A man needed to die.

West Roman hadn't killed that person yet, but at least he was free. The Freemans had released him and the girl he needed to protect. As shocking as it was, it was the truth.

The man's ability to see the past was as real as the blue floor underneath his shoes. Yet the future was uncertain.

Still, hope didn't have to be dead.

West wore a blue button-up shirt, black pants, and black shoes. Rosemary wore a white shirt and blue jeans. Her shirt was white like Freeman skin, but she would blast holes into Lock's warriors if she could. She was thin. Her dark blonde hair was long, and her eyes were brown.

A dagger rested on the long bench, unused.

Rosemary coughed.

She sat across West, grasping the bottled juice she had chosen. They weren't locked inside a Freeman space station, and the two Soynites could pick what they wanted to drink.

Pale hands didn't have to push a food tray into a prison cell West occupied. It wasn't his reality. Not anymore.

Freedom.

It was as sweet as Rosemary the girl.

"I wish I knew what's causing you to cough," West said. He didn't frown. Whatever caused Rosemary's cough, it would vanish. Hope lived. "Regardless, it's not going to last."

"I know," Rosemary said, holding a fruit. "Just like how I know that the other Soynites are going to kneel for me."

In the future, other Soynites would have to kneel for Rosemary. They would have to view her as their Supreme High. If they decided not to, West would make them reconsider. Soynites would get on their knees for Rosemary.

A note.

West had written one, and he had reread it earlier. He had mentioned Rosemary's name in it. And he had added his name to the note, too. Maybe other Soynites would read it.

The man had seen six Soynite children in a vision. Five out of six of them had stood outside a spaceport. A man had held the youngest High, a girl who had been a baby when the invasion raged. He had been brown-haired and brown-eyed. The Watcher had carried someone who hadn't been able to stand.

January 7, 2006.

On that day a girl had been born. A great one. Rosemary's hair strands didn't touch a blue crown, but they deserved to. She lacked a throne.

Did the youngest High have a throne? What about the High girl with blonde hair and blue eyes? Did she have a throne? If she didn't, maybe she knew someone who would get one.

The High girl with blonde hair. She was Ken Herman's mentee. He was Theo's brother-in-law.

Theo Majestic had made a blond-haired boy into the first High of the current generation of them.

Where did the boy live?

Where had Theo gone?

"The Freemans are going to kneel for you, too," West said. Rosemary sunk her teeth into her fruit. "You're going to kill that Soynite who ruined so much for us. And his Freemans would kneel for you because you killed him. You haven't killed Lock Tannis yet, but you will. Freemans will get on their knees for you. So will Soynites. All of that will come, Rosemary. You should enjoy the time you're having now. You deserve to spend some time being happy, after all."

"We both do," Rosemary said.

Footsteps. West heard them. He grabbed his dagger, and the light reflected off its dangerous blue.

"Someone else is here," West said. Rosemary put the fruit on her food tray. She and West stood. "Two people, I think. Climb over the table, and get behind me."

Rosemary moved onto the long bench, and arrived in the aisle West stood in. She got behind him.

Intruders had interrupted West's dinner. If it became necessary, he would cut the strangers' lives short. He didn't release the dagger.

The door opened.

A boy slipped into the room, and so did a girl. Both teenagers. Teenage Soynites.

"Sorry to intrude," said the girl, one West hadn't spent years raising. The light bathed her strawberry blonde hair, which was hip-length. Pale-skinned, she aimed her gray eyes at the dagger. "We don't want to hurt you. My name is Christine Cross. And I don't want to kill anyone in here. Okay? This is Norman Town."

Norman Town stood closer to West than Christine did. His hair was black and his eyes brown. Like West, he was muscular. But the teenage male didn't wield a dagger.

He held Christine's hand.

"And I'm very protective of Christine," he said. "If there's anyone who wants to hurt her, I'll do my best to hurt them."

West narrowed his brown eyes. Rosemary's hand came to his arm.

She moved her head from behind the man, wanting to see Christine and Norman. The newcomers were what West and Rosemary were. So was Lock Tannis.

"You're in my home, Norman," West said. "I live here. Shouldn't we be suspicious of you? My caution is understandable. Isn't it? Especially when one of the Highs is standing behind me."

Christine's eyes widened. So did Norman's. Christine released his hand, and she took a step closer.

"We're sorry," she said. "We're really sorry. I want to kneel for my High, not hurt her."

"Likewise," Norman said. "Me and Christine have met some Soynites who weren't nice. We were hoping that you weren't like them. There are Soynites who worship Lock Tannis, and they're part of the Lock Tannis Church. He's a Soynite. He's the same person as Reed Pisces."

Yes, Lock Tannis was a Soynite.

Even before Norman's arrival, West had known Lock and Reed Pisces were the same being. The same ruthless person who had made his Freemans massacre Soynites and ruin their home planet.

According to Norman, other Soynites had chosen to worship Lock. That man was the reason why Soy had become the way it was.

"I'm already aware of what Lock really is," West said. Rosemary moved from behind him. "But I didn't know that there are Soynites who worship him."

The Lock Tannis Church.

That was another faction West and Rosemary needed to keep their distance from.

"And I didn't know that there are new Highs," Christine said. She made eye contact with Rosemary. "Did you really meet Theo Majestic?"

"Yes, she did," West said. He put the dagger on the long bench. "We both did. He made Rosemary into a High. She is the seventh High of the new generation of them."

Christine furrowed her brow. "What? Theo made seven new Highs?"

West nodded.

"Yes," he said. "Rosemary here is sixteen. She was born on January seventh. As for the other Highs, most of them seem to be around Rosemary's age. One of them was a baby during the invasion, though. A baby girl."

"Me and Norman are eighteen," Christine said.

She moved to stand beside Norman.

"We have to kneel for our High," she said. "Come on, Norman."

They kneeled, and bowed their heads. West grinned. So did Rosemary.

"Rise," she said.

Christine and Norman rose.

"West is my Watcher," Rosemary said. "He's really nice to me. He isn't like New Free's people. They're Freemans who are descendants of the ones who left Free. The Freemans who hated it when Lock Tannis became their leader. Those Freemans."

"Right," West said. "Me and Rosemary were captured by warriors from New Free. We don't know who their leader is, or what their planet looks like, but New Free is real. The Freemans from Free aren't the only ones we have to worry about."

He ran a hand through his hair.

"Anyway, we're safe now," he said. "All four of us. That's what matters. Also, I'm sorry about the incident with the dagger."

"You wanted to protect your High," Norman said. "Our High. I'm sorry, too."

"Norman is very protective of me," Christine said. "Just like he said."

Norman smiled, and he put a hand on the girl's shoulder. During his time locked inside that Freeman space station, West hadn't been able to show affection to Rosemary. It hadn't been pleasant.

"You have a good friend, Christine," West said.

"Norman, let's show them what you really are to me," Christine said.

She turned to her friend, and he faced her. The boy moved his hands to her hips. The girl pressed her hands against his chest, and he brought his face closer to hers. Christine and Norman kissed with real passion.

The last time West had kissed a woman had been over a decade ago. There he stood, watching his two newest acquaintances demonstrate their love.

After the kiss ended, the two faced West and Rosemary.

"He's the love of my life," Christine said. "I met him one year ago. That was after I got separated from..."

The expression on her face would've been appropriate for someone with a dagger in their arm.

Grimacing, Christine put her hands on the long bench, and her breath trembled. Norman rubbed her back in a circular motion. He frowned.

"I'm looking for someone," Christine said. "Her name is Ruth Cross, and she's my twin sister. She looks like me. But her hair is shorter than mine. Have any of you seen her?"

"I can't say I have, unfortunately," West said.

A missing twin sister. Christine knew what it was like to have a lost sibling. West was a man who hadn't helped her find her sister. She, Christine, hadn't brought harm to West or Rosemary. She seemed like a decent eighteen-year-old girl. West hoped she would reunite with Ruth.

"I haven't met a girl like that, either," Rosemary said. "I'm sorry."

Christine crossed her arms. New Free's people had kept West and Rosemary apart from one another, but they had united again. The same could happen for Christine and her twin sister.

"You don't have to be sorry, my High," Christine said. "It's not your fault. Me and Ruth got separated because of Freemans. We were on Soy when it happened. If the two of you ever plan on going there, be careful. You might come across Freemans."

The Freemans had been problematic foes for too long. Regardless, their existence wouldn't last.

If West was a man with fortune, Rosemary would slay Lock Tannis and the Freemans would kneel for her. She had no intention to murder her caretaker. If she never became Lock's killer, maybe West would have to beware of that false Freeman's future successor.

Not long ago, Christine had encountered Freemans on Soy. It was bad enough the Freemans had attacked the planet eleven years ago.

"Where are your parents, Christine?" West said.

"Where Hase Majestic is," Christine said. Her breath shuddered. "I loved them so much. They did survive the invasion, though. That happened."

"But they can't be with you now."

"No."

Rosemary put a hand on West's arm, as if someone had told her she should keep him close.

"I have to find Ruth," Christine said. "When I last saw her, she was on Soy."

The Freemans had transformed West's home planet into a place less desirable than Earth. The humans' planet was the one six Highs and their Watchers might have gone to.

Had they survived the trip to Earth?

"Ruth told me to leave her," Christine said. "She decided to be heroic and stay behind to fight the Freemans. She's powerful. And she's always ready to fight, but I wish she decided to escape with me. We have to be together."

"And you will be," West said.

Christine sat. "I miss her so much."

Norman kissed her long hair, and then he caressed her cheek. She still sat backwards on the long bench's seat.

"I won't stop trying to get you reunited with her," he said. "You found me. And I'm going to help you find Ruth. Trust me."

"I already do," Christine said. She held Norman's hand, and they smiled at each other.

An armed Freeman hadn't infiltrated West's home. No, two Soynite teenagers had made their arrival. They hadn't brought bloodshed.

Christine and Norman didn't wield weapons, and neither of them wished to bring harm to West or Rosemary. Christine was no Freeman. Neither was Norman.

West had seen Freemans. Real ones. Lock was a Soynite who posed as a Freeman, but actual Freemans were real. And New Free's people would rather shoot Lock in the head than fight for him. West didn't plan on fighting for Lock.

He was the reason why West and Rosemary couldn't live on Soy. The planet they had been born on. Their homeworld.

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"Christine, which one is the older twin?" Rosemary said. "You or Ruth?"

"Ruth," Christine said. "I was hoping to find her here, but it looks like I found my High and her Watcher. I do wish that I reunited with Ruth today, but I'm grateful that I found the two of you. Rosemary, I'm going to serve you as best as I can."

"So will I," Norman said.

"Thank you."

Two teenagers, a long-haired twin and her loving lover, had chosen to serve Rosemary. West couldn't afford to lose Christine and Norman, or their help. Plus, they were Soynites. Good ones.

With pleasure, West would try hard to keep Christine and Norman from being murdered.

Lock Tannis and West weren't the same person. Christine and Norman were safe with Rosemary's caretaker. And West and Rosemary were safe with their new allies, no doubt.

Christine and Norman were clad in blue. Their shirts had long sleeves that hid their arms, and, like West and Rosemary, the teenage lovers didn't wear crowns.

One day a red one might touch Rosemary's hair.

She wasn't in danger.

Danger. The Freemans preferred to shoot it into West's life. Danger had surrounded him during that awful invasion, but he was beyond it now. The attack on Soy had come and gone, and West had survived it. A Freeman hadn't sliced off his head. He was alive. So was Rosemary.

Lock Tannis and his pale minions had robbed West of his home on Soy, and they had taken that planet's beauty. They hadn't taken Rosemary's life.

New Free's people had possessed the opportunity to murder Rosemary, but they hadn't. Instead of doing to her what Freemans had done to Soynites during the invasion, West's enemies had freed Rosemary. They had liberated her. And they had done the same to West. Her loyal caretaker.

Freedom. West cherished it.

"There's something else the two of you need to know," West said. "Ken Herman, Lilly Majestic's younger brother, is the Watcher of one of the Highs. I don't know the girl's name. But I saw her in a vision of the past. The one that showed me Theo making six children into Highs. The adults standing behind the kids were their Watchers, I think. But only one of them didn't stand behind their mentee. And that person was the baby High's Watcher. He was holding her, and I wish I knew her name. I wish I knew the names of all of those Highs. I only the name of one of them. And if good fortune is on our side, we will see her sit on the Red Throne."

Rosemary picked up her fruit, and she bit into its red skin. The fruit juice was the same color as the skin, and red coated the girl's teeth.

If good fortune was on West's side, Rosemary would never cough up blood.

"I hope so," Norman said. "It's not a guarantee that she'll kill Lock Tannis, but I wouldn't mind it if she did. Someone needs to do it. Theo Majestic isn't here, but Rosemary is. High Rosemary. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it, Rosemary. You're not like those Lock worshippers me and Christine met. You're definitely not like Lock. Maybe you'll die before you even get the chance to face him. Maybe you won't. Either way, I'm going to keep serving you."

Rosemary swallowed her food. "Thank you, Norman."

The boy nodded his head.

West and Rosemary had his support. Norman had allied himself with the man and the girl. With Norman's help, and with Christine's help, there was a higher chance Rosemary would make Lock's heart stop. She could kill him. In order for the Freemans to kneel for her, Lock needed to die.

Years ago, West had seen a vision of the past. A teenage Reed Pisces had morphed into a teenage Freeman in it. Lock's younger self. That was how West had learned Lock and Reed were the same Soynite.

Maybe other Soynites had seen visions showing a younger Reed shapeshifting into a teenage Lock.

The power to shapeshift didn't flow through West. It was Lock's ability, not his. West's only Save, the one that had granted him visions of the past, had shown him six children becoming Highs.

"If Lock found out about your existence, he would want to kill you," Christine said. "But you're his High. No matter what happens, that will always be the truth. Lock won't kneel for you. He won't do what I did. Serving you for as long as I can is going to be a pleasure. I know that."

Someone West knew had been a baby, and she had flowered into a sixteen-year-old girl. She could use her Save to bring a Freeman warrior their death. But she would never use her power on her most loyal companion. A man who had a duty to do.

"Rosemary appreciates your service," West said. He put a hand on Rosemary's back. "So do I."

Watcher Ken Herman. Was he alive beyond the space station's walls? Did he serve his High well?

Ken had spent his entire life being Lilly Majestic's brother. He was younger than his sister, but older than that blonde girl he had escaped Soy with. Maybe West would meet them both. One day.

He hadn't encountered Ken or his mentee, but the man had met Christine and Norman. Strangers had become allies.

"New Free's people released us, and I don't know why," West said. "But I do know that I have a duty to do. I have to see Freemans kneeling for Rosemary, and the Soynite people need to recognize her as Supreme High Rosemary Roman. That needs to become her title. And she will be called that. I've seen things that I wish I could forget, but I'm aware that I deserve to see Rosemary become Supreme High. Only one Soynite knows what it's like to have that title. It doesn't have to stay that way. My charge has to become Supreme High, and she has to become the next leader of the Freemans. It's not impossible to make all of that happen."

As she held her fruit, Rosemary smiled. West had made it come. Wonderful.

"Reed Pisces changed his name to Lock Tannis, and the Freemans call him Great Leader," West said. "That's what they should call Rosemary. Lock isn't great. He's far from it. He's a horrible Soynite who is pretending to be a Freeman, and a good Soynite needs to kill him. Too many of us have died. Yet Lock gets to live. He's been alive for far too long. Maybe Rosemary is one day away from getting rid of Lock and ending this war. I hope that's the truth, and I hope that Lock doesn't spend another ten years being alive. Because of him, so many great people won't. Dead Soynites can't live to see tomorrow."

In the past, Soynites had lost their lives. Lock's Freemans had taken innocent lives on Soy. And if given the opportunity, Lock's people would imprison or kill West. New Free's natives had reduced West's world to a prison cell. They had, for some reason, granted him freedom.

One day Rosemary might be free to fly.

"I'm still here," Christine said. "I'm not like my parents. There's still time for me to do what's right. I can help you and Rosemary, West. You want her to become the next leader of the Freemans, and I'll help make that happen. There's not enough good in this universe. But we have the opportunity to make things better, so that's what we have to do. Planet Free doesn't have to have a cruel Soynite as its ruler forever. There needs to be a different one leading the Freemans. A better one."

Rosemary remained close to West, savoring her fruit as she remained fine. She had her arms, her legs, her head, and a beating heart.

She had coughed.

Christine and Norman hadn't been in the room when Rosemary's last cough came. Maybe Rosemary wouldn't cough again.

"You're the first High me and Christine have met, Rosemary," Norman said. He stroked Christine's hair, touching the long strands. "We've never seen Theo Majestic, and we've never seen any of the other former Highs. We've never met them. But we met you. I'm glad that we did, because now we can help you."

Two people had been in the cafeteria minutes ago. Now four people occupied the huge space, a quartet of Soynites who had survived the invasion.

Lock Tannis had chosen to oppose Soy and its people, ones who hadn't gone into exile. West, Rosemary, Christine, and Norman were four of those people. They might come in contact with other Soynites, ones greater than Lock. He didn't have to outlive West. Or Rosemary.

It wasn't too late for West to see her take a seat on the Red Throne.

"You're not Lock Tannis," Norman said, looking at Rosemary. "And you never will be him. I don't know if you're going to die before you even meet Lock, but I'm on your side. It's not a guarantee that you'll kill him. Getting rid of him is going to be difficult. But you need to know that I will gladly assist you, and I'm happy that me and you met each other. If you meet Lock, it isn't going to be a pleasant meeting. Hopefully, I'll be there to help you if you do meet him."

Christine kissed the back of Norman's hand. She said, "You will be."

With her hand fruitless, Rosemary swallowed her food.

"All of the other Freeman rulers were murdered," Rosemary said. "I'm going to be a good High and make Lock Tannis join that long line of dead leaders. I have to."

In life, Vice Reaper had been the Freeman his fellow people kneeled for. His death had brought a power transfer. That was the reason why planet Free's natives were willing to kneel for the Soynite named Lock. Vice's murderer.

A Soynite had succeeded Vice. A different one needed to succeed Lock. Before West's own birth, Theo Majestic had sent Lock into exile. He had lost power over the Soynite people. But he had gained authority over the Freemans.

Lock had changed his name, but he would never erase his identity as a true Soynite. West knew what he was.

"Are your parents like ours?" Norman said. "Are they dead?"

"Yes," Rosemary said.

She bowed her head, then crossed her slim arms.

"I'm sorry," Christine told Rosemary, honesty moving in her voice.

Rosemary had known fine Soynites whose lives had been taken from them, but the girl lived. She lived and so did West. Much to their dismay, Lock was as alive as they were.

"Rosemary has the privilege of being alive," West said. He pressed his hands against the cafeteria table's white surface. "She wants to kill Lock, and the rest of us want that, too. The Freemans are vicious, and there is a vicious Soynite pretending to be one. He killed Vice Reaper to become the next leader of the Freemans. A very long time ago, Lock killed Free's ruler and the Freemans respected him for it. They kneeled."

Christine and Norman. They hadn't gotten on their knees for Lock, but those two teenagers had kneeled for Rosemary. They had learned who she was, and she had earned their respect.

Rosemary belonged on the Red Throne. One day needed to put her butt on it. She needed to rule the Freemans.

"I will never kneel for Lock," West said. "His Freemans didn't kill all of the Soynites on Soy, and they didn't kill me and Rosemary. That was their mistake. Lock's Freemans saw us, and they tried to get rid of us, but they failed. The ones who came from New Free caught me and Rosemary. They locked us up. And they released us, eventually. Me and Rosemary are free. We're not prisoners at a Freeman space station. Not anymore. Whatever Lock is doing now, he better enjoy it. He won't be able to enjoy anything a decade from now. Rosemary will make sure of that. She has to."

Rosemary touched the part of the food tray her fruit had sat on, her thumb stroking blue flatness. Power over the Freemans needed to fill Rosemary.

Now, as she stayed close to West, Rosemary lacked authority over the Freemans. It had been that way for her whole life.

"If I don't kill Lock, he and his Freemans might kill all of the great Soynites," Rosemary said. She put a hand on her chest. "I need to kill Lock. If I don't do that, so many dead Soynites would stay unavenged. A lot of our people were murdered during the invasion. I couldn't save them. But there's still time to get revenge for them, and that's what I want. And I want my people to know that I support them. I need them to know that. Their High loves them."

West ran a hand through his dark blond hair. Christine sported the longest hair he had seen in a long time, and the man wanted her to survive to see tomorrow. She had gotten on her knees for Rosemary. She had become Rosemary's ally. She might turn into a person who would embrace Rosemary while viewing her as a friend. A close one.

Reed Pisces.

He had renamed himself Lock Tannis. It was he who had unleashed the brutal invasion upon the Soynite people. His people. The man had changed Soy into a barren place with gray and no green, but he hadn't found Rosemary. And he hadn't stopped the newfound alliance.

West, Rosemary, Christine, and Norman were united in their desire to reside in a universe where Lock Tannis didn't possess a heartbeat.

"And you are loved, Rosemary," West said. He rubbed her back. "The other Highs are going to love you."

"Speaking of other Highs, I hope they'll be here if that Freeman spaceship we saw gets here," Norman said. He pointed his thumb at the space behind him. "During the flight here, we saw a Freeman spaceship. It was black and it had laser turrets."

"If that spaceship gets inside this home, it's going to lose its crew," West said.

"He's right," Rosemary said.

Norman smiled. "I hope the other Highs are like you and your Watcher, Rosemary."

Christine and Norman had spotted a Freeman spaceship. With a Soynite teleportation stone, a Freeman could teleport into the space station. One could bring their self and a black spaceship into West's home. Without opening the hangar.

"Norman, how did you and Christine get inside this place?" West said.

"We used a teleportation stone," Norman replied. "Christine used it, to be specific."

"Let's hope that our pale enemies won't do the same," Rosemary said, crossing her arms. "But if Freemans do come here, we would deal with them."

The Freemans didn't live inside the space station, but they could invade it.

Norman tapped Rosemary's food tray.

"You'll need a better weapon than this," he said.

During the invasion, Freemans had slaughtered Soynites by using guns, swords, daggers, and monsters.

An armed Freeman could infiltrate the space station. Christine and Norman had entered West's blue home, and they had done it by teleporting into the place. Christine and Norman weren't Freemans. They had been born as Soynites. They had become allies.

"Where's your teleportation stone, Christine?" Rosemary said.

Christine grabbed her shirt's long sleeve, then moved it. A teleportation stone pressed against her arm, wrapped in clear tape.

"I taped it to me," she said. "I might put it to good use soon."

She moved her sleeve to hide the teleportation stone again.

West had learned where Christine kept her teleportation stone, but he hadn't uncovered Theo's location.

Where was he?

Christine went near the cafeteria's closed door. She pressed her ear against it.

"West, you have more than one dagger, right?" Norman said.

"I would be a fool if I only had one," West said.

"Tr—"

"I hear something," Christine said. West moved in front of Rosemary, and grabbed his dagger. Christine furrowed her brow. "Footsteps. Someone is walking in the hall."

Armed, West said, "I hear them."

Footsteps. Heavy ones. West swallowed, and he wished for the assistance of those six Watchers he had seen in his vision.

More footsteps.

"Freemans," West said, his voice caged with stress.

The footsteps grew louder. Christine pulled her ear away from the door, and she scurried away from it.

"Get ready to fight," she said.

The door swung open.

A pale man slipped into the space, wielding a sword. Displayed on the chest area of his combat uniform was the symbol for planet Free. Not New Free.

Lock's minion aimed his blue eyes at Norman. Icicles shot into those eyes, sharp.

Agony rushed through the Freeman's shout. He swung his sword, blinded. Norman backed away. He created two icicles.

The Freeman dropped his sword. It clattered as its owner screamed. He slammed his big hands against a long bench's table, then collapsed. He stopped breathing. The enemy's flesh morphed into smoke, which shrouded the two icicles. Those chilling weapons.

Norman bent down. The boy wrapped his fingers around the fallen sword's black hilt. He straightened.

Freemans charged. Four swords in four pale hands.

A Freeman approached West. The foe swung his dagger. West leaned back, and the red blade almost ripped into his nose. He frowned.

The Freeman grinned, savoring a Soynite's distress like Rosemary had savored her fruit.

Red struck red in the area where Norman fought, swords striking. He engaged a Freeman, but he couldn't stab or impale the one trying to kill West.

The attacking Freeman had gotten close to slicing into West's nose.

West moved his dagger hand. Blue and red clashed.

The fact the Freeman had his own dagger brought West no satisfaction, but the Soynite hadn't lost his weapon. He could use it to make death find his adversary.

West swung his dagger and the Freeman did the same. A wound came, and it shoved out blood. West gasped.

Rosemary moved around the Freeman, and she snatched her food tray off the table.

"Leave him alone!" she shouted, yelling at the seven-foot-tall warrior.

She slammed the tray against his back. Red warmth streamed down West's skin, and he grimaced. The Freeman advanced.

Rosemary assaulted the Freeman with her food tray, doing it with fierce repetition. He lifted West's food tray off the table, hurled it. It struck the man's chest. He grunted, and staggered.

The Freeman faced Rosemary.

West bled. A hand went against his arm wound. It healed.

"I healed you!" Christine said, kneeling on the table. She pulled her hand away from his arm. "You're okay."

"Help me!" Rosemary said, using her tray as a shield.

The Freeman's dagger split it into two.

A pale brute had sliced Rosemary's shield. He hadn't cut the girl, but he could.

"Help the High!" West said.

With the dagger in his hand, he lunged. He sunk his blade into the Freeman's back. The monstrous man grunted. West pulled the weapon free. He stabbed.

Rosemary flung both pieces of the tray at the Freeman. They struck him.

West scurried to the spot in front of the bleeding foe, and charged. He dodged the red dagger. And his own weapon broke through the Freeman's clothing, cut through pale skin, and pierced his heart.

The Soynite tugged his dagger free. And the Freeman dropped his.

Hurt and bleeding, the pale warrior collapsed onto the blue floor. No breath left his body, and it changed into smoke.

Rosemary got on her hands and knees, and she picked up the dead Freeman's dagger. She stood.

Three Freemans were on their feet, and one of them clashed swords with Norman. The other two warriors advanced in the aisle West stood in, armed with swords. Their red sharpness reflected the cafeteria's bright light.

Rosemary moved onto the long bench's table. She hopped into the other aisle.

The Freeman closest to West confronted him, sword in hand, ready to kill a Soynite. West dodged his enemy's sword swings.

"Just die already!" Norman yelled, dueling a different Freeman. Swords clashed.

Red slashed the space in front of West.

The other Freeman in the aisle focused on Rosemary, a long bench standing between the two. Christine teleported. She grabbed the dead Freeman's combat uniform's top, teleported onto the table, and tossed the black fabric onto the head of Rosemary's foe.

As the Freeman moved his free hand toward the clothing preventing him from seeing his enemy, Rosemary charged. She buried the red dagger into the Freeman's chest.

West dodged a sword swing from his opponent, then another one.

A blade dropped, and it hit the hard floor. Rosemary had made that happen.

The Freeman in front of West kept trying to slay the Soynite. With a hammering heart, the man tried to not get killed.

He needed to live long enough to see Rosemary sit on the Red Throne.

But the Freeman acted as if his leader would die tonight if he didn't kill West. The enemy's desire to slay the Soynite raged. Not good.

The sword's flat side struck West's hand. He cried out, and the dagger plunged toward the floor. West stumbled, almost got sliced in the face.

West fell onto his back.

The Freeman set his foot on West's leg, pinning it against the floor.

West struggled.

The Freeman didn't.

And in his pale hand was a sword, one with a red blade and a dark hilt. He could impale West. He could kill his opportunity to help Rosemary. He could kill the man on the floor.

The Freeman grunted. Protruding from his chest was a red sword, its blade soaked in his blood. The weapon's wielder removed the blade from the Freeman's big body.

He lifted his boot off West's pants leg, and collapsed.

Armed with the blood-adorned sword, Christine Cross remained as West's savior. She offered her hand. He took it.

The man stood, and he and Christine put distance between themselves and the lifeless Freeman.

Norman sliced off the final enemy's head.

Rosemary embraced West, and he hugged her back. They stood between the long bench, staying near each other as dead Freemans remained dead.

"I'm glad that Freeman didn't kill you," Rosemary said.

"I'm fine," West said. His rescuer watched the embrace. "I'm fine because of Christine."

The hug came to an end.

"And you're okay, too, right?" West said. Rosemary nodded. "That's good, Rose."

West turned his attention to the girl with the sword, which lacked the blood that had been on it seconds ago.

"You saved my life," West said. "Thank you."

"I just did what I was supposed to, West," Christine said, as Norman walked toward her. "Regardless, you're welcome."

"We need to see if there are any more Freemans," West said.

West. Rosemary. Christine. Norman.

Freemans had tried murdering them during that devastating attack on Soy, but the four Soynites had survived. A Freeman squad had tried killing them inside a cafeteria. That squad had failed. There were some other people who needed to die. One of them was years younger than Rosemary, and another one would need to be around strife so West could kill him. He would kill that man.

Rosemary the woman couldn't protect Rosemary the girl, but West could.