Lexie didn't know whether to view this as a win or not. On one hand, she was going to see Isaac again, and this time with protection. On the other hand, she might have inadvertently gotten Isaac in trouble with her Uncle.

She weighed it in her mind and decided to take it as an overall victory. She was sure she could convince her Uncle to go easy on him–if in fact, he hadn't been the one to sic the kidnappers on her and Xena that one time. She could also persuade her Uncle as to why she needed to join the Undernet. She would just tell him the truth–not about being from a different dimension, but about her father possibly colluding with a demon. She needed to protect herself from said demon and Uncle Max was all about her protecting herself.

I'll make him say yes, Lexie told herself. So it's a win.

Anyway, she gave herself a mental pat on the back for how productive she'd been today. She'd practically checked everything off her list and it was still afternoon, leaving the rest of the day open for whatever.

"When do you want to go?" Uncle Max asked.

"Tomorrow," she said.

"That's fine. As long as we're back before four. I have a hot date that I can't miss."

"You always have a hot date. Is it Flaviana?" That was her Uncle's last known lady friend.

"Nah." He went back to work, setting the metal into the magical cast and pressed down hard. "Flavi and I broke up already."

"What? How come?" Not that Lexie was necessarily fond of Flaviana. She'd never met her, but according to Aiden, the woman had massive anger issues, and commitment issues, which was exactly her uncle's type. Nevertheless, Uncle Max had seemed to like her a lot, which was saying something because he liked so few people. "Why do you break up?"

"For adult reasons," was all he said in response. A very unsatisfactory response, Lexie thought.

"It's just that Dad says you're always dating people and breaking up within like months," she said. "Doesn't seem healthy. Maybe you should do some soul-searching and figure out why you can't maintain a steady relationship. Maybe you're the problem."

He gave her a dirty look. "I date and break up because that's what adults do, Lexie. They date and when it doesn't work out, they move on. Just because your father is an old maid who refuses to move on doesn't mean I have to be."

"Who are you really moving on from?" she asked and he avoided the question, deftly pulling up his chair.

"If you're going to sit here, you can't bug me with questions," he said. "That's rule number one of spending time with Uncle Max."

"Fine," she said. Instead, she watched him as he started molding the iron into a gun. She wanted to ask how the magical mold worked. Was it fashioned after a gun he already had? Or did he sometimes make it from scratch?

She resisted, holding back the questions as she simply watched.

Uncle Max finally heaved a sigh. "Are you going to sit here all afternoon eyeballing me?"

"Why? Does it bother you?"

"Yes."

"Good."

She giggled at his annoyed look. She'd done a lot of hard work this morning, so she could afford to take some time off in the afternoon. And bugging her uncle was becoming one of her favorite pastimes.

"You're no longer cute enough to get away with annoying me," he said.

"Yes, I am." She had it on good authority–her dad's and Emma's–that she was still as cute as a button.

"No, you're not. Stop irritating me or I'll throw you out. In fact, I'm going to do that right now. Aren't you done with whatever you came to ask me?"

"I guess," she said. "Wait there was something else I wanted to ask you."

"Surprise surprise. What is it?" He grumbled without looking up.

She silently opened her inventory, the <A Compelling Argument> card materializing in her hand. "Can you walk over there for me and get Rosaria?" Rosaria was the name of the pink gun he'd made for her. She'd returned it after use a few days ago.

He gave her an incredulous look. "Hell no. What do you think this is, a hotel? Get it yourself."

"Oh come on, Uncle. You have to get it. I need to test something out."

Lines etched themselves deep into his forehead as he frowned deeply. His eyes dropped to the card in her hand and he eyed it warily. "That thing isn't going to paint my nails, is it?"

"No," she said, then added, "You're not going to ask if it's going to hurt you, or accidentally blow your head off?"

"I'd rather have my head blown off than walk around with a stupid manicure like your dad does."

Lexie smirked. Aiden had been proud of the nail art she'd done last month and apparently, had gone to his lecture and bragged about it to all his students. Of course, Max had mocked him for it endlessly and so Lexie had threatened to do the same to him if he didn't stop.

Clearly, Uncle Max still remembered her threat.

"No, it's not going to paint your nails. Although for what it's worth, I think you would look fabulous with a gel set."

Uncle Max grunted. "If I do this, you're going to leave me alone, correct?"

"Yup."

He took a second to stare at the ceiling and exhaled deeply in exasperation. Finally, he got up and began heading to the cabinet where he kept Rosaria.

Lexie activated the card.

After he got there, he asked, as he retrieved it. "What do you want me to do with it?"

"Just bring it for now. It was super useful the last time I took it by the way. It's a shame that I can't legally carry that around. I think the government should lower the weapon-carrying age, don't you think?"

He stared at Lexie and frowned. "Huh?"

"It just sucks, because kids get attacked and kidnapped all the time and can't defend themselves. I mean I understand that there are safety concerns to think about and a kid could potentially blow off another kid's head for stealing his apple juice at lunch, but there can be contingencies built-in for that, don't you think?"

Uncle Max paused in step and thought about it. "I suppose. There could be a trigger system that only activates when the kid is actively in danger, but that would require complex AI and system override and we both know the government isn't going to allow that."

"Right, but that can be worked on right?" The <Compelling Argument> card was definitely activated but it was hard to tell if it was working. Uncle Max hadn't moved but was that because he didn't want to or because he couldn't?

Did it matter?

Lexie continued speaking. "I mean, if you think about it, the benefits of a well-armed populace far outweigh the risks, right? Especially when we have superior technology that can mitigate those risks?"

Uncle Max didn't say anything for several seconds. He just continued staring at her. Lexie saw a hint that the card had worked because his eyes were glassy as he stared at her, and his lips pursed as though he were deep in thought. She waited as the countdown in the corner ticked to zero, watching his body language, trying to gauge the exact effect the card was having on him. He wasn't moving much, but he was still breathing. He wasn't standing still in a petrified way and still shifted naturally, but it was just that he wasn't walking away from that particular spot. Like he was so deep in thought he forgot everything else.

Wow.

The card seemed to be exactly what Lexie needed. A few tweaks and buffers and it would work fantastically.

Finally, after the clock hit zero, Max sighed and said, "I haven't thought about that much but you're probably right. A well-armed militia is probably the correct answer to plenty of life's difficulties. You know a wise man once said, 'There's no problem that can't be fixed with the appropriate amount of explosives.'"

Lexie grinned, elated that her first try with the card had been such a success. Of course, she felt the mana drain; it was a hefty card that took at least a hundred mana points, which meant that she couldn't cast it too often within a few hours, probably not more than twice. And the effect only lasted for ten to twenty seconds but combined with <Hustle and Shuffle>, it gave her enough time to dash away.

The other thing to consider was that the skill had been easy because Max had put up almost no resistance. She guessed it was for two reasons; Uncle Max probably had no free mana in his pathways, which made his mana pathways easier to manipulate. But also he hadn't put up any resistance because she was making an argument that he was likely to agree with. So it hadn't been that hard to compel him into taking a second to listen to her.

And she only knew he would agree with that argument because she knew her Uncle Max.

She doubted she would have that kind of insight into a potential criminal. But she could tweak that part of the card later.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Right now, she wanted to know if the pause had been a physiological thing or a mental thing. That was the question in her mind as Uncle Max returned to his seat.

He dropped the gun in front of her. "So? Are you going to do something now?"

"I already did." She showed him her cardless empty hand. "How did you feel when you came back with the gun?"

He frowned at the question and then shrugged. "I felt okay, I guess. Why?"

She eyed him. "You didn't feel… restricted? Like there was a force that made it hard to move?" After he shook his head, she added, "I mean you stood there for like ten seconds."

"Yes, I was listening to you and thinking about what a great point you made."

Ah. So it was mental then. A compulsion to listen to someone. That strayed so close to mind magic that it was surprising that the card even existed. Although, it was pretty weak since it couldn't really persuade you of an argument you wouldn't have already agreed with, given enough time.

Regardless, since Lexie wasn't really interested in its persuasive capabilities, that was irrelevant.

Nevertheless maybe she should test out the persuasiveness of the card next. Next time, she would try making an argument that Uncle Max couldn't possibly agree with and see how he reacted to it.

She wouldn't do it now, because she doubted she could get Uncle Max to move for her again. Also, once again, it was a hefty card. But she would try soon.

Right now, she had so many tweaks to try with the newfound skill first. Just the thought of it filled her with excitement.

"Okay, a deal's a deal." Lexie bounced to her feet and headed to the door. "Thanks, Uncle Max. See ya!"

He grumbled something back but she was already on the run.

Lexie worked through lunch without eating and barely remembered to drink water.

By the time Xena arrived later that evening with Dewie in tow, she felt as frazzled as that meme with the guy linking together conspiracy theories. Her hair was a tangled mess around her face from running her hands through it so often, and her eyes were wide and glassy. Her pad was filled with random scribbles and charted pathways.

When the doorbell rang and she rushed to open the door, her two friends jumped back in alarm.

"Woah," Dewie said first, leaning in to whisper to Xena. "Does she look like that or am I seeing things again?"

"You're not seeing things," Xena responded, giving Lexie a stern look. "Lexie, what the hell?"

"Sorry," she said. "I just discovered this brilliant hack to use the <Compelling Argument> as a trap card, but I'm trying to figure out if I can theoretically combine it with <Shut Up and Dance> so I can turn people into mindless dancing zombies. Problem is they're from different decks so I don't know…"

They both blinked at her. Xena pointed inside resolutely.

"Get in there and go fix yourself up. You're scaring Dewie."

"Oh right. Sorry."

So as her friends went to her room and made themselves comfortable, Lexie took a quick shower, fixed her hair and tried to slap some life into her face. She also drank water.

"I'm ready," she said as she came out drying her hair. She was dressed in a sweat suit and regarded her friends who were sitting on her bed. It took a second for her social skills to kick in again.

Oh yeah, I have to ask them how they're doing.

She decided to start with Dewie, noting that he sported a brand new haircut, in that his bowl cut was now shorter at the sides. "That's new."

Dewie sighed. "Mom said it's in vogue. She told me it would look chic."

"It's shaped like a penis," Xena said with her usual bluntness. "You look like a literal dickhead, Dewie."

Dewie sighed. "I know. But I couldn't say no. She's being so nice to me. I thought I would like it but it's weird and I don't know how to take it." He bit his lip. "On the other hand, Veronica hates me even more than usual now."

"Serves her right," Xena said mercilessly. "She didn't seem to care when the shoe was on the other foot and your mom was ignoring you in favor of her. So you don't have to feel bad that it's the other way around."

"I guess," he said. "It's just weird. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet."

Lexie nodded. She could understand how Dewie felt and it was a hard feeling to articulate to someone who hadn't been in it. Like the time that her mother had taken her to a museum, just the two of them, because Lexie had gotten the highest grades in her class across all subjects for the first time. That was the same year her mother had forgotten her birthday, and just a week prior, she had been too busy to stop by for a PTA meeting. Lexie had had to lie to her teachers that she'd forgotten to tell her parents about the meeting so they wouldn't think she was being neglected.

But at that museum, gone was the irritable, hypercritical woman who had no time for Lexie. And in her place, was a woman who smiled easily, ran her hands through Lexie's hair and took her out to her favorite restaurant. Even though she knew it wasn't real, Lexie couldn't help but enjoy the fact that her mother was showering her with affection, or at least as much affection as Dr. Evans could manage.

At the same time, resentment made the moment bitter-sweet because she knew without a doubt that she was only worthy of this because of what she'd achieved. She wasn't worthy of the kind of unconditional love other parents gave their children. At one point, she stopped even believing that kind of love existed until she met Aiden.

So when Dewie had that conflicted look on his face, Lexie knew exactly how he felt. And there was really nothing she could say to make it better. There were things she wanted to say: Enjoy it while it lasts. Don't get used to it because one perceived failure and your mom will go back to regular scheduled programming.

Luckily, Lexie was saved from saying anything when Dewie suddenly blurted out, "Xena's going to the Hero Academy with me."

Lexie gaped. "You are?"

Xena rolled her eyes and frowned at Dewie. "See this is why I don't tell you any secrets."

Dewie shot her an apologetic smile "Sorry. It was an awkward silence."

Xena turned back to Lexie who was still waiting for her to explain. "Yeah. I guess I'm going."

"You guess?"

"Well, I still have to do the stupid testing thing, and I have to meet with the Lightlark tutor they have on staff there who's going to be my private tutor. But yeah, if that all pans out then I'm going to Victoire."

"Oh," Lexie fiddled with her fingers, conflict raging inside her. "What changed your mind? "

Xena shrugged. "Nothing. I mean...I dunno. I guess I just wanted to try it out."

Lexie raised her eyebrow. "Try it out? As if I'm going to believe that. Xena, you hate [Heroes]. That was the first thing I knew about you. Your entire personality was built off snark and cape-ophobia."

Xena made a face. "Yeah, I'm still not a fan of the caped menaces. But those weird guys offered me some kind of deal. If I went to the academy I would get a lot of perks. The entire town would be elevated in priority status. They would privately fund Emma's Healing House and make sure they got priority access to healers. '

"Wow. They can do all that?"

"Apparently but only if you're a bigshot elemental." She shot Lexie a weary smile and then stared out the window. "Anyway, there were just too many things I couldn't refuse. Plus a boatload of cash."'

"Zee, all those things are good don't get me wrong but I don't think you should be sacrificing your happiness and your beliefs for it. Not that there's anything wrong with being a [hero]," Lexie added for Dewie's benefit. "But I feel like you should only become one if you really want to."

Xena shrugged. "Like I said, I'm trying it out. They have a special curriculum at Victoire just for Lightlarks. It's supposed to be difficult and I get paid for every year I pass. But if I flunk out, I can still keep some of the cash they're offering and I could make it stretch it a long way. That means if it all gets too much to handle, I have an easy way out. I'll just intentionally fail all my classes so I flunk out." She shrugged. "Maybe I'll do that in my second year. Think of all the help and all the lives that could be saved in that time."

"But you know completing the program means that you'd have to go to the Fae planet."

She shook her head. "They were adamant that I didn't have to go if I didn't want to. I even made them sign a magical contract and everything. If I don't want to, I just have to stay on Earth and serve as a [Hero]."

"That's good," Lexie said, breathing a sigh of relief. She was scared for a second there that Xena would have to leave forever. "So I guess the two of you will be leaving in just a few months, huh?"

"Less than a month," Xena said, giving her an apologetic grimace. "Sorry. My program starts early."

"I have to leave in less than a month too," Dewie said. "But that's because my family is taking a vacation to Ronan Fae before going to Victoire."

"Oh." Lexie felt a hollowness echoing within her. She was suddenly realizing how much her social life revolved around these two, how close she'd become with them. And she had come to really care for them and see them as her best friends.

There were times when it would kick in that she was much older than them, but mostly she didn't feel the age difference anymore. Maybe her brain had adjusted back to her eleven-year-old self. Either way, Dewie and Xena had become very dear to her.

And she was going to be sad to see them go.

They would be gone in less than a month. And though she knew she could probably reach them by phone and text and all that, it wouldn't be the same.

She knew how things happened in high school. People grew apart and suddenly someone you spent every waking moment with became someone you would only have a phone call with once in a while. And with Lexie, it was even more likely given how busy she would be with studying.

This felt like the end of an era. She just met them a year ago, and yet they were some of the closest friends she'd ever had. And perhaps it was a betrayal of her memory with Mickie to think that but it was the truth. Partially her fault though, because she had never had time to let Mickie get close. Their friendship was very selfish on her end, and Mickie was probably better off with Lexie dead.

Logan not so much though. But she didn't want to think about her brother now or it would only make her sadder. Instead, she struggled to inject some good humor into the suddenly somber atmosphere.

"You know what we should do before you go," she said. "Get tickets to watch Top Dog vs Torin Firebringer. That's going to be an epic match whoever wins. You'll be in school at the time of the match, but it's on the weekend so you can take an exeat for that, right?"

"Yeah," Xena said. "Although I'm pretty sure Torin is going to win. I've never seen a thirteen-year-old with muscles before."

"It's not muscles that matter. It's fighting technique and experience that often wins."

"Torin has those too," Dewie said.

That was true, but Lexie resented the idea that some newcomer could just come in and beat Top Dog like that. She didn't want it to be true. He was the Top Dog. The only person he'd lost to in years was Conrad Grace, and Lexie was pretty sure he threw that match on purpose.

"TD won't lose," Lexie said.

"We'll see," Xena said smugly. Now that Conrad wasn't involved and Lexie had more stake in the match, Xena was clearly enjoying teasing her.

"But I doubt we'll get tickets. It's probably sold out," Xena said.

"The match isn't for another few months."

"Yeah, but it's a crazy matchup. Tickets probably sold out on the day off, even with how much tickets to the arena cost these days."

"I can get tickets," Dewie spoke up. "Torin got a few for family and friends, and I can ask him for three of them."

"You think he would give them to you?"

He nodded. "He offered. No one in his family is going to be there, so as not to take too much attention off him so he has some to spare."

"Ah. That's nice of them. Nice of Torin to share his tickets too." Maybe he was a nice guy after all, and it was just his resting asshole face that was the problem.

Still, it would be nice to see his face crushed underneath Top Dog's heel. Figuratively, of course.

"Oh by the way, Dewie I wanna practice something with you. Could you grab that?" She pointed at a hairbrush on her desk and he nodded and started in that direction.

She activated the card, while Xena discussed what her hero name would be. Lexie listened with half a mind, noting that Dewie's pathways were only slightly more resistant than Uncle Max's though he was an S-Ranked mage. But it was probably because he was untrained. After [Hero] school though, it was going to be much harder.

"How about Fashionable Woman in Black?" Xena said. "Too much?"

"Too much," Lexie agreed. "And too long. Maybe you should just be Xena. One name."

"Or Xena the Meaner," Dewie said.

"Or Xena Warrior Princess," Lexie said, chortling internally at the joke. Dewie and Xena both blinked at her, oblivious.

"I don't get it," Xena said

Lexie sighed, her amusement dying. "Of course, you don't."

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