The man dashed off to the end of the bridge with London close at his heels. He apparently had a car and flung open the passenger door. Without saying anything, London dove into the seat and he was already on the other side as she was fastening her seatbelt.

???: "Hold on-!"

Before London could prepare herself, the man hammered on the gas pedal and peeled away toward the parade of emergency vehicles.

London: "Whoa-! Sir, you're going to get a ticket-!"

???: "They won't give me a ticket."

London: "What? What do you mean? This landform has speed limits and honestly, I can go faster by foot!"

???: "You mean by air?"

London: "Definitely-! Wait...what-?"

???: "And it's not 'Sir', London. I have a name, you know."

London: "W-Wait a tick...how...how did you know my name...?"

???: "...You don't know, yet?"

London: "...no?"

???: "Don't worry, you'll figure out soon enough."

The entire car jerks forward, nearly causing London's head to slam into the glove compartment, but saved by the seatbelt. The man wrestles with unlocking his and her seatbelts and then he kicks his door open.

???: "London! Aren't you coming?"

London: "Y-Yeah...I'm coming."

Officer: "Sir, Ma'am, sorry but this place is closed...um..."

???: "I don't think so. You are going to let us in right this instant if you know what's good for you."

Officer: "Y-You're...! U-Uh, yes, sir! Um, but the ma'am...I don't think she'll be-"

???: "How can you not recognize your own capital?"

Officer/London: "-?!"

Officer: "C-Capital? They...they exist?"

London: "How did...how did..."

Officer: "F-Forgive me, sir. Um, right this way, please."

The officer stumbles as he pulls the door open for the two. London was kind of still and silent due to the man's confident and bold question. 'How can you not recognize your own capital?'. The man notices this and pulls her by the hand. He stutters his step a little, not even realizing what he had done at the time, but now he had become fully aware that he's holding her hand. He felt so happy. He felt so nervous.

He felt so afraid.

~~~

Francis and Paris are still trapped inside the elevator and Francis is trying so hard to stay awake. He's afraid that if he falls asleep, he won't wake up again. He personally thought that fear was irrational, considering that he can't-

Paris: "Urgh-ah-!"

Francis: "Mon Ami? Are you awake? Thank goodness you're still alive...!"

Francis: *cough, cough*

Paris: "It's...so...heavy. Hah...can't die...don't worry..."

Francis: "You shouldn't push your luck, normal human beings die, you're no exception."

Paris: "Can't...die...only...comatose..."

Francis: "...What...what did you say?"

Paris: "You...need...to live. You...can be...free."

Paris felt miserable and she knew what she was about to do was about to cost her people and maybe a good demon showdown by London, but...she just couldn't bear this person to die. Not this time. Not again. She was going to let this man live. And stay alive.

Francis: "-!?"

She used all over her strength to pull his neck down to where his face crashed right into hers. A needed and refreshing gust of wind blew up into Francis' mouth, making feel more awake and alive than ever. Paris fell out of her grip back onto his lap murmuring softly before she knocked out again;

Paris: "...Londres taught me that trick..."

Francis' eyes widened when he heard her say 'Londres'...'London'. But as the thought passed he was confused on why he can suddenly breathe so much easier.

~~~

London: "Oh, my goodness gracious, the base of the shaft is on fire...!"

???: "That must be the reason what happened...London...do you think...?"

London: "P-Paris...you can't be..."

???: "She's in there, isn't she...?"

London: "Not for long! Come, we're taking the stairs!"

???: "W-What? Why?! Shouldn't we-?"

London: "Everyone is taking too long to keep onlookers out. We have plenty of time to do this. You...you seem to know more than you look, so...I'm going to trust you to see this."

The man didn't say anything back as London grabbed his wrist (she felt weird holding his hand, not exactly knowing why), then bolted up the stairs. England nearly stumbled a couple times, so London (out of pure instinct, she didn't anything of it), grabbed him by the waist and waved her free hand in a specific motion, making both of them float in the air.

London: "I'd prefer my broom, but...urgh, these are dire matters, I'll just have to grit my teeth and bear it...here we go!"

???: "W-Wait-!"

London squeezed her eyes shut in her fear not having a wooden handle to grasp or stands to perch her feet on. She didn't like admitting it, but she had a slight fear of heights, the broom just made it bearable. She thinks it started around when DC started having her capital powers (eagle wings). But she had to put that aside for now. She didn't know why she was even tagging this mysterious man along with her, but she did anyway.

London: "Finally! We're here, we don't have to...!"

???: "L-London, please you're shaking! Calm down, now what was this other half of that plan of yours?"

London: "Y-Yes, of course, follow me, the elevator should be around here..."

???: "Why do we need to go to the elevator? It's broken and the shaft for it is on fire, right?"

London: "But that doesn't mean we can't open it. We'll descend down and get them out."

???: "How do we go down!? That's one bloody fall."

London: "...We'll fly. It's a more cramped space...so I'm going to ensure you to go down."

???: "W-What? Me? There...what...how am I supposed to-?"

London: "Listen to me; look, the panels on the sides of the ceiling are your best bet. You need to be careful not to snag the cords or loosen them."

???: "...What happens if I do...?"

London: "You'll either plummet down or get shot up. Both situations will result in your death and my friend inside."

???: "But there must be a bloody load of smoke in there-mmph-!"

London crashed her lips into the man's forcing air down his throat. It was a little cold and drying, but he felt like it cleared up his lungs and he could breathe more freely. It made the way he was breathing before look like he was eternally suffocating. London backed away from him blushing madly in the cheeks. The man realized he was, as well.

London: "L-Look, I only did that to help...you can't really do the spell on yourself and I'd suffocate easily in smoke...and I...don't know what Paris might be going through..."

???: "...R-Right...she couldn't have done the spell on her-wait, she can do magic, too?"

London: "...That one I taught her. She has a special power of her own. But she can't use it if she doesn't have enough oxygen. That's why she wanted me to teach her that. But...it was practically useless if she can't use it on herself."

???: "Oxygen?"

She turned around and dug her nails into the seam of the elevator doors and magically made her nails grow, sharpen and thicken. The man notices that the more effort and power she enforces, the more hazy light seems to leak out underneath her eyepatch.

London: "Here's what you're going to do. I'm going to float you down for a little while. The smoke hasn't risen all the way up. The fall isn't going to hurt you much, so be prepared. Wriggle out panels on the side edges to get inside. Then..."

???: "Then...?"

London: "...Give Paris your air."

???: "Huh? My air?"

London: "...Y-You know how I gave you that...breathing spell?"

???: "...Yes?"

London: "I want you...to do the same thing to Paris...once she has the oxygen, you'll start to get the smoke, so make sure you tell her to briar you and her up before you give it to her."

???: "Briar...?"

London: "You'll understand when you get down!"

???: "O-Okay, got it...! Um..."

London was finally able to wrench the doors open and push them apart. The drop below wasn't that far off, but if he just were to jump, he would be close to death. London picked him up in a threshold carry and got ready to enter the doorway.

???: "Um, London?"

London: "Yes? Hurry up, though."

???: "Yes, um, what if there are other people in the elevator?"

London: "Paris will take care of that."

???: "Paris...okay, I'll trust you."

London: "Don't. Perhaps in this situation, but once this is over, we'll become strangers, understand?"

???: "B-But, that's not-"

London: "Showing you what I am and you seem to know is enough information. I don't have the ability to erase memories, but I can send you into a dreamscape to make you think it wasn't real."

???: "....."

London: "We're going now."

Without hesitation, she bolted into the shaft and muttered the spell, making her float down at a quick pace. Once they got near, the smoke instantly caught in her throat, making her struggle really bad. The man notices this and panics.

???: "London, drop me now!"

London: "A-Are we..."

*cough, cough, cough...!!!*

???: (She's really taking this bad...! Does she have...asthma or something...?)

London: "Okay...here we go..."

London really didn't want to just drop him, but the way she did was sudden in need of more oxygen and being out of the smoke. The man crashed into the ceiling of the elevator causing the conscious riders inside to jolt.

London: "Sir! Cough, cough! Be careful-cough, cough-!"

???: "England!"

London: "What?!"

She yelled down before, still half panicking above the smoke.

England: "England! My name is England! You...You're my capital! You're...she...she's going to get out! I swear it on my existence as a country and your existence!"

London nearly fell out of the opening she was about to exit. Both of her eyes were wide. She was surprised. Shocked, even. Thinking about what he was like. England. Her country. Someone she had been waiting for awhile.

London: (He must've known beforehand. Maybe he was looking for me? Oh, thank goodness, his eyelashes aren't ruined like mine. Though, his eyebrows...oh, that must've been the alternative...)

After these thoughts passed a scarier feeling shadowed over her. Fear. Guilt. She just sent down her country down an elevator shaft that had a fire burning underneath it. If he had the same...issue as she did...

London: (N-No, I gave him that breathing spell, so he shouldn't...)

But she still worried. She was still afraid. More afraid than ever.

London: "...What have I done?"