The human’s whimpers follow Xena and I out of the room she was trapped in. Before the door closes I hear Mercy say, “Now you’ll learn what happens to people who fuck with my friends and family,” a split second before the man screams in pain, begging her to let him go.

“Jesus,” I mutter as I walk back the way we came.

“N-not very merciful is s-she?” Xena’s quiet voice makes me glance down at her.

“Doesn’t seem to be,” I say.

“I-it’s ironic.” She pauses and takes a deep breathe, probably trying to get the stutter under control. “Her name is Mercy but if you fuck with her or hers she’s anything but merciful. She doesn’t hold back. From anything.” Her blue eyes seem to be searing my skin while she watches me meaningfully.

I pause at the tunnel entrance. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you and your entire team needs to know this, so make sure you tell them what I’m saying. She doesn’t trust easily, hell, she doesn’t even like people easily, but as soon as she lets you in, she’s this beautiful creature who will move heaven and hell for you. She’s had it rough growing up. You don’t live through the things she did and not come out scarred from it,” she adds quietly.

I walk with her through the tunnel, leaving the door unlocked for Mercy. “What do you mean she had it rough growing up? So did plenty of other people.”

“Not like her. It took a long time for her to tell me what happened. She only told me because I wouldn’t stop asking about her scars.”

“Scars?” I press.

“I saw them a few times when we were younger and never asked but eventually I got curious and kept asking. She usually wears clothes that hide them, but it’s hard to hide them all without being completely covered up.”

What the hell could have happened to her that she has scars like that?

I shake my head from my internal question and ask it out loud.

Xena shakes her head slowly. “It’s not my story to tell. She will tell you all. One day. Just try not to push her for it. She will need all of us for what’s to come,” Xena says, her voice fading at the end as she passes out in my arms.

What the hell did that mean? Sometimes I hate seers.

“Kai, status?” Hunter asks as I exit the tunnel slowly, making sure there aren’t any guards around before I run with Xena to the wall.

“About to come over the wall with the seer.”

“And Mercy? She’s got shields up so I can’t talk to her right now.”

I pause, not knowing if I should just get it over with and tell him that she stayed behind to torture a human or just wait. My hesitation gave it away before I could say a word.

“God damn it. What the fuck did you let her stay behind for?” Hunter’s words vibrate with anger throughout my head.

While I use my powers to levitate us over the wall I reply, “She wouldn’t leave. Said it was something she needed to do. She said she’d be right behind me but I don’t see her yet.”

“You know as well as I do that she’s going to kill that human,” Hunter scolds.

Jumping with Xena down to the ground, I start walking towards the van. “Dude, you’re a fucking demon, you can’t tell me you’ve never killed a human.”

“That is not the point, Kai. We’re on a mission. This mission is more important than a personal vendetta.”

I snort. “Yeah, good luck convincing her of that. The seer is her friend and was being abused by them.”

“Jesus fucking Christ. Just get to the damn van. Talon, War and I will keep an eye out for her.”

“Yes, sir.”

When I get to the van the back door opens and Parker sticks his head out. “Hey, everything go oka- Hey, where’s Mercy? And why is she covered in blood?”

I sigh. “For the most part it went fine. She’s covered in blood because they’ve been beating her. From what I can see it’s all old blood though,” I say, avoiding his question about Mercy. Parker gives me a look, expecting me to answer where Mercy is. “Fine. She’s still in the prison.”

His eyes widen. “What? Why? What went wrong?”

“Nothing went wrong, per se.” I climb into the back with Xena and lay her down on the bench while Parker closes the door behind us. “She knew the seer. Guess they were friends.”

“No shit?”

I chuckle humorlessly. “No shit. Apparently some shit went down with Xena, the seer, and Mercy wasn’t okay with that. There was a human in there with her when we got there. Beating the shit out of her. Mercy had him screaming when we left the room. She said she’d be right behind me.”

Parker’s quiet for several long minutes as he just blinks at me. “She stayed behind to torture and kill the human?”

“From what I understand, yeah.”

“Don’t judge her,” Xena’s weak voice breaks through our conversation, making us turn to look at the blonde attempting to sit up and keep the sheet around her naked, beaten body. Parker goes to help, placing his hands on her shoulders so she can hold the sheet up while he slowly moves her to an upright position.

“What do you mean ‘don’t judge her?’” I ask when she’s situated.

“Just what I said. You’re judging her for being a demon who doesn’t stand for her loved ones to be hurt. Most demons don’t need a reason to torture or to kill. Mercy doesn’t do those things without provocation. Has she done them in the past? Yes, of course. Does she enjoy it? Not particularly. The only times I’ve known when she enjoys hurting someone is if they deserve it. That man that was in the room with us is one such being. She’s also doing as I asked and making it hurt. She’s getting revenge for me.”

Parker and I exchange a guilty look. I hadn’t exactly thought of it that way. If Parker’s expression is anything to go by, neither did he.