"That's not the Fire Nation Prince," said Hanamiya, once again. Reo sighed. Hanamiya had done nothing since he got on the ship but complain, as though he'd accomplished so much in his time in Republic City.

"I assure you," said Himuro, beautifully bored. "I am."

"No," said Hanamiya. "The prince is some big lug who was pro-bending with the Lion-Dogs. He looks nothing like this guy! I saw him when we kidnapped him. He's been living in Republic City in the attic above the arena for months!"

Himuro looked politely puzzled. "And that... sounded plausible to you?"

Hanamiya's fists clenched and unclenched as he imagined himself throttling Himuro.

"I know what I saw," he said, slowly so that the morons could understand. "He had the necklace."

"So does Tatsuya," Reo pointed out. He was so tired of Mako and all his posturing. He wondered how Nebuya and Koutarou had put up with it.

"Then that one's a fake," said Hanamiya. "If that guy wasn't the Prince, then why was there such a noise over him being taken?"

"The 'noise', as you so aptly put it," said Reo icily, "was because last year you abducted Aida Riko and this time around constantly drew attention to yourself through the actions of the Red Monsoon gang. You were supposed to be using them to cover up for what we needed done, not the other way around!"

"I got the job done," said Hanamiya. "And I saw the chance to grab the prince and I took it. I know what I saw."

Himuro directed a pitying gaze at Hanamiya. "You're not the first to be taken in," he said. "Did Taiga ever claim to be me?"

"How should I-" Hanamiya bit down on his fury. "Let's just ask his so-called brother, shall we?" he said. "The Commander's coming in now."

Hayama, perched on the rigging of the metal steps, waved cheerfully to Reo and Himuro. He hung swaying over a precarious drop onto the ice platforms waterbenders had frozen to stabilize Beast long enough to get everyone over. With him, barely clinging onto scant inches of foothold and with Hayama's arm around his neck, was a white-faced, tear-stained United Fleet Cadet with his hands tied behind his back.

Commander Akashi stood stiffly on the deck. He was the last of the people and prisoners to be transferred to the Beauty: Nebuya unlocked his leg shackles and warned him, "No funny business."

"No," Akashi agreed, tonelessly. He ascended the swaying and spray-slicked metal steps slowly and deliberately. When he reached the loading dock, he paused and stared back down the stairs. Hayama blinked, then grinned and yanked his captive back onto the steps with him. "Alright, up you go," he said. "See? I told you he wouldn't let you drop."

Furihata somehow managed to look even sicker than he had been before, when he had been facing uncertain death. Hayama hauled him up the stairs, and Nebuya took one last look at his ship before sighing and ascending as well.

Reo bent the stairs back up into the airship, and he and Himuro climbed down the ladder to greet Commander Akashi.

Ogiwara and Nebuya had moved to flank him, every Mukan agent snapping into alert wariness.

Akashi's cold eyes moved over Himuro and Reo. "Sei-chan," said Reo, sorrowfully.

Akashi did not answer, his gaze fastened on the pendant around Himuro's neck.

"Your highness," said Hanamiya, with poisonous glee. "I regret that we have a little matter to clear up before you can be locked up." He gestured at Himuro. "Do you recognize this person?"

"Of course I do," said Akashi. The red glare of his eyes bored into Himuro's face. "You miserable… ungrateful… child."

.0.

Aomine roughly shook Murasakibara awake.

The earthbender mumbled at Aomine to fuck off. "What do you want," he moaned. "I just finished, I'm tired."

"Why did you stop?" demanded Aomine. "I thought that they wanted you to look for survivors. Aren't there any more?"

"How should I know," said Murasakibara. "All I know is that there's no more… live… people under the police headquarters."

"How do you know?" said Aomine.

"Heartbeats," said Murasakibara. "I can't feel any more… heartbeats."

Aomine's hands dropped. He'd already searched the incoming wounded and would have gone into the earth with Kagami if he hadn't been pressed into service in the makeshift hospice. Even an untrained healing power had been useful to the medics, allowing them to save their bending for more serious cases.

His last, faint hope had been destroyed when Lieutenant Takao had gone to check and reported that the attic was empty. Aomine hadn't really thought that either of them would stay away while disaster shook the city; he had kept expecting to see them among the rescue teams being formed.

"No Tetsu and no Satsuki," said Aomine. "Fuck. Fuck."

"If you can't keep quiet and stop disturbing the other people, go away," said Midorima, sticking his head in. "Murasakibara should be resting."

Aomine drew in a breath to tell Midorima where he could shove his quiet, and choked on a ball of dread. He took a deeper breath, and let it go. "Sorry," he said to Murasakibara, who did look, and not without reason, extremely sorry for himself. "Sorry. You. You did good."

Murasakibara looked quickly to the side. "I just told them where to dig," he said. "Just followed instructions." He looked up at Midorima. "Have they gotten Akachin?" he said. "Is he coming back to find out who did this?"

"Kise's radioed in from the Victory," said Midorima. "They were under attack as well, a spirit attack. Akashi and some of his officers are missing. I came to tell Taiga."

Murasakibara's mouth worked, and he looked down.

"He's over there," said Aomine. "They hauled him in here a while ago." Aomine had been the one to draw the dust from his lungs, and told that Midorima had commandeered this empty half-crumbled apartment. "Why?"

"Someone wants to speak with him," said Midorima. "Though I don't think this is the time or the place."

"Here's a' good a time an' place to talk as any," said Imayoshi. He had one arm in a sling, and moved gingerly to avoid his intestine becoming his outestines. He had been one of the first recovered when they dug into the underground prison, bleeding to death. "'Mind if we intrude?"

"You look like hell," said Aomine.

"Thank you kindly," said Imayoshi. He limped into the apartment, supported on one side by a scratched and bruised, but largely uninjured Sakurai.

"Captain," said Midorima. "May I remind you that I strongly advised against this."

"Y'did," said Imayoshi. His accent was heavily thickened with pain and pain medication. "But there are two healers here, so ah'm sure it'll be all right." He sat heavily on a dusty loveseat. He addressed himself to the room at large. "It's looking ah lot like it was an inside job, isn't it?"

"The police?" said Aomine.

Imayoshi's cracked glasses glinted. "Th' Fleet," he said. "From wha' Midorima here reported to us about what he saw before the attacks, o'course. And how the Commander is conveniently missing now."

A short laugh sounded. "If you think Akashi was involved, you're an idiot," said Kagami. Awakened by Midorima, he sat down next to Aomine against the wall. His hair was sopping wet. "This isn't his style."

"Prob'ly not," said Imayoshi. "As we used to say back home, the man had a swamp root the size of the swamp tree up his behind. An' I don't know him too personal, but I agree. It's not his style."

Imayoshi shifted. "It's also not his style to get taken fr'm behind, but this is smelling to me like a full-scale operation, not just to bust Kiyoshi Teppei and some of their people out of jail. We don't yet have full inventory on what's been taken onto the Hammer and airlifted out of here, but so far, it's looking like a lot of weapons and specialised machinery's just vanished into thin air, along with an airship the size of a big hotel."

"Muro-chin," muttered Murasakibara.

"Sure," said Imayoshi, with a shrug and a wince. "Th' Aidas are both missing. My chief of police has vanished into thin air. We're in a shambles right now and everyone's got their hands full digging through the rubble. It seems t' me that this is th' time when we could use th' return of a strong, decisive, and definitely non-corrupt Commander-type person, preferably as soon as possible."

"What does that have to do with us?" said Kagami bluntly.

Imayoshi looked disappointed. "If it's possible," he said. "M'ybe in a fairytale, a myth, a beast could be found who, being bonded strongly with the person we could be looking for-"

"Raku," said Kagami, finally understanding. "Raku will know where he is."

"Ah've heard rumors to that effect," said Imayoshi. "They're true?"

"They're true," said Kagami. He looked put out, as if he should have thought of it earlier. "Raku knows where he is all the time."

"S' if a dragon was to go looking for the lost commander with that man's brother…" said Imayoshi. "That'd be a pretty good start on finding him, wouldn't it? And if he left… soon, that would explain why he didn't take any fleet soldiers with him, or ask for their help, wouldn't it?"

"I… guess it would," said Kagami. His brow furrowed and he began to finger his necklace. Murasakibara looked from him to the Police Captain. Aomine watched him incuriously. If the earthbender had figured something out, he was holding his tongue.

While Kagami slowly and torturously worked it out and Imayoshi watched him like an anxious mother, Aomine said, "Ryou."

"Y-yes?" said Sakurai.

"Satsuki," said Aomine. "Do you know anything about-"

"Momoi-san was in the underground when the attack started," said Sakurai. "She was... she had Nigou with her, she waved to me when she went past. She said she was going to take him to visit Narumi-san."

Imayoshi clicked his tongue. "Narumi's one of those gone, a'long with everything we seized from the Reds," he said. He looked at Aomine and softened his voice. "They've already been in there," he said. "No Momoi. She could be alive."

"Then they just took a cop along with them when they busted out?" said Aomine. She could have been somewhere else, sure. Under a building. Dropped into the water. "You think that happened?"

"Narumi's kind of stupid," said Imayoshi. "And she's pretty. Y' can't underestimate that."

It was a hope, if a slim one. It would delay the time until Aomine had to come back, and identify Satsuki's shattered body, or Tetsu's.

Midorima had been silent until now. "I understand what you are suggesting," he said to the Police Captain. Probably better than anyone else. The politics of all this flew over Aomine's head, who was Fleet, who wasn't, and why the hell it mattered. Kagami was still frowning, starting to smoke as his brain overheated. "Why have you approached us?"

"D'you agree?" said Imayoshi.

"Why have you approached us?" repeated Midorima.

"Becaus' right now," said Imayoshi, slowly. "Ah think you're the best chance we've got."

Their staring contest was interrupted when Kagami swore, suddenly and sharply.

"This isn't my necklace," he said, picking it off his chest to stare at it. "This isn't… Tatsuya exchanged our pendants."

"Concussion?" said Imayoshi, looking at Midorima with concern.

"No," said Kagami. "There's… there's two of these. There's one for me, and one for S- Akashi. But they're both different. The flame curves the opposite way. This isn't the one I've been wearing. I've had the other one for years."

"Sure," said Imayoshi politely.

Aomine's mind threw up a memory. "He switched them," said Aomine. "I thought he was stealing it from you, but he... switched them?"

"How many people would notice that?" said Midorima, thinking aloud. "One… two…"

"One," said Kagami.

.0.

Hanamiya's mouth fell open. "You… do know who he is?" he said.

"Of course he does," said Himuro, softly. "Though we last met in very… different circumstances." The last time, it had been him in the handcuffs. The elder Prince of the Fire Nation had been taller then, too. Those eyes were still the same: so hateful, so cold.

"Of course I do," said Akashi. "So this is where you've ended up." He swept the Mukan in front of him with a chilling glare. Reo had never seen Akashi this openly angry before, ever. "Among the traitors and lowlifes."

Hanamiya reddened. "No!" he said.

"Yes," said Akashi, his tone weary beyond imagining. "Again."

"What?" said Nebuya, quite lost.

"I investigated the situation thoroughly when I returned to Republic City," said Akashi. "If you are referring to the boy you attempted to abduct on your theory that he was my younger brother. I discovered what I expected to- an imposter and a fraud, laying claim to my family's name and heirlooms."

"Indeed?" said Himuro tightly.

"I have told you time and time again," said Akashi to Himuro, his voice low and poisonous. "You are not to associate with hooligans and peasants of low origin. I told you this when you ran wild after Father left and got kicked out of three successive firebending schools of repute. I told you this when you took up with street urchins and you incited eighteen civic incidents in less than half a year. And I told you when I left the Fire Nation and you had the opportunity to better yourself and take the throne- an opportunity you have squandered and frittered away. Now do you see how you have created another mess I am going to have to clean up, again?"

There was a stunned silence.

Himuro stared at Akashi. His cheeks flushed and his eyes glared ice. "My mess?" he spat back at the Commander. "My mess? You abandoned your position and your family. You abandoned me. Perhaps your definition of peasants of low origin is 'the only people who ever gave a damn about your extraneous little brother'! Does it really not surprise you that I am here? That I've decided do something about the problems you and your corrupt empire have caused?"

"You are weak-minded and easily led," said Akashi cooly. A soft heart to match Taiga's soft head. "No. It does not surprise me."

Himuro laughed, bitterly. "I suppose that poor boy is still in Republic City," he told Akashi. "Awaiting his fate."

"Is he?" said Akashi. "You must think yourself in a position to know."

"I am," spat Himuro. "Taiga is safe... from you." He visibly regained control of himself. "If Hanamiya is satisfied that I am who I say I am, I have nothing more to say to the Commander. Reo?"

Reo stepped forward. "Sei-chan," he said.

"Former Lieutenant," said Akashi.

"The same conditions as on the Beast will apply to your captivity here," said Reo, falling into well-remembered formalities. "Co-operate, and your subordinates won't be harmed."

Akashi's eyes rested on Reo's face with deliberate feeling, but he said nothing.

"We have chi-blockers," said Reo. "You and your subordinates won't be able to bend."

"Or we could cut his arms off," said Hanamiya meaningfully.

"Thank you, Makoto, that will be all," said Reo, tones icy. Hanamiya sneered at him and stalked off.

Reo nodded to one of the waiting Mukan agents.

The man stepped forward and his hands flashed. Akashi collapsed, his right leg buckling under him. Nebuya and Ogiwara barely kept him upright.

"The numbness will wear off, Commander," said Kuroko, shaking out his hands. Hayama watched narrowly, his chin propped on Furihata's shoulder. "As long as you are mindful of it, you should suffer no further ill effects."

"Thank you," said Reo. "Nebuya, Ogiwara- put Sei-chan in the brig under guard, please. Then come to the command deck. We have much to discuss."

Kuroko followed Nebuya and Ogiwara, surprising Nebuya when he stepped into the cell after them. "You gonna do more of that chi-blocking stuff?" He wanted to know.

Kuroko nodded. "Yes," he said. "It won't hurt him permanently, but it will further incapacitate his mobility and ability to escape."

Nebuya shuddered. "You folks are creepy," he said. "How come Hayama doesn't know this stuff?"

"I studied under the Kiyoshi Warriors," said Kuroko. His hands politely but firmly pressed into Akashi's torso and shoulders, the carved hollow of his throat. The clear marks of bruises at other chi points showed, the size of fingertips. "Their techniques for chi healing and chi manipulation are very advanced and not commonly known."

Akashi's arms twitched as their muscles refused to respond to his brain.

"I would advise not tipping yourself over," said Kuroko to Akashi, after testing the condition of his fingers. "In this condition, you might very well choke on your own tongue."

"Geeze," said Nebuya, impressed.

Akashi stared straight ahead, expressionless.

"Good work, Kuroko," said Ogiwara eagerly. "I'm glad you decided to join us."

"Of course," said Kuroko. "I am happy to be of assistance." He looked up at Nebuya. "No drugs?" he said.

Nebuya shrugged. "He burns through them," said the earthbender. "I've seen him do it. The amount it would take to knock him out would just kill him outright." Nebuya scratched his head. "And we want him alive for now."

They left, other agents settling in to guard the Commander.

Akashi, still maintaining his breathing, slowly curled his fingers around the pai-sho tile Kuroko had palmed into Akashi's hand. His thumb traced the carved relief of a white lotus as he was left alone and the door closed behind them.

.0.

"Raku refuses," said Kagami.

"He refuses to go after your brother?" said Aomine. "Geeze, who hasn't he pissed off?"

"Not that," said Kagami. "He refuses to take me with him." He glared right into the half-closed eyes of Raku's head lying on the floor of the now-empty Fleet Hangar. Raku had been working together with the air nomads and their bison to rescue people from the Emperor and around the city, and rather obviously resented being woken up from his rest for such a stupid reason.

"Why?" said Aomine. "Are you too fat?"

"He thinks it's too dangerous," said Kagami. "Where the hell is he, then?"

Raku snorted steam out his nostrils. His wings lay limp along his back. Aomine was losing steam now that dawn was coming, but Kagami, who had been forced by Midorima to go back to sleep after Imayoshi left, was wide-awake with the rising sun.

"What do you mean you need to go look?" demanded Kagami. "That's what I'm saying! Take me with you!"

Raku once again shook that great head, no.

Master Garcia listened with her arms crossed.

"What's up with that?" Aomine asked her.

"Probably Seijuurou told Raku not to let Taiga leave the city," said Alex. It was hard to notice, but she didn't quite look at Aomine when she was speaking to him. Her blue eyes gazed forward, not focusing. "It'll be hard on you guys to fly a long time, you know? It's not like on a bison, or when you're just travelling. You won't be able to take stops and he'll need to be a lot more careful of you."

"Ah ha!" said Takao. "That would be where we come in." He called up to the Hawk's navigation deck. "We good?"

Murasakibara stuck his head out one of the open glass windows. "It'll fly," he said. "I can't guarantee the performance, though. There are some adjustments to the engine I've never seen before."

"Close enough," said Takao. The thought of flying again had lit a fire inside him; even with the mounting fear and urgency of preparing for their escape, he grinned from ear to ear.

"What's that?" said Alex. "Can it keep up with a dragon?"

"We can't fly an airship," Aomine pointed out.

"I can," said Takao.

"So can I," Murasakibara called out lazily.

"You're coming along?" said Aomine. This was getting crowded.

"Of course they are," said Midorima, his voice echoing in the vast space left by the Hammer's absence. "You can't fly an airship."

Everyone except Kagami, Alex and the dragon stared at him. Midorima had taken off his sling and his coat and covered his face in blue paint in Water Tribe warrior designs, over which he'd jammed his glasses.

He looked stupid as hell.

Aomine really wished he had some war paint too.

"Shin-chan, wow," said the Lieutenant.

"You're coming along?" Kagami demanded. "I thought you were going to stay here."

"Of course I am," said Midorima. "You rushed off without hearing it earlier, but the messages from the North also left open the possibility of my sister having been abducted by the Mukan, not to mention that Councilman Nakatani has still not been located. I am coming with you."

"Oh," said Kagami. He looked across at Aomine, who shrugged. He couldn't argue with that.

"Furthermore," continued Midorima crisply, "you are totally incapable of undertaking such a venture on your own. You made no plan and no contingency. You haven't even thought about supplies or heading or plan of attack. I don't wonder that Raku expects you to perish instantly if you set out."

"Hey," said Kagami weakly.

"Don't argue with me," said Midorima. He turned to Raku.

"We will follow you," Midorima informed the dragon. "Until we track down the Mukan who are holding Akashi or any of the other abductees. You may assist us or not; we will succeed regardless."

Steam leaked out Raku's jaws as he opened them in a dragon laugh. The dragon sighed heavily and heaved himself to his feet, opening his wings. He stepped forward and nosed the airship, as though trying to satisfy himself that it could fly.
"Oh, him you listen to," muttered Kagami. He put his hand on the dragon's massive chest, feeling the shivers of Raku's body.

"Shin-chan, whatta man," murmured the Lieutenant. Midorima stalked by him and pulled himself into the airship.

"We'll be leaving soon," the waterbender stated bluntly, then vanished inside.

"Is Midochin okay?" said Murasakibara, looking down.

"It's been a long day for all of us," said Takao. "Tae, you okay to let us fly out of here? We can probably cuff you to something if you want deniability."

Tae climbed down from the Hawk and shook her head. "You go," she said. "We're all- My brother's really beating himself up about Miyaji-san. He keeps saying he should have known." She looked up at the Hawk, at Murasakibara still hanging out the window looking down at them. "I hope she gets you where you need to go."

"Shh, she can hear you," crooned Takao. He stroked the Hawk's sides possessively. "She'll get us there, alright."

Murasakibara looked down at him in disgust. "Thanks," he said to Tae. "If you get in trouble, my family can probably help you."

"Thanks for the offer," the mechanic said.

Murasakibara grunted and vanished inside.

Alex sighed. "I guess I can't stop or help you," she said. "I'll hold down the fort here- Republic City's in bad shape right now. And I don't like airships, you know I always get sick on the damn things."

"I know," said Kagami. He hugged Alex. "I'll bring him back," he said.

"Which one?" Alex sniped.

"Hell if I know," said Kagami. "Keep looking for Kuroko and Momoi, ok? If you hear anything…"

"I'll message as fast I can," promised Alex. She let go and Kagami went to help Takao work out how they were going to follow a dragon in mid-air.

Alex first groped for then plucked at Aomine's sleeve. "Boy…" she said.

"I know," said Aomine.

She squeezed his arm. She was strong for an old lady, her palms warm with her fire. "Good luck."

.0.

Momoi had elected to go off by herself instead of following Narumi and his friend. She had to find Nigou, and then she had to find a way off this ship or a way to contact the authorities back home. She imitated the lunging, dashing walk of the few airship personnel she passed, trying to look too busy to be accused of being an imposter.

She reached another cargo hold and looked in to see if it was safe to call for Nigou.

An airbender stood there, his bison lying on the floor. She was sleeping, her white fur streaked here and there with blood.

He rubbed his hand down one of her horns, flaking off dried blood. The bison rumbled, the toes on two of her six legs curling as she growling in her sleep.

Nigou couldn't have gotten in here without the airbender seeing him. Momoi stepped back noiselessly and made to cross the doorway to the other side.

A whip of air cut her off; Momoi fell backwards, heart pounding at how close she'd come to losing her face. The airbender turned and walked towards her, the metal cap on his glider tinking on the metal floor.

"Oh?" he said, looming over her. "You're cute." He used the glider to move her hair back from her face. "Why're you sneaking around, pretty girl?"

Momoi stared up into the face of the airbender who had nearly killed Dai-chan. The Mukan had at least one airbender, the suspicious one that had taken away Hanamiya Makoto, the other person who had nearly killed Dai-chan.

"My doggie!" she sobbed. Her voice went an entire pitch higher with fear and ditziness. "I- oh, I lost my little doggie when we did that- that jump thing, and now I don't know where he is!" The sky that she'd glimpsed through portholes was pink. She had no idea where they were.

"Aw, poor baby," he said. He smirked at her, in what he clearly thought was a commiserating manner. "Don't cry, sweets. I won't hurt you."

"I've never been on an airship before," she said, looking up at him, blinking through teary eyelashes. "My boyfriend snuck me on because he said that something bad was going to happen in the city."

"Boyfriend, huh?" said Haizaki, leaning on his glider. This seemed to deter him not at all. "Need help finding him?"

Momoi wrinkled her nose. He'd never seen her face, not under the layers of Kiyoshi Warrior facepaint. "No! He's suuuuuch a loser! I don't ever want to see him again!" She let her eyes fill with tears, dripping them prettily down her cheeks. "He said that Nigou was a dumb mutt!"

Haizaki laughed and pulled her to her feet, wiping her tears with his hands. He was strong, stronger than he'd been when they'd fought years ago.

He put his arm around her and squeezed her to his side. Momoi was acutely aware of her fans, thankfully tucked in too tight to move. "Tell you what," he said. "Why not come with me, I'll take care of you. Sweet little thing like you, we could have some fun."

.0.

It took a while for them to find him, but once dawn hit the airbenders of the Northern Temple started searching in a body, and flares were sent up to mark the way for the Avatar.

Kise and Nijimura flew from the Victory until they happened on another airbender heading that way and hitched a ride on her bison. She turned huge, dark eyes on them when they landed, and they flew in silence until they reached the growing mass of air bison hovering in the air above the patch of white, waterlogged fur. They called to each other and to their fallen herdmate, calling for reassurance in low tones that echoed back off the water. The airbenders were completely silent.

Kai and Kasamatsu floated on the water, Kasamatsu and his glider still tangled up in the reins of his bison. It had kept him from being swept away with the current. The air bison's horns and sides were streaked with blood, barely breathing and unconscious.

Sempai's face was cold and white, his eyes staring open. They lifted him out of the water and his head dangled unnaturally. He must have been killed almost instantly, struck from behind.

There was no sign of the Water Tribe princess.

Kise's hands worked to untangle Kasamatsu from the swollen reins; Nijimura produced a knife and cut him free. They moved his body out of the water. Then Kise raised Kai up on a platform of water and the airbenders moved massive nets under the bison, three nets held up by four bison each. As they raised him, other bison came gingerly under the net and supported it and him upwards. Despite the care they took, Kai stirred, moaning with pain.

"We will take it from here," they said to Kise and Nijimura. "We will bring him home."

Kise bent Kasamatsu's glider up to him on a spike of water. Nijimura spoke to him clearly and firmly.

"We have to go," he said. "They've already got a head start on us. They have at least three hostages, and who knows how many more. We don't know where're they're going."

"I know," said Kise. In the icy cool that had overtaken him as he touched the cold water around Kasamatsu's body, he could feel the light, shining out of his body. The darkness that Shou drew on called to it, and it to him.

Didn't he know Shou better than anyone? Hadn't Kise been afraid of this?

"He's going into the spirit world," said Kise. His grip tightened on the glider. The lacquer was worn away with the shape of Kasamatsu's hands, smaller than Kise's, more firm, more sure. "We're going to need to get there too."

END OF BOOK 3