Odell’s camo-smeared face popped up from behind a bush. He looked left and right, then dipped back behind and leaned close to a bored-looking Hal.

  “I count two standing close to the door; they aren’t blocking tourists from passing through, but are watching them closely.”

  The green-haired boy sighed.

  “And we could have simply walked in as tourists if you didn’t insist on useless recon.”

  “We don’t know what they are capable of, or how spread out they are; we need strategy!”

  Hal scoffed at Odell’s use of the word ‘strategy.’

  “I aim simply to recover my sisters left in the room.”

  “Dast, and we are going to save them!”

  “With crushed leaves covering our faces?”

  “Of course not, you didn’t want to put any on.”

  Hal groaned as Odell lurched back up over the bush. The armored men’s attention was entirely fixed on a passing Aqueenian woman in a skimpy bathing suit, and it didn’t break until she was further out of sight. Their posture loosened, and shoulders relaxed as they started talking to each other with smiles plastered on their faces. One laughed and the other shook his head.

  “No discipline,” Hal said with disgust. Odell had not noticed the Netzian soldier joining him to look at the guards.

  “You think we can take advantage of that?”

  “Do you intend to ask one of our comrades to dress in that manner and strut in front of them? Wipe the filth off your face, and we can just walk in.”

  “I’m telling you, man, my gut says we won’t be able to do it. I mean, why have guards here watching everybody if they weren’t wary about finding someone?”

  Hal pressed his fingers between his closed eyes. He said nothing for a moment, leaving Odell to think.

  Since taking out the one soldier, the group had noticed an increasing number of the black-armored men and women marching around the resort. The guests, oblivious in their frolicking, didn’t seem to notice or care, but Odell could tell things were not looking so good.

  Rheba had theorized they took over the main offices, but planned to remain under the radar unless something occurred—in which case the guests would become hostages. Odell wasn’t so sure she was right, but it sounded believable enough, and she was a real soldier, unlike the prince, so he figured he would go with it.

  Hal had seemed to think it believable and immediately marched to the resort guest rooms to recover his twin sisters. The grey prince went along and insisted on stealth. He was certain a couple of the soldiers were eyeing them, maybe him, specifically. Actions had to be taken with the utmost care—just in case.

  “I am going to go through the door to retrieve my sisters. You may stay here and continue playing, whatever it is you are playing,” the green-haired boy finally said. He stood up, brushed off his shoulder, and marched to the door. All while ignoring the whispering pleas from Odell.

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  The guards looked at Hal as he walked up, and one tilted his head. He said something Odell couldn’t make out to the other guard, and they both stepped up to greet Hal. At once, the grey prince felt his heart skip a beat. He was right after all. They recognized them. Evron must have gotten their faces sent out to the troops after Odell failed to catch him. He scratched at his still regrowing crown and watched.

  One of the guards had a bigger mouth, and his booming voice was somewhat able to carry to Odell.

  “…hat… ou… oing… here?” Seemed to carry across. Hal was far too soft spoken for the prince to parse any sort of reply. “….can’t…. pass….”

  Odell watched as Hal’s shoulders seemed to lock and his real hand closed into a tight fist. The duo had left their Needaimus with the group in order to look more casual, so getting into a fight shouldn’t have been on the table.

  Hal swung his fake arm so that it clanged loud enough for Odell to hear off one of the guards' helmets, and the man stumbled back, holding his head. The second tried to grab the Netzian, but he slipped just out of range and thrusted his foot into the man’s chin. As the guard tumbled to the ground, Hal completed a backflip. He readied his hands into a boxer’s pose.

  At least fighting shouldn’t have been on the table.

  Odell wasn’t about to wait around any longer. He leapt from the bushes and ran to Hal’s side as fast as his shorter legs could carry.

  “You can’t just start fighting without a plan!”

  “I said I was going to get my sisters, and they wouldn’t let me.”

  “So you just attacked?”

  “I’d burn this resort down for them if I had to.”

  Odell found it was his turn to groan.

  “Please, just show some restraint. Shouldn’t we have gotten our Needaimus at least?”

  “One does not need a Needaimus to brawl.”

  “Says the sister-crazed lunatic.”

  Both guards had managed to stand back up, but both swayed. The one who took a foot to the chin looked worse for wear, but the other held his head and gritted his teeth. Given the metal arm on a metal helmet, it must have been one wallop for him.

  The chin man was the first to charge again, this time at Odell. He might have thought he’d seen an easy target, but the grey prince was no longer so weak. He easily sidestepped a blow meant for his face and tripped his opponent before the lunge could be stopped. The man slapped hands onto the paved ground and managed to slam his head into the back of one hand before it ended up like a dropped egg. He groaned in pain. Odell, not wanting to give up a moment, leaned in close from behind and gave a restrained blow to the back of the head. Just enough for the man to go limp, but stay alive.

  “If you leave them alive, it will bite you,” Hal muttered. His fake arm unfolded into an energy gun—Odell held back drooling awe at the sight—and blasted the helmet man clean in the chest. There was barely a pop or crackle to accompany the lightshow. One second, the helmet man was still recovering from the head blow, the next he held a hand over his wound and looked at Hal with horror.

  Some tourists watching the show murmured to each other about how realistic the dramatization was.

  “Hal, wait!” Odell grabbed the soldier's fake arm and pushed it down.

  “Are you frustrated that I am making a scene, or willing to take a life?” The soldier's question came off as innocent and cold. Odell didn’t answer; he didn’t know what to say. In one sense, in serious brawls, it was kill or be killed. Every Hobusian still in touch with their warrior clan heritage knew that. In another sense, what was a fist fight had turned deadly. There was no honor in Hal’s kill, nor were they sure they would have been killed had they lost.

  “Let’s… Let’s just go get your sisters for now.”

  “We shouldn’t leave the second.”

  “You would shoot an unconscious guy in the back?”

  Hal squinted at Odell and glared daggers at the chin man. He sighed, and his arm turned from gun to hand.

  “Very well, the more we argue, the longer it takes to get to them. We still need to recover Haliegh after this.”

  “Don’t worry about her, she’s with Gwyn and Fiona.”

  Hal raised an eyebrow and gave Odell a look he couldn’t quite place.

  “Let’s hurry up and take care of these guys then.”

  The duo charged into the resort lobby, not knowing what they might come across next.