Terra was sitting on top of the roof of the apartment. Looking over the whole city. Taking in the view. She thought about the night she shared with Donny. Millie came up the stairs.
Millie: Hey Terra.
Terra: Oh, Millie. Didn't see you there.
Millie: You uh. Wanna go get a drink?
Terra: You know I'm not of age. Right?
Millie: I know.
Terra: Alright then, sure.
Terra and Millie traveled not far down the street to a bar. Millie sat up there and Terra sat next to her.
Bartender: Ah, Millie. Haven't seen you in a while.
Millie: How are ya?
Bartender: New friend?
Millie: Old friend actually.
Bartender: How old is she?
Millie: I'll tip ya extra if you give her something extra hard.
Bartender: That's my girl!
The bartender went and got Terra and Millie two wine glasses.
Millie: So, what do you think about Themis's hero thing?
Terra: I'm done being Artemis. I just wanna be Terra. You know?
Millie: I get you.
Terra: All my actions. They caused death. Heartbreak. Murder. All kinds of bad things. What is that worth next to the good things I did? Now that I beat Integer. I just think I want it to be over.
Millie: I haven't told anyone about this. Not even Amelia. I've been thinking about moving away again.
Terra: Why? I think here is a good home for you.
Millie: I'm never giving up on Amelia. She can be helped if the correct person puts in the right amount of effort. And here she's too destructive. You saw what she did. I brought her to dinner and she wanted to kill the waiter!
Terra: Uh, actually I didn't see what she did. What exactly did she do?
Millie: She pretty much cut Mary in half. She phased so fast she turned Raphael into a pile of dust. She blew Phobos into pieces. And then almost skewered Four. Thank god I stopped her. I think a speedster that has that much power and drive to kill could level a city. Like New York. I want to take her somewhere slower. You know?
Terra: You really love her. Right?
Millie blushed.
Terra: Both you and Leon have been through enough. Everyone has. I can't put you in harm's way the way I did when we went after Integer.
Millie: You know it was our choice to help you. Right?
Terra: That still doesn't excuse me.
Millie: Look kid. You still have lots of life to live. Don't waste it being worried about yourself.
Terra: But I could die at any second. Especially considering the way I live my life. I did die!
Millie: Your little scrape with death was just that. A scrape. Scrapes turn into scars. And scars fade. The way Themis makes it sound. This might be unavoidable. Face it. You love wearing the armor.
Terra: I...do. But I can't let you put it all on the line for me.
Millie: I get it. You aren't my mom though.
Terra: I know! But I have a conscience. I can't have your death on it!
Millie: ...I guess you're right. It would suck for you. It would be my choice.
Terra: Things have to be resolved here anyway.
Millie: Sae…
Terra: You know her?
Millie: No actually. She left your armor at the apartment. Then she bit Themis!
Terra: What the hell? Like a vampire?
Millie: She is one. According to Themis.
Terra: That explains…
Terra pulled one of her sleeves up. The marks on her were still there.
Terra: A vampire bite look like this?
Millie: Yeah! That's it!
Terra: Did she…? Holy shit.
Millie: And apparently Sae can make you see things that really aren't there. Like illusions.
Terra: Oh my god...Sae caused this. She made me see illusions!
Millie: The whole thing where you killed Three?
Terra: Her name was Elaine. And I didn't mean to. But then after that I woke up in Phobos's toture chamber. That's how it snowballed. That's what's going to happen if I go with Themis…
Millie: You have a lot on your plate. Huh?
Terra: Who knows what will happen?
Millie: I'll let you sit on it.
Terra: One thing I know. I have to deal with Sae.
Millie: Don't you think it's going to snowball?
Terra: It probably is.
Millie: To snowballing!
Terra: To snowballing.
Terra and Millie clinked their glasses together.
Millie: So, are you going?
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Terra came into her apartment. Themis was sitting in the back of the room.
Themis: Made a decision?
Terra: No.
Themis: I don't think you get this kid. We have a dude with the destructive capability to destroy the entire United States. We're talking about country level threat here! Nearly billions of deaths!
Terra: If you know so much, then how powerful was Empyrean?
Themis: He wasn't at his peak. But he destroyed all of if not most of San Francisco.
Themis took out his phone.
Themis: San Francisco is 32,000 Acres. If he kept going, atleast California would've been a ghost-town.
Terra picked up one of her armor pieces.
Terra: This is armor I made. Not mystical olympian armor! By that logic Ares could crush me like a bug! He probably could do the same to you!
Themis: Doubt it.
Terra: Didn't you almost lose against Psyche?
Themis: If we go to Skyland we can get you new armor. And I could get tricked out.
Terra: Why do I need to go? I'd be leaving behind my life! What's so important that you need me?!
Themis: I'm not sure you'd understand.
Terra: Then how would I justify going with you to an entire different realm!?
Themis: They want you there. That fucking asshole will regin bloody hell on us if I don't bring you there!
Terra: What are you talking about?
Themis angrily smashed his hand on Terra's dresser.
Themis: Zeus! He wants you! He got me by th-
Terra: No Themis! Zeus can wait! There are things here that need to be settled before I go on another quest to save the fucking world! I don't know if I can do that again.
Themis: Last time Ares' presence was felt we got hiroshima, we got both world wars, oh and Christianity. I wouldn't even want to talk about Zeus.
Terra: If I don't get involved with him, nothing is going to happen.
Themis: Terra!
Terra: I'm not ready. I'm sorry. If we don't bother them, they won't bother us.
Themis: You know that's not true!
Terra: Besides, their gods. We can't hurt them. What do you expect me to do?
Themis: You are very strong. You could take one.
Terra: Not Zeus! Or Ares! Zeus is like the strongest one!
Themis: It's not a matter of defeating them! It's a matter of persuasion.
Terra: That's your thing. Isn't it?
Themis: If you want to give up on the universe when it calls your name, so be it.
Terra: ...Get out.
Themis: Make me.
Terra grabbed her armor and put it on. She grabbed her spear. She slipped on her fur coat over it.
Terra: Don't stay for too long.
Terra walked out of the room.
Themis: Fucking dumbass.
Thunder rumbled.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Terra had equipped her armor. And had her spear. With her fur coat over it. She picked up her phone and called Sae's number.
Sae: Hello?
Terra: Hey Sae.
Sae: Oh! Ginger! You must've gotten out alive!
Terra: I want to settle this.
Sae: Settle what?
Terra: Your actions led to my death. You need to be stopped. So play fair this time. We have a one on one duel to settle our differences. Like the Chaste used to do.
Sae: Like old times. Fine. I accept.
Terra: No tricks.
Sae: I know your bringing your "tricks." So why can't I use mine.
Terra: Meet me on the roof of Henry Hall's apartments.
Sae: Like old times. I'm excited! See you there!
Terra hung up. She then called the president.
President: Are you recovered, Terra?
Terra: Yeah.
President: You take down Sae, I will pay you your full paycheck.
Terra: I'll end this.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Terra opened the door to the top of the apartments. She looked around. Nobody was there.
Sae: Looking for someone?
Terra: Remember when we had that dispute about food? We settled it in a match. Whoever pins for 5 seconds wins.
Sae: How about a fight to death?
Terra: No! You know the rules.
Sae: Yeah. One of them is hand to hand. Unless both combatants have weapons.
Terra: Come on Sae.
Sae playfully sighed. She put her hands behind her and took out a katana.
Sae: Come on Ginger. Can you win this time?
Terra: If I win you leave me and my friends alone.
Sae: And if I win I get to stay and do whatever I want! Maybe I'll bang a bunch of your friends to piss you off!
Sae jumped forward and slammed her sword down. Terra knocked the sword out of the way and did an axe kick to Sae's shoulder. She spun and kicked her back. Sae stabbed her sword into the ground and slid backward. She jumped off of her sword insanely high. Taking it with her. Terra held her spear out. Sae came down and slammed it into the ground. Leaving it stuck in the ground. She kicked Terra in the face with a hook kick and stung her in the shin. Sae kicked high again. Terra parried and threw a side kick at Sae. She sidestepped and grabbed the underside of her leg and flipped Terra on her back. She got on top of Terra. Terra threw Sae off of her.
Sae: Almost 5 seconds!
Sae grabbed her katana out of the roof and slashed down at Terra. She held her gauntlet out and blocked. Terra summoned about as much power of olympus as she could and punched Sae in the stomach. And firing an energy blast into her. She went flying into the air. She kicked off a vent and did a flip to the ground. She landed and swung her sword under Terra. And then swung it with elegance at Terra. She held her gauntlets up and only blocked two of her many cuts and strikes. Leaving Terra's arms cut up. She slashed up at Terra. Clinking off of her breastplate. Terra pushed the sword to the side and threw out a side kick. Sae slid under and flipped Terra on the ground. She did a backroll and landed on top of her. She started punching the back of Terra's head.
Sae: 5! 4!
Terra summoned all the power she could muster.
Sae: and for 3!
Sae pulled up Terra's arm and bit her on the back of it. Showing two sharp fangs. She sprung off of Terra. Doing multiple backsprings. She dodged under Terra's flying spear just narrowly.
Sae: So you still can do your tricks?
Terra got up. Breathing heavily. Sae seemed to disappear from Terra's sight. And not long after Elaine appeared in front of Terra.
Elaine: It's your fault that this happened Terra...You blame Sae. And yet this was your doing. You killed me.
Terra took a deep breath and listened closely. She felt a heartbeat coming right next to her. She ignored the illusions of Elaine by closing her eyes. She dodged under Sae's sword. Which would've decapitated her. Terra did a leg sweep. She fell to the ground. Terra slammed her spear down next to Sae and got on top of her. Sae tried to struggle for a second. But just laid down and let the 5 seconds pass.
Sae: Impressive little ginger.
Terra got off of Sae.
Terra: Now like I said. You leave us alone. Never get involved with T.H.O.R.N again. Leave town.
Sae: Yeah yeah. I'll heed your little request.
Sae got up and grabbed her katana.
Sae: You won't see me lurking around anymore.
Terra: You'd better keep up your end of the deal.
Sae: Oh and also. Watch your back. Because I'm not the only one from your past back in town.
Terra: What are you talking about?
Sae: The Chaste. Their back. Stick's back for you and another dude.
Terra: Another dude? Anyone I would know?
Sae: Maybe. Wears red all the time. He's mixed.
Terra: His name Kai?
Sae: Yeah! Kai. Good looking specimen.
Terra: I should talk to him.
Sae: Thought you were done heroing.
Terra: The Chaste is my problem.
Terra rushed away.
???: You aren't leaving town. You know that right?
Sae: Yeah yeah I know.
Stick came from behind Sae.
Stick: Come on. We're going.
- - - - - - - - - - - -