Through Deaths Door!

Ouran backed away bumping into the couch. He looked out the window and saw the familiar trees that filled the window.

Nero got up and pulled her away from the door. "Stop that! We need to go through that door."

Bliperilla Glowed her gauntlets, pushing him away. She covered the door and took a fighting stance. "Out the back. Now! Leave the masks and go home!"

"Blipp?" Elle commiserated.

Bliperilla turned away from her. "You could die. You will die. There have been dozens of people just like you. Excited and stoic. Sure, of themselves but they never come back. I should have stopped them."

"Why didn't you?" Nero asked.

"I wanted to but I barely knew them. They wouldn't listen to me the way you guys did. You'll listen. You have to."

"But you helped us figure out how to open the door. Why would you help us?" Frides asked.

"Its going to be okay." Elle said.

"No, it's not!" She shot at Elle. She shook her head and looked at Frides. "I don't know. I didn't know what I was doing."

"So, what are you going to do?" Nero asked.

"I'll stop you!" She raised her orange Glow gauntlets.

"We'll leave." Nero said.

"What are you talking about?" Frides asked Nero surprised.

"What does it matter? I didn't know how this Retainer stuff worked besides the fact we'll get to wear awesome masks and save people and most importantly stick it to the Peace Corps. If she wants us to, we can go back to New Oania and get a new map to a new place. Sure." Nero was as relaxed as always.

"No, we won't." Frides Glowed his daggers. "I will not go backwards."

"If we go back, no problem. I will not fight a friend that stands in my way." Nero put his hand between them and turned from Frides to Bliperilla, his eyes were not aggressive but resolute. "I'm going to ask you again. What are you going to do?"

"What?" Bliperilla let her hands fall slightly.

Nero stepped in between her and Frides. "What are you going to do when we leave. It seems like a lot of people have come through here. What happened to them?"

"They died. They sauntered through that door and talked like they were invincible. Some were experienced and had training. But when they placed that sign on the door, they walked through it and never came back. I don't know where they went but days later, I would get a letter saying that they were all dead. That's all." She was out of breath.

"Then if we leave, someone else will come to take our place, right? To walk through deaths door."

"In two days, I'll be gone. It won't be my problem anymore." She didn't want to think about all the other houses that unknowing Retainers were walking into only to walk out to their deaths.

"That seems kind of heartless." Nero tilted his head and looked up at the ceiling.

This sudden insult followed by a resigned aloofness, irritated Bliperilla. "What do you know about how I feel? I tried. I tried pleading with the last group. They said what would a housekeeper know about being a Retainer. They laughed at me and where are they now?"

"I don't know?" Nero shrugged and thought.

"Dead! They walked through, through deaths door and I didn't lift a finger to stop them."

"I think I understand now. What if we could finish this mission in two days so you don't miss your letter to be a Retainer."

"I said I won't let you walk out that door to your deaths."

"Then come with us."

"What?"

"Come with us. If you are going to be a Retainer, you will have to do it eventually."

Frides laughed and Bliperilla looked at him. "But?"

"There it goes." Elle walked out of the room into the hallway.

Frides dropped his hands and released his daggers and rolled his neck. She followed Elle as she left the living room, "Where are you going?"

"With you!" Elle yelled from the hallway.

Ouran grabbed her gauntlets. "You'll come with us, right?"

She looked down at the pleading look in his eyes, "No. What? Why would I come with you?"

"You won't let us go alone." Nero reasoned as he turned towards the bar and took a seat on one of the stools.

"That's not what I said. I don't want to die either." She blurted. Why wasn't he listening to her.

Nero rubbed his thumb against his forefinger, "Neither do I. I've got better things to do."

"Didn't you hear me?"

"Then what's going to happen to you in two days?" Nero asked her already aware of the answer she wasn't going to give. "You watched all of these people before you fail and die but you never stopped wanting to be a Retainer, did you?"

Elle Glowed a dagger and redrew the sign on the door. "Its okay. He doesn't make sense to anyone but himself, but he wants you to come with us. Just give up. He'll talk nonsense in circles until you agree, so let's skip to the part when we walk out the door. Are you guys ready?"

Frides swung the bag that they got in New Oanid over his back. "I finished the dishes. Is everything in here."

"I just put a change of clothes in there for everyone and some food." Elle confirmed.

"You ready, Blipp? You mind if I call you Blipp? Well, it's too late." Nero smiled at Blipp. "Unless you're scared.

"I'm not scared." She returned his glare and released her Glow. "Never mind." She was beginning to understand why they all seemed like an unlikely group. This stubborn circular logic. Mow she was just as insane but didn't mind it. "On one condition. When we get there, if it gets too dangerous, we will bail immediately and come back home."

"Home? I like the sound of that. Got it!" He stepped between them and opened the door. "Let's go on an adventure."