It was a trap, if he had ever seen one. For one thing, not even the career criminals wandered into this part of town, yet alone the Paragon Police Department. So, he was on his own.

But none of that mattered.

Starting towards the abandoned warehouse, Teddycat’s eyes scanned the building. Going through the front door would be suicide, he’d learned the hard way. However, most of these older buildings had some form or other of door where deliveries were dropped off. If he could only find it—

“Aha!” he murmured under his breath, finding the rusted entrance more or less where he’d expected it to be. After examining the frame, and giving the handle a cautionary jiggle, the Blaster decided that there was but one course of action.

The door clattered to the floor with a resounding thunk, still partially ablaze, and Teddycat winced, expecting guards to run towards the sound of the disturbance at any moment. Several minutes ticked by in agonizing silence, as his ears strained to pick up even the smallest sound. Letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, he picked his way farther into the warehouse.

Not too long ago, he’d have been jumping for joy, right about now. Finally, someone had rid him of that annoying, maddeningly bothersome raccoon. He ought to be kicking back with a beer or two, toasting her captors and expressing his sincerest gratitude to whatever higher power had decided to smile upon him.

But he wasn’t. He was walking into a warehouse full of Council—high-leveled Council, at that—to rescue that very same Defender. He was risking life and limb for someone he barely knew, who slept out in a park, and failed just about every mission. Just the other day, he’d been about to kill her, when he discovered her sleeping in his arms.

That, actually, hadn’t been so bad. In fact, from what he’d learned about her, there was nothing bad that could be said of her, except that she was extraordinarily unlucky. Really, he could name any number of good things about her off the top of his head at any given moment. And even the rest could be easily forgiven. He mentally chided himself. When had he gone soft, all of a sudden? Over a girl, no less. But still…

Teddycat paused, taking cover behind a stack of crates. Ahead of him, two guards were patrolling the corridor, thus far unaware of him. He could take one of them out in a single hit, but the other would pose a bit of an issue. Gathering his nerve, he sighed, and stepped out into their path.

Perhaps there was no logical reason behind this. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d rushed into something without thinking about what he’d do (or hell, what he could do), and it likely wouldn’t be the last. He’d just sort of figured he’d wing it, adjusting his lack-of-a-plan on the fly.

Even before he’d become a hero, he’d been known to do stupid things and come out alright, for the most part. And this certainly qualified as stupid. Worth it, but stupid all the same.

As the second guard dropped, the Blaster squinted down the hall to scout out his next target. He’d been in similar structures to this one before for other missions, enough to know that they were all pretty straightforward. There would be several smaller rooms off to either end of the main hallway, which stretched all the way to the rear of the building. Two rooms in particular were on the top of his list: the first being the large, two-tiered factory floor, and the other being the center of the warehouse, formerly the heart of the entire production. If Coonie was here, odds were good she’d be in one of those.

At his side, his hand balled into a fist. He’d have to get to her as soon as possible—God only knew what those monsters were doing to her.  That they’d had the nerve to take her in broad daylight was reason enough for him to burn the entire place to the ground. But the idea of them putting their filthy hands on her—

The next six rooms fell victim to his wrath in short succession. He’d caught them all off-guard, and was in no mood to spare them any mercy. He’d deal with the paperwork later, and would probably have all sorts of marks against his record.

But really, none of that mattered, at the moment.

The note had told him to come alone, as soon as the sun set. After tearing up what little there was in his apartment (and most of the lobby and office), he’d finally calmed down enough to actually read the rest of its contents.

Most of it was simple; they demanded ransom and media contact in exchange for her release. Well, to hell with that. This whole goddamn place was going up in smoke, as soon as he knew she was safe. They’d made no guarantees about her well-being, other than that they wouldn’t kill her provided he didn’t do anything reckless.

He’d see about that.

Elsewhere in the building, Coonie was finally coming around. Her eyes watered in the overly-bright light, and her nose and throat burned, but otherwise, she seemed to be unharmed. An Adjunct motioned for his commanding officer, noticing that she had regained consciousness.

Archon Belaggi appeared from around a corner, coming to stand in front of his captive. The Defender was momentarily grateful that his frame blocked most of the light from her still-sensitive eyes. With one gloved hand, he tilted her chin upwards, looking into her face with a smirk.

“So this is the one causing all of that fuss? Quite frankly, I expected her to be a bit more…imposing.” Coonie bit down on his finger, and tasted the iron saltiness of blood on her tongue. Cursing, Belaggi backhanded her, hard enough to rock her head to the side, her ears ringing from the blow. “You bitch! How dare you insult an officer of the Council?”

He turned away angrily, gesturing to another of the guards. As they disappeared around the corner, he returned his attention to the raccoon who hung so precariously from the wall. Coonie met his eyes, a smirk on her face, as she licked the blood from the corner of her mouth. Belaggi growled, and would have struck her again, had the guard not returned with a mechanical monstrosity at his side. The Mekman was a behemoth of a machine, arrayed with a number of weapons of every sort imaginable. Its expressionless visor swiveled in her direction, and the Defender shuddered.

“Good, you’re here. I want you to teach this miserable cur a lesson she won’t soon forget. Oh, but try not to kill her, if at all possible.” The Mekman gave a soft whirr in understanding, and as Archon Belaggi and his guard disappeared back around the corner, brought its arsenal online. Coonie screamed as he stepped into the corridor, and he chuckled smugly to himself.

Teddycat froze in mid-stride, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. That had been Coonie. The thought had barely registered in his mind, before he was hurtling in the direction of the sound, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. If she was hurt…If those brutes had lain a single finger on her—

Wincing as another blood-curdling  scream split the silence, he barreled through the corridor, praying to every deity he was aware of that he wasn’t already too late.

Every once in awhile, you hear tales of exceptional acts of human bravery in the face of danger. Of those people who stare death in the face, and laugh. During moments like those, people can often demonstrate extraordinary abilities they would otherwise never have. A mother who lifts her minivan off of her child with her bare hands. A man who fights a lion with his wife trapped between its jaws.

Even in a city full of superheroes, you sometimes encounter people who’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty. People who heedlessly put aside their own personal safety in order to protect the ones they love, no matter the cost.

This was one of those times, and Teddycat was one of those people.

Coonie sagged listlessly against her restraints, drawing in breaths with painful slowness. She figured at least three ribs were broken, not to mention the amount of blood she’d lost. A shadow  passed in front of the harsh lights, and she mustered the strength to meet their eyes.

Archon Belaggi had that smirk back on his face, as he again lifted her chin. “It would seem as though your friend won’t be coming to rescue you, afterall.” The Defender hissed, attempting to jerk out of his grasp.

“That’s not true,” she growled, earning another satisfied sneer from her captor. “There’s no way in hell Teddycat would leave me here, and you know it.”

Belaggi nodded, considering her words. “You know, you’re right. He wouldn’t just leave you here…in fact, he’s already reached the building.”

Coonie’s eyes softened at the news. Of course he’d come—she’d never doubted it for a moment. “Then he’ll be here any moment now, and show you what happens to people who upset him.”

At that, he actually laughed out loud, and she winced. “You don’t get it, do you?” By the confused look on her face, it was obvious that she didn’t. “He came, true, but he won’t be able to save you. Seeing as he’s dead, and all.”

The words struck her like a physical blow, knocking the wind from her lungs. A terrible chill was creeping up her body, originating from the pit of her stomach.

“No,” she breathed. “No, that can’t be. I’d know if he was—“

From within a pouch, the Adjunct produced a torn piece of fabric, nearly drenched with fresh blood. Coonie gagged, as bile rose to the back of her throat. That was his shirt from this morning, she was sure of it. Tears escaped down her cheeks before she even knew they were coming, and Belaggi tilted her chin upwards, so that she stared directly into his eyes.

“I see you recognize that little bit of clothing. A patrol discovered it in one of the side rooms, and another’s been sent out to locate the body.” Her eyes screwed shut as a sob shook her frail shoulders. There was just no way that could be true. He’d come all the way out here to save her, only to get himself killed.

“Oh God…” she murmured weakly. Archon Belaggi turned her head to the side, forcing her to look at the shirt still held in the guard’s hand, waving in the draft like some grisly flag.

“Oh yes, it’s true. It would seem you’ve done your partner in for the last time, so to speak. And I suppose you realize that with him went your last chance of leaving this facility alive.” The Defender said nothing further, so he continued on without pause. “When I first heard that someone was dabbling in the affairs of the Council, I never suspected it would get so far out of hand. That contact of yours has paid dearly for involving you in matters beyond your comprehension. Even so, when we attempted to ambush you at your last mission, it appears you never showed up. But, no matter, I suppose.”

Coonie was shaking her head, as though she’d wake herself from this nightmare any second now. She was really back in Teddycat’s apartment, snuggled against his chest. When she’d tell him about her dream, he would laugh and tell her that she was just being silly. That he wasn’t going anywhere.

“I’d suggest you stop your sniveling, if you wish to die with any scrap of dignity left in you.” Lifting her head, she spat blood into his face, her face contorted with rage. The blow that followed snapped her head back so hard it slammed into the wall behind her, and she hung limply in her bonds as her consciousness wavered.

Belaggi motioned stiffly towards the Mekman and Adjunct, indicating that they kill her immediately. As they brought their weapons to bear, however, an explosion shook the walls and knocked plaster from the ceiling.

The Defender was vaguely aware that a battle of some sort was being waged in the room, and that someone was losing very badly. Unbearable heat brushed at her body, though she was never burned. Finally, there was silence. Her vision swam as gentle hands cupped her face, her savior making various sounds that made her suspect that she was grievously wounded.

“Coonie? Hey, stay with me, kid.” She blinked slowly, as her mind stumbled through the haze to try to match the voice to the person. “I came too damn far to have you die on me, now.”

It was then that it clicked, like the final piece of a puzzle being snapped into place. Coonie grinned feebly, and Teddycat’s face lit up. She didn’t think she would ever forget that look, even if she lived to be one-hundred. “Bah, I’m not going to die. It’s you that I’m worried about.”

The Blaster laughed; he just couldn’t help himself. Leave it to her to worry about him at a time like this. “I’m alright,” he promised her, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb.”Let’s get you home.”

At that, tears once again came to her eyes. Shocked, Teddycat brushed them away as fast as he was able. “I’m sorry I caused you all of this trouble,” she choked out between sobs. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I could have gotten you killed, or…or—“

Her words were abruptly silenced when he pressed a kiss against her lips. Her eyes widened in obvious surprise, although, as Teddycat noticed, she did nothing to stop him. Resting his forehead against hers, he smiled at her. “Hush, you.”

Coonie nodded mutely, whatever words she would’ve said scattered to the winds. And then, without much warning at all, and much to Teddycat’s horror, she fell forward in her restraints, her head slumped against his shoulder. Shaking her, he frantically tried to wake her, though to no avail. Propping her head back up, he again laughed, although for an entirely different reason.

Coonie had fainted.