisses, “Maybe Torna could use some help.”

Mythra, who has the worst case of selective hearing in Ardainian history, hears Nia’s selfish scared little snarl perfectly, and says, startlingly soft, “Don’t talk like that, baby.”

You don’t own me! Nia almost starts a fight right there, but keeps it back. She really doesn’t want to fight with Mythra – they bicker and curse and mercilessly roast each other, but they don’t fight like this. Mythra is the one person Nia actively buries the instinct to go for the throat around, and she knows Mythra does something like that, too. Two angry stray cats who lash out at mostly everyone except each other (and Pyra and Rex, but they’re like teddy bears and are outliers who should not be counted).

…And maybe Nia’s talent would be wasted on Torna. They’re – terrorists. So she says to Mythra, “Your stupid team. What are you even gonna call yourselves?”

Mythra says, with no hesitation, “The Blades.”

…Nia supposes they could do a lot worse.

It’s dark and rainy tonight, but Poppi’s eyes glow like flashlights and if that’s not enough she can scan for heat signatures. The Nopon Mafia goon Poppi’s holding struggles in her grip, but Poppi is made of metal, so it’s not very effective! Really, the mafia goons are all pretty stupid once you’ve caught them.

“Thank you for cooperation!” Poppi says cheerfully. A cheerful voice is sure to calm down people, so had Tora said. “Now we wait for Ardainian Intelligence Agency-pon.”

The goon struggles harder and Poppi clenches her fingers until the goon starts to whimper. Creator-pon doesn’t really like it when Poppi intimidates people, but what Tora doesn’t know won’t hurt him!

“Keriri kill you!” the mafia-pon cries, revealing his name in the process. Poppi loves the Nopon dialect. “Let Keriri go! Keriri innocent, Keriri being held against will-“

“Keriri guilty of threat of murder just now!” Poppi says cheerily. “And Keriri leave paw prints on vault, AIA-pons not stupid.”

“It mistake!” Keriri is starting to sound increasingly desperate, as sirens start screeching in the background. Of course it’s not the AIA, because they’re very discreet, but the ACPD also mean bad business for the mafia of the Argentum District. Poppi however knows, that unfortunately the ACPD are too cowardly to venture very far into the district, so the Nopon Red Pollen Mafia has free reign of the area. And that’s a rather big problem, you understand?

“Poppi always right,” Poppi tells Keriri. “And here come AIA-pons!”

“Good evening,” Niranira says, jumping out of one of the two nondescript cars that just came to a halt on the curb next to Poppi and Keriri. His chauffeur, a big human in a suit, steps out after him.

“Hello!” Poppi says, and waves with the hand she’s not holding Keriri with. “Poppi captured guilty-pon of Paron case.”

Keriri turned out to be a highly incompetent nopon, but Poppi is always proud of a job finished nevertheless.

“Much thanks, Poppi!” Niranira says, and his chauffeur steps forward to put wing-cuffs on Keriri, who has started babbling. Poppi is glad to be rid of him. “Paron case finally resolved, but there still Dead Ardainian Journalist case, and find out who give mafia so much cash…”

“Where cash even come from?”

“Niranira not know! AIA not know! Nobody know. Keep eyes and ears open, Poppi.”

“Aye, aye,” Poppi says. Then Niranira, his chauffeur and their prisoner all get back into the cars and drive away. Poppi watches them go, silently staring into the rain. Her sensors detect a humanoid shape with normal human body temperature hanging out on the roof right above her, but Poppi figures it’s not a threat.

Her comm crackles then, and Tora asks, “Niranira not know where mafia got cash?”

“Nobody know,” Poppi says. “It very fishy.”

“Meh meh…” Tora goes quiet too. Their partnership works like this: Tora listens in on what she does, and if she runs into a problem where she needs information from elsewhere, Tora researches it for her. Tora, as her creator, maintains her body and Poppi uses it to hit people, fly, and break open doors for the AIA. Together they fight the mafia in the Argentum District, because superheroes are the new cool thing in town.

And because Tora desperately wants to be useful, but Poppi doesn’t hold that over him! Robots are more perfect than organics, that’s just the way it is.

“Hey!” comes a sudden shout, and Poppi looks up, and then a girl jumps down from the next door soup-store’s low roof, landing in front of Poppi. The girl wears a hoodie with hearts sewn onto it and a pair of enormous goggles: it’s Big Bang. Not a threat, just like Poppi thought. “How’s it going?” she asks, friendly.

“It going alright!” Poppi cocks her head. “Friend want something?”

“You’ve been invited to join our brand new super-confidential superhero club!” Big Bang throws up her hands in a very grand and unnecessary gesture. “Or okay, to be honest we’ve both been invited to join the Aegis’ superhero club. You want in? Please say you do.”

“This sound good!” Tora says in Poppi’s head.

“Sound like fun!” Poppi agrees. “Poppi and Creator-pon would happily join.”

“Awesome!” Big Bang slaps Poppi’s hand. “Now you’re a Blade, so c’mon, follow me…”

-Three years ago-

“…You dyed you hair?”

Pyra heard the unspoken ‘why the fuck’ loud and clear. She said, “Yeah. I looked too much like you.” And dad. “…And scarlet fits me, right?” She turned her head a bit, waiting for her sister’s approval.

“I guess…” Mythra frowned. “You’ve never had an issue with looking like me before.”

“I - I just wanted a new look, if we’re moving to Alba Cavanich and all.” Oh, what a terrifying exhilarating thought. Alba Cavanich, the jewel of the Ardainian Empire, inhabited by three million people. Out here in the wastes the biggest towns had a measly three thousand inhabitants, so Alba Cavanich seemed like an abstract concept of more, bigger, tougher, shinier. And the blood-red colour Pyra had picked for her hair – she was going to be much more noticeable now. And she was going to deal with it, she was going to make it work, she was proving herself to… herself. Always.

Greater, stronger, flashier.

Mythra always did what she wanted and said exactly what she thought, while Pyra… was there. Pyra liked cooking and staying inside and wearing fuzzy socks. Pyra didn’t – she didn’t even know when she got so shy, but now even that was passing by. She could light her hands on fire, she could melt metal with her fingertips, she could hold her hands over a candle and feel nothing, she could take the flame right from the wick and make it live. She was more.

She was growing up and she wanted to feel like it.

“We’re going to be living in the city,” Mythra said to the air. “Going to school and getting into debt.”

Pyra agreed silently, and they both stared out through the window, at the empty desert that surrounded their house. Dad’s house, now, because they would move out in a few weeks. And then it’d be just them on their own.

In the finest tradition of people who try to keep a secret club, they meet up at night. They pick one of the empty warehouse fire hazards close to old town, and then the Aegis waits with Lady for the others to arrive. Flamebringer makes a floor-length cloak and matching blindfold look like haute couture as she strides in, right on time, and a few minutes later Big Bang and Poppi rush in together, the robot glowing faintly in the dusk and clattering enormously.

Pyra takes a bracing breath and says, “And that’s everyone.”

“Welcome!” Lady exclaims. It’s a bit on the sarcastic side, but Pyra is mostly grateful she even decided to join.

They find a rickety old table and gather around it, the robot’s chair creaking alarmingly as she sits down. Pyra finds herself at the head of the table, everyone, even Flamebringer, looking to her as the leader. Because she is the leader, since it was the Aegis who decided to actually start this up, even if it wasn’t her idea. And because the Aegis is the most famous of them all.

“I’m the Aegis,” she says, to the table. “And we’ll be the Blades.”

“I’m Lady,” Lady says next. “I’m here as a favour.”

“I’m Flamebringer,” Brighid says. “And I chose to be here, because I believe that a team of vigilantes can do more than a single lone hero.”

“Oh, that’s really inspiring!” Big Bang chuckles. “I’m Big Bang, and me and Poppi – and Tora by extension I suppose – are here because it’s no fun fighting alone, there’s no point in that. That’s why I wanted this in the first place! And I agree with Flamebringer.”

Pyra nods. Those are exactly the points she would’ve made herself – and maybe a few additional ones. She’s got this. They’ve got this.

“Poppi have question,” the robot then says, waving her hand.

“Yes?”

“Will Blades use code names always?”

It’s a perfectly innocent question, but. The Blades all look at each other (except for Brighid, who can’t see) in a tense silence.

Poppi taps the side of her head and then there’s a Nopon voice speaking. “Tora think it not fair if other Blades have code names but not Tora and Poppi.”

Lady says, “Then pick a fake name, what’s the big deal?”

“Poppi not want code name,” Poppi says.

“That’s perfectly valid,” Big Bang says. “You go, girl!”

“Alright,” Pyra says, loudly. “We’ll use code names, except for Poppi, who doesn’t want one.” Nobody objects. Pyra resolves to let Mythra handle the next meeting, and says, “Next, we’re going to have to figure out how we want to do things…”

They talk, as a group. Eventually they’ll be a proper team, Pyra’s sure. But right now, everyone is still trying to figure out how in Alrest things are going to work around here. And Pyra is the one who’ll have to handle it all, being the leader – together with Mythra. But only Lady and Flamebringer even know about that, in the whole city it’s only two people that the Aegis has dared to tell (oh, Rex…), and Pyra – thinks she’ll have to tell Big Bang, Poppi and her boss eventually. But not yet. Not right now.

There’s other things to worry about at the moment…

“That new law the Emperor is trying to get passed? Torna are going to be completely livid after it-“ Big Bang says, and then Lady interrupts.

“It’s not going to pass. It can’t possibly. They’re just making a fuss because of that stupid Senator’s daughter.”

“But if it does-“

“Torna are going to be unbearable either way,” Flamebringer cuts in. “Face it.”

“They’ll probably do something big,” Pyra agrees. Please don’t. “And when that happens, we can handle it together.” Which – actually makes her feel better about things. Why should the villains be the only ones to have a team? This is going to level the score, this is – if everything goes well – going to turn the tide. This, being a team, could make a difference.

Pyra really wants to be hopeful about this.

Chapter Text

“We’re going to call ourselves the Blades.” the Aegis says. She’s healthy and whole and sitting on Rex’s sofa, close enough to touch (not that Rex is going to! haha! oh man) and that’s really all that Rex has wanted lately. For the Aegis to be safe and, y’know, preferably so that he can talk to her too. But just her being safe is enough. He’s sitting next to her and gazing at her face, at her red eyes through the eye slits in the mask, just basking in the fact that she’s here , and so it takes a moment for her words to sink in.

When they finally do he says, “Oh, uh, wow.” How eloquent and encouraging, truly! What else, what else- “Uh, so how many people are in on it?”

“About six or so,” the Aegis says quickly. “I’m… the leader, I suppose.”

Her hands twist in her lap, almost… anxiously.

Sometimes Rex feels especially startled by the Aegis’ humanity, and right now it’s happening again. Who wouldn’t assume that the Aegis in all her glory would take to the leader role with ease? She’s brave and good and amazing and - human, actually, really, beneath that white and gold costume. And humans can doubt.

“You’ll be a great leader,” Rex tells her. Because she will!

“Thanks,” Aegis says. She doesn’t sound very thrilled about it. Rex wonders if he should change the topic, or maybe offer her some tea, but then he’d have to get up and cook some tea, and he’s sitting here with homework all over his lap and Gramps sprawled all over his homework, and you can’t just move cats.

“Rex,” the Aegis then says, suddenly intense and turning to face him. “Do you think that maybe Torna… have a point?”

“Pardon?”

“That maybe their destruction is justified?”

Rex can’t manage anything more inspired than a blank stare, and the Aegis begins anew, eyes burning.

“Look, Rex. Do you think that maybe - Torna aren’t just wreaking havoc for the sake of it? Because they have a reason. They have! They want their independence, you know, and... And maybe Mor Ardain really is just a rotten, terrible country and I’m… I’m fighting the wrong fight...”

The Aegis is asking him for advice and Rex has never felt more like an absolute tool, yet it’s both humbling and terrifying to have the Aegis looking at him like this. He feels, for a brief second, like the advisor of a very great queen. And at the same time, it’s his dear friend asking seriously about something Rex absolutely isn’t qualified to answer about, being a) from Leftheria and b) a person who only ever reads the news because of the articles about the Aegis and c) someone who has like, two and a half friends.

But what he knows is this: Torna is a gang of dangerous terrorists, the Aegis herself swore this up and down. They’ve killed people. However noble their motives really are or aren’t, they’re still going about it the wrong way . 

“No,” Rex says, and places a hand on the Aegis’ knee, because, because you know, her knee is close to him and a very neutral place to grip, if you need to lean forward a little and say something very intently. “You’re doing the right thing, Aegis. Torna are terrorists, they’ve…”

-Killed people, like that bodyguard guy, who the Aegis saw die, very up close, only a few weeks ago.

“I know.” The Aegis sighs.

“I believe in you. You’re doing the right thing.”

“Thank you, Rex.”

They sit in silence for a moment. Gramps purrs loudly and turns over in Rex’s lap. Rex thinks very hard about when and how he should remove the hand from the Aegis’ knee.

“Oh,” Aegis then says. “I almost forgot why I came here, but well… I got myself a burner phone! So that we can exchange phone numbers.”

“Oh?” Rex says, because from one perspective it’s fantastic , now they can talk whenever they want to - and on the other hand, does this mean the Aegis doesn’t want to meet with him anymore? That a cheap phone will solve the problem of some boy who won’t leave her alone?

“Yeah, so you can always call me if you need to.”

“Wow,” Rex says. Then, “I’m kinda stuck so uh, could you hold Gramps while I go get my phone? Thank you, thanks.”

The Aegis’ phone number. Wow.

It’s early evening, they’re in a shitty deserted warehouse, it’s the Aegis’ second Blades meeting and Mythra’s first, and ugh, wow, she can’t believe this. Seriously, Big Bang’s costume is just a hoodie? Who let that happen? Mythra would kidnap her and make her a new outfit or something, but the simple fact is that she’s too busy. She lost her waitress job thanks to coming down with a big ol’ case of gut wounds, though she hated that fucking job anyway, that job alone is what took Mythra’s faith in humanity away - but now she and Pyra are without any income and there’s bills, and rent, and school.

They could call dad, but Mythra would rather eat a live frog than beg him for help. Oh yeah, and the Torna crisis! Nia is hating the political situation here, and goddammit, so is Mythra, so are most decent people probably, but this city kind of sucks, honestly, so decent people seem to be in short supply. But these people right here? All the masked weirdos?

They better be good ones.

So Mythra’s in the costume tonight, who knows what Pyra’s doing, and Mythra’s supposed to lead these people. Nia, Flamebringer, Big Bang and that robot girl. And whoever whiny nopon that robot girl keeps putting on speakers.

“Alright, role call,” Mythra says.

Flamebringer, Big Bang and, ugh, yeah, Lady , rattle off their names. The robot girl introduces herself as Poppi, which is a lovely and beautiful name in contrast because then the nopon says, “Tora want to be called Technomancer.”

Mythra has been underestimating Pyra’s vast amounts of patience; in fact, Pyra seems to have an infinite supply always ready for encounters with clowns like these. Just- Technomancer ? Presumably the Technomancer, which possibly just makes it worse. “Be my guest,” Mythra says, at last, because she finds that she doesn’t actually care what he wants to call himself as long as he’s useful, they’ve got bigger messes on their hands, and she’s going to let this go- or no, no, just one thing. “Does this mean…” she says slowly, forcing the words out one by one. “That you have… magical powers… connected to tech?”

“No!” The Techno- the nopon , the nopon chirps happily. “Very good with tech, yes! But no magic, only skill!”

“Right.” Mythra clears her throat. “So, there’s been a lot of talk about politics lately-”

“Mor Ardain sucks.” Lady doesn’t even change her expression, just sits there and waits.

(they’ve had this discussion before.

“Maybe, just maybe things get better sometimes, maybe. But what you can always count on, on the other hand, is that shit gets shittier, the worst laws always pass, the shittiest senator always gets votes-” )

“Thank you, Lady, for your opinion,” Mythra says, flatly. “As I was going to say, what we need to do is be prepared. Those fuckers are not going to catch us off guard. We know Torna are going to pissed as hell about this new law shit, so y’all better be careful if you run into anyone-”

“They hate Aegis most!” Poppi pipes up cheerfully.

“Yes, Poppi, I’ve noticed,” Mythra says, even flatter than before. “And so has Lady. Who by the way is used to stitching up me , so in case of emergencies you all should have a way to contact her, right Lady?”

“Actually, that’s not a terrible idea,” Lady admits grudgingly. “I’m not done with med-school but-”

“-you’re better than nothing, I agree,” Flamebringer says. “How about you, Poppi?”

“Poppi not organic!” Poppi exclaims. Gosh, she’s cheerful, ain’t she? “Creator-pon fix any damage Poppi get.”

“That right!” The Technomancer says.

“Good, great,” Mythra says, with actual honest-to-the-Architect relief , because the closest thing they have to an engineer is Big Bang. Speaking of Big Bang, she’s been weirdly quiet- “Big Bang?”

“Um,” Big Bang says. She’s looking at her phone, though how she can actually see through her goggles is beyond Mythra’s understanding. “Uh, Bladies, I think you should see this…” she then says, not in the least ominously, and stretches over the rickety shitty table to hand Mythra her phone. 

It’s open on a news site.

Mythra, before even reading a single word, just has to take a bracing breath, and acknowledge the fact that’s she’s perhaps a bit tired.

Then she curses, colourfully, as she starts reading anyway. “There’s a situation at Senate Hall,” she snaps. “Everyone, look alive, we gotta go.”

Better call Pyra too, give her a heads-up.

Pyra is tenderly cradling her cheap burner phone, entertaining herself with a sort of daydream where she calls Rex and he picks up and then they talk about nothing at all until maybe one of them falls asleep, when Pyra’s actual phone starts ringing. 

It’s Mythra. 

Pyra, very carefully, answers the call.

“Hey Pyra, some shit’s going down in Senate Hall, watch out I guess-”

“What?”

“-I’m heading there, see ya later.”

Mythra hangs up. Pyra gets up to put on her boots.

Senate Hall is a bigger building than Mythra had blissfully thought, back when she still had never had to step a foot inside of it. Right now they’ve got Crystal, Crow, Calamity, Hunter - actually, all of Torna except Logos - running around the place, basically holding the senate hostage but not really, and the senators are, to put it mildly, freaking out.

Why the fuck are they still here, at 8 in the evening? Shouldn’t they be out golfing or some shit like that?

Mythra, mask on, is busy herding senators Aurelius, Tenebris, Wathsige and Dughall to a safe janitor’s closet while Lady tries her hardest to stab Crow at the other end of the corridor they’re all in (go for the face, baby), and while Aurelius and Wathsige obediently go and hide inside the closet, Dughall starts fussing and complaining. “It’s too - too hazardous!” he exclaims. “We cannot possibly hide in a janitor’s closet !”

“Sir,” Mythra says, because it gives less bad reputation than saying shut the fuck up, “This janitor’s closet? Fantastic foundations. Sturdy door. This is fucking quality shelter, sir. Other people can only dream of having this excellent a hiding spot, so please-” She smiles aggressively. “Take a seat.”

Dughall takes a seat.

Mythra shuts the door on them, then realises she’s somehow lost Senator Tenebris in the chaos. Welp.

Senator Tenebris will just have to fend for himself, because right now Mythra’s going to have to fight.

Pyra is dressed in a puffy red coat, a mint green hand-knitted scarf, and boots. It’s definitely not cold enough to warrant this, especially not in Alba Cavanich, but she hopes that maybe these clothes will be their own form of disguise, since the Aegis outfit is taken. The newscasters were practically frothing at the mouth last she looked it up (3 minutes ago) and she feels sweaty and hot and generally not great after having sprinted here in this big fluffy coat, and now she’s about to sneak her way into Senate Hall, past the police swarming around the building but too wary to go inside.

She ties the scarf over her nose and mouth, picks out a door that looks deserted enough both from cameras and people, and vaults over the fence built around Senate Hall. The building itself is half greyish white marble, dusty with old smog, and half made of metal, and often metal formed in intricate patterns. The doors are all metal too, as far as she’s seen, but that’s no problem.

Curling into the door to hide what she’s doing with her entire body, just in case there’s somehow some stray person around being difficult and staring this way, Pyra then presses a hand to the lock and turns up the heat.

There’ll be a hole in the door.

It’s not like it’ll even count amidst all the other destruction surely going on inside, but still. Pyra pats the wall next to her in silent apology - then realises what she’s doing, immediately stops, and just concentrates on the door. When the lock’s gone she quickly pushes the door open and slips inside, and thankfully it turns out to be a dark and empty room. Warily she then opens the next door, which leads to a corridor…

Pyra gets going.

Her impulse-decision plan, which feels more and more stupid by the minute, because she’s nothing if not anxious, is to try and help the Blades. Even if, as she now realises, it’s only going to contain helping senators get out of danger and avoiding any and all Torna members like her life depends on it. (It really, really does)

“I believe in you.”

Just helping senators and snooping around will be enough, as long as she can help somehow - it’s five Blades against five of Torna, so it’s not as if the Blades are outnumbered. They’ve got it. They’ve got this.

Pyra helps Senator Coineagan and Senator What’s-his-name, which mostly involves telling them to calm down, it’ll all be fine , and pretending that she’s one of the janitors. Then she makes them hide in an empty office and wait, and goes back out to look for more lost politicians, peeking into another office full of shelves and finds Senator… Tenebris, that’s his name, rooting through a cupboard full of files…?

Senator… something on M, (maybe Miqol?) Tenebris doesn’t look like he’s panicking. In fact, he looks like he’s determinedly looking for something, and Pyra is just about to step out into the room and offer to help, then maybe direct the guy to safety, when he pulls out a huge stack of files. And then another stack of documents. And another, at which point he lifts up the first stack again and puts it on fire.

Pyra takes a step backward and watches with wide eyes, because that’s not fire at all. It’s black. It’s rot , it’s darkness eating through the papers, consuming-

The realisation hits her in her guts, first. Then her legs, which go useless like jello, and she slumps carefully, carefully and so afraid, for just a moment, against the wall next to the doorway and prays that Senator Tenebris can’t see or hear her because he’s Logos.

Those documents he’s destroying, they could be vitally important, they could be so, so important and Pyra won’t even know. Maybe Mor Ardain is a rotten country, like Nia’s been saying, maybe, maybe, maybe-

-but is Pyra… is the Aegis, really going to just stand here and let Logos burn them?

Logos doesn’t even have his armour, he’s wearing a suit and tie of all blasted things. He’s unarmed!

So is Pyra!

She should turn and run, if she tries to stop him now he’ll know , he’ll know it even without a costume or a sword, he’ll know she’s the Aegis-

But Pyra is nobody. She’s never made any art or starred in a play or won in a sport. She’s the most boring of all vanilla flavours out there. He'll never find her.

His darkness eats through another folder of documents like it’s nothing, leaves not even ash behind.

Pyra takes a deep breath, and tightens the scarf around her face carefully.

She steps forward and says, in her most authoritative voice,  “Stop that.”

Logos startles. It’s the strangest thing to see, and she’d never think that guy wildly jerking around to face her was Logos if not a second ago he’d been busy rotting documents. But then, he straightens up, and his eyes are just - fire.

“Oh, witness,” he says, crushes the last of the documents with darkness in his hand and moves towards her. Pyra retaliates by moving closer to him, light on her feet like they’re already in battle while her heart pounds and pounds beneath her stupid dumb fluffy poofy red winter coat. When he finally lunges, a swipe of darkness in his hand, Pyra blocks with her own arm and a flash of light bright enough to hurt.

“Oh, Aegis ,” Logos says, and his voice sounds entirely different from how he said witness , a chill going down Pyra’s spine.

Senator Tenebris. Architect, why doesn’t she know anything about him?

She doesn’t have her sword, and it makes her feel off balance. Logos is far more agile without the bulky armour, while Pyra is restricted by her stupid goddamn coat. In a fit of stupidity easily confused for desperate rage she takes three seconds to whip off her coat, which she then sets afire and hurls at Logos, which buys her some time as Logos has to put out the sleeve of his suit that caught fire.

She’s without her costume, now in only a top and the dumb scarf, yes, alright, and she’s anxious because of that, YEAH, but she’s still the Aegis , she’s got this-

“I believe in you.”

She lunges at Logos, who slams her against a bookshelf stuffed with folders, and Pyra chokes him with his tie and punches him in the face. He turns his head so it catches him in the ear instead, and Pyra shoves forward, getting out of his grip. When he turns she throws up a hand, light exploding outward, and he stumbles.

Pyra doesn’t even flinch. She’s learned that it’s best for her sanity to just not question her powers - but she knows she’s immune to them herself.

“What papers did you burn?” she demands, moving out of reach, Logos still too blinded by the light to grab her.

“Only the ones I had to,” he snarls, and his arm shoots out-

Pyra catches it in a hand, lets her palm heat a little, burning his sleeve.

He yanks his arm free and then they’re trading blows, then they’re backing away, regrouping, Pyra carefully prowling just out of reach from Logos. Then they’re back at it again, someone lunged first but it doesn’t matter who, and Logos destroys part of her scarf, Pyra tries to set him on fire, they’re dragging down shelves and Pyra’s lost her scarf, Logos is snarling, Pyra can’t even hear anything else than her heartbeat as everything narrows down to Logos-

It’s been maybe a minute in total but the office’s a wreck, it never even had a door to begin with, and Pyra drags it out into the corridor.

She drops a chandelier on Logos, Logos tries to break her nose, they’re grappling against a wall and Pyra’s this close to clawing at him, blood dripping from her unbroken nose.

“Not so tough now, ” Logos sneers.

Pyra doesn’t reply and knees him somewhere unpleasant.

Rex only watches the news this much to begin with because of the Aegis, but he does do it a lot. It's like a new hobby almost - a somewhat sad, pathetic hobby, like looking through old photo albums every night. It’s useful though, especially as he now finds out about the whole Senate thing pretty quickly, and immediately makes his way downtown, anxiously chewing his lip the whole train ride there.

By the time he gets there his lip’s actually hurting, so he forces himself to stop, pushing past the police officers and news reporters swarming around the building, and oh wow, there’s Lady giving an interview or similar - and then he’s surrounded by senators instead, coming up on the doors of the hall, oh yikes, but where’s the Aegis? He pushes into the hall, mumbling apologies to the senators he’s elbowing, and he’s in a foyer, there’s a broken sofa and Flamebringer oh yikes , Flamebringer’s lounging on another one. But where, where is the Aegis in all this?

(please-)

“Um, ma’am… Flamebringer?” Rex asks tentatively, edging closer to her warily.

She looks up. He thinks. She’s wearing a mask that covers her eyes and also the ends of her hair appears to be, literally, actually, on fire, which is cool but rather terrifying.

“Yes? I think you’d best leave, in fact-” She cocks her head. “You’re not a senator, are you?”

“Um, no, ma’am, I’m… just a friend of the Aegis,” Rex says, and he’s anxious at the prospect of talking to Flamebringer, but his worry for the Aegis is always going to come first, no matter how silly it might be. She can melt things with her bare hands, but Rex knows she’s human, too, and he worries. He worries, he worries, and he asks of Flamebringer, “I was wondering if you perhaps… knew where she went? Please?”

Rex can feel his palms sweating as Flamebringer considers him.

“She went after Calamity and Hunter together with Big Bang,” Flamebringer finally says. “I don’t think you'll see her again tonight.”

Pyra retreats into some sort of library and throws a book at Logos, the pages catching fire just before they’d hit - but Logos ducks around it, advancing on her, warily now. His suit’s burned and he’s lost a sleeve, Pyra has dried nosebleed down her cheek, she’s seriously contemplating putting an entire shelf of books aflame just to attack - and then a phone rings.

The sound of an electric guitar rips into the silence which wasn’t silence at all, just background noise from the city and police sirens and other things Pyra ignored, and Logos stumbles on a step and curses.

Pyra moves closer, carefully but with a single-minded focus to take him down , and then in the next breath the whole room is plunged into darkness and it’s Pyra’s turn to stumble.

“Well, Aegis,” he drawls, voice coming from behind her and she whirls around to find only more pitch-darkness. “I’d tell you to look into the Emperor’s affairs before throwing stones…” Pyra spins to the left, hands out, heart beating wildly- “...but I doubt you’d listen. Until next time,” he says, from the right, and Pyra lets fire explode out from her hands, roar hungrily into the world-

-and he’s not there, he’s not there but at least Pyra can see her hands through the miasma as long as they’re aflame. She feels her way out of the room, into the corridor where the darkness is dissipating like fog, and he’s gone.

Logos is gone, the coward. Like he does every time.

She stands there for a moment, catching her breath, letting the battle seep out of her until the worries start to seep back in.

She just fought Logos, without a mask, in the middle of Senate Hall. And Pyra’s nobody, no achievements, barely any family, hailing from a small town far away from here, he won’t find her (right, right, no) and - and now, she knows , he’s a senator, he’s important, there’s got to be information out there, dirt to dig up, he’s a senator so there must be something. Senators are always in the news, always doing things and saying stuff. She’ll find info about him.

And about Pyra Addams, there should be absolutely nothing to find.

Chapter Text

“Well, Aegis.” drawls Logos. “I’d tell you to look into the Emperor’s affairs before throwing stones... but I doubt you’d listen.”

If news reporters hadn’t been swarming the building before then now they sure as hell are. Senate Hall, the scene of the first big battle between the terrorist group Torna and the newly formed team of vigilantes – erm, superheroes – the Blades. Flamebringer and Poppi are all still inside of the building where the senators had been held hostage by Torna, probably asking around to see if anyone has any useful intel on Torna, while Nia’s outside talking to reporters. This is as good a chance as any to tell the reporters exactly what Nia – that is to say, Lady – thinks about the senate considering removing Gormotti citizens’ rights just because of Torna, yeah?

That whole debacle is complete bullshit. Probably why Torna decided to take the senate hostage, too, but what does terrorism help with? Torna hasn’t achieved a single thing yet and Mor Ardain still hasn’t let go off a single one of its provinces.

“So, yeah, I don’t think putting restrictions on the people in the provinces will solve anything,” Nia says firmly to the five reporters currently flocking her. She’s making sure to not look visibly pissed as hell, though it’s hard when the reporters ask such stupid questions:

“So you think Tornans should have the right to vote?”

“Yes,” says Nia, keeping the growl out of her voice. “Look, it’s not the Tornans that are the issue, it’s the terrorist group. And we’re handling them. You can count on the Blades.”

“Is that what you’re calling yourself?” asks another reporter, writing hastily on her notepad.

“Yeah,” says Nia. “And the Aegis is our leader, so if you have any more questions, you best ask her.”

Two members of Torna, Calamity and Hunter, decided to flee when they started losing to the Blades so Mythra and Big Bang took off after them. Mythra trusts that Nia, Brighid and Poppi can take care of the senate by themselves, because she’s too busy to worry about them. It’s not hard to track Calamity and Hunter as they hurtle down the street, and Mythra’s hot on their heels, Big Bang doing her best to keep pace with her. But Mythra can’t worry about Big Bang either.

Torna killed a person in front of Pyra. Mythra will never forgive them.

Calamity and Hunter are obviously trying to leave the governmental district with its huge open boulevards and blatant lack of hiding spaces, shoving pedestrians out of the way as they sprint down the pavement, Mythra gaining on them. When they suddenly run right out into the street Mythra doesn’t eve hesitate before following-

-except then there are a bunch of cars braking and slamming into each other, and Mythra snarls and curses but stops to help the civilians anyway, watching resentfully as Hunter and Calamity slip away in the chaos. Awful, cheating cowards-

Mythra calls the ambulance for an elderly man who hurt himself slamming against the windshield of his car, and then Big Bang catches up to her.

“Oh dang it,” she says, panting. “Torna got away huh?”

“Yes,” snaps Mythra, curt. Then she sighs. “They caused this car pileup and left. There’s no use trying to chase them now.” As Mythra very well knows form every previous encounter with them. Torna are so infuriatingly good at disappearing when they want to.

“Ah man,” says Big Bang. They stand there on the pavement for a moment watching emergency personnel fussing over the drivers and passengers, the emergency lights on the ambulances and police cars bright against the dark night sky.

Tomorrow Mythra’s got school. She lost her job, so at least she won’t have to deal with doing customer service tomorrow – but instead she’ll have to worry about the bills (and the overdue rent!) now that they’ve got basically no income. And Pyra’s been worrying as well… speaking of, Mythra better call her. Pyra must’ve been following along the news alone tonight.

“We should return to Senate Hall to see if the others need help,” Mythra tells Big Bang. “You go ahead, I have to make a call.”

Big Bang looks at her for a moment – or at least Mythra thinks so, but it’s really hard to tell considering the huge goggles Big Bang’s wearing – before saying, “Alright.”

Mythra watches as she starts heading back towards Senate Hall, then pulls out her phone from the pouch Mythra had specifically sewn into their outfit for this exact reason. She leans back against a lamppost, smiling vaguely at the emergency personnel sneaking glances at her, and waits for Pyra to pick up her phone. A worrying twenty seconds pass before Pyra finally answers. And what she says is enough for Mythra’s mouth to drop open.

“I know who Logos is,” is the first thing Pyra says, sounding nearly breathless. “And he saw me. Without the mask.”

Mythra stares up at the night sky, trying to collect her thoughts. Trying to figure out how the hell Pyra even ran into Logos tonight. Trying to come up with a plan.

Then she says, “…well, shit.”

Flamebringer (the Flamebringer, oh jeez) told Rex that he wasn’t likely to run into the Aegis tonight as she’d run off chasing Calamity and Hunter, but since Rex already rushed all the way over to Senate Hall tonight because he heard about the battle he… doesn’t know what to do next. It’s not like he would’ve been able to help if the battle was still going on, so he supposes he just wanted to – well, to know the Aegis is alright.

That’s what it always comes down to. Rex wanting to know she’s alright, and the Aegis not wanting anyone to be worried for her. Not wanting Rex to be in danger.

As if he cares about that.

When he steps back outside of Senate Hall (and it wasn’t even that hard to get inside; everything’s a mess) Lady’s done with the reporters and is instead talking to some other superhero. She’s wearing a purple hoodie with hearts sewn onto it and some kind of lamps attached to it, which is pretty distinctive, but Rex doesn’t recognise her.

Instead he looks past them and past all the police cars and officers milling around the building, and then his eyes catch on a white-clad figure approaching the building and he swears his heart nearly skips a beat. There’s the Aegis, walking closer, and Rex is running up to meet her before he can think not to.

“Aegis!” he calls, and her head jerks to face him.

“Rex,” she says, hesitantly. Her voice sounds a bit off. Not in any way Rex can really define, just – different. She looks at him and her eyes are bright shining gold, reassuring as she nods to him-

Wait.

Gold?

Doesn’t the Aegis have red eyes? Rex has spent so much time gazing into them and thinking about them, wondering about the Aegis’s other facial features, that he doesn’t think he could ever be mistaken.

But here the Aegis is, and her eyes are golden, not red, and she’s still just looking at Rex, waiting for him to say something.

“Ah!” says Rex, loudly, and cringes. “You’re not hurt, right? I was in the area-“ lies, of course, but Aegis doesn’t need to know that. “-so I thought I’d come and see how you guys were doing! Your team’s really amazing, huh?” he chuckles awkwardly and rubs at the back of his neck.

“I’m fine,” says Aegis neutrally. “And yes. We thought we’d call ourselves the Blades.”

Didn’t you already tell me that? thinks Rex.

Something is… off. Somehow. In some way Rex can’t put his finger on- maybe Aegis is just tired from all the fighting? Yeah, she must be. Agh, and here Rex is bothering her when he should let her get going so she can head home to sleep!

Still- Rex looks at her and smiles softly. “I’m glad you’re alright, Aegis. I’ll see you around?”

“…Yes,” she says. Then, after a brisk nod to him, she starts heading for the front of Senate Hall where the rest of the Blades are gathered. Her team. All brave and extraordinary people, who’ve come together to protect this city. They were a myth back in Fonsett, and here in Alba Cavanich, where he’s close enough to quite literally touch them-

-it sometimes, somehow, still feels as if nothing’s changed. Like in all this time he’s still gotten no closer to the Aegis.

Who is she really? Rex will think that he knows her, only to then meet her another day – like today – and it’s like she’s a whole different person. Like he hasn’t gotten to know her at all.

-Seven years ago-

Auresco, the once proud capital of a once proud nation, now looked wet and witheringly old in this pathetic mist of a rain. The people drifted aimlessly on the streets, sticking to walls and porches and underneath ceilings. Orphan kids and beggars sat in the alleys and alcoves between the buildings, out of the way from the people but never escaping the rain.

Malos stood there with his umbrella and thought this is humanity, this was it, when you stripped away all the wealth and comfort and lies and stolen glory. This was a people on their knees in the rain, this was what happened when you no longer wanted anything to do with your conquered people. This was quite frankly disgusting.

The people stepped out of his way as he started walking, looked at him from the shadows. A young rich Ardainian had no place here. Unbothered he walked on, looked at the meagre shops, the closed down stores, the ornamented houses now covered in dust and dirt. Such a waste.

He turned and strolled into a park, where the trees stood pitiful and alone in the rain. A single person sat on a park bench, face hidden in the hood a traditional Tornan cloak, and Malos would’ve paid them no mind at all, if only they hadn’t looked up. Nobody wants to look Malos in the eye but when he glanced down this Tornan stranger looked up, and Malos stopped. There was exhaustion and apathy and anger written on his face and his blue eyes were like ice, and Malos, in that one moment of looking at this man, knew.

“You’re like me.” Malos said. Not quite but close enough. This man – so familiar even though – he had to- “The name’s Malos.”

The man, who had glanced down again, didn’t say anything for a moment. Malos closed his umbrella and held out a hand.

An offer.

Slowly, the man raised his own hand and reached for Malos’s.

When Rex has hauled himself back to his apartment the time’s nearing 3 am already and when he then opens the door to see Mythra – Nia’s girlfriend – and her twin sister Pyra, who Rex hasn’t seen since… uh, long ago, anyway, sitting on the sofa it takes him a few seconds to process that they’re in his apartment. The two of them. With- a lot of bags? And boxes?

“Oh, Rex,” says Nia, appearing from her room. “So sorry about all this, but they just got kicked out of their apartment, and they’ve got no other place to stay so well-“

Rex looks at the bags with wide eyes and starts saying quickly, “Ah, I see, uh, really, it’s all fine by me-“

This entire night has been such a rollercoaster already. Anyway, he and Nia have enough room for two guests, so it’s all good! Right?

Mythra says, “Thank you. We really appreciate it.” She smiles weakly at him.

Pyra doesn’t say anything. She looks faintly shell-shocked, if Rex had to pick a word to describe her expression.

-it’s at this point that Rex becomes aware that he has yet to close their apartment door.

“Uh,” he says, blushing, and rushes to close the door and take off his coat and shoes.

When he turns back around he pastes on a smile and says, “Do you guys want tea? I think I’m going to make some tea!”

“Sure,” says Mythra, and Rex heads to the kitchen.

Gramps is lying sprawled on the counter as cats are wont to do and watches Rex as he steps inside. They stare each other down for a moment while the water boils. It’s like he’s trying to tell Rex something, like… for him to stop moping, or something.

Or maybe Rex is just imagining it.

That encounter with the Aegis had just been so… he just can’t stop thinking about it. Because there was something off about her. Are her eyes red or golden, or was it just a trick of the light, how her eyes were golden outside of Senate Hall? Or maybe she was wearing contacts. Would the Aegis do that? She wears a mask and veil already, so maybe? How old is she, anyway, and what does she do with her real spare time? Who is she?

-and is this really the time to be thinking about it?

You’ve got guests, Rex! Is what he imagines Aunt Corinne would say if she were here, and in a really faux-scandalised voice too.

Rex takes a deep breath and then lets it out slowly. He pours the water into four mugs and grabs the box of teabags, arranges it all on a tray, and brings it back to the living room. Where he halts in the doorway, because Nia, Mythra and Pyra are locked in a heated discussion, Nia’s laptop and some loose papers with hastily scribbled notes on them spread out on the coffee table and the three of them bent over them.

"Logos is Senator Tenebris! We know this alright, so shouldn’t we be able to-“ Nia spots Rex and abruptly shuts her mouth.

Pyra stares at Rex with wide eyes.

Mythra says, “Ah, there you are.” She gives her sister an unreadable glance. “Why don’t you take a seat, Rex?”

Slowly, Rex walks to the table and sets down the tray. Then he sits down in an armchair and says, “Um, maybe I heard it wrong, but are you looking into-“

“Senator Tenebris? Yep,” says Nia. Pyra elbows her, and Nia glares at her before saying, “What? It’s not like you could keep it a secret from him if you’re gonna live here.”

“Indeed,” says Mythra. She looks at Rex with intense golden eyes (something about them seems chillingly familiar for just a second-), sizing him up. “We’re looking into Senator Tenebris because we suspect that he’s Logos, from the terrorist group Torna.”

“Someone saw me,” is the first thing Malos tells Jin when he arrives at home.

Their apartment is silent and dark, not at all like the noisy, annoyingly crowded pit that is the Senate Hall. Jin’s seated by the kitchen table with a tablet open on a news page, turned in his chair to face Malos. He frowns.

“Someone? Did you take care of this someone?”

“No,” says Malos, very calmly. The entire way back he’s felt like screaming. “Because the one who found me was the Aegis.”

Jin draws in a breath.

“In her civilian identity,” adds Malos. “I have no idea who she is, but she had the Aegis’s power. Red hair, red eyes, average height. Maybe in her early twenties.” He pauses, clenching his fists. “Which is, fucking obviously, not a lot to go on-“

But she’d found him destroying classified documents in Senate Hall, dressed as a senator, and Malos is somewhat infamous as a senator. There’s no way the Aegis doesn’t know who Malos is.

“I’ve never seen her before,” Malos grits out, pulling out a chair and sitting down heavily. “I couldn’t stick around to track her either.”

“We’ve been careful,” says Jin. “Although there are rumours, no one could actually prove that we’re part of Torna.”

“…Yes,” admits Malos. He considers the Aegis darkly, that red-haired infuriating little girl – and then he forces himself to drop that topic for now. He can’t catch her now. Not yet. So instead- “So, moving on. We’re going to be attending that ball the Emperor will be hosting next week.” Malos scowls. “And so will Amalthus.”

Chapter Text

Once Rex realises and accepts the fact that ok, Mythra and the others are being serious, researching this Senator is the number one most important thing they could be doing right now because he really is a terrorist, then Rex quickly offers to help them out. As a Leftherian he can’t vote in Ardainian elections, so he really hasn’t paid that much attention to the senators before – not a smart move – but it’s not like it takes long to dig up some facts about a famous politician. Because apparently Tenebris is kind of famous.

An infamous anti-imperialist, specifically. He’d started out average enough but once he’d been elected he’d quickly become head of the anti-imperialist party, one of five political groups within the senate, working alongside the senators from Torna, Gormott and Coeia to bring ‘previously unseen issues with expansion to light’ and so on, etc. Ardainian media come up with such pretty words for imperialism, and such round-about ways of referring to anti-imperialists.

Pyra, who seems really exhausted but keeps saying she’s fine when Rex or Mythra asks, listlessly takes notes while the others read aloud from phones or laptops. Nia keeps going off track and finding articles such as ‘Senator Tenebris and his “roommate” spotted eating out at five-star restaurant’ which don’t help in the least, but Mythra and Nia seem to find great amusement in shit-talking every newspaper that’s too bigoted to type the word ‘fiancé’, so that’s interesting.

The night drags on.

Rex and Mythra gradually unearth facts about Senator Malos Tenebris such as: he’s got an adopted child and a cat, he went to some fancy university in Torna, his stepfather is apparently some (famous?) guy named Quaestor Amalthus – which Rex tells the others at the table.

“Is this Amalthus guy important?” says Nia, who at this point has given up researching and is instead looking over Pyra’s notes. “I feel like I’ve heard his name before, or something similar…”

“Give me a sec,” says Rex and pulls up a different tab. “He’s apparently the head of some kind of organisation called the Indol Group, which… hmm. Yeah, it’s pretty unclear what this organisation actually does…”

Rex scrolls through a few articles. More round-about ways of talking about it, more fluff and empty statements.

“Hmm,” says Mythra ominously. “Here’s a mention of some research project-“

“Around ten years ago, yeah, but I can’t find an article that actually says what it was about,” replies Rex. “Presumably medicine, since people volunteered to be test subjects.”

Nia perks up at that. “What kind? What was it about?”

“All the mentions I can find are doing their utmost not to mention what exactly it was,” says Rex. “I really don’t know, sorry. Humans signed up to participate in ‘a study’, though. And they had to sign NDAs for it.”

“That sounds a bit… odd?” says Pyra. She glances at Nia.

“Mm.” Nia frowns. “Okay, whatever. I’ll check that out later I guess,” says Nia. “So, moving on. Is Amalthus important or not?”

“Well, he’s going to be attending some ball the Emperor’s holding – uh, next week actually? Huh.” If Rex had more time to really sink his teeth into the subject he’d have better answers than this. Maybe later… “But apparently Tenebris is also going to be at this ball, plus a bunch of other VIPs…”

“Interesting,” says Mythra, typing rapidly. Then she turns her laptop to face her sister. “Pyra, take a look at this guest list.”

Pyra obediently leans closer and after a moment says, “Oh. I didn’t know she’d be going.”

“Who?” says Rex. Are they talking about some celebrity?

“Nobody you’d know,” says Mythra flatly.

Pyra looks more apologetic. “Sorry. That’s not important, anyway.”

The early light of dawn is getting alarmingly bright through the living room curtains. Rex stares at it for a minute before looking up again. “Oh, right. Tenebris is part of Torna.” He stifles a yawn. “So, what are we even going to do about that? We’re not superheroes or law enforcement or anything…”

“And we don’t have any evidence,” says Mythra, scowling. “Yet.”

“So let’s focus on… that ball, instead,” says Nia. “Lots of bigshots are supposed to be there, yeah? Sounds like a good time to do a terrorist attack, since he’s going to be there and all.”

If Torna just wanted attention then it’d definitely be the perfect opportunity.

“I don’t know,” says Pyra. “Perhaps you’re right… oh, that would be awful…”

They consider that statement in silence. Rex rubs at his eyes and glances at the clock – yikes. It’s way too late to get any decent sleep now.

“We’ll come up with a plan – later,” says Mythra. “Right now… thank you for your hospitality, Nia. Rex.”

“It’s no problem,” says Rex quickly, smiling, but sees Pyra duck her head from the corner of his eye. Odd. “Let’s just all go to sleep, yeah?”

Nia decides Mythra will bunk with her and that Pyra will get the sofa and shoos Rex off so that he won’t get in their way, and Rex is too tired to protest and try to help instead. They can sort out the details of this arrangement tomorrow, just like deciding what to do about Senator Tenebris. Rex has had a very long evening. He’ll turn on his brain again tomorrow.

In the afternoon after he’s done at the university and his head finally feels sort of clear again, Rex realises that none of the girls ever told him how they found out about Senator Tenebris being Logos, or why it was so important to research it immediately. Where could they possibly have found that information, if they no longer have it as evidence? Do they have any proof at all? Why are they convinced that it’s true if they have no proof?

Does Logos know that they know this? Is he going to come after them? Again: how in the world did they even find out about him?

Rex mulls over those thoughts intensely on the way home, and when he’s reached the door to his and Nia’s apartment he still hasn’t figured out any answers. He realises, however, that if he stands right outside the door then he can apparently hear what they’re talking about in the living room.

This is a brand-new discovery, as Nia usually doesn’t talk to herself nor brings guests over (other than Mythra, but they’re always in Nia’s room). Rex doesn’t even think to move away until like 20 seconds have passed, and by then he’s already caught that Mythra and Nia sound like they’re arguing with Pyra in there.

“How long are you going to keep him in the dark?” asks Mythra loudly. “I don’t want to reveal you nor myself, either, but if you’re going to keep talking to him-“

Nia says exasperatedly, “Look, you’ve got to tell him something. This situation’s a lot to heap on him with no explanation.”

Pyra’s reply is a lot quieter, but Rex still catches it. “I know, I know, but…” Pyra sighs. “Not now.”

Nia growls. “Fine. Then I’ll tell him about me. Was about time I did it anyways.”

“Nia-“ says Mythra, and Rex decides that he should probably announce himself Right Now, since he can’t go back in time and do it before he eavesdropped on them.

He slams open the door and exclaims, “I’m home!”

Nia and Mythra are locked in intense eye contact; Pyra turns to stare at Rex in the doorway. Her eyes are a beautiful rose red. Such a pretty colour, almost like what Rex thought the Aegis’s eyes looked like.

“Um,” she says. Caught off guard. “Hello?”

Rex opens his mouth to reply-

“Rex,” says Nia firmly. “I was just thinking about you. Let’s talk.”

More intense eye contact starts happening, now between Mythra and Pyra. Rex forces himself to ignore that, and the implications of whatever it was they were discussing, and turns to Nia. “Yes? I mean, sure, did you want to-“

Nia grabs his wrist and pulls him into the kitchen, which isn’t the most private place to discuss things considering the lack of a door. But Rex supposes it doesn’t matter, since it seems he’s the only one out of the loop, as usual.

(he’s not bitter. Honestly, he hasn’t even known Nia that long; he’s not entitled to any of her secrets and he knows it. Just-)

(first Aegis, now Nia. Not wanting to tell him things. It stings a bit, despite Rex’s best efforts to ignore it)

Nia lets go of Rex, standing in the middle of the kitchen and facing him. “I know you won’t tell anyone, but still…” Nia takes a deep breath and looks him sternly in the eyes. “Don’t spread what I’m about to tell you around, okay?”

“Of course not.”

Nia nods. “Good. Alright…” she trails off and then huffs. “I’ve never actually had to tell anyone before. This is silly.” She pauses and prepares herself to say – something, while Rex waits and forces himself to not try and come to any conclusions, not make any assumptions, nothing. Just wait. “You met Lady, didn’t you?” says Nia, finally. “And she told you about Torna, after rescuing you from Crystal. That was me. I’m Lady.”

The kitchen is silent.

Rex takes that statement in and- “So that’s why you knew about Logos!”

“Yep,” says Nia. “It was another hero who found out first, but yeah. That’s why we were researching him last night.”

Nia is Lady, thinks Rex, trying out that statement. It… feels less weird than it ought to.

If Nia’s a superhero, then it makes sense that the Aegis would come to her apartment for help, like that one time Rex walked in on. If Nia’s a superhero, it makes sense she’d be one of the first to find out if the Blades found a lead on Logos’s real identity. It makes sense that she’d want to research him immediately, too, and if Nia’s a superhero then she probably wouldn’t be concerned that Logos would come after her for this, anyway. She could fight him off if it did happen.

Fight. Nia goes out at night and fights terrorists and would-be assaulters.

My roommate is a superhero, thinks Rex.

That is just so-

-incredible.

Alright, it’s actually crazy to think about, but Rex already knows Aegis anyway, and honestly, Rex is just glad to have an explanation.

“So you’re a superhero,” says Rex, then has to laugh. He rubs the back of his neck. “You’re right, it’s so strange to say that sentence out loud…”

“Told you,” says Nia. Then she takes a deep breath. “Thank you.” She looks at him seriously. “You’re a good guy Rex. I don’t want to drag you into anything, and I promise that none of Torna knows where I live – not that they’d come after Lady, but anyway – I promise I won’t let anything happen to you just because you’re my roommate. I swear it.”

Rex thinks about how Torna recently killed that Vandham guy just for being in the way. But Rex also thinks about that time Crystal had cornered him in an alley with a sword at his throat, and how Lady – Nia – had come to his rescue and told Crystal to stay away from him. Rex had been afraid in the moment it happened, of course, but there hasn’t exactly been a repeat experience. Really, Rex is more worried for Aegis and the others who actually have to fight Torna than he’d ever been worried for himself.

And besides: “I believe in you,” Rex tells Nia, smiling. “Of course you wouldn’t let Torna get to me.”

“Yeah,” says Nia, but she seems relieved. Grateful that Rex believed her, maybe?

Rex keeps smiling. “But if there’s anything not-dangerous I could help you with, I’d be happy to! Ask me anytime, Nia.”

He’d always help a friend out.

Especially if it helps the Aegis, too.

Especially if it means Rex won’t be left out of the loop, again.

“Well, there’s that research we started on last night,” says Nia. “I think Mythra would appreciate it if you lent her a hand.”

“Yeah, I could do that,” says Rex. He’d already planned to do it anyway, and if he can help the others he really, really wants to do it.

“Thanks,” says Nia again with a small smile, before leaving the kitchen. Their discussion’s over. But Rex lingers in the silence of the kitchen after she’s left, thinking about all the questions he got the answers for and all the ones he didn’t. All the questions about Logos and how exactly they found out, and what it must be like for Nia to be a superhero – and she’s friends with the Aegis, too, obviously – but mostly Rex’s thoughts have started slipping back (determinedly, insistently) to what he’d overheard from the door.

What Mythra had told her sister about ‘revealing herself’… it could’ve been about anything, really, but considering what Nia said after that, and what Nia then revealed to Rex… then their discussion must’ve been about superheroes, right? And secret identities. And, yes, it’s a crazy thought to think Pyra might even be the Aegis but.

(her eyes, her voice, there’s just something about her-)

But after learning that his roommate’s a superhero, is the thought really crazy enough to dismiss? Is it? It isn’t, right?

When Logos left the Senate building, a strange but welcome calm had settled over Pyra. An icy clarity. She’d known that while she’d learned Logos’s real identity there was no way for him to learn hers – and even if he did discover her real name, somehow, there wasn’t much he could threaten. The only family Pyra and Mythra have is dad, and he lives far out in the wastes. Logos made a mistake; Pyra gained the upper hand.

Then their real-life problems such as paying rent had caught up to them, and now here Pyra and Mythra were: staying in Mythra’s girlfriend’s apartment. Where Rex also lives.

It could’ve been really nice, fun and comfortable – but it’s not. Their arrival was too sudden, Pyra and Mythra lost their own apartment and Mythra still doesn’t want to call dad, and Pyra supposes it’s fine, they’re managing for now, but what about Logos and Torna? But there’s nothing they can do about Logos right now, as they don’t have any proof, and Mythra and Rex’s research still hasn’t led to a big discovery, something they could use against Torna, and no matter where in the apartment Pyra is or what she’s doing she feels guilty. She’s imposing on Nia and Rex, and not only that, it’s impossible to predict what Logos will do next because of what she found out.

She should be doing something meaningful. Instead she’s doing belated homework assignments in Nia and Rex’s kitchen, because Mythra said there was something she needed to do as the Aegis tonight.

Pyra can’t think of what that might be. Maybe Mythra just wants Pyra to take a break, which is definitely unnecessary. Pyra is fine.

She’s just finished artistically plating a serving of narcipear jelly in order to later send the photos to her teacher when Rex appears in the doorway. What Pyra liked about visiting Rex as the Aegis was that he always welcomed her like a friend, like everything was normal, while at the same time Pyra only showed him the best parts of herself; the Aegis. Now Pyra can’t hide behind that mask because Mythra’s out wearing it.

Pyra trips herself up with the reminder to not greet Rex like the Aegis would’ve done and stands frozen for a moment, as Rex peeks into the kitchen and says, “Wait, you’re cooking?” He glances at the narcipear jelly. “Oh, wow, that looks amazing.”

Pyra’s joints unlock. “Thank you,” she says quickly. “Um, actually, while you’re here, could you take a picture for me? I’m making this food for an assignment.”

“Oh, sure,” says Rex, and Pyra grabs her phone, steps towards Rex and gingerly hands it to him. It’s just her civilian phone and has no passcode. Rex takes the phone from her and their fingers brush against each other.

Pyra pretends not to notice, and instead walks very calmly to stand behind the table where she’s arranged the jelly. “A photo with both me and the dish in it, please. I need to send the picture to my teacher.”

“You study cooking?” asks Rex, raising the phone and trying to find a good angle. Pyra admits that she does. “That’s really cool. I’ve got another friend who studied cooking, but… I’ve been too embarrassed to ask her what that entailed.” He laughs sheepishly.

Pyra wonders whether he’s talking about the Aegis. Then she forces herself to stop thinking about someone who’s not even supposed to be here.

“I could talk about an average week studying it?” she offers, and Rex is quick to accept her offer. So, Pyra then scrambles for something to tell him – she didn’t think he’d really want to hear it (except she did, somehow, because this is Rex) and obviously Pyra can’t tell him something too similar to what she’d told him as the Aegis. She supposes she could stammer out something and change the subject, too, but that’d be so rude and awkward and- and if they never get over this threshold of awkwardness then how are they supposed to communicate? At the moment, they’re stuck living together.

(also Pyra’s fault, but she can’t let the guilt creep up on her again-)

Instead, Pyra takes a deep breath. “I attend Ayvill University as well. And I suppose a regular week for me begins like this…”

She just tells him what she can recall in the moment, forcing herself to stop worrying about if she’s oversharing or being annoying. And Rex continues listening, even after he’s returned her phone and Pyra’s turned back to the baking equipment. It’s nice. She’s missed it.

She never considered that it could be nice to interact with Rex as just herself before.

“I’m supposed to bake a cake, too,” Pyra says at last. “Would you like to help?”

“You’d let me help?” Rex grins. “I’d love to! Back home I always used to help my aunt make dinner. It was nothing as fancy as this, though.”

“You can’t be that bad,” teases Pyra. While living with Mythra she’s definitely seen worse.

“Guess you’ll find out,” says Rex. “So! Where do we begin?”

They get started by taking all the ingredients out. The instructions were to make a layer cake, so Pyra wants to do one with three different kinds of batter and some plain cream in between the layers. Fancy enough to satisfy her teacher, but easy enough that Rex should be able to assist her. Pyra hasn’t really cooked together with anyone other than a fellow student in years, but she thinks this will go fine.

Rex, having rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, donned an apron and started to mix the flour, sugar and baking powder Pyra told him to mix, asks, as if summoned by Pyra’s thoughts, “Do you often cook together with your sister or-?”

“No, no,” says Pyra. “I mean, Mythra doesn’t really have the time.” And objectively she kind of sucks at it.

“Huh,” says Rex. “So why’d you ask me?”

…why did she? Beyond the obvious need to be polite, and the even more obvious fact that Pyra’s kind of missed Rex when the Aegis hasn’t hung out with him in a while. But she has a good reason for not visiting him anymore. A much better reason than why she ever started visiting him in the first place.

Their acquaintance began with a whim. The very first time they’d met, when Pyra started to pick up the textbooks that Rex spilled in the station, she also did it out of kneejerk politeness, and asked him about his studies for the same reason. And Rex had replied because she was the Aegis, obviously – though he’d been nice, less starstruck than the average Ardainian. He hadn’t even asked for a photo. But then- he’d given her his name. And maybe that was why he stuck with her, rather than because he was cute and polite.

But that could’ve been it, if not for the fact that Mythra then pushed Pyra and Rex to meet as civilians, thanks to Rex being Nia’s roommate. An incredible coincidence, and some cunning on Mythra’s end, and if only Pyra hadn’t been so awkward then maybe she and Rex could’ve hit it off at once and maybe grown closer as fellow students at Ayvill, and maybe Pyra could’ve asked him out- or not. That never happened, either way. But still, despite the awkwardness, the fact that Pyra went to – well, not exactly apologise to Rex, but nevertheless visited him as the Aegis kicked off the rest of their story.

A whim and an unlikely coincidence. It’s scary to contemplate that if just a few things had been different then she would maybe not even have ever met Rex – or maybe Mythra wouldn’t even have met Nia. And Nia’s the best person in Mythra’s life, Pyra knows.

Thinking about all of that, it’s so easy to find the answer to Rex’s question.

“Because I want to get to know you better,” Pyra admits. “And I really should try and get to know you, if we’re staying here…” Pyra winces as she remembers. “Oh, and thank you so much for your hospitality, once again.”

I’m so sorry for being here imposing.

“It’s nothing,” says Rex again, casually, quieting that mean voice in Pyra’s head. “It’d be kinda fun to have you guys over, actually, if it weren’t for that whole thing with Logos being a Senator. I haven’t had friends over since I lived in Leftheria.”

“You’re from Leftheria?” Pyra asks. She glances at Rex, his focused face as he measures ingredients. “Do you miss it? …Or sorry, was that too personal?”

She turns back to her own bowl, in which she’s been whisking eggs and sugar.

“A bit,” says Rex. “Mostly I miss my aunt, obviously. But after that, it’s got to be the weather. Mor Ardain’s just so dry.”

Pyra laughs. “I actually like the heat,” she then admits. “Though maybe it’s just because I grew up in the wasteland. I didn’t move here until I was 18.”

“So you came here for university too? …Do you have anything from home that you miss? If that’s not too personal,” Rex adds, a bit teasingly.

Pyra hesitates. “Mythra doesn’t like our father, so we haven’t seen him in years.” Rex makes a sympathetic noise, and Pyra could leave it at that – but instead she lets the words rush out, everything she doesn’t want to tell Mythra or Flamebringer and has no one else to discuss it with. “I don’t know if I actually miss him. He never really talked to us while we lived at home. We never had any meals together and he didn’t seem to even notice if we left the house. He let us do whatever we wanted, stay out as late as we liked, but… sometimes I wished he’d worried or forbidden us from doing something. Just a bit. Just – anything, to show he cared.

“Ahaha, that was a bit too much, wasn’t it?” Pyra says quickly. She holds up her bowl, then glances at the contents of Rex’s. “We’ll need to combine the contents of our bowls, then we can put this mix in the oven and start on the next one…” she trails off gradually.

“Oh, okay,” says Rex, and steps in close. “Do I just pour it in? Okay…” Pyra, who at this point can feel each and every beat her heart makes, watches Rex pour flour and other ingredients into her bowl. Once he finally steps back she starts to stir, and Rex says casually, “I don’t have any parents myself, so I don’t know whether there’s any advice I could give you-“

“That’s okay, I wasn’t really looking for any,” Pyra hurries to say. And she wasn’t.

She pours the finished batter into the tin. Then she realises that she should probably say something else.

“…me and Mythra don’t have a mother, either.” Pyra’s voice is quiet as she confesses, “But she died when we were so young I can’t even remember her.”

“Yeah,” says Rex. “I only remember their funeral. It’s not like I – feel like I should mourn what I never had, though. But sometimes I wonder what it would’ve been like if they’d still been alive, if you know what I mean?”

“Yes,” says Pyra. “I was just thinking about how the world could’ve looked like if some things never happened… like if Mythra and Nia never met.”

“That would’ve been worse than how it actually is,” says Rex. “That’s so crazy to think about… If I’d never come to Alba Cavanich, I wouldn’t have met any of you.”

He wouldn’t have met the Aegis, either.

“Would that have been worse?” Pyra asks. Just to check.

“Yes! Definitely.” Rex looks at her and grins. “But honestly, I can’t imagine a lot of scenarios where I wouldn’t have come here. Only if aunt Corinne would’ve needed my help or asked me to stay – then I would’ve stayed.”

“You really care about helping the people you love, don’t you?” asks Pyra, looking back into Rex’s eyes.

There’s something electric about prying open someone else’s heart and getting to hear about their motivations, their thoughts and dreams. Sharing precious moments. If Pyra wasn’t so anxious (and so busy pretending to be someone else at night) she thinks she’d want to befriend more people, maybe really talk to some of her classmates.

But for now, she can’t, and she’s fine with it, because right this moment it’s just Pyra and Rex alone together in this kitchen, and that’s more than enough.

Rex has wonder in his eyes, still, and he answers so easily with a, “Doesn’t everyone? I like archaeology, but it’s not like I’m planning to become a famous professor or anything. I just want to see my friends and family happy.” He studies her face, asks, “What about you? Did you come here to do something important?”

If anything, she’d come here because she couldn’t imagine staying in dad’s house a day longer. That’s how Mythra would’ve put their move, at any rate. They’d never even told dad of their strange superpowers, and Mythra wanted to stretch her wings so badly. And Pyra…

Well, Pyra quickly found a purpose in becoming the Aegis. Fighting Torna and helping civilians.

There’s nothing that compares to being the Aegis. To be someone else, someone strong and confident and needed, a shining hero. She can help people, can use her superpowers for good. It’s something she’s always really wanted.

“I didn’t have a grand motivation, at first,” says Pyra. “But over time, I’ve found something here that I really love, and I like to think I’m good at. And with it, I can – make people happy. And it’s become very important for me.”

Rex is still looking at her, but something about his gaze has changed. Now it’s more intense, more – knowing? No, that can’t be.

“I’m happy for you, Pyra,” says Rex, lingering on her name.

Pyra, who hadn’t thought much about her name before beyond considering its anonymity, suddenly wants Rex to say it again and again, just like that. Like he treasures it.

(Because Rex can’t know the Aegis’s name. Never)

“Thank you,” says Pyra. And finally, finally remembers the tin of batter she’s been cradling for minutes now, just two steps away from the oven. “Ah – could you open the oven?”

“Hm?” Rex looks down, at the oven, and then jumps back. “Of course!”

Rex opens the oven and Pyra pushes in the tin. And after that, Pyra takes a calming breath and says, “I think I’m going to go and see if there’s anything on the news before we start on the next one.”

The question looms bigger than ever, bigger than anything in Rex’s mind as he follows Pyra out of the kitchen. Could she possibly be the Aegis? Now that the idea’s in his head he’ll never know any peace. He doesn’t even know what he’d do with the answer if he got it; he just can’t stop himself from thinking about it.

The things that Pyra had said about coming here for university and then finding something meaningful to do in helping others (like saving people from terrorists?). The way she’d said all that (the phrases she’d used), and the sound of her voice, too, reminds Rex of the Aegis. But maybe he’s just tricking himself into believing it – though as he trails after Pyra into the living room he’s still mentally comparing the shade of Pyra’s eyes with the Aegis’s (they were red before, weren’t they?) and he almost walks into the sofa because he’s so distracted.

“Did something happen?” asks Pyra then, anxiously, having sat down and turned on the TV. She’s looking at the news, on which- “Oh, never mind. It’s just gossip.” -the Aegis is talking to a reporter.

The Aegis. Out in the city.

Not here.

“Huh,” says Rex faintly.

The silence in his head is deafening, all thoughts gone in an instant.

He clears his throat, “Is this… live?”

“Yeah?” says Pyra, earnestly confused. She studies the text scrolling by on the screen. “News usually is, isn’t it?”

On the TV, the reporter and the Aegis get suddenly interrupted by what looks to be a civil servant. “Excuse me, miss,” she says, only a little red in the face but otherwise very professional in face of the hero of the people, “On behalf of the palace, I’d like to extend you an invitation to His Majesty’s ball this upcoming Saturday.”

The reporter starts talking excitedly about this turn of events while the Aegis graciously thanks the civil servant, taking the envelopes she gives her. Her expression’s unreadable with the mask in the way.

Rex still feels a bit like someone pulled the rug out from under him. But that’s on him! That’s his fault for jumping to conclusions. Honestly, what was he thinking?

It’s just silly to feel disappointed.

Pyra’s nice even if she isn’t the Aegis. Rex should just be happy that he’s made another new friend in Pyra.

“That ball,” says Pyra, and Rex looks at her again. “Senator Tenebris will be attending too, right?”

“Yep,” says Rex. If nothing else, he’s done some more research. “So will that Amalthus, and of course the Emperor himself…”

“Hmm.” Pyra’s still watching the screen. The Aegis is trying to wrap up the impromptu interview, it sounds like, still clutching those invitations in one hand. “I’ve never been to a ball,” Pyra says absently. “But the movies make it seem so romantic… all those people dancing together, and then the main characters only have eyes for each other…” she laughs wryly. “I don’t even know how to dance, anyway.”

“Oh, it’s not hard to learn!” says Rex immediately. “The waltz is pretty much just about swaying together.”

Pyra turns her head so she can look over the back of the sofa at Rex, smiling a bit. “So, you’ve danced before,” she deduces. Her smile turns sly.

“Only twice,” says Rex quickly. “It was for school, anyway.”

He glances back at the TV, where the Aegis is now walking away, the camera following her. The reporter is still prattling on about that ball, since the Aegis herself now will be going. The Aegis seems like she’d be good at dancing, thinks Rex offhandedly. She’s so graceful already.

Soon, the news switches over to a different topic, and Pyra turns off the TV and gets up.

They both just stand there for a moment. Rex is thinking about the Aegis again, and about the Aegis going to a ball, but – Pyra’s here right now. And even if she isn’t the Aegis, Rex promised to make that cake with her. So… “Should we continue baking?”

“Oh,” says Pyra. She smiles. “Let’s!”

So, Rex concedes that no, Pyra is not the Aegis, and he still doesn’t have any idea as to the Aegis’s real identity. And that’s fine! That’s something he’s not going to think about now, because right now he’s hanging out with someone else and it’d be really rude to ignore her for no reason, and just after they finally started to get to know each other, too.

That very same night, at the other end of the vast city of Alba Cavanich, another vigilante was also busy as a bee with work. Much like Lady primarily stopped assaulters, broke up brawls and kept guard over the students of Ayvill University, the robot Poppi and the Nopon who created her also had a very specific set of targets…

When Poppi breaks down the flimsy wooden door of the secret underground bar there are several people, both human and Nopon, who glare up at her with affront. But nobody panics until staff from the Ardainian Intelligence Agency start to flood through the door after her, at which point some people scramble up and try to make a run for it outside, while others flee deeper into the building. Why anyone would trap themself inside the building like that when they’ve got Poppi after them, she’ll never understand!

“Poppi going after stragglers,” she calls to Niranira, then blasts off after the fleeing mafia goons with a burst of fire from her rocket boosters.

Capturing everyone by herself would be quite difficult, so instead Poppi welds shut all the doors leading outside so that she’ll only have to wait for the AIA-pons to catch up. Once that’s done, she gets to work looking for the actual targets she’d wanted to find. A regular low-ranked mafia goon or terrorist seldom knows anything useful, which has started to bother Poppi and Tora quite a bit – so instead they’ve been working their way up the ranks, interrogating goons for the names of their higher-ups every time they catch someone.

Tonight, Poppi’s looking for a Nopon named Zadazan, who’s a go-between for the mafia and the terrorist organisation Lindwurm.

Tora’s voice crackles over her comm just then. “Poppi make sure backrooms empty, remember?”

“Poppi will search right now,” Poppi replies and cuts the boosters. She’s in a badly lit corridor behind the bar with several doors lining the walls, and she starts checking them one by one.

There’s of course a reason why Poppi and Tora specifically go after the mafia and various older terrorist organisations in the city. Tora does like being useful, and Poppi does like being called a superhero – but Tora keeps reminding Poppi that none of that is the real reason they started doing this. Tora started this quest of theirs because he wants to find the ones who killed his family, and Poppi wants to help him.

Tora’s the very first person who ever asked for Poppi’s assistance, after all. And Poppi always keeps her promises!

“Poppi find anything?”

“Poppi open six out of eight doors and find nothing,” Poppi reports. She’s found some storage rooms and an empty salon. But there are still two doors left, and Poppi’s confident she’ll find Zadazan.

Behind the next door she opens is a small cushy room with a big table in the middle, around which three Nopon are sat playing poker. “There Zadazan is!” Poppi exclaims happily, and the Nopon in question stares at her. He’s wearing sunglasses and a blue fedora hat.

“Zadazan is name, yes. What is big idea?”

Poppi closes the door behind her and expertly welds it shut, then turns to face the Nopon again. “Zadazan will tell Poppi all about Lindwurm!” she declares.

“Seso knew it bad idea trusting Zadazan!” hisses the Nopon on Zadazan’s right, and Poppi walks up and grabs him, tossing him out of the chair so that Poppi can take his seat, since he didn’t seem to want it anyway.

“Now, Zadazan,” Poppi says brightly. “Poppi would like to hear story of Zadazan.”

“Ridiculous,” says Zadazan. “Security of mafia trash! Security of this bar trash! Mafia not good enough to buy single thing from!”

The Nopon on Zadazan’s left who’s been quiet so far covertly attempts to slide out of her seat, and Poppi raises a hand with her arm-mounted blaster pointed at her and says, “Is mafiapon selling Lindwurm things?”

“It only firearms!” cries the Nopon, while in the background, her co-worker Seso’s trying his hardest to pry open the door. But unfortunately for him, Poppi’s 100% sure that door won’t budge unless Poppi tears it open herself, so Poppi ignores him in favour of cutting the unnamed Nopon’s sob-story short.

She says, opening her mic so Tora can hear it too, “So, mafiapon sell firearms to Lindwurm. That true, Zadazan?” She cocks her head. “But Poppi think that is not all of story.”

Zadazan turns out to be very… reluctant to talk. The other Nopon is, however, quick to rat out her boss and tell Poppi all about how the mafia has been smuggling goods for Lindwurm. Nobody does business like a Nopon, so the terrorists like to buy supplies from the mafia, reveals the Nopon.

But when Poppi tries to press her on Lindwurm’s recent activity, the Nopon suddenly knows nothing. So, Poppi’s forced to turn back to Zadazan.

“Zadazan not talk!” he declares smugly, even after Poppi’s grabbed him and shaken him in the air. “Is nothing Poppi can do to make Zadazan talk, and Poppi not have lot of time to waste!”

-regrettably, that is true. Niranira and his AIA-pons should be nearly finished with the rest of the building and will undoubtedly want to arrest these three very soon, and will not be pleased if Poppi stalls them.

“Poppi leave Zadazan to tender mercy of AIA-pons,” Poppi decides, dropping Zadazan and going back to the door, Seso squeaking and scuttling out of her way. Ripping out the lock and doorjamb and kicking open the door is easy; deciding what to do next is not.

“Poppi gather almost no info on Lindwurm,” Poppi tells Tora as she walks back out into the corridor. “Poppi leave Zadazan behind for AIA-pons since he not talk.”

“Maybe AIA-pons have better luck,” says Tora. “Ask Niranira later, Poppi.”

“As Creator-pon wishes,” says Poppi. “What now?”

“Lindwurm definitely suspicious,” says Tora. “Will have to make careful plans. Poppi should return if Poppi not want to do anything else tonight.”

There’s no task she’s got in mind, other than the obvious. Lindwurm’s been around for fifteen years and had plenty of opportunity to take out Soosoo and Tatazo ten years ago. And even if it turns out that Lindwurm didn’t do it, they’ll be doing everyone in the city a favour by getting rid of them!

But for now, she’ll have to wait. So Poppi walks out of the building and past the swarming AIA-pons, nodding to Niranira as she passes, and starts to make her way back home.

Over the next several days, Pyra overhears classmates talking about which VIPs will be attending the ball, sees news articles talking about the event, and hears people in the street discussing whether or not the Aegis will actually show up. Mythra and Pyra know that they need to go – if Tenebris is going to be there as well – but they haven’t decided yet who of them will go as the Aegis.

Meanwhile, Pyra mostly catches up on school assignments and tentatively hangs out with Rex and Nia, because Mythra acts as the Aegis for a few days more. She hosts one meeting for the Blades, where she mentions that she’s been looking into a senator along with the Indol Group, Poppi says she’s mostly been taking care of the mafia, and Flamebringer decides that they should only hold meetings in the future if they have something seriously important to say. Regular updates on everyone’s business would get tedious; Mythra as the Aegis had seconded, Mythra told Pyra later, and so it’d been decided.

It’s already Friday night when Mythra finally lets Pyra take up the mask again.

(Logos seeing Pyra’s face must’ve freaked Mythra out, but nothing’s happened yet. Nothing will happen.)

It’s a clear, windy night and Pyra basks in it as she runs atop the rooftops through an older part of the city so as to not be seen. If a superhero comes running along the street all traffic screeches to a halt, pedestrians stop to take pictures and the whole situation generally turns into a much bigger deal than Pyra likes, so the Aegis tries to stick to alleys, subway tunnels, rooftops and such. Roofs are good vantage points, too, reflects Pyra as she leaps down to the ground using a series of balconies just in time to stop a gang of students harassing some kid.

The students start to run away as soon as the Aegis arrives, so instead she turns to the kid and asks, “Are you hurt?”

“No,” says the kid. “It’s nothing, they didn’t even do anything. I could’ve handled it myself.”

“If you say so,” says Pyra kindly.

“Anyway,” says the kid, and looks at the ground, scuffing it with their sneaker. “I was just walking home, and my neighbourhood’s really safe, anyway. We’ve got our own hero there.”

“Really?” says Pyra, interested. “Where do you live?”

The kid tells her what part of town they live in (the Praetorium district), squinting suspiciously at her, and Pyra bids them adieu and climbs back up on the roof using a fire-escape ladder once they’ve left. Up on the rooftops once again, she takes out her phone and calls up Flamebringer.

“Is there an emergency?” asks Brighid briskly, first thing after picking up.

“No,” says Pyra. “Don’t worry. I just wanted to ask you – you once said you knew some other vigilante who operates only in the Praetorium district?

“Know of her, rather,” says Brighid. “And she rarely fights.” Flamebringer hums. “Why the sudden interest? If you’re heading her way and run into her, say hi for me.”

“I will,” says Pyra, ending the call. She considers what Flamebringer told her as she puts her phone away again, then looks out over the rooftops. From here in the Beraf industrial district it’s not a long walk to the Praetorium district, though she rarely ever goes into that part of town. The shops there are a bit too expensive for broke students, and beyond that the district’s mostly known for its churches rather than crime – once again, not something Pyra’s interested in.

But it’s such a nice night, and Pyra just wants to be the Aegis for a little bit longer, so… why not?

She makes her way over to the Praetorium district, which is recognisable from a distance because nearly all of the buildings there are built out of the same white stone. She makes her way back down to the ground using the windowsills of an especially ornamented house, sneaking through two grassy backyards before finally arriving in a deserted alley. So far so good.

She’s barely taken ten steps forward, however, before someone steps out into the alley a few metres in front of her and stops. The person’s wearing what looks to be traditional Tornan garments, white and red, and Pyra almost thinks that it’s a terrorist from Torna, except – the person’s not wearing a mask. Her face is kind and framed by long brown hair, some of it braided and pinned back by a tiara.

She’s also holding a long staff loosely in one hand.

“You are the Aegis,” says the woman. “Are you not?”

“Yes,” says Pyra. She’s not exactly cautious, but neither is she relaxed. “And you are…?”

“My name is Haze. If you have come to my district looking for a fight…” still with that kind non-expression, Haze calmly lifts her staff.

“Not at all,” says Pyra, holding up her hands. Meetings between different vigilantes who haven’t met before can be volatile, yes, but rarely. And the Aegis would never instigate anything. “Flamebringer sends her regards to you, Haze.”

“Oh,” says Haze. She lowers her staff again. “In that case, will you walk with me, Aegis?”

Pyra agrees and falls in step with Haze, who starts using her staff as a walking stick and leads the way through the alley and onto a side street. This district, with its polished white buildings without any neon signs like in the other districts, looks so strangely dark and washed-out at night. The buildings may be beautiful, but it’s a colder, starker beauty than the warm colours you see in the rest of the city.

Haze is silent for the first street, but as they turn onto the second one – lined with neat hedges shielding the houses on both sides – Haze says, “I’ve been wanting to speak with you Blades, in fact.”

“About what?” asks Pyra, glancing down at Haze.

“About the Indol Group,” says Haze, forcedly cheerful. “How much do you know about them?”

“Not a lot,” admits Pyra.

Haze nods – and then she stops and waves to a sudden passer-by. The passer-by waves back and continues on their way, like nothing happened. Pyra’s never seen such a casual reaction to a vigilante before, except for that kid earlier. Maybe their entire district is just desensitised to superheroes because of Haze?

Then Haze continues talking, so Pyra stops looking back at the pedestrian.

“In that case, I strongly advise you to look into them. The Indol Group… is not what they seem on the outside.” Haze glances casually behind her, then up at a security camera on the restaurant they’re walking past. When Pyra glances into the restaurant through the panorama window she sees a man wearing a white mask sitting there at the table closest to the window, watching them intently. “…I’m afraid,” says Haze. “That I can’t say any more than that.”

“…I see,” says Pyra delicately.

She fights the urge to look behind her, ignores the sudden chill in the pit of her stomach.

This is not a district she’s familiar with, no.

“At any rate!” Haze then says cheerfully, changing the subject. “I’ve heard Quaestor Amalthus wants an audience with the Aegis.”

The people watching Haze, her mention of the Indol Group and then Amalthus- “You’re not affiliated with the Indol Group, are you?” Pyra asks, casually.

“Haze is not,” says Haze. “But Amalthus has sent his secretary Fan la Norne to look for the Aegis.”

A silence falls upon them, and Haze leads Pyra into another back alley, even darker than the last. At least this one’s at the edge of the district.

Pyra glances at Haze.

“You should be going soon, shouldn’t you?” says Haze. Her face still carefully calm. “You have a ball to attend tomorrow, after all.”

Chapter Text

“You should be going soon, shouldn’t you, Aegis?” says Haze. Her face still carefully calm. “You have a very important ball to attend tomorrow, after all.”

“Presenting his Majesty, the Emperor of Mor Ardain, Gormott, Torna, Temperantia and Coeia!”

Rex nearly drops his glass when the announcer yells that – it’s crazy enough that he’s at the ball in Hardhaigh Palace already without running into the actual Emperor, jeez – and then everyone turns around to look at the grand staircase at one end of the massive ballroom where the Emperor’s supposed to show up. The conversation dies out, the few bold enough to dance come to a halt: everyone fixes their eyes upon the doorway at the top of the stairs.

First comes part of his entourage, human attendants in dresses and a bodyguard in a dark suit. Very intimidating. They step aside to wait in silence like everyone else – even Nia and Mythra stonily silent next to Rex – and then, at last, comes the Emperor himself striding outside.

He’s the hugest Nopon Rex has ever seen, somehow even more ridiculously large in person than on pictures. Emperor Bana, famous for many things – being the only Nopon to ever rule any sort of country, for one – dressed in extravagant fashion and a generous helping of jewels and gold, the violet tuft on his head held in place by the equally ridiculous crown. But despite all of these individually silly and over-the-top accessories, together (or maybe it’s his size that’s the problem) they somehow manage to make him seem… intimidating.

Or maybe it’s his title that does it.

Anyway, after the Emperor comes yet another person. A man with a face Rex has only recently been acquainted with thanks to their research: Mr Quaestor Amalthus. Pale, thin, and tall with a narrow face, he doesn’t intimidate with his sheer size like the Emperor does. But there’s something about him that Rex doesn’t really like, anyway. He’s dressed in an all-white suit and coat, very clean, very neat, and when he gazes out at the ballroom his gaze makes it seem as if he’s looking for something. Or someone?

The buzz of conversation slowly starts up again.

“What a drag,” grumbles Nia. When Rex glances at her she’s rolling her eyes.

“He came in with Amalthus,” murmurs Mythra, frowning. “The Emperor must be involved in something shady…”

“Let’s discuss that later, yeah?” says Rex, anxiously glancing around them. But none of the city’s elite bother to eavesdrop on a couple of university students, thankfully.

Rex must look awfully like a third wheel to Nia and Mythra, since Pyra’s not even with them, tonight – she said she had more stuff she needed to bake when they left her at the flat.

“Yeah, yeah,” says Mythra. “Alright, eyes out for Tenebris. He’s supposed to be here tonight.”

She and Nia take each other’s hands and start to determinedly make their way through the crowd in the ballroom. Rex quickly hurries after them.

Mythra’s wearing a dress of her own design, and Nia’s dress (also a Mythra original) matches hers, the both of them in tasteful white and gold. Rex in his borrowed suit – plain dark blue and one size too big – feels a bit awkward next to them, but he’s trying not to think about it. When is he ever going to get the chance to go to a VIP event like this one again? Getting an invitation from the Aegis to attend the Emperor’s ball in order to spy on a senator who’s secretly a supervillain? Even if he hates every minute of this it’ll still be one heck of a story to tell Aunt Corinne!

Nia and Mythra push their way past senators and celebrities, and Rex follows them and tries not to think of how many famous people Mythra must’ve elbowed tonight. They don’t see Senator Tenebris, however – not even with the Gormotti and Tornan senators.

Eventually Mythra and Nia run into someone they know (at this event? Wow), and Rex tries to discreetly stand near them so as to not lose them in the crowd while also not awkwardly butting into their conversation. He thinks he recognises one of them at first, but then he thinks he must be mistaken. It’s a woman with long, flowing blue hair dressed in a long, equally flowing blue dress cut to show off her impressive shoulders. Maybe she’s a celebrity? At least Rex doesn’t recognise her partner, who’s in a black suit wearing her own hair in a tidy bun.

Anyway, Nia thankfully introduces Rex quickly. “This is my roommate, by the way,” she tells the lady with blue hair. Also, why are the lady’s eyes closed? “Rex. He’s new to this.”

Nia looks meaningfully at Rex and wags her eyebrows.

“Wait,” Rex says, looking at blue lady again. “Does that mean you’re also involved with… uh…”

“I know the Aegis, yes,” says blue lady calmly. “My name is Brighid, and this is Mòrag, my fiancée.”

“It’s really nice to meet you!” Rex tells them, trying to curb the urge to ask them about any superhero business. Is Brighid another superhero? He’d have dismissed the thought as too far-fetched if it wasn’t for the fact that Nia literally is Lady, and it’s not like Rex has tried to figure out the identity of any hero other than the Aegis before this.

“We’re just here to socialise, however,” says Brighid. (so maybe not?). “How come you’re looking for Senator Tenebris, anyway?”

“Aegis will explain later,” says Mythra grimly.

“I’d tell you to be careful,” says Brighid. “But you already know what you’re getting into, don’t you?”

Brighid smiles wryly at Mythra and Nia, the three of them sharing a knowing look… until Mòrag butts into the conversation.

“Ah, I think I saw Niall,” says Mòrag briskly, peering out into the distance before looking at the three of them again. “It was nice to meet you, but I’m afraid we must be going now.”

“We’ll let you continue your search in peace,” agrees Brighid. She lifts a hand in a lazy wave. “Goodbye.”

They drift away into the crowd.

Rex opens his mouth. “So is Brighid-“

“Later,” says Mythra. “C’mon, I think I saw the Aegis.”

And so they brave the crowd again.

Rex knows he should be looking for Tenebris, but instead his eyes seem to catch on every white garment and gold ornament. The Aegis must’ve come in costume, right? And the whole reason Rex, Nia and Mythra are here is because the Aegis gave them the invitations, so – Rex should thank her, right? Even if she only invited him so he could help them spy on Tenebris? Rex really wants to talk with her, is the point, (not that that’s news) and all the dancing couples around them are really making Rex think about… things.

Like dancing.

Together with the Aegis.

But ah! All the cameras in here make that idea very – bad. And honestly, would the Aegis even want to dance with Rex? Everyone in here wants to dance with her, probably, since she’s so cool and famous and beautiful and a superhero and really kind and brave…

“Rex! Stop dawdling.”

Nia grabs his wrist and pulls him along, and Rex forcibly expels that daydream.

There’s very little to like about events such as these. Nevertheless, they have a job to do tonight.

Malos and Jin saw him when the Emperor stepped inside with Amalthus right behind him. Since then, they’ve been watching Amalthus from a distance and taking note of everyone he speaks with. Everything is proceeding exactly as expected, until a woman in a plain white dress comes up to Amalthus. She’s really short with long brown hair, some of it in braids. When she and Amalthus turn around so Malos and Jin can see her face clearly through a gap in the crowd, Jin freezes.

“Jin?” Malos asks, glancing at his face – pale, haunted – and back at that suspicious girl.

She’s looking back at them. When Malos looks at her she smiles at them, a very obvious fake smile like she’s in pain, and then she turns her back to them.

Jin unfreezes with a heavy sigh.

And Malos narrows his eyes as he stares at the girl’s back.

Who the hell is that girl?

Being in the spotlight for extended periods of time is not really Pyra’s thing. But she’ll do her best as the Aegis and soon, with a little luck, she can leave.

Everyone wants to speak with the Aegis. Pyra hasn’t seen Mythra, Rex or Nia even once tonight, that’s how ensconced in the crowd she is. Celebrities have been taking pictures with her or trying to chat her up all night, and politicians all come to thank her or ask her about how the ‘superhero-business is going’, and everyone wants to shake her hand. It’s… more than a little overwhelming.

(it’s so weird to have so many people want to talk to her so badly, showering her in praise she doesn’t think she should accept)

Pyra’s been working to protect all of these people for a long while now, but it’s not as if she makes an effort to interact with most of them. And definitely not with the politicians.

When that Amalthus person they’d researched also comes up to her, Pyra’s honestly not surprised.

It’s the lady with him who surprises her.

“It’s an honour to finally meet the Aegis,” says Amalthus blankly as they shake hands. He smiles. “My name is Amalthus. You could say that I’m an advisor to His Majesty.”

The girl who looks exactly like Haze smiles at Pyra too, and introduces herself as, “Fan la Norne. My, I never expected to meet the great Aegis herself! It’s so nice to meet you.”

She stares intently at Pyra. Meaningfully.

And so Pyra doesn’t mention Haze, and instead they talk pleasantries. And as they talk Pyra becomes aware of someone watching her – or rather, Senator Tenebris. He’s not being subtle about it, and neither is the man with him.

The thought that Tenebris knows who she is makes a chill run up Pyra’s spine – but she tells herself that he doesn’t actually, really know. He knows what her face looks like, but it’s not like that will get him anywhere.

He hadn’t even threatened her after he found out, instead he’d said something about the Emperor…

Fan la Norne laughs politely at something Amalthus says, and Pyra’s eyes snap back to her face. “And yes, I suppose we should be going,” she says, and looks Pyra right into the eyes. “We don’t want to make His Majesty cross with us, do we?”

It’s as if she’s waiting for Pyra’s answer, even though the question was aimed at Amalthus, and Pyra realizes that Fan la Norne – Haze – must be warning her too. Warning her about the Emperor, just like Tenebris did that time in Senate Hall.

“I won’t keep you, then,” says Pyra and forces a smile, then watches Amalthus and Haze walk away.

-3 years ago-

Mòrag couldn’t save Brighid.

That’s what Mòrag thought, when they were finally safely sat in the backseat of the cab heading back to their flat, one month after Brighid first went missing. She’d been supposed to talk to a witness that day, nothing noteworthy, but then she never returned home that night. Or the next. One time could be excused, twice was coincidence, but three times and it was enemy action.

34 days and Mòrag was ready to face grim reality, if not for Brighid’s strength, and her wisdom, and Mòrag wouldn’t ever believe that Brighid could just suddenly disappear like she had but logically- logically-

Mòrag clung to Brighid in the backseat and Brighid held her hand and let her. Didn’t say anything, even though she must’ve been confused.

-she’d been incredulous when Mòrag told her she’d been missing for a month. Said she couldn’t remember any such thing happening. Said she’d been heading to the grocery store, and when Mòrag mentioned the case they’d been looking into Brighid essentially said she had no idea what Mòrag was talking about.

(34 and they were deep, deep behind enemy lines with no way out)

Someone had targeted Brighid because they were investigating the Indol Group and the Emperor’s connection to them.

Someone had wiped Brighid’s fucking memory.

As a rule, Mòrag and Brighid tended not to drop cases, but this time-

If Brighid could not even remember, then Mòrag would pretend ignorance as well. A bitter pill to swallow, indeed – but Mòrag would rather see them both safe and whole, quietly biding their time rather than recklessly exposing themselves again. No matter how much the thought of lying low stung and burned.

Rex, Nia and Mythra never make it to the Aegis. To say that the Aegis is wildly popular and beloved by all would be a gross understatement. And the only times when the crowd actually does back off, it’s because the Aegis is speaking to someone else of great fame, like now. When she’s been accosted by Amalthus.

Weird thing is, that Senator Tenebris is glaring at Amalthus just as venomously as Mythra.

“Well, whatever,” says Nia about the whole situation. “We’ll just talk to Aegis later. Big deal.”

“It’s still a pain in the ass,” grumbles Mythra. She sneaks an irritated look at Senator Tenebris. “And why are those two just staring? Who’s even the guy next to Tenebris?”

“His fiancé,” says Rex, who has been researching Amalthus, Tenebris and every person involved with them with a fervour he usually reserves for ancient civilisations sunk beneath the sea (or the Aegis. But that’s – you know, private. And irrelevant). “The articles didn’t mention him a lot, but his name’s Jin Estham.”

“Huh,” says Nia. “Good for him.”

Mythra’s edge does not soften. She demands, “Is he with Torna?”

Rex laughs. Awkwardly. “The articles definitely didn’t mention anything like that, but considering he is an actual-facts Tornan by ethnicity…”

“So the answer is most certainly yes,” says Mythra. Then she heaves a deep sigh. “But it’s not like we can do anything. We can’t do anything to Tenebris either, since he’s a senator and not visibly involved in anything illegal. There’s no proof for anything!”

“I’m sure we’ll find something…” tries Rex.

“Why don’t we take a break and get refreshments?” says Nia.

“That’s a great idea!” says Rex, and as they relocate to the buffet tables along one wall of the ballroom he definitely doesn’t try in vain to catch the Aegis’s eye again. Ah well.

Nia heads determinedly for the table with all the sweets, Mythra and Rex trailing after her, and gets herself a generous helping of Cream Orange Paratha. Meanwhile, Rex looks at the different cakes on display and remembers the one that he’d helped Pyra to make not that long ago. He smiles a little to himself remembering that evening – and then immediately shakes himself out of it when Mythra says, “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Rex says. “Man, these are a lot of options…”

Some impatient old gentleman clearing his throat behind them is what finally prompts Rex to move. He quickly grabs some chocolate cake and a muffin and joins Nia and Mythra where they’ve stopped to lean against a wall. Mythra, who’d taken a bit of everything for her own plate, is sharing her spoils with Nia. The frown Mythra’s been wearing for most of the evening has been smoothed out, and Rex sees her actually smile when Nia steals a cupcake piled high with frosting and then gets some of it on her nose. Mythra wipes it away with a kiss, and Rex-

-stops watching.

And tells himself he’s not a third wheel. He’s at this ball to help with the Aegis’s investigation! He’s on an important mission!

So what that the Aegis is too busy to even chat with them, or anything. Rex had expected that.

So what that Brighid and Mòrag, Tenebris and Estham, now Nia and Mythra and all those other couples at this event can dance together or feed each other dessert or – whatever! Rex isn’t moping. Rex just kind of wishes that…

“Hey. You okay?”

Rex glances up and finds that Mythra’s scrutinising him. “What? Yeah. Not much to do here anymore, though.”

“We’ll rendezvous with the Aegis back in your flat,” says Mythra, probably taking pity on Rex.

“And it doesn’t seem we’re going to get anything else done here tonight,” says Nia. “So… time to go?”

They’re both looking at Rex. He heaves a theatrical sigh and says, with a faint smile, “We’d better head back then, right?”

It doesn’t take long for the answer to Malos’s question to arrive.

They watch as Amalthus and the mysterious girl say their goodbyes to the Aegis, and then Jin says, calmly, “The reason there’s no proof that the Indol Group have ever done anything is because of her. Fan la Norne, as they call her.”

“How?”

She seems extremely unassuming from a distance.

Jin’s answer sounds ludicrous but his tone is grim and serious. “She can erase memories,” he says heavily. He voice when he continues is quieter. “Do you remember the girl named Haze that I spoke of? The one who was with me in… that place 10 years ago. That’s her.”

Jin seldom speaks of his past, but Malos knows enough to say darkly, “And now she’s working for Amalthus? Despite the fact that he killed your friend?”

Jin doesn’t say anything to that. After a look at his face, Malos swallows back any other remark he may have made.

They take the underground back to campus, and as they walk home Rex finds himself absently keeping an eye out for Lady before a few seconds later remembering that Lady is right here with them, because Lady is Nia.

It’s still crazy to think about.

And even worse when they actually get to the flat and Aegis crawls in through the window, and why is it that Rex just can’t stop thinking about her real identity? Why can’t he just stop – thinking, and enjoy hanging out with her instead?

Anyway, once they tell the Aegis about all the nothing they found out tonight, Aegis says thoughtfully, “If there’s nothing to find about Logos, then perhaps… it’s time to dig into the Emperor’s affairs.”

Rex says, “That’s a joke right?” He stares at the Aegis. “I mean, you’re not suggesting the Emperor is involved with Torna, right?”

“No,” says Aegis. “But there may be villains we don’t yet know about hiding in the shadows, and…”

Mythra and Nia both look serious when Rex glances at them. But still… Rex shakes his head. “But if we find something… I mean, he’s the Emperor. Isn’t it basically high treason to do anything about it?”

Obviously. Rex knows enough about Ardainian law to say that. And of course the Aegis would be brave enough to challenge anyone or anything, but Rex doesn’t want to see her get – arrested, or shunned by the people who now praise her name, or-

“Yes,” says the Aegis. She smiles wryly. Her eyes truly are the most beautiful red. “But who’s to say we’ll even find anything? And if anything does turn up, don’t worry – I’ll protect you.”

Rex isn’t worried for himself, he’s worried about the Aegis, and Nia, and even Mythra and Pyra by extension.

“But won’t you be in danger?” he asks. Stupidly.

“I’ll be fine,” Aegis says. “We’ll all be fine.”

They decide on some things they’ll start researching in the morning, and then Mythra winks at Pyra as she and Nia go hole themselves up in Nia’s room, leaving Pyra and Rex alone in the living room. Or, no – Rex and the Aegis alone together in the living room. Sat on opposite ends of the sofa. Just the two of them.

Rex fiddles with the cuffs on his shirt. He looks very fetching in that suit he’s wearing, if Pyra’s honest. Finally, he glances at Pyra. “So,” he says. “Did you uh, enjoy the ball?”

“Did you enjoy the ball?” asks Pyra back.

“Yeah,” he says, smiling. “I guess. Was a bit awkward hanging out only with Nia and Mythra though since Pyra…” he frowns. “Wait. Why haven’t we seen Pyra since we came back?”

Oh no.

“I thought the ball was kind of a chore, actually!” Pyra exclaims, stopping Rex from rising from the sofa. He looks at her again and opens his mouth- “I didn’t even get to see you, Rex. Or do anything fun…” Where is she going with this. Hopefully Rex will be distracted enough to forget about Pyra soon, and then-

“I feel you,” Rex says, awkwardly trying to sympathise with Pyra. He still looks like he’s about to jump up and go look for Pyra in the kitchen, though, so Pyra must- “Did you get to dance with anyone?”

“No,” says Pyra, and thinks of an excellent way to distract Rex. “Why don’t we dance right now, actually? Together?”

Never mind that Pyra doesn’t know how to dance.

Rex looks taken aback for about five seconds, and then he grins. “Yes!” And then he ducks his head shyly. “I mean, if you want. And there’s no music, but…”

Pyra gets up from the sofa, spins around and bows, holding a hand out to Rex. “I want to anyway. Shall we?”

After a moment, Rex takes her hand. “Alright.”

Pyra pulls Rex to his feet, and gingerly he puts a hand on her waist. Pyra puts a hand on Rex’s shoulder and when he takes a deep breath Pyra can feel his shoulder flexing underneath her hand and suddenly she gets exactly why Rex is blushing.

Nevertheless, she can’t falter now! She suggested it, so she’ll have to go through with it.

And when Rex glances up at her and then down again and bites his lip, his hand warm in hers even through the glove, Pyra doesn’t mind at all, somehow.

“Um,” he says. Swallowing. His voice comes out quiet, intimate when he says, “Do we just start, then?”

“Go ahead,” says Pyra, also in a murmur.

(here’s to hoping Mythra and Nia will stay locked up in Nia’s room for the foreseeable future)

There’s no music, as Rex said, but Pyra mimics what Rex does and is careful not to step on his toes and things seem to be working out. When Pyra looks up from discreetly peering at her own shoes – carefully following the steps Rex takes as to not trip over him – Rex is looking at her face. When their eyes meet he blushes, but he doesn’t look away, and so they become trapped just like that. Pinned by each other’s gazes.

Pyra feels her cheeks heating up. Rex bites his lip.

They’re still holding hands, even as they come to a stop, standing silently in the empty living room. The real ball should be ending just about now, but the real ball’s so far away it no longer matters.

“Rex,” says Pyra. Her mouth feels dry.

Rex breathes, “Aegis”-

-and like getting a bucket of cold water dumped on her, Pyra remembers that right now she is the Aegis, not Pyra. But even then her plan all along was for Rex to hang out with the Aegis, right, and not with Pyra the hopeless loser, except Rex had seemed to like Pyra last time they hung out and maybe her chances as a civilian aren’t so hopeless after all unless Rex was only being nice because they’re literally roommates at the moment and yes, Pyra, have you forgotten your financial problems? This is no time to be – be initiating anything with Rex, and honestly, maybe Pyra just completely read the mood wrong in this entire encounter because why would Rex want-

“Aegis?” Now Rex sounds concerned.

“Yes?” says Pyra briskly, cringing internally.

“Are you okay-“

“Look at the time!” says Pyra desperately. She’s not fleeing. This is for the best. “I really need to go now. Bye!”

Rex watches, mouth open, as Pyra dives for the window, climbs outside, and disappears.

(climbing around the corner of the building to enter Nia’s room by her window, where Mythra and Nia hopefully aren’t too busy, so Mythra can lend Pyra some civvies and hide the Aegis costume)

Life is complicated.