Peacock hissed as electricity jolted through him, liquid fire that somehow scorched and numbed at the same time.

PARALYSIS RESISTED

Aisha had barely got the words out before Peacock was at the wall again. The blue vanished, and in its place, an orb named 001IM125D appeared inside the building.

Phase Step, grab, teleport, Sanctuary.

Peacock ticked through each command, initiating the next as soon as the last resolved.

In a few blinks, which left his stomach swaying and head swimming, the familiar boundary of his sanctuary materialized.

A fist met Peacock’s jaw.

Stars exploded in his sight. Something clattered against the floor. Peacock shook the stars from his eyes just in time to see Haven standing a few feet away, brandishing an enchanted Zweihander from Peacock’s collection. No doubt about it, Haven was Alainn. From her defiant gaze to her pink and red scales, her new character was all her.

What looked to be a bipedal, frilled lizard of maybe five feet high waved the sword in a long arc. Impressive, considering it was as long as she was. “Joke’s on you, bastard!” she chirped. “I’ve coded this character to die as soon as a cheat is applied to it!”

Peacock grinned, perhaps too wide. Alainn’s eyes narrowed as she took a step back. “Whatever you’re planning won’t work!” she cried, the sword shaking in her grip.

“I’m not going to do anything to you, Alainn.” Peacock settled onto his gold mound; a grin still plastered on his face. He probably looked like a maniac, but he couldn’t help it. Seeing Alainn in any form made him ridiculously happy. “It’s me, Peacock, and I need your help.”

Alainn snorted. “Peacock? Right. You look about as much like Peacock as I do.” She rattled the sword. “I’m not falling for your tricks.”

“I look different, you’re right. I’ve done a lot of growing since we’ve seen each other. You’ve changed some too, Alainn.”

She frowned. “Haven. My name’s Haven.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Right, sorry. I never knew your user handle, so you’ve always been Alainn to me.”

The tip of the Zweihander clinked off of a helmet as it dropped and rested on the ground. Despite her loss of control over her weapon, Haven’s glare intensified. “How do you know about Rebirth handles? Peacock didn’t know anything about the game.”

“Ouch. Harsh, but true. Like I said, I’ve done a lot of growing, and I’ve had these to study.” Peacock pulled the orb necklaces from his inventory and laid them in front of him.

Haven’s eyes grew wide, a small, scaled arm reaching for a necklace before she pulled back again. “No. I’m not falling for your trap. Coded to die, remember? I doubt me dying and being Reborn will get you much kudos in Zenith Flight.”

Peacock sighed. “Look, Haven. I’m Peacock. What do I need to do to convince you of that?”

“What was the last thing I told you as Alainn?”

Despite the time Peacock had spent trying to forget, the memory formed sharp as a knife. He grimaced and looked away. “I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

“That’s the last thing you said, right before Nex—”

“That’s enough.”

The sound of the Zweihander hitting the ground drew Peacock’s gaze back to Haven. She was grimacing as well, a dark and distant look in her eyes. Peacock kicked himself for reminding her of what must have been a drawn-out and painful death.

“While I can’t guarantee you’re not using some sort of hack to get that info, I suppose it’s unlikely.”

Unlikely didn’t sound at all sure, but Peacock would take it. He forced a smile he hoped looked calming and genuine. It felt strange. “Good! Now, could you please remove the code which makes you die from these orbs? I’d really rather not be responsible for this character’s death, too.”

Haven narrowed her eyes. “Maybe.”

A surge of irritation caught in Peacock’s chest. He was trying to help, damn it. He’d made himself vulnerable, nearly got killed, and wasted a bunch of irreplaceable orbs to find her. Not to mention he’d just handed her a pivotal role in taking out the assholes who made them suffer. What more did she want?

Peacock blanked his face as Haven continued to stare him down. Snapping at her would end any chance of gaining her help. As much as it chafed, her help was far more important than gaining her absolute trust. “Okay, fine. I won’t ask about your personal safeguards, but I still need your help.” Peacock waved at the pile of orbs. “I used a ton of these trying to find you. They work if I’m desperate or determined enough but using them that way is damned unreliable. There’s got to be a better way, and I know you can figure it out, if you haven’t already.”

Haven’s brow knitted together for a second before her face softened. “Zenith Flight probably knows more than me.”

“I’m not part of Zenith Flight.” Peacock tried to keep his tone neutral. A growl slipped out anyway. “But I would really enjoy taking the bastards out. Will you help me or not?”

They locked eyes. The silence dragged on, and Peacock’s heart dropped a little more. What if Haven’s stubbornness killed their one good chance at destroying Zenith Flight? Without a good grasp on how to work the orbs, he was little more than a nuisance to the other dragons.

Peacock’s chest tightened with each passing second until Haven finally spoke.