The pain he's feeling is unimaginable.

He tries to put pressure on areas of most pain, but no matter what he tries, he can't feel it easing. He can smell his own burning flesh, the horrible stench is filling his nostrils and making him sick. His head is spinning and he feels like he's about to lose himself any second – but he stays awake. Because he knows that as long as he is awake, he is alive. And as long as he is alive there's still a chance someone will find him here. Because down here he has no chance at saving himself, buried in some pit as a fire rages above. He tries to remember how he got here but it escapes his mind – All he can focus on is the overwhelming heat and the pain in his entire body.

"Will! Will, you've got to stay with me, man! I can't- Come on, not like this!"

The panicked voice he hears is unlike it normally is. It's not convincing, it's not foreboding, it's full of fear, uncertainty and every word it speaks is littered with cracks.

"...Get out of here... you've got to... get out...", he speaks slowly, his voice raspy and similar to a whisper.

He can barely even open his mouth, not to mention get his words out properly. The man leaning by him starts rummaging through his bag.

"Shut the hell up and listen! I'm not gonna leave you here, are you crazy?"

After some searching, the man removes two bottles from his bag. They both glisten with a strange, orange glow. He opens them both and passes one to Will, tilting it slightly and letting the liquid flow into his mouth. As it moves down his throat, he can feel the pain around him easing, and the heat becomes something unnoticeable. His saviour drinks his own potion, helps him stand, and begins leading him out of the burning pit. With great struggle the two crawl out, just in time before the whole building collapses completely. They wait for a few moments, gasping for air.

"You... you idiot...", Will says between coughs.

"You could have died! Don't you get that?"

"...We're partners... partners in crime, right?"

The man takes a deep breath, laying down on the ground below.

"We can't be that till the end of time... if one of us is dead... can we?"

"...You stole my potions."

He looks at the two empty bottles the two carried out, both of them with 'Fire Nullification' lazily scribbled onto them.

"You're an idiot and a thief."

"An idiot and a thief who just saved your ass!", the man shouts, but is unable to do anything else as he continues coughing at higher and higher rates.

"You should be grate- You should be-"

And as the coughing gets too intense to deal with, the man sits up and spends almost half a minute just trying to put an end to it. As he finishes, his friend gets closer, putting an arm on his shoulder.

"Are you... are you okay?"

Will comes closer, his hands trembling.

"I'm fine!"

The man pushes him away.

"Just... thank me for being a valiant hero already, and..."

"It's not normal to cough like that-", he speaks, concerned for the man more than himself.

"It's not normal to not thank someone for-"

He coughs once more.

"For saving their life!"

Maybe if Will didn't back down so easily then, he-

-felt the heat rising, stronger and stronger, dizzy from having just gotten back from his memory. Will rubbed his eyes and tried to focus back into the world, his lungs filling with the smoke-ridden air and his legs trembling from fear. He looked outside for a moment before a wall of flame blocked him off – Tom was safe, and that was all that mattered to him. He hugged the wall with his back and closed his eyes, as if praying to some unknown entity to rescue him. And just when he thought all was lost, right in the corner of his eye, he spotted something. Something glimmering with an orange glow different to that of the fire, reminding him of a similar potion he saw in his dream. He knelt down and quickly grabbed it, reading the charred label on the side. Although barely readable, it was there, clear as day;

'Fire Nullification'

Will didn't waste time opening the bottle and downing all of its contents, the heat and the pain from some of the flames getting far too close for comfort fading in seconds. He covered his mouth with his sleeve to try and not choke on the smoke, and then finally, started making his way out of the slowly collapsing house. He rushed right through the wall of fire in front of the doorway, sprinting to the stairs as fast as he could. The ceiling cracked and fell around him, sparks hitting him as the charred wood dropped on every side of him. He was about half way down the stairs when he felt something push him forward, making him collapse into a large fire. He was lucky the potion effect lasted as long as it did. He turned back, and looked upon the stairs, where Dissonance stood in silence, the fire burning away his mask. He didn't care – Of course, he, himself, came prepared with more potions he could ever carry, all of them brewed by Taza, imprisoned in his own home.

"Heading somewhere?", the blonde asked as he lit another stick of dynamite, his blood-thirsty grin showing from behind his burned mask.

His eyes were filled with nothing but lust for power.

"...Screw you, you maniac!", as Will shouted these last few words, Dissonance lit his final explosive and threw it up high, disappearing behind another wall of inferno.

And all Will could do was huddle in a corner, hoping for a miracle.

"...What do you mean... what do you mean he's gone?"

Errett was bleeding and covered in ash. Tom's whole body ached and some of his bandages were still smoking. And Fonda stood there, staring at them, with his ears laying low and eyes pacing from one to the other, terror and confusion alike overwhelming them. The smoke from Errett's home was still rising from afar – More and more people from the city were walking over to see what was going on. But these three did not have time – These three knew that what had just gone down meant one thing, and one thing alone; War. It was either the start or the end of the first battle this city had ever seen, and it was up to these three to decide whether it was the latter or the former.

"He was in that house when it blew up, Fonda!"

Tom was out of breath, in agony, tired and filled with more regret and guilt than he could admit. And yet still, he spoke. Because this teenager had a habit of speaking more and more the less he wished to.

"It all went up in flames, and- And everything just- That son of a bitch, I'll tear him to shreds!"

"If you don't calm down, we're just gonna have another death on our hands! Do you want that!?", Errett yelled at Tommy, grabbing his hand and pulling him back before he could rush off to god knows where.

The blonde paused for just a moment, stepped back, and then fell to the ground, unable to stand any more. He now sat aimlessly on his knees, looking into the grass field below.

"...He's... he's... he can't be... n-no..."

Fonda started pacing around, whispering to himself and rubbing his shoulders. Tom had lived with him and his father long enough to recognize that he was truly past the point of giving up, and had fallen into something far deeper, far darker. Complete and utter despair and helplessness.

For a moment, the three all sat in silence.

What else was there to do? In a single day, virtually everyone here had lost everything they could ever care about. Tom had first lost his friend, captured and taken away, with no hope of ever being freed. And then, on top of that, he had lost the one other person who was like him, who understood what he was going through. Errett himself tried to help a stranger and in turn lost everything he had owned – His home, his possessions, all because he showed an act of kindness to those who Dissonance deemed unworthy of it. And finally there was Fonda, who had lost most of all – His father. Because Will was gone, and there was no way he could have made it out of that-

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"You weren't gonna give up on me that easily, right?"

And to the familiar sound of someone who they had thought to be gone, they all reacted instantly. Errett looked up and with a sigh of relief, smiled, unable to believe what he was seeing. Tom's head snapped to the side and he gasped. And Fonda, without hesitation, ran forward almost instantly. Because from the edge of the forest, limping, struggling to walk, gasping for air, but still, walking, breathing, living, was Will. His clothes were all covered in soot, most of his sweater having burned away at its edges. His trousers were ripped, and all he held in his hand was a single, empty, glass bottle. He nearly fell over, his son luckily catching him and supporting him before he properly had a chance to. Fonda, with no regard for any wounds he may have started, instantly began embracing him and sobbing into his sweater, meanwhile Errett and Tom slowly made their way to them. It wasn't long before the younger one joined in, meanwhile the older man kept his distance.

"You're okay!", Fonda exclaimed through his sobs and sniffles.

"But Tom said you were-"

"I thought I was a goner."

Will lifted the empty bottle.

"But I guess someone is looking out for me."

"You- I thought you were-"

Tom suddenly shot up and stepped back, crossing his arms.

"Why did you do that?"

"I saved your life! You should be thanking me..."

Will suddenly looked at Errett.

"I guess it's good you bought this from us, huh?"

He lifted the small bottle in his hand and handed it to the man with the sunglasses, who took it from him hesitantly. He looked more closely at the label on it, and then with a confused grimace shrugged.

"I never bought any Fire Nullification from you.", Errett bluntly stated, causing the other man to stammer.

"...Check your records if you don't believe me. I never once ordered Fire Nullification because I didn't need it. All I ever bought was the Healing and Recovery I used on Tom."

"...So then... how did this..."

Will looked down at the edge of the glass, the reflection of that cold, angry glare seeming to shine right through. His 'partner in crime'... 'till the end of time'... a partner in crime he failed to even remember the name of.

"I guess someone really is looking out for you.", Errett said, patting him on the back.

"But maybe we should actually take care of those burns. Once the Fire Nullification wears off, all of that pain will hit you at once. Do we have any potions left?"

The rest of that day was a bitter-sweet moment of peace between all of what had gone down and their planned rescue mission for that evening – It was hard to describe the feeling exactly. On one hand, everyone was relieved to be back together, and to see Will on his feet. His wounds were taken care of rather quickly, and with the right herbs and potions, his pain was eased, too. Him, Tommy and Errett all changed and had time to tell Fonda what had happened, giving them all a rather grim outlook on their chances at rescuing Taza. Still, they waited, and at some point during the evening, when none of them were really paying attention, a box with a note attached to it appeared seemingly out of nowhere near the caravan. Will picked it up and read it aloud;

To whoever made it out of that house, know that I have not lost hope. Whether there's still four of you or just one, I still believe that you have a chance at making this work. Dissonance doesn't have control over everything - And you can show everyone that. You can show them that there's a chance at rising up, and maybe then I'll stop being so cautious and do some revolting of my own.

No promises though.

Use whatever I left here as best as you can, and don't throw this chance away. No matter how hopeless it may look, even trying will give the people here something to fight for. And that will set us on the path to making this place better. Or, at least, I hope so. I really, really do.

Good luck, and remember, we've all got our eyes on you.

- Zack

"He signed it with his name...", Will whispered under his breath as he finished reading the note.

Tom was already rummaging through the items as Errett helped him sort it out. Meanwhile, Fonda got closer to his father and placed his hand on his shoulder, smiling;

"It means he trusts us."

He looked into the chest, watching as Tom carefully removed a bronze sword from inside, swinging it around for a short while. Errett had to stop him before he slashed a hole in the wall of the caravan.

"It means he truly believes we have a chance at this."

"With stuff like this?"

Errett lifted a steel chest plate, shaking it around for a bit and exposing its many cuts and bends.

"I'm all for being an optimist, Will, but with these things we barely stand a chance. Unless you've got some sort secret weapon up your sleeve, we're not gonna-"

"Holy shit!", at Tom's exclamation, the whole group was forced to look into the chest.

With most things moved aside or laid out on the grass by the chest itself, only one item remained in their direct view. That item was a single weapon - A sword with a wooden handle lined with rope for an easier grip, and a blade made of pure fresh steel. The sword glimmered in the sun above, the sun rays reflecting on its crystalline surface. Unlike the other weapons Sot had gifted them with, this one had no scratches, no stains, no marks. All it was was a carefully polished blade, as if prepared specifically for this very occasion. Either that, or it's former owner somehow managed to keep it in pristine condition. For a minute or two they simply watched, enticed by the slight glow on the edges and the pristine craftsmanship on the handle. Will was the first to move, picking the sword up and wrapping his fingers around the handle with great care. He moved it around a few times and finally swung it at full force, making a clean cut in the trunk of a nearby tree.

"That's so cool! Can I have a try?"

Tom, seemingly forgetting the many bruises on his body and disregarding the burns he got from the earlier explosion, ran up and started watching Will carefully as he played around with the sword for a little longer. He was completely entranced by its sharpness and how easy it was to manoeuvre.

"Careful, Tom, it's not a-"

Before the man could even finish speak, the boy snatched the weapon out of his hand and started hitting all of the nearby tree branches with it, making clean cuts each time. Even without any experience with a sword, the boy was dealing incredible damage. Fonda soon followed him, ensuring he didn't hurt himself or anyone who would be unlucky enough to pass by. And so, Will and Errett were left alone to talk.

"That's not just some used sword.", Errett started, watching the teenager swing the blade around.

Every time it moved, it made a sharp sound reverberate through the air.

"He must have made that recently. Very recently. Even Dissonance, Sapana and Georgie don't have weapons this fresh."

"I guess we got our secret weapon, then."

Will looked at Errett as he scoffed, seeing a small smile grow on his face.

"Sot must really believe in us if he gave us a completely new sword, right?"

"...It could give us a chance. A sword like that scares anyone who knows better away. It might not be the key to removing those two maniacs, but it's what we might need to give us an equal chance. And that's enough."

The other man bit his lip in contemplation.

"Now the question is how to secure that chance..."

Will looked down, looking at all of the bandages on his arms. They were all burned at their edges.

"Which one of us is the most dangerous with a sword like that?"

He looked briefly at Tom, who now needed help from Fonda after getting the sword stuck in the bark of the tree, both pulling at it with all their might.

"...I think you already know.", Errett murmured soothingly, his own eyes focusing on the young blonde as well.

He managed to get the sword out of where he had trapped it, lifted it in his hand and grinned. The man carried on as they both watched in silence;

"...There's only one among us with the type of flame we need for this to work out."

Will looked at Tom's eyes. And Tom's eyes burned with a fire of hope.

"...Fonda, I trust you to cover us. You'll take the bow and the tunic and stay at a distance."

Will stood in front of his son, handing him his gear.

"If they get close to you, run like hell. You know more than anyone you're not the best at hand to hand combat and I don't want you to-"

"I get it."

Fonda tilted his head slightly and smiled.

"I'll give you guys cover and retreat if they notice me. Don't worry. I've been using a bow long enough to know how to do it safely."

He crossed his arms and relaxed.

"...Just trust me, dad."

"...Alright... alright, I do."

His gaze moved to Errett as he picked up a bronze sword and steel chest plate.

"You'll go with me, Errett. We'll distract Georgie and Sapana and lead them away from the house so Tom can break Taza out. I'm gonna be relying on you."

"You can put your trust in me, Will."

Errett grabbed the weapon and chest plate, getting himself ready. Will put on one of the chest plates himself and then turned to Tom, passing him the last one of three.

The boy waited as he picked up the two swords they had left – One, a flimsy bronze one. The other, a pristine blade forged from steel. Instantly, Tom reached for the bronze sword, but the man pulled it away and moved the other forward.

"W-Will... are you... are you sure?", he asked, gently grasping onto the handle.

"You're the one who's gonna be going into the epicenter of it all."

The man nodded.

"You need all the defence you can get. Don't let us down."

The boy hesitated for a moment, and then grinned.

"Obviously! I won't let you down, Will!"

Tom moved away with the weapon and slashed at the air with it, giggling to himself as he did so. And even though this moment of bliss was more than welcome after their day of struggles, it couldn't last long. Because the sun was already setting, and night was getting closer and closer.

And at night, they would make their move.