"Why, are you tired?" Roger answered with a grin.

"Of course not!" Susanne protested, standing up straight and bringing the katana to bear before dropping it with a loud clang and leaning against the wall as she lost her balance.

Roger dropped his own sword down and picked her up.

"No, I'm fine, really..."

"I'm not convinced. Come on, you've overexerted yourself." He felt her relax, and by the time he laid her on the bed and covered her with a light blanket, she was already asleep.

He went back into the training room and put the swords back on the wall. After the first few minutes of adjusting to a different weapon, she'd fought as if she'd been using that katana all her life. Her fighting ability was almost uncanny, but that was normal for Otaku. She was the second most powerful Otaku, though. She could even become the most powerful. But she hated to fight. He could feel it in her every time she faced one of the others. She wasn't afraid for herself; she didn't want to hurt anyone else. She blamed herself for Mercy's change of loyalties, even though there was nothing she could have done about it. Simply putting Mercy in a situation where she had to fight would make her turn to the Dark Side. In retrospect, he realized that he should have seen that coming.

He heard Susanne's voice, but she was still asleep. *Not another nightmare,* he thought as he rushed back into the bedroom. Sure enough, she was tossing and turning, mumbling worriedly. He spoke softly and held her hand, and she gradually calmed. He watched as her face slowly relaxed and she was again sleeping peacefully.

Roger exhaled the breath he had been holding, shook his head, and stood up. They'd both probably need a psychiatrist when this was all over.

tbc