Path to the Apocalypse

After finishing their meal, which Beth did manage to pay for, Chris and Beth went their separate ways, Beth insisting that she would pick him up by the lifts at six on Friday for the party. So on Friday, he put on his new suit and headed up to the third floor, arriving around five fifty.

"Chris!" He heard Beth yell from nearby after waiting for a few minutes. He looked over to see her stepping out of a long limo wearing an elegant blue dress with green and red accents that match his suit suspiciously well. "Over here!"

Chris walked over with a frown. "We're taking a car?" Chris asked skeptically.

"Duh. Why else would I need to pick you up? Come on, let's go!" Beth rolled her eyes, before pulling him into the limo.

"Okay, but why do we need to take a car? Where are we going?" Chris asked as he got in the car.

"Well, first, we're heading back to my place, where you'll meet my parents, then we're heading to the Emerald Pavilion for the party." Beth explained.

"Okay… still don't see why we need a car. Couldn't we just take a rail car?" Chris asked.

Beth gave him a weird look. "Well, for starters, the rails don't go to my neighborhood. Secondly, if we have the car, why not use it?"

Chris frowned, before shrugging. "Fair enough."

The limo wound through the streets and entered a gated community before finally coming to a stop in front of one of the largest houses. "We're here!" Beth announced, jumping out of the limo and dragging Chris into the house.

"Ah, Beth, you're back!" An older woman who looked a lot like Beth exclaimed as they walked in, pulling her into a hug. "And who's this handsome young man?" She asked as she pulled away, looking Chris up and down, before glancing at Beth as slightly raising an eyebrow as she noticed the matching outfits. “Is this why you needed a new dress?”

"Mom!" Beth complained, shifting uncomfortably. "This is just Chris! He's a friend!"

"Ah, of course." Beth's mom nodded with a smirk, clearly not believing her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Chris. I'm Abigail, Beth's mother."

"And I'm Beth's father, David." An older man added with a grin as he walked over.

"It's nice to meet you both." Chris greeted them politely.

"So, you're the one Beth is dragging into the military with her, right?" David continued, examining Chris a bit closer.

Chris cocked his head. "I guess you could put it that way." He agreed with a nod.

"Hey! I'm not dragging him! I convinced him with solid, logical arguments!" Beth protested.

David chuckled. "Yes, yes, of course."

Abigail rolled her eyes at David, before turning to Chris. "So, Chris, is this your first Ball?"

Chris's eyes widened. "Ball? Like, dancing Ball?"

"Did I not mention that?" Beth asked innocently.

"No. Does this mean I need to dance? Cause I would have at least practiced." Chris commented.

"Nope. I mean, we could dance, but we don't have to." Beth shook her head. "The main purpose of the Ball is socializing, so a lot of people just stand around and talk."

"Ah… sounds fun." Chris replied noncommittally, trying not to offend Beth's parents.

"No, no it doesn't, but this is the price we must pay for status." David sighed. "These events are essential for making connections, and without connections, good luck getting into any significant position."

"If I don't want a significant position, can I go back home?" Chris replied.

"No! You need to keep me company! Do you know how boring these things can get?!?" Beth protested.

Abigail sighed. "I just do not understand you people. I enjoy Balls!"

David smirked. "Indeed you do, dear. But I can't say they're to my taste."

Chris looked between David and Abigail, getting an idea of where Beth's phrasing issues came from. "Okay, so, how long do these things last then?"

"Three, four hours?" David estimated.

"And all that is just people standing around and talking?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Essentially." David nodded.

Chris nodded. "So, long, boring, and mandatory… welp, that kills my political ambitions."

David chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you get used to it."

"That sounds like Stockholm syndrome." Chris retorted.

"No, it's adaptation." David corrected with a grin.

*

After a few more minutes of chatting, it was time for them to head to the Ball. They all climbed into the limo which drove off towards the Emerald Pavilion. "Wow…" Chris muttered as he stepped out of the limo to see the largest, fanciest building he'd ever seen.

"Don't just stand there like a bumpkin! Come on, let's head inside!" Beth grabbed his hand, pulling him after her.

"To be fair, I am a bumpkin." Chris pointed out.

"Yes, but you can't act like one." Beth retorted.

Chris sighed. "Of course not. This is becoming a pretty high maintenance favor."

Beth rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'll make it up to you. Come on, let's go!"

"Have fun you two!" Abigail encouraged them as they left.

"If you can." David muttered.

Beth dragged Chris inside, heading straight for the buffet. "The one redeeming factor of these things is that the food is amazing!" She explained, grabbing them plates.

Chris eyed the long line of finger food, slightly skeptical, before taking the nearest one and popping one in his mouth. "Mmm! This is good!" Chris exclaimed, grabbing more and piling it on his plate.

"Told you!" Beth smirked, piling her own plate high, before they headed towards a high table to place their food as they ate and talked.

"Beth, is that you?" A voice called out as they were chatting.

Beth turned to see the new arrival, putting on a polite smile. "Katerina, how good to see you!" She exclaimed with a cheerfulness that didn't reach her eyes.

Katerina walked over, giving Beth a short hug. "Oh, I feel like it's been ages since we last saw each other! How have you been? How was your Trial?"

"I've been well. As for the Trial, well, as you can see, I survived-" She paused as Chris coughed pointedly, shooting him a glare before continuing. "-despite a few minor hiccups due to unexpected events. It was an illuminating experience."

"Ah, illuminating! What an excellent way to describe the Trial! Yes, you really see how terrible it can be for those poor low-tiers. If even we have to be careful, what must they go through? I shudder at the thought!" Katerina replied in a sympathetic tone of voice.

"I'm not sure if shuddering is the right reaction. Depression, heartbreak, pissing yourself in fear, those might be good reactions." Chris commented blandly.

Beth let out a short laugh, before covering her mouth, while Katerina turned to Chris, raising an eyebrow. "Beth, I don't believe you've introduced me to your… charming friend here."

Beth grinned, hooking Chris's arm with her own. "This is Chris. He's a new friend I made in the Maze."

Katerina's eyebrows rose. "A friend, you say? How interesting." She looked Chris up and down, before turning back to Beth. "Well, I must continue to make my rounds. Please, give my regards to Daniel when you see him." She commented with a smirk, before rushing off.

Beth watched her go, gritting her teeth slightly. "Bitch." She growled under her breath.

"I take it you two aren't on the best terms?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Beth sighed. "No, she's not terrible. She's just a gossip and a busybody. If there's a chance to cause drama, she's going to jump on it."

"Now see, to me, that does sound terrible." Chris pointed out.

"Well, other people around here will just decide to beat you up if they don't like you, so comparatively, she's not so bad. Plus, it isn't personal with her. She's just bored and seeking entertainment." Beth explained.

"Wait, they'll beat you up?!? What is this, middle school?" Chris asked incredulously.

“I was referring to the duels.” Beth elaborated. “But yeah, essentially it is just an excuse to beat someone up, but done in such a way that no one can be mad about it, because it's a duel.”

Chris nodded. "Right. Wait, can you decline these duels or are they mandatory?”

“You can decline them, it's just that no one ever does, because everyone will look down on them for it.” Beth rolled her eyes. “Which is stupid, because you're going to get looked down on for losing the duel anyway.”

“Gotcha, so no problem for me then.” Chris muttered. “I honestly don't give two shits if these people look down on me, particularly for something so stupid.”

Beth grinned. "You're the best, you know that? Anyone else I would have brought would be telling me all about how they'd ‘defend my honor’, like them winning or losing a duel has anything to do with me.” She shook her head in disappointment. “And they're all like that! It's like they're all convinced that the whole world revolves around them! That their every victory should be the glory of everyone around them, and every defeat should leave everyone in despair!”

"Well, in their defense, isn't that what everyone teaches them?” Chris replied. “Everyone treats high-tiers like the saviors of the City, like they're the only thing standing between us and the depredations of the Maze. If they win, the City wins, if they lose, the City loses. The idea that everyone lives or dies because of their actions is practically baked into their bones.” He paused. “How did you avoid it?”

Beth hesitated, thinking about it for a moment. "My dad? He always says that everyone has a part to play, and every part is important, because without the support of everyone around them, high-tiers wouldn't be able to do what they do. See, we have the same ability, but when he started out, he was a low-tier who barely survived his Trial by the skin of his teeth. After that, he joined the military, hoping to get stronger, and learned how to actually use his ability, working his way up until he reached the level of a high-tier. So he's been at pretty much every level of the military, and he knows how important each level is.”

Chris cocked his head. “Interesting. Is that why you latched onto me so quickly? Because I remind you of your dad?”

Beth's eyes widened. “What- no! I- What do you mean I latched onto you?!?”

Chris scratched his head. “Maybe latched is the wrong word… I mean you got comfortable with me pretty quickly. Usually people are a bit… put off by me? But you just kinda rolled with it. I never felt like you were uncomfortable around me.”

Beth frowned. “You never did anything to make me uncomfortable and you treated me with more respect than any other guy I know, even after-” She cut off, looking around for a moment before continuing in a whisper. “-even after the kiss. Plenty of other guys I know would have gotten ideas after that, but you never even mentioned it again! And I know it wasn't because you had issues teasing me, because you teased me plenty over the centipedes.” She finished with a slight grumble.

Chris raised an eyebrow. “Didn't we agree to pretend it never happened? Besides, all that did was prove you were attracted to me, and that means basically nothing. There are plenty of people I'm attracted to who I would never want to actually be with. Case in point, the young woman we just met. Undeniably attractive, but if she asked me on a date, I would have a hard time not laughing in her face, as the idea would seem that ridiculous to me.”

Beth snorted. “See? That's my point. I'm not comfortable with you because you remind me of my dad, I'm comfortable with you because there's nothing to be uncomfortable with. You don't don't see me as some prize to win or some challenge you have to beat to get what you want, you just see me as… me. As Beth.”

Chris scratched his head. “Who else would I see you as?”

Beth smiled. “Exactly.”

*

"Beth, it's about time you headed back to get ready." Abigail announced as she walked over with David.

Chris raised an eyebrow at Beth. "Ready for what?"

Beth groaned. "It's this stupid ceremony where all the new 'adults' share a dance. They pair us off and make us flaunt ourselves in front of everyone. It's stupid."

"It isn't flaunting, it's announcing to the world that you're officially an adult to be taken seriously!" Abigail protested.

Beth sighed, before turning back to Chris. "Sorry, I have to go. I'll be back as soon as possible." She assured him, before walking off with Abigail.

David watched them go, before turning to Chris with a grin. "Well then, since you're here, let me introduce you to a few of my colleagues." He offered, taking Chris by the shoulder and leading him off.

"Is this that networking thing you mentioned before?" Chris asked skeptically.

"Indeed it is. Don't worry, I'm not trying to push you into any sort of position, but it never hurts to know the higher ups." David commented.

David led Chris to a sitting area, where he saw a familiar face. "Chris, this is Samuel Williams, the head of the Defense Force." David introduced the two. "Samuel, this is-"

"Chris, yes, we've met previously." Samuel interrupted, shaking Chris's hand with a grin. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon. You haven't had any issues since your return, have you?"

Chris shook his head. "No, everything has been fine. Just getting ready to join the Scouts and all that."

"Joining the Scouts?" Samuel raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? The Defense Force is always looking for capable men and women and we have more regular hours. You'd be able to-"

"Samuel! Could you not try to poach my new recruit right in front of me?" David elbowed him in the side, shaking his head incredulously.

"What? I need to take any chance I can get! I don't have a young, eligible daughter to lure fresh talents in for me." Samuel shot back with a grin.

"How dare you imply-" David began, before the woman who'd been waiting nearby interjected.

"Gentlemen, we are dignified military officials! Stop acting like children!" She chastised them, before turning to Chris, looking him over with an evaluating gaze. "I'm Belinda Montero, the head of the Vanguard." She introduced herself, extending her hand.

Chris was about to shake her hand when he paused as he heard her last name, his expression twisting slightly. "Montero? Like, the Family Montero?"

Belinda grinned proudly, not noticing Chris's change in expression. "Indeed. My Family's roots in the Vanguard go back for generations."

"Hm. Nice to meet you." Chris finally shook her hand stiffly, unable to keep his expression from turning cold as he did.

David's eyes narrowed as he noticed Chris's shift in attitude. "Yes, well, you two, make sure you remember this boy! I'm sure he'll go on to do great things in the future! Come along, Chris." He took Chris by the shoulder again, leading him off. Once they'd gotten a good distance away, he stopped, turning to Chris with a frown. "What was that back there? Do you have a problem with the Monteros?"

Chris hesitated slightly. "Well… it's more like they have a problem with me. Though, yes, their problem does give me a problem with them."

David raised an eyebrow at him. "Would you care to elaborate?"

Chris sighed. "One of my earliest memories is of an older couple looking at me with expressions of severe disgust as they refused to take me in after my parents died. Apparently someone without an ability wasn't worthy of their affection, even if he was their grandson. Of course, they'd already essentially disowned their daughter just because she married someone 'beneath' her, so I suppose no one should have been surprised." Chris paused, frowning. "You know, I get the Trial. I see its necessity. But how can you just give up on someone before you even know? How can you feel disgust for someone just because they're weak? What kind of person can even think that way? Not one I want to be involved with, that's for sure."

David placed a heavy hand on Chris's shoulder, looking at him with a concerned expression. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. But please, don't hold it against Belinda. That may not even have been the main branch of the family. Sometimes the offshoots are more arrogant than the core."

Chris nodded. "I know. I'm not dumb enough to hold someone accountable for someone else's mistakes. I'm just… not quite ready to be too friendly with a Montero. Not until I know them better."

David patted him on the shoulder. "I understand. Come, I have a few more people you should meet."

David took Chris around, introducing him to the command structure of the Scouts. The most interesting individual was the person in charge of creating and ranking the missions the squads would undertake. There was a systematic evaluation of how potentially dangerous a mission could be, which helped the squads decide whether they should take it or not. The base level missions were the patrol missions, which were ranked based on the level the squad would be patrolling. Next were the scouting missions, which were ranked the same as patrolling one level higher than the level the mission was on. Finally, there were the elimination missions, which were ranked based on the number of enemies, their strength, the territory they occupied, and many other factors that were learned through the scouting process. The conversation gave Chris an idea of what his time in the Scouts would really look like.

"Ahem. Ladies and Gentlemen! Please, turn your attention to the floor as we prepare to welcome the young men and women for their first appearance as adult members of society!" A voice announced over a speaker system, interrupting the latest conversation David had pulled Chris into.

David and Chris shared a look. "Well? Shall we head over?" David asked.

"I suppose we should." Chris sighed, causing David to chuckle. They joined the rest of the crowd as they stood around the dance floor, waiting for the new adults to make their appearance. Abigail managed to find them, hooking her arm with David's, waiting excitedly for the event to begin.

Not much later, music began to play, and pairs of dancing teenagers began to glide onto the dance floor, spinning elegantly as they spread out. "Ooh, there's Beth!" Abigail pointed out as Beth appeared, dancing with a handsome young man with a polite, but dead eyed smile on her face.

"She seems to be enjoying herself." Chris commented sarcastically, grinning slightly.

"Oh, no, they paired her with Daniel." David groaned.

Chris frowned as he heard that name for a second time. "Is that a problem?" He asked, wondering what the big deal was.

David sighed. "Daniel is Belinda's son, and he and Beth have known each other since they were little, due to the various work and social events we both were required to attend. Over the years, Daniel has become very possessive of Beth, which, obviously, Beth does not appreciate. I protect her from him as much as possible, but Belinda supports the match, so there's only so much I can do." He glanced at Chris. "This may cause you issues at some point."

"Oh, joy. I assume he's a high-tier as well?" Chris asked.

"Of course." David chuckled. "Only high-tiers can cultivate such a high level of entitlement."

Chris sighed. "Perfect."

They continued to watch the young adults dance for another few minutes, before they simultaneously came to a stop, turning and bowing to the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we officially welcome you to adulthood!" The announcer exclaimed, and everyone clapped. The music began again, some of the pairs continuing to dance, some grabbing new partners, and others dispersing into the crowd to greet family and friends.

Beth was about to head over to Chris and her parents, when Daniel grabbed her arm. "One more dance?" He offered with a light grin.

Beth took her arm back with a flat glare. "No thank you. I'm going to say hello to my parents." She replied, beginning to walk off.

Daniel caught up, reaching out and gripping her wrist again. "How about later?"

"I'm sorry, I have a friend I promised to accompany tonight. I'll have to talk to him before I promise anything." Beth brushed him off as politely as possible, taking her arm back again and pushing into the crowd.

Daniel paused, frowning, remembering what Katerina had mentioned to him. "A friend, huh? Well, we'll see how this friend matches up." He sneered, before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

"Beth, congratulations!" Abigail announced as Beth returned, pulling her into a hug.

"Mom, it's just a stupid ceremony." Beth rolled her eyes.

Abigail sighed. "Beth, it's a tradition. It's part of our culture!"

"Well our culture is dumb." Beth retorted.

"I don't know. In my culture, adulthood seems to revolve more around alcohol and sex, so in comparison, this is actually pretty decent." Chris interjected.

"Alcohol and sex?" Beth asked in a mix of confusion and incredulity.

"Yup. If you want to be a 'man' you have to drink lots of beer, and have lots of sex. The more you can do either of those, the more of a man you are." Chris explained with a shrug. "It's a bit different for girls, but it seems to revolve around how much of a bitch you can be while still getting guys to chase after you."

Beth paused. "It's still a stupid ceremony." She muttered under her breath.

David chuckled. "Alright, alright. I believe it's time for me to take my lovely wife for a dance. Will you two be joining us?"

Beth turned to Chris with a slightly expectant look, as if she wanted to dance but didn't want to push him if he didn't want to. Chris hesitated, before sighing. "I wouldn't mind dancing, but I only know the basic steps. Like, the one two three and maybe a spin every now and then."

Beth snorted. "No one here is any sort of expert dancer. Doing something like that would be more disruptive than anything."

Chris looked over the dancefloor, noticing that most of the dancers were keeping it pretty simple. "Well, then sure, we could dance." He nodded.

"Are you sure? You don't have to. We could just go wander the garden if you'd like." Beth offered.

Chris paused. "There's a garden?"

"Yeah, it's great! It has flowers, bushes, trees, a little pond, everything! You want to see it?" Beth asked.

"Sure, but why don't we dance for a few songs first. Then we can go see the garden." Chris replied, grinning slightly.

Beth flushed slightly. "That- that could work." She nodded.

Chris held out his hand. "Shall we?"

Beth nodded, taking his hand, and they stepped out onto the dancefloor. They started out slowly, Chris struggling a bit as he got used to dancing again. He hadn't danced since his freshman year of high school, and the only reason he danced then was because one of his school's classes was ballroom dance. Thankfully, dancing wasn't terribly complicated, so he quickly adjusted to the rhythm, following the music along with Beth.

"Uh, Chris? What are you doing?" Beth asked halfway through the first song.

Chris looked down at her, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"You're very pointedly staring over my head, with a blank expression." Beth pointed out.

Chris blinked a few times, before cocking his head. "Is that a problem?"

"Is- yes! What, do you plan on ignoring me the entire time we're dancing?!?" Beth asked incredulously.

"No? How can I ignore you when we're dancing?" Chris frowned. "I mean, I have to pay attention to how you move, your pace, all that. If I was ignoring you, I think we'd trip."

"Okay, but why aren't you looking at me?!?" Beth continued.

Chris paused, before shrugging. "I dunno. It's just how I'm used to dancing with people. Should I be?"

Beth sighed in exasperation. "Chris, if you act like that, people will think you're completely disinterested. Like you don't actually have any interest in dancing with them."

Chris frowned. "That… explains a lot." He muttered, changing his focus so he was actually looking at Beth as they danced. "It feels weird to just stare at someone for minutes on end." He commented a moment later.

"That's why people usually talk while they dance." Beth rolled her eyes.

"Really? I've never talked while I danced." Chris frowned.

Beth gave him a weird look. "You've never talked while you danced? Like, ever?"

Chris shook his head. "Nope. I usually just… dance. I thought that was the point."

"So, you don't look at them, you don't talk, and you just silently dance with them?" Beth asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Those are some real serial killer vibes right there."

Chris frowned. "Again, that explains a lot…"

Beth shook her head, smiling lightly. "You are simultaneously like the best and the worst guy I know."

Chris cocked his head. "How so?"

Beth hesitated as she tried to figure out what she meant. “It's- okay, so at your core, you're like the most amazing guy I know, but you also don't do any of the things that make you feel like an amazing guy, if that makes any sense? Like, I know we're out here dancing because you're perfectly willing to dance if that's what I want, but it's also pretty clear that dancing isn't what you want to be doing.” She paused, before continuing in a quiet voice. “I'm honestly not sure what you want… You just seem to be disinterested in everything.”

"I wouldn't say I'm disinterested, I just… Well, a lot of things are equally interesting to me. Books, games, parties, hanging out with friends, all these are about the same for me, so it doesn't make sense to get excited about a party when I'd have just as much fun staying at home and reading a book or watching TV." Chris explained. "So yeah, I don't particularly want to be dancing, but I also don't particularly want to not be dancing either. If I do it, I'm happy, but if I don't do it, I'm also happy… does that make sense?"

"So… it's like, if everything is special, nothing is?" Beth asked.

Chris paused, before nodding. "I guess you could look at it that way."

"That's kind of a bummer, you know? People like to be special." Beth pointed out.

Chris sighed. "I know, but it isn't like I can change how I am, right? I mean, I could pretend but that's just going to stress me out and it won't actually be genuine, so is it really better?"

"I guess not…" Beth muttered, frowning as she seemed to get lost in thought.

Chris watched her for a bit, before sighing. "If it helps, I do enjoy hanging out with you more than most other people. I may not be the best at showing it, but you have quickly become someone I value having in my life."

Beth gave him a weird look, before smiling lightly. "That does help. Thank you." They continued to dance in silence for a few moments, before Beth stopped them. "Come on, let's go to the garden now." She insisted, dragging him off the dancefloor. She led him towards the other side of the building, leading him into a large, dimly lit garden full of pristine walking paths. A few couples wound their way through the greenery, and small groups had taken a few grassy plots for themselves. "Isn't it beautiful?" Beth asked as they arrived, smiling brightly as she looked around. "Come on, I'll show you my favorite spot!" She continued to drag Chris along, deeper into the garden, until they reached a small pond. Beth stepped off the path, wandering over to a large weeping willow, parting the leaves to reveal a large, empty area. She dragged Chris inside before sitting under the trunk and sighing. "Isn't it nice? It's like a little, secret base."

Chris sat down next to her, looking around. The willow was leaning over the pond, creating a little, private pool, and the leaves were just far enough apart to let in enough light to see, while still keeping everything secluded. "This is pretty nice. Very private."

"Yeah… this is where I come whenever I want to get away from it all." Beth smiled nostalgically, picking up a stick and playing with the water. "Here, I can just take a break and enjoy the peace of the garden. I don't have to worry about how I look, how I act, anything. I can just come here and be."

Chris frowned. "Do you really need to worry about all that?"

Beth shook her head. "You don't understand the games these people play. Any little mistake can make life exponentially more difficult. It's a struggle just to remain innocuous, let alone impress people. Everything that gets done around here uses connections and in order to use those connections, they need to have a good impression of you. It's just so tiring having to make sure I'm not offending anyone just by saying my opinion."

Chris sighed. "The more I hear about this stuff, the more I want absolutely no part of it."

Beth grinned, leaning over to hug his arm. "Thank you for coming anyway. I know this isn't your ideal night, but I've enjoyed your company."

Chris shrugged. "Eh, how many nights are ideal? Besides, this was an… interesting experience. It's a part of the City I've never seen or interacted with before. Even if it isn't my cup of tea, it's at least something new, which is fun in and of itself."

The two spent a few moments sitting under the tree, quietly enjoying each other's company, when their ears perked up as they heard a group of footsteps heading their way. They listened, waiting for them to pass, but instead of continuing along the path, the footsteps turned towards them, heading towards the willow. Chris frowned, standing to his feet, quickly followed by Beth, when the leaves parted and Daniel stepped inside.

"I thought I'd find you here." He sneered, looking them over. "I'm not interrupting, am I? Have you two already finished your little tryst?"

“Tryst?” Chris frowned as Beth flushed. "Dude, not that we did anything, but I'm pretty sure that's none of your business."

"Who are you to tell me what my business is!?!" Daniel growled, gritting his teeth. "I don't know why Beth is putting up with low-tier trash like you, but once I'm done with you, she'll know how far beneath us you really are."

"Daniel, enou-" Beth began angrily, before Chris held up his hand, silencing her.

"Your mother is Belinda, right? Which makes you a Montero." Chris asked suddenly.

Daniel smiled proudly. "Yes, I am Daniel Montero of the Montero Family. But I'm sorry, it is much too late to regret your actions." He continued, his eyes beginning to glow.

"And I assume you're challenging me to a duel?” Chris continued.

“Indeed I am.” Daniel smirked.

“Then I'm afraid I must politely decline.” Chris shrugged. “I don't duel Monteros.”

Daniel froze, eyes widening. "You coward!" He roared angrily.

Chris stared at him for a moment. “So… you can leave now, right? No duels for you here. Go play somewhere else.”

Daniel turned to Beth. “Beth, this coward refuses to even fight for your honor! How-”

“How does that actually work?” Chris interjected. “Like, how does anything we do affect her in any way?”

“It proves she knows how to select the better man!” Daniel replied.

Chris frowned. “Wait, but that only applies if I beat you, right? Because obviously she's selected me at this point, so if you beat me, then it's going to make her look… dumb, I guess? So if we assume I'm going to lose, which is why I assume you challenged me in the first place, then wouldn't I be protecting her honor by not fighting? Because as long as we don't fight, her choice never comes into question.”

Daniel blinked, frowning slightly. “No… no, because she still would have chosen a coward!” He finally replied.

“Well then either way her honor is fucked, right?” Chris pointed out. “Either I'm a loser or a coward, so what's her win condition here? I mean, I guess if I actually was stronger than you, it could work, but ultimately in this position, it looks like you're just dedicated to making Beth look bad.”

Daniel's eyes widened. “What- No! I'm here to prove you've tricked her!”

Chris looked taken aback. “Tricked her? Like, what, you think she's hanging out with me because she thinks I'm strong? Dude, we spent most of a month in Maze, and the entire time I hid behind her while she demolished every creature we ran into. I'm pretty confident she's never for a second thought I was strong.” He paused. “Well, except maybe once, but that never happened.”

“I thought you were handsome, not strong.” Beth muttered, flushing slightly as she remembered what he was talking about.

Chris pointed at her. “There, see? No delusion that I'm this ultra powerful ability user.”

“Well…” Beth began. “Your ability is pretty strong. It just isn't combat focused. And even then, your minions could be pretty powerful. Just because you aren't personally strong, doesn't mean you aren't powerful.” She paused. “The fact that you have like three abilities in one is pretty stupid, honestly. Four if you consider storage space an ability.”

Chris frowned. “I would say my ability is useful, not powerful. Plus, we don't know how strong my minions can be, or how many I can have.” Abilities that revolved around dominating creatures were categorized by the amount and average strength of the creatures under your control, and since his strongest minion was Dyrdek, it was still firmly in the low-tier, even if it could grow.

Beth rolled her eyes. “You haven't had a chance to get stronger creatures. If you were born to a Family, you would have had at least a mid-tier creature presented to you bound and gagged by the time you could walk!”

Chris smirked slightly at the irony that he technically was born to a Family. “Except they wouldn't have known I even had the ability, remember?”

Beth frowned. “True… but still! You can't say your ability is weak if you've never tested it!”

Chris shrugged. “Fair.” He turned back to Daniel, who just looked kinda lost at this point. “Where were we… right! I never tricked her, so we're right back to you trying to shame her for her decisions. Which, in my opinion, seems like a dick move. Honestly, the whole idea that you somehow need to show her that she's made the wrong decision seems kinda insulting. Like you're questioning her intelligence, because obviously you, who have known me for all of… what, two minutes now? Know me so much better than she does, and have to ‘reveal my inadequacy’ for her, so she can make the right decision, which is clearly you. Never mind the fact that we're here as friends, so the very thing you're accusing her of isn't even real. Unless you think she can't even be friends with me, which is kind of an abusive level of controlling. So what's the deal? Do you think she's an idiot or what?”

“I- I-” Daniel stammered, before gritting his teeth in frustration. “I don't care how you twist your words! Agree to duel or admit you're a coward!”

“Okay, I'm a coward.” Chris agreed. “Happy?”

“What- no! Fight me!” Daniel growled.

“Can't.” Chris shrugged. “I'm a coward. Do you need that in writing?”

Daniel looked to Beth with a helpless expression. “Beth, can't you see what he's doing?!? He's making a mockery of our traditions!”

Beth pursed her lips, examining Chris seriously, before nodding. “I'm okay with it.”

“Should we just go?” Chris asked. “I don't think he's going to drop this, and I feel like I've explained my position more than clearly.”

“We could hang out in your space for a bit.” Beth offered. “Break in those couches.”

Chris shook his head as he got up and opened a portal, ignoring the positively fuming Daniel. “Okay, I know you didn't mean it, but that's almost cruel to say right in front of him.”

Beth blinked as she followed him through the portal. “What? I didn't say anything!”

Chris sighed as he closed the portal. “I need to make a list of all the things that mean sex and just have you memorize it.”

Beth scowled. “The only word on that list should be sex. You already have a perfectly good word for it! Why turn every other word into it?!?”

Chris cocked his head. “Honestly, I have no idea. People just don't like to say they're having sex for some reason. Prefer to say they're breaking in the furniture, or they're pounding, or getting it on, or doing it, or-”

“Stop!” Beth groaned, covering her face as she flushed in embarrassment.

Chris grinned. “Fine, but you get my point, right?”

“I get that people are disgusting.” Beth grumbled.

“Yeah, basically.” Chris agreed with a shrug.