3rd POV

30 minutes earlier...

Espresso ran outside, from the back of the Safe Zone where no one seemed to attack.

He ran around looking at the shadows of every corner of the Creme Republic...

He had to be around here...

He HAD to...

"Blasted Heretic Scientist! It was you who tampered with the holy artifacts!" He paused and yelled as a Cookie in White Mask ambushed him and pinned him to the ground.

"Ignorant, heretics, unbelievers! You dare tamper with something so holy and divine!" She yelled, grabbing her knife and raising it in the air as if he was a sacrifice "They will bless me for this sacrifice"

Espresso braced for impact, prepared to die here...

"Hrk-"

He paused as he felt something drip down his face, he opened his eyes seeing a sword pierced through the chest of the cultist, the sword was pulled out and she fell on Espresso, he yelped and pushed her off strawberry jam spilt on his clothes, she looked at the cookie in shock, as she attempted to breathe...

She finally collapsed after a few minutes...

Espresso was horrified...he looked up, knowing he would see the cookie he was searching for...

He was wearing that mask...that costume...

"What the hell are you doing here?" He spoke, coldly, Espresso's expression changed from horrified and scared, to angry as he stood up attempting to wipe the jam off his clothes...

Luckily he was wearing black of all things...

"I was...looking for you..." Espresso replied, looking at him just as coldly as he feels his stare inside the mask is. "Well, you're wasting your time, I won't apologize for what I did..."

"I know Gingerbrave is wearing a Soul Jam on his chest..."

Madeleine paused, grabbing Espresso by the tie and pinning him to a nearby wall.

"What"

"J-Just let me explain! Wizard told me everything, his secret is safe with me!" Espresso spoke, to be honest...despite keeping a tough face...this was the first time he was actually scared of Madeleine...

But maybe that's perhaps he doesn't even know who he is anymore...

Madeleine continued to pin him down the wall, he could feel his eyes glaring into his soul.

"So what? You know about all about a secret Soul Jam that no one else knows about, you think that will easily convince me to-" "Madeleine, this isn't going to protect Gingerbrave..."

Madeleine paused, staring at Espresso.

"Look at what you're doing! You started a war with the cultists and now they're off attacking everything and everyone! I know he's fought cookies before but not like this!" Espresso explained. "How is that supposed to protect him?"

Madeleine paused looking away from him, he could feel Madeleine's grip soften, he knew he was right...

So why does he continue?

"Madeleine...please...talk to me..."

He gets frustrated at him, his grip tightening.

"Since when did you care about cookies' feelings?!"

Espresso looked at him with shock, eyes ready to shift into anger.

Until Madeleine throws him to the ground, removing his mask.

"You don't know anything about me! In fact you never even bothered, nor cared! Why should I open up to you of all cookies?!" He yelled, Espresso could see it in his eyes...

It was...there was just-

It was so different from the Madeleine he knew...

Or at the very least what he did know...

"You always put logic over emotion! Disregarding cookies' feelings and constantly insulting them because they don't live up to your expectations or image!" Madeleine yelled, pupils shrunk, it almost felt like they were glowing, Madeleine's light that Espresso was once so familiar with...

Had changed into a darker hue...

"If you felt that way, then why bother being friends with me?!" Espresso yelled back. "You knew how I felt about you was only professional, yet you tried so hard!"

"I didn't! That's how I always act around cookies!"

What?

"I tried my hardest to make everyone see that Madeleine! The one who's willing to give cookies a chance or bond!" Madeleine yelled, he could feel the tears coming out, but...he had to keep it under control...

"They loved that Madeleine! The Cocky, Egotistical, Self-Centered Captain of the Paladins! I can barely do that on my own!"

Espresso looked at him with shock...

"You don't know what it's like, living up to cookies' expectations, being the hero they dreamed and imagined! I just put on the image of a pampered idiot because that's what I was told I should be!"

"But being the Phoenix Glider gave me a chance to be myself!" Madeleine confessed much to Espresso's horror. "But you killed cookies!"

"It never used to be that way and you know that!" Madeleine yelled back at him, Espresso paused...

He was right...the only time he started killing was when the White Masks showed up...

"As the Phoenix Glider...I could help cookies! I could do things that the Republic and the Paladins wouldn't and couldn't do! I was free!"

"But you ruined that...you made yourself a symbol of freedom just to watch it all fall apart." Espresso replied back. "Look at this, Madeleine, this isn't freedom it's chaos! And you caused it!"

He didn't mean to be mean...but it was the truth...

Madeleine paused, his rage quelling into sadness...

Why won't he just leave?! He had no choice alright?!

He was protecting Gingerbrave...not the truth...

Gingerbrave...

And if GingerChoco's prediction was right, then in a few minutes...

...

"Go back..."

Espresso glared at him, watching him leave and put back the mask, Espresso ran towards him grabbing his arm.

"I said, Go Back!"

He yelled using said arm to throw Espresso off balance and on the floor. Espresso didn't give, he summoned his magic and used it to create craters and blast the only exit Madeleine had. The Vigilante paused, already pissed.

"Do you want to make this difficult?!" Madeleine yelled, looking back at him. "I'm not letting you go until you change your mind! You either surrender yourself to the cultists or actually do the right thing!"

"Why do you try so hard to play hero when you've never done so your entire life..." Madeleine said pulling out his sword, he didn't have to do this...

"Believe me I'm not...but if it has to get into your stubborn hard biscuit head!" Espresso said preparing a coffee bean in his hands. "If you continue this, you'll only cause more chaos."

"Then you leave me no choice..."

"Espresso Cookie, you are herby judged by the sword of the Phoenix!"

There's going to be a lack of art in the next few chapters probably, I accidentally cut my dominant finger for drawing while washing dishes and have a band-aid on...

So no drawings for the next few chapters.