Yes, and none too soon.

Starlily was caught in her paradoxical position for too long. She couldn’t leave the Hellbeast unattended, because she couldn’t afford for it to escape. She couldn’t get closer, because her unlucky victim might get injured. She couldn’t put him down because she still had one monster MIA. She couldn’t do anything, and she was losing steam fast.

The Hellbeast was losing patience, too. It went from prowling and snapping to leaping and hissing, all mixed with the occasional period of growling and jerking its head downwards, almost as if it was taunting the aerial pair to return to the ground. Perhaps it recognized Starlily’s flagging strength, and knew that a matter of time would eventually solve the problem.

Something had to give, and that break in the tension came in the form of an explosive surge of heat and fire. The fountain erupted into a cloud of hissing steam, and blinding light caused Starlily to shield her eyes. When she looked back down to the ground, what she saw shocked her.

There, at the center of the explosion, stood a woman. The stranger was dressed in dark red, she oozed demonic energy, and instead of simply standing amidst the flames, she was holding the fire like an old friend. Paying no attention to the couple overhead, the new arrival turned towards the disoriented Hellbeast and directed a great torrent of flame in its direction.

Starlily was stunned, but knew better than to look a gift firebrand in the mouth. With the current Hellbeast occupied, she instead took the opportunity to set down her passenger at the opposite end of the park and get a status report from Eloreth.

“I don’t know who that is,” The demon informed her, “But she cleaned up the other Hellbeast on her way here. And she’s making short work of that one.”

“Thank fuck,” Starlily said aloud, earning an odd look from the civilian who was still holding onto her, despite his earlier suggestion that he’d be fine on his own. Starlily couldn’t blame him, and truth be told, she was holding on to him almost as desperately. She did a quick sweep of her surroundings, then shoved him into the thickest, softest shrub she could find.

“Stay,” She ordered, “I’ll be back soon.”

Starlily summoned a spear before returning to the battlefield, but her short absence had been enough for the other woman to annihilate the Hellbeast. The fiery woman turned from the monster’s ashes to regard Starlily with analytical disapproval.

“Not very worthy opponents,” The mystery woman said with a mild sneer, “How did they give you so much trouble?”

Starlily would have blushed if she weren’t already flushed, “It’s been a long day. Are you… like me? Or do we need to fight now?”

The mystery woman barked out a laugh, before shaking her head and turning away. “I’m nothing like you. But we’re on the same team, champion. The fight is over.” She took a step, fire crackling under her thigh-high boots before she turned back. “You can call me Singularity Storm,” She announced, “Don’t disappoint me next time.”

Her piece said, the fiery champion exploded into the air like a rocket, leaving Starlily alone in the smoldering ruins of the park. She dispelled her spear, let out a shaky breath, then returned to where she had left her straggler.

Reaching into the shrub, Starlily retrieved the dazed young man with an urgency she couldn’t quite hide.

“Is it over?” He asked, his eyes wide and roaming. Starlily nodded, pulling him back against her body and sighing hungrily.

“Where do you live?” She asked, breathing the question into his ear as she slowly took them back to the air, “I still have one thing I need to do today.”

The young man’s hands easily found Starlily’s lower back and shoulder, his hands electric against her exposed skin, “Um. Apartment on Court and Fifth. What-“

Starlily cut him off with a kiss as they spiraled away into the afternoon sun.