We were just sitting near the campfire, eating some meat. Lory sat on my lap. Abby leaned back and enjoyed the fire. Funk is sharpening his blades. Haley just sat close to us. “Lory?”

“Yes?”

“How are your wounds?”

“I am injured but being inside this barrier, and having the sun shine is helping me. It feels good to be together again.”

“Yeah, those vampire birds were not nice, luckily the others saved us”

Lory looked at my neck wound, “it is healing up nicely.”

Abby got up, “Something is wrong.”

Funk looked at her, “What is going on?”

She pointed somewhere. We all got up and saw a man in royal clothing walk over to us. I drew my sword, the others did as well. Haley stood next to me and Lory. The man put a crystal on the barrier and dispelled it. He walked over towards us, he waved his sword at us. “My name is Brent, the king of Stratos Isle!”

I walked forward, “my name is-”

Brent gave me the finger. “I have no need of your names.” He pointed his sword at Haley. “She murdered my son. I am here to return the favor.”

I quickly stepped in front of Haley, “You are not touching my daughter.”

Brent chuckled, “Do you know your daughter murdered Lance, my son?”

Abby and Funk gasped. Abby walked forward as she saw a man in purple robes come their way. Slowly, Abby morphed her fist into a purple blade. “I am sorry Steve, this guy is too powerful, I am stepping in.”

Brent smiled, “Hello parasite.”

Abby grunted, “Dow do you know?” Brent pointed at the man in purple robes, “Reader, do your thing.” He pulled out a metal bar out of his robe and planted it in the ground. A bell appeared on it and started ringing. Abby grunted in pain as she grabbed her head. Brent teleported forward and kicked her, she got launched away.

I gasped, “Abby!?”

Lory ran forward, she swung her sword down and Brent took it in his hand with ease and kicked Lory a few times. Then he threw her away to the river. Funk charged at him and Brent looked at him for a moment. He smiled, “That is neat.” He stopped aside and gave Funk an epic gut punch, then he grabbed his shell and ripped a piece off and blood splattered everywhere. Brent then threw Funk away.

I just stood there as I let energy infuse my sword. “Haley get back, I’ve got him!” I charged at Brent, and he tried to grab my sword, I rolled aside, he kicked me in my face and I rolled away. He teleported to me and kicked his boot between my ribs. I could hear Captain scream to let him out. I did not want to let him out. Brent stabbed his sword down into my gut. He kneeled beside me and started ripping off my left wing. Blood flew everywhere as I screamed out in pain.

He threw my left wing aside, and I cried in pain. Haley screamed, “Stop it! Stop hurting my family!” She charged forward and swung two blades at Brent. He easily blocked them and gave Haley a headbutt, she fell down to the ground. “Haley!?”

She did not respond. Brent kneeled beside me, “I will not kill you, just like me, you will have to live with the fact, your beloved child will be dead.” He walked away and grabbed Haley and put her over his shoulder. The airship we had seen earlier came back and landed close by. I tried getting up, and a fire beam hit me and I got launched into the river, slowly I saw Brent getting in the ship with Haley as I blacked out.

When I came to, the airship I had seen had left, and the sun already started going down. Slowly I got up, it seemed I lay on the shore of the river. Blood dripped to the ground. Captain screamed at me, “Do you see how you have fucked it up!?”

I just grunted, “Not now.” I managed to find Lory, soaked in blood and dragged her to the campfire. She still had not regained consciousness. She seemed to be alive. Then I went out to find Funk, he was also knocked out, with one arm and injured I dragged him to the campfire. And lastly, I went to search for Abby. When I found her, a black glob seemed to be healing her wounds that healed much slower compared to normal. I started dragging Abby with me and the black goo stayed on top of her. I grabbed the crystal and remade the barrier. Slowly I sat down near the campfire.

I tended to my own wounds, stitching them up, grounding some herbs in a mortar and pestle, making them into a paste. After making sure I was fine, I tended to Lory’s wounds, then to Funk’s wounds. The night had fallen, and the vampire birds came out, but they were stopped the by the barrier. Slowly Lory got up and grunted. “What happened?”

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I slowly crawled over to her, I had been sitting here in silence mostly. “We got our asses whooped, even Abby had her ass whooped.”

Lory looked at me, “Where is your left wing?”

“It got ripped off like I was a fly. It should regrow.”

Lory looked at her stitches and the paste smeared on them. “Thanks for patching me up. Where is Haley?”

I shook my head, “The king took her. Most likely to execute her. We need to travel to the capital and get her back. I did not even get time to fire the flare gun.”

Abby slowly got up, “Oh my god, what happened?”

I sighed, “You kind of got your ass whooped. They knew what you were, and how to stop you.”

Abby looked at black blood pouring out of her wounds. “I am sorry, I have failed you Steve.”

I shook my head, “Don’t, we could not have done anything to stop him. We need to lick our wounds, wait for the sun to rise and then chase them to the capital. It is probably best if we get there in time before Haley gets executed.”

Abby grunted, “that Lance guy, he was the king’s son?”

I nodded, “And Haley killed him.”

Lory looked at me, “What, she killed someone?”

“Yeah, I was going to tell you once people had gone to sleep, I promised Haley I would talk to you about it in private, right now, I don't have another choice. I am also sorry, I could not bring myself to let out that liar in my head.”

Funk grunted and got up, “Damn, that hurt a lot. Where is Haley?”

I slowly got up and walked away, Lory called out, “Where are you going Steve?”

I sighed, “I am going to clear my head.” I walked over to the river and removed myself as far as possible from the others. With a deep sigh, I sat down and closed my eyes. With a few deep sighs, I found myself in my white space. I walked over to Captain, he was now wearing jeans with a shirt and a black blazer. “Captain?”

“Steve? What went wrong? That Brent guy totally whooped your ass! Where is Haley?”

I groaned, “Are you actually worried?”

He punched the mirror, “Off course I am. They took Haley, the time for messing around is over. Look, I am not going to push you to let me out, I am not even going to ask for that, you need to take some of my power, and start chasing them!”

“Perhaps, but first Captain, you need to tell me some things.”

He nodded, “Fine, ask away, if possible, I will answer.”

I put my hand on the mirror, “How can you have my memories, but I don’t have yours?”

Captain nodded, “I can answer that,” he pointed at Agent S, “You have been him. You even have some traits left from him, and me.” Energy lines appeared and most of them were directed to Captain.

“I see, you are shielding your memories from me.”

Captain nodded, “Yes, I am.” He lifted his shirt and I saw some kind of rune.

I pointed, “What is that?”

Captain sighed, “It is limiting our power, I am only able to use 5% of my power, so are you, we were deemed, too dangerous.”

I gasped, “Just like Alice.”

Captain smiled, “There is no time to fuck around anymore, We need to work together. We can continue fighting once Haley is safe.”

“Alright, we can work together, but you need to tell me your name.” He beckoned me closer. “My name is Captain, that is the name I got when I was programmed. Your feelings, are my feelings, even if we are two different people.” He put his hand on the mirror and I did the same, red energy poured into me and most of my wounds were healed. My wing did not grow back. Captain looked at me, “That is going to take some time. Now get out there, and grab that bull by his horns.”

I nodded and left through a portal, waking me up. I got up and walked to the camp. “Funk?”

“Yes?”

“Get the fuck up and pack up.”

“Abby?”

“Yes?”

“Cleanse your wounds and pack up.”

“Lory?”

“Yes?”

“Make sure you are ready to travel and get ready.” They all looked at me. “No, I don’t have a long inspirational speech.” I spawned a red blade, “I have a temporary truce to get Haley back, and I plan to use it, I cannot do this without any of you, are you with me?”

Funk got up, “I will follow you to the end of the world.”

Abby got up, “I am slowly healing, you have my back.”

Lory got up, “You don’t even have to ask Steve, I always have your back, and we all need to work together to save Haley.”