Jon was worried that his body would give away while he followed behind Hector and Mercy. Thankfully, they didn’t run so fast that he was left behind. He noticed that they were staring at each other with concerning looks.

They stopped and allowed Jon to catch up.

“Jon,” Hector said. “I don’t know if you notice… but, are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Jon nodded.

“Do you need to sit out? I mean we can’t have you drop out-”

“I’m fine!”Jon said.

As he said that, he noticed his own heavy breaths.

“I’m sorry,” Jon amended. “Maybe you’re right.”

Hector gave a worrying look to Mercy.

“I trust you…” Hector said. “If you want to come.”

Jon decided that he would come, so he nodded.

“Alright!” Hector and Mercy turned and started running again.

Jon followed, this time without complaint from either of his friends. He was soon able to see his other friends.

Tallow and Mallory were surrounding Jack, who still had Helia in his grip. His arm tightened around her neck, and his sword was under her neck.

“Stay back!” He yelled. “I’m still in control!”

Hector came to Mallory’s side.

“Thank you for not lashing out in hellfire,” Mallory said as he got near. “I’m sure you can see the issue.

“As soon as I can force him to let go.” Hector clenched his fist. “Then I’ll wail on him, the coward…”

Jon looked behind Jack and saw Dan’s wagon behind him.

“He was trying to steal our wagon!” Mercy yelled. She extended her energy blade.

“Don’t even try it!” Jack drew his sword across Helia’s shoulder.

Blood sprayed onto the ground in front of them.

He brought his blade immediately back to her throat.

“I’ll do it!” Jack yelled. “Let me go!”

“He wants to get out of here on our wagon,” Mallory said. “I don’t think he’s lying about killing Helia to get away.”

“I’ll kill-”

“We’ll all kill, him, Hector,” Tallow said, ‘but I don’t know if we can save her in the process. He’s too fast.”

“Just kill me already!” Helia yelled. “Guys, don't-”

Jack put his arm under her throat again, clutching her neck so hard she could talk or even breathe.

“You can’t heal blood lost from the head, so I’d watch it!” Jack said, taking several steps backward. “And spread out!” I don’t want you scheming!”

“Surround the carriage,” Hector said quietly, as he slowly started stepping away from the others. If we have to let him go-”

“That’s not an option,” Tallow responded. “Not this time-"

“Stop talking!” Jack yelled. He looked at Jon.

“Don’t even try to shoot me!” he yelled. “It won’t do anything!”

Jon grimaced. His energy blast wouldn’t have done enough to stop Jack from hurting Helia. Something about Jack’s face made Jon scared to move. If he were to shoot Jack, it would have to be a single powerful and concise shot, enough to stop him from moving.

Jon’s friends had been moving away from Jon to adhere to Jack’s demands, but he was still able to hear Tallow’s whisper even as she paced afar.

“Stay here…”

Jon understood and didn’t move. Jack didn’t seem to have a problem with that, since Jack’s eyes were darting between everyone anyway.

Jon moved his eyes towards Tallow to see if she had planned anything.

She was reaching into her hip bag before she slyly pulled out an object that was just big enough to fit into her palm.

Jon was able to finally make out the object when she put it behind her back and slipped it to a passing Mallory.

Potato.

Mallory had changed directions to moving back towards Jon unbeknownst to Jack.

Mallory doesn’t want to risk a spell. It must be up to me…

Jon took a deep breath to calm his nerves. There was a chance his mana would backfire, but he had to believe that things would work out. He put the blunderbuss behind his back as if to hide it from Jack.

Jack saw him move.

“Put the gun down!” He said.

Crap.

“Jon’s our insurance,” Hector said. “If you hurt Helia again, he’ll shoot you.”

“Haha! That soft stuff he shoots? Why would I even be scared of that?”

Now, Mallory was shuffling along casually back in Jon’s direction, having altered his path while he was talking to Hector.

Jon suddenly shivered as he felt Mercy grab the blunderbuss from behind.

Trust her…

She pulled at the blunderbuss just enough to get it to snap open, but not enough to make a large snapping noise.

As she went on, Mallory passed her by, before moving past Jon and dropping the potato into Jon’s chamber. He could feel the potato landing at the bottom of his gun.

“Stop moving!” Jack yelled.

“I thought you said to move!” Hector replied.

“I change my mind!” Jack moved even closer to the wagon. “Get back into formation!”

“What formation?” Hector asked casually.

“Shut up and get close together!” Jack yelled. “To where I can see you all at the same time!”

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

“Fine.” Hector and the others began to acquiesce to Jack’s request, returning back to where Jon stood.

“But let me ask you this,” Hector said as he moved. “You expect to just leave your kids?”

“They’ll be fine!” Jack explained. “They’re survivors. That's what I trained them for!”

“And you’d leave them behind?” Hector held eye contact with him. “Pathetic. As a leader and a father.”

“You make a sacrifice for the team,” Jack said. “That’s how the world works.”

“That’s not-”

“Any leader knows when to make the hard plays!” Jack yelled. Jon found it strange that it sounded like he needed Hector to believe him. “It’s part of leading!”

“Any good leader would be able to put his life down for his men just as soon as they would do for him,” Hector remarked.

“That’s stupid,” Jack responded. “If the leader dies, then the dream dies. His leadership dies with him, and the people who follow him are lost!”

“People can make their own ideas!” Hector growled. “And even if it is the bad play, I infinitely respect anyone who would choose his team over the mission."

“FoolishF boy…” Jack clicked his teeth. “You’ll never get far in life with that attitude. What a shame. I was almost starting to like you!”

“I think if a leader believes in those he left behind him to lead in his place,” Mallory remarked, attracting Jack’s attention, “then it’s fine for him to make foolish decisions.”

When Jack turned to him, Hector used that moment to lightly and smoothly snap Jon’s blunderbuss closed.

One shot.

Jon looked down and saw that Hector was getting ready to snap his hands.

“Nobody’s perfect,” Mallory added. “But, if those people are strong enough to make their own ideas and forge ahead, then that leader succeeds regardless.”

Jon shook his head to Hector, letting him know of his disapproval. If Jon was gonna the shot he needed, Jack would have to stay in place.

Hector relaxed his hands, showing he understood Jon’s request.

“But you’re not trying to lead!” Tallow yelled. “You’re just trying to save yourself!”

“Who says you can’t do both!” Jack chuckled. In his arms, Helia was already starting to go limp from lack of breath.

“If anyone was gonna be smart enough to do both,” Mercy said, “It wouldn’t be you.”

“What was that!” Jack suddenly turned in Jon and Hector’s direction.

“Jon doesn’t want me to do something foolish,” Hector said.

“I thought good leaders could make foolish decisions if they trusted their teammates,” Jack replied mockingly. “Right?”

Jon took a deep breath, holding it in. It was now or never.

“I don’t care what a good leader is,” Hector said. “I only care about believing in my friends. I know I mess up and make plenty of mistakes…”

“Now…” Jon squeaked as much as he could without losing his breath, hoping the others could hear him.

“But I know when I do, my friends can cover for my weaknesses,” Hector said.

“Yeah, yeah, toss your weapons to the ground,” Jack said. “How’s that for a weakness?”

Tallow and Mercy took their time in tossing down their respective weapons. Mallory waggled his hands in the air, showing that he didn’t have any.

“You don’t have anyone to cover yours,” Hector taunted as he held his own sword out in front of them. He hadn’t dropped it yet, and so it caught Jack’s attention. It caught Jon’s attention as well.

Is that a signal?

Jon hoped it was. He was still holding on to his breath. He began to feel the world slow down, and become numb to everything else instead of what was in directly front of him.

“And what is mine?” Jack asked curiously. “That I can’t do magic? Because that’s been accounted for!”

“No,” Hector answered. “It’s that you talk too much.”

He opened his hand.

The sword dropped to the floor and Jack's eyes followed it as it did.

As soon as it touched the ground, Hector started to run to the side.

Mercy dashed to the left, and Tallow zoomed straight up into the skies, leaving Jon on the ground.

One-shot.

Jon forced out his remaining breath as he quickly brought his gun from his behind his back to beside his hip, the barrel pointing right towards Jack’s face.

Jack’s eyes and face darted in several directions before he finally settled on Jon.

But it was too late, as Jon’s finger was already coming for the trigger.

He fired.

The was no way for Jack to reasonably react as the spud hurtled through the air straight into his face, where it connected. White matter exploded from above Jack’s shoulders, engulfing the area where his head used to be.

Jack’s body went stiff, and he immediately fell backward as if a long piece of wood had been tipped over, and both he and Helia fell backward

Jon allowed himself to start breathing again when he realized the shot had been made. He almost still didn't believe it had happened.

He turned to the side to see Mallory waving his hands above his own head.

“I… wanted to look big and menacing, because I probably would have busted my ass doing anything else.”

“Okay.” Jon understood. He wouldn't have wanted to move either.

“Helia!” Hector had started running to the center of the scene when he stopped himself and turned.

“Good shit- I mean, good shot, Jon,” Hector said, slightly flustered. He resumed running to check on Helia.

“Good shit is right,” Tallow said. “I know you may not know how to fight… but damn. I never realized how good of a shot you are.”

“It’s all I know,” Jon said.

“It’s all you need to know.” Tallow shook her head. “I would shoot everyone who came within a half meter of me.”

“That’s why Jon’s holding a gun, and you’re not,” Mercy said. “Besides, we should check on Helia.”

“She’s fine,” Tallow said. “I saw that man go stiff faster than a-”

“Helia’s arm is still bleeding,” Mercy said.

“Ah, hell. I’ll fix it before that dunce screws it up.” Tallow ran up ahead and slid to Helia’s side.

“Good job, Jon,” she said, rubbing Jon’s arm. “You saved Helia’s life.”

“Again,” Jon said.

Mercy didn’t quite know what to say when Jon went up ahead.

Soon, everyone was surrounding the two bodies on the floor.

Helia, other than her arm which was being bandaged by Tallow, was otherwise unharmed.

Jack’s head laid underneath a pile of white mush.

“I didn't know there was so much potato in a potato,” Mallory remarked.

“I should have slipped a rock in there as well,” Tallow added. “I kinda wish he was still awake. I would have broken his legs in and-”

“It’s done!” Hector yelled.

Tallow groaned. She had finished wrapping Helia’s arm.

“I mean, please…” Hector looked away in embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not done yet…” Tallow said, kicking at Jack’s abdomen. The golden armor clinked under her foot.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the armor.

“Right,” Hector remarked.

Mallory put his hand on Hector’s shoulder.

“Are you sure you want it back?” Mallory asked. “Maybe it’s better for you to leave it behind. If you feel like you have too much of your father’s influence on your shoulders… literally…”

"I do feel like that…” Hector said as Tallow helped Helia up to her feet. “But…”

He knelt down. “I am my father’s son. Nothing I do will change that.”

He reached into the potato mound and pressed hard.

The armor returned to its jacket form.

“I’m still trying to figure out what that means, but… for now I think I do understand…”

Hector flicked the jacket. It miraculously slipped off of Jack’s body and hung in Hector’s hands as if it was never worn.

“Just because I”m his son doesn’t mean I have to turn out like him.”

Hector tossed on his jacket. It was oversized until Mallory slapped Hector’s back.

It immediately refitted to Hector’s size as it snapped back into armor.

“How long were you waiting to do that in public?” Tallow asked as Hector scraped the last of potato off of his shoulders.

“Way too long,” Mallory admitted.

Helia groaned in Tallow’s arms as she began to stir.

“She’s awake, guys!” Tallow said. “Hey, you’re not laying down anymore…”

“Ah!” Helia stumbled in place as Tallow let off her. She then felt her arm.

“Ow! Did I get stabbed?” She looked at her arm and saw the red spot growing over it.

“Cool! I mean…”

“Helia!” Hector scooped her up in a hug. “You’re safe.”

“I… I am!” Helia cried in surprise.

Hector put her down and coughed uncomfortably. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” She jumped up and kissed him on the cheek. “You saved me!”

“Jon saved you!” Tallow said. “You should give him the”

Helia ran up and kissed Jon on the cheek too. “You also saved me! Again! You all saved me!”

“Of course, Helia, we-” Helia hugged Mercy and kissed her on the cheek too. “Amazing!”

“I get the point!” Tallow said as she watched Helia kiss Mallory on the cheek as well. “I don’t need one.”

“Come on!” Helia held her arms out.

Tallow sighed. “Fine.”