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Episode 4: From the Ground Up

"You know all those people who are afraid of suddenly waking up in a coffin after they are buried alive or something? Well let me tell you something, folks: that isn't the worst thing that could happen. The worst thing that could happen is that you wake up in a coffin, buried alive... with your worst enemy."

Jacques Marquis

Rillotian Comedian

Rock-zombies...

Rock-zombies with glowing green eyes...

"Why couldn't it be spiders...?" Jacob grumbled, leaping back and lashing out with both his blades. The empowered swords, their lengthened edges glowing with the red light of lasers, sliced through a large number of the zombies... but they crumbling pieces merely kept crawling towards him!

A stone hand seized his ankle -

"Gah!"

He kicked it off and stomped on it hard, crushing it beneath his shoes. The individual fingers wormed their way towards him...

The rock-zombies advanced... He half expected them to emit loud, hungry moans as they took lumbering steps towards him with their paws outstretched. Maybe even cry out for some 'brains' while they were at it. But it was their eerie silence that got him the most. Just the fact that they made no sound except for the shuffling of their stony feet dragging across the ground or the rocky surfaces of their bodies rubbing against one another as they shambled towards him...

"Yeah, I could've done better with spiders..." he muttered, sweeping Radiance around himself. Seven blades of light sprang from the path of his blade. They charged towards the zombies, slicing and hacking through them with ease.

But no matter how many pieces he sliced those things into... they just kept crawling back towards him!

"Obsidian Maiden!"

His senses screamed and he quickly jumped to his left, ducking and rolling back to his knees as -

SHOOM!

One half of Norton's Obsidian Maiden just barely missed him and trapped one of the zombies with its partner. The black coffin dropped to the ground, unmoving.

"Hey!" Jacob shouted. "You almost killed me!"

Norton stared at him grimly. "Then I better try harder."

"Oooh... Burned_,"_ Spectre sniggered.

You're awfully calm considering how I'm being attacked by zombies...

"If you were worried, you'd go all Brand Form on them, summon me and blow this place to smithereens."

...

Point taken.

"Formation OS-9!" Norton shouted.

All the ANVIL troops suddenly dropped their assault, turning and scrambling around in no particular order. One trooper shot by Jacob -

"What's 'Formation OS-9'?" Jacob demanded, seizing the guy's arm.

The canine - for it was obvious from his features it was a canine - stared at Jacob through the black, all-consuming facemask. "It means you die," answered the trooper in a filtered voice.

That's not good...

"Die!"

Norton jumped into the air and brought his weapon crashing down against the ground. Huge black spikes surged out of the ground around him, bursting for in rippling waves. They smashed the rock-zombies to pieces either impaling them or hurtling them into the air.

All too late, Jacob saw what the future held...

Without thinking, he hurled both his swords into the air before seizing the ANVIL trooper around the waist and hurling the heavily armoured canine into the air. Instincts took over as he quickly somersaulted -

Sssshing!

... There was an instant where he was suspended in midair, his body completely upside down... and a blade of the obsidian spikes just pressed itself between his eyes, barely drawing blood...

He landed on the flat side of a newly grown spike.

Quickly, he launched off, slamming his shoulder into the airborne ANVIL trooper and causing the guy's body to curl around his. He snatched Radiance and Requiem from the air, curled an arm around the prone trooper and -

Thunk.

... landed right next to Norton on perhaps the only part in the entire mine that wasn't covered in black spikes.

"You're going to have to try way harder than that if you plan to kill me," he said, dropping the ANVIL trooper unceremoniously onto the ground.

The trooper's helmet rolled off...

Just as Jacob had suspected, the man beneath the mask was a canine; an Alsatian to be exact. The majority of the canine's features were a soft brown but he also had a fair majority of jet-black on him. Short, brown hair was matted against his fur from sweat and the tight confines of the helmet. The nameplate on his chest read 'Sgt. Canis.'

"You're like a cockroach, Reaper," the lieutenant snarled, rising back to his feet. "Smash you as hard as I might, you'll just keep coming back."

"Don't know if I like being likened to a cockroach even if it is in a metaphor."

Spectre poked the side of his head with a paw. "It's a simile actually. When someone says you're 'like' something, it's a simile. If you are_something for the purposes of comparison, it's a metaphor."_

Thank you, Spectre. I really_need to be grammatically corrected at a time like this._

Norton huffed loudly and dusted himself off. The obsidian spikes receded into the ground, revealing the carnage around them. Jacob noted that some of the bodies still had bits of flesh attached to them... like they hadn't fossilized completely. It made him sick thinking of how those people might have felt as MODD mined them while they were still barely alive...

He turned his thoughts away from that gruesome idea and searched for his companions.

Kerry had managed to stay safe by creating an icy platform where she still stood. Taylor had jumped up next to one of the troopers, avoiding the spikes.

"Now that that petty distraction is over..." Norton began.

Sssshing!

Norton's pickaxe-blade was suddenly levelled against Jacob's neck.

Crap...

Everyone suddenly went tense again.

A soft ringing hit his ears.

Jacob nervously let his eyes wander down away from Norton to the breast pocket of his coat... where his sunglasses hung... The glasses he got from Bill...

Ignoring Norton completely, he dismissed his two swords and plucked his sunglasses, sliding them on.

Glowing words flashed in front of his eyes.

Bill Williamson: Reaper! Do you copy! Are you there Reaper? Jacob Reaper?

Jacob quickly snatched up his headphones which, he just remembered, doubled up as communicators. "Bill? You there?"

Norton hesitated and lowered his blade a little. "Bill Williamson...? That guy working at Rocky's lab in the Emerald Crown?"

Ignoring Norton for a second time, he said, "What's up?"

Bill Williamson: The Fossilised are attacking the Emerald Crown. MODD troops are barely holding them off. I can only guess by the fact that you are deep underground and somehow ignoring my calls, that you have encountered them as well?

"Yeah..." Looking at the stony corpses, he winced. ANVIL troopers were dropping down from where they stood and kicked the stony fragments away.

Bill Williamson: Did you find a way to stop them from reconstituting themselves?

He froze. "Wait... What?"

Bill Williamson: The Fossilised. After about a minute, some green energy will envelop them and bring them back together. Sometimes, many different Fossilised will come together to form a bigger_creature that I have classified as 'the Petrified'._

On cue, green bolts of lightning snapped out from each of the fragmented body parts of the Fossilised. The energies snapped at one another, clashing together and making bridges of lightning that combined together into numerous, electrical orbs. The rocky shards leapt from where they lay on the ground, swirling around the orbs and merging with one another.

Fossilised stepped down once their stony shells were reformed, their glowing green eyes burning with unholy light.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

A MODD soldier was dragged into the storm of stone. Several stony paws had seized parts of his body and dragged him into the middle of a reforming Fossilised. Jacob could only watch as the stone parts of the Fossilised crushed the poor soldier in its confines.

A bloody arm dropped to the ground -

SQUISH!

...Only to be mashed flat by an enormous foot.

Jacob followed the huge foot upwards to the titanic, squat creature made completely out of stone. Countless stone faces were merged all over its body, each one twisted in a hollow, uncaring expression with glowing green eyes. The broad, structure of the beast didn't have an actually 'head'. Its shoulders merely flattened out into long, thick arms that dragged behind it.

"Bill..." Jacob began softly, staggering back as the huge, 10-foot creature lumbered towards them accompanied by a contingent of Fossilised. "... can you get my the number of anyone of my friends...?"

Bill Williamson: Well, I am_in the middle of evacuating... but I suppose I have the time. Name?_

Running through the list of his comrades, Jacob picked the one person he thought would act the calmest in a situation that involved terrible rock-zombies that regenerated and could reform themselves into horrific, stone golems.

"Joanna... Joanna Swan."

Bill Williamson: Dialling...

The Petrified let out a titanic roar and charged.

Jacob immediately summoned his blades.

Hello...?"

The ANVIL troops brought up their guns and fired, their lasers burning into the Petrified's stone flesh to little effect. Fireballs surged out of Taylor's paws, striking the creature's body and sending chunks of rock in all directions. An icy wall burst from the ground, barring the path of the Fossilised by the larger Petrified merely smashed right through it.

"Hi, Jo!" Jacob exclaimed in an unusually cheery voice that scared even him.

He could sense Joanna's unease from the other side of the communicator.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

ANVIL soldiers took to throwing grenades, scattering the pieces of the Fossilised but their green energies just kept pulling them together!

"Jacob?" Joanna insisted. "What's going on?"

Thinking fast, he spun around and swung Radiance outwards. A thin, precise beam of light slice out of the tip of his blade, cutting through the ranks of the Fossilised. It was strong enough to burn right through the bodies of the creatures, even powerful enough to cut right through the wrist of the Petrified.

It didn't slow them...

"Quick question," he muttered, stepping back and snarling slightly.

Taylor came zooming into view, somersaulting over the horde of rock-zombies and throwing balls of fire down upon them like a bomber on fire. "Burn it up!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The whole cavern shook with the echoes of the explosion, the ceiling crumbling slightly.

Wait...

"Are you sitting down...?" he said, thinking fist...

Echoes... cavern... crumble...

"No... Do I need to get a seat?"

Think! Think!

You got this...

"Jake..."_Spectre began worriedly. _"You've got that 'I'm going to do something crazy' look on your face..."

"No," he answered Joanna. "It's better to remain standing because you'll be running away pretty soon."

An icy stream curled into view and Kerry surfed on the stream, sliding over and around the Petrified while lashing out at it with her icy powers. Ice began to coat the creature and its progress quickly slowed... For a second, it seemed to have stopped completely... Then -

SMASH!

It burst out of it icy confines and smashed right through Kerry's icy slide.

Kerry gave a cry of shock and hit the ground, hard.

_"Running away from what?"_Joanna demanded.

Jacob swung Radiance, summoning ten blades of light to his side. The blades shot into the air before coming straight back down and surrounding Kerry in a protective barrier. The doe quickly scrambled to her feet and bolted to Jacob's side.

Calmly, Jacob embedded Radiance into the ground and held his right paw towards the glowing swords. "Would you believe me if I said 'freaky rock-zombies with glowing green eyes'?"

He clicked his fingers.

BOOOOOM!

Each of the bright swords exploded in a titanic burst of sonic force, sending the Fossilised around it slamming against walls and completely shattered those close enough to it. The Petrified lost its left leg in the explosion.

But what Jacob was looking for...

... was how the tremendous sound echoed in the cavern... and caused the walls to shake...

"Oh no..."_Spectre began. _"You're not..."

Jacob grinned.

Oh yeah... I am.

_ "I do now..."_Joanna whimpered from the other side of the communicator.

He snatched up Radiance again. "Now aren't you happy you're not sitting down?" He spun and swung it wildly around himself, summoning blades of light over and over again that shot past the Fossilised and Petrified. They embedded themselves into the walls, burying themselves deep against the rock.

"Reaper! What the hell are you doing!?" Norton shouted.

Another voice erupted from Joanna's side of the phone. "Norton!?"

It was Rocky.

"Norton, where are you!?"

"Norton can't be with you right now," Jacob replied in a mocking, sing-song voice. "He's about to be buried under a mountain-worth of rock. Either that, or trapped in the underground network of mines criss-crossing all of the city all in an attempt to escape the crazy stone-zombies."

One of the Fossilised quickly caught up with an ANVIL trooper and bit down on the guy's arm. The soldier kicked the living statue away... but not before the flesh around the bite wound began to turn to stone. The poor guy screamed and tried clawing away at the rapidly advancing stony flesh but in a matter of seconds, his arm was turned to stone... three second later, he chest... and two seconds afterwards, his entire face was gone...

"P.S.," Jacob added grimly, "don't let them bite you."

He clicked his fingers.

BOOOOOM!

*****

The landscape had changed rapidly...

As far as Jacob could tell, he hadn't even spent an hour away from the warped dreamland of the Seal and suddenly, he was no longer standing in a field of horrific, petrified statues...

Instead... he was in the middle of an enormous migration of the statues.

A mass exodus to some unknown location.

The statues shambled past him, shoving into him and hobbling silently towards the distance...

He couldn't tell what was there... except that there was a very distant, green light emanating from the horizon.

"This is totally not creepy," he muttered, shoving one statue aside as it tried to push into him. "What the hell is going on?"

"Have you ever thought it possible to remember something... backwards?" Zack asked as the angel hovered above him, lounging lazily in the air.

"What?" Jacob growled kicking another Fossilised down.

"When you close your eyes and try to remember an event, do those events play backwards like it is on rewind for you or do you start from your earliest memory and move forwards?"

"How the hell should I know?" he muttered, seizing one of the Fossilised's arms. He immediately broke it off and used it as a club to bash the remaining Fossilised around him. "As far as I'm concerned, my past is a goddamn lie and I'm better off not remembering it."

Zack inclined his head to the side. "Okay then. Let's not talk about the distant past. Let's talk about recent history. Let's look at that magical night you proposed to Leonardo. That's a good memory, right?"

Jacob felt a small smile touch his muzzle as he spun around and smashed the arm of the Fossilised against the head of another. He broke the arms off the fallen creature and used them as twin clubs. "Yeah... it was..."

"How does that memory play in your head? Forwards or backwards?"

"Forwards."

That annoying, knowing smile crossed Zack's features like he was some psychologist and he was waking a breakthrough with his patient. "So your memory is like a river. It flows in one direction. It flows towards your present, correct."

"That's what memories usually do," he snarled, spinning around and kicking a Fossilised's head clean off. The projectile flew past Zack's head, the angel not even flinching.

"What would you say if I told you that each of these statues can be likened to the fragments of an individual's memory?"

Jacob froze... and lowered his makeshift weapons... His eyes lifted up towards Zack... then towards the big, green light in the distance.

"So... You're telling me...?"

"The sacrifice a person makes to obtain a Seal doesn't have to be a person, Jacob." The angel dropped down from the air and stood beside him. The Fossilised all immediately avoided the angel, giving him a wide berth but continuing on their path towards that light. "A mortal can sacrifice anything of theirs they wish to make a Seal be that a loved one, a treasured artefact or even a memory. The more valuable the sacrifice is to the person, the more powerful the Seal will become."

Snorting, Jacob turned to face the distant light, watching the seemingly endless see of stone statues as they shambled towards the distance. "Seems like a loophole if you ask me. Don't see why people don't just sacrifice a memory more often. What's one memory when you can make more?"

"Don't underestimate the value of a memory, Jacob," Zack said gently, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Jacob was aware Zack was holding a pistol. "A memory is not just something in the past that you remember... A memory can form the cornerstone of your relationship with someone else... can be the core of your very being.

"For example, what would happen if you forgot the fact that you were a Reaper?"

"Would save me a lot of trouble," Jacob grumbled. "People wouldn't be accusing me of crimes I didn't even commit..."

"Ah but that's where you're wrong," the angel answered with a chuckle. "See, people will still remember. You won't. Mortals are very adaptive creatures. When they find holes in their existence, they tend to fill them in with what they have on hand... or paw.

"You start bleeding, what do you do? Grab a bandage, clamp a paw over the wound or even find a piece of cloth to stop the bleeding. If your stomach is empty, you fill it with food. If you don't know something... you try to figure out what that something is, filling the hole in your knowledge.

"It's the same with a mortal and their memory. If a mortal forgets something... they'll try to piece together that something from what others remember. Naturally, this may not be the truth because only you can truly experience an event and store those memories. If you take the information second-hand from others... you are taking their account of things not your own.

"In essence... you are taking a bit of their personality and letting it become part of you..."

Jacob's brow furrowed... He could see where this was going... and he didn't like it... But at the same time, he wanted Zack to tell him... that... that...

"The problem with becoming a mortal based entirely on the memories of others," Zack continued, "is that because those mortals never remembered things exactly as you would have, there are bound to be flaws. When true and physical evidence counteracts the accounts of these mortals, then their testimony will crumble.

"For them, that isn't so bad because really, to them, it's just a memory of someone else, correct?"

Jacob replied with a dull, 'uh-huh'.

"But for you, who built your entire existence around the belief that what they told you was correct... Well, you'll have your entire future and everything you've done put to question, won't you? It's like finding out that the piece of coal that a diamond was made out of wasn't actually purely coal. Maybe it had some impurities in it. That'll put to doubt the value of the diamond even if, on the surface, it looks perfect."

He flung around and snarled at Zack. "Just spit it out, feathers," he growled. "I'm an idiot for believing what Balthazar put into my head... for building my entire future, my entire existence on something that was never right in the first place! That I'm a wreck because of that and I should stop being a goddamn fool and stop living around a past that was never mine in the first place!"

Zack sniggered and lifted the gun in his paws, levelling it right between Jacob's forehead.

"Oh Jacob..." The angel smirked. "Who said I was talking about you?"

He pulled the trigger...

... a small flag unfurled from the weapon with the word 'bang' written on it.

...

"Whu...?"

WHAM!

One of the living statues bashed his head in... using a discarded limb...

*****

Sensations and feeling started returning to Jacob's limbs bit by bit...

His eyes fluttered open slowly as he became vaguely aware of his surroundings.

Everything was almost completely pitch black... There was a small light emanated from a few paces in front of him blocked by the silhouettes of a few figures. His coat was draped over his body. From what he could tell, he was uninjured... but by the looks of the ten or twelve people around the fire, he was pretty lucky.

Grunting, he pushed off the wall and slowly staggered to his feet.

Those around the fire gave him a mix of stares... Some looked at him venomously... others looked up at him with a hopeless empty gaze... only two looked vaguely happy to see him... and those were Taylor and Kerry. He was glad they had survived.

"Damn... And here I wished you had died..."

Norton was crouched far away from the fire, gazing at an enormous wall of crumbling rock. It looked like a cave-in...

In fact, that was exactly what it was...

"I'm like a cockroach, remember?" Jacob muttered, stretching slightly, "I'm rather hard to kill."

"I believe the latest rumours involve you devouring the souls of those you've killed to maintain your youth and strength," the mole murmured. "Considering you just killed about half of my troops and ended up somehow surviving that insane cave-in you caused, I'm inclined to believe those rumours."

Smirking slightly, he made a show of thumping his chest with a fist and belching loudly. "Yep. Nice tasty souls too."

He sat down next to Taylor, the cougar smiling at him and resting a paw on his knee. Jacob smiled faintly back and patted his paw. The ANVIL soldiers around him shuffled away.

"I just want to know what you were thinking," Norton demanded. It sounded like he was trying really hard not to blow a gasket. "Caving in the whole tunnel... Did you even consider the fact that there could still be people buried under all that rubble who will now likely bleed or starve to death?"

"Honestly, I was more concerned about making it out of there without getting turned into a freaky rock-zombie."

Norton's fists clenched, making a popping noise. "So you carelessly killed over ten people just to save your own neck."

So says the asshole that mines_people for money._

"Did you want me to shout out some ambiguous battle formation so that you would've had ample warning?"

"Any warning would have been welcome..." Norton sneered, just on the verge of exploding.

Kerry suddenly jumped to her feet, standing defensively in front of Jacob. "So it's okay for you to try and kill us but when Jacob tries to kill you and actually succeeds in killing some of your troops it's okay? The only difference between your tactics and his is that you verbally warned your troops while we just know Jacob that well!"

Jacob was a little startled the venom that Kerry putting into her words.

Whoa... Remind me never to get on her bad side...

"Jake,"_Spectre said dismissively,"I can remind you all you want but I know, at one point or another, you're going to instigate her for shits and giggles."_

True...

"Reaper hasn't just killed my men!" Norton roared, spinning around to face Kerry. "He could have just doomed them to a slow, painful death!"

Kerry advanced, summoning an icy spear. The ANVIL troopers slowly rose but the flames between them flared up, Taylor eyeing them all warily. The troopers backed down. "Are you making this judgment just because of Jacob's past or are you basing it on fact!?"

Norton drew his pickaxe-sword and swung it towards the rubble. "Look for yourself! Can you honestly say that is the most merciful way of killing someone!?"

"Like trapping them in a magical black coffin full of spikes is any more merciful!?"

Jacob was slowly shrinking back from the fight... Kerry was seriously starting to scare him a little... She had always exuded this 'goody-goody' air about here but now that she was filled with fury... it shattered that image and warned Jacob she was not someone to be taken lightly...

"You can't judge me! I've done what I can to keep this city aloft and away from a Purge!" Norton jabbed his blade into the rock beneath his feet. "The only reason this place has not been Purged is because I keep it economically viable! Graesham produces enough materials to fuel all of MODD and Rillotia's operations combined without even tapping into the resources of other cities!

"That makes this place too valuable to lose to a Purge! I've done what I can to maintain that because I don't want to lose my home!"

"So instead you let people slowly succumb to the Plague then mine their corpses to continue your cycle of death!" Kerry snapped. Upon her last words, a chilling blast of cold air erupted from her body, completely dousing the flames.

Jacob thought it was his time to act.

Quickly, he summoned what little light he could around him and amplified it into a globe that hovered over his palm. He stood between Kerry and Norton, barring their path from one another.

"Okay, now that we've got all that out in the open," he began. His eyes turned to Norton first. "What's done is done. You think I screwed up? Fine. Have it your way. Hate me all you want but that won't undo the past. Move the fuck on just like you've been preaching." Then he turned to Kerry, his features softening. "Kerry... Norton is an asshole and a downright twisted one to boot. But let's face it, right now, we're stuck with him and he's the only way to get out of this place."

Norton snorted. "And what makes you think I know this place enough to find a way out let alone take you with me?"

Jacob smirked and turned back to the lieutenant. "Because this place is basically your base of operations. If you don't know it, then you royally suck. Plus, I know you can get out of here easily. You control Earth and Darkness. You're at home here. The only thing keeping you here is the soldiers you care so much about."

Lightning fast, Jacob suddenly had Radiance out and levelled at the throat of the nearest trooper. Norton flinched... a bad move.

Jacob's grin grew broader. "You care a lot for your men as evidenced by the fact you practically tore Kerry and I to shreds over killing a few of them when you probably killed more civilians in your time as you mined them for materials. They are the only ones keeping you here and you know as well as I do that if you plan on getting out of here, you've got to take them with you and there's nothing stopping us from following."

"Who's to say that I won't just black out the area around you and leave you blind?" Norton challenged.

It was a bluff... and Jacob knew why.

"Because if you were confident in your abilities to get your men out of here, you would've done so already. You would've left me unconscious and left Tayl and Kerry blind." Jacob smirked, expanding the light so that it illuminated the cavern. "But I'm willing to wager that the little batch of Fossilised you were mining on this level wasn't the only batch you have down here."

Norton's jaw locked in place.

"I thought so," Jacob said, lowering his blade. "So here's the deal... You lead us out, we help give you the firepower to beat back these bastards."

"You can't be serious!" Kerry exclaimed, waving her hands frantically. "He turned his own son into his Seal as an 'act of mercy'! Then he mined the last memoirs the people of Graesham had of those lost in the plague for profit. How can you ally yourself with someone like that!?"

Maybe because I've supposedly done worse...

Spectre gave him a puzzled look. "Wait... Are you admitting that you don't believe what Balthazar put in your head...?"

... Maybe.

Jacob turned to Kerry and gave her a hard stare. "There's no way out of here Kerry. Not without Norton's help. I'll admit that it's stupid, clichéd and goddamn irritating that we have to ally with our worst enemy to survive. There's probably going to be a big climactic battle somewhere along the line where we end up fighting of some big monster. At the end of which we're all lovey-dovey, rainbows and sunshine and you know me well enough that I'd rather nuke half the planet than go down that path."

He glared at Norton. "But... I guess if I got a chance at my redemption... so does a royal asshole like Norton."

The mole scowled at him. "Redemption is for those who seek it. I regret nothing."

Jacob thought back to what Zack had told him... about how memory always flowed in one direction... and how his memories could very well be pieced together from the recollections of others. Perhaps... it was because of that he saw himself to be 'content' to be without redemption... He was so caught up in being the 'bad boy' that... well... he never sought to change because that was how people saw him as.

It was easier to go with the flow of memories... instead of fighting against it and making his own path.

He realised that sea of petrified zombies that had been trying to push him towards that green light in the distance had been more symbolic than he thought...

"You're trying to run away from the past, hoping the river will sweep you far away from that and never have to look back," Jacob answered slowly. "But here's the kicker... That river you're riding... It comes from your past. You may be content to just let the current take you where it wants to take you, Norton."

He turned around, picking up Radiance which lay on the ground a few metres from where he had been lying. He focused his power through it and the blade erupted into a focused beam of light, illuminating their surroundings partially.

"Tell me when you want to stop swimming," he concluded. "Just don't drown before then."

Without another word, he began striding down the tunnels, picking one at random and carrying Radiance aloft, taking the only bits of light left with him. Taylor and Kerry flanked him, both standing proudly beside him. There was a gentle smile on Kerry's lips and he suspected she'd start teasing him about how he was going 'soft'.

He had a thousand remarks to that.

'I don't want him to drown because I want to be the one to hold his head under water.'

'If he drowns, I can't gut him afterwards.'

'I'm only allying with him now so that I can rip out his spine once we're done.'

But the truth was...

"I'm proud of you, Jake..."

There were more footsteps echoing in the tunnels than just his heavy pounds, Taylor's soft scuffing and Kerry's nearly soundless, dancer's steps. He glanced over his shoulder... finding the MODD soldiers following him at a good distance with Norton leading them.

"Hey Tayl..." he began softly. "Bring up the rear, would you? I need light back there too."

The cougar groaned. "You know the guy at the end is always the one that goes first, right?"

"Not true," he answered with a smirk. "It's the guys in the middle. Away from the two points of light."

At that, Taylor sniggered and slowed his pace, summoning twin balls of fire in his paws and helping to illuminate the small company as they traversed the tunnels.

Norton quickly caught up to him. They exchanged acknowledging grunts and fell into silence for about ten minutes...

... Then...

"It's lucky you chose this tunnel," the mole began. "It's the way out."

"You're not just getting my hopes up are you? There's no trap up ahead that'll lead me to my doom, is there?"

Norton didn't say anything... just grunting softly.

It was Kerry who sparked the next bit of conversation. "So just how many people did you bring down here to mine them?"

Jacob suddenly wished he wasn't walking between the two.

"Just the ones you saw that turned against us and about another two hundred or so gathered over the past few months," Norton growled. "Going too far into the tunnels just to hide away our 'mining' operations is idiotic." He glanced around warily. "We should have seen them by now... These tunnels were stripped of materials years ago. I just kept up the pretence that it was still prospering by bringing the statues here and just churning out the materials."

"Is there no end to your deceptions?" Kerry sneered.

Jacob decided to step in again. "I heard these tunnels were filed with 'rebels'."

Norton snorted loudly. "'Rebels'," he repeated disdainfully. "Conway just uses that as an excuse to chase ghosts. During the war that tore up Graesham, Rose Earthsire was said to have conspired with some of the Rebels from Proxy. Apparently, when she escaped, she would join them along with her lover."

"I suppose that makes sense..."_Spectre murmured. _"Where else would a renegade Seal-user go but the Rebels? Bit risky though... She's in the middle of MODD's domain... Little wonder why she didn't make it."

"When the city tore itself up because of Rose's death, Conway just kept blaming the 'Rebels'," Norton muttered, the hatred in his voice evident. "He just kept telling MODD 'It's the Rebels' over and over again. MODD complied at first but when the war just didn't end, MODD withdrew its support and Conway just kept blaming his imaginary 'Rebels'. He couldn't get it around his head that Rose left him because he was a downright horrible father and a nutcase to boot."

Jacob flicked his ears towards Norton curiously. "So you're telling me that these 'Rebels' are just some figment of Conway's imagination? That he goes down here looking for battles that are never heard, seen or recorded?"

The mole shrugged. "People used to accompany him but then he'd lead them on wild goose chases, running through the tunnels like a madman, chasing something no one else can see. These days, being assigned to Conway's command is a punishment. No one takes him seriously anymore."

"Rocky does."

Norton snorted. "Rocky is a naive child. There are some people who are beyond redemption."

Jacob knew what he should say next... but he also knew that Kerry -

"Does that include you?"

... would say it instead...

"I have done nothing wrong!" Norton shouted.

Jacob swung his blade downwards, cutting the air between the two. "Kerry, back off. Norton, cool off."

Spectre wrapped himself around Jacob's neck, nuzzling him tenderly. "Never thought I'd see the day when you'd put a stop_to a fight..."_

Ignoring his Animus, he turned to Norton and said, "So you basically let Conway do whatever he wants?"

Someone cried out behind them.

Jacob immediately spun around, summoning Requiem to his side and holding Radiance higher. He feared some sort of monster had snatched up someone from the column of troops... He feared Taylor might have been swept away in the darkness.

It wasn't that...

... just one of the soldiers had toppled over, clutching his side.

It was the Alsatian... Sergeant Canis. Blood seeped between the soldier's fingers.

"Sergeant!" Norton shouted. "James! What happened!?"

The canine grunted and collapsed to the ground, his fellow troops crowding around him. From the way everyone was panicking, none of them were medics. Norton shoved aside many of his soldiers to kneel beside the fallen trooper.

"Why didn't you say anything!?" Norton demanded.

The canine just smiled weakly, his soft, blue eyes glazing over...

"Jake..."

Fine...

"Tayl, cauterise the wound," he ordered.

Taylor flinched. "Wa - Wait! What!?"

"You heard me. Cauterise the wound. It'll stop the bleeding at least on the surface until we can get him to the surface and to help."

Norton shook his head grimly, drawing his pickaxe-sword. "Reaper... It's too late. He's lost too much blood. Stupid, stubborn idiot... You should've said something..."

The sergeant breathed something... It sounded like, 'I didn't want to betray you, sir.'

"There is nothing we can do for him except give him a quick death," Norton said, lifting his blade.

No!

Jacob leapt forward, seizing Norton's wrist.

"Are you denying me this act of mercy too?" the mole scowled. "Surely you can see this is the only way to ease his suffering."

"If you truly believed that," Jacob answered grimly, "then you wouldn't be so determined to prevent a Purge."

Check and mate.

Norton scowled and lowered his blade. "Fine, then what are you going to do? Let him bleed to death!?"

Jacob knelt beside the soldier. "If it comes to that..."

The Alsatian's eyes suddenly regained a spark of fire and he looked like he was about to fight. He even swatted at Jacob weakly. The feeble attack didn't even reach him. Jacob reached around the soldier and unbuckled the canine's armour, stripping it off piece by piece. There was a huge wound against the soldier's left rib, showing the bone.

There was a thick, black shard embedded in there.

Jacob recognised that shard... and why Sergeant James Canis didn't want to speak up...

He threw a petrifying gaze at Norton whose eyes went wide at the sight of the shard. Keeping his eyes on the lieutenant, he swiftly yanked the shard out of the soldier's ribs.

The Alsatian sat up, screaming in pain.

Fellow ANVIL troops scrambled around him, pinning him back down as he seemed to regain some of his strength and flailed about madly.

"Taylor..." Jacob began, his eyes still firmly fixed on Norton.

The mole was paralysed... probably realising that it was his attack that had ultimately hurt his soldier...

There was a loud, sizzling sound and the muffled cries of the sergeant. Jacob finally tore his gaze away from lieutenant just as Taylor finished sealing up the wound. Tearing off his coat, Jacob wrapped it around Canis' chest, forming a makeshift bandage more to keep the canine from injuring himself than actually to seal up the wound.

"Kerry, I need some ice."

The doe handed him a large chunk of ice which he quickly wrapped in the sleeve of his coat. He sliced the sleeve off with Radiance and gently applied it against the soldier's forehead. Since his coat was made of a special metal alloy, it carried to cold very well so it brought down the young sergeant's temperature down.

Hopefully they could get him somewhere before something got infected.

... and if it did... hopefully it wasn't from the Plague.

"Your call, lieutenant," Jacob said, watching the sergeant slowly calm down. The young Alsatian's eyes shut and his breathing eased even if it was still a little ragged. "Move on or stay here?"

Norton didn't reply.

After about a minute, Jacob turned to regard the man... who was still frozen in shock...

"He's reeling from the realisation that he could just be as responsible for the deaths of his men as you are,"_Spectre said softly. _"You can see it in his eyes. He's considering the possibilities that his spikes could have stopped the escape of many of his men... that perhaps some had become impaled on them as they ran...

"His doubt is extending to his other actions... He's wondering if mining the people to keep a drowning city barely alive was the wisest thing to do... Was it work keeping the city_alive when its people died?"_

Rising to his feet, Jacob said, "You guys stay here," he told Kerry and Taylor. "Make a fire so we know where you are."

"Where are you going?" Kerry asked.

"I'm going to scout ahead," he answered. "Maybe find something vaguely door-shaped so we can get the hell out of here."

A paw fell on his shoulder.

"I... I'm coming with you," Norton said with a shaky determination.

"If he's coming, I am too," Kerry insisted, her eyes burning into Norton who seemed to cringe underneath its gaze. "I still have a few choice words for him."

Even Jacob could feel the sting of her words... and they weren't even directed at him!

"Let's just find the exit," he said with a wince.

*****

For what seemed like the better part of an hour, Jacob led the three-man team through the tunnels with Norton offering them directions. He was completely lost as they twisted and wended their way through the darkness. At first, he tried counting how many right or left turns they took but eventually, he lost count but he was aware that they were slowly making their way upwards.

Upwards meant towards the surface... right...?

Suddenly, Norton stopped in his tracks.

"I need to know..." the mole began softly but resolutely. "What power do you possess that can counter the might of MODD?"

"Apart from our Brands?" Jacob answered with one eyebrow raised. "A whole lot of balls. Hell, Kerry's got more balls that you do."

Kerry sniggered a little and as if realising that was not a very nice thing to do, she let out a little 'oops' and returned to glaring at Norton.

"What specific power?" Norton insisted. "Do you have something that can counter the Seals?"

Jacob exchanged glances with Kerry... who shook her head.

There's no harm in telling him... I guess... I mean, he can't stop it...

"I can break Seals," he answered, much to Kerry's chagrin.

Norton's eyes lifted to meet his. "Break them?"

"Temporarily disable them. It eventually recovers but the rate of recovery is a little random. At least to me. If I'm focused enough, I can shatter a Seal completely and free the souls trapped within."

At least... That's what I think I did...

He only ever unleashed that particular power of his Brand once... and that was against Gale. Those were extraordinary circumstances... He wasn't sure if he could replicate it.

Norton's eyes brightened with a spark of hope. "So... If I were to ask you to break my Seal like that...?"

Jacob felt like he had just been slapped with a leather glove. It didn't hurt... but it was shocking. Kerry looked like an anvil had slammed into the back of her head.

"What!?" she demanded.

"Can you do it?" Norton insisted, ignoring her completely. "Can you break my Seal and release my son?"

...

I don't know if I should...

"Don't think about doing this for Norton,"_Spectre said. _"Think about doing it for Norton's son."

...

Point...

"I suppose so. I don't know the exact conditions I need to do it though. It might take some time."

"That's enough for me," Norton answered, straightening his body. "Just do me a favour."

Jacob spun his blades expertly in his paws. "If you wanted me to kill you, all you had to do was ask. Don't even have to say 'please'."

"What!?" Norton exclaimed, eyes widening. "No!"

He gave Norton a mocking smile. "Are you sure? I'll throw in a free disembowelling."

"Dear god no!"

"Fine," he sighed, waggling a finger at the mole. "You drive a hard bargain, sir. But because I really hate you, I'll disembowel, dismember, behead you then I'll desecrate your body in ways that are too graphic and horrific for present company" - he winked at Kerry - "after which I'll stick your rotting head on a pike and stick it on the shore so that when the high tide comes in, all the ocean fish will come in and eat at your flesh and when it's low tide, everyone can see the horrific remains of your monstrous countenance."

...

"Wow... That gruesome even for you..."

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment..." Norton murmured dully, "I just need you to break my Seal when I ask. There is still a lot I'd like to do before I lose my powers completely."

"You realise if these 'things' include world domination, the processing of people into raw materials or something equally homicidal, I'll have to revert to my 'gruesome death discount'."

The mole shook his head and smirked slightly. "Nothing so horrible, I assure you." Then his eyes narrowed upon Jacob... or more specifically... beyond Jacob.

Jacob turned completely around. A light emanated from further down the tunnel. His heart felt a sigh of relief as he lowered Radiance and let the light die out. Smiling, he turned around to find Kerry beaming at the end of their little traumatic journey.

"That's not right..."

He glanced at Norton. "What?"

The mole shook his head and pushed past Jacob, hurrying towards the light. "We're still a good distance away from the surface... That can't be the end..."

Oh dang...

I swear, this better not be some super-massive-mega-zombie...

It wasn't.

It was much worse.

Jacob emerged into a massive cavern about ten times bigger and taller than the one he had initially fought the Fossilised in. The cavern was filled with seemingly dormant Fossilised, the creatures all facing the one, central edifice... A huge crystal statue...

At the very centre of the cavern, hanging from the high ceiling that had to be fifty-storeys above their heads and with its bare feet touching the ground. The green crystal that formed the creature glowed with an unearthly light. Its features were distinctly ursine... its arms crossed over its bare breasts and its legs slightly crossed to hide any genitals. Every detail was accurate... Her - for it was very female - flesh wasn't smoothened out but rather consisted of large blades of crystal that made a covering of fur. The contours of her body weren't ragged like normal crystals, they were perfectly shaped as if someone had taken the time to sculpt the crystal statue perfectly.

Jacob looked up to the statue's face...

... and he had a flash of memory...

... that face...

He saw it before...

... on Soot's archaic photograph...

"Rose..." he whispered.

Norton flung around, eyes wide in shock. "How did you know...?"

Kerry stepped up beside Jacob, frowning slightly as she gazed up at Rose. "That's Rose Earthsire...? Is... Is she what's causing the Plague...?"

Fear clenched Jacob's heart...

Had he actually been right about Rose imposing herself onto others to form a new body...?

Were all the statues the remnants of the Fossilised who had given their Seals over to Rose?

Click! Click! Click!

That was not a natural sound.

Jacob jerked his head upwards... and winced.

"Great... spiders."

He hurled himself to the right, ploughing right through several Fossilised as -

BOOOOM!

A huge Unsealed landed where he had been standing. Norton and Kerry managed to dodge away from the eight, blade-like legs and the two, massive scythe-like arms jutting from a broad, crab-like thorax. Its eight, green eyes flashed with malice as it clicked it mandibles with dripped with corrosive saliva. A big Seal was imprinted on the underside of its thorax.

Jacob didn't get a chance to see it as the creature jumped into the air... and came crashing back down towards him!

BOOOM!

A massive, black boulder slammed into the Unsealed, sending it crashing towards the wall.

"What the hell is that doing out!?" Norton shouted, running up to Jacob's side.

"An artificially created Unsealed by MODD?" Jacob scowled, rising to his feet and picking up his swords. "Why the hell do you even keep them around!?"

He knew the answer to that.

It was propaganda.

MODD made the Unsealed and released them on the public. The public turned to MODD to save them from the Unsealed. MODD gets more profits to make more Unsealed. A cycle of money, greed, death and deception.

"Because we just love keeping around horrible, twelve-foot, monster spiders as pets!" Norton spat.

The Unsealed slammed its twin arms into Norton's obsidian boulder and threw it aside. The creature quickly scrambled to its feet. It clicked its mandibles quickly before rearing its squat, elliptical head and spraying a shower of acid in their direction.

Jacob jumped back -

... just as a wall of ice blocked the acid... just barely.

Kerry scrambled to his side as the icy wall was eaten away by the acid.

SMASH!

Kerry's icy wall shattered as the Unsealed charged through, its blade-like limbs slicing Jacob's arms as it shot past with lightning speed.

"Damn... It's fast," he grunted, feeling blood drip down his arms.

The Unsealed spun around, shaking the earth beneath its legs. It let out an ear-splitting scream that shook the walls of the cavern. Jacob half-expected the crystal Rose Earthsire to wake up and swat the monstrous bug but no such luck.

His regeneration quickly kicked in, patching up his wounds but the Unsealed was equally as quick as it spun around, levelled its forward arms like a bull's horns and charged!

Black, rock erupted from the ground and encased Norton's weapon, extending the blade to a good five metres. "Onyx -!" The lieutenant suddenly surged forward, swinging his blade in wide, swipes. "... Onslaught!"

The Unsealed quickly stopped just short of Norton's attacks and vaulted over the mole. Its eight legs clasped together, forming a bladed apex. The creature spun like a drill and dropped straight down upon Norton!

Jacob swept up Requiem, slashing in the direction of the Unsealed. Kerry, who stood beside him, lunged, throwing her palm forward. A sonic blast erupted from Requiem's blade just as an icy pillar shot out of the ground in front of Kerry. The two collided, the sonic burst shattered the icy spear, carrying thousands of tiny, blade-like icy shards bombarding the Unsealed.

BOOM!

The Unsealed was knocked aside but it quickly recovered, scrambling to its feet, letting out a screech and leaping up against the walls. It scrambled between the forest of stalactites, temporarily disappearing from view.

Norton cursed as the black coating of his blade dropped away. "This thing is stronger than it was when we last assessed it..."

"You assess the Unsealed?" Kerry demanded, summoning two icy spears that jutted out from beneath her poncho. "Shouldn't you know this thing's weakness?"

"The Fissure isn't my Unsealed," Norton answered grimly. "It's Conway's..."

That's right... Individuals with powerful Seals tend to create Unsealed on their own...

Somehow, the bonds between the souls bound within the Seal and the user of the Seal created incredibly powerful Unsealed. The exact science was not known since it seemed rather random. So far, Jacob knew Seal users with high enough sync-rates were more than willing to create these Unsealed should they desired but there weren't enough people who knew the source of the Unsealed to actually pump them out like factories.

Not even most MODD troops knew where the Unsealed came from...

... which begged the question.

"Does Rocky...?"

"He does," Norton answered grimly. "But you know how he is. 'Forgiveness' everywhere. He thinks that the Unsealed aren't beyond redemption too and is one of those nutjobs trying to figure a way to transform the Unsealed back into normal people... or better understand them."

Not sure if that's suicidal, noble or just stupid.

"Jacob!"

His eyes snapped upwards -

Crrrrack!

A stalactite snapped... and dropped down from the ceiling!

"Move!" he cried, diving to his right.

BOOOM!

The stone spear smashed into the earth where the trio had been standing, shattering countless statues in its wake. The Fissure screamed in frustration and scurried over to another stalactite, slicing it clean through with its claws and letting it drop down...

... straight at Kerry!

Kerry just had enough time to look up...

No!

Jacob gathered light around Radiance, extending the blade to over ten metres - enough to cover the expanse between himself and Kerry. He spun -

Swish!

... slicing the stalactite clean in half and sending the two shards topping away from Kerry.

Growling, he pointed Radiance at the screaming Unsealed.

"Lights out!"

Fwash!

BOOOM!

The light around Radiance erupted from the blade, shooting straight towards the Fissure and striking it right on its thick, armoured back. The creature let out a rattling scream as it dropped from the ceiling and -

SMASH!

... crashed to the ground.

The blade-like limbs of the Unsealed flailed and within seconds, it was standing back up!

"There's no use hitting its back!" Norton shouted, slamming his foot against the ground. Black, rocky spikes shot out of the ground beneath the Unsealed but the creature dodged aside with uncanny speed. "Its armour is nearly impenetrable!"

"You could've told us that earlier!" Jacob shouted back.

The Unsealed suddenly jumped into the air, clasped its limbs together and spun wildly. Its drill-like form tore into the ground, throwing the remnants of statues in all directions as it quickly disappeared underground.

...

The chamber feel eerily quiet.

Jacob wasn't so naive to expect that the battle had finished or the creature had run off scared...

He kept his senses on edge... listening... and watching...

SHOOM!

He let out a sharp 'yipe' as a huge, insect-like limb with a bladed tip erupted from the ground right in front of him, just barely missing his nose!

Crap!

"Jacob!" Kerry shouted and he quickly bolted towards her.

SHOOM! SHOOM! SHOOM!

The Fissure's legs shot out of the ground, just barely missing him every time. He dodged to the right and-

SHOOM!

Its leg was suddenly there, just an inch from impaling him!

It chased him as he ran towards Kerry -

Wait!

Did he want to lead it to Kerry?

That moment of hesitation cost him.

SHOOM!

RRRRIP!

Jacob cried out as the blade of the creature's leg tore across his back, scraping his spine. His legs gave out from underneath him. Unbelievable pain wracked his entire body and his senses screamed for him to move. But he just couldn't bring himself to roll to the side... His entire body was still reeling...

He closed his eyes for a second... just waiting for that bladed leg to erupt from the ground and pierce his heart...

No!

His eyes snapped open... his Brand glowing brightly against his left shoulder. Raw power ripped right through his body, emanating from the magical symbol drawn into his arm. The brilliant, white light erupting from the Brand quickly spread all over his body, forming similar symbols as his muscles gained massive bulk. The wound against his spine quickly closed up, the nerves and tendons repairing themselves quickly just as -

SHOOM!

Jacob seized the erupting leg with a single, massive paw, a titanic roar ripping from his thicker throat. Bright, symbol-like wings erupted from his back as he shot into the air and tore the Unsealed right out of the ground!

The creature flailed madly, trying to slash at him with its remaining limbs but he quickly spun and slammed it against the ground!

BOOOM!

Jacob roared, two blades of light appearing in his paws.

He landed with a heavy thud right next to the creature. The Unsealed scrambled to its feet... A leg sweeping at Jacob from the right. He somersaulted over the attack. Another leg came sweeping at him from the left and he ducked as he landed, letting it sweep over him. As the creature regained its footing, it brought a leg crashing down upon him from above -

Thwack!

Jacob seized the bladed tip of the leg in a paw.

He met the creature's eyes...

He wasn't sure if he could see it or not... but he knew the beast could see its end.

With his free hand, he plunged his light-sword into the creature's leg and sliced the limb straight off. The creature went down with a deafening scream. He pounced upon it, tackling it to the ground with its severed limb in paw.

Jacob plunged the bladed tip straight into the creature's exposed abdomen. No blood erupted. Unsealed rarely bled.

But he was far from done.

Seizing the severed limb, he spread his wings, leapt into the air and spun around -

"Kerry!"

He hurled the creature straight towards the doe.

Kerry's eyes flashed. Like a graceful dancer, she spun, sweeping her spears around her. Icy columns erupted from the ground, slamming into the Unsealed as it got within range. Before it could fly too far into the air, her spears grew in size - big enough to become icy flyswatters - and she brought them crashing down upon the creature, flattening it against the ground.

Then, she leapt back, her icy spears shattered into a thousand miniature versions that surrounded her like a frigid, bladed halo. A triumphant 'Ya' escaped her muzzle as he threw her palms forward. The spears peppered the Unsealed, forcing the creature into a twisted dance macabre. She threw back her palms one more time, summoning a titanic spear before -

WHAM!

... she slammed it straight into the Unsealed.

"Norton!"

The mole smirked and pressed the hilt of his blade against his forehead. The MODD lieutenant jumped into the air briefly before he dropped beneath the ground in a puff of darkness. Just as the Unsealed swept over him -

WHOOSH!

A black, crystal version of Norton jumped out of the ground, slicing right through the Unsealed. The dark clone spun around and hacked through the Unsealed again -

WHOOSH!

A second clone erupted from the ground, bouncing the Unsealed between it and its other 'brother'.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Obsidian clone after obsidian clone erupted from the ground, forming a swarm of Norton-look-alikes that bashed the Unsealed mercilessly.

BOOM!

Norton burst out of the ground with a huge spire of obsidian trailing him, impaling the Unsealed right through the chest! He spun in the air, swinging his weapon and smashing the spire of obsidian.

"Jacob!"

The Unsealed shot straight towards Jacob...

With a feral growl, Jacob stabbed the creature with both his light-swords. He could hear the sickening crack of his blades bursting through the insect's carapace and hitting vital organs. Jacob slammed the creature into the ground, stomping on its bloody thorax and kicked off, leaping high into the air!

Kerry and Norton were suddenly beside him.

Kerry pointed her icy spear towards the prone Unsealed beneath them. Jacob seized it... just as Norton grasped it as well. Bright, white streams of energy curled out of Jacob's arm, encasing the spear just as black energies did the same for Norton.

_"Event...!"_Kerry and Norton shouted.

Oh god... another named attack...

Jacob released the spear just as Norton did. Kerry hefted the infused weapon and threw it straight down!

BOOOM!

The explosion was short lived as suddenly, the darkness swept out of the spear, forming a hurricane of seething blackness that sucked everything towards the blade. Countless statues were ripped from where they stood and torn asunder by the tremendous currents of the darkness. The countless little shards peppered the twitching, pained Unsealed that lay at the epicentre of the storm of darkness. Their surroundings darkened as the darkness seemed to suck the very light from around them and concentrate it into a single, glowing ball at the very centre of the storm.

Jacob angled himself towards the spear... He saw Kerry and Norton do the same.

At the same time, the charged -

BOOOOOOM!

"... Horizon!"

All the light gathered by the storm exploded outwards, sweeping over the cavern with the fury of a supernova. Jacob felt the light wash over him without harming him. He closed his eyes briefly...

When he opened them, the light had cleared... and the air was filled with tiny crystals shimmering in the light emanating from Rose Earthsire's crystal... the remnants of the icy spear Kerry had wielded.

He glanced to his right and left... Norton and Kerry stood there, both looking relieved.

"So... You can transform, huh?" Norton began, examining him.

Jacob grinned and wrapped his massive, much more muscular arms around the two, holding them against his bigger chest. "See? Now we're best buds!"

Kerry chuckled and Norton pushed him away with a somewhat amused grunt.

The mole's eyes lifted towards Rose's statue. "Now... What do we do with her?"

"She's not harming anyone... Yes," Kerry answered. "Besides, we don't have time to dawdle. We need to get your men to safety."

Surprisingly, Norton didn't put up any resistance and nodded. "You're right. I'll go back and fetch them." He nodded towards the only other exit through the cavern. "That way is the way out. There shouldn't be any other paths. It's a straight shot to the surface. You guys go ahead. If you get lost somehow, I'll catch up and find you."

Jacob felt like making some quip about Norton and some traps but he realised that... well...

What is it about battle that brings people together...?

"When you fight together, you find common ground... common ground forms a stable foundation for a relationship..."

"We'll see you in a bit," Kerry said. Norton nodded and quickly down back into the ground, bursting into a shower of darkness and shooting back towards Taylor and the others.

On some unspoke command, Jacob and Kerry turned and headed towards the opposite tunnel.

They strode in silence...

... until five minutes later when they finally reached the entrance.

The sight before them was disheartening... but something Jacob already pretty much expected.

Graesham... was in ruins.

They tunnel led them to the mountains within the city itself and near the Emerald Crown. Pillars of smoke rose up and formed an ominous veil in the sky. Fires burned across the entire city. Apart from the occasional explosion or the creak of broken houses crashing, everything was eerily silent... just like the zombies...

... quiet...

But amidst all the destruction... was a ray of hope.

Rising just about fifteen minutes walk from where they emerged... was a mighty, metal golem with luminescent, purple wings...

Eden.

*****

The doors to Eden opened...

The crowds gathered there cheered as if they were heroes returning from battle. In a way... they were... but the victory was a solemn one. Sergeant Canis was immediately rushed off to intensive care or wherever he was going. Several doctors were amongst the crowd so they took him and any of the others injured.

Jacob paved a way through the crowd as he approached where Joanna, Leo and Max stood.

They all seemed rather disturbed by something...

When he stood before them - still in his Brand Form - they looked up at him - since he stood well past eight feet tall now and probably three times more muscular than he was before though his clothes surprisingly stretched to accommodate him.

"Don't I get a hug?" he asked, spreading his arms wide jokingly.

He expected Leo to at least pounce him or lick his feet.

No such luck.

"Oh this is bad..."

"Jacob... We gotta talk..." Joanna began softly.

"If it's any worse than the massive crystal statue of Rose Earthsire we found underground that we suspect is gathering the Seals created from the formation of these statues, then I'm tell Kerry or Taylor about it. I'm on my break."

The trio exchanged glances again.

Before they could say anything, another voice cut it.

"I called a Purge."

Two things struck some pretty deep chords in Jacob's chest.

First... that voice belonged to Rex Nebula and Jacob's instant knee-jerk reaction was to think: 'Kill, murder, maim.'

The second...

... was the word 'Purge'.

"You what!?" he roared, spinning around and snarling at Rex.

The Elemental Lord of Star stood firmly in front of him, proud in his armour. There was a little bit of shaking in his form that indicated Jacob had at least intimidated him somewhat.

"I called a Purge," Rex repeated firmly. "This whole town is going to hell. I just received confirmation from the Angelsea MODD branch that they're sending their troops to execute a Purge on Graesham. They'll be here in three days."

WHAM!

Rex gagged.

The atrium fell silent as Kerry slammed Rex against the wall.

"You idiot!" she roared. "Did you even consider that there could still be survivors out there!?"

It took a moment for Rex to recover... Jacob was still reeling from the fact that Kerry beat him to attacking Rex.

"I've considered that!" Rex roared, shoving Kerry back. As much as it was not very gentlemanly to shove a lady... Jacob was starting to get the impression Kerry wasn't quite the 'lady' that she set herself up to be. "I know I basically condemned them to death! But it's a choice I made for the good of everyone else!"

"How is killing those who weren't lucky enough to be in here a choice made for 'the good of everyone else'!?"

"We've still got time!" Rex snapped back, his lips pulled back in a snarl. "Three days is a long time. We can get everyone out by then!"

"And what about curing the Plague!? What about all those still trapped inside those things!? Do we just abandon them while whoever is controlling this thing uses them as puppets!?"

Rex's fists clenched and he looked about ready to strike. Jacob noted that there was a rather nasty cut on his shoulder... and he guessed it was from where others had attacked him from the decision. What anger he felt eased slightly.

"Wow... You're not going to blow up on him too?"

Why would I? He's the only one that's actually taken my suggestion of 'kill everyone' seriously and acted on it.

"Right..."

"You risk infecting everyone else with the Plague. We don't know enough about it to be sure that anyone who goes in or out is not infected. What if we spend too long here and we get infected? What then? Would you rather attempt to save the few that are already dead or get out with those who are actually clean!?"

"Is that how MODD looks at things!?" Kerry snapped, flicking her hands and bringing out an icy spear. Rex flinched and summoned his star-sword. "Get rid of the disposable and maintain the healthy!?"

"MODD has nothing to do with this! This is a matter of life or death!"

"This is a matter of you flaunting your power!"

"Don't make this about me! I'm just trying to look out for these people!"

"Like you were trying to look out for them when you took me out on a failed date instead of helping them!?"

Jacob had to wince at that.

Low blow...

Rex reeled back... Then his eyes hardened again. "Don't flatter yourself," he snarled. "You're hardly my type."

"Of course not," Kerry answered, folding her arms across her chest, dismissing her spear. "You prefer your partners to have more testosterone."

Jacob had no idea how Kerry knew about that particular event... but he guessed she was just generally insulting him. Whether she was just fishing for ammunition or actually knew, Rex's reaction told it all. Widened eyes... half-open muzzle... and tail dipping between his legs...

Then...

"That's it!"

Jacob moved.

Faster than either of the two, he stood in between them, seizing Kerry's wrists in his titanic paws before she could strike Rex. Behind him, he smells Rocky had risen up as well, blocking Rex with his big shield.

"That's enough! Both of you!" Rocky shouted.

"Fight out there where you can catch some of the zombies in the crossfire," Jacob added darkly, his eyes narrowed at Kerry.

The doe withered beneath his gaze and pulled herself free with a huff. "You can't agree with what Rex has done, can you Jacob?"

He smirked slightly. "Why not? I've been telling these guys" - he hiked a thumb over his shoulder - "to kill everyone in the city instead of maintaining a dying population. Now they've actually taken my advice."

Kerry's eyes widened. "But MODD -"

"Is this really about MODD enacting a Purge or are you just pissed because now you've got a time limit to work to?" he interrupted. "Or maybe it's because you can see yourself that it's hopeless and you don't like feeling helpless..." He bent forward, his muzzle right next to her left ear. In a soft whisper, he said, "Just like when your dad saved you..."

She went rigid... tears forming in her eyes.

Angry, she spun around and stormed away.

With soft sigh, Jacob ran a paw through his hair and straightened. "After fighting Conway's Unsealed, I do not need this."

He sensed Rocky needed his attention and he turned around.

For a second, he had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Rocky was wearing some genetic patient's scrubs... and there were two lumps on his chest that looked suspiciously like breasts...

Rocky reached out and lifted his muzzle so that their eyes met. "My eyes are up here."

"Right... Um..." He was a little lost for words.

How do you ask a guy if he's had breast implants lately?

"Don't ask me!"_Spectre exclaimed, his eyes wide as well. He was leaning forward and had a very big telescope that was spying on Rocky's... breasts? _"Maybe they're just a joke? Or you're tired?"

In the end, Jacob said...

"Got milk?"

Smack!

... and he got slapped for that.

It didn't hurt... It just shocked him.

"Funny," Rocky replied with a scowl. "I am aware of my affliction, Jacob. We've come to the conclusion that because of the nature of the Plague and the fact that I was bitten by one of those things and then cured, that Rose Earthsire is hoping to use my as a vessel for her soul. She's altering my body..." Rocky began, squeezing her breasts in disgust. "I won't allow it!"

"I don't think that's possible," Norton began, stepping up beside Jacob. "While we were traversing the tunnels, we found a massive crystal statue of Rose Earthsire. Countless empty statues stood around her... like they had offered their souls towards the crystal."

"Maybe the crystal was just a temporary holding place for Rose's soul while she searched for a possible host,"_Spectre suggested. _"She gathered all her power from the years into that crystal... and now that she managed to infect Rocky..."

Rex grunted and gripped the side of his torso.

"What's wrong with you?" Jacob asked a little bluntly.

"After hearing of the Purge, a few people weren't very happy," Rocky answered. "The instant Rex stepped out here, he was assaulted by everyone. They only stopped when Max announced you and Norton had made it through."

Glancing at the gathered crowd of what had to be at least three hundred people, he saw the murderous stares they were directing at Rex. They all shared Kerry's frustration that MODD had strived to maintain them for so long only to discard them so quickly.

The decision was a bit fast... but I think Rex just panicked...

"There's no way of calling off a Purge?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Rocky answered with a shake of his - her? - head. "It's a failsafe of the Purge. The only way to stop it would be to destroy the carrier bringing whatever device will be used by the Purge. The weapon automated, controlled by an internal navigation device so that no personnel are caught in the blast with its deployed.

"There is only a window of an hour after the Purge is called when the navigation will accept a cancellation order and another window within fifteen minutes before the Purge is executed. Only then we can stop it."

"In the meantime, we can get everyone else out," Norton grunted. He placed a paw on Rocky's shoulder. "But we also have to check that no one here is infected."

"We don't have the equipment."

A soft cough came from behind them.

Max stepped up with two individuals flanking him... a wolf... and an otter.

"Bill! Myron!" Rocky exclaimed with a big grin. "You survived!"

"Rex brought them from the Emerald Crown to Eden as we began the evacuation," Max said with a grunt. He nodded towards Bill.

Bill Williamson cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Mr. Lionhart has informed me that his fascinating Animus is capable of creating any equipment so long as he knows the specifics or has the blueprints." The brown wolf tapped the side of his head. "I happen to remember all the internal workings of the devices we used on the Emerald Crown to check for the Plague.

Bill pulled out three test tubes and spun them expertly in his paws, two in one paw and one in the other. "With Mr. Lionhart's help, I can make enough devices to quickly check everyone here."

"And what happens to those that are infected?" Joanna asked with deep concern in her voice.

"We'll get to that hurdle when it comes up," Jacob answered, regarding the large number of concerned civilians. The last thing he needed was for them to start rampaging through Eden because of a decision any of them made.

Jacob summoned a light-sword and slashed himself across his forearm. Before his regeneration could heal the wound completely, he snatched a test tube from Bill and let his blood drop into it. There was enough to fill it halfway. He then grabbed a second one and quickly cut Rex across the arm with his sword. The Starlord let out a cry but didn't resist as Jacob extracted some of his blood.

He handed the two vials to Bill.

The wolf took them but at the same time, handed him a new pair of sunglasses. "I noticed you broke your last ones. Try to take care of these ones. They aren't cheap to make."

"Thanks," he said, draping one of Rex's arms over his shoulders. "I'll take care of Rex,"

"Oh god... You're going to kill me, aren't you?" Rex blurted.

"Of course not." He answered, winking at the Starlord slyly. "I'm going to torture you first."

Rex whimpered.

"He's not going to kill you," Rocky insisted. "Are you, Jacob?"

"No... ma'am."

WHAM!

Jacob gagged slightly as Rocky's fist dug into his firm abdominal muscles. It wasn't as damaging as the last time he was punched but it still stung.

"Watch it, Reaper."

Chuckling mildly, he hobbled Rex away from the crowd.

Max had assigned everyone a room in Eden and the massive Animus was nice enough to guide them to Rex's room with a stream of purple lights embedded in the floor. Rex's room was - unsurprisingly - far, far, far away from everyone else's. He was isolated.

The metallic door slid open for them and Jacob brought Rex inside. The room was quite... lavished in a metallic sort of way. It was big enough to be a small apartment. There was a bed, a table, what appeared to be a quick kitchen and a couch. There was even at television and what appeared to be a games console.

"Thanks..." Rex murmured, grunting as he pulled away from Jacob and collapsed on the metal-framed couch. "You know... It's not easy being an Elemental Lord..."

"Bet it's even harder being the Elemental Lord of Star."

Most people looked down upon Star-users mostly because Star it was very rare to find a purely 'Star-based' attack. Most 'Star attacks' were coupled with another Element. Calling down meteors from space was a combination of Star and Earth. Shooting starlight was - naturally - Star and Light. Even the power of solar flares were Star and Fire combinations.

Star-users were considered 'support fighters' and someone most people considered 'they could do without'.

"I just wish people would take me more seriously..." Rex murmured, turning his gaze away and staring at the blank TV absently. "I mean... I fought hard to get where I am... I've suffered... I've worked my ass off... Just because I use the Element of Star everyone thinks I'm immature, inexperienced and an idiot. Hell, Rocky is younger than me and they take him more seriously than me."

Jacob folded his arms across his chest and said, "Maybe that's because you try too hard."

The Starlord scoffed slightly. "Maybe..."

Sensing that the conversation was at an end, Jacob opted to leave...

"Whoa!"_Spectre exclaimed, hovering in front of his face. _"Jake, come on. The guy needs a friend right now. The town he was trying to protect basically turned on him! His confidence is shattered!"

So what do you want me to do about it? He has to pick up the pieces, not me.

"Dude! Just sit down and be a friend_for once."_

What makes you think I want to be friends with him!?

"Tactically, it's sound. Having a Starlord's loyalty is a good thing. Besides, your mission is_to get the Elemental Lords on your side, right?"_

...

Fine.

Jacob sighed and sat down beside Rex, catching the Elemental Lord by surprise.

"So... You like televisions, huh?" Jacob began.

Rex chuckled faintly. "It's the only thing compatible with the Gamebox Revolution." The wolf pointed at the game console in front of him. "My favourite game is on it. When I find myself stressed out by the world... I just play a couple of games. Kinda helps take my mind off things."

Rex's ears flicked towards him and the wolf with the silvery hair gave him a gentle smile. "Ever played any games, Jacob?"

"Nope."

That got a raised eyebrow from Rex. "What? Really? Not even as a kid?"

"Maybe I did but I don't really remember those times so well. All I remember is being experimented on, escaping and going on a rampage." He shrugged. "Not all necessarily true but hell, it's what I remember so as far as I know, I've never played any videogames."

"Huh..." Rex lay back on the couch. "Did you want to -?"

"No."

Spectre slapped himself with his paw. "You're doing a really_good job at being a friend..."_

I am not going to change myself to be his friend. If we're going to be 'friends', he has to accept me for who I am not who he wants me to be.

"Smooth..."

"So... You can transform, huh?"

Jacob forgot he was still in his Brand Form. This form always seemed more... natural to him. Whenever he entered it, he always felt like he was being freed for the first time and when he reverted, it was like he was being stuffed into a can.

"Yeah. Little known power the Branded wield."

"So you have a counter against the Seal-users and their armour, huh?"

"Guess so."

"Jacob..."

Sighing, Jacob conceded and turned to Rex. "Hey... You want to play a game?"

"I thought you didn't like videogames."

He smirked, an evil glint in his eyes. "Not that kind of game."

Rex whimpered and shrank back. "Wh - what then...?"

"Simple," he answered, lifting a finger. "We play a strip game."

Rex's eyes went wide. "What!? No!"

Jacob folded his arms and lifting his muzzle slightly in an arrogant fashion. "Chicken."

"Not going to work on me, Reaper," the Starlord snarled, folding his ears against his head.

"You want people to start taking you seriously?" Jacob challenged. "Then show them that you're up to any challenge."

"This isn't a challenge," Rex growled back. "It's a way to get into my pants."

"What pants?" he countered. "You're wearing armour. Oh and for future reference, the fact you go around wearing only armour is a big give away to your insecurities."

The brown wolf looked taken aback. "What!? Tactically, it's a good idea!"

"Yeah? You're the only Elemental Lord that's wears armour like that. Everyone has heard the rumour about how your sync-rate fluctuates. The fact you wear armour all the time just shows that you are insecure about your own powers that you need something to supplement it. Bad enough you need it but you wear it all the time. That just shows people that you're scared."

Rex blushed beneath his fur... but he wasn't denying it either. "F - Fine... I'll play your game. No sex though!"

Rolling his eyes, Jacob lifted a paw and said, "Fine. No sex."

"Wh - What are the rules?" Rex stammered, his blush growing so intense his fur turned almost red.

It was kind of cute watching him blush like that. It also filled Jacob with a sort of maniacal glee. "Simple. We play rounds. The one who loses the round, strips a bit of clothing."

The Starlord nodded. "Alright... So do we play with cards or something...?"

"It doesn't have to be cards," Jacob answered with a shrug. "I don't carry a deck around with me. It can be any game."

Rex's expression suddenly brightened. "Any game, huh? So how I pick what game since you picked the activity."

He didn't like the look in Rex's eyes but it would be hypocritical of him if he challenged Rex's courage with a speech about meeting any obstacle in his path with full confidence and backed out now. "Sure. What's the game?"

Rex bent down... and picked up a controller. "Simple. Ultimate Cosmic Fighter 5."

...

Crap.

Spectre fell off his shoulders and rolled on the floor laughing. Between burst of laughter, he managed to say, "... Walked... into... that... one!"

A thought occurred to him. "Sure. Just let me get prepared..."

"Take your time," Rex answered with a confident grin. "I'll have you stripped and naked in no time!" Then his eyes widened and he gulped loudly. "That came out wrong..."

"Totally..."

Jacob stood up and made a show of reverting back to his original form. His paws were too big to fit around the controller anyway so he would've crushed it had he tried. However, just as an added incentive, he put his headphones over his ears and slipped his sunglasses on.

"Do you really need those?" Rex asked.

"After I transform back, all light and sound is intensified to me," he lied. "I need them for a while."

The confident smirk on Rex's muzzle grew. "You're not going to use that as an excuse when you lose, are you?"

"When I win, you'll feel even more humiliated after you're naked," Jacob answered with a smirk as he sat down.

Bill Williamson: Wait... What? What's going on?

"So we're playing Ultimate Cosmic Fighter 5, right?" Jacob asked.

Bill Williamson: I'm still lost...

"Yep!" Rex answered, booting up the console and switching on the television. "Prepare to lose!"

"Just don't use any cheats."

Bill Williamson: ...

Bill Williamson: Oh that's just downright insulting. You think that just because I'm good with machines that I'm good at videogames too and that I'd help you cheat against Rex Nebula.

"You know, I bet anyone would love the opportunity to beat the Rex Nebula at his own game," Jacob sniggered.

"I bet they'd love to have you stripped nude too," Rex countered. Then he blinked and coughed, spinning towards the television again.

Bill Williamson: *sigh* Okay... You got me there. I did_hear Rex was one of the best videogame players out there. Probably the only thing he's good at. Fine... Tell me what character he's picked._

They went to the character screen and Rex immediately chose a burly tiger wearing only a pair of wrestler's briefs.

"So you picked 'Colin Forester', huh?"

He ignored Rex's words as Bill spoke.

Bill Williamson: Feh. Brute powerhouse guy. Slow but with damaging attacks. Wide reach and deadly grabs but easy to counter. Pick the falcon, 'Stormwing'.

Jacob did so. Rex didn't even flinch, that big grin on his face full of confidence.

Bill Williamson: Alright. Stormwing is a fast, light fighter who attacks with precision and speed. Keep your distance and let him attack but use his reversal which is A - B - X - X.

The screen flashed with the word 'Fight' and Rex was suddenly bashing the keys madly. Jacob quickly pressed that mentioned combo. Suddenly, his character, a red falcon, slipped between the big tiger's legs, jumped to his feet and kicked the tiger from behind.

"Whoa!" Rex exclaimed. "How did you do that!?"

"Lucky guess," Jacob replied with a smirk.

Bill Williamson: Sweet. Now if he catches you in a grab, like I know he'll try, hold the down button and press X - X - X - B

As predicted, Rex's character suddenly seized Jacob's in a hug bear-hug. Jacob pressed the keys. The falcon kicked the tiger in the nuts and them did a backwards cartwheel that sent the tiger flying!

"Dude! How have you not played this game before!?"

"Killer instinct," Jacob answered with a grin.

Bill Williamson: Right... Okay, now for the offensive. Keep your distance and press the directional arrows towards your opponent and tap 'X - B - then hold A - then Y - Y - Y'

As Rex's character was getting up, Jacob pressed the keys. The falcon leapt into the air and suddenly dove downwards, slamming into the tiger, pinning the feline to the ground. Quickly, the falcon unleashed three punches to the tiger before leaping back.

"The hell!?"

"Not so confident now, are you?" Jacob taunted.

Bill Williamson: Right... Now for the killing blow. Hold both trigger buttons and then press A - A - A - B - X -X - Y!"

Jacob did so... And suddenly, his falcon began glowing bright red before leaping into the air and transforming in a flaming bird. Rex let out a 'Oh shit!' before the screen suddenly went white. A few seconds later, the words 'Stormwing Wins' was emblazoned on the screen with the falcon standing triumphantly over the fallen tiger.

Smirking, Jacob turned to Rex with an expectant grin.

Grunting and clearly annoyed, Rex pulled off his pauldrons. "Next round!"

For several rounds, Jacob let Bill tutor him on how to use certain characters. He switched it up so he made it look like he was experimenting and finding character that he was good with and characters that he just didn't like. He lost occasionally so that Rex didn't get too suspicious.

By the 12thmatch, Rex was only in his underwear... and Jacob still had his pants on and a singlet.

"This is so lame..." Rex grunted.

Jacob sniggered. "Maybe you're just not as good as you thought."

"I'm -"

Bill Williamson: Whoa... No way! This is unbelievable!

Jacob flinched focused on the screen. "What? What's wrong?"

Rex gave him a curious look. "What? I've been losing. That's what's..." Then his eyes narrowed. "Jacob... Can I see those glasses?"

"Busted!" Spectre exclaimed.

"No!" Jacob exclaimed, backing away. "They're prescription! I swear!"

Rex tackled him against the couch and snatched the sunglasses from his eyes. One look into them and his expression darkened. He growled and threw them aside.

"You cheater!"

Unable to really counter, Jacob just shrugged and said, "Hey... I'm a bad guy. It's what I do."

Rex slammed him against the couch. "You ass is mine!"

Crap...

I can just see it now... On my criminal profile it'll say, 'Jacob Reaper: wanted for 56 murders, 77 accounts of attempted murder, theft, arson, wanton destruction of public property, defacing public figures and terrorism.

... but he sucks at videogames.

"Just get this over with..." he sighed. "I don't have a lot of pride but - Mmmmrf!?"

Before he could finish... he suddenly found Rex's muzzle intertwined with his, a long, flexible tongue sliding into his and running over the ridges on the roof of his muzzle. He became aware of a burning heat pulsating against his chest as Rex began thrusting slightly against his chest.

For a second... Jacob became lost in that hot, toe-curling kiss...

Man... Kerry missed out... Rex is an awesome_kisser..._

Then...

He shoved Rex back. "What the hell!?"

Rex had the look of a horny puppy on his face. "I've wanted to do that ever since I first saw you..."

The first time...?

"You first saw me at the train crash!" Jacob exclaimed. "How could you get turned on by that!?"

Rex bent down and nuzzled him, burying his muzzle deep into Jacob's thick, golden chest fur and taking a long whiff that sent visible shudders down his spine. The wolf's tail was wagging excitedly. He really wanted this.

The Starlord looked up, a gentle, dreamy smile on his features. "Yeah... You stood there... arrayed by fire... The light catching the contours of your muzzle... reflecting off your black fur and giving you this... this... heavenly glow... Your eyes shone there... You took my breath away."

Wh - What...?

"What's better than having the Elemental Lord of Star as an ally?"_Spectre laughed. He was standing in front of a stage like he was stand-up comedian. He had a host of other Spectres crowded at tables in front of him. _"Having the Elemental Lord of Star as a fuck-buddy!"

The crowd cheered.

"What -!? But - You hate me!"

"I thought I did..." Rex chuckled, moving up Jacob's body and kissing his cheek. Jacob pulled away but Rex wrapped his thick arms around Jacob's neck, pulling them together. Jacob avoided another kiss to his lips but Rex licked his cheek instead. "... But then, Leo opened my eyes... When he stuck his huge cock in my ass... I realised... I realised that I wanted someone else's cock in me..."

Rex brought his lips up to Jacob's ears.

"... Yours."

Jacob was suddenly rock hard... His imagination went wild... The thought of sticking his cock into Rex... feeling the Starlord writhe and twitch beneath him... Feeling his cum seep into the wolf...

No!

I'm with Leo!

"I... I have a mate!"

"Aww... Come on," Rex crooned, running his paws up Jacob's hard, abdominal muscles. Jacob shivered, fighting hard against the temptation to slip into 'horny puppy mode' as Rex touched sensitive nerves on his chest.

One of his major weaknesses... belly rubs.

He seriously tended to black out into a sexual haze whenever anyone gave him a belly rub!

Don't... Don't...

"Leo fucked me already... It's only fair, right?"

Jacob whined softly. Rex bent away from view... and suddenly, Jacob felt a soft, flexible tongue brush against his left nipple.

"Ah!" he gasped, arching his back. Blasts of pleasure shot through his entire body, wearing down his resistances.

"Mmmm... The big bad wolf likes that, eh?" Rex sniggered.

Before Jacob could tell him to stop, Rex wrapped his lips around his erect, black nipple. Jacob let out a loud whimper as his cock pressed hard against his pants. Sweat dripped all over his body as he fought hard to contain the unbelievable lust that was permeating his every pore.

He never felt this before...

When he was with Leo... it was like he was holding himself back... trying to be someone that he thought was right for Leo... But with Rex...

Rex knew who he was... knew what he was capable of...

... and still wanted to be with him.

There were no restraints... no need to euphemise...

That... and Rex was ridiculously hot...

And that kiss!

"Hmmm... Let me see your 'sword'," Rex said, with a sly wink. He reached for Jacob's pants with the latter doing nothing to stop him.

Rex slid of his pants and underwear in a single swipe. Jacob's 12 inch cock bobbed in the air, at full past and dripping with pre. Rex licked his lips and wrapped them gently around the tip of the thick piece of wolf-meat. Jacob whimpered, hot pleasure streaming out of his cock and filling the rest of his body. His claws dug into the couch and he couldn't help but thrust upwards a little.

Chuckling softy, Rex gentle lowered his muzzle down onto Jacob's muzzle, his hot breath sending ripples of lust all throughout Jacob's body. Shuddering, Jacob stretched out his legs and felt something hard and vaguely log-shaped against his toes. Realising what it was, he gently slid his feet past the elastic band of Rex's brief's, gripping that thick, pink, 12-inch cock in between his soles.

Rex moaned, a sound muffled by Jacob's throbbing cock. He began bobbing his head up and down, sliding his muzzle over Jacob's cock, his drool mixing with Jacob's precum and sliding all over the black length. The Starlord reached over and ran his paws through Jacob's thick, chest fur, brushing them over Jacob's nipples and seizing them both, giving them a light tweak that caused Jacob to arch his back and let out a loud moan.

Rex gagged slightly as Jacob's cock brushed against the back of his throat. He pulled away, leaving Jacob with a sense of absence around his cock. The brown wolf smirked and wrapped his paws around Jacob's feet which were still securely compressing his own cock. Jacob watched as the wolf massaged his feet, mimicking the movements of his feet as they rubbed along Rex's long, thick length.

Watching the lumps move and twist inside Rex's white briefs...

It turned Jacob on immeasurably.

Lust overcame him.

With a deep growl, Jacob pulled his feet back, ripping Rex's underwear completely. He pounced -

Rex slammed into him, their muzzles meeting and Rex diving in for a hot, toe-curling kiss. Their tongues danced against one another and Rex somehow managed to curl his own around Jacob's, sucking on it and pulling it into his muzzle. Jacob felt so drawn to Rex... so... so attracted to him.

His paws roved Rex's body, finding all the thick back muscles that felt so hot beneath his touch. He found some injuries and bruises that caused Rex to whimper... but he eased the pain, rubbing the sores gently and caressing Rex's fur lovingly. The feel of Rex's hard pecs against his own, their nipples rubbing against one another as Rex humped his abs... it was something else. He could feel Rex's precum pouring down the valleys of his abs, sliding between the crevasses as they melted into his fur.

Suddenly, Rex broke the kiss and Jacob was left wanting more.

The Starlord grinned at him and positioned himself so that his legs were clamped against Jacob's sides. Those thick, muscular thighs... Jacob squeezed them... loving the feel of their thick mounds against his paws... The warmth that emanated from them...

Rex lifted his tail and reached behind him, gently gripping the base of Jacob's cock. He angled Jacob's cock up towards his ass... and gently lowered himself until -

"Ah!"

Jacob resisted the urge to thrust upwards... He didn't want to hurt Rex... This was just his second time, after all. But it was so hard... He wanted to stick himself in Rex... He wanted to fill Rex... It was... It was something unbelievable...

His heart was pounding in his chest... his mind was reeling... but amongst the storm of images in his head... he could make out just a single figure... Rex...

Rex Nebula...

"Urf..." Rex grunted, lowering himself further. "Jacob... Fuck me... Fuck me hard... I want you in me..."

Jacob replied with a grunt of his own and reached around and grabbed Rex's tight, bubble butt. He thrust into Rex... Feeling tight resistance that squeezed hard around his cock. The heat that encased his cock was unbelievable... It ran down the length of his cock and reached his balls, causing all his cum to bubble and rise...

He held back, whining as he pounded Rex's ass and the wolf bounced down against him. With one paw, Rex stabilised himself but with the other, he gripped his own 12 inch member, shooting precum all over Jacob's chest, his balls slapping against Jacob's abs.

"Oh! Oh Jacob!" Rex moaned, throwing his head back. "Yeeees! Jake!"

For a second, Jacob thought he would be paralysed by the use of his nickname that was only reserved for his father and Spectre... but surprisingly...

... it made his balls churn.

Spurred on by this realisation, Jacob thrust harder and faster into Rex, his cock sliding in and out of the other wolf's ass so fast that they were both shaking wildly. The couch was rocking with each of their movements, emitting little groans of protest.

Jacob threw his head back and let out a loud, lustful moan.

He suddenly found Rex's lips pressed up against his own again and that tongue diving into his muzzle. The heat of passion poured into him, filling his every fibre and bringing him to an overwhelming, burning temperature that he needed released! He pulled his paws upwards from Rex's ass, curling out around that broad, muscular back and pulling Rex closer to him.

Rex's big, thick cock was pressed between their solid abs. With every thrust he made and every push that Rex unleashed, that wolf-meat was rubbed between their abs. More and more of his precum poured out, thickening with every passing second. Jacob's entire lower torso was soaked with the fluid. Jacob almost felt like the fluid was glue that held them together...

He moaned deeper, a roar building in his throat as he was pushed closer to the edge...

Rex broke the kiss...

"Aw... shit... I'm close..."

Then he dove back in, kissing Jacob with more ferocity than ever.

Jacob felt the hot knot of Rex pressing up against his abs... and he felt his own forming and bulging... pressing hard against Rex's ass and demanding entrance. He growled, thrusting harder and harder... He wanted to be completely in Rex... inside him...

To tie with him...

Just... little...

... more!

POP!

He burst into Rex's ass and -

SPLOOOSH!

He heard Rex's howl mix with his own roar as their muzzles remained interlocked. Rex's cock jerked and unleashed a flood of cum all over his chest, seeping in between their tightly, compacted, muscular chests, seeping between their abs, sliding into the valley of their pecs and soaking into their fur.

Jacob's own cock unleashed a torrent of his seed deep into Rex's ass. His entire body was wracked with spasms unlike anything he felt before... That burning fire all throughout his body was extinguished with the burst of semen. His shakes and shudders were calmed as Rex wrapped his arms around his body, holding them together... as one...

His twitching stopped...

... and he roar died as he once more became aware of Rex's presence...

... of Rex in his embrace...

... of Rex embracing him...

Slowly... Rex pulled his muzzle away... Their noses hovered an inch from one another... and he could smell Rex's sweet breath...

"Damn..." Rex murmured softly, a gentle smile on his face. "Guess I'm gay... huh?"

Jacob smirked and kissed Rex's lips lightly. It occurred to him that the kiss... it wasn't just a formal kiss to say 'thanks for the sex' or 'I liked fucking you' like he constantly gave Leo...

... it was a genuine kiss of affection...

Was he... was he falling in love with Rex?

Worse...

Was he in love with Rex?

"The polls are in!"_Spectre shouted, holding up a sheet of paper with countless other Spectres behind him. _"98% say yes!"

What do the other 2% say...?

"1% say, 'Hell no! Have a threesome with Rex and Leo'. The last 1% say 'Count Taylor in too!"

Typical...

He smiled at Rex and kissed the handsome wolf briefly one more time... That affection again...

"We could always go at it again just to make sure," he suggested.

Rex chuckled and nuzzled him... He felt the affection emanating from that gesture... and his heart was racing with the possibilities... and the love.

"Hmmm... Maybe we should have a little game before we do?" the Starlord suggested. "I'm still a little banged up... Need some time to recover."

Chuckling, Jacob said, "Didn't seem like it..."

Rex propped himself up on his arms but remained tied down by Jacob. "Heh... You can be a pretty gentle lover despite your gruff exterior."

Jacob had no comment to that... At least not verbally.

I'm gentle to those I like...

... and I really_like you, Rex._

Swish!

The door suddenly sprang open.

Jacob had to lean his head back to see who had come in. Rex didn't look as horrified as he did when Jacob and Rocky had caught him with Leo's cock up his ass. In fact, after a few seconds of shock, he smirked at Taylor and Bill who stood at the door.

Taylor's jaw was wide open.

Bill's eyebrow was raised.

"Hey there guys," Jacob greeted casually. "Rex and I were just talking about going for another 'round'. Wanna join?"

Taylor gulped loudly and adjusted his collar slightly. "Erm... Sure... Though... There is something you should know first..."

Both Jacob and Rex froze.

"Oh no... Please don't tell me one of us has the Plague..." Rex began.

"It's much worse..." Taylor whimpered.

What could be worse than having the Plague!?

Jacob's heart sank... low.

"Jay... Rex..."

Taylor paused... and took a deep breath.

"You two are related... You're brothers."