The music was secondary to the awe.

Xavier could feel the gravitons twirling to mimic the twist he felt in his stomach but couldn’t acknowledge – he was currently around extraordinary individuals, and there was no way he would betray even a bit of human emotions.

The situation had evolved beyond his control, and very likely, beyond his ability to survive.

Even with the solidity of Ikaris’s memories and emotions backing him, Xavier found himself mentally spiraling into unstable conclusions.

The only way to survive was to give it his all, uncaring about who may need him to return home, but if he did that, there was a very likely scenario that those emotions would be lost in the spiraling memories that had yet to settle in his head.

Was survival worth his love for Angela?

Could Angela be his strength for this upcoming battle, did she truly mean that much to him?

As much as he wanted it to be so… Xavier knew there was only one girl who could guarantee his survival in any war, and that was Renny – the sister of his past life.

“Another Immortal?” Sam tensed, eyeing Andromache with a gaze that said he was ready for anything. “What are the chances?”

“Pretty fucking low,” Xavier replied, then shrugged. “But for today? I wouldn’t be surprised if we met Eternity around the corner.” The Eternal joked.

Of course, Xavier and Sam had made enough of a ruckus to attract many gazes, and since their voices were not exactly subtle, Andromache had heard them.

Yet, she didn’t move.

The pub, the music, the dancing people, young couples who thought their lives revolved around the person they were currently dating, and the bartender who was struggling to make ends meet so he took extra shifts.

‘Can they feel that everything can be ended right now?’ Xavier searched deep in his soul for the answer.

Had he been aware that everything could end when he boarded that plane in his past life? The answer was of course!

But now that he was on the other side of that equation, The Eternal found that it didn’t get easier – knowing that a casual battle between Supernatural Beings could destroy the lives of everyone gathered there made him disgusted.

As if his very existence was a blight.

Kaulder and Mother Superion had no such worries – the thought had crossed their minds, but they had a determination that Xavier found himself lacking.

As for Sam – the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.

Kaulder shifted his sitting position in the chair as he grabbed Hexenbane’s Sheath – something Andromache finally took notice of.

The situation was about to spiral.

“Is she dangerous?” Kaulder inquired, taking a final sip of the beer that had almost been forgotten.

Mother Superion and Sam seemed equally interested in Xavier’s threat evaluation of the target, but The Eternal couldn’t understand exactly what Kaulder was asking.

“By dangerous, you mean?” The Eternal furrowed his brows. “She has been alive for a long time – of course, she is fucking dangerous. I wouldn’t like my chances against a prepared version of her.”

“And unprepared?” Mother Superion questioned.

“Just a human,” Xavier responded.

“Can she be targeting us?” Kaulder rephrased the question. “Is she what called us here or is she someone who has been called here, like us?”

“I think she was brought here too, and if I am not mistaken,” Xavier stared at Andy for a couple of seconds, glanced around the pub, and confirmed his thoughts. “There are usually three more Immortals with her, but I don’t see them.”

“Are they as skilled as her?” Mother Superion was now worried – she didn’t look forward to fighting the equivalent of four Kaulders.

“No,” Xavier replied, though he had a hard time believing himself.

The fact that the primary source of his knowledge came from a Netflix Series didn’t boost the confidence in his voice, but fictional information was better than no information in a world based on fiction.

“Then, those Immortals are not here,” Mother Superion said with certainty, gently brushing the rosary around her neck. “I would never dare bring my sisters to this place, especially due to the danger felt in the visions that brought me here. Every time I think about it, it feels like death is expecting me. If I can’t survive, my sisters wouldn’t even qualify.”

“You doubt your sisters?” Sam frowned, narrowing his eyes.

To The Wolves, the pack was everything. Hence, Sam instinctively found the act of leaving anyone behind displeasing – he would have brought along Paul and the others had Xavier told him exactly where they were going.

“It’s not about trust or doubt,” Xavier replied, staring at a random drunk on the phone. “We just can’t afford to be naïve.”

“I agree,” Kaulder murmured, but his face showed deeper thought than anyone else had put into the matter. “I have lost enough people to know that avoiding a fight and being with them is the same as suicide.”

There was a hint of sadness in The Immortal’s eyes – a sadness that everyone recognized all too well.

The greatest people were broken, and all of them were broken in one way or another.

Sam, in his immature Shapeshifting anger, had almost killed the woman he loves, and in the end, his actions left her with a permanent scar.

Mother Superion had lost her lover to a nasty ambush at the convent, and as the love of her life bled to death in her arms, The Nun felt her emotions die as well.

As for Kaulder, he had the unfortunate origin story of not only losing a wife, but a daughter as well – the plague ate away at them a little every day until they passed away.

A trace of melancholy wormed its way into the mood – an absolute travesty when considering the battle to come.

“It is better to feel something… anything in a time like this,” Xavier shared some of the wisdom he learned before his first deployment.

It helped him through tough times, just knowing he was welcome to feel whatever he was feeling.

Sam stared at Xavier, wondering why exactly The Eternal had brought him along – was it because the threat was so dangerous, or was it for some other hidden purpose?

The Shapeshifter opened his mouth to ask but…

“Don’t even try to ask it,” Xavier muttered as if reading Sam’s mind. “You won’t like the answer you get in my pre-battle honesty.”

Sam clamped his mouth shut.

There was no need to stir drama before a battle.

“As for Andromache’s level of danger,” Xavier mused for a couple of seconds, thinking back to all the scenes in The Netflix movie The Old Guard. “I would put her danger level at a combination of you and The Warrior Nun, and that’s me being reserved. I have no idea what she is truly capable of in a world of magic, buddhas, and vampires.”

Kaulder smirked. “And where would you place yourself in that ranking?” The Immortal inquired, trying to gauge Xavier’s judgment capabilities.

“The strongest amongst everyone gathered here,” Xavier replied without a change in expression, confidence oozing from his tone.

What was left unsaid was the fact that The Eternal wasn’t sure if he could access and adequately utilize all of that strength.

“I doubt that…” A voice interrupted.

The Eternal hadn’t detected it, nor had The Warrior Nun or The Immortal – at some point, Andy had taken a seat at the table, sipping the last bit of beer from a cup that belonged to Xavier.

The implications were clear.

Sam seemed the only unsurprised party – he had been watching Andy since the beginning. Paranoia had served him well in the current scenario.

It showed that even a newbie could catch things that an Immortal like Kaulder, an Eternal like Xavier, and a Warrior Nun like Mother Superion couldn’t notice.

Experience blinded them as much as it helped them.

“You doubt that I am the strongest person here?” Xavier was the first to recover and engage The Oldest Immortal in a conversation. “Or did I rank your danger level too low?”

“Both…” Andy lazily folded her arms on the table, and everyone could tell her age from her tired atmosphere. “You’re not the strongest person here, and my threat level is enough that all of you should be scared – if I came for you, that is.”

“And you didn’t come for us?” Sam was doubtful.

“I did not,” Andy replied. “As a matter of fact, I think we all need each other to survive what comes next. Things like these usually end in death or betrayal, and most of us can’t die so that’s doubly bad.”

“I like a challenge,” Kaulder voiced, though there was an edge to his tone. “And honestly, I wouldn’t mind kicking the bucket in a place like this.”

Andy sighed – she shared the sentiment.

Andy and Kaulder engaged in a discussion that only two Immortals could understand – they talked about the lands that have changed, tribes and civilizations that have passed, and the way mankind seemed desperate to repeat all the mistakes of the past.

There was an instant connection, but something deeper than just mere conversation.

It was resentment released.

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

Sam drifted to one side of the table as The Immortals discussed things he couldn’t hope to understand.

All of The Shapeshifter’s experiences since being sucked into a spatial distortion had been surreal. A lot of things made sense, but most of them did not.

“You seem down,” Xavier spoke, sliding his chair further away from the chatting Kaulder and Andy. “Anything you want to get off your chest? I have been in Mrs. Beckham’s Counseling enough to know the perfect nonsense to make you feel better about whatever you’re worried about.”

As for Mother Superion, she was more than contented simmering in the silence with a beer grasped firmly in her hands, and judging by the faint redness of her cheeks, she had definitely had more than one drink by now.

“What are we doing here?” Sam inquired, doubt plaguing his tone as he didn’t feel like he belonged. “We know there is a threat somewhere out there. We know it is dangerous, and we know it will soon blow up in our faces but we are just sitting here and—”

“And what?” Xavier inquired, smiling his usual fake smile when he was internally frowning. “Having fun?” He suggested an end to Sam’s statement.

“Yeah…” Sam admitted – it was fun, and fun at the end of the world is dangerous.

“For me,” The Eternal shrugged his shoulders, staring Sam in the eyes. “I am just in no hurry to die. If I can sit down, drink a few beers, sleep with a Nun – which is a personal goal of mine, and eat a nice plate of food before going into battle – I will definitely do that!”

Sam hesitated for a couple of seconds, sitting in silent contemplation before something clicked – something that answered all his questions.

“You’re scared,” The Shapeshifter stated with endless surprise in his voice. “Xavier Ikaris Aionios is scared… of what?”

“I am scared,” The Eternal admitted. “Scared of what comes next and what comes after that next.”

“But, I have never seen you scared before,” Sam sighed and simultaneously made an irritated expression as he admitted as much. “You’re always so full of confidence.”

“Because I never had anything to lose, but now, I can lose Angela and I know it will break her if I die, so…” Xavier extended his hand with a smile, showing Sam just how much his hands were trembling. “I guess I am human too – a different flavor, but human nonetheless.”

“When did it start?”

“It has always been happening,” Xavier closed his eyes and spoke a partial truth – a truly rare occurrence. “You can think of my mind as a lake that can switch between two streams – my instincts allow me to be combat-ready in an instant, but my conscious thoughts lead to mental instability.”

“So, just lean toward your instincts more,” Sam shrugged. “The solution seems easy enough.”

“You are basically telling me to lose myself,” The Eternal argued. “I am at my best when both streams flow, but I have been surfing by cutting off one stream at a time… so, I need to learn to adapt.”

“Do you have to adapt now?” Sam was doubtful – more than anything, he wanted to make it home to Emily.

Xavier's problems could be a problem another day, just not right now.

“What better time than the present?” Xavier wiggled his brows. “Besides, what better time than when two Immortals, a badass nun, and a mega-wolf has your back?”

Sam couldn’t argue with the logic, though he wanted to.

“They’re done talking,” The Eternal gestured to Kaulder and Andy. “Now, we eat something, use the bathroom, and buy weapons before we leave.”