With a loud yawn and a big stretch, Badgerclops slowly climbed off the top bunk of their beds and dropped down onto the floor below.  While he normally hit with a thud like he would have done any other day, he made sure to drop softly so as not to make any sound.  This wasn't the only change from the norm as he left the blinds closed for his bunk mate one level down to keep sleeping peacefully.  Adorabat hanging upside down, wrapped up in her wings as she snoozed away.  Sneaking out of the bedroom Badegerclops closed the door behind him softly to let her sleep.  

It had been this way for a few days now, for some reason, she was sleeping in even longer than him.  It wasn't like he was one to lecture, usually being the last one to wake up.  Still he didn't know why she was so tired and if it kept up he planned to intervene out of concern.  Seeing her without the usual pep in her step brought all three of them down and he wanted her to be happy and full of life.  Though she wasn't the only one that had some poor sleeping habits lately.  

"Another all-nighter, Mao?"  Badgerclops asked of the cat sitting at their kitchen table with a cup of coffee in his hands.  Eyes wide and frantic and hands shaking.  

"Just... couldn't... sleep and... vigilant... monsters... hero."  Mao Mao mumbled, only barely coherent in his ramblings.  Which was about half as coherent as he normally was when giving one of his speeches.  Bringing his shaky hand up Mao Mao took another sip of coffee and laid his head on the table.  

"Okay dude, this has been going on for almost a week.  What's gotten into you?  You fell asleep fighting a monster yesterday and I had to do all the work!  Adorabat's only half awake these days too."

"You don't understand."  Mao Mao grumbled, turning his head around on the table to face Badgerclops.  "There's... something attacking me at night."  

"Attacking you?"  Badgerclops asked.  "I don't remember hearing anything."  

"It's stealthy, quiet.  Like some kind of Night Ninja.  I've dealt with this once before."  Mao Mao said, letting his voice trailed off menacingly.  Realizing he was getting into a long winded backstory story Badgerclops got himself a bowl of cereal while his friend started up.  "Back when I was a child my sisters used to antagonize me while I slept.  Hand in a bowl of warm water, shaving cream in the hand so you slap yourself with it, crayon drawings on your face.  It was brutal!"  He growled out, eyes narrowing at the memories.  

"So... what?  You think your sisters are pranking you at night somehow?  All the way out here?"  Badgerclops asked through munches of sugary breakfast.  

"I can't be sure.  All I know is something is attacking me at night.  Something so quiet, so sneaky that even I can't detect it.  But whatever it could possibly be I'll discover this fiend and defeat them.  Exposing their identity for the loathsome monster they truly are."

"Good morning."  Adorabat said with a yawn as she flew into the kitchen.  Grabbing a muffin with her claws and bringing it back to the table to eat along with Badgerclops.  "What are you guys doing?"  

"Discussing plans to defeat a horrible monster that slithers through this town undetected."  Mao Mao said confidently, which got Adorabat more excited as she hopped in her chair.  

"Oh boy, I love crushing monsters.  I can't wait!"  She cheered, chomping at her breakfast.  Mao Mao nodded in approval, happy with her enthusiasm even though he planned to face this threat alone.  

"But before all that we'll have to go out and make sure the town is safe."  Mao Mao said, finishing off his cup of coffee and standing up.  "To adventure!  And Bey-"  His sentence never finished as he hit the kitchen floor, fast asleep.  Badgerclops shrugged and kept eating his breakfast, Adorabat doing the same as they figured now was the best time to get ready while Mao Mao was resting.  Once they were both cleaned up and ready to go Badgerclops hoisted Mao Mao onto his shoulder and carried him to their bike.  

"Alright bud, I gotcha.  You can take it easy today."  

"Heh heh heh, oh I'll take it easy."  Mao Mao mumbled.  "For tonight is when the real battle begins!"  

"Yeah sure, I guess."

That was pretty much how their entire day went for all three of them.  Mao Mao staggering about and declaring victory against an unseen assassin while Badgerclops and Adorabat got a fairly easy day of work.  By the time lunch came around Badgerclops was on his third sandwich while Mao Mao slept on top of their table, every so often laughing in his sleep about his revenge.  Adorabat unfolded a napkin to put over top of him as a very small blanket but she felt accomplished in this.  "I sure hope Mao Mao will be okay."  

"Ah, he's fine."  Badgerclops said through a mouthful of chips.  "Mao's convinced there's some night monster or assassin coming for him."  

"Night Assassin!?"  Adorabat shouted in fear.  

"Assassin..."  Mao Mao mumbled in his sleep, swinging his sword lazily at the air while his friends backed up from the table.  

"But... if he's fighting an assassin shouldn't we be protecting him?"  Adorabat asked in concern, though not concerned enough to get near his sleep sword swipes.

"Nah, don't worry about it little dude.  I'm sure it's all in Mao's head."  Badgerclops assured her, using his robot arm to carefully take Mao Mao's sword away from him and picking him up by the scruff of his neck with the other hand.  "Lets just have an easy day of patrol and let him do whatever he's planning to do tonight."  Walking off with Mao Mao Adorabat followed behind with a worried expression, seeing her hero clearly suffering from whoever was terrorizing him.  

"I don't care who this assassin is, I won't let them get the drop on us.  We'll be ready, weapons drawn."  Adorabat said with a smile to herself as she thought of tonight.  Though was distracted hearing what sounded like a sack being drug across the ground.  "Um, you're losing him."  

"Oh, sorry Mao."  Badgerclops said as he picked Mao Mao up off the ground, having not realized his arm had been slacking and he was dragging him through the dirt.  "You better solve this tonight because I'm not spending another day like this.  

"Tonight... tonight..."  Mao Mao grumbled in his sleep.  

"Tonight!"  He declared again, wrapped up in his cape in the bottom bunk of their beds.  Hours later after being dragged around all day by his friends he was now ready to put an end to all of this.  "No one is getting past me tonight.  Tripwires on the door, bells on the windows, caltrops strewn about the floor.  Bring it on."  He said through glinting white teeth in the dark, preparing for his attacker to stumble into his trap at any moment.

Any moment now.

Any moment at all they'd come barging in and just fall right into his trap.

He wasn't getting sleepy, YOU were getting sleepy!  

Grumbling to himself Mao Mao decided to close his eyes and just listen in the dark.  That would give him a better way to find his midnight monster in the dark anyway.  Without his sight he could let his other senses become enhanced and allow him to absorb the room around him.  His ears were able to detect the smallest sounds in the distance.  His nose able to smell changes in the flow of the air.  His body able to sense the unusual wet warmth in his lap.

"Wait a minute, there's something wrong with that last one."  Mao Mao said as he unfurled his cape to look down on his bed.  Spotting two large yellow eyes looking up at him with their mouth currently occupied.  Pulling her lips up with a pucker Adorabat raised one of her wings to wave at him.  

"Hi Mao Mao."  She said cheerfully.  

"Adorabat!?"  Mao Mao shouted, raising up in his bunk and hitting his head on the one above him with a loud thud.  Though that wasn't nearly as big a problem as the voice that came from above them both.

"What's going on down there?"  Badgerclops said groggily.  

"We're-"  Adorabat began but was silenced as a hand came down over her head and pressed her mouth right over top of Mao Mao's Secret Sword.  She struggled a little bit but after a moment seemed to accept it willingly.  

"Uh, nothing!  Nothing just uh... bumped my head."  Mao Mao shouted back up.  "Go to sleep!"  

"I'm trying, jeez."  Badgerclops complained, going silent again.  Realizing what he'd been doing Mao Mao pulled Adorabat off of himself, her eyes closed dreamily and her tongue hanging out.  

"Wow... that was fun."  She said hazily.  "Wanna do it again?"  

"No!"  Mao Mao said through an angry whisper.  "Adorabat what are you doing!?"  

"I'm polishing your secret sword."  She said proudly.  "So that you can be ready for the Night Assassin when they show up."  

"Polishing my... what... how... why!?"  He was stumbling through his thoughts, not sure how exactly things ever got to this point.  "How do you even know about this!?"  

"I found those magazines under the sink, they showed me everything!"  She said proudly.  "Though I'm still not good at whatever happens at the end, but I'm getting better at it."  

"No.  No no no.  Nope.  This can't happen."  Mao Mao said, picking her up as she looked at him sadly.  

"But... But... the Night Assassin."  She protested.

"Adorabat, you ARE the Night Assassin!"  She looked at him confused.  "While I'd like to compliment you on your ability to sneak through the dark, can't you tell what you're doing is the thing that's been making me unable to sleep at night?"  

"I don't understand."  Adorabat said as she tried to figure out what he was explaining.  "I thought what I was doing was helping?  Besides I really like it.  It's even better than your other sword!  Though I still don't understand how you fight with it?"

"Listen, it's like-"  Mao Mao began but suddenly heard shuffling above him.  "Hide!"  Mao Mao exclaimed and wrapped his cape around himself again, hiding her under it with him.  There was a big yawn from above and the sound of shifting weight as Badgerclops was climbing down.  "Badgerclops wait, there's traps on the floor!"  

"What, traps?  What are you doing man, I have to use the bathroom."  Badgerclops complained, still hanging onto the side of the bunk.  "Can you clear them out of the way."  

"Fine let me just- herrk!?"  Mao Mao grunted, feeling movement shifting under his cape.  As it turned out Adorabat had found an area to settle in against him and it was right on his lap with her body.  Unfortunately she didn't seem content to stay still as she wrapped herself around his "Secret Sword" as she called it.  

"Uh... what was that?"  Badgerclops asked.  

"Nothing!  I just... here, lemme... ugh... just."  Grasping around wildly for his sword Mao Mao used it to swat away the caltrops that were on the floor to allow his friend to land safely.  "There!  It's done."   

"You're really taking this too far, man.  Something bad could happen like this."

"Heh heh, don't... urg... don't worry... it'll be solved... tonight!"  Mao Mao grunted in the dark but Badgerclops didn't pay it much attention.  "Trip!  Trip wires!"

"Of course there are."  Badgerclops complained, making wire cutters with his robot hand and then walking through the doorway without any obstacles in his path.  Mao Mao kept his cape wrapped around him until he heard the bathroom door closed, finally pulling it apart to see Adorabat straddling over his lap and sucking at the end of his Special Weapon.  

"I found a better way to do it."  Adorabat said happily as she moved her whole body against him now with a mouthful in her lips.  "Mmmm.  Almost done."  

"Wait... don't... not..."  Mao Mao grunted but he was too far gone after all of her dedicated effort.  Adorabat sealing her lips around him this time as her cheeks puffed up to collect the fruits of her labor in her mouth.  When it seemed he was finally done she pulled her head up and swallowed hard, smiling brightly up at him from his lap.

"That one was the best ever!  I'm getting really good at this!"  She said in triumph.  Mao Mao barely able to pick himself up after all the "polishing" she had done.  "Well, I guess even if there isn't a Night Assassin I at least got better at handling your weapon."  Smiling cheerfully she looked up at him with adoring eyes.  

"Adorabat... you... can't do that again."  Mao Mao finally got out, turning her smile into a frown instantly.

"What!?  But why?  I just got good at it."  

"Because… hoo boy.  Listen here."  Mao Mao wrapped his cape around himself again and sat up to look at her.  "That isn't the kind of weapon you use on an enemy."  

"It's not?"  She asked confused.  "Then... what kind of weapon is it?"  

"It's the kind you use on... a friend.  A very special friend.  The kind you spend your whole life with."  He explained, trying to make sense of this as fast as he could while they still had time to discuss.  "It's a secret sword because you keep it a secret from everyone except the person you love."  

"But I love you, Mao Mao."  Adorabat said confidently.

"Yes, I know.  But we're talking a different kind of love.  Like... a husband and wife.  People who get married."  

"Oh.  So... it's only supposed to be shown after you're married?"  Adorabat asked, trying to figure this out in her head.  

"Yeah!  Exactly, that's right."  

"Okay!  Then after I learn how to be a hero, I'll marry you!"  Adorabat said lifting herself into the air on her wings.  

"That's how it should be.  You wait until... hold on, marry me!?"  

"Of course, cause I love you Mao Mao."  She said flying into his chest and hugging him tightly.  "Then after I marry you I'll polish your secret sword every night!"  

"That's... uh, you shouldn't-"  The sound of the bathroom door opening broke his concentration as he looked back to hear Badgerclops foot footsteps approaching.  

"I shouldn't do what?  Is there more traps?"  Badgerclops asked annoyed.  

"No, there's... there's no more traps.  Just uh... you shouldn't step carelessly is all."  Mao Mao answered trying to keep up the ruse.

"Alright then, night Mao.  Night Adorabat."  

"Good night."  A cheerful voice said from the middle bunk as Mao Mao looked down at his chest to see she had snuck away while he was distracted.  Laying back on his pillow he let out a sigh.  At least he'd finally defeated the Night Assassin like he had planned but it turned out to be a battle he hadn't been ready for.  For now things could go back to normal, but there was the forever looming threat (promise?) that Adorabat made.  One day she was going to become a full fledged hero.  After that, only the future could tell.