(Flare, Focus, and Shay stand up, having finished up their dinner, and carry the plates together, the former duo following the latter to his old-fashioned kitchen and placing the plates on the counter next to the sink, with Focus looking lost in thought. However, he regains his sharp expression soon, as if making up his mind.)

  Focus: (firmly) Thanks again for having us over. You really didn’t have to.

  Mr. Gallagher: (grinning) Ah, no bother at all, wee ones. It’s the least bit o’ courtesy I can give. I’ve got yer guest room all set up with yer own mattresses. Do try to catch some shut-eye, will ya?

  Focus: Actually… (turning to Flare and addressing her) I’ve got something I need to talk to you about.

  Flare: (raising an eyebrow, baffled) What is it?

  Focus: (turning again to Shay) Mr. Gallagher, can you take us somewhere open? Somewhere that isn’t too deep into the forest.

  Mr. Gallagher: (baffled) This late in the night? (sighing deeply) Alright, I suppose.

  (Mr. Ghallagher leads Flare and Focus to the front door and heads out with them, taking them to an open, abandoned area as Focus requested, with Flare being rather baffled as she glances at Focus’s razor-sharp expression. After a while, Focus finally addresses her.)

  Focus: (firmly) Tell me, Flare. What was that back at the coffee bar?

  Flare: (baffled) Wait, what do you mean by that?

  Focus: It was a minor scuffle at the very least, and yet… you used your Surge.

  (Flare ends up remembering what Focus is talking about, an event that occurred earlier today. The mob member approached her back then, dagger in hand, and she glanced at him with a horrified expression. With no hesitation whatsoever, almost as if she hadn’t thought this through, she launched a burst of fire at the approaching mob member, sending him flying.)

  Flare: What about it?

  Focus: (grimacing) What do you mean “what about it”? Isn’t it concerning that you had to use your Surge in a situation in which I didn’t even have to use my hands? This says a lot about your abilities in terms of pure combat.

  Flare: (annoyed) Stop overreacting, will ya?! If I’m not gonna use my Surge, then what’s the point?!

  Focus: There are instances in which not only won’t your Surge help you, but it will also act to your own detriment. If you can’t adapt to that… then the moment your Surge fails you even once, you’ll be done for. I don’t even know how you managed to stay hidden for this long with that glaring weakness. No wonder you eventually got exposed.

  Flare: (rolling his eyes) Relax, angst-o. I can throw a good punch at people, thank you very much. And where are you taking us anyway?

  (Mr. Gallagher finally arrives at an open, abandoned area, just as Focus requested, and then he gives the duo space to settle things out with one another, not even bothering to ask anymore. Focus stands opposite to Flare, his hands in his pockets and his expression showing an intent to fight, which Flare quickly picks up on as she takes her fighting stance.)

  Focus: (firmly, his hands in his pockets) Show me what you can do, then. No Surges. Only pure combat.

  Flare: (her eyes narrowing) And why should I follow those rules?

  Focus: If you can “still throw a good punch at people” as you claim, then this wouldn’t be a problem now, would it?

  Flare: And how do I know you’re not using your Surge?

  Focus: You’ll know. It’ll be obvious enough. And to make it even easier for you, I won’t use my hands. Or my legs, for that matter.

  Flare: (baffled, raising an eyebrow) Wait. No hands or legs? Then how’re you gonna — ?

  (Focus cuts her off as he lunges at her at high speed and headbutts her right in the forehead, knocking her off-balance and into the ground. She kneels on one knee and looks up at Focus through gritted teeth, who’s still got his hands in his pockets with his ever-so unbothered expression. She gets back up on her feet and takes her fighting stance once again through gritted teeth, while Focus remains still. Mr. Gallagher watches that in bafflement, surprised at how quickly this escalated.)

  Mr. Gallagher: (baffled) Ah… lads?

  Flare: (faintly smirking, to Focus) If that’s how you’re gonna do it, then fine. I’m gonna have you go all out on me… and then kick your butt.

  Focus: Hmph, you’ll try.

  (Flare immediately lunges at Focus for a blow, moving as fast as she possibly can, but to her shock, Focus dodges even faster, reappearing behind her, his hands still in his pockets. Flare turns around and swings her fist at Focus for a punch, but that punch doesn’t faze him in the slightest, his expression unchanged.)

  Focus: (unamused) You see that? That’s what your opponent would feel if they were immune to your Surge somehow, possibly through means of insulation or something.

  Flare: (exasperated) What are the chances that this would happen?!

  Focus: Never zero.

  (Flare attempts a more powerful punch at Focus’s gut, and he acrobatically jumps out of the way and lands behind her back, headbutting the back of her head with his own and sending her skidding back. Mr. Ghallagher closely watches that little spar between Flare and Focus while leaning his back on a tree and crossing his arms, noticing how much Focus is pulling his punches.)

  Mr. Gallagher: (thinking to himself) Ah, I see now. Focus is clearly hoidin’ back his punches. He’s not tryna fight, it’s like he’s… teachin’ that lass a thing or two. (sighing deeply) Kids these days, fightin’ with their noggins.

  (Flare repeatedly swings punches at Focus, who keeps dodging while barely abandoning his stance. This only frustrates Flare even further, who attempts a punch at his gut, but he expertly and eloquently leans away from it while balancing himself on one foot. Flare attempts another blow, thinking that Focus has lost his balance, but she couldn’t be more wrong, for he used the foot he’s standing on to acrobatically jump back and out of Flare’s way, albeit maintaining that proximity for the most part.)

  Focus: The world of Surges is massive and unpredictable. You may never know what to expect from your opponent and whether it would be wise to use your power. You can’t brush off the possibilities thinking that they’re rather slim. This power system would suggest otherwise.

  Flare: (lunging at him, annoyed) Would you stop being so reasonable?!

  Focus: (after spinning around her and dodging her punch) The area itself could offer a handicap. In a controlled environment, your flames may work against you by getting absorbed by the room and turning into heat instead. You may be able to withstand the side effects of your own flames, but you’re not immune to heat now, are you?

  Flare: (attempting a roundhouse kick) How do you know?!

  Focus: (leaning his back to dodge the kick, deadpan) Then my assumption was accurate after all. (headbutting her fist and knocking it back, his tone more firm) This forest would be a more concrete example. Your presence alone risks a wildfire. Normally, this would work to your advantage, but in this specific scenario, if we take the inhabitants of this rural town into consideration, you’ll be risking casualties. (leaning away from Flare’s fist) There’s a lot to consider when using Surges. It’s not an insta-fix for every situation. In fact, in most cases, it’s detrimental.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  (Flare uses her other fist in an attempt to land a punch at Focus, but he knocks her fist aside with the left side of his head, leaving her vulnerable to attack. Seizing the opportunity, he lunges at her and lands one final headbutt, knocking her into a tree. She kneels on one knee and starts panting in exhaustion, glancing up to see Focus towering over her with an unbothered expression, his hands still in his pockets, and Flare grits her teeth. He refused to use his hands and his legs, and yet he defeated Flare in pure combat with ease, using only headbutts and dodges, and Flare didn’t even manage a single blow at him.)

  Mr. Gallagher: Right, I’ve seen enough from ye two. Knock it off, will ya now? (to Focus) Ye’ve already made yer point, lad.

  (Flare grits her teeth in annoyance at Focus but eventually relents, sighing deeply as she gets back up on her feet and in front of Focus, panting in exhaustion while doing so. Focus too relents, taking a step back and pulling his hands out of his pockets.)

  Focus: (firmly) Listen, Flare. I’ve seen you in action in multiple situations, and you’ve got your strengths. For one, even though you’re overly reliant on your Surge, you surely know how to use it well. Other Surge Beacons don’t usually have the sort of understanding and creative proficiency that you’ve got with your power. And you sure have the craftiness and awareness to make use of whatever tools you’ve got in the surrounding environment.

  Flare: (unamused) Yeah, yeah, go on. See if you can flatter me.

  Focus: However, as both of us have seen ourselves, you’re far behind your best when we’re talking about pure combat and endurance. There’s what you can work on.

  Flare: (pouting, crossing her arms) Bet you’re feeling great while calling me out.

  Focus: (deadpan) I’m not. It’s annoying, really, and I’d rather not do it myself.

  Flare: Hey, don’t think you’re getting away with this! You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not!

  Focus: (equally exasperated) What’s that supposed to mean?!

  Flare: You’ll let me in on that whole nonsense you’re spitting so that I can kick your butt and pay you back for this!

  Focus: Why me?!

  Flare: (pressing on his nose with her finger) Who else would do it, huh?! Just take it up the chin, emo! You’ll be my punching bag from now on!

  Focus: (stepping away, annoyed) You got that backwards, fire hazard! I’ll just have to pummel you again! I might even avoid using my head next time!

  (Mr. Gallagher clears his throat at the two of them with an unamused expression, grabbing their attention, and they turn to him with blank expressions before Focus relents and assumes a calmer stance as he sighs deeply. He moves past Flare, who notices the faintest, most momentary smirk on his face, the sort of smirk that shows malicious intent, which flabbergasts her. As Mr. Gallagher leads them out of this area and back to his house, she keeps panickedly thinking about what she just saw.)

  Flare: (thinking to herself, panickedly) He smiled! He frickin’ smiled! Not just any grin! The evil smirk! The malicious intent smirk! The ‘you have no idea what’s coming for you’ smirk! Isn’t this one of the signs of the apocalypse?! Is the end near?! Am I already in heaven?! What does this mean for the stock market?! What does this mean for the world?! WHY AM I HEARING BOSS MUSIC?!!!

  Mr. Ghallgher: (baffled) Flare?

  Flare: (yelling) WHAT NOW?!!! (snapping out of it, nervously) I mean… uh… yeah, what’s up?

  Mr. Ghallagher: (surprised) Begorrah, ye must’ve zoned out real far, didn’t ye, lass? Anyway, how long did ye two know each other?

  Focus: (flatly) Forty hours and thirty-eight minutes, including today, and we spent those first couple of hours beating each other up.

  Flare: (baffled) Um... why did you ask?

  Mr. Gallagher: It’s just that… ye two act like ye’ve always known each other, an’ I thought ye were best mates or somethin’… (teasingly smirking) or maybe —

  Both: (in unison, unamused) No.

  Mr. Gallagher: (chuckling) An’ ye didn’t even get all flustered. My, ye two really mean it, don’t ye? Ah, well. Maybe not just yet.

  Both: (in unison, still unamused) And hopefully never.

  Mr. Gallagher: The fact that yer finishin’ each other’s thoughts don’ help yer argument. Ah, come on now, let’s head back. Ye two still need a wee bit o’ shut-eye. Best of luck with whatever ye’ve got planned fer tomorrow, ‘cause I’m lookin’ to take ye two fer a stroll around town whenever ye’re up fer it.

  Focus: (sighing deeply) I guess we’re fine with that.

  Flare: (glancing at Shay, baffled) I don’t know how to put it, but… I thought you’d ask more questions about us. Aren’t you at least curious?

  Mr. Gallagher: (shrugging) What’d I need t’know? I’m already aware ye’re a bit o’ a fire wielder, an’ th’other lad might be superhuman. I mean… seems like everyone knows that now, doesn’t it?

  Flare: (letting out a low chuckle) And here I was trying to hide that from the world for all this time. Now even a random old Irishman knows my secret. The fact that it’s only been yesterday since everything went wrong… it’s amusing, not gonna lie.

  Mr. Gallagher: (unbothered) Ah, don’t ye worry ‘bout me, lass. I ain’t givin’ much thought t’ all the craic that’s kicked off these past few days. All I know is wha’ I’m seein’ right here in front o’ me. Two knackered kids lost in th’ middle o’ nowhere, needin’ somewhere t’ relax a bit. The details don’t matter t’ me.

  (Flare is rather astonished by Shay’s sheer simplicity, glancing at him in disbelief, and Focus is surprised by her astonishment. After a while, at Mr. Gallagher’s house, Shay opens a door leading to the duo’s bedroom, a room that’s only lit by the moonlight from across the window, with two travel beds ready for them.)

  Mr. Gallagher: (grinning) Sleep well, me wee ones. I’m sure ye’ve a long day ahead of ye.

  (Mr. Gallagher heads to his own bedroom, leaving Flare and Focus to receive some much-needed hours of comfortable sleep. They glance at each other in bafflement and shrug in unison, but beneath the blank expressions is something else, a deep, lingering struggle within the two. After a while, Flare and Focus are lying on their own travel beds, tucked in a fair distance separate from one another and laying down on opposite sides. Having time to actually think about what happened, Flare contemplates what she saw today, an unusually reserved look on her face.)

  Flare: (thinking to herself, skeptically and almost bitterly) That old man… he didn’t need to help us. Why did he do that? He’s surely up to something… right? We’ve got a hefty bounty on our heads, and he surely can’t resist the temptation to take it for himself whenever he gets the chance. No one would. And he’s really trying to tell me that he doesn’t care in the slightest?

  (Memories of her time with Shay earlier start flooding into her mind, the displays of his benevolent demeanor mixed chaotically with flashes of angry townspeople holding torches, even a memory of a man holding a pitchfork in a burning hideout, and she forcefully closes her eyes to shut away those thoughts with a distraught expression. She picks up the courage to glance at Focus, and upon doing so, she assumes that he’s sound asleep, a subtle sort of disappointment apparent in her expression, and then she fully tucks herself in once again, still trying to forcefully shut her eyes. Little does she know, however, that Focus too is wide awake, his pupils widening as he grits his teeth, as if caught in indecision and internal conflict.)

  Focus: (thinking to himself, gritting his teeth) What in the world has come over me today? This feeling… I never felt anything like it. I… I don’t know! How could I possibly let my guard down?! It’s unacceptable!

  (Focus clenches his fists as he attempts to straighten his expression, glancing around at his environment with a wary expression, but then the look on his face softens upon seeing Flare, sleeping in her own travel bed with her back turned to him. He turns away from her and stands up on his feet, sighing deeply and adapting his firm expression once again.)

  Focus: (thinking to himself, firmly) I can’t allow such a lapse in judgment. I just need to maintain my composure… and focus on my next move. (turning to glance at Flare) And right now… I know what I’ll do next.

  (Focus turns to the window and glances at it with intent, as if an idea has gotten to his head. Meanwhile, still at night, back at the jungle, Gauntlet keeps swinging across the trees ahead of him and finally lands on his feet, arriving at a plateau through which he can set eyes on the rural village of Larkspur ahead of him. Seeing that, he immediately links up with the other Ironclad Response Unit soldiers, who are still going around the forest.)

  Gauntlet: (via communicator, to the IRU soldiers) Anything new out there, folks?

  IRU Soldier 1A: (via communicator) No, sir, not yet.

  Gauntlet: And you’re absolutely sure that you’re searching everywhere across this forest as we speak?

  IRU Soldier 1B: (via communicator) Positive. We’ve got everywhere covered, but the targets are nowhere to be seen. Could they have left the area quicker than we assumed they would?

  Gauntlet: (sighing deeply) That settles it, then. Taking your word for it, there’s only one place they could possibly be. Everyone, converge at my location. If you see a rural town on the horizon, head towards it. You’ll find me waiting, and then we’ll discuss things.

  IRU Soldier 1A: So you’re saying that they’re resting up in a town for the night? Should we attack them right now?

  Gauntlet: No, let’s not act too hastily. I’ll tell you what we’re gonna do as soon as we rally.

  IRU Soldier 1A: Understood, sir. We’ll be there.

  Gauntlet: (unamused) You better, cuz one day, I wanna earn the privilege to state that you guys were a massive help and actually mean it for once.

  (Gauntlet ends the transmission and glances at the moonlit, quiet, rural town of Larkspur, with the townspeople comfortably tucked in and asleep. He faintly smirks as he cracks his knuckles, confident that Flare and Focus are hiding in that town. That’s not far from the truth now, is it?)