Leland waited for the finishing blow, but it never came.

A muffled voice yelled repeatedly, gradually becoming clearer. It was Staress.

“Time's up! The five minutes are over!”

Volengi froze like a mannequin, face completely distraught, eyes wide with shock. His fist hung high in the air, glowing a burning orange. The suspended attack would have annihilated anything in its path. Surely.

The beast slowly stood up and looked at Staress, then back at Leland, then back to the sky. During painful silence, Leland held his breath, unsure of what the alien was going to do next. If it decided to not honour the battle, they were all screwed.

*BOOM!*

Volengi rocketed off the ground with a monstrous jump, violently shaking the terrain. Leland let out a sigh of relief. He sat upright and took off his mask caked in blood and dead skin.

“Little Lee!” Staress ran towards him with beaming eyes. She reached to grab his shoulder, but Leland was quick to slap her arm away.

“B-back off!” he snapped, before choking on his own blood. Staress took a step back. “Don’t c-contact me again u-unless your new a-album is coming out, or you’re giving me tickets to one of your concerts, o-or you’re giving me f-free album merchandise. I’m done. You’re done. We’re done.”

“I’m sorry, Lee. Something like this won’t happen…”

Leland tuned out her words as he spiraled back into a fit of coughs. From now on, no matter what, he was going to ignore her. On the superhero timetable that she had given him, the superhero mission was the last task, so this was the end.

It had to be the end.

Because Leland couldn’t face another monster like that again.

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The next few days were surprisingly tame, at least compared to previous events. No one was forcing him into duels or sending him to foreign alien planets but, like most humans, challenges, doubts and worries still plagued Leland’s life. He had started writing his personal statement, a necessary document for the university application process.

He still considered studying medicine. Regardless of the doubts, it was still a possibility. Getting the grades wasn’t a problem, but then there was the interview process, which Leland ranked higher than presentations on the anxiety scale. Interviews had stakes, and one bad stutter could potentially annihilate the coherency of an answer.

But maybe… just maybe it was the perfect challenge.

Any chance Leland got, he used his omni ability, granting himself over one hundred abilities, ranging from super strength to stretchy arms to lasers blasting out of his eyes. His motivation stemmed purely from curiosity. He didn’t intend to use most of the abilities, but it felt like a crime to not experiment and find out what was possible.

In the thick of all the academic concerns and speaking practice, Leland’s doorbell rang one random Friday evening. He rushed downstairs, hoping they were his new headphones— he’d accidently broken his previous ones due to superhuman grip— but instead a familiar, ominous, beautiful smile awaited him.

“What’s up, Lee?” Staress said, smoothly removing her sunglasses. She wore a pair of high-waisted skinny jeans with a simple white t-shirt tucked in. A gray cardigan was draped over her shoulders, and a pair of white sneakers completed the outfit. Just as Leland was contemplating whether to slam the door in her face, she spoke hastily.

“Wait, wait. Don’t slam the door in my face. Please. I came here to make it up to you.”

“N-new a-album?” Leland asked.

“No, but—”

Leland began closing the door.

“Chess!”

Leland froze. “W-what about it?”

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“You love chess. I love chess too. In fact, if you remember season 2, episode 4 of the Staress Show, I faced off against a grandmaster. Let’s play a game! Come on, it will be fun.”

Leland studied Staress intently, eyes squinted. “N-no saving the world?”

“No saving the world,” Staress repeated with a serious expression.

“No g-getting my ass beat?”

“Not physically. I promise.”

Leland tried to keep a straight face but found himself grinning. “O-okay, let’s play!”

----------------------------------------

Immediately, Leland could tell he was playing against a monster. Staress was nothing like Maggie. She was strategic and ruthless, not afraid to sacrifice pieces to get what she wanted, and took very little time before making a move. Leland, on the other hand, liked to play at his own pace. They were neck and neck from the beginning, seemingly evenly matched, but Leland knew all too well that one mistake could change everything dramatically.

Throughout the game, Leland couldn’t stop grinning like a goofball. The reality of the situation was nuts. He was playing chess with Staress in his living room? Just thinking about it gave him a little buzz.

Surprisingly, Staress didn't talk much, only occasionally giving him a competitive look that seemed to convey the message, 'Oh, so that's how it is?' Silence enveloped them while they methodically destroyed their opposing army, culminating to a climax of each player having seven pieces, and both of them losing their queens.

“Check,” Leland said.

Staress bit her lip. They played some more.

“Check,” Staress said.

Leland exhaled, heart racing. He made a move, then she quickly made a move.

“Why do you like the pawn so much?” Staress asked suddenly.

“Hm?” Leland looked up, broken out of deep thought. “W-what makes you say that?”

“The torso of your super suit had a pawn.”

“Oh. I d-didn’t decide that.”

“Ah, but you did. The suit was designed by analysing both conscious and subconscious parts of your brain. You may not be aware of it, but there’s something about the pawn that resonates with you.”

Leland leaned backwards, hands pressing into the soft carpet. He analysed the chessboard and smiled slightly.

He knew the answer.

“If you think… a-about it, every piece is like a prisoner in its own cell. The q-queen can't break free and leap like a knight, the knight can't slide and sneak like a bishop, and so on. But the pawn still has a chance for autonomy. W-with some hard work and a bit of luck, that little guy can break free from its c-chains through promotion.”

“I don’t get it,” Staress replied. “It still lacks freedom. It’s not like it can be promoted to an all moving piece or jump off the chessboard.”

Leland triggered a tingling sensation around his body, opening the invisible door.

“True. But at least the pawn is given the choice to be different. To become whatever piece it wants to be. Checkmate, my friend.”

Staress dramatically clutched her chest as if Leland had shot her with an arrow. “That’s an interesting answer. Good game.”

The words were said pleasantly, but Leland could see the frustration on her face. He chuckled.

“Why are you laughing?” Staress snapped.

“For someone who can see f-fragments of the future, I’m surprised you didn’t see your downfall. B-better luck next time.”

“I didn’t lose. We were playing first to three. It’s not over yet.”

Leland laughed once more. “We didn’t agree on that.”

“No, we did,” Staress lied. “What? Are you not feeling well?” Her face was dead serious, an oscar worthy performance.

“Do you gaslight e-everyone you lose to?”

“I don’t lose, so I wouldn’t know.”

“Was the game a-against the grandmaster staged?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, you b-beat him, and I’m n-not at grandmaster level.”

“What, no!” Staress said, clearly offended by the question. “I’m rusty, and you’re a good player. You’re much better than you think, Lee.”

Leland looked away. He wondered if she was only talking about chess.

“Let’s have dinner,” Staress continued. “I know a good Chinese place.”

Before Leland could protest, they both fell through a portal onto leather padded seats. Staress sat next to him. Cadell sat opposite him. The restaurant was completely empty.

“W-Why are you here?” Leland asked.

Cadell folded his arms and leaned back in his chair, looking at Staress. “Yeah. That's a good question. Why are we really here?”

“W-whatever you’re p-planning, I don’t want any part of it,” Leland said.

“Hear me out,” Staress said calmly. “Lee, I apologize for making you go through the duel. However, you were the only one who could have done it, and we both know you wouldn't have come if you knew what it was. I’d prefer keeping things a surprise rather than flat out deceiving you. The truth can be devastating and most people don't want it even when they say they want it. It can cause emotional turmoil, and even make you wonder if you’re just a fictional character talking halfway through a book.”

“What?” Cadell and Leland said simultaneously.

“I will try my best to avoid lying,” Staress continued. “But I will never tell you truths I think you can’t bear.”

Cadell propped one elbow on the table, pressing a fist against his temple. “Yeah, yeah, nice speech, but let’s not pretend you brought us here just to—”

Volengi teleported beside him and casually took a seat.

“And there we go,” Cadell said, sighing.