---

A puff of air shot through Rachel’s nose as she glanced between Scarlet and Fiona, both giving her a similar look.  “Do either of you know about the legend of Calamity Jane?”

“Nope,” Scarlet shrugged.

Fiona’s fingers combed through her glowing green locks.  “I’m not American, so I’ve got no clue.”

Grace put on a cute smile, her cowboy hat a little off-center which shifted her dark brown hair to cover a bit of her left eye.  “Heh, umm … I kind of just stumbled onto something sticky—can I tell ya, ya know, my side … I know this is Cuba, and all, but there’s gotta be some kind of thing for trippin’ on some war as a U.S. citizen, right?  I was—umm, I wasn’t told about any of this stuff, and I’m not exactly…”

Scarlet groaned.  “Shh!  Just be quiet until we ask you something.”

“Ack!”  Grace winced as the blood tightened across her body.  “G-Got it, Boss … Shutting up, now…”

Fiona floated closer to Scarlet, watching Benedict return to the others to inform them that they had the prisoner under control.  “What should we do?  This really is a…”  Her emerald-gradient eyes shifted to the cowgirl, giving them a stressed smile.  “Yeah, this is a really sticky situation … Benedict said Araceli’s going to lose her mind when she learns Máximo died.”

Rachel scratched the base of her ear with agitation; none of this was supposed to happen, but this is what you get in war—the issue was that she couldn’t detect any lies or even a threat from Grace.

The carnage across the underground field was beginning to release the scent of death, blood and guts permeating the air of the closed-in space.  Huddled around a Máximo were his lieutenants, mourning the loss of their leader and comrade.

Araceli was still blissfully unaware of the horror below; Liliana’s feed to the battle had been cut when the eye below was torn apart; the woman was worried, but seemed to have faith in her people.  Luis was still passed out while Freddy analyzed the work around the hole, mumbling to himself about improvements.

“Ahem!”  Nia’s tone was a bit jarring to Rachel; it hovered between pre-teen and teen, which described her personality to a T.  “The Secret Society demands blood for blood!  She shot you, Rachel—y-you could have died, and … and then who would be Lunar Abyss … You can’t die on me!”

Heh … I’m fine, Nia; it’s only a flesh wound, literally.

“It almost went entirely inside you!  I know!  You can’t tell me that!”

It was surprising, yes, and means she’s strong enough to cut my hair—that was also a burst shot.  I think she has a much stronger attack if she’s able to fire while not mid-flight and firing off bullets everywhere.

“Exactly!  To the executioner’s block!  Off with her head!”

Shh … deep breaths … Are you breathing?

“I don’t … I don’t wanna!”

Breathe…

“... Mmmghgh … okay … I’m doing it … can we kill her now?  No … No, we need to call Maria!  Maria needs to heal you!”

Nia!

“I … I’m just worried, Rachel!”

I know, but I’m fine.  This is the first time something has really penetrated your barrier; we did good at dodging and utilizing your stuff against those turtle-slugs … They were ugly, remember?

“Y-Yeah … I mean, but … but what do the ugly slug-turtles have to do with … You’re still bleeding!”

Head drooping for a moment as her hands gripped her hips, Rachel sighed.

“You okay?”  Scarlet asked, eyeing the thick white blood slowly pumping out of her shoulder.

“Fine … Nia’s just worried.”

“Quit acting tough and call for help!”  Nia pleaded.

“I’m kind of worried, too,” Fiona whispered, floating over to look at the bullet hole.

Grace’s lips were pulled in, soft features creased with worry as she glanced between them, summoning up the courage to interrupt.  “... You … kind of jumped in the way of … shutting up…”  she squeaked at Scarlet’s threatening glare.

“I’m fine, Nia … See, I’m as good as healed,” she mumbled, walking to the nearby wagon and extracting a white towel from the back; it appeared to be from some kind of hotel, and there were multiple supplies like food and water inside.  I told you, she hasn’t lied.

“That you can detect!  Who knows what magical gobbledigook she has in those deceptive blue eyes!  She’s a fiend in the skin of a cute girl!  Don’t let her bewitch you!”

Oh, my … I’m not being bewitched, Nia.  She was literally defending herself after Edelira and Isabel tried killing her several times.

“I’ll never forgive her!”  Nia cried.

“Rachel?”  Fiona pressed, floating closer.

“I’m thinking … Nia’s just distracting me—but she cares, and I appreciate it,” Rachel sighed as Nia pulled back her underwear and smacked her butt.

“H-How could you!  I’m … no, you’re already hurt, and … and, I’m so sorry!”

Nia … I love you, but calm down.  I need a clear head, and I am fine; I’ve handled much worse.

“W-Worse than this?!  I don’t know if my little gem heart can take anymore…”

The soft tears of her little outfit, weeping into her mind caused Rachel’s ear to twitch with the quivering of her earring.

… Nia … you’re amazing, and you protected me.  Think about it, if I didn’t have you, then it might have blown right through my arm.

“... Oh … Oh, so … so I did good?”

Perfect.  You’re my little awesome, overemotional best bud, ‘Your Excellency’ … Well, we can’t exclude the Scarlet Abyss, either.  Right?

Nia sniffed.  “T-Thank you, Rachel … Oh, wow!  Scarlet Abyss!  Yes, I like that … You’re really not in danger?”

Not with you covering my ass … pretty big, huh?  Look at all that work you did, and that big attack only got that far?  Pfft, good luck, anything else, right?  Nia’s on the case.

“Y-Yeah!  I’ve got your big ass covered!”

You go, girl.

The Las Tunas crew were still whispering to one another in Spanish, trying to understand what happened.  Edelira and Isabel were sending vicious looks their way, talking to Ernesto, the Dragonewt.

Al’s massive water buffalo hand was covering the chunk of flesh in his arm that Grace’s bullet ripped through, sticky blood slowly leaking between his fingers.

Jhosep clutched his stomach; a piece of his armor had been ripped through.  The elderly man’s wound was worse than it looked, but their healer, Luis, should have more than enough time to repair it before it became life-threatening.

I knew they weren’t ready for a real battle … Not with the other group talking about Grace as their secret weapon.  Rachel pressed harder against her wound, feeling the pain with a small smile.  … If I didn’t have you, Nia, it could have definitely been worse.

“Shut up… You wouldn’t have gotten in the way of the bullet if I wasn’t here…”

Rachel tilted her head with a silent chuckle.  Surprisingly preceptive, Nia … You got me there.

“I’m super smart … Thanks … you know, for believing in me.”

 Always.  Her focus moved to the nervous cowgirl before she shook her head; there was a smile on her lips, but she seemed like the kind of person that would laugh to feel better in a bad situation.  She is a Legendkin, which means we can’t let our guard down.

Jutting her head toward Al, Benedict, and Ernesto, Rachel whispered to her group, “They probably have enhanced hearing like ours, and in this tunnel … it’s hard not to be heard.  I can hear something far in the distance … somewhere between 45 and 60 miles.”

Fiona whistled, rising a bit to stare down the seemingly infinite tunnel.  “Does it really go that far?”

Rachel shrugged, adjusting the rag.  “I can’t say for sure because I’ve never gauged distance in a pipe, but that’s my best guess.”

“What should we do with her?”  Scarlet asked, one of her fangs poking through her lips in a thoughtful manner that looked sinister, even if the girl wasn’t trying to be.

Her gaze centered on the rough walls that had some kind of hardening agent sprayed over them; they’d created this over the past 24-hours.  “We need to call Tom … Another force is on its way, and we need to figure out how the Las Tunas group will respond.  About Grace?  We need to learn more about her Legend, but … I can’t detect any lies in her voice or heartbeat.  We’d need Maria here to be sure about anything, though.”

A few tears slid down Grace’s cheeks, drawing in a shuddering breath as best she could with Scarlet’s tight grip.  “I—I was just told…”

She trailed off as Isabel and Edelira came storming over; Jhosep was making his way to Alberto with Ernesto to cover his missing face.  Al stayed by Máximo’s side, but he’d removed his red-stained shirt to hide their former leader’s blown-off head.

Isabel’s voice increased.  “Who’s side are you on … Because that whore just killed Máximo and Alberto!”

Rachel held up her hand.  “Calm down, Isabel, Edelira; we need a cool head.”

When they didn’t slow, faces growing flushed with anger as Isabel transformed into a gun, Fiona generated a Wind Wall between them to keep the pair at a distance.

Edelira’s voice was just as upset as her twins.  “Y-You three showed up at a really convenient time!”

Rachel sighed as Gisele swiftly joined them below ground, flapping in a wide circle to hover nearby the twins, charged beam lighting at her beak; Hayan, Coral, and Rose were jumping in to get in on the action, too.

“Stop, Gisele,” Rachel ordered, causing the bird to aim the blast across the moon laser across the ground and cause a long line of glowing rock.  “We’re not trying to fight you.”

Edelira held her sister steady, though, aimed at Rachel’s head.

“Why’s everyone and their sisters trying to shoot you?!”  Nia cried.

“Think carefully,” Fiona said, blue mixing into her aura as a shell of ice began to form with a giant icicle.

Scarlet groaned, scratching behind her pointed ears.  “We’re not the enemies here!”

Benedict noticed as the Rabbit Gang came bouncing off the walls to surround the twins, suddenly looking a lot more sinister than cute, and he shot over to them, holding up his arms.  “Woah!  Woah!  Woah!”  He swapped to Spanish, speaking to his two friends.

“I don’t know, Ben, but to us, it looks like they’re protecting the enemy.”

“... I can just go … disappear…”  Grace’s soft voice came trembling out, bringing everyone’s hard eyes, causing the trapped girl to shut her lips.

“Shut up!”  Edelira yelled.

Scarlet’s expression soon softened as she studied Grace, her eyes filling with pity as she recognised a similar soul.  “... She’s terrified, Rachel … She doesn’t want to fight us.”

“Pfft, right,” Edelira scoffed, “and you can just sense that because you’re what, a vampire?”

“Yeah, she can,” Fiona shot back, causing Benedict to give them a pleading look.

Scarlet winked.  “Actually, no, taste would be a more accurate word—he-he-he, one of the better flavors if I’m honest.”

“C’mon, girls … We can work this out.”

Al’s deep voice echoed through the tunnels.  “Stand down … We should listen.”  His dark brown eyes lifted to observe the evolving situation.  “A confrontation with those three is not wise.”

“That’s what I’m saying!”  Benedict moaned.

Liquid started to form in Edelira’s eyes, and her hand began to shake, but it was the gun itself causing it.  “W-We know, but … but I have Alb … I have Alberto’s brain—splattered across my face … Máximo is dead … Everything’s falling apart.”

Rachel cleared her throat, walking forward.  “... Drop the barrier, Fiona … Look, this doesn’t have to fall apart.  Let’s go up, call General Dallas, and work through this…”  Thinking better about her word choice, she said, “this tragedy … I can only imagine Araceli’s thoughts … she will not wish to comply, but Grace can provide us with much-needed information, at the very least.”

Her head tilted to the opening, further back.  “Araceli is coming down right now—she’s heard the shouts, gunfire, and spells have ceased, and with Liliana’s eye no longer feeding her an update on the fight, she’s growing worried.  Who would be the best one to be with her when she finds out?”

Al nodded.  “Thank you, I’ll be with her.”

Rachel jogged back and took two more towels from the back, returning to toss them to the Beastkin.  “For you and Jhosep … It’s worse than he’ll say.”

“... I appreciate it,” Al mumbled, grabbing them with his good arm and applying pressure with one.  The Crusader was performing some kind of religious right over Alberto’s corpse.

Next, Rachel turned to the four that were left in the tunnel with them.  “Right … Who would be put in command after Máximo?”

Benedict and Edelira turned to Ernesto, and after a second, she tossed the gun to her left, which transformed back into Isabel.  The younger sister’s trembling arms pressed against her core, her voice shaky.  “... Ernesto … It would have to be Ernesto.”

A grimace passed across the Dragonewt’s face.  “I … I get it, Isabel, but … I’m not fit for that kind of position…”

“Nonsense,” Rachel bluntly stated, walking forward to stare into his doubting eyes while keeping pressure on her wound.  “Someone must take control—this is no time to be modest or frightened of responsibility.  If the majority of your people will follow you, then take the reins and lead them.”

A shiver ran down the man’s frame, arms crossing to stop the quakes from spreading; he breathed in and released a slow hiss, turning back to see Areceli squinting into the dimly lit underground, only lit by several oil lamps and a single battery-powered flashlight.

“Máximo?  Where are you … Is everything over?  It smells horrid,” she suppressed a gag with a cough.

Ernesto’s head slowly bobbed up and down.  “I … understand.  We’ll return and talk this over … It’s just a lot to take in.”

Al met with Araceli, holding out a hand to guide her down the steep decline of loose soil and broken concrete.  “Here … Araceli…”

“My god … Al, you’re—you’re hurt?”

“Please, Araceli…”  he whispered in a soft tone, trying to tell her there was horrible news and to brace herself.

“What?  Is … Is Máximo injured, too?  Was it those Americans?  I knew they couldn’t be trusted…”  she swapped to Spanish, probably cursing them out by her tone, but her voice soon catches in her throat, asking a few probing questions.

Rachel’s head lowered as she heard every muscle in Araceli’s chest convulse, lungs releasing haggard breaths, and Rachel turned her glowing clover-eyes to Grace.  “Honesty is the best policy from here onward … We’re the only thing standing between you and execution.”

Grace was having a bit of difficulty getting her words out, sounding a little breathless as Scarlet’s constricting blood flowed across her body.  “I—I’ll do whatever … whatever you say…”  Her cheeks were already flushed with strain and shiny with tears.  “I just was … was here for a good time … n-not this.”

Isabel shot her a dirty glare.  “What, not having a good time?”

“Eh-heh … umm … having my boobs forced into—into my ribs is not a fun time … I—I’d normally enjoy a good shootout, but … not when I have no clue what—what I’m fighting for…”  The twins’ hard eyes caused her to wince with a nervous giggle.  “Oof … tough crowd … sorry … sorry, I just make jokes when scared…”

Scarlet scratched the back of her head, features growing more concerned as the events went on, and the sudden cries of Araceli as Al guided her to Máximo’s corpse didn’t help.  “Hey … I’m squeezing because you’re pretty strong and struggling…”

“H-How can I not?  I’m a compressed … orange here … Heh, it’s like you’re tryin’ to squeeze milk outta me, vampy … And could ya let up on … on other areas, too … Gah, worse than a Spanish Horse, if ya catch my … my meaning…”

“Fine, fine,” Scarlet groaned, pushing back her hair with a light blush.  “I’m going to let up a bit; get comfortable, and my blood will form around your skin—Promise not to run away with your horse … Rachel?”

Rachel nodded.  “I think she knows she can’t escape us at this point.”

“Totally … wow … you don’t appreciate air until it’s stripped from ya; y’all know?”  she chuckled as Scarlet allowed her blood to be somewhat movable for her to resituate herself.  Her horse vanished in red light, causing the twins to give her a sharp look.  “Jim just needs some rest,” Grace assured, “don’t need to be cruel to animals, heh, PETA, and all.”

“Just get comfortable,” Fiona whispered.

Scarlet smiled.  “Oh?  Not going to summon … Jim is his name?  Not going to summon Jim and teleport to him and run away?”

“No!  No!  No!  I saw you three just teleport down here in the blink of an eye; I know when I’m outclassed, y’all, and I’m good to sit in my blood prison … grossed out a bit, but I’m good and snuggly … Thanks for avoiding … ahem … delicate places,” she chuckled forcefully.

Edelira releasing a low growl.  “... Why?  She should be as uncomfortable as possible.”

“Decency, maybe?”  Fiona returned.  “We need to discuss what happened.”

“Please…”  Benedict whispered, giving the girls a pleading gesture; Rachel was more focused on Scarlet, impressed that the girl thought about Grace teleporting away on her horse.

Al seemed to be slowly explaining what happened to Máximo as Araceli collapsed to the floor, looking at Al’s soaked bloody shirt that covered the shapeless lump of where Máximo’s head should have been.  Her trembling fingers reached over to flinch once touching the man’s hand.

Rachel walked between the two groups and stared at the twins.  “Who attacked who first … Grace or the two of you, Edelira, Isabel?”  she asked, pointing at her ears.  “I know who.”

Isabel’s face contorted with rage, shouts drawing the others’ eyes.  “What are you … Are you saying Alberto and Máximo’s deaths are on our heads?”

Araceli’s pained face slowly hardened, looking up at the two groups facing each other.  “Who killed him, Al … Was it that girl?”

Al’s lips tightened.  “It seems so … We should regroup, Araceli—discuss what our next move should be.”

The black-haired woman’s tone turned to ice as she smoothly lifted to her feet.  “Isn’t it obvious, Al … We kill the people who did this to Máximo…”  They swapped to Spanish soon after, Araceli’s sharp brown eyes fixating on Grace.

Rachel could guess what was being said, and trying to dissuade the woman would be pointless; one side would have to budge.  However, a few points of issue instantly came to her mind when it came to the Legendkin.

Araceli didn’t seem to like Al’s answer, which pulled in Benedict, Ernesto, and the twins.  Jhosep made a few heated comments, still beside Alberto, tears on his cheeks but seeming to be in control; his statement made a few of them look away, but Araceli’s cold gaze didn’t flinch.

As they worked things out with the woman, Rachel turned to look down the seemingly infinite tunnel, whispering, “Fiona, which major towns are to the north, in the Camagüey Province?”

Fiona frowns, thinking about it real fast.  “I can’t be sure unless we go back up and get the map … it started with a P, I’m sure…”

Grace situated her legs to be crossed, in a sitting position on Scarlet’s blood, hands on her thighs.  “Umm, Playa-sounding,” she whispered as softly as she could.

Fiona’s eyes widened.  “Yeah, eh … Playa Santa Lucia, I think.”

Grace silently nodded, lips pulled in; her cheeks were still wet with tears and a little flushed after Scarlet’s blood-soaked through her clothes to form around her skin for a tighter fit.

Scarlet gave her a sad smile.  “Sorry, but … You’re too talkative.  Thanks, though.”

The blood snaked up her neck to close around Grace’s mouth, causing the young woman’s ocean-blue eyes to droop in sadness.

Ernesto made his way to Rachel, looking troubled.  “Al is bringing Máximo up … Jhosep will carry Alberto.  Are you bringing the prisoner?”

Rachel noticed the heated eyes directed at them.

“They want your butt,” Nia mumbled.

She resisted a smile.  Who doesn’t?

“Heh!  Oh!  Wait … Wait, I know … I know this one … gah … I don’t…”  Nia finally mumbled in defeat.  “What’s it mean?  Scarlet would laugh, but why?”

Rachel laughed in her heart.  Don’t think about it … It’s crude.

“Dirty rabbit minds.”

I’m not a rabbit!

“Says the dirty rabbit mind!  I win!  You lose!”

Rachel didn’t know why, but boosting the girl’s ego was like Lunar Pride’s kryptonite, or maybe it was just because she didn’t take the girl that seriously—it helped release the stress, though, instead of being forced to use Emotional Detachment.

“Nia’s the champ!  Let me hear it!”

Nia’s the champ… 

“Yes, Ma’am, I am!”

Not a ma’am yet… 

“Mhm.  Oldie butt.”

Shaking her head with a wry smile, Rachel motioned to Scarlet.  “Yeah, sorry, I hear a lot with my ears—I’m tracking the next two attack groups, and they’ll make it to a settlement in about forty minutes.”

Ernesto’s brow furrowed, likely recalling the previous image Liliana showed him.  “We cleared out that area.”

“No, a few returned on their own, unable to give up their possessions.”

The man groaned, rubbing the back of his neck while glancing back at the others preparing to move the corpses.  “I see … Should we be concerned?  Araceli doesn't believe you’re really with the U.S. Government … Do you have proof that can convince the others?”

Rachel’s short chuckle put a frown on the man.  “We could call U.S. troops into your province within thirty minutes or less, bringing food, medical supplies, and clean water for the hundreds of thousands of Cubans that need it.  This could be our Forward Post for this operation to take Cuba back from the warlords and give it to its people … Would that be enough proof?”

Ernesto hesitated at her confident and specific response.  “... Alright … Just know that they’ll question you.”

“Let’s not waste time,” Rachel replied, motioning for the others to follow her back through the carnage.

Scarlet held out her finger, drawing everyone’s eye as she gathered the blood of the carnage in the death circle Fiona and her created, creating a small ball out of it before popping it into her mouth.  She gave Grace a bright smile, licking her lips.  “... Mmh, so good … I hope you don’t try to run.”

Benedict shivered with Edelira and Isabel, following Al and a severely disgruntled Jhosep up the ramp.  Araceli didn’t bat an eyelash, but Grace seemed to get the message because she swiftly shook her head, mouth still gagged.

“Just know I can cut you to ribbons before someone could snap their fingers, so let’s be friendly,” Scarlet chimed.  “Eh-he-he-he … ‘cause, I’d rather not turn you into a drink at this point.”

Fiona hovered closer to Scarlet, hands on her hips.  “Couldn’t you teleport everyone back—not that I like those creepy portals,” she grumbled.

“Creepy … C’mon, Fiona … there not that bad,” Scarlet mumbled.

“No,” Rachel shook her head, gesturing for Ernesto to keep going as he hesitated, “we need to defuse the situation and move forward; that … process could be taken a lot of different ways.”

“You, too … aww….”  Scarlet’s head drooped.

Araceli continued to whisper to Al in Spanish as they struggled up the unstable ramp; the water buffalo Beastkin was having to support the woman, carry Máximo’s body, and cradle his damaged arm.

Benedict flew between the twins as they slowly followed, glaring at the floor.  “Chill a little…”  he swapped to Spanish, too, but Edelira and Isabel appeared to have calmed down a little, but they were still wary, judging by their tense muscles.

Jhosep was having difficulty carrying Alberto up the ramp himself with his injuries.

“Is he okay?”  Fiona whispered.  “I can just, you know, levitate him up.”

Ernesto walked beside Rachel, Fiona, Scarlet, and Grace, floating behind them.  “No … He was close to Alberto; they’ve been best friends since Alberto was young.”

Fiona’s wings drooped a little.  “Ah, okay…”

Grace seemed affected by the news, too, gaze falling to the dirt as Scarlet looked at her.  “Oh ... She’s … really sad it turned out like this—regrets it, even.”

Rachel outwardly ignored the statement, but Scarlet was building a solid case against executing the girl; she appeared to have just been an overly adventurous young woman that had gotten caught up in the wrong thing and defended herself to the detriment of others.

Ernesto ignored it, too, focusing on Rachel.  “I have to ask, but … what are you planning to do?”

Her tone was blunt and without sugar.  “I honestly couldn’t care less for Cuba, Ernesto.  My friends and I are only here because the government contracted us to be a preemptive unit to assess the situation, and it fits into our relationship with the U.S. government.  We are here to provide a quick-acting force based upon the information we’ve gathered.”

The man’s face creased, lips tucking under as she continued.

“In short, it is not up to me but to General Dallas how we will respond.  However, I do not see that your people have many choices in the matter.  You’re dangerously low on drinkable water, severely outclassed by your opposition, it seems, will run out of food in a week, and your people are dying or sick, and without proper supplies … If you don’t take what the U.S. is offering, then how much hope does your vision of Cuba, much less this province have?”

 Grace’s eyes widened the moment she heard they were really with the U.S. government, muscles relaxing a little as she released a slow breath of relief; true enough, General Dallas would likely be very much against executing a 20-year-old U.S. civilian girl.

“I … I understand what you’re saying, Rachel … I know it’s serious, and I’ll take it into consideration.  It’s just … we’ve been tricked by various groups over the past three weeks … Pirates offering supplies and taking the money and leaving … It’s just hard to trust outsiders.”

Rachel smirked.  “Humph, it’s hard to deny the U.S. Air Force fleets flying over your airspace or lines of military vehicles caravans rolling through your towns … It’s the United States military, not a small parade of 1970s old Soviet Union trucks with ancient technology on them … but I understand the intentions itself would be worrying.”

She gave him a side-long look.  “You’re not blindly rushing into it and are trying to protect your people—you’re trying not to be stupid, and I get you’re in the worst spot to be in as everyone looks to you to take control.  Keep your senses sharp and judge General Dallas’s response for yourself.”

He gave her a thankful smile and nodded.  “Even if you aren’t doing this for us … You saved us.”

“I want to help the Cuban people,” Fiona chimed, and Scarlet soon followed, “Mhm!  Those other guys are bullies!”

The others weren’t so keen on their conversation but kept their silence on the way up to Máximo’s old office.  Fiona picked up a sleeping Luis on the way, and Freddy quickly went to Jhosep’s side, speaking in Spanish to understand the situation.

Lilian’s remaining creepy eye hovered between them, observing; Araceli and Al reached the office first with the blood-soaked shirt still over his missing head, dripping crimson drops across the tile floors as they walked.

They drew crowds of nervous and frightened men and women along their path, whispering to one another about the sight of bodies; they’d been told by Araceli and Freddy that everything was fine when they heard the explosion, but this didn’t look ‘fine.’

Araceli snapped for the door to be shut once everyone entered, still holding Máximo’s limp hand, and Juan closed it; Liliana explained to him what happened before they arrived.

Rachel took the radio from the table and turned it on, calling Tom; static cracked across the connection.

“Yes … What is it, Rachel?”

She gave a solemn look at the somber or furious faces of the lieutenants around the room, clearing her throat, she chose her words carefully.  “... Máximo is dead.”

He didn’t respond right away, but a long drawn-in breath fed through the speaker as he started to think; Maria, on the other hand, was as vocal as ever.

“Damn—shit got real, eh?  Well, this blows.”

“How it be changin’ the deal?”  Cahira mumbled, likely scratching her red hair by the sound of her tone.

There was a pause as Tom seemed to wave for them to quiet down.  “... Give me a full report.”

Isabel heatedly spoke up before Rachel.  “An American cowgirl shot his head off!”

“Izzy,” Ernesto and Benedict sighed, before Ernesto continued, “please, let them speak.”

The twins mirrored each other, scowling and posting up near the corner; Araceli sat in Máximo’s chair, face cold as stone, but her white fingers were shaking in the dead man’s hand.

Rachel waited for a moment.  “Are you done?  If this keeps up, we won’t get anywhere, and there are more people at risk at this moment.”  They diverted their eyes.  “Right … General, we need information on The Legend of Calamity Jane.  A young woman named Grace Alexander, a Legendkin, has claimed to be a U.S. citizen and had no prior knowledge about any uprisings in Cuba.  I can’t detect any lies from her, but we’d need Maria here to be sure.”

“Pfft, ya think?”  Maria huffed, clearly a bit annoyed now.  “What did I tell ya, Liebre Lunar!  What did I tell ya?!  No, leave ol’ Maria on the ship to … Fine, fine,” she grumbled, “but what did a chica say?”

“We weren’t wrong, Maria … You know why.”

“Humph … got me benched and shit—I ain’t ever been benched in my life…”

“At least ya got pretty men ta look at,” Cahira chimed.  “Yo … aye, get in here…”

“I don’t need to look at that,” Maria groaned.

The lieutenants were giving her strange looks, and even Gisele had a questioning tilt to her head, perching on the back of a chair.

Tom loudly cleared his throat.  “Ahem, girls, please, we are on a mission … Rachel; I’m looking at the Wiki page right now … In short, Calamity Jane is a well-known frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and raconteur.”

Fiona’s brow pulled together with the others.  “A what?”  the Fairy whispered, and Scarlet shook her head with a shrug.

“A storyteller with the taste to embellish the tale,” Rachel replied.

“Well shit,” Maria huffed, “what are ya talkin’ about?  Ya, basically just put the whole rap scene, hoodrat, and thug life in the ring … Everyone hypes up their own shit.”

Tom bypassed the comment.  “Historically, Calamity Jane was seen as a bit of a daredevil and a degenerate—even a con artist, but she’s noted for her compassion to others and taking care of the sick and needy.”

Fiona snickered.  “Eh … So she’s just Maria?!”

“¿Verdadero?  ¡El infierno, Hada!”

[i.e., For real?  The hell, Fairy/Fiona!]

“I’ll listen to her,” Tom continued.  “Put her on … Clay is bringing up her civilian records now—he had a little trouble narrowing it down, but with the details you provided, it gave him enough clues.”

The others coldly listened in silence as Scarlet removed Grace’s gag; she coughed, giving the Reaper a forced smile.  “Eh … Thanks for being more delicate with me; I may be a cowgirl, but, heh, it don’t mean I like it that rough, ‘cause this stuff’s got a grip!”

Scarlet glanced away with a slight frown and small blush as some of her blood returned to her body.  “Can you just quit it with the jokes?”

“He-he-he, I’m just nervous!  Umm … yeah, Mr. Dallas, uh, I know what y’all are gonna see on my records, but, umm, well … you see, I’ve kind of been a lone-ranger for a few years now.  Eh … where to start … There was some shady guy at this traveling rodeo I had a gig at … He was goin’ on about these cool cowboy competitions and stuff in Cuba … They had a boat, and so they’d, ya know, bring me there for a week—for a price, of course.”

She took a deep breath before rambling on.  “Heh, yeah, umm … They had a way in, and, boy, I need a drink, Lordie, umm, and with all the stuff goin’ to the bucket with the whole Oscillation thing, by ginger, I needed a break from  all … well, whatever it did to me, and ...  they offered a ton of booze, which I seem to need in hefty quantities, if ya know what I mean … and I’m 19-years-old … Ya see my problem?”

Cahira gasped.  “Lass, I know what ya be goin’ through!  Like …come to Florida, and I’ll floor yer ass in enough rum to drown ya!”

“For real?  Aww-ha-ha-ha … no-oh … You have no idea how good that sounds,” Grace cried.

“Your story?”  Tom pressed.

“Eh … Right, umm … So, I’ve got trouble gettin’ booze without resortin’ to some underhanded methods here—there in the States, so … I was like, what’s the worst that can happen, right?  I get on ol’ Jim, and we head off for these two guys’ boat in Florida somewhere—I don’t know, I’m more of a Western gal, but we make it in good time, Jim’s a fast boy—faster than a locomotive, haha!

“Ya know, not as strong, but … nevermind, umm, aww, I don’t know, it sounded fun and adventurous, and that’s what I’m all about!  So, eh … Jim’s my horse’s name, if ya didn’t know, eh … we found the dudes, and got on the boat—problem was, the ol’ dogs tried to get a bit too touchy-feely across open waters, and,” she clicked her tongue, “ehhh … Yeah, I had to tie ‘em up in the back.”

“Good on ya!”  Cahira chimed.  “Did ye black and blue their balls?”

“I got a few good ol’ kicks in,” Grace snickered, “Who’s this, ‘cause I’m lovin’ ya!”

“The Legend of Grace O’Malley, love!  Cahira, at yer service; ya, got mi legend’s name, lass!”

“You’re not pullin’ my leg?  That’s great!  He-he-he-he, umm … Yeah, so, I didn’t know what was north from south on that blue sea, so … eh, I just crashed wherever I could, ‘cause I don’t know how to run boats.  Good thing Jim can run on water for a bit—Oh, and I brought the two dirty dogs with me.”

Nia gasped.  “She’s so cool!  Okay … I mean, if you can forgive her, I can … I’m just saying…”

Rachel shook her head as the girl continued to plead her case and tell her story; she was sure the cowgirl would be wildly animated had she been able to move.  “I ran out of booze on the trip, too!  They skimped out on the details … only a single keg.”

“The rotten scoundrels,” Cahira huffed.  “Ya never lie about the booze!”

“So, I carried them to shore … Well, dragged them, more like,” she giggled.  “Dropped ‘em off on the beach, and what do ya know, I landed on some paradise!  Clearest waters you ever saw, booze, and parties goin’ on everywhere!  It was paradise for the past two days—I’ve been drinkin’ non-stop.”

Cahira was certainly enthralled by the sound she made.  “Psst, we should take a vacation after this … What do ya say, Maria?”

“Hey, I’m always game,” she mumbled.

Selvaira cheered from the background in her monotone manner, giving the most hyperactive-emotionless shout that Rachel had ever heard, and could practically see her spinning in a swivel chair with her seal.  “Wooh!  Galatea, we get new bathing suits!  Vacation!” she said, with Galatea making cute noises in the background.

“How many girls do you have on your team?”  Benedict mumbled to Fiona.

Fiona thoughtfully lifted her eyebrow.  “Eh … Wow … yeah, a lot, actually, but we got some hot guys, too.”

Rachel had no clue the last part was added as a gut blow by her slight smirk, and it struck.

Grace kept going.  “Ah … Then, some big-shot guy came into the town or somethin’, sayin’ some degenerates were lookin’ to attack the place—They needed help to chase them off.  And so, ya know, I’m about protectin’ the peace and all, doin’ my civil duties … Well, I am in Cuba, but they fed and boozed me out—so, I drunk another glass, and said I’m in!”

She groaned.  “Hours and hours and hours, I’m in this dark, gloomy pit of Satan’s hole, pullin’ a wagon, which, ya know, Jim’s kind of happy about, but I’m not likin’ the conversations.  It’s gettin’ a tad sketchy, but not many are in English, so … Some of them look like straight cartoon villains, heh, ya know what I’m saying?”

“Get to the point,” Isabel growled.

Grace’s expression fell upon shifting to the twins, causing them to stiffen.  “And … there was a big boom, rocks falling, people screaming to kill one another, and I’m in a warzone—I’m just in the back, you know, feelin’ out of place, and missin’ the booze … I unhooked Jim from the cart, and am all … ‘Should I really get involved in this … I mean, really?’”

“You did,” Edelira stated with a snarl.

Araceli hadn’t pulled her eyes from the girl; it didn’t matter what Grace said; she was already sentenced in her mind.

Grace rolled her eyes, puffing air through her cheeks.  “Right … In my mind, I’m thinkin’, if these guys are willing to kill these fellas I’m with, jumpin’ in the hole like demons outta hell, then they might go after all the people back at the city … Ya catch my thoughts?”

Cahira and Maria hummed to one another from the radio speaker.

“I’d be thinkin’ the same,” The Pirate Queen mumbled.

“Me, too,” Selvaria replied.  “I’d smash the hole … Run back and tell them to flee.”

“Not bad,” Maria nodded.  “Seems like a good plan, but I’d tell ‘em to grab their guns and prep to shoot the bastards!”

Grace cleared her throat, still staring at the twins.  “Then the weird gun gals in the back, poppin’ people’s heads turn the barrel on me—I’m just mindin’ my own business, thinking what I should do … One shot, block it with my flash—no problem … Two, three shots … block it with my flash again … Several more … Okay, this is getting annoying, and the two weirdos won’t give my head up … I’m like … stop!  I’m tryin’ to figure out if I should take out my rifle, ‘cause I don’t know what hell-storm I’ve found myself in, and just killin’ random people ain’t my style—but eventually, after like, thirty bullets…”

“Only several,” Edelira mumbled in her defense.

“Yeah!  You’re poppin’-off on me, and after weighing the scales … Over fifty people are gettin’ slaughtered … yeah, whatever … I pull out my rifle and pop back…”

Isabel’s face was bright red.  “You were the enemy!”  she screamed, causing Juan and Liliana to flinch.

“Tch,” Grace spat on her shoes with surprising accuracy.  “I didn’t know who the enemy was; I didn’t even shoot back until ya kept blastin’ me!  How many bullets should I eat before I can defend myself?  Ya were tryin’ to blow my head off, and I’m still here—pfft, what’s that say about y’all’s aim?” 

The twin’s noses twisted to give her an ugly look.

“Cool it with the insults,” Tom stated, the radio drawing everyone’s eye.  “Rachel, is she lying?”

Rachel shook her head with a frustrated sigh.  “Honestly, I can’t tell with embellishments, but I can’t sense a straight lie from her—I haven’t been able to detect any at all, like Maëlle.  We’ll need Maria, but even her lie detection isn’t perfect.”

“Mhm!”  Maria growled.

“I’m not lyin’...”  Grace whispered, features falling again.  “I’m not…”

Fiona raised her hand while hovering a little into the air.  “Uh, I can fly up and get her real fast.”

A few of the Las Tunas crew looked up with questioning eyes.

Cahira clicked her tongue.  “Ah, no can do, Love; we’re gettin’ low ta drop the big monster lass off.”

“Hobgoblins,” Fiona mumbled.

Rachel brought the topic back.  “General, what do you make of her story?”

Tom’s tone was neutral.  “Grace Alexander has been reported missing by her parents for … three years—since she was sixteen—when she took her horse and vanished … You’re a runaway.”

“L-Legal now!”  Grace nervously chuckled.  “I even saved up $2,000!”

Rachel’s brow creased as she caught the flick in her heart rhythm.  “... That was a lie.”

“Oof…”

“Hmm,” Tom paused for a moment.  “It is—Grace stole $2,340 from her boyfriend at the time, the son of a wealthy family in Texas that struck gold on oil … She had multiple underage alcohol consumption charges against her during her 15 and 16 years.”

“Ah-he-he-he, well,” Grace mumbled, “I mean, he got a weekly allowance of $1,000, so is it really stealing?  Plus, he gave it to me!  He probably said I stole it to save face when I ditched him, and … heh, I had to get money from somewhere, and I wasn’t gonna take it from my ma and pa.  I bet he started rumors about me, too,” she giggled.

“Wouldn’t doubt it,” Scarlet, Fiona, Maria, and Cahira commented.

“I’d be like him … But yea, he had money, and I had to get some to start my dream.  I’ve always wanted to just travel the old west … Visit ghost towns and explore old mines, travel the road—the last three years haven’t been easy, but they’ve been the best … Although, heh, I had to get smarter after a while—almost got made a few times in Las Vegas, and I made an honest livin’, pickin’ up side-gigs!”

Araceli’s fists were trembling at this point.  “How … long are you all planning to listen to her babble?!”

Grace grimaced as the woman got up and walked over with contempt on her face, fist striking out.  “Oof…”  she winced as Araceli’s fist struck Scarlet’s blood, rising to protect the cowgirl.  “Can I say I’m sorry?  I didn’t come marchin’ here to kill anybody…”

“You did,” Araceli growled, quaking fist showing signs of cuts and blood.

Scarlet gave her a dull look.  “You know, pheromones don’t work against me—I’ve dealt with an Incubus and Succubus … weak.”

“No … Araceli,” Ernesto mumbled.  “Think about what you’re doing.”

“I am!”  she snapped, turning back to them.  “You’re all cowards—Máximo is dead, and—and you’re all listening to his murderer slander everyone!  I was waiting for one of you—one to put an end to this farce, but if you won’t, I will!”

She turned to Rachel, hatred, and pain in her deep brown eyes.  “You’re not welcome in Las Tunas … Leave to your own country—Leave the girl.”

Ernesto stepped forward, drawing everyone’s eyes as he leveled with them.  “... If you aren’t with the U.S. government … then I’m with Araceli.”

“What?”  the black-haired woman mumbled in disbelief, glancing around at the others.  Her tone rose until it was a scream in Spanish.

Maria whistled as words were passed between everyone.  “... She’s got a mouth on her … Unless she said rice head … Cuban Spanish is hard.”

Tom cleared his throat when a pause occurred.  “Ernesto, if you want, I could have crates of food, water, and medical personnel there in under fifteen minutes—military protection, dropped in from planes to help keep the peace in your cities—restore real order, with you leading point … Fifteen minutes, Ernesto.  I am a 4-Star United States General, and I give you my word; your people will see more freedom and support than you could possibly ask for.”

The woman shook her head in desperation, giving him a pleading look as the man’s face tightened.  He held his breath for several seconds before holding up his hand, speaking in Spanish—everyone but Al and Araceli raised their hands after a moment’s thought.

Araceli’s eyes became wild, turning to stare at Scarlet and Grace while mumbling something to Al.  The big man closed his eyes with a frustrated frown, shaking his head.

Scarlet giggled, giving her a rueful smile.  “I’m really sorry about Máximo, but … Do you honestly believe that all of you together could take me … You can’t.”

“Mmghgmgh,” Grace groaned.  “I need the drink of a lifetime.”

A hot puff of air shot through Ernesto’s nose before he spoke in Spanish to the woman.  Araceli screamed at him, the twins, Benedict, and glared at Liliana before giving a sharp response to her mumble, pointing at the man’s corpse in disgust.

Edelira and Isabel were crying but pointed at Benedict as he scratched his neck.  “We get it, Araceli … Scarlet’s not wrong … And you weren’t there; we were all dead.  I hate to admit it, but … We owe them our lives … I owe Fiona my life.  I can’t see why they’d put themselves in harm's way and lie to us about all this stuff.”

He rubbed his arm, unable to look at her in the eyes.  “It sucks, Araceli … all of us admired Máximo, but Grace wasn’t the one that attacked first … we were, and I can’t deny that … Neither can Edel and Izzy.”

“So, it’s their fault?”  Araceli asked, heated gaze turning to the twins.

“No,” Rachel stated as the girls’ arms tightened around their shoulders.  “It was a bad situation; if you want to blame someone, blame me for not getting there fast enough to save him … It was bad timing.”

Araceli looked between them, body quivering.  “Y-You all feel that way?  Who’s side are you on?  Máximo trusted you!”

Ernesto’s lips pulled in, muscles tightening as if a knife dug into his chest.  “... If Máximo was here … he’d agree with us … We need to think about Cuba.”

“And who’s thinking about him?!  No one but me!”  Araceli shouted.

“Araceli,” Rachel drew her manic eyes, gesturing at the door.  “You’re fighting a lost battle—if you really want me to put a face behind your hate that you can latch onto—the person who lied to Grace and put this whole thing into motion?  Who sent you on this mission, Grace?”

Grace frowned, vision downcast.  “... Some fella named the Devil of Camagüey or something … I didn’t know—I thought it was just a cool name or something … like Jane was called Calamity … you know, to cross her was to court calamity … heh, yeah … she was kind of a role model for me in school when I learned about her…”

“... Which you dropped out of?”  Fiona mumbled, likely thinking about her little sister.

“Eh, heh, well, yeah … Have you been to school?”  she asked with a forced grin.  “It’s a legal prison for kids!”

“Right?”  Maria grumbled.  “Preach, Sister!”

Rachel ignores their conversation and turns to the grieving woman.  “The Devil of Camagüey is the person that sent the hit squad after you and your people … Grace was at the right place at the wrong time—fed a story to get people roped in.”

“Well, when you say it like that, I sound kind of like an idiot,” Grace whispered with the hint of a pout.  “It just sounded like we were gonna scare off some thugs.”

Rachel’s head lifted to the ceiling, pointing to it.  “Look East … The planes are dropping supplies.”

Everyone but Al, Araceli, Rachel, and Scarlet shot to the window; it took a moment, but soon enough, they spotted the massive planes, dropping thousands of parachutes of crates and soldiers.

Tom, having bided his time, spoke up.  “... This is only the beginning, Ernesto.  This has been in the works for the past week.  We’ve fixed one of your trains and are currently loading it full of supplies to transport across the railing system; everything you could ask for will be there in a day, and all of this—this should last you until then.”

Araceli shouted something in Spanish that sounded like ‘traitors’ before storming out; Al sighed, passing a few words on to Ernesto before following her with Máximo’s corpse.  The hallways were filled with people, shouting at the supplies and men dropping out of the sky—hundreds of Red Crosses on the parachutes.

Liliana breathed a sigh of relief as she exited.  “Finally … she’s such a fool … lets her heart always guide her decisions.”

“It’s tragic,” Rachel whispered, turning to Ernesto.  “Will she be a problem?”

He shook his head.  “I can’t say … She’s going to do things her own way, she says … Al’s joining her and asked us to take care of Luis.”

Rachel lifted an eyebrow.  “Al’s missing a chunk out of his arm.”

Grace hissed.  “Yeah … he’s lucky that Scarlet’s crystals shielded him and changed the course—I was worried for my life—so I shot to kill once these three showed up.”

Rachel turned to the brown-haired woman with a thoughtful look, Nia branching off the girl’s stories to develop her own fantastical tales in her mind.  “... Do you want to go back to the U.S. or continue with us?”

“Mmh,” Fiona crossed her arms.  “Wouldn’t it be better for us to keep an eye on her until Maria can show up to confirm her story?”

“Eh, he-he-he, I have no complaints about hangin’ out with y’all.  Actually, it sounds like a lot of fun, savin’ a nation, and all—it’s not killing random people for nothing, so … yeah, and umm … thanks for saving my life.”

Scarlet gave her a tentative look.  “... It sounds like you want to join us.”

“Well … eh-heh, I don’t have anything really goin’ on, and … well, at all…”  She bit her lower lip, looking a bit lost.  “In fact, I’m kinda stuck … which is why I’m here … in Cuba … I don’t know what to do with myself after this change—I just wanna be a part of somethin’ … This whole business just turned out to be the wrong thing,” she mumbled with a weak laugh.  “Umm … I’m really sorry for killing your friend … hurting you guys.”

Isabel hissed, releasing a muffled scream while storming out; Edelira stepped after her after giving Grace a teary-eyed look.  “W-Wait, Liz…”

Benedict was trying to hold back his own eyes from puffing up.  “T-They’re blaming themselves for everything … Izzy’s had a lot of trouble with it—she can’t deny her part in it, and Araceli tossed the blame on them before leaving.”

“Harsh,” Grace mumbled, watching him fly out of the room.  “... I just wanted to have a good time … not get caught up in … in all of this mess … heh, just bad timing, huh … I really am a calamity.”

She cleared her throat, linking a few times while taking a heavy breath.  “So … If you’ll have me … I’ll join—feels good bein’ on the side of justice and all!  I can try and make this guy’s dream of a free Cuba come true, at the very least … Right?”

The remaining lieutenants' expressions softened.

“Do … Do you really mean that?”  Ernesto asked.

She nodded.  “Yeah!  Yeah!  Heh, how hard can it be?!”

Rachel gave him a dull look, Nia crying in her head.

“S-She’s such a good person!  Okay, I forgive you, Cow Lady!  I forgive you—j-just don’t shoot us again!”

“... We’re here to help you, Ernesto.  How many times do I need to repeat myself?  We’ll kick out the warlords, but it’s up to you how you live after.”

Fiona’s chipper tone followed.  “Oh, and the U.S., too!”

Everyone looked to Freddy as he broke down bawling, nudging Juan while talking in Spanish.  Liliana smiles a little, looking out of the window at the people and supplies coming to support them.  “... If the U.S. is getting involved … I guess I’ll go back to my town.  I never wanted to be a part of this whole mess anyway—just protect the people I love.”

Jhosep’s nose was red as she stepped forward, rubbing the top of Máximo’s cigar box.  “Perhaps, death of him was not in vain,” he mumbled in his broken English.  “... Máximo will be remembered hero as that brought order—Los Tunas … rose to a part of this my Crusade for his country!”

Maria made a sound in her throat.  “Wow … crusade, huh … okay…”

Tom followed.  “Who will speak for your province now that Máximo … isn’t around?”

“I will,” Ernesto said, setting his resolve.

“Wonderful,” Tom replied, pausing for a moment while pulling something over, probably from Clay.  “... Cuba needs a man like you, and I know I’m asking a lot from you, Ernesto, but I’d like you to step away from this war—focus on your people and their well-being—direct the relief efforts within your province, and be a leader that your people can look-up-to and see safety.

“Help direct the supplies, and I’ll put the Lieutenant Colonel leading the effort in your area under you … you know your people better than any of us, and millions of dollars worth of goods are being sent from the U.S. citizens and church relief programs to support you.  In fact, the Pope has personally contacted me to organize more aid in the coming weeks.”

Jhosep bowed his head, making a sign while praying, tears now freely flowing down his cheeks.

A heavy puff of air breathed out of Ernesto’s lungs as he nodded.  “... I understand, General Dallas … What about Camagüey.”

Scarlet’s sharp-toothed grin met his eyes.  “That’s where we’re going next!”

A short chuckle escaped his lips as he walked to the window, gazing out with a somber tone.  “... A bittersweet day … We lost a piece of our hearts … but it was for freedom.”  His eyes fluttered with his chest.  “... Thank you, General Dallas, Rachel, Fiona, Scarlet … And you, too, Grace.  Thank you, for everything you’re doing for my people.”

Rachel tilted her head toward the door.  “Alright, we’re going to investigate the group coming to attack on-foot…”  She trailed off as Isabel, Edelira, and Benedict re-entered the room, faces red and puffy.

Isabel coughed, rubbing her cheeks.  “Can … I know we might not be much help, but can we join?”

Grace hummed doubtfully, likely remembering how easy it was to kill them and not wanting to cause further calamity for their group.

Rachel sighed.  “It’s your life and your country.  Ernesto, what about the rest of your party—I can’t guarantee they’ll come back.”

He looked at each of them as they gave their responses.

Liliana swiftly shook her head.  “I’m going back home!”

Freddy shrugged.  “Naa, I’ll stay behind and help people get back on their feet.”

Juan nodded.  “I want to help rebuild the places that were damaged.”

However, Jhosep jumped forward with energy.  “I’ll fight on the front…”  he suddenly collapsed to the floor to his friend’s shock.

“Blood loss,” Scarlet mumbled.  “I’ve been counting each pressure drop.”

Ernesto chuckled after Scarlet’s attitude calmed the atmosphere; he bent down to gently shake Luis.  “Hey…”

“Eh .. huh … eh?”  he cracked open an eye, quickly finding the collapsed man and grunting; he reached over, put his hand on the man’s armored stomach, and released a soft white light.  When it was over, the wound had at least closed but would take time to properly heal.  On the other hand, Luis waved a tired hand and fell unconscious again.

“Poor guy,” Fiona mumbled.  “He reminds me of a friend I have—never knows the words ‘take care of yourself.’

“Yo, chica, I’m right here!”  Maria grumbled.

Fiona giggled.  “Exactly!”

Ernesto followed her.  “Yeah, heh, Jhosep will want to join you once he recovers.”

“Mmh,” Scarlet shook her head.  “We’ll be long finished before that—probably!”

Rachel nodded.  “Edelira, Isabel, Benedict, and Grace, then … Let’s go; we don’t have much time.”

Grace rubbed her chest as Scarlet removed her blood.  “Heh … at least I’ve still got everything in the right places.”

“I don’t know,” Rachel mumbled, giving her a critical look, “you never know when it comes to Scarlet.”

“Hey!”  Scarlet glared, cheeks flushing again as Nia rolled around her mind with fits of laughter.  “You were struggling, so I had to squeeze tighter.”

“I was bein’ smothered to death, my gal; heh, of course, I’d struggle!  I’m just sayin’, you looked mighty happy about squeezin’ the blood outta me … All I’m sayin’”

Cahira, Selvaria, Maria, and even Tom got a short chuckle out of the exchange.

“I’m sorry … Anyway!”  Scarlet grinned.  “I’m actually starting to look forward to this!”

“Me, too!”  Grace said, working around her tight muscles.  “I’m sore but ready to go!  I just gotta look forward to the future, not the past…”

Edelira and Isabel gave her distrustful looks but followed Rachel out, heading for the front with the others tailing.  Men and women were still gossiping to one another, spreading rumors.  They flew off on Fairy wings to the north to meet the attackers; her wound had mostly closed once she stepped back 

It’s time to get the ball rolling and meet this Devil of Camagüey … Let’s hope he actually can put up a fight, or else this trip will become boring.

---