“Sergeant,” Gargoyle said, snapping off a tight salute, “You wanted to see me.”

“Gargoyle, you said you have military experience?” Christopher asked.

“Yes sir,” Gargoyle responded, “Joined up with the infantry, got moved to the marines, then got moved to the SEALs.”

“Then you sound exactly like the man I need,” Christopher explained, “I plan to launch a precision strike on Castle Gorestrike, maneuver manifested inside, rescue his hostages, and deliver an explosive payload.”

“Air support?” Gargoyle asked.

“Negative,” Christopher responded, “Castle Gorestrike is bristling with anti air cannons, and one pilot reported that Gorestrike has gotten his crossbow back before we lost contact.”

“Can we get heavy artillery to support ground troops?” Gargoyle asked.

“Negative again,” Christopher answered, “Gorestrike has, for some reason, collected a harem, and we don’t want to start shelling those poor, innocent women with armor penetrating rounds, so I need you to assemble a squad of red blooded warriors and rescue them. And please, please, don’t pick the schoolgirls.”

“I don’t want to send the schoolgirls,” Gargoyle admitted.

“If you say-” Christopher started.

“But I’m starting to think they’re our best bet,” Gargoyle said.

“Do they know how to use a rifle?” Christopher demanded.

“No,” Gargoyle said.

“Have they been in combat situations before?” Christopher demanded.

“Yes,” Gargoyle said, “Against superior numbers and to rescue me.”

“You said you were a marine and a SEAL,” Christopher said, “Why did you need schoolgirls to rescue you?”

“I was lost in Japan. Foreign, enemy territory,” Gargoyle said, “I couldn’t read any street signs or maps, and I was hiding from an elephant man-”

“A what?” Christopher asked.

“And some kind of girl with cat ears and a tail,” Gargoyle continued, “And a little girl, her brother, her father, and her mother. The mother could fire, according to a translation from my teammate, beams of pure, maternal that could punch through steel. There was also three highschool girls involved, and two highschool boys.”

“I’m noticing an odd trend of school children featuring in your life,” Christopher said, “If you couldn’t read any Japanese, why were you in Japan?”

“I was teleported there by a group of evil wizards,” Gargoyle said, “And I had to team up with the Sailors to survive.”

“Well, I don’t really believe you and this is going to be a dangerous mission,” Christopher said, “Lethal force will be required to survive. Do those school girls have what it takes to kill their enemies?”

“Pink, the youngest one, does,” Gargoyle said, “When I was in Japan-”

“Fighting an elephant man,” Christopher said.

“Pink fought and killed an enemy to save us,” Gargoyle finished.

“Sailor Pink, the one who looks like she’s fourteen,” Christopher said, “Was forced to kill someone to save you?”

“Yes, sir,” Gargoyle said.

“That is- You know, I have kids back home,” Christopher said. “I joined the army so that, if it came to it, I would be forced to kill to save them, because the thought of my dear and beloved children having to kill to save me repulses me. That’s not something I want them to go through. Gargoyle, right now, you, and only you, are our best chance at saving Gorestrike’s harem so we can commence heavy bombardment.

"The New Adventurers are being put through thorough psychiatric examination by Victor Vibes, and based on a report from- ugh, from Gamer Man I can say with confidence that at least one of them is a totally unhinged lunatic. Frankly, I suspect all of them.

"And yet, you come in here and tell me that our next best bet, a group of children with flying swords, have already been scarred by lethal combat. That the very youngest, most innocent girl among them, had to take the life of another human being just to save your sorry hide. ”

"Yes sir," Gargoyle said.

"Well, then unless you can turn them into something useful," Christopher said, "It sounds like our best bet is to send you in alone. The New Adventurers are with Victor, Gamer Man should be there as well."

Victor did not like what he was seeing. Zealot, Gladiator, and Wytch all seemed to be mind controlled. Or brainwashed. Or something. Victor really wasn’t sure. All three of them, Gamer Man as well once he actually checked, had some sort of undercurrent in their thoughts. That under current was driving the New Adventurers to insanity, a nearly alien thought process jackknifing reasonable ideas with hard hitting black and white morality. Get paid to fight, fight to kill, kill bad guys, bad guys have money to loot, spend loot to get equipment, use equipment to pick tougher fights, get paid to fight.

It was concerning, to say the least. Victor had seen similar thought loops on some of the better trained soldiers, people who had military ingrained in them so hard it was unlikely they would ever reintegrate into civilian life. But unlike them, the New Adventurers didn’t want to reintegrate into civilian life, didn’t care about civilian life, and didn’t care that they didn’t care. Now, Victor was against the idea of arresting people for thought crimes, until they actually acted on these impulses Victor said live and let live. The New Adventurers were very, very close to it, and even if they never crossed that line, Victor wondered who could actually trust them.

Well, Victor supposed the military could trust them, provided the military provided a constant stream of payment and violence.

Gamer Man’s deeper thought processes weren’t as bad, but he still had no idea where Gamer Man’s dreams of heroism or boundless courage came from. They were well established thought patterns, so Victor doubted it the source of it was whatever happened to the New Adventurers, whose violent impulses still clashed with civilized thought. It was from that woman, it had to be. Everywhere in Gamer Man’s mind, she was there. Visions of an impossibly beautiful woman filled Gamer Man’s head, but not with thoughts of lust of love. Whenever Gamer Man doubted his ability, doubted his righteous quest, thoughts of the woman would gently push him back on course.

Was there a name attached to the woman, a core memory that would identify the woman?

“Am I-” the bard remarked, a rare state of alertness as she sat in a holding cell, “Am I being scryed?”

"Listen!" Brain Wave shouted, "We need you to sign-"

It was natural. Victor could hardly believe it. Gamer Man’s willpower didn't come from the woman.

"Gamer Man," Victor said, "Why did you decide to be a superhero?"

"False alarm," the bard told her team, "The scrying stopped."

"Well," Gamer Man said, "I won the lottery, my parents burned down in a-"

"I'm being serious," Victor said, "Why did you decide to be a superhero?"

Gamer Man thought. It wasn’t weird, was it? Ever since he was a young boy, Gamer Man had dreams of leaving the world in a better state than when he arrived. For a long time, he thought the best he could do was to pass down the virtues his parents had taught him to any children he had. A slow, steady march towards a utopia, or at the very least a world that wasn't constantly threatened by giant monsters and super villains.

When Gamer Man won the lottery, he realized just how much a man like him could do when given the resources. Why would he not be a superhero? Superhero work was insane, but to Gamer Man the idea that he would spend all that money just to live a comfortable life when he could be helping people the world over was madness.

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Buy how did he explain that to people? He always seemed to get tongue tied whenever people asked that all consuming question. "Why?"

"I just-" Gamer Man said, "I just want to help people."

Victor Vibes looked deep into Gamer Man's psyche. Looked past Gamer Man’s hopes and fears, past the myriad of knowledge and skills he had accrued, past memories of friends, bullies, heroes, and long hours spent gaming.

Victor was stunned. Shocked. At the core of Gamer Man’s identity was that simple phrase, "I just want to help people." Instilled by his parents, as their had done to them, and as their parents had done to them.

"You're telling the truth," Victor muttered.

"Yeah," Gamer Man said, "Do you think that's weird?"

"Gamer Man, the military tells me that we need trust worthy people now more than ever," Victor said, "And you, Gamer Man, I think are the best person we could ask for. Before you leave, I just want to ask you one question: can we rely on to lay down your life to do what's right?"

"I wouldn't hesitate," Gamer Man said, "Which might be a problem when it comes to snap decision making."

"When the time comes," Victor said, "If it is truly needed of you, I trust you."

"Thank you," Gamer Man said.

"Now, I have more clients," Victor said, "If there's anything you want to talk to me about, I can schedule some time around seven. Until then, I'll need you to leave."

Faery Fire herded the Sailors towards Victor's makeshift office and saw Gamer Man standing off to one side, his hand going to his face as the Sailors filed in. It was something that concerned Faery Fire. She couldn't tell if he was just overcome with emotion or slowly losing his mind as Gorestrike gained ground.

"Is something bothering you?" Faery Fire asked, taking the risk of involving herself in Gamer Man's personal business.

“Sorry, this is just a bit of a trial,” Gamer Man admitted, his voice pitching.

“Fighting supervillains can put a lot of pressure on you,” Faery Fire said.

“Not that,” Gamer Man said.

“People you care about are in danger?” Faery Fire asked.

“I’m just trying really hard,” Gamer Man said, “To not geek out about working with the Sensational Sword Saint Sailors. I know this is horribly inappropriate, but do you think I could ask them for some exclusive merch?”

“Look don’t tell anyone this,” Faery Fire said, leaning in close, “But I’m such a huge fan of the Sailors. I can send you tickets to Japan tours.”

“The ones that sell exclusive figurines?” Gamer Man asked, a happy squeal creeping into his voice.

“It’s the least I could do,” Faery Fire said, the same joy worming into her, “But, I gotta go.”

“So, are you their legal guardian?” Victor asked, Faery Fire sitting with Gargoyle and the Sailors.

“Um, should I be?” Faery Fire asked, a blush swelling into her cheeks, partly from embarrassment and partly from the idea of adopting the Sailors.

“This is going to be an incredibly personal experience,” Victor explained, “I understand that the Sensational Sword Saint Sailors all live together, and consider each other family, but unless you’re legally related to them I can’t allow you in during the therapy session.”

“I’m the one who told you to give the Sailors therapy,” Faery Fire said.

“And I understand that,” Victor said, “But I still have to tell you that, unless you’re their legal guardians I cannot let you join them for therapy.”

“But-” Faery Fire said.

“Listen, this is simple client confidentiality,” Victor Vibes explained, “If the Sailors are willing to share their experience with you, then that’s fine.”

“What about Gargoyle?” Faery Fire demanded.

“The Sergeant wanted me here to assess their mental states,” Gargoyle explained, “Ensure they’re ready for combat.”

“They’re kids!” Faery Fire spat.

“Manifested kids,” Gargoyle corrected.

“Miss Faery Fire,” Victor Vibes said.

“This isn’t over,” Faery Fire growled.

“You knew this would happen,” Gargoyle said.

Faery Fire walked out the door, wondering where she could find Gamer Man. She could quiz him about the Sensational Sword Saint Sailors. Proving your superfan status was always fun.

“Mr. Gargoyle,” Victor said, “Have you had psychic powers used on you before?”

“No,” Gargoyle said.

“Well, it can be disorienting,” Victor said, “I’m going to join our thoughts together, so we can communicate without the need for spoken language. From there, I will assess the mental states of the Sensational Sword Saint Sailors. You will be a part of the mental link, but you can isolate your thoughts to take on the role of a passive observer.”

“Okay,” Gargoyle said.

“I’m starting now,” Victor said.

The Sailors felt a rush of sensation as Victor Vibes connected their minds. Red felt the resolve of Blue, Yellow felt the serenity of Green, but all the Sailors felt the terror that clung to Pink. Victor saw phantoms of fear and doubt surrounding Pink, horrific visions of Shonen Rider, a shambling, zombie-like memory that lurked in her mind.

Pink could feel the worry of the other Sailors as they saw her, secret thoughts laid bare. No, not worry, Pink knew, it was revulsion. Green and Blue were quick to reassure Pink, to let her know that she was their friend, but Pink knew better. She thought of Gargoyle, that unbeatable lone wolf, that no amount of trauma could beat.

Gargoyle was quick to step in and cut off Pink’s foolishness. This, he showed her, was not healthy. She wasn’t going to get through this alone.

But Gargoyle fought alone, Pink thought. And no matter how injured he got, it was never enough to stop him. She would conquer this the same way he did.

She barely knew him, Gargoyle thought, Pink and Gargoyle didn’t even speak the same language.

But they were both warriors, Pink protested, she could-

Gargoyle unleashed the full extent of his painful experiences, dredging up the most painful memories he had. The revulsion he felt the first time he had killed, and realized it was simply too easy. What had once been an unthinkable act, the idea of killing another human, had washed over him without Gargoyle even noticing. The sickness he felt when one of his squadmates died in front of him, a bullet ripping through his head by pure chance, and the rage and fury that wrestled against a growing need to vomit. The many betrayals he had faced. His commanders sending good men to time for nothing more than wounded pride, his lover leaving him for a younger, stupid man, his squadmates letting greed blind them, becoming accomplices to brutal suffering. Executing people, for better or for worse, just to make sure his squad made it home safely.

It had made Pink feel small, feel worthless. Gargoyle watched in disbelief as she clung to her idealized version of him. The idea that she could somehow, someway, become invincible in the same way she saw him.

Victor Vibes stepped in, spreading out Gargoyle’s memories and showing Pink that everytime Gargoyle felt the world collapsing around him, felt that everything he had done led to nothing more than adding pain and suffering to the world, the people he trusted would show up to drag Gargoyle out of that dark, deep hole. How whenever Gargoyle tried to drown his many sorrows in bottles, the people he led, the people he trusted with his life, proved themselves worthy of that trust by saving him from himself.

“So,” Faery Fire said, the Sailors walking out of Victor’s office, “How did it go?”

“Pink is,” Victor said, “A troubled young lady. She wants to prove she can handle the same things Gargoyle can.”

“Is there some kind of medication she needs to be taking?” Faery Fire asked.

“Well, Pink is a young, developing mind,” Victor said, “I think that right now, it’s important that she develops healthy coping mechanisms and has a strong support group to help her through this. Depending on how the Sensational Sword Saint Sailors can handle what Sailor Pink is going through, she will be able to overcome the trauma much faster than adults could.”

“Should she be fighting?” Faery Fire asked.

“Ma’am-” Victor started.

“Miss,” Faery Fire corrected.

“Miss, they came here to fight,” Victor said, “Now, if you want my personal opinion, then no I don’t think that schoolgirls should be fighting out battles, but if I’m being perfectly honest I want our battles to be won more than I want to hold to some moral high ground. Immersion therapy could help her, but frankly I think this whole business with Castle Gorestrike is going to leave everyone worse for wear.”

“Is there anything I can do for her?” Faery Fire asked.

“For now, make sure you are someone she believes she can confide in,” Victor said, “This isn’t something that Sailor Pink will get over in a day, it will be a long process. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to give a report to Gargoyle and the other commanders.”

Sergeant Christopher looked over Victor’s reports, the air in his tent tense as Gargoyle loomed over both of them.

“Both teams,” Christopher said, a clear demand for answers.

“The New Adventurers are motivated by material gain,” Victor said, “Which isn’t the most stable mindset, I am aware, but we should be able to keep them focused with promises of payment.”

“And the girls?” Gargoyle asked.

“I was told we would need all the help we can get,” Victor said, “They respond well to leadership, have experience fighting the Rider Gang, and they’re manifested. I wasn’t told if Gorestrike has gathered any allies, but I was working under the assumption that he has.”

“Is Pink going to be okay?” Gargoyle demanded.

“This is war,” Victor said, “It will be a trial for everyone here. Provided Sailor Pink, like you, has friends who will support her then I think she’ll be fine.”

“And you really think we can rely on Gamer Man,” Christopher said.

“I think that Gamer Man is a rare thing,” Victor said, “He’s a true hero, plain and simple.”

“We don’t get a lot of those,” Christopher said.

“Well,” Gargoyle said, “If you think all of them are ready, I’m taking all of them. Sergeant, can you prep mortar teams to give us covering fire?”

“Consider it done,” Christopher assured him.