“I’ll help you!”

Those three little words. They sounded so harmless at the time. Like a meaningless joke or a quiet comment but now here you were, staring down two enormous, sweaty, sword-wielding guys who smelled like they bathed in old socks. Fucking twats, cornering two much smaller people and barring their muscles to intimidate you and Reyna.

Honestly, you might’ve laughed at how ridiculous this all was if it weren’t for the whole life-threatening danger thing. You and Reyna were side by side, (crazy enough) but weapons drawn, looking like the oddest pair of prey these two goons could’ve stumbled upon.

Because, see, you and Reyna were… well, “friends” might be a bit of a stretch. You mostly followed her around like a lost puppy, talking her ear off while she pretended you didn’t exist. But you were praetor and praetor, which meant you were stuck together—whether she liked it or not. (Spoiler: she did not.) But you dig her way into her hard heart eventually, or you hoped you would.

And Reyna? Reyna had been through some stuff. Especially when she was younger. She still carried the scars from the time a dark-haired kid and his blonde partner decided it’d be fun to unleash literal pirates at the spa where she and her sister worked. Yeah, she’d suffered, and she’d never let it go. Revenge wasn’t just a dream for her; it was a full-time job.

So, being the overly optimistic, golden-retriever-type you were, you’d offered to help. Because why not? How hard could it be? (answer: very hard. you were an idiot.)

Now, with your backs pressed together as the two giant men circled like wolves, you realized this may have been a mistake.

“Don’t take your eyes off them,” Reyna hissed under her breath, her voice sharp and commanding.

You nodded quickly, trying not to think about how much cooler she looked in this moment compared to you. Black cat and golden retriever, teaming up to not die. Honestly, if this wasn’t terrifying, it might’ve been kind of iconic.