Maitho did not know what to expect, but it was definitely not the sight that met him when he entered the van. As soon as the offer of partnership was accepted, Raiden arranged for a truck to carry Quinn while a van would carry the passengers. From the outside, the vehicle was nondescript, like a thousand other similar vans that were used mostly by the service industry.

On the inside, it was a lounge. The seats were backed against the frame of the vehicle and bordered three sides, with the fourth taken by the driver and passenger seats. A privacy barrier was left open, but Maitho knew that it would serve its purpose should the need arise. The space in the center of the van was occupied by a box-shaped lounge table that emitted a pulsating green glow. There was no furniture in front of the doors. The seat pushed against the back of the van was cut short to give room for a small refrigerator that was roughly three feet tall.

Raiden made his way to the back of the van to sit beside the refrigerator. He motioned towards one of the reamining seats. “Please, make yourself comfortable and ask me for a drink if you would like one.”

Maitho had no words to provide in response. Instead, he focused on the task of making himself comfortable. He noticed that Epona had entered the van, taking over the space opposite him. When she caught his eye, he gave a quick nod of gratitude to her which she returned.

The van began to move. Maitho made small adjustments to his position, focusing on the interior of the van as a way to keep himself occupied.

“My previous life,” said Maitho as a reminder. It was the first thought that came to his mind.

Raiden faced him, his usual arrogance on full display on his face. Oddly enough, it was probably that aspect of him that drew people into his circle. He carried his persona on his sleeves, never wavering for anyone nor comprimising his character. It was this honesty that made Maitho attempt to trust him. But attempt to did not automatically translate to want to. At least, not at the moment.

“Straight to the point,” said Raiden. “I’m glad to hear that. But before that, a question.”

Maitho hadn’t received plenty of opportunities to have long conversations with the other Guardian. From the little moments he had experienced, he knew enough to realize that there was always a motive behind every word. It was as though each conversation was one string in a series of connections. It was always difficult to see the end result.

He thought back to the decision to join Cray’s team. It was an act of desperation, spurred by the broken mess that his friend was in. Yet he hadn’t purely provided a suggestion out of sheer impulse. There was an opportunity that he could use. It was a slim chance, but it was the only one he had.

That single opportunity lay in the hands of the Norse Guardian sitting in the van near him.

Maitho knew that if he had any chance of gaining the attention of the other man, he had to indulge his questions. It wasn’t that he was feeling exasperated. Rather, his fight-or-flight instincts were clearly indicating for him to run out of that van, simply because whatever question was thrown his way would require him to divulge more than he was comfortable doing so.

He dug his nails into his palm before he could continue. “It’s not like I can avoid it, so let’s hear it.”

“Dinnae interrogate him,” said Epona, leaning forward and placing one hand on her knee. “An we dinnae have tae say anythin we dinnae want tae.”

“Learn to pay your debts,” said Raiden. “Because,” he raised his finger. “You,” he pointed at Epona, “and you,” he indicated Maitho, “owe me,” he used his thumb to refer to himself.

As much as Maitho wanted to deny that, he knew that it was true. He wanted to think that it was his last minute idea that had saved him and his friends. But that would be his ego speaking on his behalf. The truth was that Raiden had played an important part in preventing any further bloodshed. When Maitho looked at Epona, he saw her watching him. Her eyes told him that she was probably having the same thoughts he was. “Why did you save me?” he said, knowing that the question would gnaw at his mind until he released it.

“It’s not your turn yet, Maitho. Pick a number, but know that you won’t be coming in second or third. Maybe not even the next two spots after that. Those are reserved for my questions. And I want to start with why you were considering giving up when you were on the Styx. Did you want to complete your journey across the river?”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

His words struck Maitho like a sledgehammer. It seemed as though the air was slowly running out of oxygen. Maitho felt heat slowly creep its way up his neck and to his forehead. The first signs of perspiration made the air cooler against his skin.

“Is that true?” said Epona.

At first, Maitho’s pride convinced him that she was reacting with incredulity, and maybe just a little disappointment. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to avoid that. It was strange that he would be so thoughtful about someone else’s reactions.

Then it occurred to him. She was actually showing concern. She wasn’t judging him. Even her voice had turned soft. He could hear the unmistakable note of empathy in her words.

Maitho realized that he was stalling. He considered avoiding the question. “Yes.” The answer came out of him before he could stop himself.

Suddenly, he felt the interior of the van turn into a box that only offered a few feet of space in all directions. He wanted to tug at his collar and allow more air to reach him. Instead, he leaned back and broadened his shoulders, hoping that doing so would trick his mind into believing he was more confident that he actually felt.

He saw Epona purse her lips. She turned her attention to Raiden. “Ask another question.”

“Gladly,” came the response from the Guardian.

“Except aboot whit happenit between him an Charon.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

Epona snorted. The derision poured out of her like a flood. “Ye havenae changit one bit. All this talk aboot truth an yet ye usit a lie tae get yer way.”

Raiden’s eyes narrowed. “Are you talking about your team?”

“Ye’re boggin right ah am talkin aboot ma team. Yer team at one point.”

Raiden leaned forward. “And what do you think I did?”

“An donas dubh! Ye know damn well whit ye did.” Epona’s muscles tensed. Her whole body became rigid, like a coil of energy slowly building in intensity. Her voice was rising in pitch, each word borrowing a little more of the anger bubbling inside her. She was even pressing the front teeth together, as though any moment she would just release a snarl.

If Epona was the dagger of wrath, then Raiden was the shield of calm. He didn’t respond to her reactions in kind. There was no humor on his face. But there was nothing there to suggest that he was going to adopt an aggressive stance. “You were all aware of what I wanted from the beginning.”

“We juist didnae know whit ye wad dae tae get it.”

“I needed help. I got help. Then I didn’t need it anymore. I left your team. That’s all there is to it. If you want to presume that there was more to the situation, then go ahead. That’s on you.”

“Are ye gaun’ae dae it again right now?”

“Yes,” said Raiden. “If you want to stay in some form of denial, then grab a drink, sit on your side, and contemplate in silence. I need Maitho’s help. And he needs mine. It’s as simple as that.”

It was at that point that Maitho realized what was truly happening. Epona wasn’t aiming to dredge up the past because she was interested in knowing more about it. She was trying to distract Raiden’s attention. It was her way of preventing him from continuing with his questioning. A sense of gratitude welled up within Maitho.

Raiden must have realized Epona’s intentions as well. “Stop trying to change the topic.” He turned his attention to Maitho, his eyes projecting razor sharp intensity. “If you want to know why you are important, then you will have to make this decision yourself.”

Some part of Maitho wanted to deny that Raiden’s request was fair. But that was a small part. He knew that no matter how much he wanted to think otherwise, all that was asked of him was a fair trade. An answer for an answer. His revelation for Raiden’s. It wasn’t about right or wrong. The transaction was fair, and Maitho knew that.

Even with his heart pounding against his ribcage, Maitho forced himself to speak. “Ask your question.”

“What did Charon tell you?” Raiden wasn’t going easy on him.

Maitho exhaled audibly through his mouth. It took him a few breaths to compose his response. “He didn’t say anything in particular,” he said, frowning as he concentrated on the memory. “It was as though he was guiding me towards something.”

“Your death.”

A quick nod and then Maitho continued. “It was odd. He didn’t try to convince me to return. There was this sense that he knew what I would choose, and was trying to make that happen.”

Raiden considered the response for a few seconds. “Then I think it’s time to tell you about your role in all of this Maitho.” His fingers steepled under his chin. “Do you remember that picture you saw of the 92nd Infantry Division?”

“Back at the Cray mansion,” said Maitho, speaking aloud to confirm the information. He could still recall much of the conversation in vivid detail. “I was there in the picture.”

“That was when we discovered your power,” said Raiden. “That was when you had first joined our team. Back during the World War. But before you could do that, you died in action.”