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(Alright everyone I'd like to state that this isn't my story. It's written entirely by Zerrex Narrius. The entire 1100 page epic can be downloaded at Epiphany. Please direct all praise to Zerrex and not me. Alright this series is markes as extreme, if ya are under 18/21 GTFO yadda yadda yadda, NOW on with the show.)

(This part is about 200 pages long. One more part left to go.)

Fifth Sphere: Bitterness

Zerrex's eyes opened, the dreamlike memories fading slowly from his mind... and then he glanced to the side as Sin leaned up and silently licked a trail of tears from one of his cheeks, the female whispering softly: "I can taste the bad memories, Lord Zerrex... memories of Naganis. Of the sad times..."

"We were such fools..." Anathema murmured from where she was curled up on the reptile's abdominals, closing her eyes and shaking her head slowly, and the Drakkaren smiled faintly at this as he reached a hand down and quietly stroked along her skull mask, his other arm tight around Sin as the sisters pressed closer against his body. "Lured into the spider's web, he kisses and he folds you into his eight-legged embrace, and until it is too late you feel his poisons seep into your veins, and the ropes he forms around your body..."

"Leaving you to wither, and to suffer, and to watch as he dines upon the corpses of your friends, drinking in their blood... but gorging most of all upon your pain." Sin finished, and the two sisters exchanged faint smiles before she closed her eyes and dug her claws quietly into the scales of the male's breast. "Maybe Mephistopheles was only a fitting punishment for such wicked children as we were to Naganis..."

"I doubt it. Without Mephistopheles, you'd never have been in that mess." Zerrex said softly, gazing from one to the other as he squeezed them both closer. "But then again, you also might have both still been in Heaven... and I might have never had the chance to spend all the time I have with you. You guys may have dodged the bullet that's me but then I'd certainly be a lot lonelier without you two around."

Sin blushed and Anathema smiled at this, the two gazing up at him softly... and then Anathema laughed before shaking her head a bit and sitting up, saying mildly: "So have you napped enough now? Because I'm itchy to go for a walk and see what else around here needs to be readied before we go have some fun."

Zerrex nodded, looking amusedly at her and letting his eyes rove down to see Sammy still curled up inside of her ribs, and Sin giggled a bit, which made the undead Naganatine frown before she looked down and growled, swatting at herself. The skeletal pseudodragon was startled awake with a squeak before he popped out of existence, then reappeared a moment later on top of the Drakkaren's head, growling at Anathema... but then the undead Naganatine growled back, and Sammy immediately squeaked and scrambled off Zerrex's head to leap into Sin's arms. "Oh sister, be nice now. You know he means no harm by it."

"Oh, eat me. I've told him a thousand times not to do that." Anathema muttered irritably, and then she hopped off the bed and cracked her spine loudly, looking over her shoulder and asking awkwardly: "Do you need to... you know..."

"No, I feel much better. Much more... myself, if you'll allow me to say so." Sin replied kindly, and then she carefully slid out of bed as Sammy scrambled up to her shoulder, smiling softly as she smoothed out her dress and walked quietly around the furnishing to gently take Anathema's hand, squeezing it softly. "Thank you for your concern, though."

Anathema only grumbled and glanced away, pulling her hand quickly back with a bit of a blush... and then she glared down at Zerrex as the male continued to lounge in bed, saying irritably: "Well hurry up, sleepyhead."

"Yeah, but this is really nice." the Drakkaren replied honestly as he laid back and fidgeted a little, and Anathema rolled her eyes before she yanked the pillow out from under the reptile's head, making him grunt before she slapped it down into his face, and the Drakkaren sighed disconsolately from beneath the fluffy cushion, grumbling under his breath: "Fine, fine. I guess there goes my sleep."

He pushed the pillow off his face, then sat up and shook his head quickly before glancing down with a bit of a blush as Sin quietly slipped one of his military boots on, the Naganatine smiling up at him warmly as she said tenderly: "You'll feel better as we walk around, Lord Zerrex... I know that your dreams were bad, but your rest was good."

The reptile grunted a bit as she quickly tied the laces for him, then slipped his other boot on, the Drakkaren looking at her awkwardly as Anathema pouted enviously. Then Zerrex grabbed his mala quickly off the table and tossed it around his neck, the prayer beads jingling quietly as he swept his messy hair back, and Sin gazed at him with a soft smile as Anathema asked flatly: "Are we ready yet, you two?"

"Don't be jealous, sister, you know I love you too." Sin gazed at her with a soft smile, and Anathema blushed a bit and grumbled before she turned and stomped towards the door. She threw it open, then glared at the sight of Dray and Terrance beyond, the two playing a game of dice together on the floor.

They winced at the sight of Anathema, then bowed their heads respectfully to Sin as Sammy looked imperiously around from on the female's shoulder, before the brothers smiled when Zerrex emerged, Dray saying warmly: "Earth wishes to speak to you when you have a moment, Lord Zerrex... and so does Lady Sabnock."

"Thanks." Zerrex glanced back and forth over the two as they looked up at him fawningly, and then he smiled lamely, rubbing the back of his head before he asked dumbly: "Do you... know where they are?"

"Earth is by the portal, as always, and I believe Sabnock was having a discussion in one of the private rooms." Terrance answered, then the Dragokkaren tossed the dice in his hand and smiled at his dragon brother, pointing at them. "Cardinal."

"How do you always win?" Dray complained, and Zerrex slipped away from the two as the brothers began to bicker over their dice game, but they were relaxed and amused. The reptile shook his head a bit, reflecting on how interesting it was that the outside could change so much, as was demonstrated by how Dray now wore the body of a dragon god instead of a Dragokkaren... and yet so much could remain the same, if you cared about someone enough.

He walked quietly down the corridor as he absently played with his beads, before he finally glanced from Anathema to Sin, asking curiously: "Do you two want to go talk to Earth for me? I'll go and find Sabnock and you can report back to me after you're done."

Sin nodded, and Anathema groaned and put her hands behind her head before she said mildly: "Tell you what. Sister can go talk with Earth, and I'm going to go and find that interesting little Benevolent, Missy. I want to study her and how she's dealing with your corruption a little more."

"Fine, but... please don't tell her you're studying her." Zerrex said flatly, and Anathema grumbled under her breath but then nodded, as Sin smiled softly from her sister to her husband. "Sound good to you, Sin?"

"It does, Lord Zerrex. I'll return shortly." The Naganatine bowed her head with a smile, and a moment later, she vanished from the spot, Sammy chirping as he teleported with her. Zerrex shook his head in amusement at this... but before he could turn, Anathema hugged him from the side impulsively, making the reptile look down in surprise.

"Thank you." she mumbled, pushing her face against his chest, and the reptile looked curiously as he quietly squeezed her shoulder, gazing down into her eyes softly as she blushed a bit. "Just... thanks. For... for everything."

Then Anathema cleared her throat as she stepped backwards, looking at him for a few moments before she smiled lamely and quickly turned, almost running down the hallway as the reptile watched, then laughed a little despite himself, shaking his head slowly. "It really shows sometimes how shy you still are, Annie..."

He allowed his feet to begin to walk, letting them guide him down the corridor as he crossed his arms thoughtfully over his chest, glancing absently back and forth. He found his way up a staircase, and past a den filled with Dragon Warriors playing cards, stopping to look curiously in at them for a moment before shrugging and continuing onwards... and finally, at the end of a half-constructed corridor, he found Sabnock in the middle of a discussion with Mercy, as Serenity sat calmly nearby, polishing her silver sword.

The three looked up as Zerrex hesitantly poked his head in, and then the wolverine nodded courteously, gesturing at him with one hand. "Please, come inside, Lord Zerrex. High Queen Vivien has asked me to speak to you concerning your plans to attack the enemy facility, and to help develop your battle tactics."

Zerrex nodded a bit as Mercy smiled at him, giving a him a look... and the reptile laughed a little at this, rubbing the back of his head and saying mildly: "Hey, I had more of a plan than I usually do, Mercy, I wasn't going to go in completely without any knowledge of... anything. But okay... shouldn't I go and get Eratosthenes, then?"

"That will not be necessary. I have already discussed this with him to a point, and know enough of the possible structuring of the facility and layout to form an adequate strategy." Sabnock replied calmly, and the reptile looked at her with surprise as she gazed mildly back. "He was not difficult to talk to. Now, if you please..."

She gestured towards the small table at one side of the room, and the reptile nodded as he glanced awkwardly over at Serenity, who was resting back in a chair propped against the back wall, but she only grunted when the Drakkaren looked at her. Sabnock glanced over her shoulder towards the Iuratus Captain, but then she simply returned her eyes to Zerrex, saying mildly: "Serenity is here to help work through any flaws that may come into the plan, and to serve as an advisor. Please do not disregard her advice as you normally do."

"But her advice is so lame." Zerrex complained loudly, and Serenity glowered at him even as Mercy covered her muzzle to hide a smile, and Sabnock simply shook her head slightly. "Okay, okay, I'll be serious. What have you got so far, Sabnock?"

"Our main assembled force attacks from the northern and western sides. On the north we have the advantage of a cliff face and high ground, which will allow us to position archers and mages. As their forces will undoubtedly attempt to charge us, I also request that heavy infantry be placed in wait to pincer the enemy and hopefully take their vanguard forces by surprise with flanking tactics." Sabnock said calmly, and then she held her hands over the table as Mercy leaned on one side and Zerrex sat at the other. A moment later, an ice sculpture formed: a roughly-rectangular fortress, with a tall, sweeping cliff to one elongated side a few inches away from the outer walls, the others surrounded simply by planes of ice as X's gouged themselves rapidly along the top of the icy cliffs and to the shorter left wall of the facility. "The Western wall seems to be the most vulnerable. According to Eratosthenes, the storage silos are located on this side."

"Do we know anything about this facility, like what its original purpose was? If it's surrounded by walls, are they new or are they using an old existing fortress or something?" Zerrex asked quietly, looking towards Sabnock, and the wolverine gave a slight nod of approval.

"From the information that I gathered from mortal geography texts and some of your compatriots from the region, this facility is located in an abandoned region of tundra. It was farming community, and the walls are ancient, constructed to keep out raiders and barbarians that used to frequent the region. They have been fortified, however, by both mortal means and warding runes, although I do not suspect it will be difficult to penetrate their initial defenses." Sabnock replied, nodding slowly.

Zerrex rubbed at the underside of his muzzle slowly, and then the wolverine continued quietly: "We are purposefully going to aim to destroy a large portion of the western defensive wall. This will encourage a large horde of enemies, hopefully the bulk of the defenses, to engage us. Cherry has already agreed to shapeshift herself into a replica of your form."

The Drakkaren snorted in amusement at this, and when Sabnock tilted her head, the reptile said mildly: "Not to say anything against Cherry, but even if she can mimic my body... the weapons and style of her attacks are going to be a dead giveaway that's not actually me out there. I hate to suggest this, but... either Carmen, or better yet, Lily, would be a more-suitable choice. They're also a lot more experienced with maintaining long-term transformations."

Sabnock looked thoughtful at this, and then she glanced at Mercy... and the mute female nodded immediately, smiling over at her father warmly before she opened a portal and quickly stepped through it. "Very well. Your daughter will check if they agree."

"I'm sure they all will." Zerrex said softly, and then he glanced down curiously as a circle formed, inside the encampment itself. "Is that where you want us to insert?"

"In the Eastern section of the facility: enemy forces should be minimal, there, and before a defensive retreat or reinforcement order can be given, you should be able to locate the main building of the facility. If Lord God is present, he will no doubt be in either the key laboratory or administration: it is very important that you find him quickly, however, or he may choose to flee or recall his full forces." Sabnock said quietly, and she paused for a few moments musingly before she said slowly: "I believe a smaller team has the best chance of finding him before he begins to feel too threatened or you are detected. I recognize already that you will insist on being on this team, no matter what I do or say, and Eratosthenes will also be a necessary member because of his knowledge of the facility's grounds. I recommend you take another being who specializes in magic and another melee expert, to keep the team balanced and to allow you to safely engage a wide variety of scenarios that may play out."

Zerrex looked down thoughtfully, and then Serenity stood up from her chair as she spun her silver sword once before sliding the polished weapon into the thick chains across her back, the female saying curtly: "If I may interject, I'd like to request that you do not bring Cindy, Cherry, or Marina with you."

The reptile looked up with a frown at this, and then he gestured for her to continue as Serenity explained calmly: "If these three are not out on the field protecting the shapeshifter who takes on your appearance, we might as well hang a neon sign saying: 'this isn't the real Zerrex' on it. Lord God obviously knows your family, friends, and Disciples, at least to a point, and in all likelihood he's keeping as close an eye on you as he can manage even now. I don't speak from a jealous standpoint... in fact, I wish they could go with you. Marina... Marina is more dedicated to you than me, Cindy's a better fighter, and Cherry is fearless, loyal, and adept in all forms of combat."

She looked down for a moment quietly, rubbing silently at the scars over her own features... and then she cleared her throat, shaking her head and looking up, saying quietly: "Besides. Normal magic will not work in the mortal environment... except for Gods. If I may make a suggestion... you should take Justice, who excels in physical combat, and Loki, who has a sense of honor despite however he acts and is gifted in magical warfare."

Zerrex looked at her for a few moments, and then he said softly: "See, Serenity? It's times like this that I'm glad I have you as the Captain of my Iuratus... because you're professional, and you always look past your own bias to get the job done at the end of the day. I'm proud of you. I'm always so proud of you."

Serenity smiled at him as she saluted sharply, and then Zerrex glanced at Sabnock, and the wolverine nodded slowly, saying quietly: "It's not a bad idea. They are also not opponents that Lord God may expect... Loki is well-known to be hostile towards you in public, whatever his actual allegiances and feelings are, and Justice is a recent addition to your Disciples that Lord God may not yet have much information on. He may not be able to prepare any last-minute defenses accordingly against such a varied group and it may increase your chances of success."

Zerrex nodded, then he glanced towards Serenity, saying quietly: "I'm going to need you to lead my Iuratus, Serenity, that goes without saying. You'll have to defend the 'me' out there on the battlefield just like the real me... you can do that, right?"

"An Iuratus lives to serve." Serenity said clearly, stomping her foot and nodding firmly. "If you order it, I'll do it. Will I be directing Dragon Warriors and Beasts as well in the upcoming confrontation?"

The reptile looked at Sabnock, and she nodded without hesitation. "I would advise it, yes. It will make the battle more convincing... and I do not doubt that if Lord God's influence is powerful enough to convince both demons and angels to aid him, and he now has Strange Beasts serving in his forces, we'll need everyone available to ensure minimal casualties and maximum damage."

Zerrex grunted at this, rubbing at his face slowly before he smiled a little, asking quietly: "So does that mean you're going to be the head of my forces again?"

"No, although I may be commanding the archers and mages. High Queen Vivien wishes to take part in this battle and will be leading the infantry." Sabnock replied mildly, and Zerrex didn't know if he wanted to clap or groan: of course, considering the fact that the murderer's presence was now affecting all of Hell, it wasn't like he could say it was a bad idea, either. "She will be a more-than-adequate commander for the main forces."

"Yeah..." Zerrex grumbled... and then he glanced up as a portal opened, Serenity crossing her arms and leaning moodily back against the side wall as Mercy emerged, Lily following her with a soft smile. The two looked at each other for a few moments, Mercy squeezing her mother's hand gently, and then he smiled a bit as he asked quietly: "So what, you want to be me instead of Carmen?"

"Carmen and I had a short discussion about it... and we decided she's better off punching things with her metal arms, and it'll be an interesting experience to act like my husband in the middle of a battle." Lily said softly, and then she winked, her rainbow irises glowing as her features glowed and rippled like liquid before Zerrex was staring at a carbon copy of his face, and his voice spoke from Lily's muzzle as she said easily, crossing her lithe arms: "What do you think? The hardest part is going to be fighting like you do."

"Damn I'm ugly." Zerrex muttered, inspecting what were technically his own features, but Lily only laughed as the male's eyes roved awkwardly down her ceremonial robes and silver armor she was adorned with, still very visibly physically herself, down to the golden scales that covered her forms apart from the beryl over her transformed features, messy ivory hair spilling over her shoulders. "Can you like. Uh. Change completely or go back? 'Cause looking at my head on your shoulders is weird."

Lily rolled her now-green eyes, and then she closed them, her features glowing faintly before they returned to normal, and she smiled amusedly at him as the reptile let out a wheeze of relief and nodded with a grunt, saying mildly: "Better. But okay, I'm glad that's sorted out at least then... so is that the plan?"

"In so few words, yes, that is the plan." Sabnock said mildly, waving her hand over the ice sculpture, and it quickly evaporated away into nothing before the devil's eyes drew slowly over Zerrex before she added softly: "Will you be prepared to take action tomorrow? High Queen Vivien is very eager to be underway and Eratosthenes has also expressed a desire to move quickly. I understand that time is of the essence in this situation, but I do not wish to go in half-prepared or if you are feeling... uncertain."

"I'm good, Sabnock, I am. I feel strong and ready..." Zerrex flexed his arms slowly, then he looked down at his hands and said quietly: "Do you have a specific timeline in mind?"

"Eighteen hours from now we return to Elysium, and then two hours of preparation and alignment there before we make the attack on the facility." Sabnock said calmly, and the Drakkaren nodded before the wolverine looked over him meditatively. "I am more than willing to extend this if necessary."

"Extend, ha." Zerrex said dumbly, and only Mercy smiled a bit at the joke, her eyes soft as Serenity rolled his eyes and Lily sighed a little, Sabnock only continuing to look at him seriously. "No, no. That's more than ample time... I'm sure I'll spend half of it sitting around anxiously doing nothing, anyway."

Sabnock only nodded, however, then she reached out and gently squeezed Zerrex's bicep, saying quietly: "Then I shall return to Elysium and inform High Queen Vivien personally that we are under way. Lady Serenity, will you please return with me to prepare Zerrex's Iuratus? And shall I suggest that the Black Rose Platoon also be called into action?"

"You may and you shall." Zerrex smiled slightly at the wolverine, then he glanced over at Serenity as she saluted crisply. "Do you understand your orders?"

"Yes, sir." Serenity replied firmly, and then she bowed, and Zerrex smiled a little, for once appreciating the professionalism of the female before she turned and quickly left with Sabnock, the two heading out without another word.

The reptile looked down for a moment at his right hand, studying it thoughtfully... and then he glanced up as Lily touched his shoulder, saying quietly: "Let me accompany you today, Zerrex. Like old times... except with a daughter of ours along, too."

She smiled over her shoulder at Mercy, who laughed silently through her stitches even as she blushed a bit, and the Drakkaren nodded despite himself, smiling back at the two and silently appreciating their company... and for the next few hours, they accompanied him as the reptile wandered through Acheron, talking to his various Disciples. News spread fast about their plans, and his Disciples and friends and family were all eager to be a part of it... even if some, like Cherry, were also decidedly-grouchy that they had been assigned to a different portion of the mission than they had expected.

The reptile was surprised to find Loki, Thor, and Gilgamesh sitting with Cindy in one of the smaller dens in the palace, discussing strategy... and while Loki grumbled a bit, he nonetheless seemed pleased to have been chosen to aid in the subterfuge and attack. Thor and Gilgamesh pledged their help in the upcoming battle, and Cindy smiled softly, not needing to say anything to promise her full strength. The Drakkaren had been touched by their dedication... but Gilgamesh only said courteously the honor was his, and Thor jumped up on the table, spilling the cups and books off it and trumpeting about how eager he was for the upcoming fight until Loki set one of his feet on fire, and the caracal screamed girlishly and began hopping around and kicking and wildly at everything, destroying most of the room and making the Drakkaren glare furiously at the otter demigod even as he'd restored everything to normalcy.

Nonetheless, that was precisely why he was glad to have Loki with him: he was brash, his magic was strong, and he could easily shape illusions and was a mastery of deceit and trickery, which would come in very useful with them attempting to sneak into the encampment as they were. Thor, while much stronger than Loki and adept at physical and magical combat, was also very loud, and worked better when he was being given orders instead of being allowed to charge around and swing his hammer wildly at anything that moved.

Time passed, until Zerrex stood in the main square with Earth, Blackheart on his back and a slight smile on his face as he looked down at the female, who gazed affectionately back at him. Behind her, a temporary portal ring had been constructed by both herself and Sin... and while Sin looked a little anxious, she was also willing to sit this battle out to stay back and help run Elysium beside Amiglion, in case anything should happen. Anathema, of course, was determined to come no matter what... even if she acknowledged grumpily that it would be better for her to stay back with the main forces than join Zerrex and his small team.

Sin activated the portal ring, forming a vortex large enough to accommodate a transport truck, and Zerrex smiled at her as she gazed affectionately at him, lowering her hand as the tunnel of black and whites drew energy from the ring of silvery metal surrounding the rip in reality. Even Earth was going to join in the battle, as she was able to exert elemental control outside of the energy-rich atmospheres of Elysium and Acheron, and many of the Dragon Warriors who lived here would be faithfully following her commands... almost everyone who was capable would be joining in this battle.

The Drakkaren walked towards the enormous ring, knowing that the others would follow as he stepped into the swirling tunnel... and when he emerged in front of the Ravenlight Estate, he strode towards the doors before turning around and waiting, watching as people filtered into the yard. Angels, demons, gods, and everything in between, all united by this single cause... and the reptile smiled slightly as he punched his fist against his palm as Cherry walked to one side of him with a wide grin and Anathema stood on the other, the reptile muttering: "I think we might actually stand a chance of teaching this arrogant son of a bitch a lesson today."

The reptile's confidence only grew as he began to marshal his forces: he opened the enormous weapons vault in the bottom of the Ravenlight Estate to help all those unarmed pick up weapons, and then oversaw and ensured the Black Rose Platoon was armored, armed, and ready for combat, and Spike had saluted from among their ranks, a kwaibar holstered behind his back and dressed in medium armor, his handgun still hanging low on his hip and a rifle across his back, the Craven fitting in naturally with the rest of the seasoned troops.

Ambrosia would be armed, too, despite it being against regulation and technically a violation of her temporary release terms... but since Sabnock was willing to turn a blind eye to it and White said calmly that he would be too busy to care during the course of the battle, Zerrex didn't see any point in pretending he listened to proper procedure.

As Ambrosia had undergone Iuratus training until being rejected by Serenity, she was a knowledgeable fighter. He allowed her to take two loose belts that crisscrossed her hips, each with a variety of holsters: the largest hung on her sides, each of these two holsters holding a deadly-looking, double-edged crescent-shaped dagger shaped like the curve of the waning moon: the Luna, they were called, imbued with holy energies. The six much-smaller holsters that hung from the rawhide belts at regular intervals contained short throwing knives, each with a pointed tip and a leaf-shaped double-edged blade, the handles thick black rubber overtop simple steel. They were the Points of the Moon, paired with the Luna and hand-made as a gift for Ambrosia long ago, and they had been taken back from her after she'd been caught stealing: they had been used in many of her plots, after all, as the daggers were charmed so after they were left out of the holsters for so long, they would dissolve from wherever they were to reform once more inside the simple-looking rawhide sheaths.

The Drakkaren helped himself to another set of weapons in the armory as well, feeling oddly like he would need more than just the raw power of Blackheart... and while Ambrosia grinned and practiced her throwing technique, sending a hail of the dart-like knives hailing into the wall around Vampire and making the black wolf squeak in surprise despite being a wall of muscle, the male Drakkaren wandered towards the back of the room. Past the enormous shelves that lined the hall, holding all manner of equipment, and past the tables upon which sat uniforms, boxes of gear, outfits, and ammunition, the reptile eventually found his way to a marred but once-entirely-hidden door, tracing his fingers over the damages that had never been fully repaired or camouflaged... and then he smiled a bit, pulling the door open and heading through into a private, quiet study.

Over the years, many of the things here had been moved into Acheron... but sitting in a glass case at the back were two .52 magnum handguns, of Shadowhawk and Blackhawk design: a famous gun-maker from Ire that had sadly gone out of business due to murder and scandal. Black clips that glowed with ominous silver runes sat on a velvet cushion beside the small rods that held the huge handguns aloft, and the reptile carefully pulled the sliding door on the top of the case open, pulling one of the magnum handguns out as well as a clip, snapping it into place before he closed his eyes as he drew the slide back, listening the to the sounds of the gun's inner mechanisms working as an armor-piercing bullet fed into the chamber... and then he smiled a bit as he heard the faint sizzle that signaled another bullet being created inside the charmed clip, murmuring: "Feels like cheating sometimes... but cheating can feel so right."

Then Zerrex grinned as he spun the .52 before he made as if to holster it and slid his hand smoothly away from the handle of the gun near his waist... and the firearm floated eerily in the air beside his hip for a moment before blue energy sparked around it and a black leather holster formed, cradling it snugly against one leg before a second holster sparked into being on his other hip. The reptile looked amusedly from one to the other, then he reached into the glass case and pulled out his other magnum, snapping the other clip into place and spinning it rapidly around one finger... and then cursing when it fumbled the gun, the handgun flying through the air to bounce off the wall before the Drakkaren snatched it with both hands and it gave a click as it thankfully dry-fired, the reptile wheezing as he clung it against his chest before he blushed deep red as Ambrosia said behind him flatly: "So I got my dexterity from my mother, huh?"

"I. Shut up." Zerrex said lamely, and then he grumbled as he holstered the gun before ducking and flinging open the wooden cabinets that the glass case rested on, refusing to turn around as he sensed the female grinning widely at his back. "I swear if you tell anyone about that I'm gonna... tell on you and have you locked up for the rest of your life."

"Oh stop it, Daddy. An Iuratus never betrays her master's secrets." Ambrosia walked up behind him, gently grasping his shoulder, and the reptile looked curiously up at her as she gazed down at him softly, their eyes locking as she smiled hesitantly. "Maybe I was always acting out because I could never be one. And I know I may never officially be one to you, but maybe I can at least start acting like it. Iuratus aren't about the glory of the position after all, are they? They're about serving the needs of their master... and doing what has to be done."

The Drakkaren nodded slowly as he stood up, pulling two swords from the inside of the cabinet as he gazed at her softly, and Ambrosia looked down curiously before she grabbed one from him and Zerrex rolled his eyes with a grumble, the female feeling along them with interest. "What are these? Stylized after the Irenic Foreigner's Sword, a stolen version of the semi-traditional straight katana favored by the far east... probably stiff instead of springy blades... sheathed in black alloy metal, I'm guessing... black diamond, also known as a mix of platinum and titanium alloy. Hilts are silver, as are the handles, with images from a story embossed over them hidden beneath a wrap made of hydra leather, no pommel stone and... may I?"

She glanced up at him curiously, and the Drakkaren grumbled but then nodded a bit, and Ambrosia smiled slightly before she snap-drew the sword, swiftly spinning the blade to either side of their bodies, windmilling it within an inch of her father's strong sides and past his chest with surprising grace and skill before she slid the flat of the single-edged blade slowly against the hilt as if to clean blood from it, whistling under her breath as the Drakkaren only crossed his arms with an amused look at her show of skill. "These were forged by an angel. Six-hundred and... twenty? Yes. Six-hundred and twenty folded Heaven's Ivory, known to mortals as treated adamantine alloy. Very light, incredibly durable, and difficult to work with. These are worth, what... six hundred thousand each? And that's the swords alone, not the sheaths or the crafter's skill figured in..."

She leaned forwards, licking slowly along the flat of the blade as she half-lidded her eyes, and Zerrex cleared his throat awkwardly before Ambrosia grinned teasingly and leaned back, clicking her tongue lightly. "Just testing the edge, that's all, father. It's very, very sharp. And very, very elegant."

Then she smiled, spinning the weapon quickly and sheathing it in the space of a second, before holding the sword out... and Zerrex took it, saying mildly: "Six-hundred and twenty-five folds, by the way."

"Oh fuck you." Ambrosia said flatly, and the Drakkaren laughed before he spun the sheathed swords easily in either hand and then held them both down against his waist so they crossed above his tail and the handles of the blades were in easy access, loops forming in the belts to lock the swords in place as Ambrosia studied him curiously as Blackheart's blade gently patted against the sheathed swords. "Two guns, three swords... don't you have a rule against overloading yourself?"

"The handguns have regenerating clips, so I don't have to worry about ammunition... and the straight katanas are for speed and grace, while Blackheart is more for power and squishing." Zerrex said mildly, and Ambrosia smiled but she didn't argue with him, only looking at the reptile attentively as the Drakkaren reached up and toyed absently with his mala beneath a black t-shirt he didn't quite remember slipping on. Unless my powers are kicking in more and more instinctively... that could be good and bad. "Sorry, got distracted. I... yes. I guess the short answer is that I just... got a feeling I'm going to need to go in ready for anything."

Ambrosia nodded slowly, glancing down and murmuring: "I have the same feeling. Would you mind me grabbing one of those bracelets of demonic crystal, in that case?"

"Do you feel you'll need it?" Zerrex asked softly, meeting her eyes, and when Ambrosia smiled a bit and nodded, he reached up and stroked her face gently, nodding in return. "Then don't hesitate. Go ahead, daughter."

"Daughter..." Ambrosia laughed a bit, then she smiled at him before she headed out of the room, Zerrex looking after her curiously before he shrugged to himself, deciding that he'd figure everything out later.

He glanced to the side, and his eyes settled on the old, beaten-up wooden desk he'd used to spend a lot of time at when he was a demon, hiding down here in the dark and writing on a crappy little computer between signing trade agreements and filling out endless amounts of paperwork... and he smiled a little as he walked forwards, tracing his fingers quietly along the pockmarked surface before he said quietly: "Memories..."

He shook his head a bit... and then he glanced up as he realized he had lingered too long here. When the reptile walked out, however, he found the group was waiting for him: Ambrosia, Desire dressed in golden Royal Guard armor but with her arms and head left proudly bare, showing off the tattoos and her scars, a deadly cleaver resting across her back... Vampire, grinning in jeans and a leather jacket, sunglasses propped up on his forehead and leaning on a long black spear, a massive, monstrous mutant child of a shotgun and a machinegun dangling from a strap over his shoulder, a humongous belt of shells connecting into this and feeding out of an enormous metal box strapped just above his tail... and so many others, all prepared, all waiting and willing and ready to fight to the last breath.

It was far from the first time he'd seen this, and he knew it wouldn't be the last... but as he gazed back and forth over the dedicated group, he said softly: "Let's go and meet up with the others. Let's put an end to this, here and now."

"Aye-aye, Cap'n!" Vampire grinned widely as he beat the butt of his spear against the ground, and Mercy shook her head with an amused smile from where she was standing, a lightweight plated vest over her body and vambraces made of crystal over both arms, a silver crown adorning her head. Then the female rose a hand, and an enormous dark portal opened, Vampire whooping as he ran into this and making Zerrex groaned and slap his forehead before he grumbled and walked through.

They emerged in an immense, open plain, where Wentaku mages and Ixin were rapidly assembling a set of tall metallic antennae tipped with large orbs of demonic crystal, the huge magical conductors sparking violently as they were arranged in a straight line in parallel patterns spaced roughly fifty feet apart. The halted to watch this for a few moments as the others who had been in the vault streamed out of the portal after him, Mercy coming last... and then he turned around when the portal closed, and he stared at the sight of the army that had been assembled.

Dragon Warriors stood calmly with massive battle axes and giant maces and tinsa'ar, traditional Hez'Rannan wrist-blades, strapped to their arms. Among them hovered Sacrifices that were wielding chains, hooks, and deadly scythes, giggling gleefully in their bikinis as their scars almost glowed, some smiling as they helped fit chainmail and heavy metal armor over Beasts who were grinning savagely, the huge, monstrous beings eager for battle, faces and huge arms covered in war paint and Hez'Ranna runes.

The Black Rose Platoon stood ready, Serenity standing with Mist and Shine as she surveyed them coldly and expertly, a second sword that twinned the first locked into place in her chains as the cleavers of the Twins gleamed. Desire and Ambrosia walked over to join them, and although Serenity shot Ambrosia an apprehensive glare at first, when Ambrosia bowed her head forwards humbly, Serenity looked surprised... then nodded slowly.

Vampire joined Mahihko and Lone: the smaller wolf was dressed in a stretchy black Hez'Rannan military uniform, a black ribbon tied around his tail and his body slightly enlarged, a hoop that could split apart into two separate metal rings hanging at his side and a huge rifle across his back. Lone, meanwhile, had a revolver on one hip, a lever-action shotgun hanging from the other, and a collapsible pole across his back, dressed in black jeans, military boots he kept shuffling against the ground, and his tight vest, which was tightly done up over his chest. Priest was talking to him calmly, the Dragokkaren with a pair of large knives holstered above his tail, and Markus sat beside his brother, meditating silently, a massive sword that glowed a faint white resting across his lap, his chest bare.

Cherry, Cindy, and Marina were all walking back and forth through the others, checking on Disciples, examining Royal Guards, inspecting friends and family members. Cherry's face was serious despite the grin that hovered over her face, her eyes ready and eager, the Great Diviner holstered at her side and manacled to her arm, and her chain whip, the Cherry Cutter, hanging on the other side of her belt. It was made of heavy, rectangular and sharpened links, each as deadly as a razor, and was tipped with a nasty, hooked blade at the end of the sixteen feet of ripping chain, the handle a perfectly-formed grip of metal wrapped in leather: it was a devastating weapon, and she could keep up with the fiercest of enemies using it.

Cindy was in her same plain black clothes as always, spiked bracelets and collar gleaming, her features calm as she gently adjusted the white breastplate Raze was wearing as the male glowered at her moodily, the black-scaled Drakkaren's finger squeezing into the handle of his sword as if he wanted to slice Cindy in half. Beside him, Sephire was in full battle gear, her mask flipped up as she grinned, and to her right, Carmen was talking excitedly with Earth, the latter female flushed but nonetheless holding the handle of the massive, purple-bladed cleaver sword on her back with strange eagerness, her cape fluttering around her, and Carmen's limbs had already transformed, lower legs and both arms made of overlapping steel now, in the same beautiful, elegant, and dangerous form as the Drakkaren's own metallic arm could take on. Standing near Earth, Cecilia rested with her Iuratus, smiling adoringly at the Hez'Rannan demigoddess and her bodyguards kneeling as they rested their hands on the pommels of immense, traditional weapons and held them point-down into the ground, heads bowed respectfully as they murmured prayers and meditations.

Marina was glancing over Daria, the demoness dressed in a vest made of flexible metal plates instead of her usual butterflies and heavy steel leaves dangling over her groin and hips, each the size of a dinner plate. In her hands she held a spear... and beside her, Maria was smiling softly, the Broken in a chain bikini and with much larger, black chains loosely hanging from her body, twisting and moving as if they were alive. Marina herself was in only her cloth wrap and loincloth... and she smiled softly as she took Maria's hands, then they both leaned forwards and kissed each other's cheeks in blessing before the daughter of Zerrex's eyes flicked over towards her father, and her voice whispered in his mind: The others are waiting for you. Go ahead. We are all well prepared.

Zerrex smiled at her and at the love so visible in her eyes despite the fifty yards and crowd of people between them, then he nodded a bit before concentrating... and a moment later, he vanished from the spot to reappear at the rear of the group, only a few feet away from where Sabnock was standing in her own armor, her bow on her back and her helmet resting on a table of ice she had undoubtedly created. Vivien was also leaning on this, in her own battle armor but with her crown and mask off, her blonde locks almost floating around her and long battle axe sticking out of the ground beside her as Amiglion nervously stood nearby, biting at his nails despite Sin gently rubbing his back. "Lord Zerrex, please join us."

Zerrex nodded to Vivien's request, glancing to the side and smiling at the sight of Loki, Justice, and Eratosthenes. Error looked thoughtful if anything, a clean set of white robes swirling around him, the metal over his arms and covering his fingers gleaming... while Loki looked bored, leaning back against a simple-looking metal spear impaled in the ground... but the metal had a strange and sentient gleam to it, and radiated power: Gungir, Odin's spear, a weapon that always struck what it was thrown at and almost always killed what it struck.

Justice, last of all, was dressed for once, heavy metallic greaves over her feet and blue jeans tucked neatly into these, with a black exercise top covering her stomach. Her metallic tentacles were still locked into place over her form, and her lower wings wrapped around her waist, but she grinned when Zerrex looked at her mildly. "Hey, you know what it's like to fight naked. Besides, clothing is the only precaution I need."

"You're so damn cocky." Zerrex said amusedly, and he shook his head with a smile before glancing up as a portal opened... and the reptile's eyes widened as a perfect copy of himself stepped out of it, right down to the black clothes and scuffed military boots. Lily grinned widely in her Zerrex form, shouldering the enormous, deadly Smiting Rod she had and rolling her shoulders before the real Drakkaren muttered: "Damn."

"Gotta admit, I like the feel of wearing your body, Zerrex." Lily rose her - make that 'his,' Lily is... currently a dude. As in. Me. - right arm, and flexed the muscle slowly, making the bicep bulge powerfully before he kissed it teasingly and winked at the real male, making Vivien sigh and grab at her forehead. "More importantly, I think I'm getting your quirks down more. I know it might not be entirely necessary, but I do want to come across as you as much as possible."

"This area is under concealment and silence runes, so we should be safe for now." Sabnock said calmly, but Zerrex thought there was a hidden smile on her muzzle before she returned her eyes towards Vivien, bowing her head courteously towards her. "Our troops are prepared, however, High Queen Vivien, and ready to move out when you give the order. Lord Zerrex, are you prepared yourself?"

"Guys? And yes, Justice, you count as a guy." Zerrex glanced over his shoulder, but Justice only smiled and nodded as Loki straightened and yanked Gungir out of the ground, shouldering it as he flicked his multicolored bangs out of his eyes and Error grunted. "I guess we are, yeah. Hey, Vivien, you're not going to embarrass Elysium out on the battlefield, right?"

"Oh please, just don't expect me to come in and save your ass." Vivien retorted, and then they grinned at each other before they each threw a fist out, bumping their knuckles together before she nodded firmly and glanced up as lightning sparked over one of the huge antennae. "Good timing, too. Ixin looks like he's finished setting up the Grand Portal. Sabnock will provide us with cover while we assume our initial positions, in that case..."

"Right, and... Sammy!" Zerrex glanced up towards the deepening twilight overhead, and a moment later, the skeletal pseudodragon appeared on top of the table of ice, chirping, and gazing up at the reptile warmly, and Zerrex smiled down at him before he reached out and patted the tiny dragon's skull. "You remember what to do, right?"

Sammy chirped, then glanced over his shoulder and jumped a bit at the sight of Lily in a form that mimicked the Drakkaren's, before it grumbled embarrassedly as it scrambled towards her, reciting in Cherry's moody voice: "Go with Lily, wait back and watch the battle unfold, and as the enemy is drawn out and the outer defenses are destroyed, sneak inside. Examine the area, be stealthy and quiet, and then send a signal when their backs are turned."

"Right." Lily said kindly, reaching up and stroking slowly along Sammy's back, and the pseudodragon chirped a bit, looking placated before Lily took her Smiting Rod in both hands and half-lidded her eyes towards Zerrex. "Don't worry. I'll do a good job of coming across as a pissed-off you. I've seen you smash enough things with one of these it shouldn't be too hard."

"Just be careful, okay?" Zerrex said softly, and Lily smiled a bit at him before nodding. Then the Drakkaren straightened as Sabnock snapped her fingers and the ice table rapidly disintegrated as Vivien donned her battle mask and the wolverine slipped her own helmet on, the reptile gazing back and forth as he said quietly: "Good luck, to all of you. We'll work fast."

"I expect nothing else." Sabnock said softly, and Zerrex smiled at her before she opened a portal, and Vivien, Lily, and the devil walked through this, along with the looming Amazon guards that had been floating in the background the entire time. When the portal closed, the Drakkaren was left alone with the three he'd chosen to go with him as well as Amiglion and Sin... and he turned to them, looking awkwardly back and forth over them as they examined both him as well as each other.

A god, a demigod, a Strange Beast, and a Naganatine: they were a strange group... but before Zerrex could figure out what to say to them or the slightly-pale Ami, his attention was drawn by two massive blasts of white lightning that shot from the sky and branched out into great streaks of lightning that struck the crystalline orbs of the antennae, energy rapidly building between the patterned steel rods before, between the two tallest rods that stood at the end of each column, spaced far apart, white and black energy sparked violently back and forth before it began to take on a strange, semisolid texture, forming into a sheet of energy that rippled and then exploded backwards into an immense vortex, the tunnel through reality enormous and imposing.

They watched as Disciples led by Vivien and Lily-Zerrex walked forwards into the tunnel, followed by Dragon Warriors, Beasts, Royal Guards, and soldiers of every shape and size, from lumbering Gigataurs to low-tier soldier demons carrying mortal weapons. The Drakkaren gazed over them quietly, and then he looked up as Sin gently touched his shoulder, saying softly: "This is a good plan, whatever worries may tear at your mind, Lord Zerrex. Besides, my brother Amiglion has his concerns, too, but he is nonetheless willing to move forwards."

"My concerns are with taking care of the kingdom. What if Eslovius sends an envoy while Vivien is out of commission? What if riots break out over the murders again? What if Kavelis, the new Reaper boss, comes in? I can't say anything to her! She's scary, and I'm technically still a Reaper, even if half the time these days Grim is 'hibernating,' and..." Amiglion puttered out as Justice glared at him, wincing a little and covering his face. "Sorry, Deacon. Please don't beat me."

"Please don't make it so appealing." Justice retorted, and then she rolled her eyes when Amiglion winced and covered his head. "Listen, my indecisive sibling, because I'm only going to say this once. You were never bad at your job, which was the administration of Heaven's materials and keeping track of mortal history. You were never a bad person, even if you did eventually get sent down to help keep an eye on Hell because you refused to ever take a proper side in anything. You were given the job of Reaper under Thanatos not as a punishment, though... but because Naganis, our Father, saw potential in you. I understand now, after all these years... what Naganis meant. Even if the so-called 'unsoiled Naganatine' all decided you were an exile and no longer allowed in Heaven, you are no more flawed and no more a failure than I am. For Naganis's sake, Job and Warden are the only Naganatine who seem to have truly lost their way. So stop being a dick."

Amiglion looked a little cowed, and then Sin walked over and gently hugged him, which made the male blush slightly as she said kindly: "And I will be here with you as well, brother, to help you in your needs. I am no longer a High Throne, and was honored to give up the position to Mercy... but I still remember much of what the position entails and will be more than glad to learn the old and new ways from you, my brother, for as long as I am needed here."

"Thank you, Sin." Amiglion mumbled, and then he smiled awkwardly as he gave her a small pat on the back... and then he quietly returned the embrace briefly at the last moment, looking a little embarrassed but also pleased as he gazed over at Justice, adding mildly: "Why can't you ever be nice like her?"

"Because it's my job." Justice replied easily, shrugging a bit, and then she glanced over at Zerrex with an amused grin as the reptile shook his head with a grumble. "Hey, I know you like my special charm. Besides, everyone else is nice around here to everyone else. You need someone like me to lay down the law every now and then."

"No, I have Serenity for that, and one of her is enough." Zerrex said flatly, and Justice grumbled and rolled her eyes before the Drakkaren glanced over at Eratosthenes, who was standing a little apart and gazing at the metallic antennae in the distance as the vortex sustained between them finally began to slowly fade. "You holding up okay?"

"Yes, Zerrex, although I should perhaps be the last thing on your mind right now. I'm sure the opposition that waits ahead will be fierce, after all." Error said quietly, glancing over them with a frown. "I don't understand how you can all be so cheerful despite what we face. To me, the fellow Librarian's reaction made more sense than yours, even if he is a coward."

"Thank you." Amiglion said comfortably, and then he tilted his head curiously. "Wait, fellow Librarian? I never worked with books."

"Your duties sounded the same as mine when I served under Creation, that is all." Eratosthenes said dismissively, but Amiglion looked absurdly touched by this... and like it also gave him more confidence, as he smiled and straightened a little. "When we prepared for battle with the Primordials, we were always very serious, sometimes even singing war songs, knowing that we were about to lose friends, family, and paying close attention to the gravity of the situation. Many here felt excited... and some took strange, dark joy in the coming events, as if they had forgotten that not only may they die, but they would all almost certainly lose comrades today."

"They didn't forget, Error... far from it." Zerrex said softly, glancing out over the now empty plains, beaten-down grasses ruffling quietly in the faint winds as in the far distance, Ixin danced around, ordering around Wentaku mages as they began to assemble what Zerrex guessed would be a receptor device, so a vortex could be created from the mortal plane and then linked and held open on this side by the strange pillars. "Many of us do enjoy the thrill of battle, the challenge of pitting our skills and our lives against enemies. The passions of demons run high... Wrath and Lust and Pride in particular when it comes to a good fight. Many of us will lose friends and family, and I know it's going to hurt... but we also feel... like we're serving a greater purpose. Knowing that even if we die, we'll die in place of more innocent lives, that we're protecting others... and many of us prefer to think there's no shame in enjoying your work, so to speak, even when it's terrible work like this."

Zerrex smiled a bit, then he returned his eyes to Eratosthenes as the Strange Beast measured him slowly with his eyes. "Not that all of us are that bad... some of us will go into the battle knowing what we have to do. Enjoying the thrill, and anticipating the challenge... but we will still feel for everyone we kill, much as it hurts. Yes, I'm probably going to kill a lot of people today, and I won't remember all of them, and I may very well ruin a lot of lives. I'll acknowledge that, though, and I'll treat my enemies with respect and dignity, and even compassion when I can: I'll threaten and bully and mock them, but if I do so, it'll be to try and convince them to stop trying to fight me and spare them from being killed. Words are as sharp as swords, but they hurt the spirit, not the body... and the spirit can usually take a bigger beating than the body can. I would rather not kill unless I have to, but I won't hesitate when I need to."

Eratosthenes looked thoughtfully at the reptile at this, and then he nodded slowly, murmuring: "An interesting concept. Although it makes me wonder if it is the method of the civilized or not... after all, you seem to put yourself to great risk with everything you do, Zerrex. After all... do you truly think it wise to feel for your enemy, even as you destroy him?"

"The enemy is me." Zerrex smiled slightly, rolling his shoulders as Justice looked up interestedly and Loki yawned loudly, but the reptile only looked amusedly at him. "You shut up. If I wasn't such a nice guy, you'd be in about a dozen pieces scattered over the planet right now."

"Yeah, yeah." Loki muttered, looking at him moodily for a few moments, and then he shook his head a bit before looking over at the Strange Beast as Error looked down thoughtfully. "Don't listen to whatever he says. Half the time it's bullshit, the other half of the time it's diarrhea of the mouth. In other words, he talks a lot but ninety percent of it is crap."

Eratosthenes looked distastefully at the otter for a few moments, and then he asked the demigod mildly: "Then why are you even here, and so eagerly listening to him?"

Loki's jaw dropped slightly as he struggled for an argument, and Justice threw her head back and laughed as Sin smiled and even Amiglion brightened a bit at this, before Zerrex rose his hands when the otter shot him a smoldering glare. "I didn't even say anything that time! Turn your anger cannons on them, not on me!"

"Anger cannons." Eratosthenes said thoughtfully, and Zerrex couldn't help but snort amusedly at this before the Strange Beast shook his head, glancing moodily over at the reptile as he said dryly: "You release stress in a very strange way. You become childish and a little unstable and your anxiety causes you to become... odd. I can feel it, pulsing up and down like waves, making you... hyper, I believe is the mortal term. Exacerbating your character flaws in some ways and yet in other ways, but... it is not entirely disagreeable, in the long run. I do not completely understand it, but the others seem so used to it by now they barely remark upon it... even Loki, who under strain becomes more irritable."

He paused, then reached up and rubbed slowly at a temple as the others looked at the Librarian for a few moments before the male nodded slowly, murmuring: "Yes. It's strange... I forgot how important the ability of the Guardians to connect to the others around them was. I understand you much better now than when I had foolishly simply tried to mimic your emotions... perhaps I am on my way to truly learning and understanding the emotions of you and your kind instead of only feeling what I was supposed to have felt, puppeted by Lord God."

Zerrex looked at the male for a few moments... and then he smiled a little at Eratosthenes as he felt his body relaxing, straightening and saying softly: "Good. I'm glad to hear it, Error... because you're just a person like the rest of us, and I'd like to think that maybe if you understand us all a little better... well, it'll lead to good things all around."

Eratosthenes looked at him for a few moments... and then he smiled hesitantly, nodding slowly back: he didn't speak, but he didn't need to as the Drakkaren smiled wider as well, as Amiglion calmed and Sin gazed from one to another, Justice crossing her arms with a pleased look and last but not least, Loki gazing with a strange reminiscence from Error to Zerrex.

The fields surrounding the immense research facility known as 'Turmoil' were shadowy and dark, decrepit and dead plants twisting here and there out of the ground, looking mutated and rotten. Stains left behind from spilled purification and corruption were splattered here and there over the landscape, and wherever it had left a mark, the vegetation around it had mutated and warped completely out of control.

To one side of the facility, tall, ominous cliffs loomed, huge root systems of gnarled, dead trees writhing slowly, alien and undead plants groaning softly as if aware, and as if hungry. Rocks stuck out like teeth from the sides of the cliffs, and spotlights shone slowly back and forth over it, as if they were wary of the cliffs themselves coming alive to attack them: huge, bright lamps had also been set up along a carefully-constructed path in the mountainside leading from a dusty road that surrounded the walls of the facility and up to the top of the encampment, guards standing here and there with rifles and flare guns to signal an attack.

Massive silos stood silent and watchful sentinel at the western flank of the facility, far taller than the rough-hewn stone walls that surrounded what had once been a small village. Gates made of heavy, thickly-layered steel stood shut, spotlights shining on the road in front and behind these to watch for any trespassers, and sentry towers stood here and there throughout the facility in no particular pattern, some hidden in the shadows of massive, thin-walled warehouses from inside which the occasional scream or splatter could be heard, light shining out of the cracks in the gaunt, thin metal sheeting that stretched like pale skin over its thick girder-bones.

Rickety houses had been mutilated by crude construction, fencing and wooden boards added here and there in hasty jumbles to form walls between them while other walls had been entirely knocked down, buildings stitched together like conjoined children attached side-to-side-to-side by the interference of some mad scientist. Light shone from the greasy windows of many of these makeshift barracks, and demons and angels both prowled slowly through the night, nervous and apprehensive, the entire village pulsing like a predator laying in wait. Guards smoked and talked in front of storage sheds that were chained shut, and unseen spirits roamed silently through the dirty streets, casting no shadow as they wandered beneath the spotlights that shone down from towers above.

Guards studied the distance, demons able to see far even in the deep darkness, as cameras clicked back and forth and sensors beeped quietly, carrying a surprising distance through the quiet night air as red lights flickered ominously here and there in the short grasses around the encampment.

More powerful sensors sat inside the research facility itself, inside fortified concrete buildings that sat near the center of the village, buildings that had once been legal offices and a small prison and had been converted by eager supernatural hands into terrible and sprawling facilities, absorbing other buildings into its web like a crawling and diseased forest. Inside one of these facilities, a Wentaku in a white uniform glanced up as the sensors began to beep, sliding quickly over to a control panel and then frowning a bit as static twisted over the radar readouts, showing abnormal amounts of approaching bioelectricity.

Outside, guards pointed and muttered to each other as a thick fog rolled slowly towards them over the fields, completely barring their vision as the cold and blinding mist crawled and stretched slowly and unhurriedly towards and then overtop the walls of the facility, spilling quietly around it: the thick and heavy fog reached as high as the top of the looming silos, a sea of blue-white smoke that tasted faintly like sulfur as guards in watchtowers coughed and cursed, one of them panicking and fumbling at his radio even as short klaxons went off in the fields and automated gun turrets rose up out of the ground, the dual barrels of heavy machine guns clacking as they took aim into the mist and infrared cameras glowed and tingled with static as they detected only the cold, smoky shapes of fog.

Soldiers - both demons and angels - strode slowly into the dirt roads in the middle of the base, looking nervously back and forth in their dirty white and grey uniforms as commanders in blue and golden armor marshaled them with shouts and orders, most of the infantry equipped with hand-me-down previous-generation assault rifles and stun batons, or gleaming, ugly iron swords and flanged, heavy maces stained with dried blood. And then one of the guards winced and cursed as a sizzle ran through the fog, and a moment later, the cloud itself seemed to growl at them as a rumble ran through it and flashes of electricity sparked inside the mist, travelling easily through the dense fog and making visible arcs of electricity tingle and sizzle around the automated gun turrets, several of the more sensitive ones going haywire and beginning to twist back and forth wildly as their sensors went insane while thicker-insulated turrets only sparked and glowed faintly, one of the guard towers lighting up as well and making the demon standing in the crow's nest at the top of it curse as electricity arced back and forth along the steel railings around him.

Then a sudden peal of thunder ripped through the sky above, and a moment later, several massive blasts of lightning hailed down from the sky, ripping through the mist and drawn directly towards the charged metal of the turrets, huge bolts of electricity hammering into each of the defenses and sending out massive, guttural explosions that shredded the fog, fire and shrapnel rising in great pillars into the air as the guard in the tower yelled and too late tried to leap over the railing of his tower, a massive blast of lightning striking into this while his hand was still on the rail and sending lethal quantities of electricity ripping through his body, fusing his hand to the steel even as the tower was almost torn in half and thinner bolts of lightning arced into the nearby silos, scarring the metal and wood as part of the guard tower fell forwards. The demon's corpse dangled from the other half, gaping and blackened and aflame, and soldiers yelled and pointed as klaxons began to blare throughout the encampment.

Demons and angels poured into the street as several warehouse doors were yanked open, both combat armors and huge, demonic tanks rumbling outwards, angels and soldiers clinging to the tops of the latter as spiked treads ripped gouges through the earth. Commanders shouted orders, and Craven ran forwards with pre-set mortars, dropping to their knees and firing blindly into the mist at different angles, sending glowing explosives arcing through the air and vanishing into the fog, and the resulting blasts lit up the clouds from within, making it thunder on the ground... before this was mimicked by the sky as another massive peal of lightning ripped through the air and crashed directly into the middle of the street, infantry flying in all directions with screams of agony.

Then there was silence, except for the klaxons, as soldiers picked themselves up even as Strange Beasts began to appear as well, snarling Vipers shoving their way through the ranks of the troops and crushing several underfoot without care or hesitation, even the officers wincing away from the enormous creatures as their twin heads arched upwards... before one of the nearest frowned and cocked its head as a strange hum began to build, a commander raising his own head sharply... and then all eyes stared in shock as ice rapidly began to form over the entire western wall, crawling greedily along it even as a voice shouted: "Shields, shields, shields!"

Then the ground ripped apart beneath the frozen wall before vents of magma and flame erupted upwards, and the brittle stone was shattered and melted as fireballs and spheres of light flew from the mist, smashing into the hardier pieces of wall and causing much of it to erupt backwards, their defenses decimated as a massive hole was torn through the barrier. Chunks of stone and ice pelted the troops as flames and vents of steam and magma ripped over the ground towards them, and those first in line were shoved forwards by panicking troops behind them, sending screaming to their deaths as they were battered by pieces of ice the size and shape of blades and ravaged by flame and molten rock.

Mages immediately came forwards, some raising staffs tipped with demonic crystal and others adorned with bracelets, necklaces, and other objects imbued with it, sending ripples of earth spilling outwards that solidified into black rock overtop the cracked ground, suffocating the flames and sealing the magma, leaving a smooth bridge into the fields behind... and two others shouted the same incantation, the Wentaku making shoving gestures in synchronization and sending a powerful gust of wind ripping through the fog, disintegrating it... and standing in the deep morning darkness like silent ghosts was an army, assembled and waiting, with Vivien at the head of the forces and Selena and Raze on either side of her, her battle axe raised... and before the commanders could issue an order, she dropped her axe forwards to point towards them, roaring: "Show them no mercy!"

Royal Guards immediately charged forwards, followed by the Black Rose platoon, snarling as they shot towards the walls past stains of burnt and corrupt vegetation and shattered defense turrets... and immediately, Strange Beasts howled and lunged forwards, tearing through their own ranks and knocking infantry sprawling as tanks and mobile artillery rolled slowly forwards, crushing the unlucky soldiers as commanders yelled and bullied their platoons outwards. The forces clashed just outside the walls, Strange Beasts leaping hungrily and furiously at opponents as veteran soldiers of Elysium slammed fearlessly into the powerful enemies, a Gigataur smashing one Viper to the ground with its massive sledgehammer as several Royal Guards ganged up on another, swords and pole-arms tearing swathes through the hides of the creatures and sending up bursts of energized blood.

Gunfire erupted wildly in all directions as the infantry of Turmoil was bullied and shoved into battle, and demonic tanks rumbled, hissed, and screamed as demons fired heavier weapons from the flat tops of the massive, rectangular machines, enormous cannons firing incendiary shells carelessly into the ranks of friend and foe as they rolled almost hungrily forwards, crushing ally and enemy beneath their heavy, spiked treads. Then the ground erupted beneath one, flinging it backwards and exposing the softer underbelly of the machine as demons and angels spilled off the top of it, and Selena stepped forwards up beside a crouched Earth, a sphere of white flame in her hand as she grunted and stepped into the throw as her eyes burned black and a terrible grin spread over her face, and the white fireball collided with the bottom of the tank before erupting in a conical blast that sent the several hundred ton machine flying backwards like a toy, smashing into a Viper with almost enough force to disintegrate it, both machine and monster exploding and sending mechanical and organic gore flying in all directions, ripping a swathe through the troops around them.

Dragon Warriors charged with strange grace despite their size through the ranks of the enemy, zigzagging back and forth and all but bullets of the heaviest caliber leaving only dull bruises against their armory scales, snarling and cold as they ripped through infantry and rolled massive tanks over as if they were dealing with wild animals. One of them leapt up onto the underbelly of one of the fallen vehicles, then simply lashed its hand down, ripping through the plated steel and feeling around inside of it before tearing a demon though the gap, the tank operator screaming in horror before the Dragon Warrior simply seized him by the waist and stomach and snapped him in half like a twig, then pulled him end-from-end and tossed the halves of corpse in either direction.

Lily-Zerrex grinned as a Viper charged at the now-him, Cherry and Marina on either side of him, and Cherry snorted before watching with surprise as Lily lunged forwards, spinning his Smiting Rod at his side and building up momentum before slamming not the end of it, but the butt of the pole into the Strange Beast's chest when it began to lean down, knocking it back on all fours before he snarled and swept the deadly flanged weapon outwards, the massive blades ripping through both necks of the Viper and sending up a powerful blast of neon electricity as it reared back with a gurgle, necks and heads flopping wildly as they flew through the air before exploding. Then Cherry leapt forwards, kicking off Lily's shoulders and slamming both feet into its chest and sending it flying backwards before Marina grinned savagely as she made a crushing motion, and the Viper simply imploded as it was smashed into the ground, going up in a powerful explosion of pinkish lightning.

"And here I thought we were gonna have to babysit you." Cherry grinned over her shoulder at Lily, and then, without looking forwards, she snapped the Great Diviner out of its sheath and flung it into the chest of a Nightmare, the demon screaming before the demigoddess straightened and yanked the weapon backwards, a waterfall of blood and a shattered rib spilling out of the wound as it gurgled and fell forwards, the muscular female catching the weapon easily by the hilt before her eyes flicked towards the entrance as armored creatures on the backs of both five-headed, snarling hydras and enormous war-dragons plated and armored in bone and steel stormed forwards, the gargantuan, twenty-foot-at-the-shoulder Infernal Dragons roaring, clothed in black scales beneath the chainmail and heavy plates that had been welded literally onto their bodies in some places, eyes maddened by rage and domination spells, huge harnesses strapped to their necks, horns sharpened and wicked, deadly blades attached to their skulls, limbs, and tails. "Fuck! Vivien, cavalry!"

Vivien slapped an angel charging madly towards her easily to the ground with the flat of her battle axe before she chopped savagely downwards, cutting its head from its shoulders as she glanced up with a snarl... and then her eyes widened in shock as one of the cavalry spotted her and roared an order to its steed. The massive Infernal Dragon immediately hissed and charged towards her, drool dripping from its jaws as it leaned down and roared furiously at her as the armored rider on its back leaned forwards, eagerness showing through even the heavy, blocky silver-and-gold armor that covered it, steam whistling through the grille in its eagle-facemask as red light shone from the narrow eye-slits in the mask... and Vivien snarled before she thrusted her battle axe towards the skies as golden energy burst upwards over her body.

A moment later, constellations seemed to ripple and twinkle in the skies before massive arcs of golden energy discharged through thin air around the enormous dragon, making it rear back with a howl of pain and shock before powerful bolts of golden lightning hammered down through it, ripping through the beast and making it convulse as the rider on its back howled in misery, covering its face as the ground beneath the two cracked as the energy fed through them and into it... and a moment later, the earth simply exploded upwards in a pillar of golden light that stretched to the heavens above, illuminating the entire area and making demons and angels stagger backwards in shock and awe, the dragon's armor and body beginning to char rapidly away into nothingness as plates of metal were torn from the armored rider, Vivien snarling as she seized her axe tightly by the handle and stepped forwards into a swing with a roar of fury.

Her axe clove through the air inches from the massive beast and rider inside the glowing column, seeming to strike nothing but making reality ripple... and the pillar exploded into fragments of light-made-solid that hailed down around her, cleaving through whatever they touched as the dragon gave one last gargle... and then its shoulders and head slowly slid off its body, a fountain of blood erupting out of its burnt-and-charred body as most of its upper body collapsed sickly to the ground, and the rider seated on its back gargled before he twitched, then simply toppled into two pieces as well.

Vivien's body rippled with energy before she turned, smashing a gauntlet-covered fist into the face of an angel as golden light seared over her body, and its skull was almost disintegrated as it flopped backwards before she shouted angrily: "I am High Queen of Elysium! There is no mercy for the likes of you!"

A Viper roared and charged towards her... but other infantry and even many of the cavalry immediately steered their mounts clear of the Celestial Devil with yells of shock, and Vivien grinned before she swung her battle axe forwards, slapping the Viper across one of its head and making it stagger before she shot a look towards Cherry and nodded quickly.

Cherry grunted immediately, still looking a little stupefied by the show of strength as she half-turned, then winced when a hydra lunged at her. The five heads of the reptile snapped forwards on their long necks, biting at her wickedly as its four strong legs propelled it easily towards her, and the female cursed under her breath before she flung the Great Diviner forwards into its chest, the beast immediately squealing and staggering backwards before Cherry ran towards it and leapt upwards, the chain rapidly extending from the manacle as she twisted her body in midair and slammed her feet into the front of the lance-wielding rider on the back of it, sending it flying off with a curse and Cherry's own heavy body launching backwards.

She hit the ground on her back and rolled quickly to a kneel before quickly crossing back under the beast's head as it clawed savagely at her, and then she gritted her teeth as she leapt onto its back again and seized the chain with both hands, the links now wrapped completely around its five necks as it snarled and bucked, heads snapping violently before it screamed in agony as the chain superheated as Cherry's eyes glowed, the female roaring before she yanked savagely back, and all five of its heads were severed from its body, only bloody, cauterized stumps left behind as the smell of charred flesh filled the air.

The muscular female kicked off the beast's back as it staggered drunkenly before collapsing, and she grinned as she snapped the chain backwards, the sword quickly flying back to her hand as the links of steel untangled and shortened themselves, before she grimaced as the Rider drew a short sword and charged towards her with a roar. With barely a twitch, Cherry rose a leg and slammed her foot into the enemy's stomach, sending him crashing backwards with a curse of pain before she stepped forwards and stomped hard once, twice, thrice down into its chest, shattering its armor and the chest of the angel beneath the broken protective shell, the creature wheezing weakly on the ground as it lay dying in a puddle of blood before Cherry turned and shouted towards Marina: "Now!"

Marina glanced up from where she was levitating, silver chains floating eerily around her as Lily-Zerrex stood with his back to the female, grinning and covered in blood and a little too in character, before the psychic daughter of Zerrex closed her eyes and whispered softly into the mind of Sabnock: Go ahead.

The wolverine herself was standing on the cliffs, waiting silently with White beside her, Thor bouncing eagerly in the background and the wolves breathing hard but sitting ready, Lone with an old bolt-action rifle and Mahihko with his heavy semi-automatic rifle resting on the tripod. Mercy leaned nearby, sitting almost protectively next to Missy, who was breathing hard but looking determined... and then Sabnock rose her bow, an arrow of ice forming over it as she glanced down towards the well-lit path: in the confusion and the chaos, no one had noticed Gilgamesh silently exterminating the guards one-by-one and carefully, quietly, muffling the lamps. "On my mark."

All present quietly prepared themselves... and then Sabnock fired the icy arrow towards a large artillery vehicle that was sitting in the middle of the path, and the arrow struck the top turret dead-center, ice immediately spreading over it and sending cracks through the two huge gatling guns on the sides of the tank, the center cannon warping as the large mortar launcher on top of it was jammed with ice... and then White fired a single bullet from his revolver that tore easily through the brittle metal and smashed into the head of an artillery shell loaded into the barrel, and the top of the vehicle went up in a powerful blast, sending chunks of ice and steel flying upwards as voices yelled in surprise before a hail of gunfire ripped through the air, peppering the encampment below and killing several uniformed commanders that were hiding back in the thought-safety of the streets.

Commanders hid behind rickety buildings and yelled desperate, terrified orders as armored soldiers began to storm up the ramp, reserve defense forces in heavier gear and carrying melee weapons... and as the first wave passed, Serenity leapt out in front of them with a snarl, both of her silvery swords spinning rapidly on either side of her as she made a hard sweeping gesture, and rocks were torn out of place by her psychic wrath to send an avalanche spilling downwards over the troops, crashing into their ranks and knocking many of them flying from the pass even as other soldiers fought forwards through the rock fall and larger Wrath demons snarled as they batted the stones aside, the first to rip their way forwards and charge towards the lone psychic as she raised her hands gamely... and the first to die as Priest and Markus leapt down from above, Markus landing on top of one and crunching in his armor beneath his feet as he swept his sword out in a hard rending slice through another demon in silver and golden armor before he brought one hand up and swiftly smashed three short, efficient strikes into another demon passing him, striking neatly through gaps in his armor with his first knuckle and shattering ribs to send broken bones piercing through his own inner organs like arrows.

Priest, meanwhile, had simply booted an angel off the cliff before he drew his daggers and cut back and forth swiftly across the throat of a demon, the weapons glowing as blood burst from the demon's throat as it steamed violently, unable to heal from the curse on the daggers and sending him crashing down with a gargle. Then the Dragokkaren simply tilted his head slightly to the side with a grin as a rock flew past, the same precognition he had inherited from his mother allowing him to dodge the attack with grace and ease despite his bulky size as he shouted cheerfully: "Come on, motherfuckers! Let's play!"

Mist, Shine, Desire, and Ambrosia leapt down from the cliffs next, landing behind the wave of troops, and many of them turned too late as they lunged into their backs, huge cleavers raking through armor and bodies like paper as Ambrosia's daggers tore across vulnerable faces and necks and pierced through even the narrowest gaps in armor, dancing through the enemy forces as Serenity, Priest, and Markus barreled downwards, Serenity's spinning blades slicing enemies into pieces as she directed them with graceful gestures of her hands as she ducked and weaved through her opponents. The first wave of opposition was crushed in under a minute, the armored vanguard panicking at the sudden ambush and barely managing to leave even scratches on the aggressive defense led by Serenity, before she shouted as another group of enemies began to swarm up the pass: "Everyone get ready!"

Across the village, new klaxons were blazing, signaling other forces to aid in the battle as hidden tanks roved slowly out of warehouses and Strange Beasts ripped through Gateways: angels and demons both took flight in armor as larger Wrath and Pride demons stormed forwards and Paladins with blackened wings in silver and gold armor snarled as they ran towards the battle with bloodlust burning in their eyes.

Cindy snarled, her scales gleaming metal as a Wrath demon barreled towards her before she leapt upwards and slammed her knee into its face, its head snapping back with a howl and a splatter of blood before she smashed her elbow down into its skull, breaking both helm and bone below and sending it crashing to the ground before she landed with a grunt, then winced and rose a hand up, creating a wall of energy as a mage threw a fireball at her. It collided with the sapphire barrier and exploded uselessly, and then Maria appeared in a burst of darkness behind the mage with a terrible grin on her face, seizing it from behind and causing the Wentaku to scream before it simply exploded into Unworld energy, and then it moaned as its body lost physical cohesion and instead became a terrible black shape: an Unworld Being.

Maria's black chains lashed down into this, spearing into the creature... and it writhed violently before bloating sickeningly, giving a guttural roar before Maria lifted it in one hand and turned, flinging it at the face of a Leviathan that was smashing its way through a line of Royal Guards. The Strange Beast turned too late, and the bloated being collided with its face before it exploded in a terrible sphere of black energy that became almost solid for a moment before blowing away like smoke... and nothing was left of the creature but a crater and a single broken axe-sword that fell to the ground with a rattle, before a rift opened behind the Broken and she vanished back into this.

A moment later, a rift ripped open in the ground behind a massive battle tank, and Maria half-emerged from this as the rift widened, the ground around her rotting and several unlucky infantry screaming as they were dragged into this as the Broken's chains lashed upwards, seizing around the tank and dragging it slowly backwards into the enormous dark portal even as it strained wildly forwards and a hatch snapped open in the top, several of the crew abandoning ship with screams of terror before the tank was yanked into the air and then dragged down through the portal. One of them fell to the ground, then stared up stupidly at the sight of Vampire as the black wolf leveled his massive rectangular machine-shotgun at the angel's face before he tipped him a wink, then simply opened fire and blew most of the creature's upper body away.

A Paladin charged towards Raze as the godling fought with a Viper, his sword glowing with black energy as his eyes glowed with psychic rage, battering back the Strange Beast with telekinetic strikes every time it tried to lunge as his sword ripped deep slashes through its frame, and then Sephire stepped in front of the Paladin, slamming her first into its stomach with a grin before her wristblades extended, and the angel staggered backwards with a gargle before the goddess flicked the fingers of her other hand almost disdainfully... and immediately, her massive sword formed buried halfway through the creature's chest, the Paladin howling as its back arched as electricity shocked over the blade before Sephire grabbed it by the handle with one hand and laughed as she tore to the side, the red eyes of her mask glowing as she ripped the Paladin almost in half. The giant collapsed backwards, dissolving rapidly beneath its heavy armor, and then Sephire snarled as a Hound of Heaven appeared with a spark of white energy and barked at her, the vibrations rattling her armor before she swept her hand out and a volley of knives formed in midair in mid-shot, pounding rapidly into the Hound's features and knocking it staggering violently backwards as it screamed and snapped its head wildly back and forth.

Then black lightning tore through the creature's side, and the Hound exploded in a wave of sound and vibration as Driz covered his face in distaste, his white tendrils of hair swirling around him as the dark energy that made up his body sparking before a sword tore through his chest... and Driz simply turned around with a look of disgust, the weapon passing harmlessly through him before he seized the startled angel by the throat and his eyes gave a brief flash. A moment later, the angel exploded in a blast of dark energy, and Driz grimaced at the gore that pattered around him as dark smoke floated up from his hands.

Then all attention was drawn as a massive blast of lightning issued forth from the skies, Thor laughing from where he stood atop one of the silos as the huge blast of electricity smashed into the base of the silo in front of him, and the foundation exploded in a blast of shrapnel and flame before the silo slowly tottered forwards as a commander stared blankly up at the falling, enormous cylinder. It crashed down on top of the officer and the tank he was standing beside, and the vehicle exploded a moment later, sending a massive chunk of the silo flying through the air as hay, food, and other now-debris that had been stored in it flying in all directions with chunks of burning wood and warped metal as Thor leapt down into the fray, his hammer sending opponents flying as Gilgamesh materialized like a ghost on top of another tank, spearing rapidly down through the top of the turret and his weapon sending up a splatter of blood through the narrow holes he made with each strike, voices screaming in horror inside the tank before he snapped his short battle axe off his hip and sliced the cannon barrel easily off in a scooping motion that sent it flipping lazily upwards before he lashed a foot out as it began to fall past him, smashing into the smooth end of the barrel and sending the sharp, freshly-cut cannon rocketing like a spear through the chest of a Paladin that was charging towards him, spearing through its chest and pinning it to the ground like a bug as it gargled weakly.

More forces were drawn from the encampment towards the western fields and the northern cliffs, and as troops charged by, a small, skeletal pseudodragon slunk carefully through the shadows towards the eastern side of the facility. It wriggled itself through a crack in the walls of a warehouse to bypass going out into the street, and the yellow flames burning in its eyes glanced back and forth before it hissed quietly at the sight of what was inside the warehouse: cages that dangled from cranes and were stacked almost carelessly in huge piles, mortals, angels, and demons all shivering inside them... and in the center of the open warehouse, immense vats that were hooked up to massive barrels and blockish generators by huge, thick black pipes, the enormous, dome-shaped tubs bubbling with black ooze and glowing white goo.

Sammy quickly scampered across the empty warehouse towards the wall opposite, running through one of the empty cages sitting at ground level and squeezing through the bars to reach the rusting barrier, and he pushed through the uneven metal sheeting that made up the wall to emerge into a short alley with a quiet whimper. Then the pseudodragon shook its head quickly, before shrinking back as several minotaurs and Salamanders ran by in body-fitting blue armor, carrying weapons that had been bathed in holy essence and glowed with a faint white aura.

The pseudodragon then ran across the dirt road, edging around a locked shed and looking back and forth before running further onwards and ducking into a side alley again when another unit of troops ran by... but the streets here were mostly empty, and even the guard towers had been abandoned. Sammy chirped silently, and then he scampered down a back alley before tilting his head towards a rickety, half-collapsed storage shed, and he crawled carefully over to it before clawing lightly at a loose board and tearing it off to scamper inside.

It was empty except for a few dusty crates... and Sammy leapt up onto one of these, looking back and forth and judging the dimensions before he stood on his hind legs and chirped, the golden flames in his eyes dulling, then glowing brighter... and a few moments later, there was a spark of energy, reality rippling in front of him before Zerrex and his three teammates appeared, the Drakkaren looking dumbly back and forth in surprise as the group appeared in the unused shed, Eratosthenes grimacing and grabbing at his head as Loki cursed and bumped into a wall, Justice leaning backwards and then muttering: "Zerrex, do you feel that?"

"Claustrophobia?" the reptile asked dryly, and then he frowned a bit and looked up sharply, muttering: "No, no, that's..."

Sammy chirped, and Zerrex turned towards him as the pseudodragon looked directly at him... and the Drakkaren closed his eyes before he caught the visions of the pseudodragon's memories, grimacing and muttering: "Goddammit. So Lord God has been producing demons and even angels... we need to move fast."

The others nodded, and Zerrex approached the door and then grunted as he found it was locked, before he simply rose a foot and kicked it hard, sending it flying open as the wooden chains across the door snapped free. The reptile walked quickly out, looking back and forth with a grimace before he grasped at his face with a curse, and Justice murmured wordlessly.

The reptile frowned a bit, then he opened his eyes... and stared as purple lightning flickered through his vision. Enochian runes were everywhere, over every building in the encampment... and even more disturbing, ghosts and shades and echoes stood silently, all of them staring towards the Drakkaren with empty eyes as they pointed towards an enormous, ugly stone building in the distance shaped half like a massive cinderblock, half like a gargantuan dome cathedral, made of ugly cement and so thickly-covered in Enochian scrawling that it was almost a beacon of white light. Then the reptile clenched his eyes shut as he gritted his teeth, Justice grabbing his shoulder nervously as Loki looked back and forth worriedly, before the reptile nodded a few times as he opened his eyes, the vision of shades and Enochian runes gone. "At least we know where to go."

"The tampering that's been done here with nature, with life and death... it's almost enough to upset the balance of the Cycle." Justice muttered, and Zerrex grimaced as he began to walk quickly down the street, the others following, none of them bothering to hide their presence as Sammy ran along at their side. Then he chirped a warning as a group of infantry emerged from a building, and Zerrex drew both his magnum handguns, not stopping as he opened fire into the four before they could even begin to raise their weapons.

A minotaur crashed onto his back with a howl of agony as an angel staggered backwards with a wild yell as several powerful rounds smashed into him as well, and a Salamander dropped his weapon and fled rapidly towards a building as the last soldier began to raise his gun... but Loki only grinned maliciously as he snapped his fingers, and the assault rifle became like rubber, flopping uselessly in the male's hands. The Benevolent stared down at this with shock, and then Zerrex snorted as he strafed gunfire into the last of the soldiers, sending him crashing backwards as most of his chest imploded, blood bursting in all directions before the Salamander was thrown back out of the building with a yell, skidding over the ground on his face before two blue-armored carrying black-metal riot shields ran out of the entrance, followed by a third soldier carrying a heavy RPG.

Loki cursed as he created a sphere of dark energy and flung this hard at the soldiers as the Salamander managed to pick itself up, and the sphere struck the shield and exploded in a powerful blast... but left no mark as holy runes glowed over the heavy defenses. Zerrex immediately winced as Eratosthenes rose his hands before he frowned curiously as Justice pushed ahead with a grin, saying easily: "Mine."

Zerrex stared at her stupidly as she simply walked towards them, the Salamander looking dumbly up before he seemed to get the message and simply ran away, and Zerrex began to raise a hand...but Justice only said irritably over her shoulder: "Please, Zerrex, I can deal with them perfectly well on my own. Let the female have her fun."

Then the soldiers holding the shields suddenly twisted out of the way, and the demon holding the RPG at the ready grinned widely before he fired, the rocket-propelled grenade launching from the thick tube and shooting the short distance towards Justice as she cocked her head almost curiously before it collided and exploded in a powerful explosion, Zerrex wincing with a curse as black smoke filled the area, the demon on the other side laughing... and then it died in his throat as the smoke rapidly cleared, Justice resting her hands on her hips and her clothes slightly torn but the female otherwise undamaged as she asked kindly: "Would you like to try that again?"

The demon stared... and then it tossed the RPG to the ground and fled towards the barracks as the others exchanged stupid looks, then they dropped their shields and started to run... but two thick, serrated black tentacles launched the short distance towards them with lightning speed, coiling violently around them before she smashed them firmly together in midair, then snapped the two demons hard down into the ground, knocking them senseless and simply tossing them both aside into the building as she wiped her hands together and the tentacles quickly returned to her body, the female saying easily over her shoulder: "Don't dally, boys. The energy in that dome ahead is so thick that even I can't see through it... and while our friends are doing a good job of keeping everyone else busy, I don't think we're going to go unnoticed for long."

"I wonder why." Zerrex muttered, as he holstered his handguns and jogged forwards, and Eratosthenes and Loki traded sour looks before they followed as well. Justice herself became more serious as she fell into step beside Zerrex, and the Drakkaren glanced down towards Sammy, the pseudodragon glancing up at him as the male said quickly: "Go back to Lily or Vivien, have them withdraw slightly. The enemy forces should pursue, thinking they're beating them back, hopefully... it'll give us a little more time if Lord God tries to call a full retreat to swarm us inside that dome."

Sammy nodded quickly and then vanished from the spot, and Zerrex looked up towards the dome with a grimace as they jogged down the path towards it, feeling the sick energy radiating from it as his instincts rang with pride and terror, apprehension and excitement, feeling both that this would not be the last battle... but at the same time knowing that it may yet hold all the answers he was looking for.

The cliff pass had been almost entirely destroyed by an avalanche caused by an overzealous Wentaku mage: it was a double-edged sword, fortifying their sniper position... but at the same time, demons and angels were now attempting to fly up the cliffs, and instead of charging up the pass, infantry were setting up barricades and firing at Sabnock and the others... and most frustrating of all, soldiers were drawing away from the cliffs to instead head to the Western front. Now, instead of relieving pressure on the battlefield by drawing forces away, the cliffs were being ignored and avoided by most of the enemy forces.

Sabnock had thus ordered Serenity to take her Iuratus and the other warriors to reinforce the main battlefield, leaving her, Mahihko, Lone, White, Missy and Mercy to fight back against the gunners and the few larger artillery that remained. Sabnock reinforced the cliffs and protected their position with mighty walls of ice and frost, and Lone and Mahihko took turns sending down blasts of lightning towards the larger vehicles, damaging their circuitry and aiming to fry the weapon or electrical systems to render the vehicles useless, but so far they had only managed to destroy several of the smaller guns. Then the main cannon of one fired, shattering the top of the ice barricade protecting them and making Mahihko shriek as heavy chunks of frost rained down around him... before White walked forwards and carefully stepped between a crack in the barricade, extending his gloved hand as the cannon of another tank took care aim before he clenched his hand into a fist.

The shell inside clunked, then exploded, sending shrapnel hailing down in all directions... and the pillar of flame that went up was visible even from the Western fields, as Vivien snarled, half her ceremonial mask torn away and her armor dented and broken by now from the constant harrying of heavy infantry, swinging her battle axe in a wide helicopter before she chopped viciously downwards into the skull of a Paladin, the angel staggering backwards as it clawed weakly at its split head before she tore the axe backwards and slammed the butt of the pole into the underside of its jaw, its head snapping back with a thick gout of blood and brain as it fell backwards lifelessly.

Lily was breathing hard, the scars over the currently-male's body pulsing as he turned and slammed his Smiting Rod into the face of Craven, crunching it lifelessly downwards as the weapon glowed with terrible energies before sweeping the huge mace-sword in a wide arc to bat another angel away, and then he snarled and created a sphere of golden energy, throwing this into the face of a charging hydra that was going berserk without its rider, several heads already hanging limp and dead and the master head that controlled the entire beast easy to pick out. The sphere struck and exploded, blowing most of its skull away as it reared back, and then it collapsed on top of a Benevolent, crushing the life out of it with a wheeze as it twitched beneath the heavy body of the war-beast.

Serenity was covered in bloody gashes, but she was still fighting gamely, her swords spinning violently around her as she directed the revolving blades back and forth in savage lashes, and Ambrosia fought at her back, her body bruised but otherwise healthy as she slammed a foot into the underside of a minotaur's jaw, knocking its head back before she stabbed both daggers forwards into its lungs, then brought both feet up and slammed them into its chest, sending it crumpling backwards as she launched herself high into the air, her body revolving neatly as she holstered one of the Luna daggers and swept her hand over her belt, dexterous fingers easily pulling the small knives as she seemed to almost hover for a moment before she flipped and flung three of the deadly throwing points into the face of Cyclops running towards Serenity, the giant Wrath demon howling in agony and grabbing at its face as one knife tore through its single huge eye and the others ripped into its gnarled muzzle and patchy-furred features, veering out of the way before it crashed instead into an angel and both of them were bowled over.

Ambrosia flipped neatly once before she landed in a flexed crouch, then she snarled over her shoulder as a Wentaku began to raise a hand before she spun around and threw the Luna still in her hand, the dagger hissing through the air before it crashed into the robed demon's chest, and it staggered backwards with a wheeze before Ambrosia sprinted forwards, leaping up with a grin and seizing the handle of the large knife to tear upwards along its breast and then slice across its throat, cutting through both flesh and the leather binding the crystal choker around its neck, and she caught this as it fell, yanking it free as she kicked off the dying demon's body and flipped around to land in a kneel, glancing down as she eyed the gemstone in her hand before she sighed and rolled her eyes when Serenity sliced her swords through the stomach of a Craven before shouting angrily: "Drop it!"

"I was going to use it, not sell it!" Ambrosia whined, and her eyes flicked back and forth before she rose it above her head and shouted a spell as demons and angels charged towards the two, and the ground around them tore open before a massive pillar of steam and boiling water burst out of the ground around them in a protective, almost-solid shield, infantry staggering back from this with yells and curses, grabbing at burns and sear-marks over their body as the choker cracked in Ambrosia's hand, saying mildly: "See?"

Serenity glared at her, gritting her teeth... and then she roared angrily at the water wall surrounding them, turning her psychic wrath on it instead, and the shielding pillar of water exploded in all directions, sending a rain of boiling liquid spilling over the demons and angels around them and sending most of them staggering backwards with shrieks and screams, and Ambrosia and Serenity both lunged back into the fray, ripping through the enemy forces even as Vivien threw a sphere of light into the air that exploded in a short crackle of electricity: the signal for a controlled, short retreat.

Immediately, the forces that had gathered under the names of Vivien and Zerrex broke off from the battle, allowing the opponents to chase them as they withdrew quickly, Cherry, Priest, and Selena throwing up walls of fire as the others passed them to further stall the enemy. And as they withdrew, Cherry gritted her teeth as the enemy took the chance to quickly begin to gather their own forces, only hoping that Zerrex would move fast... because there was no shortage of opponents on the battlefield, and even if most of them were inexperienced and weak... the sheer numbers would win out over their strength sooner or later, even if they weren't supported by terrible forces like the cavalry, the Paladins, and the Strange Beasts. "Come on Boss... do your damn thing already..."

Zerrex and Justice both slammed a foot into the armored double doors leading into the cathedral at the same time, and the doors finally warped and cracked open, the thick bar locks holding them shut snapping and bending out of position. The two traded looks, then bulled forwards against the metal doors, shoving them wide and sending them crashing open... and they both grimaced at the dark, wide hallway beyond, made of sterile steel plating and lit only by dim, covered bulbs in the walls that cast a ghostly glow over the floor.

The four walked inside, travelling slowly down the hallway as Eratosthenes said quietly: "We are being watched... and we are being drawn forwards, guided towards a trap."

"Observant." echoed a voice, and Zerrex looked sharply up at the ceiling as there was faint buzzing before he whirled around as he heard a hiss, and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw a wall of red lasers and sizzling, unnatural black lightning had formed over the entrance: part of the forced-open doors had been in the way of the field, but this section had been neatly disintegrated, a single smoldering chunk of warped metal door laying on the floor and smoking faintly. "Come to me, intruders. I'm waiting to deal with you."

Zerrex slowly turned around, looking back and forth as Justice snorted in derision, Loki sighed, and Eratosthenes simply looked calm, and then the Drakkaren glanced up as an armored shutter a short distance down the corridor slowly raised. They made their way forwards, and the Drakkaren only looked over his shoulder once when he heard the sizzling again, unsurprised to watch as another field activated behind them, herding them forwards, as Loki looked nervously at the electronic doors that lined the hall... but without having to glance at them, Zerrex knew they would be neither a source of ambush or escape. They were in the den of the enemy... and the only way out was through Lord God.

Finally, they reached an enormous set of armored doors at the end of the hall... and a klaxon went off above them before they slowly pulled apart, sliding into the walls with a loud rumble as lights flashed on in a massive, octagonal room beyond. The Drakkaren glanced back and forth, then he snorted in disgust as he slowly walked down the steel steps, the others at his back, and onto what could only be an enormous chessboard, testing his boots slowly against the surface of it: it was made of plates of black and white metal, likely titanium, each square four feet by four feet and the outside of the chessboard surrounded by heavy steel railings: the chessboard itself was supported by thick girders and steel pillars, a wild network of pipes and cabling running beneath it and feeding into the enormous vats of bubbling green ooze on either side of the room, cages hanging from cranes above these... and past these vats, mounted on sliding rails on the walls, were oval-shaped genetics capsules, clear windows in the front of each gazing in on mutant, half-formed monstrosities.

The front of the chessboard was open, no railing but instead a segmented bridge that was held in place by hydraulic pillars leading across to an open, mostly-empty cargo area, where soldiers in blue armor were gearing up white combat armors that didn't look immediately threatening: they looked more like they were used for moving heavy crates around, despite the small spikes that stuck out of their large vise-grip hands and their blocky, large limbs. They had rectangular bodies, heavy legs, and small jet boosters on their backs, with open fronts protected only by a thin, curved shield of glass over which a variety of statistics were spilling across, soldiers slipping in through the open sides of the machines as they rumbled into life.

And, hanging above the cargo area, was a large suspended viewing room, the front wall made of thick plated glass and a figure in a flowing robe standing silently in front of this, his hands laced behind his back and the silver mask of a Metatron over his face, swirls and arcane designs covering it and a faint tinge of gold glinting over it, as if to accent his rank and position. His black robes were elegant, and a priest's stole lined with Enochian runes hung from the back of his neck, fluttering around him, and Zerrex snarled as he stepped towards the middle of the board, pointing at him and shouting: "Come down here and fight!"

"Oh, don't worry. You're going to get a fight." the Metatron-masked being said softly, and despite the way its voice was both muffled and echoed by some blurring effect of the mask, Zerrex still almost recognized it... before he snarled in fury as a cloaked figure stepped up beside the Metatron, whispering something beneath the shadows of its hood... and then the Metatron nodded slowly as he rose a gloved hand, beckoning calmly. "As my loyal servant suggests... perhaps I should avoid being too easy on you."

Two more cloaked figures stepped into view on either side of the Metatron and the shivering, excited-looking murderer... and Zerrex snarled before the hydraulic bridge hissed loudly and then slowly descended, as the soldiers in combat armors formed a protective, ready wall on the opposite platform, taking on a solid defensive position to stop anyone from crossing forcefully... before Justice grabbed the Drakkaren's shoulder, and the reptile felt more than heard her warning as he glanced sharply up as massive shutters slid smoothly open in the ceiling, and two steel containers enormous enough to cover the two entire furthest rows of the board descended on either side, labeled with Enochian runes across them and clanking loudly as the bottoms of both slid away, machinery clicking and the sound of metal settling and scraping against metal filling the air before both containers slowly rose back upwards.

Zerrex stared in shock as they left behind tall, ornate statues, one on each square, for a total of sixteen on either side, all of the made of titanium and steel... and as the Drakkaren studied them closer, he realized with horror that the sixteen to his right were made of terrible figures from his past: Narrius, the Goddess, Athéos, Crow, and others... and the sixteen on his left not only included a metallic copy of himself, but Cindy, Cherry, Marina, his family and friends...

Electricity sparked over the detailed metal constructs, zapping back and forth between them in blue arcs, and they trembled for a moment before red light flickered into life in their empty glass eyes, straightening with clanks and rumbles as Zerrex snarled and dropped to a ready position with a look of shock, Lord God saying softly from above: "This is for all the times you humiliated and ignored me, Zerrex Narrius. This is for thinking I'd be stupid enough to fall for a bad replica of you out on the battlefield, when I've been scanning eagerly for your energy signature for days. Die slow or fast, I don't care... I only care that you die for what you've done to my beautiful Heaven."

The Drakkaren snarled up at him... and then one of the metallic constructs charged towards him, expressionless and terrible and in the shape of Sin, and Zerrex snarled in fury as he stepped forwards and smashed a fist into it, sending it flying backwards as Justice, Loki, and Eratosthenes quickly spread out, Justice shouting furiously: "They're metal golems accelerated by mortal technologies... they have power cores!"

"Justice, you traitorous bitch!" Lord God shouted angrily, pointing at her through the glass in a sudden burst of rage. "Instead of letting you survive in stone, this time I'll have you killed and stuffed!"

Justice didn't respond as a metallic Narrius slammed a claw into her face, the Naganatine wincing only slightly as the sharp, exaggerated hook-claws of the metal golem tore through her scales before she slammed a fist into its steel muzzle, shattering the detailed snarl before she caught its arm when it tried to haymaker her, twisting savagely and almost ripping it off before she slammed her skull forwards into its broken maw, the machine staggering backwards with sparks of electricity... and then the golem gave a pulse, the metal rippling like water as it snapped itself rapidly back together, and Zerrex cursed as he caught this out of the corner of his eye even as he ducked a tackle from a steel Cherry, ducking under it and then leaping upwards to catch the golem across his shoulders before he threw it hard towards a metallic Requiem, sending them both crashing backwards.

Loki snarled as he drove his spear through the stomach of a metallic version of the Goddess, Gungir pulsing with brilliant light, and then he winced as the golem seized pole of his weapon and sent a blast of electricity down it, the otter quickly letting go of the spear and leaping backwards before he was clubbed from behind by a metallic Cindy, knocked to the ground with a curse before he simply vanished from sight, reappearing a moment later behind the metal figure and seizing its shoulders before his eyes widened when the metal Goddess ripped the spear out of its stomach and threw it hard at him.

The otter immediately leapt upwards and revolved his body neatly, catching the spear as it shot beneath him before he vanished into thin air as a steel Selena dove at him, and the golem collided with the Cindy robot, knocking them both sprawling with a scream of metal as the demigod reappeared in front of the Goddess even as it healed, the otter stabbing violently upwards through its chest before he grimaced when he heard a loud shattering sound as the spear ripped through the center of its body, the golem's back arching as electricity sparked violently over it before it exploded in a thunderous blast, sending Loki crashing backwards into a construct in the shape of Anathema with a yelp before he winced and vanished from sight when the golem he'd landed on began to get up.

Eratosthenes, meanwhile, was back on the stairs, a metallic Lily frozen in a block of ice in front of him before the Strange Beast hopped up on top of this when two more machines made their way towards him, and he immediately stomped hard down on top of this, spikes of ice jutting violently out of the rectangular block he was standing on top of and ripping through the golems of Mercy and the shape of a terrible, grinning Naganatine who had been the son of Sin and Zerrex. The latter was knocked over while the former was pinned, and then Eratosthenes leapt into the air, a strange, circular platform of luminescent light forming beneath his feet as he shoved a hand downwards, and a blast of force tore through the ice block, causing it to implode before the power unit inside the golem shattered and exploded, chunks of frozen metal flying in all directions and the Mercy-golem exploding as well a moment later in a terrible, powerful shockwave.

Zerrex snarled as he simply shoved a metallic Cindy backwards, the machine whirring loudly as it stared at him with soulless red eyes and flailed its arms for balance before the Drakkaren seized Blackheart's handle with one hand and slammed the sword hard downwards, crushing the Cindy golem to the ground and sending out a hail of broken metal as his other hand grabbed the handle of a katana and yanked it free, sending out a wide, quick slash to the side to knock a mechanical Cherry backwards before the Drakkaren swiftly stabbed behind himself, spearing into the steel shape of a Dius with a maddened expression over its face. As the golem Cindy began to get up, Zerrex roared and half spun, yanking Blackheart around in a hard slash that severed the golem's head from its shoulders and sent it crashing backwards in several broken pieces that promptly exploded in bursts of powerful electricity, at the same time windmilling the huge blade outwards, Blackheart glowing as the sword bit against the mechanical constructs and sent them staggering with sparks and whirrs of grinding gears before the reptile slapped the sword onto his back and, in an easy revolution of his arm, yanked his other katana free from the sheath at his side as he spun both swords in his hands.

He rose the twin blades and laid a short, sharp series of biting slashes across the chest of the insane-looking Dius behind him, the construct in what was undoubtedly the shape of Feldspar staggering backwards with growls and hisses of breaking steel before the Drakkaren rose his foot and booted it hard just as Justice yanked the Narrius robot over her head by one arm, slamming it down into the Feldspar machine and crushing them both into the ground as electricity violently shot over them both. Then they exploded in a powerful blast of fire and lightning, Justice cursing as she was slammed backwards, crunching another golem into the ground before she was seized by a robotic wolf that had a snarl twisted up one side of its ugly, aged face, yanking her around to throw her hard into the railing around the edge of the chessboard and warping it violently.

Zerrex cursed ,then he howled in pain as a robotic Priest lashed a claw down his back, sending him staggering forwards before he turned around and slammed both swords forwards to knock the machine away, before his eyes widened as electricity began to spark along the hands of the mechanical versions of Cherry and several other golems as something them loudly geared up, and then he spun his katanas quickly around into reverse position before stabbing them both hard down into the floor, shouting loudly even as several golems continued to pursue their opponents: "Everyone off the chessboard!"

The Drakkaren leapt up and balanced precariously on the pommels of his twin swords as he yanked Blackheart off his back and swung the huge blade out as a mechanical Crow charged towards him, smashing the construct backwards before the robotic Cherry and the other golems shoved their hands against the chessboard, and a massive blast of electricity issued out over the metal, travelling harmlessly over the golems and up the edges of the blades as Justice leapt into the air, lower wings propelling her upwards as the metallic tentacles slammed through the walls of the containers that had carried the creatures down to hold her in midair, as illusionary wings appeared over Loki's back and he hovered over the platform and Eratosthenes pinwheeled his arms for balance as he floated above.

Zerrex cursed, feeling lightning nipping uselessly at his insulated boots as he fought for balance, before his eyes widened as he saw the lights in the eyes of the mechanical Priest behind him flicker dimly out for a moment as the last of the power surge travelled over them, a reboot protocol triggered in the golems... and the Drakkaren immediately took the initiative, leaping forwards with a snarl and slicing the robot in half, chunks of metal and pieces of shattered crystal flying in all directions before the latter exploded, the reptile staggering backwards before he charged through the ranks of the machines with a snarl, ripping Blackheart in another powerful halving cut through the robotic Cherry and then stabbing down through the golem-Crow's chest, ignoring the blasts of metal and electrical energy that washed over him even as shrapnel tore cuts through his scales and electricity rippled over his body.

The others didn't waste any time either: Eratosthenes launched a hail of arrows of light that tore through mechanical constructs and blew them into shreds as Justice threw herself downwards, the serrated tentacles lashing around her like deadly, living blades as her hands crushed bodies and tore through armor plating to damage the crystal cores of the creatures, as Loki speared Gungir through the chest of a steel clone of himself with a sick grin before he flicked it hard into the mechanical Requiem as the machines began to recover, but the upper half of the steel Requiem was blown into chunks as the robotic Loki exploded in blast of both electricity and concentrated dark energy as the real Loki clenched his own fist with a snarl.

Then Zerrex glanced over his shoulder as he heard the hydraulic bridge rising, Lord God shouting a furious order as the Metatron pressed forwards against the glass in a disbelieving gesture, the Combat Armors anxiously beginning to move forwards... before the reptile looked sharply ahead as a mechanical golem in the shape of Mephistopheles himself charged towards him, and the lizard snarled before time seemed to slow as he saw the way it was moving, how its arm was drawn back, the way it was already beginning to swing... and Zerrex grinned slowly as instead of intercepting the attack, he straightened slightly, his scales rippling as they became metallic and glowed with his energies as he leaned forwards to purposefully take the attack-

The claw smashed into him in a savage uppercut as Zerrex kicked off the ground at the same time, and he was slammed backwards in a wide arc through the air, blood flying from the slashes as he snarled in pain at the wound gouged through his metallic scales, Blackheart clenched tightly in his fist before he half-turned and cocked the sword back as he flew through the air and straight towards the glass wall of the viewing room.

Lord God staggered backwards... and then the Drakkaren snarled as he swung the huge blade outwards, shattering the window wall and sending shards of glass hailing over the four inside, the murderer to the side of Lord God staggering backwards as the not-Metatron half-covered his mask with one arm, yelling in disbelief as the Drakkaren dropped into the room and allowed the sword to swing wide to keep his momentum before he leaned forwards as he landed in a crouch and slashed savagely downwards in a straight, diagonal cut.

The blade ripped through the right arm of the robed Lord God as it glowed white, and the figure yelled incoherently as its robes were severed and it clutched at a gaping red wound that was left behind, blood splattering outwards as steam hissed up, the lizard grinning... and then the cloaked murder lunged forwards and smashed a claw into him with a strangled scream, knocking the Drakkaren flying back out the broken window before the two other cloaked creatures moved so fast they almost seemed to vanish from the spot, appearing overtop the Drakkaren and both slamming a foot down in time to send the lizard rocketing down into the risen hydraulic bridge below, the reptile bouncing once as he vomited blood and his eyes bulged with horror, chunks of metal scale flying around him before he quickly sat up with a curse as his head spun, and then he looked dumbly up as a Combat Armor charged towards him with surprising speed, his muzzle dropping stupidly open before a metal fist slammed into his face... and Zerrex rocketed backwards as his head snapped back, Blackheart flying from his hand and agony ripping through his body as he crashed back onto the chessboard and skidded all the way to the stairs, blood exploding from his muzzle and smoke rising from his face as his scales began to blacken and peel off immediately, Loki looking sharply towards the lizard and snarling as he slammed Gungir into the chest of the Mephistopheles golem before he vanished from the spot as it went up in a powerful explosion.

He reappeared beside Zerrex as the reptile dazedly got up, several teeth falling out of his muzzle as his gums withered... and then he shook his head, numbness spreading through his burnt-looking face as the demigod muttered: "Looks like you got smacked with a material vulnerability."

"No wonder they're so funny-looking... they're plated in Dragokkaren bone." Zerrex muttered, rubbing at his features slowly, and then he winced as feeling began to return to it in the form of intense pain. "At least you guys got most of the robots cleaned up."

It was true: Justice and Eratosthenes were dealing with the last three, the female blocking a hard swing of the arms of what was undoubtedly a smaller Jupiter with her own forearms before her metallic tentacles sinuously twisted beneath it and rammed upwards through its chest, ripping through its body and lifting it into the air even as electricity began to spark over its body and it convulsed, then exploded in a powerful blast, held a safe distance away. Her tentacles snapped downwards, spilling robotic debris over the six Combat Armors as they formed a line at the other end of the chessboard, and then Eratosthenes fired an arrow of light through the chest of the last golem even as the other beside it began to repair itself, but when the pierced golem exploded, it went up in flames and electricity as well, crumbling away to broken pieces of metal.

The Combat Armors stood ready for them as Zerrex slowly walked forwards, and then the Drakkaren held his hand out... and Blackheart flew across the room, glowing blue with his energy before he caught it by the hilt and shouldered the huge weapon as the two cloaked figures that had accompanied the murderer and Lord God in the room above stepped in front of the line of white-plated war machines.

Zerrex glanced up towards the viewing room... but Lord God had fled with the cloaked shape of the murderer, and the Drakkaren shook his head in disgust before he snarled as the cloaked figures removed their cowls and robes, tossing them aside and standing in front of them, naked and sexless even if one was female and the other was male in nature. The female one had only one breast, the other little more than a nub, and scales that humped up here and there over its form, rotten and blackened in places, green in others, speckled with red in others. A single stump of a horn stuck out of one side of its skull, and it had only half a tail, its jaws twisted and insane, its eyes not only mismatched colors but one several inches too high on its head.

The other was more male in shape, with large, burly arms, but no scale or skin over its hands, instead only bare bones, metallic wiring, and steel framing. It had tufts of fur that stood out randomly over its body, and drool dripped from a mouth devoid of teeth except for two oversized, needle-like fangs. It possessed a golden eye in the center of its forehead, and the other two were dead black, boiling with irrational rage, surgical scars dotting its body before it whispered: "Verve, it is Lord Zerrex."

"Yes, Chakra. It is Lord Zerrex." the female rasped, and when one of the combat armors slowly stepped forwards, the female turned and screamed at it, spittle flying from her jaws: "No, Lord God left us in command! We have questions, questions for the interlopers!"

"Fuck that. We have orders, too, freak." one of the operators muttered... and then Verve cocked her head slowly as a rattling built in her throat, the demon frowning a bit before she leaned forwards and made a horrible, sludgy vomiting sound, and Zerrex reared back in horror and the operator screamed as both acid and long, fleshy tendrils of vines ripped out of her jaws as they dislocated, eagerly grabbing into the combat armor and rapidly spilling into the gears in a mix of liquid and solid, jamming it up even as he tried to stumble backwards, the vines, spread, spread, spreading from the female's jaws as she gagged several times, her eyes rolling in her head even as her own gargling mixed with lunatic laughter, before she yanked her head back suddenly as she spat out the end of the vines, which connected to a monstrous eye that flopped on the ground... and then the vines constricted violently as the eye glowed red, the combat armor crushed by it as Verve hugged herself and trembled, head snapping back and forth as she giggled wildly and the eye on the ground rolled wildly before it and the vines simply melted away, becoming terrible, boiling green and red goo that bubbled violently over the steel and the ivory, eating rapidly into both like acid until all that was left was a mangled, unrecognizable heap.

"We give the orders now." Chakra whispered... and then he closed his eyes as the central eye on his forehead glowed, before one of the blue armored soldiers screamed, clawing at his skull... before it simply exploded, and Chakra murmured: "The same will happen to all who think of betraying us or running away. We give the orders."

The male rose his hand... and the blood-and-brain-splattered armor rose slowly into the air, floating silently off the chessboard and over one of the goo vats before it dropped into it, green ooze splashing up over the sides of the tub and rolling down the sides of it. Then Chakra looked forwards, and Zerrex felt crude but strong mental hands grabbing at his mind, like an idiot child clawing through the toy-box for his favorite trinket... and Zerrex grunted as he swung out with his mind on instinct, and he was pleased when Chakra's mental fingers were caught in the slamming door of his mind, the mutant male's head snapping backwards.

"Don't peek." Zerrex said coldly... and Verve began to laugh wildly again at this before the reptile said quietly: "Shut the fuck up."

She fell silent immediately, and Zerrex stepped forwards, taking a slow breath as he closed his eyes and lowered his head forwards... and then he looked up calmly over the two, saying quietly: "You two... are monsters, plain and simple. Not because you were made in test-tubes... but because I can feel from here your lack of sympathy, of emotion, of the ability to gauge right and wrong. I will not offer you mercy. I am going to kill you both, and not just because you disgust me, but because I know that if I leave you alive, you're going to kill my friends, my family, and report slavering back to your boss, nothing but stupid pets to a cruel master. But show me you at least have dignity, and let these other four go."

"Kill him." Chakra said softly, and the soldiers in the combat armors hesitated... and immediately the male turned around, seizing the nearest by the front as his center eye glowed and he screamed in a sudden fit of rage: "I said kill him you piece of shit!"

The minotaur howled in agony... and Zerrex snarled as he created a sphere of energy, flinging it hard at Chakra, but without even looking the semi-reptilian monster batted it hard away as Verve broke into another maddened giggling fit and spun around, seizing one of the ivory armors and simply flinging it bodily towards the group. The operator inside screamed, limbs flailing... and then Justice leapt in front of Zerrex, catching the armor with a grunt and flex of her muscles as her tentacles snapped up around it to cradle it before she slammed it down on its back, ripping the front of the cockpit off and flinging this hard back at Verve.

It bounced off the insane female, knocking her sprawling... but she only laughed wildly on the ground even as blood flowed from the direct hit against her muzzle, and Justice winced before the soldier unbuckled himself from the damaged armor and screamed: "Fuck this shit, I'm out of here! Leave me alone!"

Zerrex charged forwards as the eyes of the operators in the armors near Chakra howled as his center eye glowed... and then their faces lost expression and they became lifeless as the machines seemed to take on a vitality of their own, charging rapidly forwards towards the Drakkaren. Zerrex winced as he swung his sword upwards, batting hard back against the vise-grips of the first armor to reach him as it swung back and forth, the other armor trying to circle around to his flank... and then Loki appeared on top of it, stabbing his spear down through the expressionless, bleeding skull of the operator, and the armor's limbs flailed and spasmed wildly before it toppled backwards, the otter leaping away and vanishing in midair as Eratosthenes clenched a hand into a fist as Verve turned to try and pick up the last armor.

Electricity tore over it, the operator screaming as he was killed and Verve releasing a howl of shock and frustration as she was knocked backwards, before the armor exploded in a powerful blast of ivory and metal and flame, sending the female crashing backwards and snarling in fury as black blood flew from her body. Wherever the blood splattered, it quickly became ugly mosses and lichen, spreading and whispering as it tried to sap the nutrients from whatever it touched before the female clawed to her feet as Zerrex shoved a hand forwards with a roar of fury, lashing out with a blast of pure power that sent the last surviving armor crashing backwards and smashing into both of the recombinants.

They were crushed back into the railing... and then the armor was flung to the side by Chakra, who looked coldly across at Zerrex as his black eyes roiled and his center eye glowed, telekinetic lashes smashing into the Drakkaren's body and sending him staggering backwards before Loki threw a sphere of dark energy towards the semi-reptile... and when Chakra stepped forwards to bat it away, the sphere halted just in front of his hand, Chakra looking stupefied and Verve frowning at the hovering dark ball as Loki waggled a finger and said mildly: "Naughty, naughty."

The sphere exploded in a torrential blast of black flames, sending Verve flying over the edge of the chessboard with a scream and smashing Chakra back into the railings, the psychic vomiting blood before he snapped his arms upwards, telekinetic energy sparking over his body and washing away the black flames before he glared at Loki, and the demigod howled in agony as he dropped his spear, blood dripping from his eyes as Chakra whispered: "Yes, your worst nightmares, illusions against the illusionist, all those bad memo-"

An arrow of light pierced through his skull, and Chakra's head snapped backwards before a bit of drool dripped from his mouth as he blinked his black eyes rapidly... and then he began to twist and convulse violently, screaming in agony as Loki's eyes flickered rapidly before he snarled and kicked Gungir up to his feet as the psychic grabbed at his head... and the otter stepped forwards into the throw, the spear ripping through the air with a crackle of energy before it buried through Chakra's chest, the male bouncing backwards off the warped railing before he fell forwards as the otter snapped his fingers and Gungir vanished, reappearing back in his grip as Chakra lay broken and dead on the ground, his eyes staring sightlessly as the otter muttered: "And stay dead."

Verve gave a scream from below... and then one of the vats of ooze erupted upwards and twisted violently in midair towards them, and Zerrex's eyes widened before he threw his hands upwards, creating a wall of energy that the green goo smashed against and sloshed over, spilling in a thick rain around them as Eratosthenes held a hand up and created an additional slope of ice behind them.

Then Verve ripped an arm through the chessboard near Zerrex, cackling as she screamed: "I only wanna ask you a few questions, Zerrex! Don't you want to answer my question? Don't you want to kiss-kiss-kiss-kiss-kiss the girl who's made of your sweet little daughters?"

She clawed wildly at the air as she screamed and laughed and gagged, vines ripping out of her jaws and spilling upwards as Zerrex winced... and then Justice seized the female's arm, and Verve grunted before she yelped, chunks of vine and muck flying from her jaws as Justice ripped the female through the metal chessboard and slung her upwards into Eratosthenes's ice wall, Verve cursing as she bounced off this before a pair of serrated metal tentacles launched upwards and tore through the female's chest and out her back, Verve's eyes bulging in horror as she whimpered weakly before she fell limp, and Justice slung the corpse hard downwards against the ground, sending it rolling away as the flood of goo finally ended and moss and vines spread slowly around the twisted female's body, Justice grimacing as ugly fungus grew for a few moments along her serrated tentacles before it slowly peeled off.

Zerrex let the shield drop, and the ice wall dissolved as well a moment later as the four exchanged nervous looks... and then the Drakkaren relaxed slightly, closing his eyes and muttering: "It... it's over. Come on, we need to check out that room above, though... see what information, if any, Lord God has left behind."

"Meet you up there." Loki said mildly, and the otter vanished from the spot a moment later as Eratosthenes walked towards the bridge, the Strange Beast surprisingly calm as Justice looked nervously back and forth before she jumped into the air, her angelic lower wings propelling her upwards as more tentacles snapped out of her back and locked together, becoming a massive pair of steel wings that helped fly her upwards. The reptile looked awkwardly after them, and then he sighed a bit and quickly jogged over to Error, falling into step beside him as they crossed the hydraulic bridge, the Drakkaren's face slowly beginning to heal as he rubbed at it and grimaced as teeth slowly slid back into place in his gums.

"You can go ahead if you want." Eratosthenes said quietly, and when Zerrex only smiled a little at him, the Strange Beast glanced at him curiously before he smiled faintly in return. "Then I appreciate it. This was awful. Not the battle, no, I have fought worse and lost more... but those creatures. Verve and Chakra... I wish I could call them insane, but they were not. They were designed to do exactly what they did. And they envied us, and hated us, and wanted to destroy us. You were right: they were monsters. Terrible, voracious, soulless monsters."

The Drakkaren nodded a bit as Error walked towards a door in the side of the cargo area, and he pulled it open for them, holding it for the Drakkaren, and Zerrex smiled a little over his shoulder as he murmured: "I can't even pity them. The... the hostility I felt from them. The sheer monstrousness... they were more machine than they were living creature."

Error nodded calmly as they walked up the stairwell and pushed through an ajar door into the plush viewing room. It was outfitted with monitors, computers, a small reading table and leather couches... and Zerrex frowned a bit as he saw Loki was paging slowly through a book that was bound in dragon-scale leather, the demigod muttering as he cradled his spear in one arm: "This is an old prayer text from way back when... and I mean way, way back when. Odin had a copy... Naganis gave it to him."

"What?" Zerrex frowned, and Justice walked forwards, reaching out to touch the face of the book thoughtfully before she nodded slowly, the reptile glancing at her as Loki grimaced at the blind Naganatine, then held the book out to the Drakkaren. "Do you... recognize it?"

"I recognize the energies. Amiglion... used to read it to me, so did Father." Justice smiled a little at this, glancing away with almost a blush in her cheeks as Zerrex smiled faintly despite himself. "Yes. This is from Naganis's days, after he had discovered religion. He was not fond of the zealots... but he did like the idea of meditation done through prayer. So he wrote his own philosophy on it... he gave them out to trusted friends. Odin, Thanatos, and others: not to convert them to his way of thinking, but because he believed... it was the deepest way he could bare his soul to them, and show his loyalty and trust."

"Father... Father cherished his book." Loki murmured, looking down silently for a moment as he hugged Gungir against his chest, and he closed his eyes tightly and laughed dryly. "So of course, one day, I set his library on fire. I didn't understand it back then, you see... Naganis and Odin, whenever they met, they argued constantly about war and peace, but I understand now that... it didn't matter how often they disagreed on things. They shared the same sense of honor and the same deep wisdom. I understand now why when Odin learned of Naganis's death, he became so brooding and miserable... and I thought he'd be happy."

He shook his head a bit, then sighed a little and walked towards the edge of the viewing room as Justice added quietly: "I don't know what else is here. There's Enochian graffiti on some of the walls and ceiling, but its meaningless phrases... yet maybe the answer is in the details. This ambush was... very strange, wasn't it? You recognized every one of those giant toys sent after us... and while I was blind to our territory back then except for the fact there was rampant energy throughout it, I see now that maybe there's a much deeper meaning in what we faced."

"Enemies from my past... and friends and family. Sixteen of each..." Zerrex rubbed slowly at his face, then he frowned a bit as he looked down, muttering thoughtfully: "Except for Mephistopheles... I never fought him. I absorbed his powers to get this arm but I never actually faced off against him... and I thought I saw a golem of Lucifer, too. I don't remember many specifics, though, it was too fast... Marina will have to check my memories-"

"What the hell are these?" Loki snarled as he looked up at the ceiling with horror, and Zerrex and Justice both looked up as well and then stared in shock as sick, strangely-pulsating things fell out of a broken vent above, writhing and twisting: they had tiny, metallic limbs lined with copper wire, dragging ugly, red-flesh-string tails behind them and in the shape of pulsating pinkish-white orbs that bubbled strangely here and there, and then the otter stepped forwards and stomped on one, blood exploding out of it as it gave a weak squeal before several others scrambled past him, and Loki threw his arms up in disgust as they flopped out the window and onto the hydraulic bridge below before the ground beneath Loki exploded into flames, and the otter yelled and scrambled out of the fire as he glared at Error and the ugly beasts popped like kernels of corn in the inferno. "What the fuck!"

" Zerrex, don't you remember what Mengele said!" Error snapped, and the Drakkaren looked down as one of the creatures scrambled wildly up the window wall... before the reptile's eyes widened as Justice snarled in horror, her tentacle lashing out and spearing through the creature, making the heart-shaped beast explode as- oh Gods no.

Zerrex ran through the flames, shoving past Loki as he leapt off the balcony of the viewing room to crash down on the edge of the hydraulic bridge below, but too late even as Justice followed... and the Drakkaren stared in horror as he watched one of the pulsating beasts wriggle its way into the gaping wound in Chakra's chest before the creature's eyes snapped open as its body convulsed before it sat slowly up... and Verve, laying near the stairs, began to laugh wildly as she grinned insanely, her teeth gritting so tightly they cracked as she picked herself up, as vines slithered over her body and she rasped: "Come to me my cuties..."

The heart-like bugs were writhing up her body, forcing their way eagerly into her torn-open chest... and Verve arched her back and shivered before she roared as her body increased in size, metal grinding loudly as one of her limbs snapped and mutated, scales ripping and flesh pulsing visibly as her hand became claws, and then vines lunged down the limb, moss hardening into gray plating and her fingers becoming huge, ugly claws as her head dropped forwards, one of her eyes turning brilliant green as she whispered: "New DNA acquired."

Then she roared as a third arm tore its way out of her side, and white hair sprung from her skull, spilling down one side of her face: now she had two smaller arms on one side of her body, and the massive, ugly limb that was covered in fleshy-vines and gray plates on the other, leaning forwards and breathing hungrily as black corruption leaked from her jaws, her one eye glowing awful green as the other blue iris glinted cruelly, rasping: "Will you answer my questions now, father-father-father-dad?"

"You cannot kill us. We are indestructible." Chakra said quietly, walking forwards as his wounds visibly stitched themselves closed, and his third eye fluttered, glowing brightly as it reformed in the once-empty socket. He stepped in front of Verve, who threw her head back and laughed, her body swollen and the heart-beasts clinging to her front, swarming over her as ivy ripped out of her scales and moss grew and pulsated over her being. "You shall now die."

Chakra's black eyes gleamed and his center amber eye burned brilliantly, and Zerrex had a sensation of rushing force before Justice stepped in the way, bringing her arms up as her black-metal wings swung in front of herself, and the serrated tentacles were torn loose from one another, losing their shape as she staggered backwards... but Zerrex caught her, and Justice grinned as her scales became gleaming and metallic. "I'll take the psychic. You have fun with the evolving bitch."

"You are no match for me." Chakra's third eye began to glow, and then Justice swept her hands backwards, her blind eyes locking on the male as she drew both of Zerrex's handguns before she rose them and opened fire on the monster as she sprinted forwards, and the quasi-reptile staggered backwards with yells of shock and pain as bullets began to hammer into him, covering his face and half-turning away even as telekinetic shocks erupted through the air around him, making reality tremble and randomly deflecting bullets.

Then the Naganatine dropped to a slide, hooking a leg out as she rolled smoothly and swept the recombinant's feet out beneath it, before her eyes widened as Verve lunged forwards with a psychotic laugh... only to then scream as Zerrex leapt over Justice and Chakra, smashing his sword hard into the side of the mutated female's head and knocking her staggering before his right arm glowed with energy as the scales burned away, the lizard slamming his fist into the monster's face and sending her crashing backwards into the armored door with enough force to slam one of them out of place.

It gave the Naganatine all the time she needed to shove the .52 magnum handguns up into Chakra's chest, and she pulled both triggers once, two bullets slamming into either side of him and knocking him staggering backwards as his hands flailed away from his face, his eyes glowing with rage as Justice felt terrible memories rip through her mind as he glared down at her, feeling static building in the air... before she slammed both feet up into the underside of his chin, making him gargle as his head snapped upwards before six of the female's serrated tentacles lashed upwards, lengthening violently as they tore through his chest, his forehead, his stomach, and wrapped around his limbs, the male screaming in agony for a few moments before Justice traced a line of gunfire across his body, huge rounds tearing through rubbery flesh and snapping metal that existed in place of bone and penetrated unnatural organs, the monster's limbs flailing before she roared as she snapped her arms out to either side and Chakra was torn into chunks of gore that splattered in all directions.

Verve roared as she lunged towards Zerrex, but the Drakkaren leapt backwards, avoiding the swipe of her huge hand before he spun Blackheart around and stabbed it savagely downwards through the back of the appendage, and she laughed wildly even as she opened her jaws, vomiting vines laced with monstrous thorns that dripped poison as more ivy ripped out of her body... and Zerrex snarled as he snap-drew and lashed both his katana upwards as the vines and ivy ripped towards him, slicing back and forth across it and sending splatters of both blood and plant juices splattering backwards as he whirled his blades against the oncoming tide of fetid plant life.

The female snarled as she leaned down towards him... and the Drakkaren immediately took the chance to stab one of his swords upwards through the underside of her jaws, stalling the growth of the new vines and choking off her mad giggles for a moment before he stabbed his other sword down through her leg to pin her in place, and then he shoved both his hands forwards, and the vines trembled before bending violently backwards to his will, Verve's eyes widening as the reptile snarled to the immobilized female, as her twisted ivy flailed like a pit of maddened snakes: "You know how a god of fertility deals with weeds?"

Blue energy crackled along the vines and ivy as they shivered violently, Verve pulling wildly at the sword impaled through her oversized hand even as she laughed insanely, her jaws foaming and her eyes rolling in her head before Zerrex shoved his hands forwards, pumping energy into her... and then she arched her back, her laughter turning into screams as vines the size of tree trunks ripped out of her body, her form writhing violently back and forth as they wrapped together, choking the other plant life as her thorns ripped gashes through her own body and her limbs flailed and bucked, grabbing uselessly at the leafs sprouting from her as moss spilled over her body and then became solid wood, her green eye exploding and blue light shining up out of the socket as her jaws snapped apart and almost dislodged the sword buried through them, gaping towards the sky... and then Zerrex fell backwards with a groan as dead heart-bugs fell off her transmuted body, the reptile hugging himself with a shiver as he stared at what was left of Verve. He had transformed her into a fat, squat tree, ivy slowly crawling along this as one of her fingers weakly twitched... and then Loki flung a ball of darkness into this from behind the Drakkaren, and the tree burst immediately into black flames, Zerrex wincing as the Hez'Rannan wood burned but then only nodding with a slow grimace of approval as he stood carefully up and tore Blackheart free from her hand.

It twitched lethargically, then slowly began to reach towards him wooden and almost completely immobile as flames coursed down the tree, blue light shining weakly out of the cracks in it as somehow, she managed to give a choked laugh... and then she trembled before collapsing slowly on her side in a burst of fire and ashes, dying and broken, as Zerrex glanced over his shoulder at the otter demigod halfway across the platform, who looked embarrassed before he muttered: "Look, you two had things under control."

"I caught one." Eratosthenes said quietly, and Zerrex looked towards where the Strange Beast was standing with one of the heart-bugs trapped in a block of ice, Error smiling a little as Zerrex wheezed quietly, lowering his head a bit before the Librarian said quietly: "We should get out of here."

"Wait." Zerrex said quietly, and then he glanced towards Verve as the flames slowly began to die down, carefully snapping Blackheart onto his back before he tore his twin swords free from her dead and broken body, and he spun them quietly as they glowed with energy, clearing her gunk from them before he sheathed both. Then he glanced at Justice, and she nodded without hesitation, walking over and picking up a dead chunk of Chakra's arm as Zerrex grimaced in disgust, then plunged his metallic arm into Verve's now-wooden chest, ripping out a large, ugly organ from inside of her and squeezing it disgustedly as the corpse twitched once, then fell still and silent, damaged beyond any repair. At least I hope so. "In case these get destroyed later... we'll bring these back for the others."

Loki and Eratosthenes nodded, and then the Strange Beast flicked his wrist and opened a Gateway, and Zerrex looked hesitantly towards the Librarian before Error said quietly: "I wouldn't ask you to abandon your friends, Zerrex, but you're in rough shape. And I don't believe you wish to be carrying body parts into battle with you. If it means so much to you... we can join the battle after we get these things to safety."

Zerrex gazed at the Strange Beast with surprise... but then he nodded slowly and walked into the Gateway. Loki looked less than thrilled with this, but he sighed and followed, and the Librarian and Justice came last through the tunnel of white and golden light. The four stepped out into Elysium, at the grand fields where the attack had first been planned... and Zerrex glanced up in surprise as he saw a vortex was opening, and soldiers were already trudging through it.

Zerrex opened a portal and vanished through this to reappear in the distance beside Ixin, who jumped at the sight of Zerrex, then winced and poked at the chunk of gore he was carrying, asking flatly: "Please tell me that's not your teammates."

"Not funny. It's also not." Zerrex replied irritably, and then he glanced up and sighed with relief as he saw Vivien, walking towards her... and then quickly clearing his throat as she smiled awkwardly at him, halting himself and then muttering: "I'm just... glad to see you aren't... that I don't have to go and save your ass."

"Fuck you." Vivien smiled though, glancing down at the gore in Zerrex's hand as Eratosthenes and Justice stepped through behind him... and the reptile wasn't surprised that Loki had run off. Dependable as he could be, the trickster did the work he was asked to do and then usually disappeared... either a strange humility, a deep modesty, or just one of Loki's many eccentricities. "No, we... I thought you must have done it, but I guess you're as surprised as me. There was a signal that went up from the facility... and then several warehouses near the south side exploded. When that happened, their forces started falling apart, and the Strange Beasts and Paladins broke into full retreat, along with their commanders and officers. It must have been an executive signal of some kind... good thing too. A lot of people are hurt... but I think we did well."

Vivien grabbed at her side and grimaced a bit, closing her eyes and slumping forwards slightly... and Zerrex wrapped his arm around her as he absently handed the chunk of gore to Justice, who grimaced in disgust but took it with a sigh and a grumble as the High Queen muttered: "I'm fine. Just... sore and tired. I don't get to exercise like this as much as I used to, you know."

"Yeah, well, you're still plenty young." Zerrex said softly, and Vivien smiled amusedly at him before she shoved him backwards, straightening and walking past him. The Drakkaren watched her go with a smile, and then he bowed his head to her back and murmured: "Thank you, High Queen."

Then he glanced back towards the vortex as Cindy and Cherry came through, the former female leaning on the latter, and Marina followed a moment later with her chains still wrapped around her form, breathing hard, but looking relieved to see her father. Last but not least, Mahihko and Lone came through, the smaller wolf splattered with blood and the larger wolf looking a little pale, but both trembling with victory and not pain... and Zerrex closed his eyes, bowing his head forwards and saying quietly: "Sometimes even Fate can be merciful..."

Seventeen Dragon Warriors, three Beasts, some six Sacrifices, thirty-one Royal Guards, and more than a hundred soldiers were put to rest, many of them in Acheron, the rest in Elysium. Many of Zerrex's Disciples and Iuratus were sent to Healing Cathedrals, but none of them had died: a blessing Zerrex had not expected, but was far from going to complain about.

Mengele was eager to analyze the remains they had brought back from Chakra and Verve, and now that he knew what he was looking for and dealing with, he was able to easily and quickly compile the genetic information and analyze exactly what the creatures were made from. Chakra, as expected, took data from Marina, Serenity, and Raze, as well as several species of demon that specialized in psychokinetic warfare ... but he also possessed some genetic information from Vampire, possibly explaining how he'd been able to so quickly regenerate once his heart, the 'engine,' as Mengele still referred to it as, was back in place.

Verve, on the other hand, was much more strange: Cherry, Cindy, Vampire, Priest, and a variety of shape-shifters... as well as information from Zerrex and Sin, but Mengele said mildly that these latter cells seemed much newer, much 'fresher,' in a sense. When he'd heard about how Verve had mutated, he had nodded thoughtfully, discussed it with Cindy in large and complex words, and then finally said that her data sequences had been highly-unstable to begin with, and that she had likely been designed as a test subject to see if on-the-spot evolution was possible or a pipe dream... and the results had obviously been monstrous in more ways than one.

Mengele gave his promise to continue to examine the data up and down, while Zerrex allowed Marina to examine his memories while she sketched... and she had drawn out a beautiful and terrible picture of a chessboard, and standing at each end where sixteen figures who represented his friends and family, and his enemies. With her powers, Marina had even been able to determine the position each golem had been in, despite the fact that Zerrex had barely had time to analyze the battleground... but Marina was able to access the deep memories that even the sharpest of demons would forget, able to slow down and bring to focus any image seen and stored, no matter how deep or dark it was, and she was also able to look through the minds of Justice and Eratosthenes as well, and add their knowledge to fortify the imagery.

Sixteen people, friends and family, aside from the golem of Zerrex himself, which had looked cold and callous: Cindy, Cherry, Marina, Requiem, Selena, Lily, Sin, Anathema, Mercy, Priest, Naganen, Vivien, Amiglion, Firenze, and Mary. Several of these golems, if Zerrex had realized who he was fighting the images of, the Drakkaren would have gone ballistic battling: Naganen, who never hurt anyone, and Firenze, his lost son, second High King of Hell.

And sixteen enemies... or at least, who Lord God saw as Zerrex's enemies, for some reason: the Goddess, Narrius, Crow, Athéos, the Warlord, Camus, Jupiter, Animaxander, Celestial, Mengele, Feldspar, Tobias Wulfe, Loki, Aether, Lucifer, and Mephistopheles. Yet some of these didn't make sense: Zerrex had never fought Mephistopheles, Lucifer, Loki, and Mengele had become allies, and Camus had been Zerrex's friend until the end, even if that was much more understandable. Even Celestial, despite the fact Zerrex had been forced to kill her, hadn't really been his enemy... she had been his mother, insane, deluded, and corrupted by the energies of her husband, until he had finally put her out of her misery... and much more for her benefit than for his own.

Yet the more Zerrex looked at the picture, the details in their faces, the more he felt they had been chosen specifically, that there was some pattern here. The friends and family side was easier to figure out than the enemies... after a few hours of thought, Zerrex had realized that many of those figures hadn't just been allies... they had been people who had held great standing in Heaven and Hell, who great things were expected of... or, in the case of Requiem, who had been Zerrex's mentor. It was like Lord God knew enough about the people in his life to hurt him, had wanted to make replicas of people that Zerrex would have trouble hurting or that would simply hurt to see attack him... but seemed to think that social standing or status was in large part much of what the reptile valued most about the people around him.

On the evil side, that was difficult. Lucifer had never been an enemy of Zerrex... between the Archangels, it was Lord who the Drakkaren had a hard time getting along with. Hell, Lucifer had even been the one to entrust him with the Armor of Naganis... so why did Lord God see him as one of Zerrex's enemies? And why was Mephistopheles included at all? It puzzled him... and the Drakkaren grumbled a bit, tapping at the drawing and muttering: "The answer is here somewhere, I just goddamn know it... I mean... these are people of power too, is that it? No... it's something... something else, I can feel it under the surface..."

The Drakkaren looked down moodily, tapping at the picture slowly... and then he sighed and finally tossed it aside onto the scarred table, leaning back in the comfortable old wooden chair in Acheron, sitting in the den in the palace he favored and muttering under his breath: "This is just stupid. The answer must be here, somewhere... it's probably really goddamn obvious, even. I just... need to stop over-thinking it."

"Or perhaps you need to focus on something different." said a kind voice, and Zerrex jumped a bit before he looked over his shoulder with a wheeze to smile awkwardly at Maria, who blushed quietly. "Sorry, grandfather."

"It's okay... I just forget sometimes how fast you heal." Zerrex replied quietly, carefully sliding up to his feet and smiling a little, and the two traded a tight, quick hug before the male kissed her forehead, then her lips in blessing, and she blushed but smiled brightly up at him. "Did you check on the others?"

"In both Elysium as well as the mortal planet... and I would have gone to Heaven, too, but you know they don't tolerate my presence well up there." Maria said softly, and Zerrex nodded, stroking her face gently. "But Lord Raze and Lady Sephire did promise to take care of each other... and with people like Tinman and Francis around to help keep an eye on them, I doubt the murderer will attack."

"But we have to be careful. There's no telling whether or not the murderer could retaliate... and we still have a lot of unanswered questions to solve." Zerrex said quietly, and Maria nodded, looking at him softly before the male smiled a little, rubbing at his face slowly. "Funny, huh? And most people think that gods have all the answers... and here I have next to none at all."

He shook his head slowly, glancing down... and then Maria reached up and squeezed his shoulder gently, saying softly: "Then let's go visit Theophilius in the Unworld. Perhaps he can help shed some light upon the situation we currently face and provide us with some answers... and Negative hasn't been bothering you at all lately, has he?"

Zerrex grunted at this, nodding after a moment and rubbing slowly at his face as he muttered: "Well... no. I haven't felt him around too much... but much as I want to go and spend some time talking to him, I don't even know what questions I could ask. I need more information first... about the Strange Beasts, and about his involvement in this. And I'm worried he might not take kindly to me trying to probe him for too much information... who knows how his mind works?"

Maria nodded slowly, and then she said quietly: "Then why don't you visit Zane and Mary on the mortal planet, and I'll go to the Unworld to track down Theophilius and spend some time with him, try to get him to relax a little more and understand his mindset? I could even join you afterwards at the Silver Wind Estate."

Zerrex looked at her thoughtfully, and then he nodded slowly, murmuring: "I highly doubt Lord God was Melody, but she might still have some involvement in all this... and I haven't seen Mary for a long time now, even though I'm her Patron. Yeah, why not? That's not a bad idea at all, Maria."

The Broken only smiled, bowing her head forwards, and then Zerrex reached out and gently stroked her face for a moment before he stepped backwards and winked, taking a deep breath as he concentrated. A moment later, he was outside of Acheron, standing at the edge of the Hez'Rannan jungles, and the reptile wheezed a bit as he leaned forwards and grasped his knees before he glanced up with a smile as he felt familiar energies carrying towards him.

Not that they were actually close... but all of Hez'Ranna was like a radar dish to him, letting him detect familiar energies both near and far. He could clearly sense Cindy and Cherry and the wolves deeper into Hez'Ranna, likely taking a break from working at Sunshine Laboratories... just as he could sense Dray, Terrance, Priest, and Huck working together to pull the Centrifuge apart piece-by-piece, finally disassembling the massive machinery to harvest it for spare parts and ensure none of Heaven's forces would attempt to run off with any of the pieces.

Zerrex shook his head a bit... and then he concentrated, taking a slow breath before he vanished from the spot again, reappearing a moment later in the ruins of a once-mighty metropolis and looking back and forth curiously as he stood on the broken cement streets. To his back, he could feel the pulse of life and energy of New Valise: the First Ground colony Zerrex himself had helped construct as part of his efforts to help rebuild the mortal world that had become a bustling city over the years, surrounding the original colonization site itself... and the Drakkaren smiled over his shoulder at this before he quietly began to walk deeper into the ruins of old Valise, looking slowly back and forth as he murmured: "And yet I still sense ghosts in these old bones of the world... the fallen cities that mortals abandoned..."

There were many places like this over the face of the world now, after all: places where it had been easier to simply take what resources were salvageable from the old cities, while building a new one next door, and flattening old buildings as the city expanded overtop the ruins. It was a process called 'rippling' or 'overlapping,' and Zerrex thought it was both creative and terribly sad: Valise, after all, had once been his hometown, and it still held memories both good and bad for him even to this day.

His feet crunched quietly over broken cement before he finally smiled a little as he reached his destination: the ruins of the Silver Wind manse, the front doors still standing awkwardly but much of the building collapsed and crushed. The Drakkaren frowned a bit as he tried to remember the layout, and then he headed down a side alley and around to the back to find a small alcove , slipping down into this and grumbling as he opened a tiny door and forced himself to squeeze through, muttering: "I forgot about this..."

The reptile forced his way deeper into the small tunnel beyond, and yet he felt something was wrong: the lights weren't activating, as if the magic had been sapped from them, and more importantly, he wasn't being yelled at by Zane: the burly, last remaining male of the Silver Wind clan had security precautions all over the place, after all, which he hated Zerrex to abuse. And then the Drakkaren gritted his teeth as he saw that the door below had been torn off its hinges, and he hurriedly crawled down through the tunnel and leapt upwards into the room beyond... only to stare back and forth in horror at the sight of bloodstains splattered over the floor amongst wetted and charred pages, a shattered aquarium and several dead eels laying on the ground amidst broken chunks of crystal and shattered summoning prisms.

The Drakkaren cursed under his breath as he looked back and forth, striding past broken and damaged shelves, glass and crystal crunching under his booted feet as he grimaced and stepped out into the next area... and then his eyes widened in shock at the sight of Mary, the female laying in a pool of her own blood on top of a wooden table, breathing hard... and behind her sat a silent female figure, and Zerrex snarled as he rose his fists before the goddess Melody stood up and rose her hands, saying quietly: "She needs your help."

Zerrex relaxed slightly at this, studying Melody: the harmonious Goddess of Songs was adorned with bangles down either arm and possessed narrow, catlike features with a proud waterfall of feathers in place of hair, long and peacock-like, the plumage a bright mix of blue and gold. Her eyes were yellow, studious and with slit-like pupils... and she looked honestly, deeply sad, her blue, gold, and green dress fluttering around her, with long sleeves and a thicker blouse over the top of her body than the white skirt portion that fell around her waist to her ankles... and although she was perhaps twice as tall as him, she did not radiate either power or hostility, so instead, Zerrex quickly made his way forwards and cursed quietly at the sight of Mary.

Her stomach had been torn open and she was covered in blood, a black cloth jacket hanging in tatters around her, jeans stained with her own life fluids and reeking of piss and her white top ripped apart. She had mature features that were pale and constrained with pain, the doe looking up at him blindly with eyes that had lost most of their color as she whispered: "Zerrex... I... I can't see... are... are you there?"

"I am, Mary." the Drakkaren gently took her hand, trembling a bit as he looked down at her fingers: they were covered in blood, and the reptile cursed under his breath before he began to hold a hand up... but then Melody reached down and pushed his hand back, and he glared at her for a moment before frowning a bit at the quick shake of her head. "What?"

"Use your senses, Zerrex Narrius... this is a trap." Melody said softly, and the reptile growled up at her before he hesitated when she only looked down at him quietly, and then he closed his eyes and took a slow breath... before his eyes opened with a sharp gasp of surprise as he looked down at Mary, and purple warding runes appeared over the deer's body... and oh gods, there's... some kind of thing, emanating energy, inside of her... keeping her alive and in agony... "I see you see. The murderer you chase inserted an unstable, cursed object into her... an energized demonic crystal, with an evil spirit bound inside of it. If you attempt to heal her, the crystal will absorb your energies, whether they be your own vital forces or magic... and the crystal will explode, and the spirit will be released. Mary Silverwind has been transformed into a living bomb."

"Oh Gods, Mary..." Zerrex whispered, carefully lifting her head up... and Mary moaned weakly as tears leaked down her pale face, the Drakkaren trembling a bit before he looked at Melody, asking urgently: "What can I do to save her?"

The goddess shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "You only have two options. If you kill her, her very soul could be absorbed into the crystal, which would then explode and the process would begin anyway. However, if you release her from serving you... then she can sign her soul and allegiance over to me. Unusual, but it can be done... and it will heal her body and force out the crystal."

"And what if I just rip the crystal out myself and then heal her?" Zerrex asked quietly, frowning a bit at Melody, and the female grimaced in return before she gestured towards Mary coldly.

"Does she look like she will survive that? Even if you succeeded in tearing the unstable crystal out without it exploding, she would still die." Melody said harshly, and then she leaned down, saying quietly: "Your only other choice would be to corrupt her, Zerrex, which would physically alter her body, forcing the crystal out of her body without forcing you to make contact with it. Would you really make her suffer that? Allow her to serve me, as the Silver Wind Clan has always done... instead of transforming her into a monster bending to your whims."

"I'll allow her to make her own decision." Zerrex said forcefully, and Melody leaned back in surprise before the reptile glanced down at Mary, who was shivering and moaning weakly on the table as he whispered: "Go ahead. I... it scares me, but I'll stand by your choice."

Mary whimpered... but then she said weakly: "I serve... my Patron. Do what you have to do to me... but I... I won't be bullied into... servitude..."

"I am offering you a way out!" Melody snapped, then she stepped backwards and grabbed at her forehead before gesturing towards Zerrex grimly. "Fine, though, go ahead, then... but don't blame me if something goes wrong."

Zerrex grimaced at the Goddess, and then he flexed his right arm... and when the scales fell away, it was not metallic or warped, but instead made of heavy ivory plates, a needle of bone springing from the tip as he hesitated for a moment... and then whispered: "I'm sorry, Mary."

He shoved the needle down into her chest, and Mary screamed, arching her back for a moment before she clenched her eyes shut... and blood burst from the wounds over her body as dark energy shocked over her before a spherical crystal was violently ejected from her form, and the deer shrieked as her body convulsed, vines ripping out of her stomach and over her frame as Zerrex gritted his teeth and yanked the needle back, half-turning with a snarl as the crystal orb trembled before exploding and he sensed more than saw a malicious presence... but before he could do anything, several black spikes shot by, hammering into the phantasmal outline and making it scream before it simply pulsed out of existence.

Zerrex reared back slightly, then looked over his shoulder... and he stared as Mary sat slowly up, lengths of vine falling away from her body, her eyes closed as she breathed slowly, dark flames burning quietly along her form as her clothes fell away. She was naked, but cusps of bone covered her groin and breasts, with smaller barbs standing out of her shoulders and her elbows... and thick white hooves rested in place as of her feet, with flexible ivory claws instead of fingers on her hands.

Her features were younger but colder, beautiful and terrible... and when her eyes opened, they glowed red as ivory antlers grew upwards out of the sides of her skull, spreading into terrible claws that grasped vainly at the air as small horns pushed out of her forehead... and she growled quietly as her jaw enlarged, teeth becoming sharper, fangs pushing into place as a bit of drool fell from her lips before she straightened, her taut stomach flexing as her small tail became a long, snapping whip with a large, leaf-shaped white tuft at the end of it... and then she flexed slowly as bone vambraces tore out of her forearms, surrounding the rubbery black skin that she possessed now in place of fur as she whispered: "I understand now why my ancestors were drawn to power..."

Melody only shook her head slowly, and then Mary turned around, looking at the Goddess coldly as Zerrex hesitantly stepped up beside his Disciple, looking nervously at her... but then her red eyes flicked towards him, and she visibly calmed, whispering: "It's okay. I'm still me... but I have questions for my brother's Patron that need answering."

Zerrex nodded slowly, looking over the deer, shocked by how his corruption had transformed her so much, so quickly... and then he glanced down at his arm as the bone plates slowly became silvery steel, his claw a gauntlet as the ivory needle withdrew... and Melody looked from one to the other before she lowered her head and said quietly: "I am in no position to argue. Although I find it... disheartening... that you've gone and thrown away all the Silver Wind Clan worked for alongside me, Mary. We were Hunters of monsters of the like that you've now become once... of those who abused privilege and power. Of demons and devils that went against the natural order. We were control and order. Not discord and chaos."

"No, Melody. I serve my Patron, and my Patron protects me and saved me." Mary replied forcefully, and then she reached down and touched a stomach that was smooth and without a scar, faintly smiling... and despite her dark and alien features, it softened her, made her more like her old self as she said quietly: "Even my brother preferred to enslave demons and monsters instead of treating them like people. This is only the end result of me going the opposite way... while he died because you did not protect him, my Patron came and brought me completely into his fold and gave me a strength of will and strength of body that you did not even know existed, Melody. So what if I look like a monster? My best friends were demons. My best friends, who fought with me as friends and treated me like family."

Melody looked away awkwardly, and then Zerrex held up a hand, saying quietly: "Enough of this, at least for now. Melody, what the hell is going on here? Either you tell me or Mary tells me, and I swear to the gods above that if you lie to me after all this..."

"Without me, Mary would be dead! I may be disgusted to see the path she's chosen but I nonetheless would prefer to see her alive instead of gone... and the loss of Zane hurts me. The loss of every noble Hunter who has ever served me hurts me... do not ever doubt that." Melody said coldly, pointing at her, and then she shook her head slowly as Mary studied her silently. "You have much to learn, little one, as does the young but powerful god you serve.

"But while I was resting in Heaven, I heard a frantic call for help from Zane. Mary had been already been wounded severely, her demons killed. Zane's own servants had been defeated and by the time I found him, he was dead, ripped apart." Melody gestured towards the library beyond, and the Drakkaren grimaced at the splatters of gore and blood over the walls here and there. "His spirit was still clinging to his dead body, and through contacting it, I learned they were assaulted by a cloaked figure. He bypassed and drained all the defenses of the Estate, and easily outmatched Zane and Mary.

"This was a message." Melody shook her head slowly, saying quietly: "This was a message, and now once more you've cost me dearly. Because of you, Zerrex Narrius, and your disdain for the traditions of the Silver Wind Clan, there are no successors. The line dies here... and with it, a source of control against demons who defy the logic and rules of Heaven and Hell. Because of you, Mary is as good as dead and Zanbrick had been murdered."

Zerrex looked away, and Mary said quietly: "No, Melody. I made the choice to not have any children... and Zerrex never forced me to. Besides, it's not like my brother ever found any good suitors, either."

Melody grumbled a bit under her breath, and then the Drakkaren glanced at her and asked softly: "Do you have anything to do with this killer? Your name has come up before in conjunction with him... apparently you have your fingers in a lot of pies in Heaven, not to mention the Council and access to the crafters who make items like he's been using. And how do you know so much about me? About my powers, even about my corruption?"

The goddess looked uncomfortable at this, looking awkwardly back and forth as she rubbed at her face slowly, and Mary's eyes narrowed dangerously as Zerrex felt himself tensing... and then Melody cursed and shoved the table hard towards him, but the Drakkaren caught it and gritted his teeth, concentrating hard when Melody tried to teleport.

Blue arcs of energy shot violently over her as she flickered in and out of reality, and she screamed as she fell to her knees before Zerrex kicked the table hard: the furnishing crashed into her stomach and knocked the wind out of the goddess before the Drakkaren reached out and firmly grabbed her face, and the female went pale as the lizard said coldly: "Yeah. You're not running away now. Little trick I picked up from Sin, blocking someone else from shooping. Now I'm glad for all that practice I did with her and Cherry... and also, it's a good reminder that you are much, much weaker than me, even if you're older, Melody. I'd start talking or I may just have to rip your face off."

"Okay, okay!" Melody trembled, raising her hands as Mary snarled at her, and then the goddess yanked herself backwards, hitting the bookshelf hard enough to rattle it and send a few tomes tumbling down before she slid down on her ass, whispering: "It's... okay. I could have arrived earlier, but... I knew what was going on. I... I was warned not to intervene by the Purifier, but he was only supposed to wound Mary... and you were supposed to release her from her pact with you. Now everything's gone wrong...

"It... I didn't have a choice. Lord God approached me, ordered me to help... ordered me to get supplies for him..." Melody shook her head weakly, whispering: "I didn't want to leave Heaven, I had settled in... I didn't want to go back to Harmonious, where I originally came from, I left that world for a reason! Now... now I'll have to run back home to my parents..."

Zerrex half-wanted to rip Melody's head off, and half-wanted to laugh hysterically at the thought that this goddess was apparently just trying to avoid going home and confessing to Mommy and Daddy, even after countless decades - no, countless millennia... - that she hadn't been able to cut it on her own... and the reptile shook his head in slow disbelief before Mary slammed a fist down on the table, asking sharply: "Are you saying my brother died to spare your pride?"

Melody winced a bit, holding up her hands and trembling. "Listen, listen... there... were mistakes all around. You'll never see my face again, okay? I have no choice but to run now... I can't even return to Heaven. Heaven is his prowling ground... and you have no idea what you've done. Turmoil, the research facility you attacked, was filled with valuable equipment, and I know that both Heaven and Elysium have sent people in to investigate, pull apart machinery, and examine every last detail of it... but you injured Lord God. You cut him, and cut his pride... but all I wanted was not to die! The only thing I tried to do was... save Mary, bring her into the fold, I... I tried to argue for her life, for taking her away from you, yes, but... if things had gone according to plan..."

"According to your plans, maybe, but you're working with lunatics." Zerrex said shortly, and then he shook his head slowly before muttering: "Fine. But before I let you go, Melody, you're going to do one last thing for me. I'm familiar with the terms the Silver Wind Clan served under... and you're going to release Zanbrick's soul, right now. He's going to float to Heaven or Hell, and he's going to be free of your control and your power, and you're never, ever going to set foot in Heaven again."

Melody began to open her mouth, and Zerrex rose a finger, the Drakkaren reaching his other hand up to squeeze Mary's shoulder slowly as the deer glared daggers down at the goddess. "Do you really want to start a fight with me and the girl you keep calling a monster? Because if you say one more stupid thing, I'm going to let Mary do whatever the hell she wants to your face."

The goddess paled slowly: whether she was among the ranks of gods or not, whether she had spent many years in control of the Silver Wind Clan as the Patron the demon hunters bowed to and served, she was neither exceptionally strong nor skilful. Much like Aera Cura had been, her abilities put her past the range of mortals... but not by a whole lot. "I... yes. Yes, of course. I... see your point."

Melody fumbled slowly at her blouse, and then she produced a simple silver locket from an inner pocket as she shakily stood up before tossing this down on the table, the symbol of the Silver Wind Clan emblazoned over it. Zerrex reached down and took it, feeling the pulse of a soul inside of it before he flicked it open... and the moment he did so, a spirit in the shape of a burly, masculine deer floated silently out of it, letting out a soft sigh as he gazed towards the ceiling before looking down at them, examining them curiously before he simply flickered out of existence. Zane had been freed, on his way to Heaven or Hell... and the Drakkaren threw the locket back at Melody, the goddess catching and fumbling with it for a few moments as she trembled a little before the Drakkaren said quietly: "Run away now, Melody. Run away, and do us all a favor and never come back."

Melody nodded quickly, and she looked nervously from one to the other before she closed her eyes tightly, then vanished from sight... and Zerrex sighed a bit as he shook his head slowly before looking silently at Mary as she turned to face him, reaching up and stroking her face quietly as he murmured softly: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to see that... and I'm especially sorry for... what's happened to you."

"No, Zerrex, no." Mary said empathetically, and then she hugged him tightly around the waist, pressing herself against him... and the Drakkaren returned the embrace just as firmly, squeezing her close as she closed her eyes. "I would rather be this than pledged to a goddess who doesn't care about those she's sworn to protect. You don't have to apologize, Zerrex, not at all."

The Drakkaren gazed down at her softly, rocking her quietly in his strong limbs, and then he quietly kissed her forehead, making her smile a little as she looked up at him. "Besides, there... are good things, too. I am much stronger like this, meaning I can better protect you... and more importantly, I can now come with you to Elysium. I am more your Disciple now than I ever have been in the past..." She hesitated, then quietly took one of his hands, squeezing it slowly as she stepped back a bit to smile up into his eyes. "And you freed my brother. Zanbrick has... passed on, but there's no need for me to be sad, or to mourn, because I know he'll reach Heaven and become an angel. I don't want to hold a funeral, or even cry over his loss... because this isn't losing him. This is only a temporary goodbye, a little... vacation from him. Soon enough, he'll be bitching and moaning about how I've made another dumb mistake."

She laughed, and Zerrex smiled softly at her, nodding slowly before the deer looked down, then back up at him, her red eyes glimmering faintly. "I do feel strange, though. And a little sad for myself, for... my lost mortality. I do wish that things could maybe be a little different... but at the same time I don't. I only want things to work out..." She closed her eyes, nodding slowly. "And I really... am looking forwards to being part of your family now."

"You were part of it before." Zerrex said quietly, and Mary smiled warmly up at him before the reptile laughed a little. "I know a lot of Marys and similar names, though, so it could be awkward at first."

"Then give me a new name, for my new body... what feels almost like a new soul." the female said softly, and Zerrex looked at her with surprise before she smiled a bit at him, saying quietly: "Well, I can't be Mary of the Silver Wind any more... this goes against everything the Silver Wind clan teaches. I've been reinvented now... and honestly, I... don't want to follow Melody's lies and teachings anymore, especially now that she's fled like a coward back to wherever she came from." She stopped, then murmured: "Do you really think that was a good idea, letting her go like that?"

"One of two things is going to happen, Mary... Melody is going to run away and never, ever show her face again, or she's going to do something stupid... and get herself killed by Lord God and the thing that attacked you and Zanbrick." Zerrex said quietly, and Mary looked up at him with a grimace. "She was greedy, and I believe she was being honest about what she said. She was just a supplier, a fence for the right connections. She probably knows about as much as we do now."

The female nodded, and Zerrex studied her for a little while before he asked quietly: "Do you know the story of Pandora? Guarded a box, screwed up, let evil into the world?"

She smiled amusedly at this, poking his chest and saying mildly: "So are you saying that I'm your Pandora and I'm going to ruin the world?"

"No, I'm saying that you're the sliver of good that was left behind after all the evil escaped. You're Hope." Zerrex hugged her tightly, and Mary looked touched as she hugged him silently back before the Drakkaren nodded slowly as he drew back from her, studying her with a slight smile. "Yeah. You're Hope. Between you and Missy, maybe... maybe these powers, this corruption, can be used for good after all. You... you're not craving flesh or anything, right?"

"Not in the way you mean." the female replied amusedly, and then she shrugged a bit, glancing down and murmuring softly: "But... I mean, I was angrier than I've ever been before, but... considering the circumstances, that might not even be all that remarkable. I don't... I don't feel any different." She looked down at her hands slowly as she stepped back, then she paused before turning and flicking her arm outwards, and cones of dark energy appeared in the air, taking aim at the floor before they shot downwards, hammering into it and sticking out of the surface for a moment as chunks of concrete flew in all directions before they simply dissipated, and then she smiled slightly. "Well, you know. I feel stronger, obviously."

Zerrex gazed at this with soft amusement, and then he nodded a bit before they both glanced up as a rift opened and Maria emerged... before the Broken's eyes widened as she gazed at the sight of the female that was now named Hope, rushing forwards and grabbing her shoulders as she looked over her with concern. "Oh, Mary! What has happened here, oh dear, it seems like evil has come whilst I..."

Maria's face twitched, and then she asked slowly, in a worried but more-natural voice: "What happened?"

"Zerrex saved me, and he drove away Melody. Zanbrick has... passed on, but he will return in good time in Heaven, I'm sure. My name... is Hope now." The dark doe reached up and quietly took Maria's hands, looking into the Broken's concerned eyes as she said softly: "Thank you for caring, Maria. I think my experiences with you helped teach me that I can still be my own person, no matter what happens... you and Zerrex, a Broken and a god who's been treated awfully by the universe... but always people first. And good people, at that."

Maria smiled warmly at this, and then she and Hope traded tight hugs before they pulled apart, and the Broken's eyes roved over to Zerrex as she said quietly: "Theophilius has been spending a lot of his time in the Unworld Manse... he seemed... agitated about something. Perhaps you should go and see him, Zerrex... unless you need to wait, I'm sure he'll understand. Broken don't sense time as people do, after all, and I'm sure to him, even a thousand years is like the passage of a few minutes."

"But a few minutes can be a very long time." Zerrex murmured softly, and then he rubbed at his face before he looked quietly at Hope. The doe smiled encouragingly at him, however, and the Drakkaren hesitantly nodded before he turned his eyes to Maria. "Tell you what. Open me a rift to the Unworld, and then take Hope to... to Acheron for now to wait for me. I'll meet you there when I'm done."

Maria nodded, and then she held a hand up, and a swirling, dark rift opened, and the Broken said softly: "Take care then, grandfather."

"I told you not to call me that." Zerrex smiled nonetheless, though, and Maria blushed a little but smiled faintly in return before the Drakkaren glanced at Hope... but the deer only gave her own warm look to him, and the lizard allowed himself to be satisfied with this as he headed into the rift and stepped through it. For a moment, darkness swirled around him... and then he emerged into the front lobby of the Unworld manse, reaching up to quietly play with his mala for a few moments before he winced at the sound of yelling and curses.

The reptile hesitantly walked towards the archway leading into the library... and then he cursed and staggered backwards as a hail of books fell from above, Theophilius shouting angrily: "No, no, no! It's not here! It's not here, it's not here, it's not here! Accursed most cursed of curses, where is it!"

Zerrex winced a bit as he looked up to see the Broken running back and forth along the top shelves, and then he rose a hand... but before he could call a greeting, the equine looked down at him and pointed at him, snapping: "Creation, where did you put that damn book?"

The Drakkaren looked at him stupidly, and then Theophilius squeaked and covered his mouth before he leapt backwards off the second floor... and Zerrex winced, then blinked when he felt something tap his shoulder before he turned around and stared dumbly at the sight of the horse, who gazed up at him awkwardly, and the Drakkaren was not sure he even wanted to know how the Broken was able to do his disappearing trick at this point. "I'm sorry for being short-tempered, but it's this ghastly weather, you know. Thunderstorms of bowling balls and raining cats and snowing dogs, and most assuredly it is the snow that is dogs because they fall slowly and gently, and the cats hiss and scream all the way down with splat-splat-splats when they hit the ground!"

Then Theophilius rose his hands, curling them into claws and making a hissing sound that sprayed spittle over the Drakkaren as he winced back a bit, before the equine looked at him and poked a bit at his chest. "My, my, it seems that the rain has reached inside too. Allow me to help."

Theophilius reached up and pulled off his top hat, then he dug inside of it for a moment before producing a handkerchief and smoothly wiping up the saliva over the lizard's chest, Zerrex staring blankly at the equine before Theophilius smiled and tossed the scrap of cloth away before popping his hat back onto his own head, lacing his fingers together. "Now that that is taken care of and is what it is, what exactly are you here to ask me, Zerrex, and without a proper suit on? Of course, it seems as though our not-very-nice friend has flown the coop for the moment, however... never to say he is a chicken, although he can be very rooster-like in nature."

The reptile began to open his mouth, and then the horse threw his hands out and blurted: "Cocky!" A pause, and then he blushed a bit as Zerrex gaped at him, before making a zipping motion across his own muzzle. "Go ahead."

The Drakkaren looked at him for a moment, and then he asked curiously: "Well, first of all... what are you looking for?"

"A book. Not just any book, though, a book that possesses exactly three hundred and forty-two pages and 237,938 words upon its three hundred and forty-two pages." the Broken explained empathetically, nodding rapidly. "Of course, that includes the author's name and title but excludes the chapter headings, as those were added in afterwards, they're always divided up afterwards! Always, always, always!"

Theophilius threw his head back and laughed, and then he added seriously: "And it's subject to change with editing too, of course. I mean, once edited, a word may be misplaced, or, as some words are very shy or prone to embarrassment, they may also run away once an editor is summoned, as all editors do is judge-judge-judge and I hate people who judge-judge-judge!" The horse halted, glowered at the ground, then flailed his arms before he turned and ran in a quick circle before skidding to a halt and exclaiming: "That is the title of the book!"

"Circles?" Zerrex said lamely, and Theophilius held up a single finger, giving the reptile an excited glare, and the Drakkaren said stupidly: "One Circle?"

"The Cycle!" Theophilius cried, and the Drakkaren winced back a bit before he walked forwards, suddenly becoming serious as he said quietly: "My fear is that things are much more dire than they seem, you see, Zerrex. The Cycle is part of what we designed in reality to help continue the flow of energies: reincarnation, Heaven and Hell and mortal planets, the passage of souls... they are all cycles of varying size and strength. Energy must flow, or it stagnates: stagnant energy quickly decays: decayed energy fades from the universe. Energy is the building blocks of all things... but we did not consider the dangers of imposing a cycle. We did not consider the effects of it on ourselves.

"Naganis, after all, was the result of reincarnation, his energies rebuilding, reconstructing themselves, re-creating himself. I am the result of energies cycling to the Unworld... and as the Center of the Universe was not connected to Heaven or Hell, souls that fled from there... fled into space. Life, Death, and Destruction... their energy cycled as well, and I am trying to discover what became of them. Their souls may have journeyed for hours, years, eons... but they would eventually have either fallen to the Unworld, or their energies would have intermingled with someone or something else, and thus... led to reincarnation, rebirth, albeit in a less-direct way than Naganis." Theophilius paused, rubbing slowly at the underside of his muzzle. "Chaos, on the other hand, caused his own energies to violently tear themselves apart in the form of an explosion. His energy was shredded into tiny pieces, cast far and wide... and much like everything else, it's all well and nice to say you have a tiny piece of something so important as a First God inside you... but these pieces were roughly comparable to specks of dust shaved off the mighty Manse we stand in at this very moment."

Zerrex nodded slowly at this comparison: it was like if he imbued a microscopic amount of his energies into a pebble. It might make said pebble gleam a little for a few minutes but that was about it. "But through successive reincarnations, doesn't something become weaker? I mean, even with Light being passed down from generation to generation inside the Blossom family... Cherry's powers were strong and all, but Beatrice's abilities were in a whole different league."

Theophilius nodded, saying quietly: "Yes, it is true. But the power of the First Gods will take much longer to dilute... and well... we were the First Gods, Lord Zerrex." He laughed a little, glancing down and flexing his hand slowly. "We were the First Gods. We were beings from the Beyond... freely travelling in not-physical bodies. Our souls would not decay over time as yours would if it was outside of your physical shell for too long... nor do we have to seek new hosts. Of course, on the other hand, it also meant that I was hideously vulnerable to Unworld energies, and I suppose my brethren likely were as well. For all I know, they could have been long dissolved here... I cannot keep tabs across the vast dark plains all the time, after all."

He sighed a bit, looking down for a moment, then he glanced up and said softly: "I shall allow you one more question today, Zerrex Narrius, and then tomorrow perhaps I will answer more. Go ahead, go ahead, don't be shy. You house Creation's spirit, and I have had much time to think and ponder answers to every question I feel you might well ask."

The Drakkaren looked at the Broken for a few moments, nodding slowly... and then he asked quietly: "The Strange Beasts... I mean, the Guardians. Why would they follow Lord God instead of Eratosthenes? Why would they believe he's a traitor?"

"That's two questions, but they both have the same sad answer, so I suppose it is alright." Theophilius said kindly, smiling faintly, and then he shook his head slowly and laced his fingers together quietly. "They are naïve, that is why... we never lied to them, and in a way, that was a cruelty upon our part, and very foolish, even if we could not have known how the future would become... so different. We told them the truth... and thus they believe that if someone tells them something, it must very well be true. They are born to bred and serve those they see as a leader figure...and learning about the world as I have, knowing the ins and outs of people as I now do, after years of watching gods and angels and demons and everyone else squabble and bicker, I can see how they would take advantage of my poor, gullible friends. A simple illusion spell to pretend they're one of them, or perhaps if they even looked enough like one it would be enough... or perhaps even if they convinced them they were a god from the old days. That too could work... a well-placed lie would be even more effective than magic when it comes to the Guardians. Poor Eratosthenes... he should have spent his time teaching the Guardians to be careful instead of trying to absorb all that knowledge alone."

Zerrex grimaced and nodded slowly, rubbing at his face... and then he shook his head a bit before Theophilius held up a finger with a smile. "Now, now, don't go pushing too hard, Zerrex. I have answered my questions, and now perhaps, I shall go for a short stroll and see if there are any letters or packages for me, or if any old friends are wandering the Unworld today. I shall return in exactly one day, although the passage of days is uncertain here... so it may be many hours, it may be a few minutes. Will you wait for me?"

The Drakkaren nodded, saying quietly: "Of course. I still have a few questions for you and... well... I think you might be the only person who can help right now."

"Oh no, far from it. In fact, I may only make things worse." Theophilius said mildly, nodding a few times, and Zerrex smiled despite himself before the equine bowed graciously to him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must leave through the front door."

And with that, Theophilius strode past Zerrex and walked quickly up the stairs before he simply vanished from sight, and the reptile somehow wasn't surprised when he heard the door behind him open and then slam shut, the Drakkaren shaking his head slowly and muttering: "Sometimes I wish I could do that..."

The reptile grumbled a bit under his breath as he headed towards the stairs himself, wondering awkwardly if he was going to magically end up on the other side of the hall... but thankfully, abnormal physics seemed to apply only to Theophilius, and the reptile was able to step onto the second floor without trouble and make his way towards an empty bedroom, letting himself in and sitting down quietly. He closed his eyes, lowering his head a bit as he let his hands rest in his lap, completely alone and feeling strange in the silence... after all, it was rare he was ever totally, really alone, and without anyone to turn to or talk to at that. Worse, he knew that he had no way to contact anyone to ask for help... so he could be trapped here for years if Theophilius didn't make his way back here or refused to open a rift for him when he wanted to leave.

The Drakkaren wasn't worried about that, however: he trusted the Broken, and not just because he was a First God but because of how inoffensive he was. Well, perhaps that wasn't the right word, but he was far from hostile or dangerous... and the reptile smiled a bit as he rubbed slowly at the underside of his muzzle. He did at least get one good, clear answer out of him... and then Zerrex shook his head slowly, muttering: "But of course, new worries were added to my mind, too. Still, I need to put those aside for now..."

He sighed a bit, then flopped back on the bunk... and before he knew it, his eyes were closed, and the lizard had descended down into sleep.

Zerrex grumbled as someone shook him firmly, and then his eyes flickered open before he frowned a bit at the sight of a blue sky above, sitting slowly up with a grunt... before he looked back and forth, confused by the sight of grasses and soil around him, trees in the distance around the enormous field. The reptile reached down carefully, dragging his fingers through this before he looked up as he felt someone shake his shoulder firmly, and the reptile looked quickly up to see a smiling, younger and smaller version of himself, gazing at him with boyish, untarnished features as he said quietly: "Hey, Conscious Walker. How are you holding up?"

"Tired." Zerrex muttered, and then he stood carefully up, looking curiously down at the side of himself he referred to as 'Good.' "Been a while since I saw you around."

"Yeah, well. Ravenlight and Negative and Cold have been scampering around a lot, so I figured I'd stay low for a while... but I just wanted to talk to you about something that you've overlooked." Good said kindly, and Zerrex tilted his head curiously before the male smiled a bit as he gestured behind himself... and black smoke floated up from the ground before it solidified into immense chess pieces in the shape of those the Drakkaren had been puzzling over, from the 'evil' side of the board as the reptile grimaced a bit. "So do you remember how you figured out how your friends and family interconnected?"

"Yeah, they were mostly important to me or in positions of power." Zerrex said slowly, rubbing at the back of his head. "They were whoever Lord God saw as important to me, probably because he thought I valued them more when they were strong themselves... you know, like I was trying purposefully to be best friends with... wait..."

Zerrex frowned a bit as Good smiled warmly, and the Drakkaren walked past him towards the tall black statues, raising a hand and flicking his wrist to the side so that most of the statues vanished into smoke, leaving Celestial, Mengele, Lucifer, Loki, and Mephistopheles behind as the Drakkaren muttered: "I was looking at this from my perspective... not from the perspective of Lord God. Celestial was a Broken, and it's well-known that I killed her, and she created Crow... and since I hated and killed my own father multiple times over, it's not a stretch for him to think that I'd do the same to her."

He flicked his wrist, and the statue vanished as the reptile's eyes roved to Mengele, saying slowly: "He mutilated me, and did terrible things to the world... the world, not just Lord God, still sees him as evil and wicked... but few people saw how he turned against Narrius. How he saved me and my family... and he's a scientist with no respect for authority, who works for Elysium. Against Heaven."

The statue disappeared, and Zerrex's eyes moved to Loki, saying slowly: "Publically likes to humiliate me and calls me his opponent. But again... works for Elysium. Treats angels like garbage... absolutely loathes the Heavenly Council. We were enemies once... we still must seem like enemies at times. Then again, it seems everyone I showed up with Lord God wasn't thrilled with... especially not Justice."

The huge chess piece vanished, and Zerrex's eyes roved to Lucifer, saying softly: "Lucifer openly expresses his dislike for the Council and the people who run it these days. Unlike Lord, he works against it... and unlike Lord, he does limit Elysium as well, and we always negotiated back and forth, he was never a pushover even if he never took things personally. He works for Heaven... but against the Heavenly Council. This isn't just people who are my enemies, or even who stand up to me... it's people who Lord God is blaming for ruining Heaven. These... these are people he'd probably target to kill if they were all still alive."

The Lucifer statue vanished, leaving the snarling Naganatine chess piece... and Zerrex said softly: "And you were in the King position, too. You were the one who was responsible for leading the Betrayers against Naganis... for corrupting the Naganatine. For destroying the first vision of Heaven. You were placed across from me... Lord God wasn't simply putting you as my enemy for everything you represented... he was drawing parallels between us. He might even consider me a new Mephistopheles... but why would he use that image? Unless... he was either a Naganatine... or in some sick way, he's trying to worship Naganis..."

Zerrex closed his eyes, remembering the way Lord God had reacted so violently to Justice, before he gritted his teeth... and then Good quoted quietly from behind him: "'Killing something a god created to show how much you love him...' the words of Naganis, right? Because people were making sacrifices to him..."

"Oh no... you don't think he's going to start..." Zerrex turned towards Good, his eyes widening... and when Good grimaced, the Drakkaren cursed before he said quickly: "Listen, thanks for the help and all, but I need to

"Wake up." Zerrex felt the world whirl around him before he realized stupidly he was sitting up in bed, and he looked down at himself before cursing and leaping off the furnishing, staggering into the second floor hallway and fumbling at his mala before he cursed and staggered backwards when Theophilius walked around a corner, the horse looking dumbfounded before Zerrex said quickly: "I need to head back up to the physical plane, I need to send out a warning to Heaven. I'm not sure if I know the actual next targets of the murderer, but it seems like attacking that facility, humiliating Lord God jeopardized his plans and..."

"Whoa, whoa, calm down now, Zerrex Narrius, remember that time moves much slower here." Theophilius said worriedly, holding his hands up, and the Drakkaren gritted his teeth but then nodded slowly, the horse studying him curiously. "What makes you so sure, has you so excited? Exactly one day ago you were full of questions... why are you full of answers now?"

"Because... I thought about it." Zerrex said lamely, but Theophilius only nodded seriously before reptile closed his eyes, then he explained slowly: "I helped a lot with the psychology programs for Hell and Elysium, getting people to understand things... which means I spent a lot of time learning how to... get inside the heads of murderers, monsters, and lunatics. My problem was that I was thinking two things: one, that this murderer was a psychopath... and two, that Lord God just wanted to hurt me, assuming he was sane but cruel.

"But now I'm realizing that's not it. Sure, it's easy to work out why he's targeting me. He believes I've hurt him, and that I'm hurting Heaven... but I didn't realize how important Heaven was to him, or why. I was egotistical and thought it was all about me... when it isn't. It's a religious fixation... an obsession with Naganis, or with what Naganis represented." Zerrex continued slowly, working it out in his mind even as he spoke. "Yeah... and the murderer, he's likely just like Verve and Chakra and that wolf recombinant. He's a monster, yes... but he's just like a machine, following orders, attacking what he's told to... his obsession with me, with wanting to hurt me, is only a reflection of Lord God's obsession. I mean, even his name! Lord God... just like Naganis was called in Heaven by the Heavenly Council. And he believes that he's Naganis's inheritor... that he has earned his place in Heaven.

"He was getting more confident with his minions, assembling an army, building up his forces... but not only did I thwart his plan to kill me or at least some of my friends and family, I injured him. I hurt the bastard and now he's going to need to regain his confidence somehow. He's already started by taking revenge on me, and I have this awful feeling it's only just beginning... and that he's going to not only lash out at me, he's going to try and prove to his vision of 'God' how much he worships him. And the classic way to do that is through sacrifice... most likely, the sacrifice of something he's decided is evil and stands in the way of Heaven's progress, or that was loved most by 'God.'"

"Fascinating..." Theophilius murmured, rubbing at the underside of his muzzle slowly, and then he frowned a bit as Zerrex grimaced and shook his head. "I have only one question for you then, Lord Zerrex. Why are you still here?"

The Drakkaren looked at him dumbly, and then Theophilius snapped his fingers... and a moment later, Zerrex was standing in Heaven, staring stupidly back and forth in the middle of a mostly-empty street at marble buildings, the sun shining cheerfully down from the blue skies above before the reptile grimaced and vanished from the spot, reappearing a moment later on the landing in front of the massive, floating castle of Heaven.

Several knights raised their lances as other guards only looked shocked, and then one of the silver-armored warriors stepped in front of Zerrex as the Drakkaren began to walk forwards, flipping the grille of his helmet up... and the reptile was relieved to see it was the wolf he was familiar with, the angel asking with concern: "Has something happened? We weren't informed you were going to visit today, Lord Zerrex."

"Yeah, I need to talk to Lucifer or Lord immediately... I have..." Then the Drakkaren looked up in shock as he heard a desperate howl, and the guard turned around with a snarl and a yell to the troops, the lizard cursing as angels flew by him before he vanished from the spot and reappeared in the courtyard of the enormous fortress.

Angels were scattering as Paladins ran forwards, and Zerrex stared in shock at the sight of the cloaked murderer, undoubtedly the one that served directly under Lord God, kneeling over the bloody corpse of Epoch. The Naganatine was gaping sightlessly at the sky, his body mauled into pieces and the corpses of several angelic knights nearby, black fire burning slowly over their forms as Zerrex snarled in fury... then realized that Job was standing nearby, pale and staring stupidly at the grisly display, his arms dangling limply at his sides and jaw gaping before Zerrex shouted: "Run!"

Job only looked dumbly up... and then the murderer leapt towards him, hissing furiously as he lashed his right hand as it burned with black flames towards the Naganatine, and Job barely staggered out of the way. It still managed to rip through the right arm of his sleeve, however, and Job howled in pain as a thick, bloody gash was left, falling backwards before a Paladin leapt in and smashed the murderer across the face with the flat of his huge battle axe, knocking him backwards.

The cloaked monster laughed insanely even as it staggered away, before it exploded backwards into streaks of energy that shot wildly back and forth, Zerrex wincing and covering his face as they launched past him and dodged through the platoon of angelic knights that had just crossed the bridge, shooting back and forth wildly before the six streaks of energy vanished from sight. Then Zerrex cursed under his breath as he turned towards the center of the courtyard, Job breathing hard and clutching at a gash in his arm, a long rip torn down the limb as he leaned his head forwards and trembled a bit, Paladin on either side of him.

The doors leading into the castle were thrown open a moment later, Lucifer and Lord emerging as the latter Archangel asked sharply: "What happened here? Job... oh god, is that Epoch?"

Job gritted his teeth and turned away as a priestess came out of the ground to begin tending to his wound, but the Naganatine shoved her backwards and cursed as blood splattered down, the head of the council breathing hard before he shot a glance towards Zerrex, obviously loathing the presence of the reptile as he muttered: "I... I need to go."

"Wait, Job, I need to talk to you about the Council." Zerrex said quietly, holding a hand up, and the Naganatine glanced over his shoulder with obvious surprise as Lucifer looked up and Lord frowned deeply, crossing his arms. "Can we speak in private later? Of course, the Archangels or anyone can join us too, but... we should talk."

Job hesitated for a few long moments... and then he sighed quietly, looking down and saying finally: "Very well, Lord Zerrex. Meet me in my office in half an hour, I... I should be recovered from this by then." He stopped, then looked over his shoulder at Epoch's corpse, shuddering weakly before he turned ahead and brushed a hand nervously through his mane, murmuring: "Yes... I... I shall see you then..."

He hurried towards the doors, ignoring Lord when the Archangel shouted to him, and then the godling groaned before he jogged after the Naganatine, several priestesses and guards hurrying as well after him... and Lucifer glanced back and forth before his eyes settled on a silver armored guard splattered with blood and shivering violently, asking quietly: "What happened?"

The guard only shook his head mutely, but Lucifer's eyes stayed on him... and finally, the silver-armored warrior looked up nervously and said weakly: "It... it just seems so... I mean... he was there. Epoch and Job were... were arguing... and then... then he was dead. And then he was dead and in pieces, oh fuck..."

The angel dropped his face into his hands, breathing hard, and Zerrex glanced towards Lucifer, the Archangel grimacing before he simply grunted and motioned to the Drakkaren with his head, and the reptile quickly followed him as they headed towards the open doors of the Castle. They walked to the briefing room in silence, the Trumpeter opening the doors for them as she kept her head bowed respectfully, before Lucifer turned to Zerrex and asked quietly: "What have you discovered?"

"I think it's someone who's become obsessed with Naganis, with... creating a perfect Heaven. I think our attack on the research facility might have just exacerbated things, too. I think we're in trouble here." Zerrex said quietly, and Lucifer was silent as the Drakkaren hesitated, then slowly explained what he'd talked about to Theophilius, going into detail about the chess pieces, the dream, the way everything seemed to lock together. At the end of it all, Lucifer continued to study him, which made the reptile nervous... but they he only nodded slowly, grimacing and looking down.

"Obsession... we face a dangerous foe." Lucifer said softly, looking down at his own Dragokkaren hand slowly, before he rose the wolf hand beside it, studying the differences between them. "It sounds like I myself am on this murderer's list of targets as well then... meaning we must both tread carefully. The storm around us worsens, but we now know what to look for... the opponent has overplayed his hand and revealed more to himself to us than you realize."

Zerrex tilted his head at this, and Lucifer said quietly: "It has to be someone organized, and who has developed a knowledge of mortal technology. I've heard from Sephire that you have a short list of candidates already as well. Melody, Rangi, and St. Luther, correct?"

"It's not Melody. She was involved, but she was working as the fence. Lord God bullied her into working with him, and now she's running home with her tail between her legs. I think we need to check out this St. Luther first, since he sounds like the most possible candidate now." Zerrex said quietly, and Lucifer nodded slowly. "I'm hoping to talk to Job about him... I think we can put our loathing of each other aside to work towards a common goal."

Lucifer grimaced a bit, crossing his arms as he shook his head slowly. "Working with the biggest bureaucrat on the council, who seems to have forgotten the very person that created him... admittedly, it's not an idea I like, but I understand that we do not have the luxury of picking and choosing our allies. Please bear in mind that he will likely not only try to take full credit for this idea, and sooner rather than later, I have some concerns he'll abandon us to this cloaked killer if he gets the chance. Job has been known to bear grudges for a long time."

Zerrex grunted a bit, saying dryly: "Well, thankfully, it was the murderer who just sliced him open, and I'm pretty sure he's going to be angrier about that and about his whole idea of Heaven being threatened by someone from his own council than anything I've done to him recently. I may have beaten on him some but I've at least never taken a sword to him."

The Drakkaren paused meditatively, and then he hesitated for a moment before asking quietly: "How are Raze and Sephire doing? I heard Sephire was pretty drained and... I know that Raze is tough, but he..."

"He loves his mother, yes. Sometimes it almost seems like he sees her as his sole parent." Lucifer said softly, and then he glanced down before continuing quietly: "Sephire is adjusting well, though. With Sir Pettigrew and Sir Francis on guard duty at the facility where she's being repaired, for lack of a better word, she will be kept safe. Raze spends much of his time in the botany labs and greenhouses there, taking care of the flowers, although I have asked Silven to keep an eye on him as well."

Zerrex nodded bit, rubbing at his face slowly, and then Lucifer studied him for a few moments before he asked: "How is the Armor of Naganis holding up? I am curious."

The Drakkaren smiled at this, rubbing at his forehead slowly before he said quietly: "It feels wrong to wear it into battle, so I haven't yet... but it responds to my every command, my every wish, without... me even trying to manipulate it, you know? It feels like part of me, when I'm wearing it..." He rose his hands, gesturing uselessly as he tried to think of how to explain it, and then he said slowly: "And... ever since I put it on, more and more memories have been coming back, clearer and clearer... it feels... I dunno. Like I've touched Naganis's mind... and things... it's... it's hard to explain."

The Archangel only nodded slowly, however, replying gently: "I think I well understand all the same. Please bear in mind that the armor was made for you, one way or another, though... and that it was chosen for you. If I believed in such a thing as Destiny, or that there was a Greater Heaven and a God Above... I would say such things decreed that this should happen and you were selected by one of these higher agents. After all, despite the fact that Naganis was killed, his loss tragic for us all... you, many years later, were chosen to inherit his energies. And the Goddess used his corpse to create a set of terrible and powerful armor she hid and did not give to Narrius, but decided to give to you herself. Body and soul, once separated, are now rejoined because of you. For you, I would almost say. To me... it does not seem like coincidence.

"Do not hesitate to use it to its full extent, Zerrex. I do not believe you can do anything wrong with it. I do not believe you can or will desecrate it, its name, or its memories, or that of Naganis." Lucifer gave a small smile. "Besides. I am curious to see if you will live up to the faith that has been placed in you."

Zerrex smiled a little at this, looking awkwardly at the Archangel before he nodded a bit, and they stood in silence for a few moments that branched into minutes, only studying each other before Lucifer finally gestured calmly towards the door. "I shall walk you to Job's office here. I have no doubts he is there right now, but I do not wish to waste my time listening to his babble. I believe you are more than capable of handling him yourself."

"Thanks. I think." Zerrex said mildly, and then he opened the door leading out of the briefing room and bowed to Lucifer, the Archangel nodding as he walked through it. The reptile followed the huge male through the complex corridors of the massive castle, glancing nervously at the platoons of guards they passed every so often: now, it seemed like all of Heaven had been put on high alert: not that Zerrex could exactly blame them, considering what had just happened, but it was still disturbing nonetheless... and what worried the reptile more was the idea that for all these alerts and alarms, they were likely focused in the wrong place. The murderer has slaughtered Epoch and attacked Job in public, completely out of the ordinary for him... and the reptile's concern was that Lord God had lost what little was likely left of his rationality and would be ordering the murderer to simply kill anyone on the undoubtedly-long list of candidates he came across in Heaven and Hell, making it almost impossible to predict his movements.

When they arrived, Lucifer gestured at a heavy wooden door flanked by two Paladins, and then nodded curtly before leaving. Zerrex grimaced a bit at this as one of the huge, golden-armored warriors opened the door for him, and the Drakkaren walked carefully into a wide study that was littered with scrolls, notebooks, and all manner of ancient texts, the reptile looking back and forth as he weaved past several large shelves before Job called irritably: "Who is it?"

"Uh... me?" Zerrex said lamely, holding up a hand as he stepped into an open area past the bookcases: there were two large racks filled with scrolls at the back, and shelves stuffed with tomes and papers along the wall... but the largest object in the room here was the massive wooden desk Job sat at, resting in a plush, red-lined golden chair and grimacing in distaste at the Drakkaren before he pointed irritably at a small, ugly footstool, and Zerrex made a face, then walked over and sat on it, feeling like a small child as his knees came up almost to the middle of his chest with how low it was to the ground. "Can we put our differences aside? I mean, just for today. Just for even an hour... just long enough for me to ask you a few questions about some people on your council."

Job grumbled under his breath, a quill in his hand he dipped every now and then into an ink well beside him with a practiced swish, writing quickly over the parchment... and Zerrex leaned carefully to the side before he stared at the speed with which the Naganatine was writing out Enochian runes, before the Chancellor of the Heavenly Council gritted his teeth and slowly turned towards Zerrex. "Have you ever heard of something called privacy? If you must stick your nose into the business of Heavenly Law, maybe you could first read a few books on proper procedural etiquette."

"You're like Sabnock, but not fun and without any boobs." Zerrex said flatly, his patience beginning to wear out, and Job grimaced in disgust before he grabbed at his right arm, and the Drakkaren frowned a bit as he realized the entire length of it was wrapped in cloth bandages, the sleeve of his robe ripped near the shoulder and leaving the wrapping exposed. "Still hurts?"

"Only a little." Job muttered, flexing his fingers slowly before he shook his head briskly and sighed, signing his name rapidly in runes at the bottom of the scroll before he tossed the quill to the side of the desk and blew over the paper, the ink drying quickly as he said disgustedly: "I do not like the idea of working with you, Zerrex Narrius. I do not enjoy it at all. I prefer to work through civilized channels, and with civilized people. With laws, like these."

"So you... what?" Zerrex leaned to the side again, looking down at scroll curiously and reading through the runes before he said grumpily: "Oh, right. A law to ban the sale and use of shadowing cloaks in Heaven, that's going to be real effective, especially since he already has at least one or two of them in his wardrobe. I'm sure your law will just stop him right in his tracks."

"You said you wanted to know something?" Job asked disgustedly, as he swept the scroll up and rolled it quickly shut, fumbling for a container amidst the books and papers scattered over his desk. "Inconsiderate and brutal... I suppose what you're interested in is mocking me. Or trying to bully me into helping Hell."

"For once, no. I need information on people I think might be connected to the murderer... might even be this 'Lord God' who's apparently his boss." Zerrex said quietly, and Job looked up, obviously surprised at his directness and honesty, and the Drakkaren gave a half-forced smile. "Look. You and I have a common enemy, and a common goal right now. And obviously, this Lord God isn't such a big fan of you if he had his cloaked killer attack you and kill Epoch in public like that. I think he might even target the other Naganatine... and while I know you don't give a rat's ass about the ones in Hell, and probably aren't too fond of Silven, Warden and yourself are also prime candidates for assassination. And so far, almost everyone who this murderer has attacked has ended up dead... so unless you want to fight this thing by yourself and probably end up dead as well, I could really use some information and some help. If we work apart, we're probably screwed. But if we work together, then... we might actually be able to put a halt to this."

Job looked down consideringly... and then he finally sighed a bit, looking slowly up and muttering: "I can't believe I'm saying this... but fine, Zerrex. I suppose even Lord God... my Lord God, not... damn these times." Job lowered his face against one hand, clenching his eyes shut. "Heaven in turmoil, Hell a separate and united nation, trapped in the physical world... and now, now a fool mocks the image of the God who created us all and who was already betrayed once... yes, I cannot stand to allow that to happen again, Zerrex, even if it means putting aside our differences for now and working together on this."

He shuddered a little, and the Drakkaren snorted in both amusement and irritation. "Well, if it's any consolation, I don't think there's any danger of us actually becoming friends. Now listen, I have two names on the Heavenly Council... Rangi, and St. Luther. I need information about them, because their names and Melody's came up a lot. I know Lord God isn't Melody... I sent her packing already, and found out she was acting as a go-between for Lord God between him and the crafters."

Job frowned a bit... and then he looked down and rubbed at the underside of his muzzle thoughtfully, saying slowly. "Rangi, that was not a name I expected to hear... his only obsession is with his dead wife. He's been missing from Council for some time now as well... but St. Luther, on the other hand, came to me several months back now. He was acting... very strange. I will not deny he has his sins, but he was very good to have on the Council, and very intelligent and we agreed on many things... I think he trusted me in a very deep way, for a reason I was never able to really understand or discern. It was not as if he was attempting to buy me or flatter me... he acted more as if we were similar souls."

Zerrex grimaced a bit at the slow, lengthy way Job talked, but he waited patiently as the Naganatine looked up, gathering his thoughts and feeling like this was actually going to pay off as the male said slowly: "Yes. Several months back, however, he came to me and asked me... many questions. He spoke to me about Melody at some length, wanting to know more about her informally... and then he made a very odd request. He wanted to buy this from me."

Job turned and fumbled through his pile of texts, and then he produced a black, dragon-scale bound book. Zerrex began to reach for it, and the Naganatine winced, yanking it quickly away and almost cradling it... and then he sighed a little, holding the book grumpily out. The Drakkaren took it, and Job muttered: "God wrote that. It's filled with his thoughts and musings... I had a second book like it once, but it went missing. There are only twenty or so in existence... and every book is different, and was given to a different person. Odin, Thanatos, and others all received copies... friends of Lord God. The true Lord God..."

Job looked down quietly for a few moments, and Zerrex nodded slowly before he held the book back, and the Naganatine looked relieved as he took it and carefully put it back on his desk. "I know that I may seem sometimes like my interests are not where they should be... but I truly am interested in seeing Heaven prosper, and God's visions brought forth. I am interested in peace and prosperity... but I understand that sometimes my biases may get the better of me. I am not God, after all... and I think sometimes that it was not truly your father, Narrius, that killed him, it was mortals, who sapped his strength with their constant begging and pleading, and who distracted him from the real evils, who... threw so many of his gifts back in his face." Job halted, then he looked at Zerrex, studying him slowly. "I think I often begrudge you so greatly because you are Narrius's son. I know it's not fair."

Zerrex glanced up with surprise at the admission, but then Job simply shook his head and said dryly: "In any event. I refused to part with the book and he grew very angry. Then he became desperate, saying that he was collecting artifacts. He was... speaking of visions and metaphors, and premonitions of the future." Job shook his head distastefully. "As you are likely well aware, however, St. Luther is in charge of the Purification vats and dealing with... certain problematic people. What you may not be aware of, however, is that some angels like to sample the Purification every now and then, because it creates numbness and a feeling of strength, particularly when mixed with certain amounts of corruption. I became aware that St. Luther was importing concentrated barrels of corruption from Hell more than a decade ago, although he claimed it was for 'research purposes...' but it seems that over the years, he may have done some sampling himself. He may have even become addicted to it..."

"And it drove him insane. Insane enough to give an angel religious visions." Zerrex muttered, grabbing at his head and grimacing in disgust. "I don't know if this just got better or worse. Looks like I should go have a little talk with Luther..."

"I am glad to give you information, Zerrex, but I will not approve of you assaulting members of the Heavenly Council... if our assumptions are incorrect, it could do grievous damage to our reputations and the standing of the Council as a whole in Heaven." Job said firmly, and when the lizard shot him a sour look, the Naganatine snorted in distaste. "I am not going to simply sit idly back, either, however, do not worry about that. I shall address the issue in Council in the next ten hours."

"What if he doesn't show up?" Zerrex asked flatly, and Job grumbled a bit to himself before the reptile added mildly: "Furthermore, if it is him and you call him on it in front of a whole bunch of people, he could go completely loony-tunes and you could end up with a whole lot of dead council members on your hands, yourself included in the body count. Are you willing to risk that happening?"

"I am, yes... but what do you propose then, to avoid the unnecessary deaths either of our actions would cause?" Job asked dryly, and Zerrex looked down thoughtfully before the Naganatine suggested slowly: "It is within my rights to summon him to a private meeting at the Senate Building... I could do it within the hour, and if he failed to appear or even respond, then it would become clear he is obviously trying to hide something."

"I like this. But I'm going to come with you." Zerrex said mildly, and the Naganatine looked distasteful at this before the Drakkaren tilted his head forwards, crossing his arms. "Look, it's for your own damn good. If I'm with you and he shows up, he'll spill the beans about what's going on a lot faster. Furthermore, if he tries to attack us, his attention will probably focus on me. Apart from the God thing, he seems fixated on punishing me."

"I can understand that urge well enough. Very well then." the Naganatine muttered and nodded after a moment, looking distastefully over at the Drakkaren, and Zerrex smiled slightly as he punched his right fist into his hand before Job sighed as he stood up, shaking his head slowly. "I suppose next you'll want to inform the Archangels so Lucifer can interfere some more."

"Oh stop it, Lucifer is good for Heaven and you know it." Zerrex muttered, and the Naganatine grumbled before he gestured irritably at the male to follow as he stormed through the shelves of books. The lizard smiled slightly at this, then he slipped his hands into his pockets as he trailed behind the Naganatine, making a bit of a face at the way a team of Paladins fell into step around them as they made their way through the halls of the huge castle. "We should probably lose the attack team at some point. Just a suggestion."

"They are not an attack team and we can 'lose' them after we reach the Senate Building. I do not wish to travel around undefended, particularly while I have a trouble-magnet like you at my heels." Job grumbled under his breath, and Zerrex rolled his eyes at this as they headed down a wide, curving flight of steps, the Naganatine adding irritably: "If I had the resources, I would prefer Holy Dervishes to be guarding us. Yet we seem to have a shortage of them in Heaven at this point in time... although I do not recall where they could have been ordered to go or on who's authority."

"Yeah, apparently Lord God has a few of them up his sleeve, too. Personally, that bothers me almost as much as the fact he has Strange Beasts working for him... if Luther is this Lord God, he must be a calculating bastard." Zerrex muttered, and Job shook his head a bit, looking distasteful at this thought as well. "So how does that even work, anyway? What are they, holy mercenaries?"

"I dislike the analogy but it is sadly accurate, despite what you infer through it." Job said irritably, and the Drakkaren looked up curiously at this statement, the Naganatine shrugging slowly. "Heavenly Dervishes can only be summoned and controlled by those of high rank and great power in Heaven, although some people have been known to illegally create them as well through purification pools and what is essentially psychic torture, instead of emotional hardening as true Dervishes go through, to make them loyal and incorruptible. There's a difference."

Big difference, I'm sure. Semantic line, is more like it. Zerrex thought moodily, but he only nodded, and Job looked back at him before he faced forwards again, obviously enjoying the sound of his own voice as he continued: "As there are so few Dervishes available in Heaven, they serve on the basis of contractual obligation to whoever purchases the 'rights' to their 'ownership' for a period of time. They can be recalled under Heavenly Law to aid in any and all war efforts as required, but otherwise serve as elite guards and escorts to those who can afford them for such-and-such a period, as was determined at the point-of-purchase. Only certain people can 'rent' their time but it still serves as an excellent way for Heaven to make extra money on otherwise unused military force."

Zerrex grunted at this, and Job looked irritably over his shoulder before the Drakkaren asked slowly: "But wait. So they're totally loyal to the buyer, right? What if he orders them to attack so-and-so?"

"The Dervish will report the violation to one of their superiors, one of Heaven's High Generals, who they serve without question. It is the Generals who manage the funds gained through renting out the Dervish forces and it is the Generals who give the key order 'you will serve so-and-so for a period of this long' to the Dervishes in the first place." the Naganatine replied calmly. "It's an efficient system of business. The Dervishes, furthermore, are taught only to serve certain orders, to disregard others, and to report serious code violations. They often act to police the very people who hire them, meaning they are doubly-efficient considering their intended purpose."

The thought of this made the reptile feel a little sick to his stomach, but he kept this to himself as they headed down another corridor, the Drakkaren finally recognizing that they were heading back towards the courtyard as they walked quickly down another flight of steps, and the reptile grimaced as his right leg gave a pang, rubbing at it absently. He figured he'd gotten off lucky, however, considering how often it had used to hurt, and how much of a beating he was getting lately... both literally and metaphorically, as he sighed a bit and then glowered at Job when the Naganatine shot him yet another grouchy look. "You know, you could cheer up. We're actually well on our way to solving a mystery that's been looming over both our heads and threatening to end both our lives, not to mention the lives of countless others."

Job only looked ahead with a mutter as they strode down the hall, Paladins pushing open the double doors for him so they didn't even have to slow down, and the reptile grimaced a bit as they walked into the courtyard, where angels were flitting nervously around as they looked at the dried bloodstain where Epoch's corpse had been, and guards and knights patrolled incessantly, several even flying slowly through the skies above with crossbows at the ready. Zerrex glanced up at this, and then almost plowed into the back of a Paladin, skidding to a halt before he jumped to the side... and realized that Job had halted beside the bloodstain, looking quietly down at the bloodstained puddle before he shook his head slowly and said softly: "I wish it hadn't ended like this. Perhaps that is only memory speaking, but... even if Epoch and I were arguing those last few minutes, he was still my brother. As I suppose... Sin, even Anathema, are still my sisters."

He looked away at this with a grimace, rubbing at his face with distaste, and Zerrex leaned forwards a bit, saying quietly: "I don't... like to butt into this kind of stuff, but you do know it ain't too late to actually... talk things out with them, right? That they still look at you as a brother, and Warden too... you were the Naganatine, and you... still are. You'll always be those twenty kids of Naganis."

The air reverberated quietly around them, and Job closed his eyes tightly before he shook his head and muttered: "It is too late. Come, we're wasting time."

Job stalked ahead, the Paladins falling into formation around him, and Zerrex shrugged a bit before he slipped his hands into his pockets, following quietly behind the Naganatine as Job walked with his head lowered and his arms held stiffly at his sides. He tried to think of something to say to break the tension as they walked quietly and quickly across the bridge towards the platform, and the angelic knights on duty snapped to attention as Job approached, although the reptile could sense their surprise as Zerrex followed leisurely up the steps behind the male, the Chancellor snapping over his shoulder as he held a hand up: "Come on now, we don't have all day to dillydally!"

"Keep your... robes on." Zerrex retorted lamely, as a white portal flashed open in front of Job, and the Naganatine sighed in distaste before he stomped through this, and the Drakkaren grumbled, following quickly afterwards and stepping out in front of the Senate Building. He grimaced at the sight of it, and Job hesitated for a moment as Paladins filtered out of the portal behind them and formed an honor guard around the two, before the Drakkaren said quietly: "You should lower security around here a little bit. If he is Lord God... I highly doubt he's going to risk showing up if there's about ten platoons of angels crawling all over the place."

"This is the standard amount of security for the Council during times of high alert, a lack of guards would be far more suspicious." Job argued as they walked towards the steps leading up into the domed amphitheater, and when Zerrex grumbled, the Naganatine sighed and grabbed at his forehead in frustration before he glanced to the side and muttered to a Paladin: "You and the rest of my honor guard may stand down. I do not require a security presence inside the Senate."

The Paladin nodded slowly and silently, stepping backwards and saluting as the other soldiers did the same, and the Drakkaren admittedly felt a little more than creeped out as he followed Job up the stairs, past two angelic knights that glared at him moodily, and into the huge amphitheatre itself. The reptile couldn't help but glance over the seats, shivering a bit at how strange it seemed empty... and Job, meanwhile, walked towards the front of the circular area, muttering to himself before he flicked his wrist with a wince, and a wide stone altar-like table rose slowly upwards from the ground.

He walked around to the other side of this, brushing the surface off absently before yanking the top of it upwards, reminding Zerrex of a coffin and making him shudder a bit... but when Job shoved it forwards with a grunt, the 'lid' half-fell and snapped into place, forming a wide lip and doubling the table space. The Naganatine rubbed his hands over the marble stone surface, and then he sighed a bit as he picked quietly an engraving in Enochian runes before shaking his head slowly and muttering: "I'll call him now. He should arrive shortly."

Job closed his eyes as he crossed his arms over the table's surface, leaning his head forwards as if to pray... and the reptile felt distinctly unsettled by this before he asked hesitantly, when one of Job's eyes opened and he looked at him grouchily: "Should I... hide or something?"

"I do not see why. If he turns and runs from the sight of you, it only proves his guilt." Job replied mildly, and then he grumbled a bit as he straightened and leaned over the wide, square table, muttering distastefully: "Why did you, of all people, have to show up..."

"You can just eat me. Besides, I've got people waiting back in Acheron." Zerrex muttered, and Job snorted in distaste before the reptile rolled his eyes and said moodily: "You know, maybe I should leave. Maybe I should go and just let Luther skin you alive."

Job winced at this thought, leaning back and raising his hands... and then energy sparked between the pillars, and Zerrex snarled as a klaxon blared before terrible fields of purple and dark blue sparked to life between the pillars surrounding the Senate Building as soldiers looked up in shock, one of them stupidly trying to jump inside at the last moment before the energy field sparked to life just as he began to pass between the pillars, and he screamed in agony as he was sliced in half in a spray of gore and electricity before bursting into dark flames that rapidly ate away the corpse and even his armor, leaving only ashes behind. Zerrex winced backwards at this, then he looked up in shock as a Gateway ripped open in front of them, and four terrible quadrupeds ripped through the rift, their naked musculature bulging and flexing along their thick limbs as twin, whip-like tails snapped. One of them had three tails, and three of the monsters possessed four eyes in their wolf-like face as they hissed and roared, forming a ready line and clawing eagerly against the ground: Phase Hounds, which Zerrex admittedly had not been expecting.

They were followed by a fifth figure in a heavy cloak, which stood tall and silent, its sleeves hanging loosely at its sides as the Gateway closed behind it... and then it simply tilted its head slowly, and Zerrex cursed under his breath as Job yelled in terror: "Oh no, it's back!"

"No, it's a different one, the size and shape of it..." And it's not giggling insanely or already trying to kill us... "What the hell are you, what do you want?"

"Orders: terminate Zerrex Narrius and all who oppose Lord God. Proceeding to engage... initiate combat, first stage. Attack." a lifeless female voice spoke beneath the hood, and Zerrex cursed before the Strange Beasts howled in broken synchronization before they all charged eagerly towards him, and the reptile winced as one of them blinked out of existence before reappearing in mid-lunge at his face.

The reptile leapt backwards, cursing as his lower back struck the lip of the desk, and then he swung a foot out when one of the monsters lunged at his leg, smashing it across the skull with one of its feet and making it yelp as it was sent plowing into another of the dog-like monsters, as another leapt up onto the desk to pounce towards his face. The reptile dove out of the way of this, however, hitting the ground in a dive and rolling before he spun sharply around...but the three Strange Beasts only clawed against the desk and floor towards him, completely ignoring Job as the Naganatine hid behind the table with his hands over his head, and the Drakkaren cursed under his breath before- oh hell, where's the fourth?

Jaws locked onto his tail and yanked him backwards, and the reptile cursed in pain as he staggered before two of the charging beasts blinked of existence and reappeared on either side of him, leaping towards his sides... and the Drakkaren snarled as he leapt backwards, hooking a foot blindly upwards and rewarded with a yelp of pain as his heel collided with something, both his hands lashing out and seizing the Strange Beasts by the scruffs of their neck as they writhed in midair as the last lunged at his face... and the Drakkaren clapped the Phase Hound in either hand hard against the sides of the third lunging beast, making them all squeal and claw at each other as pinkish lightning sparked violently over their bodies before Zerrex released them and held his hands up with a snarl of concentration.

A sphere of energy appeared around the three huge canines, forcing them to curl and crush awkwardly against each other before the reptile vaulted over this as he heard a snarl behind him, and the last Phase Hound just missed nipping his feet, instead smashing face-first into the sphere and bouncing off with a yelp before Zerrex slammed his hands against the blue energy, and it rippled violently before becoming a solid silver orb, pinkish electricity sparking along this as the Phase Hounds inside screamed and clawed and bucked at each other before the reptile slapped his palm against the surface of it, and dimples appeared throughout the metal as spikes ripped through the interior, the reptile wincing at the sick sounds of flesh being torn and the screams of agony from the Strange Beasts.

Then, as the electricity began to build to a feverish pitch, the reptile stepped forwards and booted the metallic sphere hard, the stunned Phase Hound still outside it looking stupidly up for a moment before the boulder of metal collided with it, crushing it under the power it was launched with before it simply exploded in a blast of neon electricity, Zerrex staggering backwards with a curse of pain as steel shrapnel ripped by him and pinkish lightning sparked at his body, but the Phase Hounds were annihilated entirely, the field of energy surrounding the Senate Building rippling violently as the alien electricity surged through it.

Zerrex breathed hard, staggering backwards and grasping at his stomach... and then he turned with a snarl towards the cloaked figure, but it was still only docilely standing as the last of the energies rippled and twisted through the air, burnt and broken metal clattering to the ground. The Drakkaren grimaced for a moment... and then he gritted his teeth and set himself as the cloaked figure said tonelessly: "Initial attack phase has failed: commencing second stage of attack."

The figure shrugged slowly, and the cloak fluttered down off it, hood and all... and Zerrex's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the creature beneath. Hooves at the ends of long, powerful unguligrade legs glinted savagely in the light, and strong muscles flexed in its lower limbs: it was naked and genderless, as the others had been, but its torso was feminine in shape, with small protrusions covered in surgical scars that might have once been breasts. It had a long, enormous tail that cured behind it, ending in a deadly, savage hook of metal, and it had shoulders but no arms, not even nubs to show that it had ever possessed upper limbs in the first place.

Immense, ivory wings unfurled behind it, gleaming and metallic, and these flapped once as it lowered its head: its eyes were made of stone, and it was undoubtedly blind, with surgical scars covering features that were vaguely Naganatine and a single enormous horn twisting up out of one side of its skull, the other thin and effeminate. Thick cables stood out of the back of its head and along its neck, and its body seemed to pulse faintly as it murmured emotionlessly: "Battle analysis has yielded thirteen possible strategies to engage the opponent. Proceeding to aerial assault mode."

Electricity shocked over its wings as there was a rumble of machinery gearing up, and then it slowly lifted into the air as a booster system attached to the creature's back activated, two sets of powerful cold thrusters lifting it slowly into the air as its wings flapped slowly as Zerrex cursed, then flexed his right arm as the scales peeled away and it became metallic, elegant plates gleaming before the three foot blade shot out of his wrist as the reptile shouted: "Job, I could use a little help here!"

"This is impossible! No one but the Archangels and myself can lock down the Senate Building or bypass the alert systems, this is impossible!" Job yelled miserably, and Zerrex rolled his eyes before he winced as he felt static building, his instincts screaming at him before the Drakkaren lunged out of the way, and lightning sparked violently in the area where the reptile had been standing only a moment before, a pillar of electricity arcing and writhing back and forth as the lizard cursed in shock.

The floating figure traced him with its dull stone eyes, following his movements somehow, and Zerrex snarled before he ran forwards... then skidded to a halt with a curse as a spherical network of red lasers flashed into existence around the hovering being: it was more than large enough to give complete defense to the hovering, ten foot tall female and allow her wide, thick wings to still flap occasionally, as she said tonelessly: "Defense procedures engaged. Physical attacks nullified. Reengaging opponent..."

Zerrex snarled as he felt static building in the air... and this time he thrusted his metallic arm straight upwards, and several powerful blasts of electricity that issued forth from thin air were drawn to it like it was a lightning rod, the reptile cursing in pain as he clenched his eyes shut before he snapped his other hand upwards, forcing the blasts of lightning to travel in a circuit through his body and flinging a blade of electrical force towards the floating opponent, and the crescent of lightning passed through the laser field and slammed into the creature's chest, knocking the female backwards with a mechanical howl of pain as the network of lasers immediately flickered out of existence before it fell from midair and crashed down to the ground, landing on its knees with its wings sizzling violently, stunned.

Zerrex immediately charged forwards and punted the creature hard under the muzzle, its head snapping backwards as it gave a grunt before he slammed a thrust kick into the underside of its jaws, knocking it flying onto its back before he dove forwards and stabbed his blade fiercely down through its stomach as he scrambled overtop it to drop his weight in a straddle over its waist, the female howling in pain that sounded strange and synthetic before the reptile tore the sword back and stabbed viciously down into its chest again, between the scarred lumps that had once been breasts, and then the female's head lashed up and a blast of psychic force smashed into the Drakkaren, sending him flying backwards to crash onto his back and skid several more feet along the floor with a curse, half-rolling and scrambling quickly up to a standing position with a grimace as he grabbed at his head and the female stood slowly up.

Light-colored, watery blood spilled down her front, mixed with a clear, foul-smelling fluid... and then the female lowered her head forwards slightly as she said calmly: "Organic damage minimal. Repair procedures have commenced. System performance is still within optimal parameters. Recalibrating attack strategy... switching to melee engagement to acquire further combat detail."

The female lowered itself slightly forwards, its wings flapping once before they folded themselves rapidly down into her back, and her hooves ground against the ground as her strong muscles flexed and electricity sparked over her frame... and then she broke into a sudden sprint, and the reptile had only enough time to stare dumbly before she leapt up and slammed a hoof into his chest, sending the reptile flying backwards to crash into a pillar with enough force to send cracks along the length of it, his back arching with a howl of pain before she was there in front of him again, her hoof slamming into his throat and making his eyes bulge before it slammed back and forth across his face, blood and teeth bursting from his muzzle as he was sent staggering sideways, and then a knee smashed into his chest.

He bent forwards, gagging, and the female revolved her leg around him, raising it so it was bent at a ninety degree angle... and then, just as the Drakkaren began to recover, she slammed it down in a savage dropping axe heel that smashed directly into his spine, the attack bridging into a fierce stomp that made Zerrex scream in agony as he felt his lower vertebrae snapping like twigs as her hoof twisted slowly back and forth, the female droning soullessly: "Severe damage has been done to opponent. Preparing termination sequence."

She stepped backwards, then leaned back slightly as she twisted her body sideways, raising her hoof... and Zerrex snarled before he shoved himself into a sideways roll just as she kick-stomped viciously downwards, her hoof sinking through the marble floor like it was water and lodging more than a foot deep into the stony ground, cracks ripping through the floor around them. Then the lizard drew his metallic arm back with a hiss of pain as his hand transformed into a wide, deadly axe blade, before he forced himself to roll back towards her as he lashed out with a wild yell despite the agony tearing through his system.

The female screamed in pain as the dead axe chopped savagely through her shin, spilling backwards and stomping down on the stump before she collapsed onto her back, her other hoof jittering as blood spurted from her severed shin, jittering violently on the ground as the Drakkaren shoved himself backwards, his arm returning to normal as he rolled onto his back and wheezed in agony... and then he grunted as his gauntlet hand scraped against the ground, feeling the bones in his back snapping and locking into place and healing, slowly staggering up to his feet as the female began to sit up... and Zerrex stepped forwards with a snarl and booted her hard in the chest, punting her across the room to crash into a flight of steps leading up into the seats of the amphitheater, the female bouncing off these and crashing onto her knees as she breathed hard.

Then, slowly, she placed her stump against the ground and uneasily shoved herself up to her remaining hoof as her wings spread and flapped, the cold thrusters on her back hissing into life and steadying her, lifting her roughly a foot off the ground as she said emotionlessly, static crackling through her voice: "Warning. Mobility has been impeded. Switching to Aerial mode. Warning. Systems compromised. Organic shell compromised. Defensive procedures initializing..."

The network of red lasers appeared around the female again... but this time, a sparking, semi-translucent shell began to glow around her body as well, the recombinant hovering in the air as Zerrex breathed hard but didn't bother to attack quite yet, snarling and listening closely to the female's words: furthermore, the short breaks were letting his damaged body heal some as he culled energy from the atmosphere around him, flexing his feet against the ground as he felt his major wounds fading slowly. "Analyzing combat data. Reevaluating strategy... complete. Verifying data... done. Initializing system override..."

Zerrex frowned at this, readying himself... and the female slowly drew her legs up in front of herself as she bowed her head, electricity sparking violently over her body before she straightened, her long tail curling back and forth around herself before the network of lasers around her glowing body began to flicker weakly in and out. "Warning: power overrides now in place. Defensive protocols may become unstable due to redistribution of energy to enhance offensive parameters. Preparing to engage..."

Then one of the female's stone eyes exploded, blood and clear fluid dripping out of the socket as terrible, ghastly white light shone out of it, and Zerrex winced backwards before the female leaned forwards and roared, and the Drakkaren cursed as he rapidly stepped away from the creature in shock as massive arcs and bolts of lightning blasted down around him, hammering into the ground and sending up chunks of stone as the lizard leapt back and forth, zigzagging out of the way as best he could.

Then his eyes widened as­ the female's jaws gaped open, electricity sparking over her muzzle as white and blue motes of energy were inhaled into her jaws before her head snapped forwards, a beam of deadly light erupting from her maw and tracing like a laser towards the Drakkaren, Zerrex gaping in horror at this as it rapidly tore a trench through the ground towards him before he leapt out of the way and then dove forwards, the laser snapping over him before the lizard created a sphere of energy in his hand and leapt to his feet, throwing it hard in response as the beam ended.

The sphere passed through the laser grid, but then bounced uselessly off the glowing body of the female, only making her flinch backwards slightly as if he had thrown a rock at her. The orb of blue energy exploded uselessly in the air, and Zerrex cursed before he dodged backwards as lightning blasted wildly down around her again, arcing back and forth over the marble stone as the lizard cursed under his breath before a streak of lightning shot straight down into him, knocking him flying backwards and charring his scales with a howl of pain as he skidded over the ground.

Then the female dropped like a stone, slamming her single hoof hard into the floor, and a shockwave rippled through the marble, battering Zerrex backwards into a kneel before spikes of rock and metal jutted violently up over the floor in every direction, the lizard's eyes widening before he leapt upwards and created a platform of energy beneath his feet just as several deadly blades of earth ripped out of the ground where he had been a moment before. He snarled, then his eyes widened in horror as the laser network died out around the female, but electricity and almost-visible wind swirled around her, gathering closer to her glowing body before she roared, and it erupted from her in a powerful shockwave that tore the rock and metal blades upwards from the ground, sending chunks of stone and steel flying in all directions as Zerrex threw his hands up and created a sapphire wall of energy in front of himself.

Massive chunks of debris smashed against the curved wall with hurricane force, sending cracks through it before a particularly-large cone of rock finally shattered through the barrier of energy, smashing into the Drakkaren and sending him crashing to the scarred floor below as stone and metal flew past him, smashing against pillars, hitting against the ceilings and turning into a rain of gravel, striking the walls of energy... and then the female's jaws gaped open wide as energy once more was inhaled into her maw before she unleashed another beam of energy that ripped over the ground towards the reptile, Zerrex looking up too little, too late, before the beam tore into his shoulder and sent him smashing backwards with a howl of agony, rolling several times to crash into a damaged pillar.

He cursed, smoke boiling up from his body as the female leapt forwards, her wings flapping several times as the network of lasers burned around her, body glowing, before she crashed down onto her hoof only a few feet away, the lasers hissing as they burnt into the ground before the crisscrossing defensive field flickered out of existence and her body simply ceased to glow, and the female stared at him blankly with her stone eye and the glowing white light that shone out of her other socket, wobbling back and forth on one leg before she fell to her knees.

Zerrex stared in shock, his own body smoldering and agonized, blood dripping from the thick, deep-burned wound in his shoulder... and then the light in the female's empty socket flickered slowly out before she simply fell forwards on her face, the cold thrusters on her back stuttering out of existence as blood splattered out of the broken socket, and the Drakkaren stared stupidly at her body as steam slowly hissed up from her damaged form.

He reached hesitantly forwards, touching her warm corpse... and then he drew his hands back in shock with a curse: she was almost boiling-hot to the touch, and as he stared at her, smoke floated quietly up from her empty, lifeless socket before he realized weakly what had happened. She was like a computer that had gone haywire... and overriding her own protocols and procedures had caused her to literally crash and burn.

Job hesitantly peered up as Zerrex continued to sit stupidly back against the broken pillar... and strangely, he didn't feel lucky, as he breathed hard and looked silently down at the female's corpse. She had almost beaten him... likely could have killed him... if she hadn't burnt out at the last second. He had survived not on wits, not on strength, but on a stupid stroke of luck... and the reptile closed his eyes and lowered his head forwards before he grunted and quietly began to pick himself up... then looked up as Job approached, staring down at the creature on the ground before he snarled and booted it hard in the side, shouting: "Filthy monster!"

"Enough." Zerrex said coldly, and Job flinched at his tone before the reptile dropped to a kneel beside the female, carefully rolling her cooling corpse over and examining it slowly. He couldn't feel any energy whatsoever emanating from her body... and he grimaced a bit before he carefully picked the corpse up, her legs hanging limply and blood and clear fluid still dripping from the stump as the reptile looked across at Job quietly: "I'm going to take her for examination on the mortal world. I think it's pretty clear now who our enemy is... do you know where Luther is?"

"You can't, she... I..." Job quailed slowly under Zerrex's snarl, and then he looked anxiously back and forth as he realized that he was still trapped inside the Senate Building, alone, with a large, bloody, and very-angry Drakkaren who not only felt cheated of his prize... but felt somehow like he'd cheated in the battle. Like he didn't deserve victory against this creature... this mechanical weapon that was less a monster than the others had been, for all her strange and synthetic qualities. "I... I'll have a m-messenger sent to Elysium as soon as possible to... to tell you where he is, h-h-how about that? I'm sure he mustn't be in Heaven, after all... if he's not in Heaven, he can be your problem, I... I don't want to be involved this anymore!"

"You don't have a choice, Job, we're all involved because we're all targets." Zerrex said quietly, and then he shook his head slowly before intoning dryly: "Thanks for the help, though. Good luck in getting out of here."

And with that, the Drakkaren closed his eyes and concentrated before he vanished from the spot with the corpse, reappearing a moment later in Hez'Ranna, outside the Sunshine Labs building... and immediately, the Dragokkaren guards on either side of the door ran up to him, dropping their weapons as one grasped his shoulder and the other examined his wounds and the dead body, asking sharply: "Are you alright, Lord Zerrex?"

"As well as ever. I need this body examined, it's another recombinant... I'm going to go ahead and take it to the labs. Send out a message to Huck if he's still at the Centrifuge... is Mengele working today at the labs?"

"Yes sir!" one of the Dragokkaren saluted, and the Drakkaren nodded before the guards looked at each other, and then the Dragokkaren that had spoken quickly added: "I'll escort you there immediately."

The reptile smiled a little, appreciating the sentiment: it would speed things up, at least, and fewer people would run up to him asking why he was covered in blood and holding a corpse. He allowed the Dragokkaren to take the lead, following behind it as he looked down meditatively, half-cradling the broken body of the weapon against him... and as he studied her silently, he thought the expression upon her features wasn't entirely without emotion... he thought he saw the vestiges of utter terror written over this weapon's face.

They made their way through the facility to a genetics laboratory where White was lounging and watching Mengele tinker... and the moment the dire wolf - clothed only in a ripped pair of jeans and a tattered lab coat - saw the corpse the reptile was holding, he cackled with glee and turned towards a lab table, sweeping his arms across it and knocking beakers and bottles and expensive science equipment flying and shattering on the ground, the hiss of acid and a fetid stink rising up as chemicals bubbled and mixed into toxic puddles on the cement, the dire wolf exclaiming: "Put it down, put it down!"

"Treat her nicely, Mengele, I have... respect for this one." Zerrex said quietly, and Mengele glowered at him as the Dragokkaren guard lingered anxiously by the doorway before the Drakkaren glanced to him and rose a hand, and the guard smiled a bit before he left, returning to his post. Then Zerrex's eyes roved back to the scientist, and the shaggy-furred lupine sighed in exasperation before he finally grumbled what sounded like half-curse, half-promise, and the lizard smiled a little as he reached up and patted him on the shoulder. "Thank you."

"Fuck off and let me work." Mengele muttered, and Zerrex rolled his eyes before he glanced at another lab table behind him filled with more beakers and instruments, examining the bubbling chemicals absently as the wolf began to dig around in drawers beneath the table for a surgical kit, the wolf saying moodily: "Respect, for one of these monsters. They're less deserving of respect than some of the creatures I made under Narrius's orders... they're just like the Empty Ones, soulless vessels that only mimic emotions. They do not understand or deserve 'respect.'"

"Neither do you and yet here we are." Zerrex muttered, and Mengele threw his head back and laughed at this before he snatched a scalpel and a set of tongs out of a drawer, then slammed it with his hip before he began to cut quickly but expertly into the creature... although the surgical scars that already marred its body likely made for an easier time of knowing where to make incisions.

Then the reptile glanced towards White, letting the dire wolf work as he approached and rubbed at his bloody chest, feeling his wounds slowly beginning to restore themselves as the badger eyed him for a moment beneath the brim of his hat, and he said quietly: "Is it just 'cause she gave you a nasty beating that you've gotten a little battle-fond of this one? Or is it something else, Zerrex?"

"Jupiter gave me a nastier beating and I never liked him." Zerrex said mildly, and White only cocked his head slightly, the Drakkaren raising his hands and clearing his throat. "Sorry, getting struck by lightning and fried by lasers makes me into a jerk. But no... she was... she was mechanical, but she wasn't insane. She fought past her limits and... she killed herself trying to kill me."

"So you're calling her a robot with honor." White said mildly, and Mengele laughed loudly at this, drawing their attention before the badger asked calmly: "Do you know what goes on in the mind of a machine?"

"Machines don't have minds, they have circuits, and the only people they're smarter than is people like Huckleberry." Mengele retorted, and then he grinned slightly as he shoved his hands into the wound he'd opened in the creature's stomach, slowly pulling out a swollen, blackened heart-organ. "Yes, yes, here we are. I see electrical burns and heat damage and... say, Zerrex, have I ever told you why these are so important?"

Mengele turned with a delighted look on his face towards the Drakkaren as he held up the damaged and burnt organ, the wiring and small metal prongs sticking out of it rattling, and Zerrex grimaced in disgust before he said flatly: "It's the engine to the car, as you keep saying?"

"Oh, but it's so much more than that, too, we've found out..." Mengele grinned, and the Drakkaren didn't like that look on his face at all or what it likely implied. And he thinks I'm weird for respecting someone who laid a beat-down on me without psychopathic bloodlust. He's the one who gets the giggles every time we discover a new reason why these things can be called 'monsters.' "You see, I realized there was a flaw in my analysis. After all, a car can't run without its engine... but in some ways, to an organic being, the mind is even more important. Without a brain, the body can't function... but they figured out a way to bypass that little problem, as well as how to get the brain and organic systems of a body that may shut down with the removal of the engine back up and running.

"You see, these heart-bugs are sentient creatures in their own right, with very simple programming and their own DNA helixes..." Mengele squished the organ between his hands, and it gave a sludgy sound as Zerrex winced a bit. "That, despite how similar they look, are often very different, likely designed so that they will evolve and alter the recombinant they combine with... but most fascinating of all, they are stuffed with nanites! Yes, tiny little nanomachines... and the moment the heart locks itself in place, these nanites go about the business of locking together the organ's arteries and veins and wiring with the other inner workings of the recombinant's body, and flood through its system, releasing electrical impulses to revive the nerves and excite the muscles and stimulate the internal systems as they repair the damages they come across and force a reboot in the brains of the creatures... absolutely fascinating! Stupendous, really... and it shows that these organic beasts truly are next to invulnerable."

He patted the female lightly, smiling down at her almost benevolently as Zerrex gave a bit of a shudder, before Mengele carelessly tossed the burnt organ into a nearby sink as he turned back towards the recombinant, saying mildly: "But you said this one was different, yes? Mechanical, how so mechanical? And why is there a rock in place of an eyeball, that makes no sense whatsoever... unless..."

He mused thoughtfully as he carefully began to pry the stone free, and Zerrex shuddered a bit even as he forced himself to walk forwards, leaning at the end of the table and opening his mouth... then wincing backwards with the stone popped free with a sickening squelch, a bit of blood and clear fluid dribbling out of the now-empty socket as the reptile gave a bit of a shiver. "Mengele..."

"Oh shut up, I'm being perfectly cautious and respectful." the arctic dire wolf muttered, flipping the stone over... and then he grinned a bit as he found a small hole in the back of the stone before he simply slammed it down against the desk, making Zerrex jump and even White flinch as the orb of stone shattered in his hand. The Drakkaren immediately opened his mouth... and then he stared when Mengele dropped what was now clearly a rock outer shell on the ground, revealing a cracked glass orb beneath that several large wires dangled from. "I'd guess this creature saw in infrared, or possibly detected energy... and I shouldn't have to even point out that it has a genetic base clearly made from the Naganatine. Speaking of which, I heard a rumor that a Naganatine was killed in Heaven... I don't suppose you'd consider asking Heaven to part with the corpse for my research, would you? Of course, I can always autopsy the undead bitch, but it's so much less fun when the corpses fight you every inch of the way..."

"Mengele." Zerrex said in a strangled voice, and the wolf rolled his eyes before he grumbled under his breath as he went back to rooting through the drawers, the reptile grabbing at his forehead with exasperation before he glanced over at White when the badger asked him a silent question with his eyes. "Yeah. It was Epoch... how did you guys hear about it already?"

"News like that travels fast... the Naganatine not only felt when one of their own died, Silven was asked by Lord to send out a message informing everyone of what happened, to try and get everyone on the same boat." White paused meditatively. "To be entirely honest, Lord Zerrex... I think he's trying too hard now to get everyone rallying together. I know Heaven wasn't pleased with our little planned attack against the research facility by ourselves... but then again, Heaven also didn't want to spare any extra troops when Silven asked for assistance on our behalf."

"They always want it both ways." Zerrex muttered... and then Mengele cackled gleefully, and the reptile winced as he slowly looked towards the dire wolf, who was now shining a small flashlight through one of the gaping sockets in the female's face. "What is it?"

"Her mind, her brain... it's much, much different, I can see even from this angle..." Mengele replied eagerly, and then he stabbed his scalpel down into the tabletop, leaving it sticking out of the surface as he rooted through another drawer and produced a small hand-mirror, carefully guiding this into the empty socket as he guided the small flashlight around, continuing: "Synthetic, I can tell because of how uniform and molded it looks, the lack of clear creases and variation... and yes, microchips embedded all throughout it, and damaged computer nodes... we could even get her brain running again!"

Zerrex began to open his mouth... and then he closed it, frowning slowly as Mengele looked up, clearly surprised the reptile wasn't already arguing with him before he said slowly: "But wouldn't she just attack us or fry herself again?"

"Not if we interface with her mind beforehand, change her parameters... perhaps install new optical sensors as well, I do so love a project..." Mengele muttered, looking over her with fascination. "She could answer so many questions for us... and arms, what kind of an idiot built her without digits? Nothing but ugly hooves... dangerous perhaps, but not deadly."

The Drakkaren looked down with a frown... and then he glanced over at White, saying mildly: "Please stop him from screwing around too much with the corpse while I go and clean up, then talk this over with Huck and Priest. I... I need to think about this. But if we can get her mind running..."

"We might be able to pull information about Lord God from it, I understand. Just don't think you can go making friends again, Zerrex. She's a weapon." White said quietly, and Zerrex grumbled a bit before he nodded hesitantly, and the badger nodded back slowly. "You know I've learned to trust your judgment, though."

"Can I at least start work on the optical sensors? Or perhaps prosthetic limbs! Or a new foot... oh, the possibilities of a project, and there's already so many supplies here I can put to use..." Mengele threw his head back and laughed, and then Zerrex grumbled before he finally turned towards the dire wolf and punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of the male with a wheeze as his eyes bulged and he grabbed at his gut, wincing... but finally calming down as he glared angrily up at the lizard. "Fucking bastard. You never were able to see the bigger picture."

"Oh says you, speciesist." Zerrex grumbled, and then he rubbed slowly at his forehead before saying finally: "Build whatever you want, attach stuff to her, but... don't screw with her brain or try and turn her on until I say so, understood?"

Mengele muttered but nodded resentfully, and Zerrex nodded back, patting him on the shoulder before he turned and headed out into the hall. He rubbed slowly at his arm once there, then flexed his fingers quietly as he realized the scales had grown back over it spottily, leaving much of his gauntlet hand and metal plates beneath revealed... and the lizard smiled after a moment before he flexed his right hand slowly, and the metallic limb shrank a bit further as scales spread slowly along it, the reptile muttering: "There we go. That's a start."

The lizard made his way carefully down the corridor, glancing back and forth before he found a bathroom, and he let himself inside with a grimace before approaching the sink. He ran some water in the basin as he wrinkled his muzzle a bit, looking at himself in the mirror for only a moment, then glancing quickly away: he hated mirrors, and he hated his reflection, always worried about what he'd see when he looked himself in the eye... always wondering quietly if he'd see either Negative or his father's reflection gazing back at him.

He splashed some of the warm water over his face, feeling it spilling along his scales before he scrubbed vigorously at his features with his palms, then shook his head quickly. He turned the tap off after a moment, before muttering a cleansing spell as he touched his own chest, and the bloodstains and water droplets vanished from his body as his hair fluttered backwards, before the reptile smiled a little as he glanced up at himself in the mirror, unable to resist studying himself for a moment before quickly looking away when his reflection grinned at him, a grimace spreading over the Drakkaren's features as he closed his eyes tightly.

He walked quickly away from the sinks, muttering an apology when he almost bumped into a Dragokkaren pushing through the doorway, and he slipped past before pausing in the hallway and letting out a loud sigh of relief. Then he shook his head and smiled a bit before reaching up and silently touching the mala jangling around his neck, murmuring despite the nibbling worries in his mind: "Look, we're almost there. Figuring out the answers, even Job is working to help now, and we just need to track down Luther to get to the bottom of this mess."

"Excuse me?" asked a passing Dragokkaren curiously, and Zerrex looked at him lamely before he grinned embarrassedly and mumbled an apology, and then the reptile quickly turned and jogged back down the corridor, a blush tingeing his features. He made his way back past the genetics lab and allowed his feet to guide him towards the building's lobby, calming as he went even though anxieties still played through his mind.

The reptile emerged into the main hall and glanced back and forth... before the doors were flung open at the front and Huck charged in, looking wildly around the area as people in suits and uniforms stared, Cindy wincing as she came in behind him before the mechanic grabbed at his head with one hand and pointed at Zerrex with the other, shouting in a frustrated voice: "Are you trying to give me a hernia?"

Zerrex winced and fled back through the doorway he had emerged from, knowing Huck would give chase, and when the Dragokkaren barreled through the doorway - followed a moment later by most of his core family and Priest - the Drakkaren glared at him and crossed his arms even as Huck flailed his limbs and yelled incoherently at him for a moment before snapping: "You can't just march into my facility and allow Mengele to do whatever he pleases!"

"Oh, that's what you're mad about. Wait, who tattled already?" Zerrex frowned a bit at this, and Huck grumbled under his breath before Mengele's voice cackled from the radio clipped to his belt, and the Drakkaren sighed and grabbed at his forehead with a look of frustration. "Of course."

"Yes, of course... and now you want to bring one of those things back to life?" Huck asked sharply, looking frustrated, and he opened his mouth... before Zerrex pushed his finger into the Dragokkaren's nose firmly, and the male cleared his throat as a blush rose in his cheeks, grabbing at his ram's horns before glanced awkwardly over his shoulder and mumbled: "You. You wouldn't beat me in front of your son, right?"

"Dad beats Mom in front of me all the time." Priest said seriously, and Cherry giggled stupidly, then covered her muzzle when Cindy and Zerrex both glared at her before the larger Dragokkaren-demon winced and held up his hands when his father's eyes turned balefully on him. "Just trying to lighten the mood!"

"Besides, everyone knows Cherry's really more your second dad." Huck added glibly, and Zerrex rolled his eyes at the horrible timing of this comment before he simply turned and threw his arms up, motioning for them to follow. Huck wheezed with relief, then winced when Cindy smacked the back of his head as she walked back, her other hand holding Mahihko's as the small wolf looked quizzically around, while Lone and Cherry exchanged awkward looks, then followed after Priest.

They made their way to the genetics lab in tense silence, Zerrex feeling moody and grumbling a bit as he shoved the door open to find Mengele tinkering with a glass eye, several large wires dangling from this as he hummed to himself, a radio beside him... and the reptile shook his head a bit before Huck, Cindy, and Priest gathered around the table, the dire wolf beginning to open his mouth with a grin... but when Cindy glared at him half-threateningly, half-pleadingly, he sighed and then said distastefully: "This is the subject Zerrex returned with, just in case you didn't realize, Huckleberry. She's a fascinating creature... and her mind is relatively undamaged. Her heart was overloaded with energy and electricity and fizzled out... leaving her in fair condition, apart from the missing hoof."

Lone and Mahihko both stared at it, and then Mahihko clung tighter against Cindy as he trembled a little. "It looks like Sin... it's..."

"Yes, it's clearly a Naganatine base, we have already determined that. I'm running a genetic analysis on a blood sample now to determine its actual makeup... but Zerrex, perhaps you can shed further light on the creature by detailing your encounter with it, now that we have someone competent here to help us... and oh, two assistants to hook their pretty toys up to its mind and run some basic programming, I suppose. "Mengele said dismissively, and Huck and Priest both glowered at him furiously as Cherry looked frustrated as well.

"You know, you're gonna make a crack about my son one day when no one's gonna be around to save your ass, and I'm gonna mess you up big." Cherry threatened, cracking her knuckles slowly, and Mengele gave her a cold grin as she snarled a bit before Zerrex patted her quietly on the back, and she calmed moodily as Lone winced away from the female. "You can be a real fucking bastard sometimes."

"It's part of my charm, that's all." Mengele said drolly, and then he glanced towards Zerrex as the reptile looked at him moodily. "Fine, I'll shut up while you tell your story."

With that, Mengele walked over to a small stool sitting near a shelf-covered wall, and he yanked it over before sitting down on it with a grunt, continuing to tinker with the glass eye as the reptile felt all attention turn on him. The Drakkaren made a face at this, rubbing at his scarred features and not feeling exactly in the mood for this... but then he sighed a bit, lowering his head and saying quietly: "First, let me explain what I've figured out about the murderer..."

The Drakkaren grumbled a bit as he sat in a medical chair, Cindy carefully inserting a needle into his left arm and making the reptile wince a little as she depressed the plunger, sending a clear, slightly-sparkling liquid spilling into his veins and making him curse a little under his breath. The reptile hated resorting to these methods, Cindy had told him quietly that he was in need of energy, and with how fast things were moving, a quick needle would be much safer than Zerrex possibly sleeping for the next two to ten hours and waking up to find the world in ruins.

Not that anything was likely to happen... but the Drakkaren could feel the same tenseness in Cindy as he had in his own body, the same instinctual need to train and prepare and be ready for anything and everything, as she pulled the needle free and placed it aside on the table... then smiled a little as she picked up a box of bandages, and Zerrex shook his head, saying quietly: "Come on, don't."

Cindy looked at him for a moment... then she put the box of bandages aside and leaned down to hug him tightly around the neck, and Zerrex almost felt like crying as he reached up and squeezed her forearm fiercely, letting his head bow forwards as she whispered: "This isn't your fault at all, Daddy. Please. Please don't blame yourself."

Zerrex's eyes remained closed as he shook his head silently; after he had explained what he had figured out in the Unworld and then what had happened in Heaven, Zerrex had allowed Cindy, Huck, Mengele, and Priest to do their work in peace. Cherry, he'd sent to Acheron with the wolves, telling them that she could use the company... in reality not wanting any of them to travel alone with the bad vibes he was getting and the growing level of ferocity in attacks.

Albatross had shown up at the base not long afterwards with grim news and Dray and Terrance in tow, the brothers hopping anxiously from foot-to-foot as the blue-scaled Dragokkaren had quietly explained to Zerrex that the Centrifuge had been completely destroyed. Someone had blown it up, likely to stop any further evidence from being gathered inside of it or perhaps at this point, simply out of spite... and several temples all along the coastline of Hez'Ranna had been desecrated and ravaged. Worse yet, Dragokkaren had been found slaughtered, dying, and dead in a crude zigzagging pattern that crawled inwards from the beaches: specifically, they were Dragokkaren who had any visible religious artifacts in the shape or image or worship of the Drakkaren.

Zerrex shook his head in disgust at this: the murderer was growing anxious and desperate, and combined with his anxieties, the reptile was blaming himself heavily for what had happened, feeling guilty and furious, wanting in large part to simply go out into the tundra and scream a challenge to the killer... but knowing by now that if Lord God hated him enough to go after people who used the image of him as a metaphor for part of their belief system, he'd likely only order the murderer purposefully to go wherever Zerrex was not, and would probably send Strange Beasts or minions to keep the reptile busy while the murderer went after more of his friends and family.

Cindy had come to check up on him not long after Albatross left and Zerrex had sent Dray and Terrance to go and help out around the labs, finding him moody and grouchy and low on energy, his strength drained by his rampaging emotions, hating himself all the more for the fact he still childishly hoped that everything was going to work out okay. She had taken him aside to give him this needle... and now here they rested together, and he could clearly feel her pain... and hated himself for causing it, for causing such sorrow, as he sighed a bit and murmured: "I'm... Cindy, I-"

"Don't apologize." Cindy said roughly, and then she leaned back and sighed raggedly, rubbing at her own face slowly and murmuring: "I know this is hard, Daddy, but... you need to stop blaming yourself and holding yourself responsible for everything that's happened. It's not your fault... and the way you think and feel isn't, either. You have good instincts... and deep empathy. It's my favorite quality in you, the... naivety, as you call it. When it rarely really is naivety, because your willingness to give everyone and everything a second chance is so often rewarded..."

She stopped, then hugged herself quietly, smiling faintly down at him as Zerrex looked up at her from the chair, feeling the liquid burning through his veins before she lowered her head a bit and said softly: "Anyway. Come on... the genetic screening should be finished by now, at least, and maybe Huck's finally managed to tap into her brain. With the way Mengele and Priest were working, they might even have her eyes finished and her new foot installed..."

Zerrex forced a bit of a smile in return, then he nodded slowly and stood up quietly before Cindy gently touched his back, and the reptile asked softly: "Is it weird I feel bad about the way she died, Cindy? Is it strange that I don't like the fact she... I didn't kill her, but she just ran out of steam? Is it... bad that I respect her, weapon or machine or not, for the way she fought literally until her last breath?"

"Not at all, Daddy. I understand very well." Cindy took his hand quietly, and the reptile smiled a little as their fingers laced together before the two headed towards the doorway, emerging into the hall beyond before she quietly pulled him in the direction of the lab, as she changed the subject. "I think from what you explained, assuming Huck does reconfigure her brain, she might have emotions, or perhaps more depth to them despite the fact she seems like a machine. Her mind is synthetic, but the way the nodes and microchips are set into it reminds me of what was done to the Dragokkaren during Narrius's regime... the ones that didn't follow orders perfectly or failed his tests, I mean."

Zerrex grunted at this, nodding slowly: control microchips, implants designed to make a person into an emotionless slave to a single master. He frowned a bit at this thought, however, thinking of the way the other figures had been as he asked quietly: "But why would she have emotions? Why would she be any different from the other recombinants?"

"Because so far, it seems there's only one recombinant that Lord God seems to trust and treat as more than an expendable asset, and that's the murderer himself." Cindy said softly, and Zerrex grimaced a little, rubbing at his forehead with a nod, but not understanding until Cindy continued quietly: "When you're building something, you don't go with the first model, do you? You try and improve upon it, and you end up with a variety of prototypes... just like how all these recombinants we've faced have shown different talents and abilities. But they don't always work out properly... maybe this one was the first one he tried to make, with emotions he might have tried to program just like everything else, not realizing how difficult that is to tamper with, how almost impossible it is to control the outcome of, with so much of it based on psychology and nurture as well as nature... you can't always hope to control what a person is going to be or turn out as, after all."

Zerrex smiled a little at this thought, nodding a bit as he walked with his daughter through the main lobby towards the door leading into the genetics wing, their fingers still tightly laced together as he said softly: "That is true, yeah. So you're saying he might have tried to make someone who would hate me as much as he did..."

"And it didn't work out. Maybe she still served him, but maybe she hesitated in following his orders, or maybe her emotions just didn't turn out the way he'd hoped. Either way, this is our chance to examine how he's been programming the minds of these creatures. Again, assuming Huck is able to interface with it..." Cindy grimaced a bit at this, shaking her head slowly and murmuring: "It does disturb me, though, the lengths this Lord God is going to... he's truly become obsessed, and it's... it's sickening."

"You're telling me." Zerrex muttered, nodding slowly in return... and then they finally released each other's hands as the Drakkaren carefully pushed into the crowded laboratory, looking curiously over towards where Huck was sitting at a small folding table, his laptop sitting on top of this and hooked up to a large, blocky device with wires and cables that jutted out of it, hooked and spliced into the cables sticking out of the female's neck and skull and with several more larger plastic tubes feeding into an empty socket.

A clear glass eye had been inserted into the other socket, and this was flicking back and forth as Huck mumbled to himself, obviously in control of it for the moment. He looked moody, and both Priest and Mengele had their backs pointedly turned to the Dragokkaren as they worked on a prosthetic limb together, a sight that was only so surprising: for as much as they disliked each other socially, they were good lab partners, working efficiently and quickly together now that they were used to one another.

Huck looked up as Zerrex approached, and he made a grouchy face before grumbling: "You know how I feel about screwing around with biological weapons like this. Anyway, I've gotten into her head, it wasn't hard... the technology's pretty goddamn familiar, probably based on stuff from the Patriarch's days, which disgusts me even further that I'm working on this shit..."

"Huck." Zerrex said plaintively, and the Dragokkaren sighed before he nodded a few times, looking glum before Zerrex asked quietly: "So what did you do?"

"Reprogrammed her, pretty much. Wiped some of the memories from the chips, made sure I shredded the backup data, too." Huck nodded hesitantly after a moment, then he added slowly: "To be double-sure, I added images of you and Cindy and Priest into her memories, and attached associations like 'boss,' 'commander,' 'friend,' and shit like that to them. If she does got emotions, and she sees you as a friend as well as her superior, it'll be interesting to see the way she reacts."

He looked moodily at them, and then he sighed a bit and shouted at Mengele, despite the fact the wolf was standing only a few feet away: "Hey asshole, you wanna tell Cindy about this other shit or should I?"

Mengele ground his teeth very loudly and painfully together, and Zerrex winced a bit as he looked around the room for White, before seeing the badger complacently sitting at a desk near the back with his feet up on a shelf, reading quietly... and then the dire wolf turned around and spat a barrage of furious vulgarities and curses towards the Dragokkaren, making Huck almost fall out of his seat as Priest winced and awkwardly patted Mengele on the shoulder. "Huckleberry, how many times must I tell you to not make such a purposeful ass of yourself while I am working! I loathe working with machinery and the only thing that keeps me from shoving this robotic arm down your throat and choking the life out of you with it is the fact that it is a necessary piece to the puzzle of that strange, dormant creature we are creating!"

Then he spun back around, and Huck mumbled about drama queens before he looked up at Cindy and Zerrex as the two looked sourly down at him, the reptile saying flatly: "Hey. I am allowed to not get along with him for a lot of reasons. Anyway, so yeah. This one is made almost purely out of Naganatine... Sin, Anathema, Silven and a bunch of others we don't have the specific genetic comparisons for, but they're clearly strands of Naganatine DNA. I don't know how Mengele knows that, he apparently just does. The only non-Naganatine he found, he said, is from Mercy... with all that in mind I guess it ain't no wonder she was able to fire off such nasty magic so fast."

Zerrex grimaced at this, rubbing at his forehead before Cindy looked across at Mengele and asked calmly: "Did you isolate the genetic patterns for later referencing?"

"Is Huckleberry a faggot? I'm not preschooler who throws his tinker-toys in the trash because he's missing the instructions, Cindy." Mengele retorted without looking back at her, and then he snorted in entertainment. "If I had to guess, I'd say the DNA was taken from two additional males and a female. While I understand the males may be harder to determine, the only other female Naganatine is Justice, correct?"

"Weird." the Drakkaren muttered, wondering how the hell Justice could have ended up in the mix... and then he grimaced and shook his head slowly, glancing over at Cindy. "How quickly could one of these things be produced? Justice hasn't even been with us that long..."

"I have no clue, but it's possible they could be grown even faster than Dragokkaren Clones, because of the way their exteriors are developed and molded over set frames... the frames, even the inner organs and brains could be produced months ahead of time... and if they just needed to grow that 'flesh shell,' well..." Cindy made a face, shaking her head slowly. "That could be built very quickly. And if Lord God has access to a pocket dimension somewhere..."

"He might have years to prepare for every day that passes here, I didn't even think of that." Zerrex muttered, looking down and cursing under his breath. "So anyone who loses even a speck of blood or a scale, even a hair..."

"If Lord God found it, and extracted DNA from it, he could add it to his collection and use it to further his experimentations." Cindy said softly, nodding slowly, and Zerrex shook his head in disgust at this. "We have to end this soon, Daddy. With all this in mind... we have to stop this sooner than later, and before he starts losing his marbles completely and tries to experiment on himself, too."

Zerrex frowned at this, but Mengele laughed quietly and smiled a bit over his shoulder, saying softly: "Cindy, darling, don't be silly. Experimenting on yourself... is one of the first things you do when you realize how much power genetic alteration can hold." He looked at her pointedly, and Cindy flushed deeply as she looked awkwardly away, rubbing at her shoulder... and Zerrex softened a bit as he gazed at her, so different than she had been so many years ago, physically, emotionally, mentally, even spiritually. "After all, you were drawn by the allure of becoming something different, even if it was through magic instead of science... and of course, I myself came back in a body I deemed unsuitable, and with the knowledge I had, one of the first things I began to do was reclaim my old self.

"No, if Lord God had an interest in modifying himself, he has had more than enough time to do so, and more than adequate DNA samples to provide him with much greater power." Mengele paused, looking meditatively at Zerrex, and the Drakkaren grimaced a little at this. "I do not believe he will modify himself, because our opponent is arrogant and foolish. The very design of this creature speaks of that... no arms, truly? What kind of a weapon is built without arms! Even if she possessed a physical power and speed enough to test Zerrex's strength, the moment he took out one leg, she lost all ability to melee, to even move without the use of her wings. Please, that is pathetic when we are dealing with opponents that can mutate in the midst of battle and heal from much-more-drastic measures. This assassin is either a failed experiment or a supreme show of underestimation of your abilities and overestimation of Lord God's own mind, no matter how close or far it was to killing you."

Mengele turned around with a snort of disgust, going back to work on the arm... and Zerrex slowly drew his eyes over the female, from her long, hooked tail, to her healed chest, to the wires feeding into her empty socket and skull. And then the reptile shook his head quickly before Huck said quietly: "Anyway. I'm ready when you are to... bring her online."

"Ooh, excellent!" Mengele turned quickly away from the arm again, Priest grumbling under his breath before the Dragokkaren-demon turned around as well, and Cindy nodded nervously as the dire wolf fumbled on the other side of the table at something on the floor. A moment later, he lifted a large, rectangular black battery that was covered in wires and cables, and White approached with a tense look on his face as Zerrex frowned a bit, but the dire wolf only grinned around at them all. "A power cell will be more than sufficient for this temporarily life we're granting the creature. It will be strong enough to power her necessary vital systems... but easily disconnected if she proves hostile, and not enough energy to power her supernatural abilities or even allow her to move around much. Nor have I attached her synthetic foot yet... just as an added safety measure."

Zerrex glanced down towards the cap on her ankle with a grimace, then he watched as Mengele produced a large scalpel before he leaned over her... but the reptile reached out and grasped his wrist, locking eyes with the dire wolf even as the blade of the cutting instrument sank through her scales, the lizard saying quietly: "Remember. Respectful."

"As respectful as I can be, anyway." Mengele said distastefully... and he worked efficiently, once more cutting her body open and peeling back the organic layer, grimacing a bit at the watery blood and slippery clear fluid that splattered out of the wound as he muttered: "She has a higher concentration of mechanical parts than her brethren do... and this additional fluid, it's very high in electrolytes... like blood for her mechanical parts, which are hidden throughout the organic shell..."

Mengele held a hand out, and Priest automatically reached back and pulled a clamp off the table, the wolf screwing this into place to hold her chest cavity open before he quickly began to fumble with the wires of the battery, blood dripping off his fingers as he pulled two lengths of large cables ending in copper clamps off it and then shoved them into her chest, Zerrex wincing at the splatter of liquid and the sick squelching sounds before he locked them into place against something, and the reptile shook his head with a grimace as the wolf continue to work, yanking smaller cables out and rigging them into her chest as he muttered: "And tubing to force the blood to cycle and pump... Priest, the accordion."

Zerrex looked dumbly up at this, but the device Mengele called an 'accordion' was more like a large spring covered in tubes and cables, rigged up to a circular chamber with a wide billows on the side: a strange artificial heart that Mengele shoved into the female's chest and quickly started to rig up as he smiled and sighed in relaxation, the reptile shuddering a bit as the dire wolf said easily: "Just like the old days..."

"No, now you're bringing people back to life, not helping kill them. Remember that." Zerrex said quietly, and Mengele muttered that he was a party pooper, which made the reptile roll his eyes and ask distastefully: "Would you like to end up in a Pit of Torment? Because I would be glad to arrange that for you, Mengele, if you keep this up."

"Oh stop taking your grouchiness out on me. Besides, it's done." And with that, Mengele leaned back out of her open chest and hammered a fist against the battery pack, and it whirred into life as Zerrex leaned back with surprise before electricity sparked along the cables and then over the female's body, the creature gasping and the cords pulling taut for a moment before she went slack.

The camera in her eye whirred as it flicked back and forth, and her voice announced calmly: "System restore initialized. Analyzing damage... warning: damage detected is catastrophic, please contact a repair technician immediately. Warning: interference detected in central processing unit from a foreign source, rectifying... failed to rectify. Alert: defensive systems have failed to activate. Offensive systems are offline. Alert: organic shell is severely compromised. Alert: wireless interface damaged."

Then she fell silent, and Huck and Priest traded uneasy looks as Mengele gazed down at her eagerly and Cindy shook her head sadly, before Zerrex leaned quietly over her, studying her... and the camera eye flicked to him, studying him before the female voice said emotionlessly: "Subject detected. Recognized as: Zerrex Narrius. Retrieving memory data... data corrupt. Warning: unverified data detected... verifying... alert: data detected as false."

Zerrex glared at Huck, who winced and flushed a bit as he leaned back, saying awkwardly: "Okay, so she's smarter than I thought... shit, gimme a second..."

He began to tap at his laptop, and the female's eye rolled in her head before she announced calmly: "Warning. Intrusion detected. Hostile presence detected: protection sequences will activate if intrusion attempts continue. Warning: memory wipe and CPU self-destruct will initialize in ten seconds. Nine. Eight-"

"Huck, what are you doing?" Zerrex shouted, and Huck gave a loud squawk as he hammered madly at the keyboard, Priest wincing and grabbing at his head and Mengele snarling towards the reptile as the female continued to count calmly down.

"Four. Three." Huck slammed on the enter key, and there was a fizzle before the female said tonelessly: "Override initialized. Rebooting systems."

She lowered her head slightly as Zerrex wheezed and Cindy gave a relieved smile to Huck, even Mengele looking a little impressed as he nodded slowly... before the female's camera eye flickered, a faint light shining up around the cables from the other socket as she said tonelessly: "Systems restoring... warning, micro-surge detected, damage... damage detected to... to... I..."

Slowly, a frown creased the female's face, and then she tilted her head back and forth, almost as if swaying... and then she whispered, tone and depth gradually creeping into her voice: "Compensating for lack of memory by releasing emotional restraints... systems... systems adjusting... I... cannot remember... where am I..."

They looked uneasily at one another overtop her as she frowned slowly, not panicking, but she was neither emotionless nor emotional, breathing a bit harder and looking back and forth before she asked slowly again: "Where am I?"

"Hez'Ranna, a... laboratory." Zerrex said quietly, and when everyone looked at him, the reptile grimaced before he leaned slowly forwards as her eye turned towards him, and he touched his own chest as he asked softly: "Do you know who I am?"

Her eye studied him for a moment... and then she said slowly: "Unclear. Data suggests... Zerrex Narrius. Other memories have become corrupt or have been erased as untrue. Who are you?"

"Zerrex Narrius, like you said." the reptile said awkwardly, and then he hesitantly reached down and squeezed her shoulder slowly. "And who are you?"

"I am Unit-043078, Advanced Combat System, serving Lord God in His Heaven." the female recited calmly, nodding slowly.

Zerrex nodded a bit, and then he said asked gently: "Okay, but what's your name? Like... my name is Zerrex. Like that. What did people call you? What did Lord God call you?"

"Prototype." she replied quietly, nodding slowly. "Weapon. Device. Recalibrated Naganatine. Enhanced life-form. Are these names?"

"No, they're not." Zerrex grimaced a bit, looking away... and the creature studied him slowly before Zerrex looked around at the others, then he sighed softly and closed his eyes. "Huck? Are you getting anywhere?"

"I can only monitor the data she gives me like this and keep an eye on her vital signals... she's way more complex than I thought at first..." Huck muttered, tapping away at his keyboard for a moment before he winced back when the female's head leaned back slightly, gazing at him silently, and he grinned weakly down at her. "I... hi?"

"Hi. Informal greeting, used often as a pleasantry." the female said slowly, and then she studied him silently as Huck leaned back before she said calmly: "Sweating. Increased heart rate. Paleness. Signs of physical stress, often the result of anxiety or fear. Gathered data suggests that you are afraid of me, but inherited memory data suggests contradictorily that demons do not have emotions and must be exterminated."

The Drakkaren smiled faintly at this, leaning over her a bit and studying her as her eye roved slowly around the area, not seeming to mind the cables sticking out of her or the fact she was surrounded by a group of demons despite what she had just spoken... and then she settled on Zerrex's face, studying him silently before she said quietly: "Smiling indicates happiness. Yet slight narrowing of the eyes, furrowing of the brow, indicates opposite emotions, such as sadness, or anger: may also show intense concentration. I do not understand. Your emotions do not make sense to my memories. Contradiction again detected: please explain or order disregard of gathered data."

"Why don't you choose to disregard it yourself?" Zerrex asked curiously, and the female frowned a bit at him at this as if she didn't understand at all what the Drakkaren was suggesting, so instead the reptile only cleared his throat before he said hesitantly: "Do you remember... a Chakra, or a Verve?"

"Unit-022212, Psionic Combat Systems, and Unit-601220, Evolving Organic Weapon. Prototype weapon systems, designed by Lord God to protect him and further his ideas and goals." the female replied calmly, nodding slowly before she added quietly: "See also, 'New Angels' reference."

She halted, then her voice became monotone as she added calmly: "Warning. Data corruption detected. System shock has caused severe damage to memory node Alpha, and data on 'New Angels' has been partially compromised."

Zerrex grimaced a bit as he looked at the others, but now Cindy and Priest had moved to lean over Huck, muttering to him and pointing at things on screen, and Mengele was frowning as White leaned back, his expression cold, before the Drakkaren leaned down and asked quietly: "What are the New Angels?"

"We are the New Angels. We will serve as enforcement for Lord God's Heaven and serve to protect it from all negative influences. We will act as go-betweens between mortals and Lord God. We will perpetuate his ideas of good and evil and restore order to the worlds. We will oversee the building and creation of a prosperous and religious mortal world that properly reveres the memory of Lord God and follows his designs and actions." the female said slowly, some emotion returning to her voice in the form of a tremble. "We will..."

She stopped, then her voice became toneless again as she stated: "Data past this point is corrupt and degraded. Restoring... restoration failed, physical damage detected to memory node. Migrating data from damaged cranial sections to nodes still functioning at optimal capacity... completed."

Then her glass eye flicked back and forth before settling on Zerrex again, and she said slowly: "Data regarding name 'Zerrex Narrius' is lost and corrupt, has been deleted and/or damaged. Emotional data, however - i.e. feelings, or 'instincts,' - suggests that we have met before. Have we... met before?"

"Yes, we have." Zerrex said quietly, and then he looked down for a moment before asking slowly: "What does your emotional data say about Lord God?"

"Physical data states as fact that Lord God is a superior force in the universe, with great wisdom, knowledge, and strength of character. Data continues to state as fact that Lord God has earned his position and that servitude to him is to be considered an honor. The New Angels must act as servants to Lord God and should feel rightly honored to do so. Factual data entered in memory continues to assert that Lord God's enemies are our enemies and must be destroyed." Her voice was toneless and calm, but emotion sank back in as she said slowly: "Emotional data has discovered a contradiction: Lord God ordered the extermination of angels. Angels are to be seen as Lord God's subjects. Data does not compute properly, with this in mind: further contradictions were discovered when demons were witnessed providing aid instead of causing pain and yet were listed as threatening and to be exterminated anyway. Contradiction in data again detected when system error was reported to Lord God and he continued to assert that all demons were evil and must be destroyed. Emotional data suggests Lord God is... flawed. Physical data overrides were engaged to lock out all emotional data. Factual data entered: emotions are easy to manipulate, can be incorrect, and make a person weak. Factual data error detected, although has gone unreported: Lord God follows his instincts and emotions instead of logic. Logic flaws detected."

She fell silent, and then Zerrex reached up impulsively and quietly stroked along her forehead, and she studied him for a few moments before she said softly: "I am a weapon. My purpose is to serve Lord God. This is fact. Emotional data has revealed contradictions and errors, however, and has created a reaction known as 'hesitance.' Emotional data suggests... that I do not wish to serve Lord God. But current system memory is optimized for this purpose."

She continued to stare at him, and then Zerrex asked quietly: "Can I ask you a question about Lord God?" When she only continued to look at him, the reptile smiled awkwardly at her before he leaned forwards and asked slowly: "Who is he? Does he have another name?"

"Lord God is also known as St. Lucas Luther." the female replied calmly, and Zerrex gritted his teeth and nodded slowly, before the female looked down and added quietly: "System data requires self-destruct upon speaking Lord God's name. But failsafe system has become corrupt, and emotional data manifests in the form of hesitance. I... I do not wish to die."

Zerrex studied her silently... and then he reached down and touched her face quietly, asking softly: "Then can you free yourself of servitude?"

She looked back at him, and then said slowly: "Failsafe systems are corrupt and damaged. Neural core alpha is beyond repair. Organic shell is compromised. Flaws and logical paradoxes have become prevalent in factual systems, requiring emotional systems to become dominant in order to avoid full system shutdown and imminent destruction, and a larger paradox has become prevalent in the refusal to engage self-destruct despite factual systems requiring this. I do not understand what is going on. I am a weapon and device built to take orders."

Zerrex took her face gently in his hands, looking into her eye, and he said softly: "No. I don't care if you were put together with a model set or born from a living being, you're a person. You're a goddamn person..." He closed his eyes tightly, clenching them shut and wondering silently why he felt so close to tears. But he knew: this was supposed to be a monster, and it had almost killed itself trying to obey its master's wishes. This was supposed to be a machine, and yet it had suffered from doubts and feelings that its brethren had not, calling it 'emotional data' but in reality likely feeling much the same as Zerrex and so many others did when they saw some tyrant doing wrong... someone they were supposed to look up to as their leader acting like a bully and pushing around the weak for their own egotistical reasons. "Forget everything you've been told... don't look in your mind, look inside yourself. Inside your soul."

"Soul..." whispered the female... and then the light flickered in the camera before it said emotionlessly: "Warning: systems have become unstable. System failure imminent. Alert: unknown system loop activated. Alert: system erase in progress."

"Huck!" Zerrex looked up at the Dragokkaren, but the male was leaning away from his keyboard, looking shocked as data scrawled wildly over the screen, before the Drakkaren snapped: "What's going on?"

"I... I don't know, shit, I don't got no idea!" Huck shouted, and Mengele cursed as the wolf bullied his way around the table and shoved past Priest, leaning over the keyboard and his eyes flicking back and forth as lines of code scrawled unevenly by. "Oh fuck me, I've never even seen shit like this before!"

The Drakkaren cursed under his breath, and then electricity shocked over the female's body as she convulsed once on the table... and then she fell still, and there was silence for a few moments before Huck whispered: "Wait, dude... she's... she's alive. I ain't seen any shit like this before but she's alive..."

Zerrex frowned a bit at this, looking towards them... and the camera flickered back and forth before she said softly: "Systems stabilizing... analyzing available data... dumping deleted and corrupt data... caching event data... analysis complete. Systems restoring." The camera in her eye flicked back and forth, and then her glass eye looked up at Zerrex... and slowly, a smile spread over her face, hesitant and unsure at first, but growing wider as she looked at him. "Hello, Zerrex Narrius. My name is Soul. I am a person. My software and organic systems are not currently at optimal performance, but I am glad to be of service any way I can."

"Dude, I... I think you just convinced a robot to work for us." Huck said dumbly, and Zerrex shot him a nasty look before the Dragokkaren winced, then howled in pain when Mengele grabbed one of his ram's horns and twisted ferociously. "Oh you fucking asshole!"

"She is not a robot. She is a person, or did you not hear her?" Mengele said crossly, and when Huck and Priest both gaped at him, the dire wolf snorted in disgust and threw his arms up in distaste. "Anyone who finds their way through the forest of lies, treachery and deceit and finds their own path has a right to be whatever they want. She has earned my respect, and I am still as eager as ever to work with her. If anything, she only fascinates me more, now that she's demonstrated a capability to make her own rational decisions."

"Thank you." Soul said quietly, and Mengele only grunted before shoving his way past the two as the female studied them quietly. "My factual and experiential memories have been erased, except for nonspecific and general data. I will require a system shutdown and complete reboot in order to complete this process and dump the last pieces of data inside my mind." She slowly moved her eyes to Zerrex, studying him for a few moments. "My organic shell must also repair itself and I feel that I am in need of a new power core. However, I am capable of entering a state of hibernation for a period of time and do not require a power core immediately."

Zerrex looked at her with confusion, and then Mengele leaned over and said clearly: "She needs a new engine. Why don't you magic one up out of thin air?"

The Drakkaren grumbled under his breath at this, and then he frowned thoughtfully at the wolf, who turned towards him and crossed his arms even as Cindy said mildly: "Daddy, making a heart is probably not as-"

Zerrex held his hands up, taking a slow breath as blue energy sparked between them, and then it slowly solidified into a large, throbbing fleshy shape, steam hissing up from the Drakkaren's palms as he winced a bit before catching the strange heart before it could fall, and he was surprised to find that it had a thick texture to it, as if there was metal beneath the flesh... and the reptile looked dumbly at this for a few moments before Mengele walked quickly forwards with a wide grin, saying eagerly: "Yes, yes! A heart, infused with energy... it should be enough to help her get back on her feet, at least..."

"I must shut down before I can do that." Soul said calmly, and Zerrex couldn't help but smile awkwardly even as Mengele greedily held his hands out, and the Drakkaren carefully handed the organ over to the wolf before the female looked up at him, saying quietly: "May I turn my systems off for now, to reinitialize and reboot? I will require several hours."

"Go ahead, go ahead." Mengele said brusquely, but he wasn't shoving his hands into her body despite how anxious he looked to work on her... and then he sighed when he saw Soul was looking at Zerrex, the wolf barking at him: "Well, hurry up! Tell her it's okay!"

The Drakkaren cleared his throat, looking pointedly at the wolf, and the male grumbled under his breath before Zerrex smiled down at her, saying quietly: "Yes, of course. Go to sleep, and when you wake up, hopefully you'll... be feeling better."

"Yes. Thank you, Zerrex." Soul said softly... and there was the sound of something gearing down as she leaned back silently, the camera flicking off and the light fading from her other socket, and the Drakkaren studied her silently even as Mengele quickly moved forwards, beginning to tear tubing and cabling out as Huck muttered under his breath and Priest shot looks over his shoulder curiously even as he worked on the arm.

Zerrex stepped back, rubbing at his arm slowly... and then White said softly from behind him: "You know, I could swear I tried to tell you not to try and make friends with it earlier... but I guess that just goes to prove again that I can be wrong about things."

"Yeah, but rarely. Besides, this was... I dunno, strange." Zerrex murmured, rubbing at the side of his own head awkwardly as he smiled a little at the badger, and White looked thoughtfully back at him before the Drakkaren shook his head a bit. "Anyway. I guess a lot about her remains to be seen... Mengele, how long will it take to get her up and running again?"

"The organic shell heals very fast, and the organs are likely still flooded with enough nanites to let her repair herself... once her heart is in place and she's rebooted, she'll be up and running. But I would like to install her arms as well... I cannot fathom how those legs would be useful for much." Mengele replied absently as he dug around inside of the female, occasionally reaching back to pick up one of the tools laid out in a messy pile over the desk. "Huckleberry, make yourself useful for once and get to work programming the other camera."

"I hate you." Huck said empathetically, and Zerrex sighed and rolled his eyes at the two before he muttered under his breath and turned to head towards the doorway, Cindy smiling faintly after him and soothed by her father's much-greater relief over his exasperation.

Over the course of the follow three days, the killer vanished completely: there were no murderers, no sighting of cloaked figures, no hint of anything being wrong except that Lucas Luther had vanished completely from Heaven, according to Zerrex's sources - and since they now included Job and the Archangels, they were pretty damn good sources - and several Hounds of Heaven had been sent out by magistrates to sniff him out over the mortal world.

Vivien had also dispatched several Hunter-Seekers from Hell: assassins and spies whose main duty was to track down missing demons who attempted to flee to the mortal world. They could also hunt angels, however... and since among them, White had volunteered to help out, the reptile thought it was likely he would be able to track Luther long before anyone else even found his trail.

In Heaven, the Council was in a mess: Rangi was missing, Melody was gone, Job was screaming his head off every few meetings about the betrayal of Luther and giving grudging mentions about how Zerrex had helped him and Elysium 'is not the enemy at this point and time,' which admittedly pleased the lizard to no end. Lord seemed happy too: everyone was at least trying to work together, and the god seemed to have convinced himself that one way or another, everything was going to work out okay.

Elysium was calm, preparing its forces for the storm ahead: now that everyone had been given a chance to heal up and ready themselves, the Drakkaren's friends and family were once more moving back to Acheron, carrying equipment and supplies with them, to make their final preparations there. Other soldiers, such as the Black Rose Platoon, Dragon Warriors, and much of Hell's infantry, were also preparing for what was yet to come. They would be laying full siege to Luther's hidey-hole the moment they found him... and at this point, Zerrex was ready to do whatever it took to march into his home and drag him out by the balls if it was necessary.

There was other good news as well: Soul was back on her feet, one leg now ending in a synthetic hoof that mimicked the other clearly, and prosthetic arms wired into her shoulders, cables sticking out from these and heavy metal bolts and plating fused along her upper body. Mengele had asked her to shut down a second time when he'd started attaching these on... and after she had done so, he had run the wires through the underside of her organic shell and into the thick cabling of her synthetic spine, then recalibrated her mechanical brain with the help of Priest. He had also removed and repaired the damaged power nodes, talking idly the whole time about how it was just like working with Ultima and Iago all over again, which brought unpleasant memories back to Zerrex's mind.

Nonetheless, he got the work done, and he was efficient about it: and Soul had apparently reconfigured her data somehow to adjust for now possessing arms, and quickly became used to using them. The heavy prosthetic limbs were smooth and powerful, layered with dome-like armor plating and ending in complex hands through which the female was capable of channeling electricity.

Soul had taken to following Zerrex closely around from place-to-place, and the reptile had the distinct feeling that she was studying him... and moreover, had begun to imitate him. It was cute in a way, although he thought part of the reason she had a fixation on him was because she had been programmed with so much data about him from what they were now referring to as her 'past life.' The others were understandably taking a while to adjust to her, but she took particularly-well to Celeste and the Naganatine she had met so far: Sin treated her with kindness when they were introduced, Anathema was her snotty undead bitch self to anyone and everyone, and Justice found the female very curious and interesting.

Celeste, Zerrex hadn't expected to get along so well... but they had simply studied each other for a long time before the females had nodded to each other, and Soul had gone about asking questions and Celeste had answered them, so it could have easily gone far worse. He still hadn't dared to venture too far from the Sunshine facility with Soul - he was worried about what the effects of a lot of people or the world at large would be on her - but at the moment it was easy enough to get people to come and visit him and slowly introduce Soul to larger and larger groups.

The robotic female, however, had already expressed a desire to aid him when they went to take on Luther after hearing about this from Cindy... and Zerrex was apprehensive about the idea. Not only because he didn't really know quite yet how well her combat systems were functioning, as they had only recently beaten the crap out of each other and he still wasn't entirely sure whether she counted as living being, robot, or cyborg, and also because he was nervous there might be some fail-safe in place that would cause her to betray him at the last minute. It wasn't that the reptile didn't trust her as a person... he just didn't trust the computerized parts of her after his own experiences with murderous machinery.

Mengele, oddly, was the one who seemed to have the most faith in her at the present time, although the lizard thought he was also excited in a sick and twisted way to once more see one of his 'projects' in action, testing his wits with a much-greater adversary and challenge than the mortal world at large this time. He offered to suit Soul up in battle armor and 'upgrade her,' as he phrased it... and Zerrex didn't know if he was glad or not when Soul had quietly agreed and allowed Mengele to attach heavy-duty alloy plating over her chest, groin, and shins. He had also added a second horn to her head, muttering about the 'necessity of aesthetic principles' the whole time.

Of course, when the Drakkaren had tried to argue with Mengele, he had just retorted that 'you can't fuck her anyway, she has no real gender: we only refer to her as female because she is made mostly from females' and Zerrex had no real response for that. He tried to point out how Mengele was treating her as hardware even while he was claiming she was a person at the same time, and Mengele just asked dryly: "How is that any different from how I've always treated people?"

That had shut Zerrex up, and he had grumbled and gone away... and a few hours later, Soul had found him, silver, lightweight plating welded over her chest now in the shape of faintly-masculine musculature, embossed on one breast with the symbol of Hez'Ranna and upon the other with the symbol of Elysium. It covered her groin and hips as well, and her shins... and she had a very metallic, mechanical look about her as she studied him quietly, her horns glinting upon her head and both her eye cameras in place before she asked softly: "Have I made an error? I only wished to pursue my new purpose: defense and protection. The armoring of my organic shell will severely decrease risk of damage and death in combat and permit me to better defend yourself and those associated with you, Zerrex."

"I know, I... do know. But you're a person, right?" Zerrex glanced over at her awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his head slowly before he smiled faintly. "You know what? Maybe I'm just being stupid. I mean... you do look... pretty, in a weird way, like that." He halted, then glanced at her mechanical upper limbs, eyes tracing over the silver and black metal and the detail in her fingers, the way they flexed slowly, almost as if she was nervous. "How are your arms holding up?"

"It has been two days since their installation and they are functioning at optimal capacity. I have grown used to them, to use a popular turn of phrase, in effort to help you relax." Soul said quietly, and Zerrex smiled despite himself at this, shaking his head a bit. "Emotional response is not as expected: requesting explanation on why my method of speech was ineffective."

"Because, Soul, you went a little past the joke, so-to-speak. I know, I know, it was a 'turn of phrase,' not a joke, but it just means that you... tried a little too hard. You need to adjust the way you talk a little still..." Zerrex paused, then reflected: "You remind me of Maria, actually. She used to talk... real proper-like, very... strange. A lot different from you, but in a way, she still had a lot of trouble getting certain things across to people... because they either wouldn't understand her or would purposefully misunderstand her. I just don't want people thinking you're nothing but a robot."

He rubbed awkwardly at the back of his head, and Soul studied him for a few moments before she said softly: "It does not matter to me what others think. It only matters to me what you think. You have the highest effect on my emotional data."

Zerrex smiled awkwardly at this, feeling touched despite himself as he rubbed slowly at his face... and then Soul asked quietly: "Will you explain to me what friendship and family is? I continue to hear such words as 'honor,' 'love,' and others that bring up all variety of emotional data, and I wish to once more verify their meanings and perhaps examine the veracity of these claims. I have noted that many people tend to overuse certain words, according to gathered data."

"Yeah, that's true. And some people don't use certain words enough." Zerrex replied softly, smiling a little before he nodded slowly. "But okay, Soul... uh... well... friendship is a close companionship, a kinship developed with someone, usually someone who shares similar views. It's..." Zerrex looked down thoughtfully, rubbing awkwardly at his face. "For some people, friendship can be instantaneous, while with others it can take years. Some people have many friends. Some have very few. Some have none at all. Much of it is based upon trust and personal perspective... it's very possible that you can feel you're someone else's friend, but they're not yours."

The Drakkaren halted, and the he continued quietly: "Friends can love each other, but not be in love. Friends can like each other, or even hate each other, but still continue to support and be there for one another. There are 'fair-weather friends' who aren't really friends at all but rather people who are only ever around when things are going well, who won't lift a finger to help you and will run away if the going gets tough. There are 'needy friends,' who always seem to have some kind of drama going on in their life, real or imagined, who need constant support and reassurance. There are many other varieties as well... and the value of a friend is intangible and impossible to truly determine."

The female nodded slowly, studying him silently, and then Zerrex said softly: "Family... well. Family has two meanings. One is a series of biological connections... those you can't change. Mother, father, siblings, children... they are your biological family, no matter how much you like them or hate them. You can't get rid of them... and even long after you think you've moved on or gotten past what they may or may not have done to you, you... you often still end up affected by it, no matter what you yourself say otherwise." Zerrex halted, looking down and rubbing quietly at his face for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Anyway, there's also... the family you make for yourself, which can include friends. Mentors, close friends, and husbands or wives... people you form a network out of, for better or worse, for support and familiarity as well as... a lot of other reasons. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"

Soul nodded after a moment, looking down towards the ground thoughtfully before her eyes roved back up to the Drakkaren, and she asked him quietly: "How does one go about attaining friends and family? What is the process?"

"I dunno, it's... it's different for everyone, Soul. I mean, how did we become friends?" Zerrex said awkwardly, and Soul looked at him thoughtfully for a few moments before the Drakkaren smiled a little. "It's a gradual thing, for the most part. Most people don't trust very easily, and a lot of people don't understand that friendship and family both require certain... responsibilities and obligations to each other. The world... the world is a selfish place."

"And yet you defend it and continue to defend it. And yet you express trust and kindness, even though large amounts of data have already been gathered to demonstrate that there are many people who will use such trust to their advantage, for egotistical purposes large or small." Soul said softly, and Zerrex shrugged a bit. "I have come to understand that people fear emotional pain. I have also come to understand that such emotional pain is unpleasant for myself."

Zerrex looked at her quietly, and then he stood up and reached out to squeeze her metal-plated shoulders gently, saying quietly: "It's not fun... but it's better than feeling nothing at all, right? In any event... what I want you to concentrate on for now is yourself, getting yourself in order. That's what's important."

"And I have been." Soul nodded to him, looking up at him with her faintly-glowing eyes before she tilted her head. "What is love?"

"Oh come on, ask me an easier question. Trying to explain all this metaphysical and emotional stuff is giving me a headache." Zerrex replied softly with a bit of a smile, and Soul looked at him curiously before the Drakkaren said slowly: "Love is love. You'll know it when you feel it. It's like... a dream, except it's real."

"Do androids dream of electric sheep..." murmured Soul, and Zerrex looked at her curiously before she shook her head, and the Drakkaren smiled a little: she was picking up fast on body language. "I apologize. I am... distracted, I believe is the term. Emotional data begs for analysis and yet I cannot compute it... it confuses me."

Zerrex reached out and gently touched her face, and Soul's eyes looked up at him silently before she rested her features against his hand, saying quietly: "Physical touch. Used for gestures of affection. Touching the face in this manner, with cupping of the cheek, indicates compassion, examination, kindness, and tenderness. Also often a display of trust and vulnerability on the side of the touched, depending on their reaction. Physical contact is very important to most beings: lack of contact creates hostility, resentment, bitterness, and exacerbates negative qualities and in particular, paranoia and depression."

"So just imagine how bad I'd be if I didn't get all the hugs I do every day, considering how paranoid and depressed I can be already." Zerrex smiled a bit, but Soul only nodded slowly against his hand before the Drakkaren let it drop to squeeze her shoulder lightly again. "Anyway... we should go, and get ready to move to Acheron. Most of the others should already be there, waiting for us... we don't want to keep them waiting too long now, do we?"

Soul only continued to look at him silently, nodding slightly to acknowledge him, and Zerrex smiled awkwardly at her before he turned and carefully left the small study he'd been spending most of his time here in, heading out into the hall. Soul followed him quietly, her hooves making a surprisingly-quiet tapping against the concrete floor as her armored body glimmered softly, and the Drakkaren glanced back and forth, rubbing absently at his face before he muttered: "Now where the hell is Priest... he was supposed to meet me here an hour ago..."

"You did not mention a schedule. Would you like me to recalculate for the current delay?" Soul asked curiously, and Zerrex shook his head absently before the female nodded. "Would you like to advise me of our current destination and what events are listed on the agenda?"

"It's... not a real schedule, Soul, I just have kind of a rough estimate of what I want to get done, but Priest is almost always late... he gets... dumb tinkering with stuff." Zerrex said lamely, but Soul only looked at him before the Drakkaren sighed a bit and grabbed at his forehead, muttering: "Alright, alright. Although you're going to need to learn to say 'please' sooner or later."

"Please. Adverb, verb, or interjection. Used normally as an expression of politeness during requests or as a sign of respect to those of higher standing, but may also be used to express frustration. To please is the act of giving pleasure to another, often in the form of doing as they desire or request. 'I live to please' can translate to 'my existence is based upon being what you want and doing as you desire,' although people have a tendency to exaggerate particular words and word uses." Soul explained calmly, and Zerrex stared at her before the female paused for a few moments, then added: "Emotional data suggests that this was not the answer you were looking for. Increased blood flow to the face has created a physiological reaction known as a blush that is part of the psycho-physiological reaction known as 'embarrassment.'"

Zerrex looked at her dumbly... and then he realized that she was the one who was blushing faintly, and he smiled awkwardly as he held his hands up, shaking them quickly and saying lamely: "No, hey, don't worry about it, it's... it's fine. I was just surprised... and oh, there you are, Priest."

"Sorry, Dad!" the huge Dragokkaren rose a hand as he approached from down the hall, looking embarrassed as he carried his leather jacket over one shoulder, massive, muscular bare chest flexing powerfully and making the dragon tattoo down the side of it writhe and twist. "I had to clean up a little now that Mengele's gone and Huck's back in bitchy-bitch mode. I guess he's all mad and shit that Albatross says he has to stay here, even if Hez'Ranna's preparing a team of Enforcers we'll be able to use to help in our attack on wherever Luther is."

"Assuming, of course, it's here on the mortal world somewhere." Zerrex muttered, rubbing at his face slowly, and the Dragokkaren looked down at him with entertainment before the reptile shook his head a bit, saying finally: "Anyway. So Mengele's back... in Elysium?"

"Yeah. Probably the safest place for him right now, the crazy son of a bitch." Priest muttered, and then he glanced at Soul, drawing his eyes curiously over her as she studied him in return, before the huge male quickly slipped his leather jacket on and flicked out his collar. "Anyway, you guys ready to go, then?"

"I am technically neither male nor female. I am androgynous, but identify closer with a female form and biology." Soul replied, and Priest looked at her dumbly for a moment before she hesitantly smiled. "I am prepared to leave."

"Uh. Good." Priest said lamely, and then he glanced down at Zerrex, who only rolled his eyes and shrugged a bit before the Dragokkaren muttered and rubbed at his forehead slowly. "I swear this shit is gonna drive me crazy, Dad, I don't know how you put up with it all. I just wanna be back, safe and secure in my labs, tinkering with my toys and building crazy stuff. Sure, I love a good fight every now and then, I definitely got that from you and Momma, but... I also think I inherited Momma's complete lack of patience."

"You'd never guess." Zerrex said dryly, and then he shook his head a bit as Priest huffed and punched his father lightly in the shoulder, making the Drakkaren stumble backwards and laugh a bit. "Oh, cheer up. We're heading to Acheron now, at least, there should be something for you to help fix up there."

"Sarcasm. A particularly-biting form of humor. Used in a variety of situations, mostly to and for the effect of pointing out the flaws of another's ideas or personality." Soul murmured thoughtfully. "Responded to by physical aggression, yet in a non-serious manner. Interesting." Soul paused, then she rose a metallic fist and punched Zerrex hard in the arm, knocking him staggering and making him yelp as he grabbed at his left arm, and Priest clapped his hands over his muzzle before he burst into laughter.

Soul looked a little embarrassed again as the reptile slowly rubbed his bruised bicep, his fingers a little numb, and she said awkwardly: "I apologize. Emotional data suggests that I have been overconfident in my self-control analysis. I did not mean to cause physical harm."

"It's okay, Soul, we all make mistakes. Even computers." Zerrex smiled a little at her, and she studied him for a moment before nodding slowly and smiling hesitantly back, and the Drakkaren felt a moment of relief before he motioned to the two to follow, glaring a bit at Priest as he continued to grin widely, shaking his head in entertainment. "You shut up."

"I'm laughing with you, not at you." Priest said innocently, and when his father gave him a moody look, the tall reptile quickly cleared his throat before he asked curiously, as they headed down the hall: "So pretty much everyone is in Acheron, huh?"

"Except for Vivien, yeah, and that's only because she's in discussions with Eslovius right now. She really wants to... be a part of this." Zerrex halted for a moment, looking down thoughtfully, but when Priest only smiled amusedly the Drakkaren glared at him. "What?"

"You two are so cute together. It's real obvious you both really like each other, the only problem is it'll never happen because neither of you can get drunk and have sloppy sex everywhere." Priest replied mildly, and Zerrex slapped his forehead at this before the Dragokkaren asked curiously: "So do you think the fish-faces are actually being honest about this shit they're trying to bring to the table?"

Zerrex hesitated, and then he nodded slowly, saying quietly: "I'm so-so on the subject right now, I wanna hear how these talks go, first... but it makes sense to me. The Emperor was never going to give up his power and he was using these people as his personal footstools. His people finally had enough of just taking his crap and putting up with his backwards-ass society and turned all that anger back on him. I think with him out of the mix and Eslovius allowing itself to mingle even a smidgen more with other cultures, they'll start to loosen up. The most hostile societies are the ones that don't allow contact with others, after all."

Priest nodded thoughtfully, rubbing absently at the underside of his muzzle before he said slowly: "Well, I do hope you're right then, Dad. I know... I know that Firenze was always striving to see the day when there'd be peace between our countries. I think if Vivien can make that happen, it'd be a damn good way to honor my little brother's memory."

Zerrex smiled a little at this, nodding silently as they headed out into the main lobby of the facility, and the Drakkaren rubbed at his own face slowly as they walked out onto the street in silence. It was night now, deep and dark and quiet, only the occasional Dragokkaren passing by: late enough for everyone to be at home, early enough for lights to be glowing quietly in all the windows, buildings lit by wax candles and luminescent orbs as well as lamps and light-bulbs. "Yeah. I agree."

They were quiet as they walked slowly through the city, Soul looking curiously back and forth at the buildings and along the street, and the Drakkaren wondered if she remembered seeing any of these before... if she even knew what they were, or why they had been constructed. He could only imagine how confusing a lot of the world was to her... but then he simply shook his head a bit as they reached a large, shallow pool near the edge of the Residential District: normally Zerrex didn't like to use the water in town to reach Acheron, but since no one was around, he figured it would be okay. "Alright. Priest, will you demonstrate to Soul how to reach our destination?"

Priest nodded, then he stepped carefully into the water before glancing hesitantly towards the female... but she only smiled at him as she said quietly: "Your face illustrates concern for me, likely due to the fact that mechanical parts do not normally mix well with water. Doctor Mengele assured me that my body has been waterproofed, however, and I am confident in the durability of my organic shell and the proficiency of both yourself and Doctor Mengele."

"Thank you, I guess. I just... wasn't even thinking about waterproofing your stuff..." Priest rubbed awkwardly at his face, and then he cleared his throat as he turned around... before grumbling when he turned once more towards the female, showing a very Cherry-like inability to decide before Zerrex glared at him pointedly, and the Dragokkaren finally said lamely: "I... you know... I could easily rig up some fake scales to pull over your arms and body if you wanted. You know. Help you fit in."

"I am an organic machine designed to serve... but I am also already a person. I do not wish to hide my body to help conform in the minds of others, although I appreciate your offer." Soul replied gently, and Zerrex smiled at her as Priest looked hesitant, but then he nodded with a grunt. "Thank you."

"No problem. Lemme know if you change your mind or anything, alright? I know... people can be bitches." The Dragokkaren smiled a little, and then he turned back towards the pool, saying calmly: "Anyway, it ain't too hard to do this. Just look at your reflection, let your mind clear... and then dive straight down. It's just like going through a portal, except at your feet, you got it?"

"I understand. Please demonstrate." Soul looked at him curiously, and Priest glanced over his shoulder at her before he nodded and turned back towards the pool. The muscular male took a slow breath as he leaned backwards, closing his eyes... and then he dove forwards towards the water, and vanished as a single ripple passed through the knee-deep pool.

"He did not look for long at his reflection." Soul remarked, and Zerrex smiled a bit at this before the female carefully stepped into the water, and the reptile watched curiously as she approached the center of the pool before looking down at the surface of the liquid, watching as small waves passed slowly over it. "The qualities of water are interesting. It permits free passage of energy and acts as both a reflector and a channeling device."

Then Soul suddenly dropped forwards, and she vanished from the spot as Zerrex looked in dumb surprise where she had been a moment before, startled it had been so easy for her. He shook his head slowly, then carefully hopped into the pool himself, looking back and forth through the empty stone square before quickly diving down into the shallow water... and a few moments later, he emerged in Acheron, surfacing in the bowl with a grumble and a quick shake of his head before he looked up to see Soul and Priest standing and waiting for him, the Dragokkaren raising a hand with an amused look on his face. "And here I thought you were gonna come through with her."

"I did not require assistance. The process was not overly difficult." Soul replied kindly, and Priest shook his head with a smile as Zerrex climbed out of the water, absently rubbing at his bare chest as his mala jangled quietly around his neck before Soul turned to gaze over the wide square, where the massive portal was being steadily constructed, still surrounded by tarps and girders and scaffolding, but more and more of it starting to be revealed as it was completed. "Fascinating... I have already identified that reality here is altered and responsive to your very presence, and yet the creatures here work hard and take pleasure in their efforts. They are fully-aware that you can easily simply create a portal if necessary... and yet they do not wish you to. They do this task in some ways as a tribute to you... but in other ways, as part of their daily worship routines to something much greater than you are. Their body language and conversation clearly speaks of this, as does... emotional data, in the form known commonly as 'instinct.'"

Zerrex smiled a little over at Soul, nodding slowly to her... and then the Drakkaren frowned a bit as she closed her eyes and hung her head, before he glanced at Priest... and the Dragokkaren cleared his throat and mumbled something about finding Cherry before hurrying off, leaving the two alone.

Finally, Soul glanced up at him, saying quietly: "Fact states that I was once a New Angel: nonspecific memories written into my primary programming that cannot be erased, hard as I have tried. Instinct also tells me this. Emotional data has created a contradiction: I am delighted... and yet I am very afraid. I know you have spared telling me that we were enemies to try and negate emotional suffering and because of concerns for what it may cause me to do. I understand this and appreciate your kindness, although I am aware part of it is because of tactical strategy.

"You tell me that I am a person. Yet I fear that I am not: I do not possess gender, biological drives, and am made more of metal than I am of flesh. I was never born, but grown. My mind is synthetic and powered by microchips, and I process data differently. Most of all, I am supposed to be a 'New Angel,' and yet I was programmed to be devoid of spirituality and worship. This is a logical fault in and of itself that I now recognize." She halted, then looked down for a moment before saying quietly: "Logic dictates that your current course of treatment of me has been irrational, unless you plan to use me for some purpose or another. Gathered emotional data has begun to form into 'trust,' however, as you have had many chances to destroy, interrogate, or neutralize me, and you have not taken any of them. Nor have you emphasized my necessity as a weapon. You have instead presented me with a choice that still does not make sense to me, as I am a combat device: to not fight."

Zerrex looked at her quietly, and then he approached her and simply hugged her tightly, not speaking, and she froze up for a moment before she slowly lowered her head against his shoulder, murmuring: "Physical embrace. Emotional data... physical data... physical... emotion..." She closed her eyes, and Zerrex could almost hear something in her sizzling before she whispered: "Overrides engaging..."

Her glass eyes flicked back and forth, the light in them dimming... then growing clearer before she looked up and reached her hands up to gently grasp his shoulders, studying him slowly before she said quietly: "My name is Soul. I am a person. And I am not a machine."

Zerrex smiled faintly at this, letting his hands rest on her waist... and then she smiled faintly at him before stepping backwards and looking back and forth, before opening her mouth... then frowning a bit and reaching up to rub at her head. It was a strange gesture for her to make... and the Drakkaren couldn't help but tilt his own curiously before she smiled again, then looked at him and said softly: "I think I've learned how to think. It is not about factual data or emotional data. It is about using both logic and instinct... figuring out which is best for the situation at hand, and then simply going ahead with it. About letting thoughts flow, and not interpreting every last thing... I... I can think. There's no more gears grinding together, there's no more need for analysis, to pause for data conversion, to be limited by rules and laws... I can think. I am Soul. I am a person. And I possess... a heart and a mind, not an engine and a central processing unit. I am Soul."

She touched her own chest quietly, closing her eyes... and then she looked up at Zerrex and frowned at him for a few moments before saying slowly: "And I will fight with you. I will share my feelings with you. I will trust you. But I do have a request..."

Zerrex tilted his head curiously, and Soul glanced down at her hands quietly, flexing her metallic fingers before she said softly: "When... this is over. I wish to experience true life. I would like to be given a real body, of organic substance and structure. I would like to see if I truly have a soul, or if I am truly just a machine that has learned to think. Can you do this for me?"

The Drakkaren looked at her awkwardly for a few moments... but before he could answer, the reptile heard a quiet laugh from behind him, and he half-turned to see Sin walking up the ramp with Anathema behind her, the two Naganatine smiling as the female said kindly: "I think it's a fair request, Lord Zerrex... and easier to do than it may seem at first. Sister, after all, could easily create a soulless vessel to allow her to transfer her essence into... and mortal technologies can do much the same. Although, if I may be so rude as to interject, Soul... you are already very much alive as it is. As alive as I am... as alive as my sister is."

"Maybe not as alive as me." Anathema said mildly, reaching up and pulling her own head off with a loud crack, and Zerrex rolled his eyes before the female firmly shoved it back down on her shoulders as Soul looked over the two Naganatine curiously. Then the undead Naganatine glanced over at the Drakkaren with a bit of a smile, saying quietly: "Anyway, she's asking for a normal life, Zerrex. That's something you can understand well, isn't it?"

"I... yeah. Yeah, I can." Zerrex rubbed awkwardly at his face, grimacing a bit, and then he said slowly: "Listen, Soul, I... I hate screwing around with soul transfers... I guess that's kind of a pun... and stuff. I don't know if I can make an exception in this case, either... because as I learned myself, sometimes giving up what you've got might seem like a good idea... but at the end of the day it can really freaking suck."

Soul nodded slowly, then she smiled a bit. "If that is the case, I shall weigh my decision further, and instead ask this: if my brethren, others like me, can be saved instead of killed... please save them. I do not ask mercy for Lord God. I do not ask mercy for the 'murderer' you refer to. I only ask mercy for the other prototypes who may be the same as I was. Under mental manipulation and control... please spare them if it is possible."

"And your other... siblings? The ones who don't possess emotions or serve Lord God willingly?" Anathema asked pessimistically, and Soul turned her eyes towards her as the undead Naganatine cocked her head. "Do you want us to try and convince them not to be psychopathic killers as well?"

"No, I understand that they must be destroyed." Soul said quietly, and Anathema looked surprised at this as the female bowed her head forwards. "My indelible data... the information that has been written into my operative coding, that I cannot suppress or remove unless the physical memory and neural nodes are destroyed, possesses sample data that suggests I am not the only prototype that was designed with emotions that later had to be placed under constraint. I am aware that many of the recombinants, as you call us, are designed to be purely objects of destruction, but I do not believe that I am the only one who can be freed.

"My emotional data, after all, is the result of sensations being programmed into my mind via both psychology and physical means... emotions culled from angels, and from the genetic resonance combed from the very DNA patterns that make me up, and further nurtured by fact-based interfacing where texts on laws, rights, and philosophy were directly programmed into my neural nodes." Soul paused, then she looked from Anathema to Sin with a faint smile. "If I truly am made from such kind people as yourselves... then how else could I be expected to turn out, if I possess a jumble of emotions made from mixing together the Naganatine?"

Zerrex smiled softly at this as Sin looked touched and Anathema only grumbled embarrassedly and looked down, crossing her arms moodily... and then she shook her head quickly before saying flatly: "Alright, alright, enough bullshit. As long as you don't hesitate if we get into a brawl with those bastards, I guess... that's a fair enough request. I suppose even if I was fighting against Job or Warden I wouldn't want to kill them..." She paused, then muttered grouchily: "Although it would have been nice if one of them died instead of Epoch."

"Sister!" Sin winced a bit and looked at her, but Anathema only huffed and grumbled under her breath before the Naganatine shook her head quickly, then glanced at Soul, who was standing awkwardly and studying them. "Soul, would you like to come with us? I believe Lord Zerrex has other tasks he must attend to, such as ensuring that there is enough residency in Acheron to support all those present... but we would be more than glad to introduce you to the others and help you find a room in the palace."

"Yeah, much as I'm sure Zerrex would like to sleep with you, it doesn't look like you could do much for him except with your mouth." Anathema added mildly, and Zerrex slapped his forehead before the female grinned widely at him. "Well it's true!"

"You've been spending too much time with Cherry." Zerrex muttered, and then he glanced over at Soul as she looked at him awkwardly, before he smiled a little and glanced over at Sin. "Actually, why don't you and Annie go set up a room for her in the palace and... for now, I'll take her on a tour of Acheron? I'm sure we'll run into plenty of people that way... and she can get used to the layout and the energy, then I'll drop her by the palace if anyone wants me to do anything else around here. And I'm sure there'll be something that needs to be magically fixed, there always is."

Anathema snorted at this, shaking her head with an amused look at him. "As if you mind flexing those muscles of yours. Come on, Sin, I think he's politely telling us to fuck off."

"Now sister, don't be so jealous." the Naganatine said kindly, and Anathema grumbled under her breath before Sin glanced towards Soul, smiling and bowing her head politely to her. "We will be looking forwards to meeting you again soon. Please take care of both yourself and Lord Zerrex. He has a bad habit of overworking himself, particularly here."

"I promise." Soul said softly, before Zerrex could say anything, and the reptile glanced at her with surprise before she smiled a little, saying quietly: "Your health is important to me, after all, for a variety of reasons. I think... I will enjoy it here. Acheron has a very... pleasant atmosphere. It is like the entire dimension has... a purpose, and has found... redemption. It is soothing."

"A good way to put it..." Zerrex murmured softly, rubbing at the underside of his muzzle slowly and smiling at her... and for the next several hours, the Drakkaren led the female carefully from place to place around the massive gold-stone city-dimension, explaining its origin and the traditions of the people who now populated it, talking at length about how it was both a sanctuary and a piece of paradise for the reptile, as he was able to alter reality to his liking here.

Soul was most interested in the inhabitants, however: the Dragokkaren particularly fascinated her, and she was brave enough to approach several of them by herself... or perhaps, due to her lack of knowledge of social graces, simply naïve and curious enough to not realize how bold she was being. It made Zerrex smile all the same, however, as she interviewed them in a polite way: despite the fact she was almost prying into some very personal matters of spiritual worship, she was also obviously honestly interested... and honest curiosity and not just sheer nosiness made all the difference in the world, especially when she expressed a desire to better learn the customs of Hez'Ranna to some of the Dragokkaren.

And, as expected, they ran into friends and family on their exploration: Maria and newly-christened Hope, who both studied Soul with interest, but did not in the slightest revile her... and Soul herself was surprised to meet a Broken. At first she did not understand what Maria was... but with a bit of explanation, she had nodded and been almost as interested in her as she had in the rest of the world, wanting to know all about her.

They also met Daria, Marina, and Serenity... and while Serenity was suspicious and grouchy, Daria and Marina had both warmly welcomed the female as one of their own. In other words, everyone was treating her surprisingly well... and the Drakkaren was admittedly glad for it, as they had continued to make their rounds, Soul looking much more relaxed, and speaking more and more naturally the more she was exposed to other people and social situations. She was learning rapidly... and Zerrex was admittedly very glad to see it.

At the palace, they had finally run into Sephire and Raze, who had both returned from Heaven with Francis and Tinman... and there been a short, comfortable reunion of sorts there for a few moments before Sephire had wanted to know all about Soul, obviously intensely curious... likely due in part to her own mechanical pieces.

He had left them alone, and retired to his usual study... and been surprised when he'd found Mary sitting with Balthazar and Mercy, the three looking comfortable together. Mary smiled kindly up at Zerrex as he entered the room, and Mercy looked at him radiantly, her collar dangling loosely around her shoulders as she said warmly: "Daddy, we were just talking about you..."

"And your knack for finding allies and friends in the most unexpected of places." Balthazar said softly, and the Drakkaren laughed a bit as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, looking at the ferret with both gladness and embarrassment. The male smiled at him, deep wisdom in the Benevolent's youthful features: Balthazar had lived for a good many years as a mortal, and had been the first President of Ire in many, many years to lead his people with wisdom instead of sanctimony. "I must admit, however, it becomes less surprising when you realize it was a female... after all, were it a male robot, I do not think you would have been quite so forgiving."

"Oh eat me." Zerrex retorted, and then he laughed and stepped forwards, slapping Balthazar on the shoulder as the ferret smiled wider. "Anyway, technically, she's androgynous. So it's not a sex issue for once in my life, got it?"

"Of course not." Balthazar said amiably, and then he picked up an apple sitting in a bowl on the table and took a bite out of it, adding easily: "But must physical affection be involved for it to become a sexual issue? Arousal pertains but does not automatically lead to sex... as even the most physically-attractive partners can often be ugly, and the ugliest of people the most beautiful."

"Why, Balthazar, are you hitting on me?" Zerrex fluttered his eyes, and the ferret only gave him that old amused smile before the Drakkaren sat down, adding mildly: "And you're doing that debating thing again, by the way, when I'd really like to just relax."

"Yet still you sit down and join us at the table." Balthazar gestured easily towards him, and Zerrex snorted in amusement before he tossed an entertained look to Mercy when she gave him a wink and a smile. "Tell me, though, Zerrex... any news from Heaven? I must admit that the issue of the murderer takes precedence even in my thoughts these days."

The Drakkaren only shook his head, however, saying quietly: "I was actually hoping you or one of the others would have some news for me... but since they're occupied with Soul and Francis or Tinny didn't approach me..." He paused as he heard a clunking, then winced as something broke loudly in the hall. "Well, no, there's Tinman now."

"Sorry, Zerrex!" the badger winced a little as he stuck his head in the doorway, looking embarrassed: even if he looked healthier and more-athletic than he had been in life, the angelic male was still a little clumsy. "I'm putting it back together right now."

There was a series of clanks, and then a moment later Tinny entered the room, looking awkwardly at the table before Zerrex slid to the side and flicked his wrist, creating another wooden chair. The badger smiled at him warmly, and then the small male sat down, blushing a bit as he said lamely: "Sorry again, I... don't mean to make a mess or any trouble or anything."

"Now come on, you sound like I'm going to start beating you again like in the old days." Zerrex said amusedly, and Tinman smiled: Corey Pettigrew, son of White Phoenix... the only tells being the fact he was also a badger and had golden-ringed eyes like his father did, except this male's were innocent and kind instead of the hidden depths that existed in his father's. He had served alongside Zerrex in the Goth Legion... or rather, at his feet, considering how they'd treated him back then, but he had become a friend after many years had passed... and they had remained good friends ever since. "What do you think of Soul?"

"I like her. She seems very nice." Tinman said honestly, and then he paused for a moment before shaking his head a bit. "Poor thing, though... maybe I can help with her arms and foot, make the metal a bit more comfortable for her, or help with that other metal welded to her... it's a good job, but I can tell it's still a little awkward for her to have on her body the way it is."

Zerrex nodded thoughtfully at this: Tinny's powers allowed him to manipulate metal to his will and desire, after all, and he was a master of the craft, both using his natural talents as well as his impressive abilities. Tinman had also always possessed a strange ability to pick up on the special skills of others as well: from all the time he'd spent with Zerrex when alive, for instance, his strength and vitality had both drastically improved from the sickly child he'd been born as into a much-healthier and happier adult. Well. After all the years we spent beating on him, that was. We were always terrible to him in the Legion... and yet he never complained.

The Drakkaren reached up and wrapped a companionable arm around Tinny's shoulders, and the badger blushed a bit before the reptile asked curiously: "So has there been any news from Heaven or anything?"

Tinny shook his head slowly, saying quietly: "I'm not officially 'in the loop,' so to speak... but Sir Francis talks to me a lot about it, and I have a few other friends who know a little about what's going on. I was really surprised to learn that Job has actually been doing his job, and the Council is in fact behind us on this... it's the first time in many, many years that the Council and the Archangels have completely agreed on a subject."

"So what's the holdup then?" Zerrex asked curiously, tilting his head with a frown. "Don't tell me all that bureaucracy Job's always been pushing has finally turned and bit him - and collectively us - in the ass?"

"Oh no, not that at all... it's just that... Luther is very, very well hidden." Tinman replied quietly, almost sounding embarrassed. "The Hounds of Heaven haven't turned up anything, and the Prophets can't find a trail on the mortal world...there's simply no signs or hints about where he might be. His mansion in Heaven was already raided, but it turned up almost no information... they've started turning his company and the facilities he ran upside down, but we haven't retrieved much information from any of those. Records of purchases, mostly, and more proof that Luther's behind this whole scheme."

"So now we know who it is... only for him to disappear." Zerrex muttered, rubbing at his face slowly. "If he's holed-up in a pocket dimension somewhere, it'll be a monster pain in the ass to drag him out into the open... even if he's just hiding on the mortal planet, there's so many pockets of purification and corruption from portals, use of magical artifacts, and the simple presence of all variety of supernatural entity that it could take weeks to find him..."

Tinny nodded, and then Balthazar suggested quietly: "Except we can narrow the field slightly by remembering specific things. For one, he can't be too close to a heavily-populated area... mortal authorities take a very dim view of supernatural entities running experiments of any kind, and would intervene if they suspected he was doing anything out of the ordinary. Furthermore, he wouldn't want to risk the exposure that being near a larger colonized area would give him... by now, angels in every colonized area on the mortal planet must know about what he's done and that the Council is on the prowl for him."

"And don't forget, there's ways to detect areas that have been cloaked from view... as we begin to isolate these 'hidden' areas, our Hunter-Seekers can begin to infiltrate and investigate to see if they have anything to do with Luther." Mercy added helpfully, smiling softly as she gazed across at her father lovingly. "It may seem like we're growing more desperate as time goes on, but I don't think it is. I think we're almost there... we just need to be patient. He can't hide forever when there's so many people looking for him."

"You could send out Gilgamesh as well... he and Thor are here in Acheron right now, right?" Mary added, smiling softly over at the Drakkaren. "And don't you have friends in Hez'Ranna? Satellites can sometimes see past magical stealth, just like how you can sometimes catch the image of a ghost or something on camera."

Zerrex nodded slowly, rubbing at the underside of his muzzle, and then he said finally: "Alright. All well and good points. I get it, though, you're all saying I just need to be patient... but my patience is really starting to run out."

Balthazar reached out and gently squeezed Zerrex's forearm, and the reptile glanced across at the ferret as he said softly: "Understandable, but you and I both know that every time you say that you seem to find another reason to hold on, another reason to wait, another reason to stay calm. Remember your goal at the end of all this is to stop the murderer. For now, the murderer is no longer moving, likely because of the risk of giving away Lord God's position. If we are fortunate, there will be no more deaths caused by his actions, and thus you are already almost at your goal."

"Yeah." Zerrex nodded slowly, grumbling a bit despite himself... and then he finally stood up, rubbing absently at his own chest before he grabbed at his forehead with a grimace. "I think I feel a headache coming on. I'm going to go and vegetate a little before Cherry shows up out of nowhere or Soul decides she wants to ask another fifty questions and I can spend several more hours attempting to explain things I barely understand myself."

"Yes, but you always have been good at that." the ferret said kindly, and Mercy nodded agreeably at this as she snapped her collar closed, Mary laughing a little as Tinman gave a small but warm smile. "Don't worry, Zerrex. If she comes this way, we shall be more than glad to spend our time trying to decipher the answers to her questions."

The Drakkaren nodded to the ferret, looking at him gratefully before he turned and headed out into the corridor, walking towards the stairs... and then he heard someone shout his name, the reptile wincing and turning around before he flinched back as he thought he saw Cherry... then wheezed in relief as he realized it was Sephire from the color of her scales. It had just confused him because she had abandoned her armor, wearing only a thin black shirt and matching jeans... and the reptile looked over her curiously as she jogged to catch up to him before grinning as she skidded to a halt, crossing her powerful arms. "What? I ain't allowed to dress nice?"

Zerrex shrugged amiably, then he turned to head up the stairs, the strong female following as he asked over his shoulder: "So even if I know I'm going to regret this, what do you want?"

"Just to talk to you about something." Sephire said awkwardly, and Zerrex frowned a bit over his shoulder at her as she rubbed the back of her head, looking embarrassed, and he halted at the top of the stairs... then winced when Sephire shoved her hands into his back as she bulled forwards with a grumble, pushing him quickly down the hall and all the way up the next set of steps until the reptile staggered onto the empty rooftop, and the goddess wheezed a bit before she cleared her throat and said lamely: "Yeah, so. Lord wasn't happy with the whole Disciple thing."

"Gee. Really?" Zerrex deadpanned, and Sephire glared at him before the reptile winced backwards and held up his hands. "Well. What happened?"

Sephire reached up and awkwardly rubbed at her collar... and the reptile studied her curiously as she flushed a bit, and then he softened and reached out to grasp her biceps, asking quietly: "What happened?"

She was silent for a few moments... then she sighed and walked to the edge of the roof, saying softly: "You know... Lord wasn't always a god. He was a mortal, a naïve little mortal, some descendant of that crackpot Ixin's... and then he got himself wrapped up in one of those 'fights to save the universe' and poof. Except there ain't really any fight to save the universe, is there? It don't really matter whether or not our planets go bye-bye... the universe is still gonna exist out there. We're selfish when we think that everything's about protecting our world... because we don't matter worth a shit to the whole wide space out there.

"Anyway, Lord was granted his abilities by another god. He ain't young in godly years now, but well... back then, you know. New god on the block with some pretty phenomenal powers, since even as a mortal Lord had been strong... so of course I was attracted to him. I messed up, though, you see. It ain't that I don't love him, 'cause I do... and it ain't that I don't like him, 'cause I do... but I ain't like him. I forgot about the differences between us because I was so eager to be with him... I forgot that sometimes you just can't mix two things together, no matter how similar they are and how much they... complement each other.

"So yeah." She rubbed absently at the back of her head slowly, glancing quietly over at Zerrex. "Lord, you see. He's friendly, he wants everyone to be nice to everyone, he's monogamous, he's innocent, he tries real hard to cover up his flaws and his bad side. Me, I'm a whore, I like to have fun, I enjoy the thrills of chaos and I wanna be free... within certain controls. There's the big problem between us...

"Lord likes to control the little shit that drives me absolutely bat-shit insane. He likes everything in neat rows and gets mad when they aren't. He wants the house neat and tidy more than he wants it functional. He wants to live forever-ever-after in happiness and calmness with me in our little fairytale cottage, where Raze is a good little boy who's going into the same field his father is and all this bull." Sephire grimaced a bit, shaking her head slowly. "What really bothers me is that Lord is a good dad, and a good person. But he's just... fuck. You try spending the years I have with him without wanting a little freedom.

"But Lord thinks that I'm trying to run away from him now, 'cause I did this. And he got hurt and whiny and he's so fucking sensitive for a fucking god." Sephire gritted her teeth and swung a fist out at the air, and then she said moodily: "So I told him I was just going to pack my shit up and leave for a while if this was going to happen, and we had a big argument and well... I'm kind of without a place to stay right now. I haven't even told Raze yet 'cause I know Raze will be right pissed off and the last thing we need is them having a big fight."

Zerrex looked at her softly as she turned towards him, rubbing silently at her collar before she glanced away, saying quietly: "I'm real sorry to get you involved in this drama. But... he said he wanted me to ask you to remove the pact. You know, in that tone that says: 'and if he says no I'll talk to him for you' that drives me nuts." She grimaced. "I don't want you removing this Discipleship, though. It means a lot more to me than a lot of shit has these last few years. It makes me feel comfortable with myself, too, which is even rarer... it's been a long time since I could say I was proud of myself, Zerrex."

The Drakkaren rubbed at his face quietly, not knowing how to respond... and then Sephire clapped her hands together firmly, saying mildly: "So uh. If it's okay with you, I'll be hiding out here for a few weeks. Maybe a few months. Maybe a few years. I dunno, however long it takes for shit to cool down. We cool?"

"As long as I don't end up with a large angry god trying to kill me." Zerrex muttered, and Sephire grinned lamely at him. "The last thing I want to do is tangle with Lord, Sephire. He's an Archangel for a reason. He might seem like a bigger pushover than I am but I've seen the guy fight and I know he's not someone I want pissed off at me."

"You could take him. And if you couldn't, we could together." Sephire said softly, winking at him, and the reptile smiled awkwardly at her and at the hidden meaning in her words before she walked over and hugged him impulsively, and Zerrex hugged her tightly back. "Thanks for bein' there for me like this. You're a good guy."

And with that, Sephire kissed him on the cheek, then slipped past and headed down the stairs, Zerrex looking after her with a slow shake of his head before a soft, dangerous voice muttered: "Fear is for the weak, Zerrex. So are these games you play... games of compassion, empathy, kindness. You and I both know you have much larger fish to fry... and much more important things to put your energies towards dealing with."

Zerrex turned towards Negative, somehow unsurprised to see him standing nearby before he said quietly: "If I don't take care of my friends when they ask for my help, Negative, then I might as well just let the murderer win."

"Friends and family..." Negative sounded bitter now, shaking his head resentfully before he glared across at the reptile, his red eyes burning. "Just like everything else in life, they're only after what you offer them. Power, pleasure, protection and social status. They don't care about you just because, Zerrex... if you didn't have the strength you did, they would abandon you to the dust. If you weren't as important a figure as you are, they would not so greedily flock to you. They are not altruistic, and you need to stop thinking that they care about you 'just because,' in your naïve little fantasy world where we can all be friends. Just like the new weapon you've acquired. You need to stop caring about her nonexistent 'feelings' and put her to use against Luther to destroy him."

Zerrex grunted, looking away from the Inversion and saying quietly: "What the hell's your problem today? You're in an even fouler mood than usual... you lose a poker game with Ravenlight or something?"

Negative seized Zerrex's shoulder and yanked him around in a circle with a snarl, shouting angrily in his face: "Don't you fucking judge me! You still have no idea who I am or what I'm capable of... do you really think I'm confined to the limits of your pathetic body and soul?"

The Drakkaren looked disgustedly back at the male, reaching up and wiping flecks of dark spittle from his face before he looked down in surprise and realized they were real, and he snarled a bit as he looked quickly down... but Negative cast no shadow, and his outline was faintly-blurred, letting the reptile know that somehow he was existing outside of the physical realm even if his actions still affected what was on it. "How..."

"Oh please. You are merely an anchor... I am capable of doing whatever I please." Negative said grouchily, and then he turned around, walking a few feet away before he snapped a finger, a dark sword forming from black energy in midair beside him before Negative pointed towards the wall, and the sword shot forwards and smashed into the stone, exploding and blowing apart the golden rock, sending down a hail of rubble as Zerrex winced a bit... then watched as Negative caught a large chunk of broken stone and crushed it to dust in his hand. "I am real, Zerrex, don't forget that."

He began to turn away, and then Zerrex rose a hand, saying clearly: "Wait, I... I have a question for you." He paused as Negative halted, looking curiously over his shoulder, and the reptile asked quietly: "What happened with Hope?"

"Hope?" Negative frowned and turned around, tilting his head... and then he snorted in distaste as he nodded slowly, his red eyes glowing. "Oh, the deer... didn't I say my corruption enhanced things? It made her superior, evolved her, and I suppose that her will must have been strong enough that it was unable to influence her mind... although..."

He rubbed slowly at the underside of his muzzle, and Zerrex stayed silent, Negative murmuring: "The warped Benevolent... yes, the corruption stabilized her, did it not? A very strange effect... and much more surprising than what occurred with the doe, as at least she had the benefit of being both your Disciple and from a clan that had more than dabbled in the supernatural over the years. I think I will have to examine her thoroughly at some point..."

Negative grinned callously, but Zerrex was unfettered this time around, saying mildly: "Oh I get it. You have no idea."

Now the Inversion looked moodily at the Drakkaren, his red eyes narrowing. "And I suppose you know exactly how your own energies will affect a being every time you make yet another whore into one of your Disciples, is that it?"

"Yeah, but these last times I've used the Corruption on people, it's been to completely unexpected results, opposite what normally happens... animal subservience to me, transforming them into monsters that are next door to mindless." Zerrex replied quietly, and Negative looked both as if he wanted to simply walk away and debate the point, even as the Drakkaren continued: "I figured that you must have had something, somehow, to do with that... but if you really haven't, then... is it possible that I can control the effects of the Corruption myself?"

"Are you saying that you think you can control me?" Negative asked disgustedly, but when Zerrex only looked at him curiously, he relaxed slightly, then muttered: "I... I am not you, Zerrex, but nor am I truly your Inversion.... I take upon this image and form because it is... useful for my intentions and works as a reflection of myself in a clear enough manner... I... I mean..."

He halted, looking down silently... and then he glanced back up after a moment, saying slowly: "I am your Inversion. And yet I am not: when you Invert, it is easy for me to take over your mind... but as you well know, if I truly wish to control you, I can claw my way into your brain whether you're Inverted or not. Perhaps... with the right amount of resolve... you are able to not only control yourself when Inverted, but also the effects your Inversion has... just as you can control what you create with your powers as a god."

"There, was it so hard to just sit and talk things out with me?" Zerrex asked mildly, and Negative gave him a moody look before the reptile said softly: "We don't have to be absolute enemies, Negative. I'm not saying we have to be friends... that I even want to be your friend. I'm only saying that we can work things out."

The Inversion looked at him for a few moments, and the Drakkaren thought he saw hesitance in those ruby red eyes, before Negative snorted and flicked his wrist, black flames consuming his form for a moment before he vanished from sight. Zerrex sighed a bit at this, rolling his eyes and muttering about theatrics... but he couldn't help but wonder silently where the hell Negative went at times like this, and just how far he was capable of going away from the Drakkaren, as he rubbed absently at his face before muttering: "In any case... I guess it also doesn't exactly matter, right? Just gotta keep pushing forwards through this mire of worsening garbage and hope for the best... at least if feels like it might actually all be over soon."

He closed his eyes... then sighed a bit as he walked to the rooftop, sitting quietly down at the edge and watching the people far below walking back and forth. He sat and meditated on things for a good twenty minutes alone before he sensed more than heard someone coming towards him... and then he smiled softly as Epiphany sat beside him, his daughter gazing at him lovingly, her vest stitched tight to her body and the bikini of polished skulls she was wearing tightly cupping her breasts and groin. "Hello, Father."

"Hello, daughter." Zerrex said quietly, and then he smiled a little when she reached out and took his hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing slowly. "Something on your mind?"

Epiphany nodded a little, looking out at the red horizon as her other hand toyed at the black obsidian gem in her tightly-cinched collar, her green eyes glowing softly as she said quietly: "I met Soul today. She's very strange... but very nice. I like her. She's a lot like Mommy... I'd like to help her maybe. I'd like to help her be more like one of my Mommies."

"Don't you already have enough Mommies?" Zerrex couldn't help but ask with a smile, and Epiphany laughed and gazed at him warmly, squeezing his hand tightly as she leaned over and nudged him playfully with her shoulder.

"Not like that! I just mean that I think she deserves a body of her own... I could make her one, you know, just like I made Equinox." Epiphany said softly, gazing over at him curiously, and when Zerrex frowned a bit she blushed and glanced down, saying quietly: "It's just a suggestion. A possibility... and I wouldn't do it without your permission, or without Anathema or Sin's supervision. I've learned my lesson, Daddy, I have. And I know I'm very lucky, even when I act spoiled sometimes... I have my Daddy, and I have Anathema, Sin, Marina, and Maria. How many other children can say they have four mothers who look out for them so well, and treat them so nicely?"

She smiled up at the sky at this, then nodded a little before her green eyes met Zerrex's emerald irises, sliding a bit closer towards him... and Zerrex carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulders, their hands still locked tightly together as she smiled and leaned against him, her eyes tightly closed as she murmured: "I love you so much, Daddy. I would do anything for you... anything to help you, and to protect you. Anything to free you from the pain I know you go through every day..."

She sighed a little, looking down quietly... and then she gazed back up at him, meeting his eyes tenderly: "Don't take this the wrong way... but you shouldn't resist the gifts that I and my mothers and many other people want to give you. I could create a thousand perfect slaves for you... and there would be no harm in it, no moral boundaries crossed. I would need little raw material... my ability to absorb and store and use genetic information however I like means that I can create things from the ground up with enough energy, and you know that I am a powerhouse of energy. I only... don't understand still, why it would be wrong for me to do that. You have the Sacrifices, after all, and they are living, real people... what I make would be much like the Simulacrum, and I know that now and then you toy with such creations."

"Only on rare occasion, and it still feels wrong." Zerrex said quietly, looking embarrassed as he glanced up for a moment... and then he continued softly: "And you'd be creating life, Epiphany... but you're not at that level, not ready for that. And anything alive... anything that has feelings, or a soul, doesn't deserve to be used as a toy unless it either really wants that or has done such terrible things it's forfeited all rights. They say that even the plants are alive, that even the soil has a soul... I mean, I'm not going to feel bad about walking on the ground, that's what it's there for, and I'm not going to stop digging holes or chucking rocks at my enemies, but I'm still not going to go and say: 'the ground is useless, we don't need it anymore,' because then what would I walk on? I mean..." Epiphany giggled, and Zerrex blushed a bit. "I know, I know, I'm... I'm not making much sense.

"What I'm getting at is that... we have to respect life, no matter how big or small, no matter how soulless or surreal or alien it seems." Zerrex said finally, and he nodded a little bit to himself at this before squeezing his daughter's hand quietly as he studied her slowly. "Your brother Naganen, for example, was created by Anathema at the end of a... random romp. But he has a soul, doesn't he?"

Epiphany nodded slowly, and then she said quietly: "I understand a little better now, Daddy. But still... I can build you a perfect servant. And... I can be your perfect slave." She closed her eyes, curling tighter against him as Zerrex looked at her softly, not knowing what to say, not knowing what to even feel. "But I will respect your wishes, Father. Just know that I love you, and am here for you... to do anything and everything you ask of me."

"I do know that Epiphany. I know both those things." Zerrex replied awkwardly, smiling a little at her even as he felt a nervous pang nipping at his stomach as she rubbed a hand slowly along his body. He tried to think of what else he could say or do... but his anxieties about his daughter were wiped away as she suddenly stiffened at his side before sitting up and staring intently out into the square, the Drakkaren frowning as he asked sharply: "What? What is it?"

"We have intruders." Epiphany whispered, and Zerrex snarled as he looked up and then felt the distinct ripple as well, before his eyes widened in horror as Gateways visibly ripped open in the distance throughout the square, and the Drakkaren leapt to his feet before Epiphany snarled: "They must be destroyed! They must all die!"

"Epiphany, wait!" Zerrex shouted, but it was too late: a moment later, the female vanished from the spot before the reptile cursed and leaned forwards... and then a massive Gateway ripped open behind him, and the reptile staggered around in a circle instead of teleporting, flailing his arms wildly before he stared in horror as a forty foot tall behemoth stormed slowly out of the gold-and-white portal, a Leviathan that was larger than any Zerrex had ever seen, covered in rippling, massive muscles and with a gleaming golden axe clutched tightly in either hand, its jaws twisted back in a wide grin and the dewlap hanging from its throat covered in tribal tattoos.

White and silver armor protected its body, brightly-gleaming and with large, exaggerated 'wings' reaching out of its shoulders, and a massive helm locked over the creature's skull and half-covered the upper portion of its huge head, with grilles through which burning eyes glared and six immense, proud steel horns that branched up from it. Beautiful gemstones were inset along the rim of the helm, alternating diamonds and crystals with an enormous golden topaz set into the front of the protective covering, and thin mesh hung down on either side of its enormous set of jaws to give it additional protection. The heavy plates that covered its frame were smooth and decorated here and there with black, embossed runes that seemed to move of their own accord, and Zerrex cursed under his breath as he faced towards the creature before a bolt of light smashed into the side of its skull, knocking it staggering before the reptile looked with surprise to see Eratosthenes standing at the steps, the Librarian shouting: "Be careful, Zerrex Narrius! This is no mere Honor Guard, these Elite served as the personal bodyguard of the First Gods themselves!"

The Elite's eyes flicked towards the Librarian, and then it snarled at the Strange Beast before slamming one of its axes into the ground, and Error cursed as he crossed his arms over his chest, a sphere of translucent energy surrounding him a moment before a pillar of light erupted around his body. A moment later, the light solidified into gleaming golden crystal, and Error winced as he was trapped inside, his shield vanishing as he smacked his hands against the walls of the imprisoning pillar as the Elite threw its head back and laughed.

Zerrex took the opportunity to charge forwards... and without looking, the Elite swung both its axes easily outwards and down, the lizard skidding to a halt as he leaned away to dodge the enormous, crescent-shaped blades before he leapt upwards as the Elite lowered its head, and it looked surprised that the reptile dared to continue the attack before his right fist smashed into its nose... and the creature was knocked back only a step, grunting in pain even as it swung its twin, massive axes upwards and firmly caught the reptile between them with a hard slap, the reptile cursing in agony as he was stunned more than hurt before it drove a knee into his chest and sent him flying backwards.

He hit the edge of the rooftop, then skidded off and into thin air... but Zerrex only snarled as he floated, energy sizzling beneath him before the reptile slowly climbed to his feet, standing on nothing as the Elite looked at him with surprise before the Drakkaren narrowed his eyes, saying coldly: "This is my world, you ugly son of a bitch. What I say, goes... and what I'm saying is that I'm going to kill you."

The creature only grinned, however, and then it roared and charged forwards... and Zerrex stepped backwards through thin air, his feet leaving ripples as he defied reality and gravity before the monster lunged towards him, bringing its axes back... and Zerrex vanished from sight before he reappeared behind the Strange Beast, slamming both feet savagely down into the monster's back and sending it flying straight down towards the steps leading up to the palace far below, the Elite crashing face-first into the top of the steep stairs and rolling violently down them with howls of frustration and indignation.

The Drakkaren flipped easily and landed on the rooftop, and then he snapped his fingers without bothering to glance towards Error, and the pillar of crystal shattered into motes of golden energy that vanished quickly from sight before the Strange Beast ran to his side, saying urgently: "Zerrex, this makes no sense. My brethren have no reason to attack you here... this dimension is not within the territory of the First Gods, they should not even be able to Gateway in and out of this location, not unless they were following a beacon..."

"Yeah, but we've got more than Strange Beasts here." Zerrex said coldly, feeling the distinct ripple of other hostile energies... and the reptile balled his hands together in front of himself as if praying as he bowed his head forwards, blocking everything around him out as he concentrated as hard as he could, eyes clenched shut... and a moment later, he was gazing down into the square as if he was standing in the sky and looking through a telescope, able to focus in on events as he pleased as he sharpened the view and drew his sight over the chaos in the square.

Strange Beasts, Dragokkaren, Disciples, and all others who had gathered here were battling... and amidst them were several cloaked figures, some rapidly shooting towards what seemed like specific destinations and others rampaging as they attacked any enemy - and sometimes allies - they came across. Then the reptile cursed before he allowed the vision to fade away, opening his eyes... and lunging backwards with a shout of shock as the Elite from earlier leapt up in front of him like a ghost emerging from thin air, roaring as it hauled its axes back before Eratosthenes snapped a hand upwards and the monster's body rippled as it froze in place.

He shouted something at Zerrex in his own language, but his tone made the warning clear as both he and the Drakkaren quickly backed away from the Elite... and it shuddered violently before it swung both axes down as its movements returned to normal, ripping through the paralysis by force of will and brute strength alone, its eyes blazing from beneath its dented helm before it leaned forwards as it flicked a wrist hard, sending one of its massive battle axes flying towards the Librarian.

Error barely managed to bring his arms up in front of himself, wincing even as a circular shield of purplish energy glowed in front of him before the golden axe smashed through this and into the Strange Beast's raised limbs. He was sent crashing backwards in a hail of shards of energy and broken metal, electric blood splattering out of ugly wounds ripped in both arms as he cursed and rolled backwards before scrambling to his feet with a wince as the heavy crescent axe spun back towards the monster, the Elite catching it with ease before he used the other axe to bat away a sphere of energy when Zerrex threw it hard at his face.

Then the Drakkaren snarled as he flicked his hand upwards, and the ricocheted sphere transformed into a long, deadly cone that fired back at the Elite's face, but it only shattered uselessly against the helm even as the monster's huge head was knocked to the side with a grunt. Nonetheless, the reptile took the opportunity to charge even as the Elite roared in frustration and anchored itself at the edge of the rooftop, before it snarled as its blazing eyes glared down at the reptile and it began to raise its arms... and Error shouted another incantation, flicking his wrists upwards, and thick ice rapidly swarmed up the Elite's short legs, locking it in place as it glanced down with a hiss.

Zerrex leapt forwards, slamming his fist into its chest, and it leaned backwards with a hiss even as it dropped its axes to hold them by the neck, raising the deadly weapons high... but the Drakkaren swung both his feet up as he used his arm like an axle and kicked hard off its body, sending himself flying backwards even as the creature gave a short, snapping lash out with both its terrible weapons.

He hit the rooftop on his back, skidding away with a wince and cursing at the sheer solidity of the monster before his eyes widened in horror as the beast half-tossed one of the battle axes upwards, catching it by the bottom of the handle and letting it fall slightly backwards... and then it snapped it forwards, and Zerrex barely managed to throw himself backwards as he spread his legs with a curse, the axe chopping into the ground between his lower limbs and cutting the lower quarter of his tail off as agony spread through his body, the reptile rolling backwards with a howl of pain before he yelled in frustration: "What the fuck is it with you bastards and removing my fucking tail!"

Then he snarled in surprise as he saw that at the same time as the beast had chopped outwards at him, it had begun using its other axe to cut away the ice impeding its movements... and Zerrex cursed as he lunged to his feet before he ran forwards and leapt upwards, leaving a spill of blood behind him as the monster swept one axe out in a wide, hard slice before the reptile brought his right arm up with a wince as it chopped in with the other weapon, the axe biting uselessly through scale into stone and metal beneath before Zerrex swung his left hand out and grabbed the beast's muzzle, the Elite snarling as the reptile yanked himself forwards before he rolled neatly over its wide skull and spun around as he began to skid down its back, seizing it by the shoulders and yanking it with him as the ice around its feet shattered.

It roared in surprise as it was torn off the rooftop, falling again towards the stairs far below as Zerrex snarled in effort, then rolled with the monster at the last second... and its eyes widened a moment before it slammed face-first into the steps, crashing through them and sending up a burst of dust and rock as the reptile kicked off its back at the same time, denting and dislodging the heavy plate armor covering the beast as he flew upwards. His body neatly arched, his emerald eyes glowing as his right arm transformed, the fist become a massive, deadly spike as the rest of his limb thickened into heavy plates of serrated steel... and then he fell with a roar, slamming the huge spear of his limb down into the monster's upper back and ripping through metal and bone casing into the Elite's Symposium below, the monster screaming in agony as pinkish electricity and neon blood shot upwards in a geyser from the wound before the monster simply exploded into gore and shrapnel.

The Drakkaren was sent flying backwards with a howl of pain, broken pieces of white armor stuck here and there in his body as he flew through a window of the palace and crashed into a wooden table, shattering it into splinters before he rolled violently backwards several times, coughing hard as he finally skidded to a halt, his body smoldering... but healing rapidly here in Acheron, the dimension itself aiding his recovery as his metallic limb transformed back into a gauntlet hand and plated arm... and then the reptile snarled as he heard a loud scream, yanking open the doorway and running out into the hall before he shot towards the source of the yell.

He smashed through a wooden door at the end of the corridor to emerge into a dining room that lay in shambles, shattered suits of armor and broken statues mixed with the wreckage of furniture, tables, and ceramics... and then the reptile's eyes widened in horrified disbelief as he saw Balthazar laying in bloody, broken tatters at the feet of a cloaked figure, the recombinant's hood pulled back so the shadows were lifted from its body, a snarling, crazed grin on a hideous, white-scaled face. A single ugly ear stood up from its skull, and wildly-twisting horns pushed out of either side of its head, standing only some six feet tall... but while one hand was blood-splattered but normal, the other ended in some kind of immense cannon unit, the barrel smoking faintly as it whispered: "Lookie-lookie... if it isn't the one Lord God hates most..."

"You bastard..." Zerrex snarled in fury... and then he froze up as the monster rose a foot and stomped down on Balthazar's skull, crushing the ferret's head like a tomato as its grin stretched wider and green saliva dripped from hungry, lipless jaws across yellowed teeth. The reptile felt rage burning through his system as his eyes flicked to Mary, who lay in a bloody pile, clutching at a stomach that had been torn open as Desire trembled in front of her, the white of her ribs exposed, her body looking as if she had been caught in an acidic hurricane even as she held her cleaver gamely raised despite the shakes travelling through her body, cloth wrap tight around her breasts and one leg of her jeans burned away, the naked scales beneath this steaming and blackened in places.

Then the door opposite Zerrex was smashed open, and Lily charged through, her white dress torn just above the knee to let her move freely and her Smiting Rod glowing in her hands, a bit of blood dribbling down the side of her face as she snarled in fury... and then her eyes alit on the grinning, insane monster facing them, looking at Balthazar's corpse and beyond, at Mary and her wounded daughter... and her rainbow irises glowed with fury as she trembled violently, her body flexing as it grew slightly in size, making her clothing strain as sick crackles tore through the air as six enormous, spider-like legs stretched out of her back and her tail trembled before segmenting and ripping apart, splitting in half down the middle and as two elongated, scorpion-like stingers grew out of the tips as the demoness snarled: "You stay away from my daughter..."

"You cannot threaten me. I am Devastation... and it is what I plan to bring to your entire family with the other New Angels! We do not fear you or your kind!" the recombinant snarled, and then it reached up and tore its cloak off, revealing a sickly, emaciated body covered in the same putrid white scales and pulsating red surgical scars, its left arm thin and gangly but the right side of its form replaced by mechanical parts, metal plating barely covering an ugly jumble of wires and heavy cabling.

Its right shoulder was a heavy sphere, and the upper limb was nothing but a thin rod with dozens of thick black cables wrapped around and around it, snapping into the back of the large, rectangular cannon its limb ended in... and it laughed insanely as it rose this, its gangly legs tensing as it leaned towards Zerrex and shrieked: "Die, die, die!"

A blast of dark energy erupted from the cannon, and the lizard cursed as he leapt out of the way of this before Lily hissed and charged forwards, her eyes burning before she swept her Smiting Rod down into one of the creature's legs, knocking its feet out from under it with a shriek before she easily spun the weapon in a wide swing that carried it up above her head before smashing it downwards into its back, sending it crashing limply into the ground before she brought the weapon back... and when it began to unsteadily claw its way to its feet, she slammed the Smiting Rod across its spine in a heavy swing, green, acidic blood exploding upwards as its spine was snapped in half and it was sent rocketing across the room to crash into the wall and bounce off it with a thud, Lily cursing as the acid blood splattered over her and rapidly began to eat into her scales, staggering backwards as Zerrex snorted... then looked up in shock as Devastation laughed insanely.

It began to crawl upwards to its feet... and Lily snarled even as Zerrex shouted a warning to her, but the demoness was consumed by rage as she sprinted towards the monster as it began to get up, its wounds rapidly healing... before it suddenly leaned forwards and vomited a thick stream of acid that splattered over Lily's body, the demoness staggering backwards with a scream of agony as her entire form began to smolder and steam, dropping her Smiting Rod as she clawed uselessly at herself before Devastation leapt to his feet and fired a bolt of dark energy into her stomach from his cannon, the blast connecting and sending up a massive explosion that made the entire room vibrate as Lily was sent hurtling away, bouncing off a wall and then skidding into a pile of debris near the side of the room as Desire screamed and Zerrex immediately ran towards her.

Devastation laughed as he fired off several more blasts, but Zerrex snarled, flicking his wrists upwards, and the floor erupted into a wall of steel and rock and ivy that formed a half-domed shield, protecting them from attack as blasts of black flame burst over it. Then Zerrex turned, ignoring the monster's laughter and shrieks as it fired wildly into the walls of the room, turning with a tremble towards Lily... but she was unconscious, most of her scales burned away, her body taking on a distinctly melted look that meant her ability to shapeshift had been compromised on top of everything else. She was badly, badly injured... and Zerrex snarled before he looked towards Desire, his daughter breathing hard as she looked back at him with a tremble before he asked coldly: "Can you take on your Personification?"

Desire trembled a bit... and then she shoved her cleaver into the ground before stepping backwards and dropping to all fours, closing her eyes before her body rapidly began to thicken, her wounds stretching and ripping wider as her teeth grew in her jaws, her eyes clenching shut with a snarl of both pain and fury as six spider-like legs ripped out of her back, each ending in sharp, jagged talons. Ram's horns twisted out of her skull, and her tail snapped back and forth before it ripped open at the end in a set of fanged, hissing jaws as the scars over her features pulsed, spreading further along her muzzle like a growing spiderweb... and then she slowly straightened, twenty feet tall now, her body masculine and sexless and covered in immense, powerful muscle, her scales completely fallen away from her hands to reveal enormous, bony claws that flexed and rippled like water as her tail lengthened and thickened slightly as the jaws at the end of them lifted upwards, and her huge, toothy maw turned down towards her father as she said clearly in his mind, no longer able to speak due to the structure of her jaws: I am at your command, Father.

The ivy tattoos along her arms twisted slowly and visibly as if in agreement, and Zerrex nodded before he said coldly: "First, we're going to take that cannon away from him."

She growled and nodded, saliva dripping from her maw before Zerrex held his hands up as Devastation screamed: "Come out and play, come out and-"

The reptile leaned forwards and grunted as he made a shoving motion, and the wall of rock and metal exploded outwards, sending boulders and shrapnel crashing into the recombinant and making him stagger backwards with a scream before Zerrex ran forwards through the hail of stone and steel, smashing a fist across the creature's face before he slammed two hard jabs into his stomach, and the recombinant hissed before he began to open his jaws... and immediately, Zerrex leaned to the side, dodging a short stream of green acid before he seized the monster's muzzle with his metal hand and forced it shut, and acid squirted out the beast's nostrils and between his teeth as his eyes bulged and he gave an agonized, muffled scream as the toxic stuff was forced back down his maw, Zerrex wincing as acid splattered over his arm and across his chest before he concentrated, and a band of steel appeared quickly around the monster's muzzle as the reptile leapt away, cursing as the short-lived acid boiled into his body before vanishing.

The monster scrabbled wildly at his muzzle, then his eyes burned with rage as he gave another muffled shriek, green ooze still dripping heavily from between teeth that were slowly rotting as he rose his cannon-arm, and Zerrex ran quickly to the side, the monster firing bolts of dark energy after him, fixated on the Drakkaren as he gave raging, choking howls... and then a set of powerful claws seized into his right limb, and the creature had a moment to look up dumbly as a final bolt fired and went wild, crashing into the wall before Desire roared down into his features as she tore backwards, the limb dislodging with sparks of electricity and hanging only by damaged cabling as acidic blood and bolts of blue lightning sparked along his arm, Devastation screaming before Desire's tail snapped upwards and lashed across his body like a whip as she half-turned with another yank, knocking the creature backwards with a scream of pain as his cannon-arm was torn off before the band of steel around his muzzle snapped and he vomited a gush of acid over Desire's body.

She howled in agony, staggering backwards as her scales immediately began to bubble and boil, stumbling away from the monster as the recombinant continued to vomit a steam of acid after her, more of the sick stuff bursting from his metal shoulder before Zerrex cursed as he ran forwards and slammed a fist into the monster's back... but the recombinant only spun around, howling as he lashed his ugly hand back and forth in wild grabs as he spat more acid out after the Drakkaren. Zerrex backpedalled rapidly, wincing and unable to anything but create a circular shield of energy over one arm, hiding behind this with a snarl as he shouted: "Goddammit!"

Desire staggered backwards and fell beside Lily, whimpering as her scales burned, her older wounds pulsing in visible agony before Lily's eyes flickered open... and she smiled weakly across at her daughter as her features slowly transformed, becoming leonine instead of reptilian, but her eyes remaining the same. They stared at each other for a few moments, and then Lily reached silently forwards, cupping Desire's face as she whispered weakly: "Live and save Zerrex. Let me pass my strength on to you... I love you."

Then Lily's eyes closed... and her body burst into golden flames as Desire screamed, scrabbling upwards as tears leaked from the demoness's eyes... and then the flames rapidly condensed and swirled together, transforming into a beautiful rainbow-colored crystal. Desire stared at this, trembling violently, breathing hard: it was a Heartstone, a soul of a demon made physical, containing all their strengths and powers... and Desire snarled as she looked towards the recombinant before she reached out and seized this as rage and sorrow and love and most of all, a need to honor her mother and protect her father burned through her being.

The Heartstone glowed in her hand... and then Desire's back arched as white light irradiated her body, screaming as her wounds and the scarring over her face rapidly healed, leaving her features animal and yet beautiful and pristine, and her body shuddered before expanding further, growing larger as spikes ripped out of her upper arms and shoulders, her horns twisting and lengthening as a leonine mane tore from her skull and her eyes glowed with all the colors in the world, her jaws shrinking slightly as her tail grew larger, the jaws bulging and lengthening as snake-like features pulsed out of the end of it... and finally, another set of arms ripped free from her sides, a smaller set of her brawny, massive upper limbs as the claws at the end of them flexed before she leaned forwards as her spider-like legs writhed and twitched... and then snarled as golden flames burst into being around her body before she leapt upwards and broke into a sprint with a furious roar.

Devastation half- turned away from where he had almost managed to corner Zerrex, the Drakkaren's shield cracked with acid... and for a moment, the male only looked stupid before Desire simply seized him and tackled him through a wall, the recombinant screaming as his acid blood exploded upwards... but was immediately dissolved in the flames covering the female's body, his eyes rolling wildly in his head as the two lower claws ripped through his stomach as Desire seized his head in both her hands, yanking back and forth before simply tearing it off and tossing it aside before her claws descended and ripped into the organic shell of the creature again and again, shredding it violently into pieces as acid splattered all around her burning body.

Then she breathed hard as she halted, leaning forwards and clenching her eyes shut... and a moment later, her form shank slowly, gradually downwards as Zerrex looked at her in shock, watching as she reverted back into her normal body... but now with golden hair that streamed from the center of her skull and down the back of her neck in a mane that fell naturally to one side of her face, trembles rolling through her body as she reached up and touched the side of her face that was no longer scarred, her body lithe and pretty once more but now with an extra set of arms standing out of her sides... and slowly, the flames around her guttered out before she looked over her shoulder and whispered in Lily's voice: "Hello, Zerrex. I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye... but I love you."

"I love you too, Lily." Zerrex murmured, trembling hard... and then he cursed as he looked over his shoulder at Balthazar's corpse, clenching his eyes shut and whispering: "Oh Gods, Lily, I can feel them dying, I can feel others suffering... I don't want to lose you, I don't want to lose them."

"Then we shall stay here. I am still... conscious inside Desire. A daughter who loves her mother enough to share her body with her..." Desire-Lily smiled faintly, then closed her eyes before she said sharply, pointing towards the doorway: "Go, save the others! We'll take care of Mary and help secure the palace!"

"Right." Zerrex looked back at her, knowing there was no time to argue or mourn, and he vanished from the spot... but instead of reappearing in the square as he'd expected, he reappeared in his room, staggering with a grunt of surprise before something snaked quickly up around his leg... and the reptile looked down in shock as the Armor of Naganis rapidly spread up along his body, bone plates locking onto his form and clanking against him, the energies both soothing him and sending confidence through him as the reptile looked down in surprise at hands now covered by ivory gauntlets... and then he gritted his teeth and nodded as the bone-mask snapped over his face, saying coldly: "You're right. I'll need all the help I can get to defend this place... where do we go first?"

He felt a distinct vibration through his body, and the reptile let his instincts guide him before he vanished from the spot... and reappeared a moment later on top of one of the residential buildings, quickly looking back and forth to get his bearings before he winced and ducked as a massive chunk of rock flew over his head, thrown up by an explosion that rattled the entire building.

Daria was fighting side-by-side with Lone and Mahihko against a Leviathan and a wounded Viper, the newt charging forwards with her spear and a snarl as she leapt up and stabbed it through the Leviathan's eye, the giant howling in agony as it dropped one of its axe-swords and clawed madly at its own face even as the demoness used the weapon to vault overtop it... and a twenty-foot tall Mahihko that was covered in rippling, powerful muscles charged forwards with a roar, electricity sparking over both his fists before smashed a savage tomahawk into the Leviathan's head as Daria leapt off its back to slam both feet into a one-headed Viper's neck, making it gag and knocking it backwards as the Leviathan's skull exploded.

Pinkish electricity shot around Mahihko, making the wolf stagger backwards with a wince as gore splattered over his body, licking at his burnt fur and shredded military uniform before Lone threw one of Mahihko's hoops past the Strange Beast as it brimmed with a positive charge, and the electrified blood of the monster was drawn towards this instead of Mahihko as the monster began to feel around for an axe... and then Zerrex ran forwards and swept up one of the ugly axe-swords before he spun it around and slammed it into the creature's stomach, and it staggered backwards with a scream of pain from jaws that stood alone beneath its shattered skull, grabbing at its body before Daria ran up its back and stabbed her spear hard down through the rear of its neck, angling her weapon downwards to piece into its chest and towards the vulnerable, alien Symposium of the Leviathan.

It arched its back with a howl, and then Zerrex reached forwards and seized it as he concentrated, making the monster vanish from the spot and reappear some fifty feet above their heads before it exploded in a grisly display of gore and neon electricity, and the wounded Viper snarled before it seized on a large chunk of debris, but Lone quickly snapped a hand up, firing a blast of electricity into one of its arms and making the limb spasm, the creature dropping the heavy chunk of stone before Daria snapped a limb up, and a tentacle tore out of her upper arm, lashing forwards and seizing around the base of the creature's neck before she yanked hard backwards, dragging it down to its knees as it clawed its hands out to catch itself, and Zerrex took the chance to run forwards as he snapped his arms outwards on instinct.

Twin blades of bone shot out of his forearms before the reptile leapt up past the Viper's snapping jaws, and he stabbed both blades fiercely downwards, ripping through the creature's upper back like it was butter and making its eyes bulge before Zerrex continued to run forwards, jumping past its snapping tail just as the monster self-destructed in a powerful blast, chunks of blood and gore hailing down around them before Zerrex skidded to a halt and turned around, shouting to the wolves: "You two are coming with me! Daria, reinforce the palace!"

"Understood!" Daria ran past him as Zerrex ran towards the lupines, and Mahihko and Lone both held their hands out on instinct, the much-larger wolf dropping to a kneel, and Zerrex reached quickly out as the bone-blades retracted, grasping both their hands before he vanished from the spot and reappeared a moment later in the street leading towards the center of Acheron, where he could see a massive, pitched battle occurring... and the reptile skidded to a halt with a wince as a wounded Viper finished tearing out the heart of a dead Dragon Warrior, the reptile snarling and raising his fists as the wolves on either side of him bristled: standing between them and the next area were no less than two Vipers and four Viper Aegis, and corpses of Dragon Warriors and Dragokkaren littered the street in front of the hardened, wounded Strange Beasts before one of them snarled furiously.

A moment later, however, Celeste calmly walked out from an alley into the center of the street, facing towards the Vipers as Marina ran out after her and headed quickly to Zerrex's side, breathing hard... and then Celeste said quietly, in a language Zerrex didn't know how he understood: "I will ask you one time to leave, my children. I do not love you, but I owe you a single chance to turn away from this bloodshed. But I love Creation, and will protect his memory with my life."

One of the Vipers roared in response, then the foremost Viper charged... and Celeste simply flicked a hand up, and the Viper simply exploded into a rain of electrified blood and gore, her features unchanging and calm... and yet Zerrex winced as she radiated almost tangible malice now, her eyes narrowed slightly as she said quietly: "I have learned more about the emotions of these people. The emotion I experience now is anger, my children. Let me teach you about it, and about the feeling known as 'despair.'"

One of the Viper Aegis screamed an order... and then Celeste simply glared at him, and his body exploded into chunks of gore and neon fireworks, his golden armor collapsing in a hail of broken pieces in the place where his body had once been before the others began to lunge forwards... and Zerrex snarled as he ran past Celeste, leaping upwards as large, axe-like blades tore out of the sides of his armored limbs before he lashed out to either side in a quick snapping gesture and severed both the heads of one Viper Aegis, kicking off its chest a moment later to avoid the gush of blood and electricity before Lone rose a hand with a shout and sent a massive arc of lightning ripping down from the sky to almost split the headless creature in two. It exploded in a blast that was powerful enough to knock another Aegis staggering even as it brought its heavy shield up... but then Marina was there in front of it, grinning as she grasped one of its heads... and the other head snapped wildly back and forth as it stared into her glowing eyes as she levitated before she whispered something to it, and it turned a moment later to tackle a fellow Viper, the Strange Beast screaming in horror before the two began to bite and claw wildly at each other like savage animals.

Mahihko grabbed the head of the last Aegis as it snapped down to bite at him, and it gargled before he turned to the side and lashed it into a building with a snarl, electricity ripping down his body at the same time and making the Strange Beast hiss in agony as it shuddered violently before the wolf stepped forwards and kicked out at it, but it brought its shield up: nonetheless, it was knocked sprawling even as Mahihko staggered backwards, before Marina held up a hand and a psychic chain violently twisted into being around the creature's necks before it solidified into metal links and speared down between them, ripping through scale and flesh. Pinkish electricity violently shot along the metal before Lone rose a hand with another snarl, and a blast of lightning exploded from the red skies above, striking the floating chain and racing down it to barrel straight into the creature's Symposium, it's alien organ exploding before the Viper Aegis screamed and self-destructed, its armor and chunks of gore and bone splattering through the street as the path into the square ahead was opened before them.

Zerrex ran forwards, ignoring the two Vipers locked in combat with each other as Marina and the two lupines followed, Celeste walking at a calmer pace as if unfettered by the violence, even as her body almost visibly burned with fury. The Drakkaren gritted his teeth as he skidded into the square, looking back and forth at the embattled Strange Beasts, Dragokkaren, demons, friends, and Disciples... and then a recombinant caught sight of Zerrex, its body strangely hunched and J-shaped, and it grinned widely before it threw its head back with a howling scream, and immediately, the enemy broke away from their fight to quickly begin to regroup, as Zerrex ran forwards as the survivors grouped behind him, the Drakkaren cursing as he looked back and forth furiously: many lay dead and dying from both sides of the field, and the reptile shook his head in disgust before he shouted: "What are you trying to accomplish here?"

"Suffering!" screamed the alien recombinant: its legs were large and powerful, covered in arctic fur and ending in heavy paws, but its tail was long and rat-like and its body was thin at the waist and yet broadened enormously to its shoulders, arms chiseled with powerful muscles and three brilliant eyes burning out of its draconic skull, a fourth socket sewn shut. Red and green scales covered its body, and obsidian horns stood out of the back of its head as it laughed wildly before shrieking: "We will kill you last! Come, sister, join us!"

And Zerrex snarled as Soul silently walked up beside the recombinant from the sidelines, looking over at him as her metallic arms flexed before the recombinant grinned savagely. "Lord God is smart! Lord God knew that you would be stupid and try to save the broken one! Lord God knew he could track you with her mechanical beacon... and now she has made a choice, has she not, has not the broken one?"

"Yes, I have come to a logical conclusion." Soul said quietly, and Zerrex looked across at her as she met his eyes and rose a metallic hand as electricity sparked over it. "There are none worth saving here."

And without hesitation, her hand slashed outwards and tore through the throat of the recombinant, severing its head from its shoulders, and a thick spray of blood sprayed up as the monster's stupefied features bounced against the ground as its body continued to stand for a moment, all staring in shock... and then Soul stepped behind it and slammed her metallic hand through its back, ribs exploding outwards in a hail of flesh and gore and the monster's heart clutched in her fist before she squeezed it slowly and crushed it, and she said softly: "I am not broken, I am not a pawn, and I am not a failure. I am Soul."

"Traitor, kill her!" shouted another recombinant, and then it looked up in surprise as Zerrex vanished from the spot before he reappeared in front of the creature in midair, slamming a foot into it scaled face and sending it flying backwards, and both ranks of the intruders and the defenders broke down into chaos and reengaged in the battle.

A Phase Hound dashed eagerly towards Zerrex, but Carmen tackled it from the side, crushing it into the ground with a scream, and before it could vanish, both her hands glowed with golden light as she unleashed an unfocused blast of light that burnt away most of its skull and body before it exploded into gore as the masculine female leapt quickly away with a savage grin. Without looking behind herself, she threw a metal elbow hard back into the scarred features of a recombinant, and it staggered backwards with a hiss of pain before dozens of daggers and sharpened swords appeared around it, then rammed through the monster from all directions, the creature screaming in agony as blood exploded from its mish-mashed body, and then Sephire leapt forwards and sliced into its spine as Carmen stepped forwards and slammed a foot into its chest, and the monster was loudly torn in half by the paired attacks as the two grinned viciously.

Ambrosia grunted as she spun backwards, her Luna daggers sheathed at her sides as she flung the smaller throwing knives in rapid succession into the face of a Viper, making it reel backwards in agony, and then she cursed in pain as a Leviathan smashed her from the side with the flat of its war axe, knocking her to the ground before it grinned as it raised the weapon and slammed it downwards, and a burst of blood exploded upwards as the weapon tore through scale and sank into flesh, blood exploding upwards... but Ambrosia could only stare in horror, panting hard, as Serenity stood in front of her, panting hard and leaning over her, the axe buried into her back before she smiled weakly... and then the Leviathan yanked the weapon back and slapped the female aside, and Ambrosia's eyes glowed with rage before she screamed as she leapt up to her feet and charged towards it, the giant swinging the heavy weapon outwards... and Ambrosia slid smoothly beneath this before she leapt upwards and slammed her fist out into the Leviathan's stomach, and her body rippled before she simply tore through the Strange Beast's body, not leaving a mark or wound before she emerged from its back with both hands still buried through its armor, bringing her feet free before she kicked off it... and the Leviathan's eyes bulged and it screamed as its blood was torn from its body in a massive, mighty gush, torn through its scales in rapid, violent osmosis as electricity burst along the liquid and its blood became neon fireworks before it simply collapsed lifelessly forwards, no ionized blood in its frame leaving no grand self destruct as the color faded rapidly from its body and Ambrosia charged towards Serenity's fallen form, Mist and Shine already standing beside the Iuratus with their cleavers raised, protecting their fallen captain.

Ambrosia swept up Serenity's dropped swords as she joined them... and as a Phase Hound lunged towards them, she screamed, her rage and pain only propelling the Pride demon further as the twin blades lashed in a violent, liquid whirlwind back and forth across the creature, knocking it from the air before she severed its head from its shoulders and then kicked it savagely backwards as Mist flicked a hand out, sending a fireball crashing into the Strange Beast and sending up a powerful explosion... and Ambrosia breathed hard as she leapt backwards, trembling violently as the silver swords glimmered in her hands, raised gamely as she whispered: "I hate you... I'm not going to let you die like this Serenity, goddamn you... what kind of Iuratus dies protecting her sister instead of her master..."

Then she cursed as a white-armored Elite spotted the three and began to charge towards them... before Sin stepped directly into the creature's path, and it grinned darkly as it brought its heavy axes back... but the Naganatine simply rose a hand, and the street exploded beneath the creature before a massive pillar of crystal tore upwards, impaling the Elite through the stomach and lifting it into the air as it screamed and kicked its legs wildly, pinkish electricity travelling up and down its broken armor as she said softly: "You are not welcome here."

She flicked her wrist, and a vortex ripped open in the skies above before a golden meteor ripped out of it, firing downwards and crashing into the speared Elite to explode in a massive eruption of golden flame, crystal shrapnel and neon electricity, chunks of emerald gemstone floating eerily in the air as shockwaves of golden flame and pinkish lightning shot past them, and then they began to shoot downwards like a hail of daggers, guiding themselves into the nearest Strange Beasts and recombinants with infallible accuracy and ripping through skulls and bodies like bullets through soft wood.

A Phase Hound appeared behind Sin with a snarl, lunging at her back... and Anathema leapt between them, skeletal and with her bones hardened and scoured here and there with blackened burns as she slammed a claw that boiled with purple energy through the Strange Beast's chest, almost tearing it in half as neon electricity sparked from its wounds and it flew backwards with a shriek, crashing and rolling once before exploding in a hail of gore.

She snorted in dark entertainment, and then looked to the side, the amber flames in her sockets glowing brightly as a recombinant charged towards them, its cloak fluttering around it as red glass eyes glowed out of its visible skull, flesh peeling from its jawbone and metal-trap teeth glinting in its head before it lunged as black flames burned along its arms, making its cloak steam and sizzle... and then Justice leapt on top of it from behind, sending it crashing down onto its stomach and skidding along the ground on it before Sin flicked her wrist and ice ripped up out of the ground, quickly spreading over its head and shoulders and freezing it into place, before Justice stomped down on this and shattered it... and when the recombinant continued to claw wildly at the ground, she stomped savagely down on its back once, twice, thrice, until it ceased to move, and then stepped off it and kicked its corpse hard towards a Phase Hound that was in mid-charge, sending it staggering backwards, stunned, before a metal hand seized the back of its neck and Cindy snarled as she turned and threw the dog-like quadruped towards Cherry as the muscular demigoddess flung a fireball towards it.

A powerful blast erupted, blowing it into chunks of flesh and gore as Zerrex leapt towards a recombinant that looked as if it had been skinned, naked muscle flexing and cable-like veins visibly pulsing over the body of the monstrosity, the creature missing its lower jaw and with huge fangs jutting from the top of its muzzle, thick, large bone-blades standing out of its upper arms and sticking out down its spine as its black and red scales gleamed violently, eyes a solid, glowing purple as it lashed out with both the large obsidian talons on its hands as well as the ugly, metallic blades that jutted from its limbs at Soul.

The female held her own well, however, blocking its attacks with her forearms and her features almost expressionless as she lashed back with her heavy hooves as her body glowed, before she leapt backwards when it swung both claws towards her in a rending motion and she said calmly: "Defense systems engaged."

A network of red lasers appeared around her body, and the recombinant hissed, starting to back away... and Zerrex simply booted the creature hard forwards with a snarl, sending it screaming into the laser grid before it was neatly sliced apart by the focused beams of ruby light as Soul calmly stepped forwards, falling in gory, smoldering chunks of flesh and ripped cloak. A moment later, the laser field vanished from around her, and then she looked sharply to the side as her body took on a brighter glow. "Deflection systems activated."

She stepped in front of Zerrex as another recombinant flung a fireball towards them, this one feminine and with half the features of a Dius, the other half simply a faceless metal mask... and the fireball simply bounced off Soul's body, arcing into the air and exploding uselessly in the sky before the female's eyes sharpened and a blast of lightning shot downwards, striking the other female recombinant and knocking it onto its back with a hiss before Zerrex charged towards the downed opponent... then he cursed as a Viper Aegis smashed into him, lifting him up on its shield as its jaws bit down towards him, but the Drakkaren managed to shove himself to the side before he kicked off the golden metal surface of the wide metal dome before he created a sphere of energy in his hand and flung it hard downwards.

It struck its body between the necks of the creature and exploded in a powerful blast that ripped one of its heads completely off, the other left dangling by only a stalk of torn flesh as it howled in pain and staggered sideways, electrified blood sparking violently through the air before Zerrex fell down towards the creature and kicked off it with a snarl, half-spinning around as he held a hand out and concentrated... and the ground beneath the creature erupted , shattering upwards as translucent Dragokkaren ripped out of the earth and seized the Viper Aegis from all sides, yanking it down into a bright red rift.

Zerrex stared in shock as he fell from the air, crashing onto his back and watching as ghostly Dragokkaren clawed their way up through the portal... and then Earth appeared, bloody and wounded, before she shouted something in ancient Hez'Rannan, and the spirits looked immediately towards her before she snarled and pointed at the enemy... and a moment later, the Dragokkaren shot towards the enemy eagerly, leaping up as their claws extended and their features snarled, fighting like animal warriors as the reptile forced himself up with a grunt and asked sharply, as another red rift opened and a screaming Viper was dragged into it: "What the hell is going on?"

"The Goddess ruled here... but she did not come from here, Lord Zerrex. Terrible Mother Thegragon came from another world far away, in a corner of the universe where I hope you never have to go... you saw her travelling with the Dragokkaren servants in your dreams, did you not?" She glanced towards him, and Zerrex nodded slowly as the tide of the battle was turned suddenly and violently in their favor by the spirits that ripped through the ranks of the enemy. "These are the blessed and cursed souls of her devout from that world, from that nightmare hell-beyond-hell... she created us long after she came to Acheron, but she told us stories of it, and Acheron is built in its image..."

"A world where Thegragon ruled..." Zerrex grimaced in disgust, shaking his head slowly and not wanting to imagine the terrors such a place must hold, before he grimaced as he looked up to see a cloaked figure standing on a distance rooftop... and then it simply blinked out of existence, and immediately, several of the surviving Strange Beasts opened Gateways and fled through them as the last of the cloaked recombinants were killed. "At least for once, her secrets saved us..."

The translucent Dragokkaren looked back and forth over the battlefield... and then they slowly returned to the red portals that had opened here and there, vanishing into the pits, several dragging the broken corpses and barely-alive Strange Beasts with them... and they slowly vanished into these as Zerrex gave a shudder before Earth said quietly: "But much of the work here is damaged... and many have died."

"Can I revive them?" Zerrex asked quietly, glancing over at her... and Earth silently shook her head, the reptile closing his eyes as he murmured softly: "Of course not... I... oh Gods..."

He reached up and quietly grasped the skull mask covering his face, eyes closing as he breathed slowly in and out... and then he let his hands fall away silently as the survivors of the square gathered around him. His eyes travelled over them... and then Ambrosia held Serenity's broken, bleeding body up as she whispered: "Please, Daddy. Don't let her die."

"Bring me the wounded." Zerrex ordered roughly, and he held a hand out as he felt the armor amplifying his strength, his powers even further than they were already increased in the dimension, the reptile holding a hand out over Serenity... and she screamed, her eyes bulging open in shock as ivy crawled over the length of the terrible wound in her back before it rotted away and left freshly-healed flesh-and-scale in its place, the female gasping quietly before her eyes fluttered... and Zerrex smiled down at her grimly before she slowly began to stagger to her feet and he looked back and forth, saying to those still present even as others began to carry survivors towards him: "Scatter throughout the dimension, find all the survivors you can, bring them here!"

"You heard the Boss, let's go!" Cherry shouted almost angrily, and Disciples left in every direction, the demigoddess hesitating only long enough to nod firmly to Zerrex before she vanished from the spot, and Zerrex clenched his eyes shut before he looked down as the wounded and dying were brought before him, holding his hands out and hating himself with every fiber of his being for bringing this terrible tragedy upon their heads, only hoping that he could heal all those who needed to be healed... and more than willing, more than wanting to die in their place if it meant saving even one more life.

Lily was gone, fused with Desire... Balthazar, regal and kind and generous Balthazar, was dead... Helena had been found slaughtered on the stairs, her dreams of being a concubine crushed before they could truly begin... and Zerrex could only question why he could have people come into his life, why he could meet them, help them and be helped by them, smile and share laughter and love with them... only for them to be taken away so shortly and cruelly, in the space of what felt like minutes.

He sat silently in his study, the Armor of Naganis still on his body and his hands resting quietly on top of the skull-mask on his lap as he breathed slowly and stared at the crackling blue flames in the fireplace, reflecting on how he had been here so shortly ago, laughing, and Travis Balthazar had been among those ranks; it was like he had been given a last chance to smile and laugh with him before he'd died... or maybe more like he was being mocked by the Fates, letting him see his friend's face before rudely ripping him away. And Zerrex shook his head slowly: if anyone had deserved to live, Balthazar had.

Aluinnia had also been killed, and Selena had locked herself away in another room, screaming and crying and raving to herself as she stormed back and forth, only wanting to be left alone as Cherry sat silently outside, trying her hardest to sympathize. Selena hadn't wanted to see Zerrex when he'd stopped by, so he'd left Cherry there to keep an eye on things and told her to let him know if Selena wanted to see him, so he could go to her... but he had a feeling it would be hours yet before the Passion stopped raging.

Francis, too, had died... he had still been wounded in spirit from his tangle with the murderer before, unsure of himself and scarred... and another recombinant had ripped one of the mouse's arms off before putting his own sword through his heart. Zerrex didn't want to believe it... still felt numb, thinking about the loss of his friend. A brave and strong warrior who had seemed invincible on the battlefield, holy in a way that Heaven wasn't... and Zerrex trembled a bit as he reached up and slowly shoved his hair back, taking calming, sharp breaths. Losing Francis hurt almost as much as the fact he had lost several more children... good children, kind children, loving children who he had been trying to keep away from the battle, not warriors or Disciples or Iuratus like so many others had become... how was it fair that it was never the family he expected to lose to die, but the ones he tried to keep safe? And among those lost was Darren: Darren, sweet loving, so-young Darren, who had been born with godlike ability... and had died fighting a Strange Beast, killing it and himself when he'd brought an entire section of Acheron crumbling to the ground to protect Naganen. Naganen, who had been crying and pacing wildly back and forth in front of where the brother he'd been raised side-by-side with had died.

Mary, Cecilia and Mercy were all comatose... and many Dragon Warriors and most of the Royal Guards that had been preparing here had been annihilated by the savagery of the sudden attack. Soul was sitting somewhere upstairs, emotionless on the outside but blaming herself on the inside for the fact that she had been tracked here... and Zerrex hated how badly they had been played by Luther. They had threatened him... and he had preempted their offensive with his own. Now, even if they found him, they didn't have the forces to lay siege to him, and he knew it... but Zerrex wasn't about to stop just because of that. If he had to go in, killing every Strange Beast and monster that got in his way with his bare hands by himself before he found Luther and throttled the life out of him, he would. There would be no mercy for him after what he'd done... after how many lives he'd put at risk and how many people he had hurt.

The Drakkaren silently climbed to his feet and looked down at the mask clutched in his hands, and then he asked quietly: "I can't bring back the dead, Naganis... it's one of the little jokes of Fate, isn't it? I can create something brand new that the world's never seen before... but I cannot bring the dead back to life. That's one of the differences, isn't it, between Creation and Life..." He closed his eyes, lowering his head against the skull-mask, murmuring: "I understand how people could blame you for the world being screwed-up... I want to scream at the higher powers that might exist out there and curse them for doing this to me... but a lot of the burden and the weight of this is on my shoulders. I was complacent, thought too much that this was a Sanctuary... I brought enemy after enemy here, and even if Soul... helped us... had I been merciless, I would have left her dead... and this never would have happened. I'm a screwup... I'm pathetic, and weak, and I hate myself..."

He silently slipped the mask on, the soothing energies of the armor and the mala around his neck the only things that were keeping him feeling sane now... and he breathed hard before he finally tilted his head upwards, staring silently at the ceiling and whispering: "But what can I do? Lashing out at others, killing everyone I meet... that would only be taking my pain out on the world again, and judging everyone as evil because one person was manipulated... and she wasn't even conscious of it herself. I hate myself even more because it feels like I'm trying to justify it... and yet I know, I do know, without a doubt... that to show mercy, to be kind, to continue to reach out to others despite how much the world hurts you..."

He closed his eyes, hugging himself silently as the bone armor glimmered faintly... and the reptile murmured: "Am I just trying to convince myself I'm justified and strong? It's an argument without an answer, either way... the fact is, that people will betray you... and that your enemies can become your friends with the passage of time and understanding." He laughed weakly. "After all, imagine if I did kill everyone from the start. Then Cherry would have died all those years ago, I would have learned nothing from Requiem, and Marina would probably have never been born... so many things would have never happened. The road not travelled... is always better, and always worse..."

He shook his head slowly, grabbing at his head and clenching his eyes shut as his fingers stroked over the skull mask... and then a voice whispered quietly inside his mind: It doesn't matter what people think, or say. It only matters what they do. Look around you, Zerrex... many have died, and yet some may return, as strong angels and demons do, when their souls have formed a powerful enough bond to one plane or another. I have lost many friends too... but it's better to love someone until the day they die in your arms...

"Then to hide from it and be filled with regret for the times you never spent together." Zerrex finished, and then he looked up silently and asked quietly: "Who... are you?"

There was only silence, however, and the reptile shook his head slowly, no longer bothered by the occasional surprise visitor in and out of his mind. Or maybe it was only because of the armor, pacifying him... and perhaps amplifying the whispers and sense of Naganis that resonated through his soul. He touched his chest silently... and for one strange and alien moment, he felt... happy, despite what had happened, and all he had lost. He couldn't explain it... but he smiled a little, and confidence filled him, overwhelming the despair for a moment before he closed his eyes and hugged himself around the waist as his emotions settled slowly.

He felt... lucid. Aware of the sadness, upset and worried for the future... but as the Drakkaren quietly walked out into the hall, he glanced up and found himself unsurprised to see Selena. She looked at him for a few moments, and then she reached up and gently touched his face, leaning her head forwards and saying softly: "Aluinnia's dead, Zerrex, but I'll always have her around in one way or another... and it was... wonderful to settle things with her like I did. To be honest, I think I can move on... it'll take... decades to get over her, but a decade isn't a long time to a demon, right? But I feel like... I feel better than when I lost Feldspar. Feldspar... I turned away from. I shoved away, and tried to pretend I hated her, and never tried to help her... and she died in my arms and I hated myself as much as I hated myself after... what happened with the knights. Aluinnia I tried to help. Stayed by the side of. Loved. And I don't hate myself for what happened. I do, however, hate the fucking bastard who did this, who's taken away all our friends..." Selena snarled, even as tears formed in her eyes as they turned jet black, red pupils glowing like embers. "And we might have lost a lot of people and fighters... but Luther had to have used up a lot of his forces, too, and those Strange Beasts and the recombinants that got away are gonna leave a trail. We're gonna follow that trail. We're gonna kill him."

"Yes, Selena. We are." Zerrex said softly, and the female looked down at him silently before Zerrex offered his hand to her, and she took it as he said quietly: "But before we do that, we have something even more important to do. Helping our lost loved ones find peace... and clearing our minds and souls for the road ahead. We can be angry... and believe me, when I get my hands on Luther, I am going to inflict torment far, far worse than death on his very soul... but I'm going to do it for the right reasons. I'm not going to go chasing mindless revenge, and I'm not going to sacrifice everything our friends and family worked for. I'm going to do it to stop him from ever hurting anyone else... and I'm going to do it for the sake of those we've lost."

Selena looked at him for a few moments, and then she closed her eyes before opening them as they returned to normal, and she asked quietly: "Do you think it's the right thing to do? Is it even possible to do this without doing it for selfish reasons?"

"Probably not. But I have to try." Zerrex smiled faintly up at her as the skull-mask pulled itself away from the reptile's face, splitting itself in half and resting down on either side of his neck as he gazed up at her silently, and she gazed back, their hands squeezing slowly together. "I want to try. I don't want to discard everything I've learned, everything I've shared. I don't want to go into this a monster... and I don't want to sacrifice the memories and the value of our friends for pure revenge. I can't do that, with everything I'm supposed to stand for... with everyone looking up to me."

Selena nodded slowly, and then she smiled a little as she reached up and ruffled his hair silently, Zerrex flinching back a bit before she whispered: "You really are too good for us, you know that? You deserve that armor you're wearing, I never doubted that and I doubt it even less now. Come on then, Zerrex. Let's... I'll help however I can in this. I think Aluinnia would like it, too, with... with her obsession with knights and shit..."

She closed her eyes, but Zerrex only nodded silently... and for the next several hours, he joined the Dragokkaren in the square, helping them build simple wooden coffins for their lost ones as Earth, Cindy, and others worked together to erect a large funerary platform in front of the damaged construction site of the portal.

As they worked, Soul eventually joined them... but Zerrex only traded a silent hug with her, telling her with his body language that it wasn't her fault... and she had cried a little. Incredible, a robot crying... except Zerrex knew she wasn't a machine, but a person, as she had gone over to help the others with the construction of the platform. This would not be a true funeral - they would wait to do that after they had finally crushed Luther - but instead, it would be what the Hez'Rannan people called a 'release,' a mourning period that took place between extended battles during the course of a war, where the dead were honored, praised, and remembered, and warriors and friends would pay their respects, make peace with those they had lost, and settle their consciences and emotions so they could go into the next battle with clear minds and clean souls.

White entered Acheron while they worked, but he respectfully stayed silent and a short distance away from the square, watching them and not questioning what was going on as he stood with his hat held against his chest, until Zerrex finally approached him quietly, Anathema and Sin following behind him... and the badger studied him for a few moments before he said softly: "I've found Luther's hiding place. I'm guessing that the wounded Strange Beasts that I saw running towards it were coming from here." He stopped, glanced up to the square, and added quietly: "You have my condolences for those lost. From what I'm guessing... a lot of friends and family have died."

"Yeah." Zerrex nodded a bit, looking down and rubbing at the back of his head slowly, and then he glanced back up and said quietly: "Thanks for letting me know, White. I appreciate it. Please tell Vivien, and let her know that I'll be out of here as... as soon as I can." He paused, then asked hesitantly: "Would you like to stay? A lot of them... were your friends too."

"Thank you, Zerrex. I would appreciate that. Is Sabnock around?" He tilted his head, and Zerrex pointed towards the palace: last he'd seen her, she had been calming Thor down from his grief-stricken fury.

The badger nodded, then he turned around, slipping his hat on only after he'd left the square, and the Drakkaren sighed a bit before Anathema reached up and squeezed his shoulder gently, and he smiled faintly before turning around. He stumbled backwards when he almost ran right into Jessica, who looked up at him silently, and he gazed back down at her before she said softly: "If it's okay with you... I'd like to say a prayer during the service. If your daughter Mercy hadn't... hadn't been there when the Strange Beasts attacked... I..."

She halted, looking down shamefully, and Zerrex reached up and squeezed her shoulder gently, saying quietly: "I'm glad you're okay, Jessica. I am. And it would mean a lot to me if you did that. I'm somehow sure... it would mean a lot to the others, too."

Zerrex's eyes roved silently past her towards the enormous funerary stage... and then he shook his head slowly, saying quietly: "We're... not going to burn the coffins yet, though. We set everything up, we honor them... and later, we do the true funeral. Is that okay with you? I know some prayers are... only to be spoken when..."

He glanced away, rubbing at his face awkwardly and trying to hide the pain and sorrow before he looked back towards her as she silently took his wrist, studying him for a few moments before she said quietly: "I once thought you were nothing but a ruthless, callous monster, Zerrex. But I was wrong. I still don't forgive you for what happened, but... Cindy could have a much worse father than you. And you don't deserve this loss. Your family has been very kind and considerate to me... and I have been anything but considerate to them and you in many cases. I would like to take part in this tradition, though... our daughter already told me what's involved and I think I have the right words."

"Thank you." Zerrex whispered, not knowing what he was thanking her for... and then he leaned down and hugged her tightly, and she hugged him fiercely back as the reptile buried his face against the side of her neck, trembling hard and fighting back tears before he slowly straightened, nodding to her silently and heading back towards the coffins.

They worked for hours, putting everything together, and then laying the bodies quietly one-by-one inside the caskets and carefully sealing each wooden coffin closed. The name of the occupant was written on the top of it in Hez'Rannan runes, along with a word that described them... and Zerrex lowered his head silently against Darren's coffin as Desire walked over and rested a hand on his back as he cried quietly after writing the word 'Courage' on the top of the sealed casket, wishing fiercely that he had the power to bring back the dead... and knowing that even if he did, it would only lead to worse tortures, but far from comforted by this fact.

Lily had receded deeper inside Desire, but Desire still cried for her lost brother, and whispered that she could feel her mother's pain as she sat beside her father on the funeral stage, as Cindy and Cherry took over in moving the caskets while Zerrex rubbed at his face and felt childish and miserable and ashamed of himself... but everyone treated him with love, consideration, and sympathy despite all they had lost themselves, and it both gladdened his heart and made him feel worse. He knew he had to be there for them as well... but Marina hugged him from behind as he thought this, and she whispered: "You've already done more than enough for all of us. We hurt too... but for once, let us take care of you, Daddy... for once, let us ignore the pain to fix you... instead of you burying your pain to fix us..."

Zerrex looked down silently... and then he closed his eyes, trembling a bit, as Marina cradled him back against her bosom comfortingly, rocking slowly with him. The reptile's breath rasped in and out as he sat on the funeral stage with her, shivering a little, and it was only a few minutes later that Epiphany joined them, wrapping her own arms tightly around Zerrex, closing her eyes and resting her muzzle against the side of his neck as tears streamed down the little big-girl's face and she whispered: "Why, Daddy? Why would he do this... why would he attack us here... why would he try and steal so much away..."

"Because some people... have something wrong with them." Zerrex replied quietly, lowering his head and closing his eyes tightly. "Some people think... they are the only important things in the universe..."

"You're the most important thing in my universe, Father... but I still respect the rights of others." Epiphany looked up at him silently, and Marina nodded in slow agreement as she gave a sad look to her 'daughter.' "It wasn't supposed to turn out like this..."

Zerrex could only nod silently as he sighed quietly, closing his eyes... and over the next hour, he only sat, others sometimes coming over to wish him well and share their condolences with him despite the fact that they had lost friends and family as well, often turning down offers for his help with things, telling him gently to rest and regain some of his strength. Besides, as Sabnock quietly pointed out, he would be the one in charge of the sending: he had enough to deal with at such short notice without adding more problems and pain onto the pile.

The Drakkaren hadn't been able to think of a good argument against this, so he had only nodded silently as he'd studied her... and she had gently reached out, touched his face, and said softly: "I can only imagine what you have been through. I have lost students and friends, but never children... I have lost a husband I loved very dearly, and yet nonetheless I had you to fall back on and comfort me. I would like to do the same for you. Many here would like to do the same for you, after all you've done for us."

"They've lost people too... I... I can't ask you all to just take care of me..." Zerrex murmured, looking down... but Sabnock only gave a small smile, and the reptile glanced up before he laughed weakly, eyes flicking away. "You can't argue against emotions with logic, Sabnock."

"I only aim to reason with you." Sabnock replied gently, and then she reached out and squeezed his shoulder slowly. "If you need anything, let me know."

Zerrex nodded, looking at her quietly but gratefully, and the wolverine turned and headed towards where White and Tinman were standing. They spoke for a moment, and then Tinny broke away from the two and approached to sit at Zerrex's side, looking awkward for a few moments before he suddenly hugged the Drakkaren's arm quickly and impulsively, and the reptile looked at him with surprise before the badger smiled faintly up at him. "Don't be too sad, Mr. Zerrex. At least the pain for them has ended... and we're going to make things right. We can make things right now... and we can't bring back those who died, no, but we can at least honor their memory and their loss."

The Drakkaren swallowed thickly at this, nodding silently and looking down as he breathed slowly in and out, closing his eyes tightly... and then he wrapped his arm silently around Tinny's shoulders, squeezing him against his side as he said quietly: "I'm honored to have a friend like you... and I'm so sorry you lost Francis, I know he was... a good friend."

"He was a friend of yours, too... he only came and found me after he'd met you and you convinced him you weren't all that bad, after all." Tinman smiled a little up at him, nodding quietly before he gazed off towards the distance. "It does hurt, yeah. But he was... in bad shape, too. What that thing did to him, he was having nightmares about it, he was drained in spirit for all the good face he put on... he was a lot like you, Zerrex, not sharing his burdens with anyone..." Tinny rubbed silently at his own face, shaking his head slowly. "I wish he'd talked more. It might have been enough to save his life, to help get that spiritual poison out of his system. But he died in battle, and he died protecting people he cared about, with honor. It was a fitting way for a Seraphim to go to rest... and he wouldn't've wanted it any other way. I wish he didn't have to die, I really do, but... these things happen, right?"

"Yeah." Zerrex said softly, nodding slowly in agreement as he looked down at the ground, and then he closed his eyes, falling into moody thought. Eventually, he stood up, and he realized that he was alone on the platform: others were working around him, but Marina, Epiphany, and Tinny were gone... and the reptile shook his head a bit, but smiled faintly all the same. He appreciated the fact that they had left him some time to think and work through things in his own way... and the reptile breathed slowly in and out before he approached the center of the stage, where a podium was slowly being snapped together, Dragokkaren etching roses over the front and painting the structure quickly with dyes made from crushed black roses and other traditional means.

The reptile watched them work quietly, slipping his hands in his pockets before he lowered his head and then glanced slowly towards the pyramid of stacked coffins, as if he didn't want the caskets to know he was looking... and his eyes studied them silently as Acheron itself seemed to mourn for them, before he shook his head slowly and murmured: "Now is not the time to think of hate and anger and revenge. That can be done later. Now is the time to honor our lost."

"In the name of the Goddess, in the name of Hez'Ranna..." one of the Dragokkaren said without looking up, and then the three working to assemble the podium lowered their heads in synchronicity and murmured a quick prayer before they went back to work, and Zerrex smiled a little at them, nodding slowly before he headed past them to the other side of the funerary stage, where other workers were slowly pushing a heavy pillar into place.

The Drakkaren picked up a heavy velvet curtain without being asked, throwing it over his shoulder as the workers locked the heavy pillar into place and hammered thick spikes into its foundation, and the lizard leapt up onto it, climbing quickly up to the top of the tall wooden pole to sit on the top of it, legs spread to either side of a heavy hook. He fumbled with the curtain for a moment, then found a large ring at one corner of the velvet material and slipped this carefully onto the hook before dropping the curtain, and a Dragokkaren caught it before Zerrex simply leapt down from the twenty foot pillar and landed easily on his feet.

The huge curtain was hooked to three other pillars, forming a sloped wall behind the stage. The curtain would be taken down before the actual funeral and replaced with a second curtain of spider-silk, which would be burned with everything else... and Zerrex closed his eyes as he reached out and silently touched the velvet, before a voice said quietly: "Come, Zerrex. It's time."

The reptile glanced over his shoulder to see Desire standing and looking up at him quietly, brushing her hair silently back... and then she smiled quietly, and Zerrex smiled softly back, murmuring: "Alright. Alright, I think... I think I'm ready."

He halted, then reached out and cupped her face, leaning down to kiss her forehead quietly as he whispered: "There's no coffin for you, Lily. I refuse to let you die... and I know that Desire won't let your spirit dissolve inside of her. But for now, be content, rest, and be at peace. I applaud your strength in sharing so much with your daughter."

"Thank you, Zerrex... but I did it for you... and I did it for myself, to save myself. It was selfish." Desire-Lily smiled faintly as she glanced up at him quietly, and the Drakkaren gazed back down at her softly before her rainbow eyes fluttered, and then his daughter said quietly: "Come on Daddy. Mom's back asleep now. And we can't keep everyone waiting."

Zerrex nodded slowly... and Desire turned to head off the platform and join the crowd that had gathered in front of the funerary stage as the reptile walked towards the podium and then grasped the sides of it, bowing his head forwards before he whispered a soft prayer Sin had taught him long ago, a prayer to Naganis... and a wind rustled through the dimension before the Drakkaren looked up and said clearly: "We have lost friends and family today... and in honor of them, to let them rest, we shall not speak any of their names for a full day. We shall let their hesitant souls find the door to the next world or the path leading back to where they once came from... we shall not call them desperately back, because we must remember the Cycle: life and death, creation and destruction. None of them are evil. None of them are at fault for what has happened here."

He halted, then looked back and forth slowly before continuing quietly: "Today, we will remember them, not by names... but by what they represented. Courage... honor... valor... love. We will cherish their memories and everything they represent. We will not allow them to go to waste." He stopped, then looked down for a moment before his emerald eyes gazed back up silently. "And we will not blur or savage their memories by thinking of revenge and hatred when we must be thinking instead of honoring our comrades. Not for how they died... but for how they lived."

Zerrex looked silently over the crowd, then he reached up and rubbed at his face slowly, saying quietly: "I'm very lucky to have you all here with me. I feel so very fortunate that despite what has happened, there are still many of you here, alive, and with me, and treating me so well and each other so kindly, our differences put aside for this occasion. Jessica has asked to say a short prayer and I would like to invite her to do so now."

He stepped aside, gesturing silently towards the female... and the priestess hugged her daughter quietly, then left Cindy's side to head up the short flight of steps leading to the funerary stage before she approached. She and Zerrex looked at each other, and he nodded slowly... and she smiled faintly at him before turning towards the podium, saying quietly: "I do not speak Hez'Rannan. I do not speak demonic. And yet I do not need to: if I've learned anything here, it's that no matter who you or how you live... if you're willing to take the time to understand someone, you can put any differences you have aside and find common ground. Demons, angels, and mortals... we live together in one universe. Our worlds are connected. We stem from each other and exist in symbiosis, whether we like it or not. We are one people... and finally, I understand what that means, and what this prayer means."

She lowered her head, then recited softly in Enochian: "Unto me, all shall come to dine at my table: the demon of Hell, the angel of Heaven, the mortal of earth. From my hand, all shall be fed, and all shall feel love: the demon shall pray, the angel shall bow his head, the mortal shall be redeemed to find his path. There is love enough in my heart and soul for all the worlds that have been borne by my hand: I shall heed your prayers, and if I do not answer them, it is because I trust in you to find your own path. Demon, angel, and mortal all have a place in my world: none are forsaken, as long as they continue the journey of truth. All are welcome at my table."

The female fell silent... and then she and Zerrex looked at each other again before they traded a tight hug, and then Jessica silently stepped aside. The reptile stepped up in front of the podium, but he didn't know what to say as she stood beside him... and then Celeste silently walked up the steps to the funerary stage, closed her eyes, and then began to slowly, softly sing.

It was a sad, pure song that flowed up from her very soul, wordless and yet filled with emotion... and the Drakkaren could only lean against the podium, trembling a bit, as she sang for them, sang of joy and sorrow, sang of loss and love... and the reptile couldn't understand how she could say she had no grasp of their emotions when she captured them so beautifully in her melodious harmony...

She sang, and was joined by first Eratosthenes... and then Sabnock approached the steps in her bandages, suit jacket discarded and silk shirt torn, and yet she was a figure of grace and majesty as her voice joined the chorus of the Strange Beasts. They sang together, their voices rising and moving in harmony, overpowering one another only to fall back into rhythm... and when the song ended, Zerrex pushed away from the podium and silently slipped off the funerary stage, and people approached to trade hugs and to receive the blessing of the Drakkaren.

Finally, there was only Zerrex left sitting quietly with Jessica, and the reptile looked at her awkwardly as he rubbed at his face slowly, then muttered: "You really shouldn't see me like this. Evil monsters aren't supposed to let their victims see them cry."

"You're not an evil monster." Jessica said softly, and Zerrex smiled a little at her as she awkwardly looked up and down him, then reached out and touched the back of his hand quietly. "Listen, Zerrex. You're a very strange male, and you have habits I find very strange and often awful. But I can see that you are... a good person. Maybe that's not the right way to put it, but it's the closest I can describe it right now. And you've respected my boundaries and even my philosophies, more so than they were even in Heaven, which I appreciate very much. I'm not about to throw myself into bed with you but I am ready to start talking with you more, and I would like to spend more time in your company.

"I think... I understand now, why... why Little Arcy was so fascinated with you." She looked down silently, and Zerrex glanced down as well at the thought of the poor lost kitten girl. "I know you were the one who... sent her to Heaven. But I realize now it wasn't a sick fascination... her innocence, maybe, was what allowed her to look past everything. To see you for you... and the fact that you... were the one to... send her to Heaven, maybe that was part of why it was so interesting to her, to watch you change. To watch you evolve. You aren't the same person who raped me years ago. Then again, I'm not the same person who was raped, either..." She smiled a little at this, rubbing at her own face slowly. "You know, part of the reason I hated you so much was because it let me focus on the fact that a terrible thing happened to me, and forget about all the mistakes I made. It wasn't a good thing that happened to me. But now that I'm much older, that I've been able to move on from the experience... I can see that it was a turning point in my life, too.

"And you gave me Cindy. Well... forced her on me, if... I want to make a bad pun about it." She laughed a little and then looked down with a faint smile. "I hated her as a baby. Hated what she reminded me of. Never told her about all the times I tried to get rid of her, but the adoption agencies wouldn't take her, and to prevent people like me from dumping babies on the steps orphanages had security cameras and tall gates." She stopped, then looked over at the Drakkaren curiously as he gazed back at her silently. "Have I ever told you about how I moved to Comfort Town? I... if you want to hear the story, that is. I understand you might not be in the mood."

"No, please. Go ahead... talking right now, or rather, listening, is... is good." Zerrex said quietly, glancing down and nodding a little, and he smiled a bit at her. "You... were good friends with Elliot, right?"

"Yes, I was. I knew him before I moved to Comfort Town... he was very kind and very protective of me, and he helped me find a home and a job so I could move out of the city I was living in... Scarlet Cliffs. I'm sure you've heard of it." She smiled a bit over at Zerrex, and the reptile looked at her with surprise. "I told you I used to be a party girl before, didn't I? Living off Mommy and Daddy's money... although they never... they never adjusted to Cindy. That... really hurt me, especially after I started getting used to her myself.

"Anyway. When the money was cut off - suspiciously, after I decided to keep Cindy... funny how being responsible is what got me into the mess in the first place - I had to find a new place to live. Elliot helped with that and I moved to Comfort Town, like I said. It wasn't at all what I was used to, but I was trying to grow up, trying to be... responsible. So I got the first job I could..." She closed her eyes and laughed quietly. "I told Cindy I was working night shift at a department store, while Elliot babysat her in his bar that wanted to be an antique store. I was actually doing stripteases in a seedy club a few blocks away, telling myself that I'd be out of the business as soon as I could, ignoring come-ons and grabby males.

"And you know what? I did actually manage to make enough money to pay off some long-standing bills, and despite the temptation of staying on - I was third act, but out of twelve girls, that's not a bad spot to be in - and making money... I... I wanted dignity. I... you know what I mean." She glanced at Zerrex. "I think that's why I like Daria so much. Why I even approve of her and Cindy's... time spent together. She told me very up-front about her days working at her club... and she had a great deal of dignity and respect about her. I liked that... but of course, mortals aren't taught at all about how you're worthy of respect and dignity no matter who you are or what you do... our culture in Ire especially, huh?"

Zerrex nodded a little, saying quietly: "Yeah. You get respect based on your job, on your position in an imaginary food-chain. I can understand some people being given more respect than others, but that comes with the territory if they do their jobs properly. But I have less respect for a judge who abuses his position and rules with bias than I do for a janitor who cleans up the courtroom after everyone's gone. Just because you're a doctor or a judge or a lawyer doesn't automatically make you better than everyone else: just look around and see how many idiots are in high-standing jobs and how many intelligent and wise people are working tasks we consider 'menial.'"

Jessica looked at him for a little while, and then she smiled softly before continuing: "I got a job at the library. Cindy said I was a librarian... but I was actually in charge of transferring data to microfilm and compiling research information for people. It was... much tougher than I expected. There was a lot of digging through newspapers and books that had never been sorted and hadn't been touched in years, and since there were two libraries, one in Comfort Town and the other in Apple Villa, I sometimes had to cross Camelot Bridge and make my way through the rich people. That was never fun... but they ignored me when they figured out what I was doing there. They assumed that since I was working in the library, I was Comfort Town bourgeois... the wannabe-upper-class.

"I... I brought a lot of books home to Cindy. I always pushed her hard on her schoolwork, and to be smart. She... she was talented, even back then, learned things very quickly... and even though I never talked to her about it..." Jessica glanced down and quietly rubbed at her hip. "I knew she was different and special from the beginning. Not... I don't mean like how every parent thinks their child is special, if they love them... I mean... I knew she was going to be different when she grew up."

She stopped, then looked quietly over at Zerrex. "I think the males who raped and killed me were from the old strip club. It was years later, and I was only thankful that... Cindy was at school that day. Ten years, I lived there, in Comfort Town, amidst the pain and brutality. Our home was broken into twice and things - stupid things - stolen, my car was stripped once of its engine and radio, and I was slapped and assaulted more than a few times... and it saddens me that it was safer for Cindy there than it ever would have been in Scarlet Cliffs or anywhere else. There were a lot of small but poisoned towns in Ire... my biggest hope for the future is that we never have to see another Baskin's Grove fiasco ever again.

"But you know what else I remember?" She glanced over at him quietly, smiling faintly, and Zerrex tilted his head towards her curiously. "After I died... I spent... a lot of time in the viewing rooms of Heaven. Many mortals do, looking down on their families... and I spent a lot of time watching over Cindy from afar. That meant I saw that Elliot was the first person to hire you and put that idea into your head... poor Elliot, at that point, after I had died and he'd been trying to take care of Cindy and his bar, and Comfort Town was falling apart..." She closed her eyes. "I don't blame him for asking you to do... what you did. And this... this has bothered me ever since all those years ago, and I feel I should share it with you.

"Your first job was because... someone tried to rape Cindy. God I was so mad when I saw that, and so... powerless. I was only glad that Elliot was able to step in, pull her away, even though he couldn't do anything to that son of a bitch from Apple Villa... and he hired you to... to take care of him. I don't think Elliot expected that you would actually rape him and leave him to die, mutilated..." Jessica swallowed thickly, and then she looked down and whispered: "And part of me liked seeing that. And part of me was glad that... you were like a fierce, dark monster protecting my little girl... and even if you've grown so much past that, and Cindy can take care of herself... I've never been able to see past that image in my mind. A great and terrible serpent, with my daughter in its coils... but holding her gently, savage but tender."

Zerrex smiled faintly, looking down at the ground before he sighed quietly, murmuring: "It's a good way to describe me. I mean... how many people have I raped? How many lives did I ruin? How many..." He closed his eyes tightly, hugging himself silently. "It's why I feel I don't deserve all these friends and family. Even if I fixed the entire universe, it doesn't take away from what I did. It doesn't mean these people have to forgive me. And most of all, it doesn't make me a hero. I was an idiot, and weak, and a monster."

Jessica looked at him quietly, and then she reached up and touched his shoulder gently, saying softly: "And that part is now over, is it not? You can be whatever you want to be, Zerrex... you are who you are. I admire the courage you have in facing up to your past, despite how awful it must make you feel... and I envy your ability to feel empathy for others, and how you've learned to love in spite of knowing that it could very well lead to nothing but pain."

"It's part of making up for everything that's happened." Zerrex replied with a faint smile, and then he shook his head slowly and looked down, sighing a little and rubbing quietly at his scarred features. "I don't like thinking about what I used to be. I was an unwitting imitation of my father, just with more lust than wrath... and I don't even want to be that way again, Jessica. There's nothing to admire in that, there's little to admire in me... and now all I want to aim to do is... to do the right thing, no matter what it means, so that... all these losses and all this pain can mean something."

Jessica nodded a bit... and then the two simply sat in silence, Benevolent and god, before she took his hand quietly... and Zerrex squeezed it fiercely as he stared at the ground, tears leaking down his cheeks as he wondered silently if it was all worth fighting for, feeling as fragile as fine china, as directionless as a ship without a compass lost in the middle of a sea without a sky, as crushed as fine sand beneath the weight of the world.

A day passed in Acheron... and Zerrex quietly stood in front of the funeral stage with Vivien at his side, the Drakkaren's bone armor locked tight around his body and Blackheart gleaming on his back. To the other side of him stood Sin, with Anathema's skull-mask upon her face and her bone plates forming an ivory corset over her form and plating her arms and shoulders, the female's arms crossed as they looked towards the stacked coffins.

Zerrex bowed his head, and then he finally glanced at Vivien, saying quietly: "I appreciate you having Mercy moved to the Central Spire for special treatment by the Scholars and the Scribes. I hate them both but I know they'll take good care of her."

Vivien nodded, then she glanced towards the funeral stage for a few moments before saying quietly: "I can come with you if you want, Zerrex. With Sabnock and Amiglion working together, and the High Council assembled and backing us... and more importantly, Eslovius now at peace with us and working to help Elysium... I can easily have a platoon of Royal Guards called to order and I'll be glad to join your forces myself."

"I appreciate it, Vivien... but we've already assembled the taskforce." Zerrex replied quietly, smiling a little at her. "Anathema and Sin will be leading the diversionary force, and we've got cavalry in the form of fifty Dragokkaren Enforcers trained to deal with Strange Beast incursions. White already spoke to Silven, who spoke to Job, and Heaven will be locking down the area so Luther can't escape. That leaves myself, Justice, Marina, and Soul to make up the primary attack force."

"To move quickly through the facility and locate Luther, I know." Vivien frowned a bit at him, then she sighed a little and said quietly: "Just be careful. I feel... I have a bad premonition about this."

Zerrex looked at her quietly, and then he nodded slowly and said softly: "We're taking every precaution. Some people will be staying back here in Acheron to defend it, and Cherry and Cindy will be reinforcing Anathema and Sin. My girls are probably capable of taking on the enemy forces by themselves."

"Yes, but... Zerrex, I'd like to stay with my sisters." Justice said quietly, and Zerrex turned around with surprise to look at her curiously, as Sin turned as well with a blush as Anathema's bones vibrated against her. The blind Naganatine only smiled awkwardly, however, and she said quietly: "If you have Soul and Marina with you, you have your team and more than enough firepower to take care of whatever happens. I would love to come with you and fight against Luther, but... my place is protecting the Naganatine, I realize that better now. I'm still their Deacon... and besides, you've seen how messy they get when I'm not around."

Anathema grumbled loudly, and Sin blushed a bit... before Justice grinned slightly as she rolled her shoulders, gesturing at the simple jeans and shirt over her body. "I like these clothing styles, though... and I like these even more." She reached down to the holsters hanging at her sides, pulling out the Drakkaren's .52 magnums, spinning them both easily before she pointed one at the reptile's face, making him wince. "You just aim, pull the trigger, and the thing it's pointed at dies. Who would have thought that a blind girl could outshoot you all?"

"Bitch, don't talk about blind girls, I dealt with more than one psycho blind chick like you in my life." Cherry said loudly as she walked towards them, and then she grinned a bit, rubbing absently at the manacle of the Great Diviner. "This shit is itchy."

Zerrex rolled his eyes: the muscular female was clad in tight fitting full plate armor that covered her body from neck to toe, thick greaves on her feet, gauntlets over her hands, and domed metal plates on every other inch of her body, but with flexible knitted mesh covering the joints and allowing full freedom of movement. It was a masculine set of armor that locked tightly over the female's breasts but left her completely protected... and she was a striking figure in it nonetheless, as it gleamed silver and white, the chain dangling from the manacle secured over one forearm seeming to glimmer itself as her hand toyed with the handle of the sword that rested against her hip in its simple scabbard. "So Boss. You sure about this and shit?"

Her other hand stroked along the handle of her heavy chain whip, and Zerrex smiled a bit before he nodded, saying quietly: "Pretty sure, anyway. Where's Cindy?"

"Talking to Jessica." Cherry hesitated, and then she looked at Justice, saying quietly: "You know, I don't mind... you taking me or Cindy in place of Justice, if you wanna trade her out for someone else. Both of us are good in the melee... even if Cindy's probably better than I am, and a little scarier."

Zerrex smiled a bit at this, and then he shook his head and said quietly: "No. Justice is right... the outer forces are going to need all the help they can get. From what White told us, there's a lot of field surrounding the mansion... and a lot of nasty energy coming from inside it. Besides, we're not going for using the element of stealth or surprise... it's going to be pretty goddamn obvious to him that we're trying to get his soldiers to come out and play while myself, Marina, and Soul force our way through his internal defenses, but the plan is to pretty much give him no choice but send troops out to meet us, or we'll raze his entire mansion to the ground."

Cherry grunted, but then she said quietly: "True and shit, but that means he could have some really goddamn nasty defenses and traps waiting for you inside the place... listen, take one of us or... hell, I know! Hey, Sephire, you wanna go with the Boss into the mansion?"

"Thought you'd never fucking ask!" Sephire said cheerfully from where she was talking with Soul and Raze, and then she turned and approached them before rubbing awkwardly at her face as Soul followed after her, head bowed quietly. "Although uh... Soul... does have something she wants to say."

"I would prefer to stay with the outside group. I can act as a better decoy there, anyway... especially if Luther is able to continue to use my biorhythm s as a beacon." Soul said quietly, and Zerrex slapped his forehead as he muttered under his breath about team players. The female studied him quietly, and then she added gently: "Although another optimal strategy may be to have me enter the mansion with several others from a different point, in order to draw forces towards me."

"I... why didn't you mention that before?" Zerrex looked at her curiously, and Soul smiled awkwardly as she glanced down, and the reptile laughed a little as he murmured: "Hey, don't worry about it. I... okay. Let me work this out in my head."

A crowd began to gather as Vivien crossed her arms with both amusement and interest, and Zerrex rubbed at his forehead slowly, analyzing the situation before he said slowly: "I don't normally try to curtail things to what everyone wants, but now that Soul's brought up this new point, I think she's right. I never considered it before because... well..." He looked at her awkwardly, smiling a bit. "I thought it would be rude to bring it up, and it puts you... it puts you in a lot of danger, Soul. If those recombinants know what revenge is..."

"I do not fear them. And I will protect those you send with me to my dying breath." Soul replied quietly, looking across at Zerrex before she added softly: "Analysis indicates that by utilizing this divide and conquer strategy, success rate increases by over ten percent in conjunction with a strong diversionary force, even when enemy knowledge is added into the equation. Recommendation for Exterior Team is long to medium range to ensure opponents are drawn out of facility to engage, with a defensive perimeter of close-combat specialists guarding them. Recommendation for Beta Team, Diversionary Unit, is medium-range combatants that can efficiently deal with opponents and aggressively push forwards. Recommendation for Alpha Team, Primary Unit, is powerful close-range combatants backed by one long-range specialist for maximum speed in forcing through Strange Beasts and enemy recombinants, whose primary form of combat is done at close and medium range."

"Thank you Soul, that would have been helpful before I assembled everyone, though..." Zerrex rubbed at the underside of his muzzle, looking down quietly... and then he nodded slowly and gazed over the gathered group. Nothing had been set in stone anyway... and the Drakkaren smiled grimly before he said quietly: "Lone, Mahihko, and Maria. You'll be going with Soul. Lone and Mahihko can tamper with mechanical defenses and give off a lot of energy, and Maria can cloak everyone and, should things go sour, get all of you out of there even if Heaven decides to lay down an anti-magic field as well as a portal lockdown."

Lone and Mahihko both looked up at this, and then Mahihko blushed bashfully as Lone said quietly: "We won't let you down, Dad. Thank you for... for letting us be part of this."

"You've earned it." Zerrex replied quietly, smiling faintly at the wolves... and then he looked to Maria, and she only nodded and gazed respectfully at him. He nodded slowly back, then glanced towards Raze and Sephire, saying quietly: "You two and Marina will be coming with me. That way I have someone who can do physical damage at close range, and I can hunt energy signals while Marina can lock onto Luther's thoughts and brainwaves."

Raze looked surprised that he had been chosen, and Sephire smiled before she pulled her mask down over her face even as she reached up with her other hand to squeeze her son's shoulder... and he looked at her quietly before he returned his eyes to Zerrex, heavy sword glinting darkly on his back as he said quietly: "I won't let you down."

"I know." Zerrex said softly, and Raze grunted before the Drakkaren looked towards Sin, who gazed back at him as the metallic socket filled with amber flames instead of blue: Sin and Anathema, mixing back together into one being, even if now they could pull apart as they wished. "The people staying back from this fight are Mist, Shine, Vampire, and Missy. Missy's sulky about it, but after the misery that happened, she understands. And before I forget..." Zerrex glanced towards Selena, who cracked her knuckles slowly, the metal over her body polished and gleaming. "Selena has my permission to take people into the mansion in a direct attack if you're able to weaken the enemy forces.

"Today... we don't show mercy to the enemy. Not unless they fall on their knees in surrender and beg for it." Zerrex said quietly, looking slowly back and forth. "And we show zero mercy to the recombinants, no matter what they do or say. The corpses have already been sent to Hez'Ranna for examination and then dismemberment, but Soul was able to examine a few of the microchips left behind in some of their minds and found no emotions... not like you or me have, anyway. They are killing machines and monsters. Destroy them, and if possible, dismember, burn, or otherwise get rid of the bodies so they don't get back up."

"They are not my siblings. They are not people. They are not even animals." Soul said quietly, nodding slowly as she looked towards Zerrex but spoke to the group at large. "If any others like myself once existed, they will be imprisoned, or by now have been destroyed."

Rumbles and nods... and then Anathema Sin rose a hand and said clearly, in the voices of both fused Naganatine: "We will be assembling in the country once known as Ire, near the border to the deserts. You will have twenty minutes to finish final preparations once there!"

With that, Anathema Sin dropped her hand, her violet eye glowing as the amber flames burned brighter in her empty socket, and a vortex slowly spun open as Zerrex nodded and glanced towards the group, saying clearly: "Move out!"

Shouts and roars echoed up through Acheron as Zerrex turned, leading the group of Disciples, soldiers, Dragon Warriors, Dragokkaren, and so many others into the rift, every one of them armed and with their weapons at the ready as they moved down the tunnel of black and white and emerged into a massive, sprawling field of greens and yellows, the grasses and plants standing only as high as the reptile's knees as he looked slowly up at the grey skies overhead, white clouds rolling slowly by. The terrain was covered in small hills that surrounded a deep, bowl-shaped indent in the green-and-yellow grasses... and in the center of this wide, deep bowl, an immense mansion sat, large and rectangular and with a single immense tower that stood up from it like a raised arm of a sprawling giant.

Zerrex looked at this for a few moments, and then he shook his head slowly: the tower had a clock face on the front of it, yet his sharp eyes could see that the hands were frozen in position... and even from this distance, the reptile could feel the power of purification coming from the mansion. The only visible defenses surrounding the building that looked as though it was made from gold and limestone was a large, black metal fence tipped with spade-shaped arrowheads... but the heavy gates stood open and inviting, as if Luther was just challenging them to come on inside and test their might against his.

Then the reptile looked up sharply as he saw a flash, before something in the far distance twinkled once, twice... and then Zerrex smiled a bit to himself before he looked over his shoulder to Marina, who gazed up at him lovingly, and then back towards the vortex as others continued to filter out of the swirling tunnel. "I'll be right back."

"Of course, Father." Marina said softly, and Zerrex nodded to her before he looked back towards the twinkle and vanished from the spot, reappearing a moment later in front of a Dragokkaren in black armor that winced backwards, then sighed in relief as it slipped a small mirror back into its sidepack, bowing deeply to the Drakkaren.

Zerrex nodded to him with an awkward smile, then glanced up to see Albatross sitting at the top of the rise with a massive black sniper rifle, a bandolier filled with large blue rifle rounds on the ground next to him as he polished the bottom of the gun slowly. His body flexed tight against the simple Hez'Ranna Military uniform he wore, not glancing up but instead keeping his eyes sharply towards the mansion in the distance as he said quietly: "We got here about forty minutes ago, but satellites have been detecting movement for over an hour... and about an hour and forty minutes ago, there was a very strange blip on the radar."

Zerrex nodded, kneeling beside the Dragokkaren, and Albatross looked at him as the Drakkaren let his eyes rove back and forth: on the other side of the hill, two immense Grim Hearse sat, with huge plows made of clear metal on their front and sides and the huge, treaded vehicles layered with heavy-duty armor plating that would withstand anything up to a small nuclear blast. Grenade launchers were mounted on either side of them and huge machine gun turrets rested on the top of both, and on the side of one, two Dragokkaren in body-fitting black armor were carefully attaching a feed system to what could only be a railgun, Zerrex giving a dark little grin at the sight of this as Albatross's eyes flicked backwards. "We only have ten rails or so with us... but five of them are layered with runes. Huck says it's a trick he picked up from tinkering with one or two of these weapons while down in Hell alongside your son Priest... the electrical charge from the gun will supercharge the runes, and then when the rail hits its target, it should unleash all that stored-up energy in the form of an electrical explosion."

"Good." Zerrex grunted, and then he stood up and glanced past the Grim Hearses to where several large green tents had been set up, and the reptile asked quietly: "How many troops did you bring at the end of the day?"

"Sixty soldiers, a little more than promised. Thirty here, and thirty will be setting up on the hills opposite us." Albatross said quietly, pointing towards the rear of the mansion. "In about ten minutes the sniper unit from my team will be fanning out, and the rocket units of the other squad will be making their move to the best location they can find. They have two armored transports they're going to put to use as well... automated armored transports, I should say. The Strange Beasts have a habit of going after vehicles first... the outer shells of these vehicles are electrified, however, and the insides are loaded with C10. You better tell everyone on your team to stay away from them."

Zerrex nodded, and Albatross hesitated before he dropped the rifle across his lap and looked up at the Drakkaren quietly, saying softly: "You have my condolences for those you lost, Zerrex. None of us were expecting such boldness... perhaps that was why the murderer was moving through Hez'Ranna, though, much as I hate to say it. He was looking for Acheron, for something to exploit..."

"Yeah, well he just kicked the hornet's nest." Zerrex muttered, and Albatross nodded with a grunt at this before the Drakkaren looked down at him and asked quietly: "So did you see our vortex, or..."

"No, we got a reading on the satellites and it set off a short alert." Albatross held up his right arm, showing off a thin computer strapped to it. "New standard issue for all Enforcers and officers, just brought them online a few months back. Very powerful little things, I can tell you that much... Huck's done a great job converting the Sunshine facility over to engineering for military and civilian purposes instead of genetic engineering."

Zerrex nodded slowly, rubbing at his face thoughtfully before he finally glanced towards the mansion again, and then he said quietly: "Tell your people to get their final preparations ready, then. In about fifteen minutes, we'll send up the signal. It'll be the kind of signal I'm fond of, since I'm sure by now Luther knows we're here."

Albatross smiled grimly at this, nodding, and then he swung a hand up as Zerrex reached down, catching each other's hand and squeezing firmly as the Drakkaren said quietly: "Good luck, Albatross. If I was in a joking mood I'd tell you to try and not lose another eye. Although I guess I just did anyway."

Albatross shook his head slowly at this with a faint look of amusement, and then Zerrex released the Dragokkaren's hand and stepped backwards before he looked over his shoulder and vanished from the spot, reappearing a moment later back with the group that had come from Acheron, the small army slowly organizing themselves as Anathema Sin crossed her arms and said dryly in the undead Naganatine's voice: "Are you sure this is an entirely good idea? I'm sure he's readying all kinds of soldiers and defenses as we speak."

Zerrex began to open his mouth to reply... and then there was a loud rumbling for a moment before the reptile winced, his right arm flexing as white motes floated quietly up from the ground, arcs of white energy flickering through the air as the Drakkaren brushed absently at his bone-armored right limb, before he glanced down as the Armor of Naganis rapidly peeled itself back from his metallic arm as his scales fell away and steel pushed to the surface, forming rapidly into the elegant silver limb. "It doesn't matter, especially now that Heaven's apparently put down the portal lock. All that matters is that we get to Luther and end this as quickly as possible... and I want the son of a bitch to know we're coming for him. Hell, I even want him to try and stop us... just so that I can make sure I destroy every last one of those recombinants he's got guarding him and every other monster or minion at his disposal. I cannot allow this to start happening all over again."

Anathema Sin nodded as she looked back and forth, and then she frowned slightly as the Purification sizzled against her, waving a hand disdainfully in front of her face before she muttered: "It's surprisingly concentrated for such a large area... they must be going to great lengths in order to completely seal this place off. I can feel it sizzling in my veins... there's so much Purification that I believe even magic may not work normally, despite the crystal bracelets I've ensured to give to all our best mages."

Zerrex grunted... and then he glanced to the side as his eyes caught sight of Vivien, frowning a bit before he walked towards the Celestial Devil as she studied the lines of soldiers curiously. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going back to Elysium."

"I thought I'd wish you luck one last time." Vivien said quietly, glancing up at him with a bit of a smile, and Zerrex softened a bit before she sighed and leaned up, kissing his cheek quietly and making the reptile rear back in surprise. "Now give me your blessing. Luck for us both."

Zerrex smiled at this, then he gently cupped her face in his hands, kissing her forehead, then her lips chastely... and Vivien blushed a bit before she nodded with a grunt, then she reached up and seized the collar of his armor, yanking him down and making him wince as she glared into his eyes. "Now listen. If things start going bad, call for help. At least send a message to the Council, or summon myself or Sabnock or someone else, we'll find a way to override the portal lock one way or another. No heroic but stupid 'die fighting' moments, okay? I... I don't want to lose you or anyone else."

Zerrex softened as he looked at her, and she gazed back at him quietly before grimacing a bit and looking away, waving a hand at him irritably. "I'm going back to the Central Spire now. Just... take care of yourself."

Vivien closed her eyes, then looked irritably down at the ground as she cursed under her breath about the portal block before she stormed off away from the mansion... and Zerrex smiled faintly to himself, shaking his head slowly before he rose a hand and concentrated. A moment later, a sphere of energy appeared in it... but it fizzled weakly, unsolid, and the Drakkaren frowned a little before he looked back and forth, then caught sight of Raze and Sephire, the female polishing her sword and her head bobbing as she talked, and the black-scaled male only grunting now and then and looking surly as he stood with his arms crossed. "Hey, what is this?"

Sephire looked over at him, then she popped her mask up and frowned a bit as the Drakkaren approached before she held one hand out, shoulder Storm King Face easily with her other... and then she shook her head with a grimace before Marina walked towards the group and said softly: "It's the Weight of the World, is it not, Lady Sephire?"

"You... shit, you just pulled that out of my head, didn't you?" Sephire grimaced over towards Marina, looking a little spooked, and Marina only smiled tenderly at her as her eyes half-lidded before Sephire slipped carefully behind Raze, her son sighing at his mother's antics before she muttered: "Fuck you, psychics and shit scare me. If you weren't born without telepathy I totally would have had your brain removed, and you would have thanked me for it 'cause you would have ended up way more traumatized if you spent all your time in my head."

"Shut up." Raze grumbled, and then he looked towards Zerrex and nodded, saying quietly: "Marina's right. This isn't just a portal block, that only requires runes and a Metatron or two in the vicinity. The Weight of the World is created by Prophets in Heaven, weakening all supernatural abilities and blocking out magic almost entirely. Right now it's very light, but as time passes it's going to get much heavier and harder to deal with, to the point it may even start repressing psychic abilities. And since it inhibits energy, Zerrex..."

"Oh great. And you know, that's a lot of words you just strung together. I'm proud of you, Raze." Zerrex said mildly, and Raze growled at him before the white-haired lizard punched him gently in the arm, and the godling only sighed and muttered under his breath as he shook his head slowly. But Zerrex could already feel the effects growing, and he glanced skywards with a grimace as he muttered: "So is it just me, or does anyone here also think that maybe Job is hoping that we all kill each other here?"

Sephire snorted at this with amusement, however, saying mildly: "I dunno about that, Zerrex, that might just be you being paranoid. Maybe he's being a cunt about this, but it might work to our advantage... the Weight of the World should be able to put a dent in the powers of the Strange Beasts, too. And since people like you and me prefer smashing shit instead of using our powers..."

Zerrex nodded after a moment slowly, and then Sephire added quietly: "One last thing about this. Wherever the Weight of the World is centered is where the effects are strongest. So it shouldn't get much worse than this around the outer edges. Anathema Sin's magic works even on the mortal plane, right? She should be able to continue to use her spells with only a little added difficulty if she stays back here, same for anyone carrying demonic crystal."

"Alright." Zerrex said quietly, and then he glanced to the side as Soul approached with Mahihko, Lone, and Maria in tow, the Broken unaffected by the change of energies in the air as her black chains floated quietly around her body. Mahihko, meanwhile, had his fur puffed out and looked a little less than thrilled as arcs of electricity sizzled occasionally up and down his body, his hoops hanging loosely at his sides as he tugged lightly at his stretchy black military uniform, and Lone winced a bit, a revolver holstered on one side of his belt and a heavy silver handgun on the other, pouches filled with ammo resting around his waist and collapsible pole sparking on occasion over his back ,vest done up tightly across his masculine chest and jeans tucked neatly into the large boots covering his big paws. "You guys ready?"

They nodded, and Soul glanced towards the wolves before she returned her eyes to Zerrex, saying quietly: "Magic suppression in the air is creating an adverse affect in the smaller lupine, amplifying instead of negating his natural bioelectric charge due to the energy content inherent in the effect. His conductivity and electrical powers may be enhanced, which will work to our advantage during conflict, but he appears to be uncomfortable."

"I'm fine..." Mahihko mumbled... and then he smiled faintly when Zerrex reached out and scratched between his ears, the wolf's eyes fluttering before they closed and he bowed his head forwards, ears laying back as electricity sparked along his piercings and up to Zerrex's hand, faintly tickling along his fingers. "Thanks Daddy."

"We're gonna do good." Lone said empathetically, smiling a little down at Mahihko. "Even if the little guy can't handle a gun right now because he's all static-charged, he's better up close and personal anyway. We're gonna do you proud, Dad..."

He looked quietly up at Zerrex, and the Drakkaren nodded slowly before he looked at Soul... but she seemed unaffected by the suppression in the atmosphere, the metal over her body glinting. Now there were pockmarks and scars along the plating covering her, however, and Zerrex smiled faintly as he reached up and stroked his finger over a particularly-nasty dent, saying quietly: "We'll have to repair you after this, Soul. Don't... don't push yourself too hard. Promise me... you'll make it out alive."

He met her eyes, and she smiled faintly, bowing her head forwards and closing her eyes quietly... and a single tear trickled down her cheek before she whispered: "Thank you. You have continued to treat me as a person, despite everything, and do not blame me for the events that have occurred even though I am nonetheless responsible. You gave me a real heart, and a real mind. You made me a person."

"And I'm going to make sure that we all get out alive." Maria said quietly, stepping forwards and wrapping one arm around Soul and her other around Mahihko, who blushed quietly as Soul looked at her with surprise, tilting her head as her glass eyes examined her in that curious, measuring way she had. The Broken only smiled at her, however, then gazed back at Zerrex, saying quietly: "Please do the same for us, Grandfather."

The Drakkaren smiled a little at this, and then he nodded slowly before looking up as Anathema Sin glanced over at him curiously, the army marshaled now into groups and lines... and he nodded slowly before looking at Soul and saying quietly: "Start circling around and look for an opening you can exploit after the main charge, the attack will begin soon. Wolves, listen to Maria and Soul."

"Yes, Daddy." Mahihko said immediately, and Lone nodded quickly with a short salute as well. Soul looked at the lupines, then returned her gaze to Zerrex... and she gave a small smile before turning suddenly and heading quickly through the rolling hills, and the wolves ran after her after a moment of surprise before Maria smiled one last time at her grandfather, then turned and followed last, hopping into the air and gliding easily along behind them like a beautiful and silent ghost.

Zerrex watched them go... then he turned and approached Anathema Sin as Sephire, Raze, and Marina all readied themselves, Raze looking stoic, Sephire slapping her mask down and eagerly running one gauntlet-covered hand along the edge of her huge sword to make it spark, and psychic chains of purple light glowing around Marina before they solidified into silvery links. The Drakkaren stood for a moment in front of the paired Naganatine, and then he reached up and touched her skull mask quietly, and she smiled faintly at him before the reptile said quietly: "Luck to us all, right?"

"And better fortune to our enemies, so they may die fast instead of slow, and see the value of surrender and the wisdom of retreat." Anathema recited in response, and then she grinned viciously through Sin's jaws, saying almost hungrily: "Sister is too shy to ask... but we don't have to hold back at all, do we?"

"Not at all." Zerrex replied softly, and then he stepped back and stood beside her, gazing down towards the mansion as white motes floated silently through the air around them as the pressure intensified, before the Drakkaren said mildly: "Give them a few minutes. Then go ahead and send a signal that we mean business, Sin."

The Naganatine bowed respectfully towards him even as Anathema snorted through the female's jaws, and Zerrex paused before he glanced over his shoulder at her, saying mildly: "Oh don't worry, Annie. I'm sure there'll be plenty of dead for you to play with, soon enough."

"You must be mad at them to encourage me to do that." Anathema replied mildly, and she licked her lips slowly as she said softly: "But don't worry yourself in the slightest, Zerrex... the dead make the dead easier than the living make the living..."

Zerrex smiled coldly at this, feeling the old dark parts of him rising up more and more through his being even as the Armor of Naganis sizzled quietly over him... and then a moment later, the skull facemask rose up around the reptile's features, locking firmly over them as the reptile's metallic right arm glinted out of the armor, the Drakkaren looking ahead and saying quietly: "I know you're not a fan of these tactics... but we don't have a choice. It's not just that it's 'us or them...' it's that what this son of a bitch is doing is wrong in every sense of the word. It's more than a personal vendetta... it's also now more than for my sake that we have to stop this son of a bitch. It's even more than for your sake, Naganis... and yet it's not for the world, either. It's not for Heaven, or Hell, or anything in between. It's a matter of stopping this before it can spread like a disease... and making sure no more innocent lives have to die because of one crazy son of a bitch's delusions of grandeur."

Zerrex closed his eyes, bowing his head forwards... and there was silence for the next few minutes as Marina walked up beside him and quietly reached up to touch his shoulder, standing silently beside him as time as seconds bridged into minutes, the Purification around them glimmering and creating a spiritual weight that Zerrex felt even through the bone armor protecting his body and soul... and then he looked up sharply as there was a distinct crackle through the air before Anathema shouted furiously: "Attack, and don't stop until Luther's mansion crumbles around his head!"

A moment later, a massive blast of holy energy issued from the skies above, thundering down in a powerful bolt that smashed into the enormous tower, making the mansion tremble and the ground itself quake as Purification resonated throughout the area, Zerrex wincing a bit and then holding his arms out when Sephire and Raze both eagerly began to move forwards, and Sephire grumbled behind her mask and Raze only grunted as the reptile said mildly: "Not yet. Give the others time to go in first. Then we'll break through the enemy ranks and knock down the front door."

"Oh yeah, that'll work out well, I'm sure." Sephire said mildly, and Zerrex shot her a sour look, which made her clear her throat and look away. "Sorry, sorry. Ignore me, I'm... overeager to break some heads."

Zerrex grumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes and shaking his head a bit before he looked towards Raze, but the black-scaled Drakkaren only crossed his arms calmly before his eyes flicked up sharply as there was another distinct crackle, but this time it came from the railgun mounted on the Grim Hearse in the distance, the rail firing into the face of the clock tower and tearing through it to send a hail of stone and heavy chunks of rock and metal plummeting to the ground below, as Dragokkaren infantry stormed down the hill, their massive machineguns held easily in their strong hands as their long strides carried them quickly down into the deep, grassy bowl in which the mansion sat.

As expected, however, the mansion was not entirely undefended: as they began to approach, Gateways ripped open, unfettered by the magical suppression... but although the Vipers only snarled in irritation at the white arcs that shot over their bodies, the Phase Hounds that ripped out of several Gateways squealed and pawed at the ground, shaking their heads wildly as energy shot over them and they flickered rapidly in and out of existence before becoming solid. As Zerrex watched the quadrupeds regain their senses and charge upwards to engage the warriors flooding towards them, he realized they had lost their ability to teleport from the fact that none of them were blinking in and out of existence, and the reptile muttered under his breath: "Well, that's one good thing at least, then..."

Then he cursed under his breath as part of the mansion roof visibly opened in the distance, and a series of small rockets fired upwards, arcing upwards through the sky before Zerrex's eyes sharpened as he watched the rear of one of the rockets blow apart, sending out a shower of sparkling objects and launching the head of the rocket further upwards before the conical head snapped apart, floating in midair for a moment as submunitions hailed down over the field, tiny, marble-sized pellets striking the ground and living beings and going up in powerful blasts of thunderous concussive force, a Viper that was struck by a handful of the pellets screaming as they exploded with enough strength to send scales flying and blood splattering out of its wounds before it simply erupted in a blast of neon electricity and gore.

Then one the floating, tiny satellite-like objects turned suddenly... and a bright red laser shot out of it, tearing through a Dragon Warrior before it snapped to the side, dragging a wide arc of deadly red light over the ground, leaving a burnt trench through the earth as the surrounding grasses burst into flames. A Strange Beast was torn in half as well, howling in pain before it exploded, and the blast of electricity threw several Dragokkaren backwards and thankfully out of the way of another hail of submunitions from another shattered rocket above.

Then one of the floating laser defenses systems sparked violently, something hammering into the side of it before it simply exploded, falling from the sky like a meteor as gunfire rang out over the roars of the Strange Beasts and the raw yells of warriors and Disciples, and Zerrex grimaced a bit as he watched battle continue to unfold, wanting to step in and do something... but knowing that he had to leave this up to the others even as he breathed hard, adrenaline surging through his veins as Sephire muttered: "Shit... I've never actually stood back and watched a war before, I've always fought on the front lines... is this what it looks like from back here?"

"Yeah." Zerrex muttered, and then he grimaced a bit as a blast of lightning shot down from the skies as the hidden silo in the mansion began to fire off another volley of rockets, and the bolt of electricity was drawn to this like a lightning rod, the rockets exploding just above the silo and the submunitions going off with a massive, rumbling blast that sent a crack ripping through the front of the mansion and sent chunks of steel and stone flying in all directions, the already-airborne laser systems sparking violently before they simply fell from the sky was whatever computer system that controlled them malfunctioned. "We'll make our move soon. As soon as we know a little more about what we're up against and the rest of the facility's defenses go online."

Sephire grimaced a little, fidgeting from foot-to-foot as Raze simply stood silently with his arms crossed... and then the fencing surrounding the mansion simply descended into the earth as a large square section of the yard lifted up and slid smoothly to the side. A moment later, two enormous tanks rose up out of the hole on a massive steel lift, and Sephire whistled a bit to herself as these rumbled off the lift on their humongous treads, both maroon in color, but while one possessed a massive cannon and a pair of automated gatling guns on revolving arms on top of the turret, the other had no visible weapons but instead an enormous dome with a shutter locked tightly over the front... but as it slowly rolled out onto the battlefield, the shutter snapped upwards and a short, stocky cannon slid outwards before it began to slowly twist back and forth, releasing a thick, noxious white cloud of gas spilling outwards, and a Viper that was unlucky enough to be caught in this spray screamed as it staggered to the side, its arm rapidly freezing before it shattered and the creature fell to the side, hissing and clutching at the frozen wound... and a moment later ,the Viper exploded in a blast of pinkish lightning that made the other tank glow as it simply rolled over the Strange Beast without even bothering to slow down.

Zerrex grimaced at this sight, shaking his head slowly... and then he gritted his teeth as the large double doors to the manse flew open and hidden shutters rose in the walls, demons and angels with gleaming metal enhancements over their bodies flooding out, and Sephire gritted her teeth loudly beneath her mask before whining: "Come on, come on, come on, just let me kill a few!"

"You'll get your chance soon enough, Sephire. Show a little patience like your son." Zerrex replied mildly, and Raze gave a snort at this as he leaned moodily back. Marina smiled a bit at the two, and then her eyes flicked towards the manse as Zerrex felt a distinct ripple of energy as well before he muttered: "That can't be good."

In the battlefield, Disciples, Dragon Warriors, Dragokkaren, Sacrifices, Beasts, soldiers, and everything in between fought savagely against the Strange Beasts, the mechanical vehicles, and the robotically-enhanced soldiers that had joined the fray. With the Dragokkaren Enforcers, they had the advantage in number... although the enemy certainly had more than enough power to make up for it, with the armored Viper Aegis blocking magic and melee with their shields and massive Leviathan slashing vicious swathes through groups of soldiers.

One of the red tanks rumbled slowly through the group, crushing friend and foe alike under its massive treads as both gatling guns carelessly fired at anything within ten feet of it, the main cannon aiming slowly and firing explosive shells towards larger targets like Dragon Warriors and gods. On top of the tank, several mechanically-enhanced demons and angels now stood, heavy machine guns in their arms as they peppered the crowd around them with bullets.

The cannon slowly began to turn, and focused in on Thor, fighting in the distance with a Leviathan, a grin on the caracal's face despite the damage done to his heavy armored vest as his hammer lashed back and forth in easy swings, before he leapt backwards when the Leviathan raised its swords, roaring a raw battle-cry to the skies and sending a massive bolt of lightning firing down from the Heavens to crash into the Strange Beast's raised weapons, and the giant howled in agony as the sword fused into its hands as they were turned to blackened ruin with most of its arms, pinkish electricity sparking along the creature's body as it jittered violently before Thor stepped forwards and smashed it back and forth across the face with his hammer, then slammed a savage uppercut with the heavy mallet up beneath its jaws. It was sent crashing backwards... and then the caracal grinned before the cannon of the tank fired.

Yet the enormous explosive shell was halted in midair only a few feet away from the smoking cannon... and a moment later, a shadow passed over it as Tinman glided by overhead, the badger's angelic wings carrying him easily as he gritted his teeth and made a snapping motion, and the explosive shell arced neatly backwards as the angel shot up towards the sky before it dropped onto the top of the turret between the gaping mercenaries and exploded in a powerful blast, shredding both living beings as well as destroying the top of the tank. It rumbled forwards a few more feet, then hissed to a halt, smoke pouring up from the top of the blackened red steel as flames lit along the metal, and then two demons crawled out from beneath it, escaping likely via the emergency hatch.

Tinman dropped from the sky to hover a few feet overtop the tank as he grabbed at the belt filled with pouches and large packs hanging around his waist, and he pulled two short, sawblade-like discs from a rawhide holster before snapping his hand out, and these both shot towards the haggard demons before tearing through their bodies and sending both beings crashing to the ground with howls of agony.

The discs hissed through the air as they arced backwards and returned to the badger's hand, the male catching the spinning blades with the ease of long practice before he held his hands straight down, concentrating and gritting his teeth... and then his wings flapped powerfully as he flew slowly higher up into the air, the broken tank rumbling and trembling, parts and metal plates falling off it even as the massive red-armored vehicle was dragged slowly up into the sky after the badger, lifting some ten, then twenty, then thirty feet off the ground. It hovered ominously, the badger's wings flapping hard as he gritted his teeth some twenty feet above this... and then he half-spun and slung both arms out with a yell, and the red-armored tank was sent flying towards the mansion, ripping through one of the walls as brick and mortar and metal crumbled around it.

Tinny shot upwards a moment later with a wince as several mercenaries shot at him, even as their bullets were deflected away from his body by the badger's unnatural abilities... and then a mechanically-enhanced angel's head simply exploded, his companion staggering to the side before the minotaur's skull was blown into pieces as well by a second shot fired from across the field, White's huge revolver twitching just slightly to the side before he fired a third shot that plowed through not one, but the chests of two demons, sending them both crashing backwards in gory splatters before they could even raise their weapons.

The Purification in the air was growing more intense, making White's features seem more hollow and haggard as the badger calmly lowered his revolver, then closed his eyes when a Strange Beast charged at him as his right hand flexed slowly before he slid smoothly to the side when it lunged, dodging the Viper's tackle. It skidded over the ground with a snarl, and then White rose a hand and muttered a short verse in Enochian before holy runes glowed over the Strange Beast's body, making it hiss and claw at itself. A moment later, they formed into metallic bindings, and the Viper leaned down and roared towards White... but the badger only clenched his right fist, and the chains and manacles around the Strange Beast tightened viciously, ripping through scale and flesh and making it scream as it reared back before simply exploding under the pressure being applied by the holy metal.

Neon electricity shot through the air in broad arcs, gore splattering in all direction... and then it twisted suddenly, violently downwards in an almost-solid stream before smashing into a demon as Ambrosia snarled, fighting side-by-side with Serenity as the two moved with strange, liquid grace together, crystal bracelets glowing on Ambrosia's wrists as her knives shimmered in her hands, Serenity's swords spinning violently at her sides as she lashed them back and forth across aggressors.

Phase Hounds attempted to flank them from either side with howls, two from the left and one from the right... and without hesitation, Ambrosia's hands swept along her belt and flung a volley of daggers into the face of the single hound attacking on one side, making it scream before she leapt forwards as she spun her daggers rapidly before stabbing them down just behind its skull, making its eyes bulge as electricity sparked over it... and in a graceful, easy movement, she tore the Luna free as let her body fall backwards, lashing savagely up and out with both feet in a hard bicycle kick that sent the Phase Hound flying backwards as she went into a neat handspring.

She landed beside Serenity as the scarred female's foot collided with the face of the second Strange Beast, the other Phase Hound already skittering backwards with howls of agony as electricity sparked along two deep trenches ripped over its features, and as the second Phase Beast was knocked backwards, Serenity flicked both her hands to the side and sent both her swords spinning around her body to plunge deep into the flank of the bleeding Phase Hound, making it scream before she snapped her wrists to the side and a blast of telekinetic force smashed into the Phase Hound with enough force to almost break it in half before it self-destructed as it crashed to the ground some dozen feet away, both her swords flying free before they were caught in midair by her mental powers, starting to spin violently again as she anchored herself as the last Phase Hound recovered slowly before Ambrosia stomped down against the ground and the earth beneath the creature tore apart, sending up a vent of steam that launched the Strange Beast towards them with a shriek before Serenity leapt forwards with a snarl and swung both hands out, sending her swords ripping through the creature's back and body before it went up in a powerful neon blast of gore and electricity.

Serenity skidded to a halt, then looked up as Ambrosia charged towards her before she dropped to a low duck, one leg sliding upwards so her knee almost touched her face as her head fell forwards... and Ambrosia leapt over Serenity's low-crouched body to slam both feet into a large Wrath demon, sending it staggering backwards with a grunt as the metal plates on its body dented slightly with the force of impact before Serenity snapped her hands backwards, and both her silvery blades shot behind her to sink deep into the body of the Wrath demon, the creature howling in agony before Serenity spun around and swept her extended leg out in a wide kick that knocked its feet out from under it as Ambrosia landed behind her sister with a grin. The Wrath demon fell on its back, then gargled when the Pride demon snapped her hands up, and the female's swords ripped themselves free as they sparked with psychic force before beginning to whirl at her sides again, as she snapped irritably: "Come on, let's keep moving!"

Ambrosia nodded, and the two ran forwards, passing by Gilgamesh as the huge warrior stabbed a spear through a Viper's chest, shoving it down to the ground and vaulting over it to land behind the other tank that was spraying noxious, freezing gas over friend and foe alike, tearing his weapon free with an easy flick of his wrist as the Strange Beast behind him exploded... and as the dome-shaped armored turret began to slowly revolve, the warrior god stabbed his spear into the ground before he ducked, the massive bear grunting as he grabbed the undercarriage of the tank, then flexed before stepping forwards and roaring as he flipped the red-armored, demonically-enhanced war machine onto its back.

It crashed loudly to the ground, icy smoke vomiting upwards around the vehicle and voices howling from inside it before Gilgamesh simply swung a fist out and smashed the hatch on the bottom of the machine inwards, warping the metal and making it impossible to open before he stepped quickly backwards as blue smoke wafted upwards and the screams died down into horrified gargles... and then the warrior god easily snatched his spear up before he turned around, lashing it outwards and smacking an angel in the side of the head with the shaft, knocking it to the ground before he stepped forwards and punted it across the battlefield, and then the warrior god's eyes sharpened as the revealed lift rose slowly up into the yard again, this time with a team of four combat armors on it and a platoon of blue-armored angelic soldiers, all of them equipped with electrical cannons.

Gilgamesh snorted in disdain... and then he glanced up as a hail of icy shards shot down from the sky as a bitter wind blew by, large daggers of ice ripping through the armored soldiers even as they began to charge their electrical weapons and frost rapidly forming over both the combat armors and the lift platform even as the mobile metal suits began to move forwards, operators inside cursing as the large machines shook violently and their weapon systems went haywire, gatling gun hands and missile pods resting above the shoulders of the block, stocky-limbed war machines fizzing visibly as ice spilled along them.

At the edge of the field, Eratosthenes continued to concentrate as he held his hand forwards, the blizzard falling harder before he glanced irritably to the side as a Viper Aegis lunged past a Dragon Warrior, screaming insults at him in their own language that likely sounded only like growls and hisses to everyone around him... and calmly, coldly, Error pointed one of his hands towards the Viper and a bolt of light shot from his palm, ripping through the golden armor covering the Strange Beast's chest and sending it staggering backwards as it gasped for breath before exploding in a hail of neon electricity. Then he focused his attention back forwards, as Anathema Sin asked him quietly in the mixed voices of the two Naganatine: "Can you bring down an electrical discharge?"

"Of course. The environment around us boils with energy, after all." Eratosthenes replied mildly, and then he snapped a hand upwards... and a massive arc of electricity shot from the skies, bouncing back and forth between the still-falling hail of sleet and ice around the combat armors in front of the manse, and it formed a massive electrical net that supercharged the batteries the enemy soldiers were wearing and caused them to explode as the combat armors went up in flames as well, cracks ripping through the lift platform as gears ground violently in the elevator before sparks flew as it simply fell with a scream of metal-on-metal, several charred corpses and broken combat armors following its descent into darkness.

The Librarian snorted in derision, and then he looked to the side as Anathema Sin grinned and licked her lips slowly at the sight, before she said hungrily: "Oh, Sister's gonna be real mad at me for doing this... but since I'm in control of Sin's powers and I just can't resist, and I couldn't let an arrogant punk like you show me up..."

Anathema Sin's eyes glowed as she smashed her hands together, and then she rose her arms with a laugh... and a black bubble formed in front of her before expanding until it was the size of a small house, vibrating violently, ugly black droplets like terrible dark ooze dripping down the outside of it before it simply popped, revealing a curled up, skeletal form hidden inside. Then, slowly, a long, segmented tail uncurled, bones covered in tightly-stretched translucent skin that snapped back and forth, spikes jutting here and there all along its length... and eight enormous limbs stretched outwards, the two lowermost pairs large but stocky, the uppermost pairs in the form of immense, long arms, visible bones covered by almost-invisible, rubber-hide with no flesh or muscle between... and its ribs quaked, trembling, like massive, crescent-shaped teeth that ran down the center of its body.

Two enormous, insect-like wings stood out from its back, held together by thin white stalks with ugly white leather stretched between them, ripped here and there in places... and it possessed three long neck-stalks with large, jutting spikes standing out the back of each vertebrae, iron collars dangling just behind each skull from the top of its long spinal cord, each with enormous bolts jutting from them... and the skulls themselves were draconic in shape, with four huge horns that jutted backwards, and flames that burned in the eye sockets of each: amber in the central head, which had a thick rune burned into the center of the skull and cracks that pulsed with golden light over its face, and blue flames in the left head's sockets and red fire in the right. Steam poured up from its jaws as it writhed and shivered... and then Anathema Sin walked forwards with a dark grin on her face, Anathema clearly in control as she cooed: "Mommy's here, my sweet little pet! You remember Mommy, don't you?"

The Terror's heads looked down at her, and then the center head bowed respectfully forwards, and Anathema reached out and stroked lovingly along its skull, eyeing the monster with delight: twenty feet tall at the shoulder and perhaps fifty long, it was a massive dracolich created from fusing multiple corpses of dragons together and imbuing it repeatedly with the energy of a multitude of devils and demons... and Anathema Sin laughed and clapped her hands together before Justice appeared beside her and asked sharply: "What the hell are you doing?"

"Having fun." Anathema retorted through Sin's jaws, and then she glanced up at the three-headed dracolich even as it snarled down at Justice, saying kindly: "Oh no, my pet, she's on our side today. Go on now, play with the shiny demons and angels and the large, ugly pests... you can figure out what to kill, my pretty Ancalagon..."

The monster that had been sealed in the Marquee Sur Noir roared in agreement, and then it turned and charged into the fray, leaping overtop Dragon Warriors and startled Dragokkaren and Disciples as a Leviathan turned too late, and all three heads turned towards it and roared, the eyes glowing as each head released a powerful, cyclonic cone: one of flame, one of cold, and one of acidic golden gas. The Leviathan was battered backwards by all three with a howl before it simply exploded, and Anathema Sin laughed before she grinned at Justice's moody look. "You're just upset because you'll never be able to outdo our combined strength, Sister..."

Justice snorted at this, and then she turned and headed quickly down into the fray as she rose the .52 handguns, blasting several rounds into a Viper that was about to crush a Dragokkaren and knocking its head backwards, distracting it and allowing the Dragokkaren to scramble away before the Naganatine leapt forwards, smashing her feet against the Viper's chest to shove upwards and kick off its face as her black, serrated tentacles snapped out of her back and lashed downwards, seizing the Strange Beast around the chest and limbs and throat before she dropped behind it and the long, metallic appendages yanked the creature off the ground and in a wide, arcing flip that smashed it down into the ground in front of the female Naganatine as pinkish electricity exploded over its body as it impacted with a shriek, and then the Naganatine stepped forwards and kicked it in the back, snapping the bone caging around its Symposium and sending it rolling away as it began to twitch violently before self-destructing.

She snorted, then half-turned... and a Leviathan's blade slammed down into her face, making her head tilt slightly to the side as her blind eyes narrowed, a thin cut torn in her scales as they became metallic... and the Leviathan's grin turned to a stare of shock before Justice slapped the axe-sword away from the thinly-bleeding wound on her face and she rose both her handguns, emptying half a dozen shots into the creature's face and sending it staggering backwards with a howl of misery and pain before she leapt neatly upwards, metallic tentacles snapping against the creature's shoulders and carrying her higher with ease to land on top of the beast's head before she pointed both .52s almost straight down and emptied round after round into the base of the back of its neck, shattering through its spine and sending bullets and bone fragments pounding deeper into its body until they tore through its Symposium, and she kicked off the back of the creature's skull, sending the Leviathan flopping forwards even as neon electricity raced over it and it self-destructed in a powerful blast of blood, gore, and lightning.

Justice looked up sharply as a sound assailed her powerful senses... and a moment later, several rockets crashed into the rear of the mansion before a rail fired from Grim Hearse parked at the edge of the battleground and guarded by several Dragokkaren with immense sniper rifles loaded with plasma rounds that tore with ease through even the largest Strange Beasts on the battlefield. The mansion quaked as it took more damage, the clock tower teetering dangerously as chunks of the clock face fell in the burnt and broken fields around the building, even as more mercenaries with metallic parts flooded out and several more Gateways opened, vomiting out Phase Hounds and Strange Beasts... and then Justice cursed under her breath as she backstepped a few times as her vision went white for a moment with the amount of energy in the air before it receded, before looking up sharply as a Phase Hound charged towards her... and then a blast of white, holy energy shot down like a meteor from the skies and crashed into its back, simply dissolving the rear portion of the creature and sending its front half collapsing and skidding mindlessly through the grasses before it blew apart in a sick splatter.

She looked up to see Silven hovering in the skies above, a heavy golden shield over one arm and the other raised as the angelic Naganatine shouted another spell, and several meteors of holy energy formed in mid-spiral towards the ground before they homed in on Vipers and other Strange Beasts, exploding with tremendous force in the Purification. And while many demons and even the mortal Dragokkaren were starting to slow down from the spiritual pressure of the weight of the world, their divine counterparts were truly able to shine in the heavily-Purified atmosphere.

Albatross fired off shot after shot that was spookily-accurate even for the skilled Dragokkaren, plasma rounds ripping through eyes and softer places over the bodies of Strange Beasts, and Mary - normally staying back as a healer, bandaged and bruised but recovered from the damage she had taken in Acheron - was fighting beside Dray and Terrance, the enormous Dragokkaren-demon using traditional Tinsa'ar wristblades to rip his way savagely through opponents and Dray with a kwaibar in his flesh-and-blood hand as his metallic arm struck with incredible strength out against anyone that dared to get in his way.

Mary herself threw bolts of white energy into any demons or angels that tried to attack the brothers at range... although brawny, huge Terrance only growled when bullets struck against his armor-like scales and winced at most from spells that ricocheted off his body, and Dray's eyes burned as he occasionally leaned forwards to breathe wide swathes of flame that incinerated even Phase Hounds when they attempted to charge. The three worked well together... and they were further supported by several Dragokkaren, both Enforcers with their massive machine guns thundering as they emptied armor-piercing rounds into anything and everything they came across, and traditional warriors from Acheron with spears, kwaibar swords, and only light armor and glowing tattoos protecting their bodies.

Priest and Markus fought on the other side of the field with Cherry and Cindy, Priest's knives flashing against the blades of a Leviathan as Cherry and Cindy both battled with an Elite, Cindy's body metallic but bloodied from the golden axes of the giant and black veins pulsing through Cherry's scales as the Great Diviner clanged loudly off its white armor, ripping scours and scars but never able to pierce it. The Elite was flagging backwards, however, steadily losing ground to the sheer ferocity of the two... and then Cherry suddenly grinned and leaned forwards, and Markus ran out of nowhere up his mother's back before he half-flipped his body as he swung his battle axe around in a wide helicopter swing that tore into the Elite's snarling, open jaws while the Dragokkaren seemed to levitate, upside down in air for a moment, and then he rotated himself around the handle of the weapon as the Elite grabbed at its mouth with a muffled scream before Markus kicked both legs hard downwards and gritted his teeth in effort, snapping down to the ground as he yanked the axe over his head... and he crashed to the ground in a kneel as the Elite was flipped over his body and smashed down into the field before Cindy leapt forwards and crushed the Strange Beast's chest in with a savage tomahawk.

Neon, pinkish sparks jolted over its body as the three leapt away before the Elite exploded... and the Leviathan Priest was fighting staggered to the side with a hiss, giving Priest the opening he was looking for to lunge forwards as if to seize the monster in a one-armed hug, skillfully stabbing one of his daggers alongside the creature's spine and making it howl in agony before he half-spun and bowed as he tore the weapon downwards, ripping a deep slash through its back as it was sent stumbling in a lethargic spin before pinkish electricity zapped over its form and it exploded in a shower of lightning and gore.

Priest grinned, and he slapped one of his daggers against the Great Diviner as Cherry licked her lips hungrily, her eyes burning with battle-lust... and then the four turned as another door was thrown open in the manse and another platoon of soldiers streamed quickly out, assault rifles at the ready... but before anyone could even react, a hail of black knives formed in the air and ripped down through many of the troops, forcing them to retreat back inside as Hope's eyes burned darkly, dark lightning sparking over her form as Driz stood to one side of her, his hand stretched back and a pulsing orb of white glowing and growing slowly in his palm, Daria guarding their back with her spear as she slammed the pole of the weapon into the jaw of a minotaur, making it gargle before she spat a stream of acid over its face that sent it down in a scream... and then Driz stepped forwards with a snarl, throwing the sphere of concentrated purification towards the mansion, and it twisted slightly in midair as his eyes glowed pure white for a moment, arcing through the doorway to explode inside with a tremendous bang that shattered most of the windows of the western wing of the manse, glass hailing down as ivory energy arced and streamed from several of the shattered panes.

They fought, and fought with the strength of an army tenfold times their size, even as more troops flooded out from the manse and Chanters began to appear as well... but before the latter could even begin to speak, Celeste stepped up beside Error, and the two nodded to each other before Librarian and Great Mother began to sing: and even though their song went unheard through most of the battlefield, Chanters grabbed at their skulls with howls of agony as bloody tears began to leak from their eyes, even as Songstresses snarled and began to sing as well... but Celeste's voice was unfaltering, and Eratosthenes was able to lock onto the enemy Guardians even as he continued to follow the harmony and lead of the Great Mother, flicking his wrist to shatter the ground beneath the enemy or send up blasts of steam or bursts of flame that stumbled the Songstresses and halted their song.

And as the chaos grew, Soul led the wolves and Maria quickly towards the hole left in the mansion wall by the tank Tinman had thrown earlier, slipping into a plush, red-carpeted corridor that was mostly in ruins now as she said quietly: "Analysis indicates that this building has been insulated. Magic suppression, known as the Weight of the World, has been partially negated."

"It's quieter, too." Maria murmured, as they made their way down the corridor... and the way the battle was muffled outside was strange, as she looked uneasily back and forth as Soul nodded slowly before pausing at a large oak door. She carefully pulled it open... and the four stepped out a moment later into a large, empty dining room, the floor tiled with marble and an immense golden chandelier hanging above their heads, a large wooden table covered by a patterned white-and-blue tablecloth fluttering quietly as a clock ticked quietly at the far end of the room.

Mahihko closed the door, electricity still occasionally sparking along his form as Lone winced, his silver-plated .45 at the ready as he looked nervously back and forth... and then Soul looked towards the clock at the opposite side of the room and said calmly: "Hostiles detected. Preparing to engage enemy forces."

"What? Where?" Lone asked incredulously, and then Maria snarled and leapt forwards, the Broken's chains snapping upwards as both she and Soul stood at the ready as a rumble passed through the hallway before the wall at the opposite end of the dining hall all-but-exploded, the clock clanging loudly as if in denial as it was shattered into cogs and splinters of wood as a Leviathan stormed into the long dining hall with a roar, two Phase Hounds sprinting past either side of it and snarling as one shot along the wall and the other leapt onto the table to charge directly at them.

Soul immediately stepped forwards and seized the underside of the dining table with one robotic hand, her face emotionless before she simply flipped the long dining table upwards, and the Phase Hound on top of it was thrown backwards with a yelp as Maria leapt towards the other quadrupedal Strange Beast, her chains lashing out to wrap around it before she snapped her arms to either side with a cruel grin, and it was ripped into three pieces that exploded in gory showers of neon fireworks as Soul said calmly: "Analysis indicates the best course of action is to destroy the Leviathan. Mahihko, Lone, please exterminate the remaining Phase Hound."

With that, Soul ran forwards as the table began to tip over, as the Leviathan stomped across the battleground... and then the female leapt upwards and kicked one hoof outwards, smashing through the elongated furnishing before her eyes glowed and electricity violently erupted over the enormous Strange Beast. The Phase Hound that had been thrown backwards was skittering over the floor towards her... but then Lone gritted his teeth as he rose his handgun, firing several bullets into its side and knocking it staggering as pinkish electricity erupted from the wound.

It snarled at them and turned its attention towards the wolves, charging forwards as Mahihko leapt in front of Lone and threw one of his hoops, the ring sizzling with electricity... but the Phase Hound leapt upwards and caught this with a snarl in its jaws, ignoring the lightning that sparked over its face as Mahihko's eyes widened... and then Lone yelped before he threw a hand out on instinct, a bolt of electricity striking the hoop before he yanked backwards... and like a physical chain, the lightning bolt jerked the Phase Hound through the air before dissipating, the creature yelping before it crashed headlong into the wall above and the larger wolf leapt quickly away before Mahihko stepped forwards and slammed his paw into the underside of its muzzle, blood bursting from its jaws around the hoop before it screamed and rapidly skittered backwards, and then Lone grimaced as he rose his handgun and blasted several more rounds into its skull, knocking it rolling head-over-heels as its head caved in before it finally crashed to the ground and exploded.

Soul, meanwhile, slammed a hoof hard into the Leviathan's shin as she rose her arms above her head, blocking a strike from the creature as it fell to its knees, its other arm restrained by Maria's chains as the Broken yanked back on them and the Strange Beast snarled, trying to resist the two... and then Soul opened her jaws wide as energy gathered in her maw before a beam of light shot from her mouth, ripping through the Leviathan's chest and sending it crashing backwards into the hole it had ripped in the wall before it exploded, and Soul didn't flinch as lightning and shrapnel shot by her even as Maria winced a little, before the mechanical female glanced back over her shoulder towards the wolves and she said calmly: "Thank you for cooperating. Long-range sensors indicate approaching multiple hostile presences approaching. Please follow me."

With that, Soul turned ahead and walked through the hole, and the wolves scrambled to catch up as Maria waited for them and took up the rear, grimacing as she looked back and forth as they emerged into a long, concrete corridor that was wide, sterile, and ugly, twisting slightly and sloping gently downwards into the earth. Soul led them fearlessly forwards as Lone checked the clip of his handgun anxiously despite the fact it was currently loaded with a magazine of regenerating bullets, and Mahihko whimpered a little as electricity sparked apprehensively along his body, strange sensations crawling over the bodies of the four as they turned a corner to see a security grid of lasers covering an armored door, and two large cameras panning slowly back and forth.

Guards in the white armor of the knights of Heaven stood nervously in front of this, talking to each other, not yet having noticed the group some thirty feet away peering around the corner... and without hesitation, Soul rose a hand, and a blast of telekinetic force struck into both soldiers and knocked them backwards into the security field, the lasers ripping through their bodies and only one of the soldiers finding enough time to scream in horror before he was sliced into pieces, smoke rising up from his remains and the broken armor that now lay upon the floor before the female walked forwards, saying quietly: "Please wait here."

Maria grimaced a bit as the wolves looked nervously at each other, Mahihko curling a bit against Lone's side... and Soul walked silently into the view of the cameras, both panning towards her and freezing as they scanned over her body, before she held her hands up and said quietly: "I have returned to be repaired by Lord God. I have realized the error of my ways."

The cameras clicked... and a moment later, the laser field shut down before the massive, armored doors opened, revealing a grinning recombinant, a cloak fluttering around its body and its features an ugly mishmash of multiple animals... and then it glanced down curiously when it stepped on one of the smoldering corpses, and Soul stepped forwards as electricity sparked down her hand before she ripped her metallic claw into the monster's chest and hefted it off the ground, blood spilling out of the wound as the creature gagged and shuddered, staring at her stupidly... and then Soul half-spun and whiplashed the recombinant's corpse off her arm, and it flew down the hallway and crashed to the ground, skidding backwards lifelessly... and in Soul's hand, the machine still clenched the throbbing heart of the monster.

She looked down at this for a few moments... and then gunfire sounded from within the room, and Soul was battered backwards by a hail of bullets that bounced off her metallic plating and tore across her scales as a voice shouted furiously: "Security breach, security breach! Lab levels compromised, activate the defense systems!"

Maria immediately ran forwards as a half-dome of lasers flickered to life in front of Soul, shielding her... before the mechanical female was blasted off her feet by a powerful beam of white light that slammed into her body and shattered the metallic plating over her front, knocking her onto her back and making her convulse as electricity fizzled over her form and she rasped: "Warning, extensive s-system damage detected..."

Maria snarled as she looked up... and then her eyes widened as a snarling Wrath demon slowly walked forwards in a massive combat armor, the legs ending in large, clawed feet and the body protected by a sparking, glowing triangular cockpit of titanium and clear metal that was covered in glowing Enochian runes. One of its arms ended in a large, complex hand that flexed and whirred, while the other arm ended in an enormous, terrible weapon: a huge, cylindrical rod of metal stretched back from the elbow, and the upper section was covered in thick cables and formed an enormous rectangular barrel that was smoking faintly, energy still sparking along the ends of it... and below this, twin, squareish barrels attached to a massive ammunition drum, and Maria cursed as she opened a rift directly in front of herself as this began to fire, sending a stream of bullets forwards.

They uselessly passed through the rift instead of slamming into the Broken, and the operator snarled inside the combat armor before he hammered a short command... and a moment later, a network of lasers burst into being around his suit before hidden panels on the shoulders of the armor slid open and ejected four floating spheres that shot between the net-like patterning of lasers, the metallic orbs sizzling as they flew through the air and homed in on Maria before smashing into her and exploding, sending the Broken crashing backwards with a curse. Her rift vanished as she snarled and straightened, a bit of electricity sizzling over her body before she lashed a hand out, sending a blast of Unworld energy sizzling towards the suit, but it dissolved against the laser network, rapidly eating a temporary hole in the shielding as it consumed the energy of the lasers themselves before they restored in the blink of an eye.

Then the armor rose its cannon and fired an ivory laser towards the Broken, and Maria screamed as this crashed into her and sent her flying backwards, skidding along her back before she rolled backwards to a kneel with a snarl as her eyes glowed with fury... and then Soul shakily sat up and her jaws dropped open before she released her own powerful beam in return, the laser of white light smashing into the combat armor... but reflecting off the body of the suit as it glowed, striking the wall instead and only ripping a deep trench through the concrete as the operator snarled: "Fucking bitch!"

He opened fire with the machinegun, and massive bullets pounded into Soul's body, smashing against her and ripping swathes down her face and over her scarred form as she gagged and spasmed, knocked back by the volley of bullets before one of her mechanical arms was torn entirely off... and then Mahihko leapt forwards with a growl, shouting: "You leave her alone!"

He snapped an arm upwards, sending a powerful blast of lightning towards the armor, but it was deflected as the runes on the war machine glowed... and the Wrath demon inside turned his baleful red eyes on the little wolf, the ugly, armor-scaled horse hissing: "Oh, you want some too, huh?"

The cannon rose... and then Maria stepped forwards and flung two blasts of Unworld energy towards the enemy this time, and the first tore a hole in the laser field before the second struck the cannon and greedily spread along it in the form of black flames, and the operator cursed as his armor staggered backwards, hammering wildly at the controls inside the cockpit before the right shoulder of his armor hissed and steam burst out of it before it was violently ejected from the heavy-duty war machine, clanking loudly to the ground... and then it exploded in a powerful blast that shut down the laser defense grid protecting the machine and sent cracks ripping through the cockpit and made the glowing runes flicker out, the operator battered back and forth before both Lone and Mahihko stepped forwards and fired twin blasts of lightning that hammered into the machine, knocking it skidding backwards as electricity erupted over it and the operator screamed before the combat armor simply exploded in a thunderous blast that blew apart part of the doorway and made the sprinkler systems inside the laboratory beyond activate.

Maria dropped to a kneel beside Soul, but the mechanical female only shook her head weakly before she sat slowly up, body sparking and bleeding both blood and clear fluid as she said quietly: "Please go ahead. I... will repair..."

Maria opened her mouth to argue... and then gunfire rang out from inside the lab as a group of blue-armored soldiers ran towards them... but Mahihko only snarled as he charged one of his hoops with electricity before flinging it forwards into the labs, where the sprinklers were still raining down, and the large metal ring sizzled violently before electricity erupted from it in all directions, further amplified by the water and bursting over armored soldiers, the metal plating over their bodies carrying the charge of lightning into their chests and skulls as they screamed in agony and collapsed like dominoes.

Electricity continued to spark violently back and forth over the grated steel floors of the lab, carrying upwards to exploded fluorescent lights in the rooftops next to the sprinkler systems and sparking over wooden and metal tables, making them burn gleefully for a few moments before they were quieted by the water streaming down from the ceiling... and then the sprinkler systems finally shut down as Maria headed forwards, glancing nervously back at Soul but then saying clearly to the wolves: "Come on, let's... hurry inside and secure the area so we can get Soul to safety."

Mahihko quieted as he looked up at her, nodding quickly, and Lone grunted as he pulled his revolver out of holster, the weapon glinting dangerously in his hand, demonic runes emblazoned down the barrel to add a bit of extra power to every bullet fired from the gun... and the three quickly ran ahead into the labs as Soul shuddered on the floor, then silently looked towards the fallen heart not far away. Moving carefully, she leaned forwards and flopped onto her stomach, crawling slowly towards this and breathing hard... and then she carefully picked it up in her metallic hand even as she felt her body knitting itself back together, whispering: "Analysis indicates possible danger, and action is deemed as illogical... but emotional data, instinct..."

She clenched her eyes shut... then sent a small electrical pulse into the slightly-damaged heart, and it sprung to life before she simply guided it to her chest... and it immediately tore itself through the bloody wound into her body, the female gasping before she clenched her eyes shut as it greedily attached itself to her other pulsating organs... and then she vomited blood, leaning forwards, as nanomachines and new genetic information spread through her body... before her eyes glowed as she snarled, new energy flooding her as she staggered up to her feet and rasped: "Absorbing data... modifying... evolving... locking onto new power source..."

She staggered down the hallway and into the laboratory: it was divided into four distinct areas, the central, enormous landing she stood upon... a higher landing up a flight of stairs where massive vats of purification and corruption lay, cranes that held circular, empty cages standing silently overtop and soldiers leaning over the steps, firing down at Lone, who was crouched behind a table with a curse... a lower landing to the north, steps leading down to the wide, circular area with several massive hermaphroditically-sealed vault doors and security cameras, large, clear metal windows in the walls through which scientists stared in awe and horror as a monstrous recombinant with a wolf-like skull for a head was fighting a sized-up Mahihko and Maria, her chains snapping back and forth against a massive, brawny body that didn't seem to feel any pain, huge bone claws sprouted unnaturally from one limb and the other ending in a seven-fingered hand that writhed uncontrollably as flames burned weakly over its form, the creature hissing and snarling, black fur smoldering and rubbery skin burnt and ugly looking... and lastly, an empty area filled with genetics capsules and a large, sealed crate that the camera eyes of Soul locked onto.

She stumbled down the steps... and then a rifle round tore through her back, fired by one of the soldiers in the landing opposite, and she fell against the metal case as Lone looked up, then he shouted angrily as he spun around and fired a wild barrage of bullets upwards, the soldiers ducking and blasting wild volleys from both their rifles and submachine guns into the air as the wolf yelled: "You're fighting me, you sons of bitches!"

Soul shook her head, her eyes flickering before she grasped the top of the casing... and then she shoved it firmly backwards to reveal a multitude of small, metal and glass cases filled with heart bugs. Without hesitating, she reached her metallic arm down into the crate and released a powerful electrical shock that tore along the cases, making the heart-bugs inside stir... and then a moment later, shiver before they began to batter themselves against the cages, and Soul grunted as she hefted herself over the lip of the crate before another rifle round smashed into her back, knocking her sprawling inside as the lid of the crate bounced weakly against the wall before collapsing overtop her, sealing her in darkness as the glass cages began to shatter.

Lone cursed with a wince as Soul was knocked into the crate, not knowing what lay within, and then he turned around and looked up before he snarled as he fired several rounds into a large light fixture above the soldiers, and when it shattered and half-fell in a hail of sparks that made several of the blue-armored troops flinch, he rose a hand... and electricity exploded out the dangling, broken light fixture and shocked down along them, several of the soldiers screaming in agony as they collapsed and another rolling down the steps to look weakly up at Lone before the wolf simply took aim at his face, then winced back when he pulled the trigger and gore splattered up over his chest, looking up... and then cursing and bringing his handgun up to fire a shot flurry of shots into the chest of an armored soldier trying to weakly bring his rifle up, half his face already missing... and sent back in a hail of blood when the volley of bullets slammed into his body, gargling and collapsing backwards with a howl of misery.

Then Lone scampered up to his feet and ran up to the top of the landing, looking back and forth before he snatched one of the sniper rifles and turned, running back down the steps and wondering if he should get Soul... before he winced in pain as Mahihko gave a loud yell, and he instead bolted towards the other end of the room and dropped to a slide, half-rolling awkwardly onto his side at the top of the steps leading down to the higher landing and gritting his teeth as he saw the recombinant at the bottom of the stairs pick Mahihko up in its seven-fingered hand, the wolf howling and kicking his paws against it again and again as flames and smoke burst up along the smaller wolf before Maria's chains snapped around the creature's head and she yanked it away, the monster dropping Mahihko before it was thrown into a clear metal window, bouncing off it as dark energy burst down the black links and tore over its body... but it didn't even seem to notice the pain as it slowly got up, its wounds healing almost instantly before Lone fired several shots into its face from the rifle.

One of the rounds tore through its eye, sending it staggering as it grabbed at the socket with a curse... and then it snarled as it turned back towards them, its eye visibly healing itself as Lone's eyes widened in horror... before a horrible crash sounded from behind him, and he turned around before screaming girlishly as his eyes settled on a massive recombinant. It was immense, with huge, black hooves at the end of legs thick with powerful musculature, scales patchily covering its body, the rest naked flesh covered only in a thin, filmy layer of rubbery translucence that couldn't quite be called 'skin,' and a thin waist that fed up into a huge, wide chest with large, broad shoulders and immense, powerful arms ending in strong hands. A large, almost Y-shaped surgical cut was pulsing and bleeding black blood along its chest, inside which writhed visible organs, what looked like enormous eyes, and oversized, spherical heart-like protrusions.

Along its hunched back, six pairs of smaller limbs flexed and trembled, each ending in a claw or hand, some double jointed, some triple-jointed, and it possessed a long, thick tail ending in a deadly whip of bone, as if its skeleton had grown too fast for the appendage to keep up... and four eyes burned in features that were vaguely Naganatine, the scales here looking stretched and patchy and almost as if they had exploded from rapid growth, leaving much of the flesh beneath bare. Huge fangs dripped with acidic saliva, and tall horns curled backwards as Lone could only stare... and then the goliath monstrosity stepped over him, crushing in the stairs as it walked down them and passed between Maria and Mahihko before it reached down and seized the smaller recombinant in its hands, the creature almost squealing in terror as it was lifted up in front of the massive jaws of the thirty foot tall beast as it inhaled, motes of energy visibly gathering... and then breathed a devastating beam of energy that completely annihilated the upper half of the recombinant and tore through the steel wall behind it with ease.

Then it tossed the charred legs of the recombinant aside before leaning down and slamming its hand through the clear metal window to seize a scientist, who screamed in terror as he was yanked free... and Maria and the wolves could only stare as Soul's voice rasped: "We need information."

"Soul, you..." Maria whispered... but the massive recombinant only glanced down, then smiled faintly before she returned her eyes to the scientist, blood dripping from her body before the Broken looked up as the scientist fainted... and Soul simply dropped him, the Benevolent bouncing lightly against the ground and startled awake before the Broken stepped on his neck, saying coldly: "Can you change her back?"

"I already am changed back." Soul said quietly, and Maria looked up... and stared in shock as Soul's body slowly shrank down, the appendages in her back shrinking and vanishing and wound in her stomach slowly healing, her eyes shutting as the two upper eyes melded closed... and when she opened her irises, they fluttered, and she stumbled quietly on her hooves before reaching up with one hand and touching her forehead... and then smiling faintly as she studied her fingers with shining gold irises instead of synthetic cameras, scales crawling slowly over her body as she said quietly: "I apologize for startling you. I am a person... but I analyzed the recombinant and used both it and the nanomachines inside the heart-bugs to upgrade myself, using the basis of the demonic ability to assume a 'natural body' and a 'personification.' My mechanical parts are still functional and intact, but are less-necessary now that I have... I have evolved my physical shell."

"Impossible..." the scientist rasped from the ground, the Benevolent trembling as he stared up helplessly. "You... you were never programmed with that ability... you are just a machine! A mechanical construct! You were never given the data or the functionality to do that!"

"I am a person. And I learned." Soul said quietly, looking down at the scientist and shaking her head slowly. "All recombinants are an easily modified and repaired organic shell over a synthetic frame structure, capable of both repair and self-evolution, made from supernatural entities and designed to mimic their abilities. I am not a monster. I am not a machine. I am not a toy. And as I have stated before, we require information."

The scientist swallowed as a growling, eight foot tall Mahihko loomed over him as well, and Lone grimaced as he walked towards the broken clear metal window, peering through it with his handgun raised... but the other scientists were panicking inside the viewing rooms, the only doors leading out heading back onto the platform, and the wolf grumbled: "You know, if he's not willing to talk, I bet one of his friends will..."

"Alright! What... what do you want?" the scientist trembled a bit, and then he added weakly: "This is all futile, you know... you can fight as hard as you want and it won't matter at the end of the day... after all, ACS-78, you don't remember this place, do you? It's because you've never been here... this isn't even where we make the top line models, but play with prototype s and modify the failed versions into something serviceable... sure, there's other labs throughout this area, but this mansion is just a storage warehouse."

"Where's Luther?" asked Maria coldly, and the Benevolent frowned at her before she growled and asked sharply :"Where the hell is he?"

"Oh... I understand..." the scientist whispered, and then he gave a cracked laugh before he whispered: "I get it all too well. Go ahead and kill me, then. Because we're all about to die anyway."

Maria frowned... and then a rumble passed through the facility, and Soul looked up sharply as she whispered, her beautiful golden eyes glimmering: "Unknown energy signature has been detected above. Recommended action: find subject Zerrex Narrius and escape."

Zerrex ran down the red-carpeted corridor, Sephire, Raze and Marina following quickly behind him, before the Drakkaren leapt forwards as a white-armored knight charged through a doorway ahead before it skidded to a halt a moment too late, and Blackheart lashed out and cut it in half before the lizard ran through the door it had emerged from and skidded to a halt inside a large, empty library, the vacant shelves somehow terrifying and the abandoned, plastic-covered tables like blurry ghosts.

Four white-armored knights stood in front of a heavy black metal door on the other side of the room, all of them standing ready with heavy golden shields over their arms and swords that burned with holy fire in their hands: despite the masks covering their faces, however, Zerrex could see the trembles of fear in their body... even though standing in front of them was a tall Holy Inquisitor in beautiful, shimmering golden armor with white Enochian runes and blessings glowing over the heavy plate, the black-steel pole of a massive great mace in his hands and the head of the weapon shaped like an enormous rose, each petal a deadly, flanged blade and with four stylized thorns encircling the neck of the long, deadly weapon.

A featureless mask covered his face, made of heavy white metal with a thin grille over the front of the muzzle and black sockets through which glared furious blue eyes, and a coronet of thorns surrounded the tall crown covering his skull, white cape swirling behind him as he announced coldly: "In the name of Heaven, you shall be destroyed, traitor!"

"Raze, shelf." Zerrex said mildly, and the godling didn't hesitate, snarling and lashing his hand out towards one of the vacant shelves before anyone could react and shattering the bottom of the heavy furnishing with a telekinetic blast before he lashed his hand downwards, seizing the top of the tall shelf unit with his mind and slamming it down over the group of armored angels in front of them, knocking the Inquisitor to his knees with a curse as the knights were sent sprawling before Zerrex charged forwards and lashed Blackheart outwards as the Inquisitor lunged to his feet and thrusted the pole hard outwards.

Metal clashed against metal, the pole grinding into the heavy blade of Zerrex's sword as he gritted his teeth, holy energies sparking up from the weapon... and then the Inquisitor shoved Zerrex backwards, the Drakkaren letting himself be forced away several paces and anchoring himself in a ready position as Sephire and Raze both ran past to engage the knights, Sephire laughing fiercely as she slammed Storm King Face into a white armored soldier and sent him crashing painfully into a wall as Raze snarled and seized two other soldiers in a telekinetic crush before throwing them outwards into the library, sending them knocking down shelves and causing furnishings to topple like dominoes.

Marina, meanwhile, only stood back and crossed her arms calmly as Zerrex grinned across at the Inquisitor, saying mildly: "You know, I know that from Heaven or Hell, Inquisitors are tough sons of bitches... but you guys up in Heaven, you're more 'interrogators of demons,' to use the vernacular, or old-school torturers, to just say it out loud, right? So why don't you crawl back up Heaven's ass and we'll pretend I never saw you."

"I am a holy warrior, and I serve Heaven and Heaven alone! My orders stand, you die here today, Zerrex Narrius!" the Inquisitor snarled, and Zerrex frowned at this before he leapt backwards with a wince when the Inquisitor swung his great mace downwards, smashing it against the ground before he whirled it hard upwards, forcing Zerrex to leap back another pace as the holy warrior windmilled his massive, devastating weapon around his head before roaring as he slammed the massive great mace towards the Drakkaren again.

This time, Zerrex cocked Blackheart back and snarled as he swung hard into the head of the weapon, the blade shimmering with energy as it smashed against the side of the heavy pole-arm and knocked it to the side, the Inquisitor fumbling the huge, heavy great mace before Zerrex stepped forwards and slammed a foot into his stomach, not aiming to hurt, but instead knock him backwards. And, as expected, the thorns and flanges of the devastating weapon caught in the floor with a screech, and the weapon fell out of the Inquisitor's hand before Zerrex slashed Blackheart hard down into the Inquisitor's shoulder, making him howl in agony as he was forced down to a kneel, clutching uselessly at the sword buried through to his collarbone as blood dripped out of the wound and Zerrex said coldly: "What the hell are you talking about? Why are you here on Heaven's orders to kill me?"

"Oh, don't play games, this is all... your doing..." the Inquisitor wheezed... and then Zerrex brought his fingers up to his lips and whistled sharply, and Raze and Sephire both looked up from the knights there were battering around, walking to either side of the Inquisitor as the Drakkaren winced: thankfully, only one of the knights was dead, although Sephire had also pinned one to a wall by knives through his hands and he was crying profusely, his armor shattered around him.

The Drakkaren then tore Blackheart free and stepped backwards, offering his hand... and the Inquisitor looked up at him stupidly before Zerrex asked quietly: "Who sent you, and tell me why, exactly. Because I'm being honest when I say I'm here to stop this madness and kill Luther."

"I... what? No, no this is..." The Inquisitor grimaced as he slowly stood up, breathing shakily, and then he shook his head in denial as he looked back and forth weakly. "I was told it was under orders from the Heavenly Council... they... they said you had already assassinated Luther and you were behind the murders that had occurred throughout Heaven and Hell... you... were using them to stir up dissent, put blame on Heaven, and..."

The Inquisitor cursed quietly even as his wound visibly healed, looking uncertain and obviously confused by both the reptile's behavior as well as his words... and then Zerrex said quietly: "Listen. Why don't you get out of here, take the guys that have survived, and just leave. I have a bad feeling we're both being played here... Marina, can you still detect Luther's thoughts?"

"Yes, I can, but again, it's still blurry, like when we first entered the mansion... and since all we've been encountering are Knights of Heaven... maybe these aren't all Luther's forces." Marina said quietly, then she looked at the Inquisitor, studying him slowly. "I can't read your mind because of your helm. But I can still feel your confusion. You've been cheated and tricked... you yourself are standing between us and our objective, which is through that door and only a little further away."

"I... I have to go, I have to go and talk to the Council but... if you're telling the truth... look at this." The Inquisitor reached down to a small side pouch, and Zerrex frowned a bit, tilting his head as the male withdrew a scroll with Heaven's seal on it, and he took it when the angel offered it. "Orders from the Council, you can see for yourself, official and real..."

Zerrex took it and pulled it open, and he grimaced in disgust: termination orders, signed by several names, included in them Melody, Rangi and Luther and authorized by Job... and he shook his head quickly before muttering as he studied it slowly: "Yeah, except Luther's the bastard behind this, Melody's long gone, and Rangi vanished a while ago. These orders look real... but it looks like all these signatures are fake, considering that Job spoke to the Council beforehand about this."

The Inquisitor looked at him... and then he nodded and grasped at his head, muttering: "I'm... I'm going to go. I... I'm sorry, I thought this was..." He shook his head, and Zerrex watched as the male motioned to his soldiers, the three surviving knights carefully giving the group a wide berth as they made their way silently around them and joined the Inquisitor, before all four walked across the library towards the doorway... and then the Inquisitor glanced over his shoulder and said quietly: "Good luck."

He left... and Zerrex looked around at the group before Marina said quietly: "The thought pattern is just ahead, Daddy... we can end this. He can't escape."

Zerrex nodded grimly, and the four made their way up the stairs, the Drakkaren yanking open the black metal door to reveal a long, narrow corridor beyond, and the reptile gritted his teeth as his eyes locked on an open door leading into what looked like a posh study. Immediately, the reptile ran down the hallway... and behind him, Sephire skidded to a halt with a yell of shock as panels in the walls opened and lasers shot back and forth across the hallway, forming an intricate grid as the Drakkaren winced over his shoulder and charged forwards to skid through the doorway into the room beyond before a thick iron and silver gateway snapped shut behind him, Marina screaming her father's name, desperate and helpless beyond the wild network of lasers with a snarling Raze and a shocked Sephire.

The Drakkaren turned to face into the study, snarling... and then he stared in horror as he saw the murderer standing with blood splattered over his cloak, his wide grin visible at the end of his gnarled, ugly muzzle thanks to the hood being slightly pulled back before he reached up and adjusted it, covering his features once more completely in shadow... and laying at his feet, was the gory remains of what had once been Lucas Luther. The angel had been desiccated and ripped apart... and then the murderer whispered: "Oh no, no-no-no... Lord God doesn't like squealers... and Lord God likes you even less, Zerrex Narrius. So Lord God asked me to prepare a little surprise for you..."

And then the murderer laughed wildly as Zerrex snarled... before staring in shock as the cloaked killer simply vanished from the spot despite the weight of Purification and the portal block the reptile could feel pressing down around him even though his armor, and he looked sharply back and forth... but there was nothing dangerous here he could see or sense. A beautiful carpet that was now the deathbed of Luther, and a small table, with two glasses of whisky... and Zerrex's eyes seized on this as he walked forwards, leaning down and looking at the ice cubes floating quietly in one of the glasses: he'd had a visitor, and not very long ago. Lord God himself, the real Lord God, had likely been here before the murderer had done his dirty work for him and stood around, hiding his thoughts to make it seem like he was Lucas Luther somehow... luring him into this posh, beautiful cage.

Golden wallpaper and mahogany tiles on the walls, expensive hardwood flooring, large leather-bound chairs and the only sign of any struggle was that one of these had been knocked out of the spot where it had obviously sat for possibly years, marked by little dents in the carpet... and of course, the blood splattered all over the carpet and chair. A fire still cracked gently away in the large, red-brick fireplace, and pictures sat upon the mantel, and behind him, there was a small table with a large shelf in the side of it, stuffed with books, and with porcelain, expensive-looking ivory figurines all over the top of it... before Zerrex cursed under his breath quietly as he walked through the crowded, beautiful study to the other side of the room, ignoring the small little racks here and there on the walls upon which sat plaques and other trophies.

He stopped in front of the desk shoved almost absently into one corner of the strangely-shaped room, leaning over it and brushing papers and invoices aside before he picked up a picture with a frown of Lucas Luther smiling as he received a large medal: it was definitely the same person as the horribly-torn-apart corpse, if only because of the metallic-colored fur and the odd black stripe still visible through the splatters of blood on the canine's skull... and the reptile shook his head mutely, making a face at Job, who was smiling broadly as well, in the act of handing the medal to the angel... and then Zerrex muttered: "You're some great help, Job. Really. You... you..."

Zerrex stared at the picture, at Job... and then a shiver rolled through his body before he spun around, clawing his way across the study to the mantel and staring at the pictures on it... and there were more photos of Luther standing with the Naganatine across it. Then the reptile seized the falsified council orders, ripping them open and staring down at them with horror as he looked at the flowing Enochian runes, remembering Job's writing had also been in Enochian... and the reptile dropped the orders as he staggered backwards and grabbed at his head, whispering: "No, no, it was there all along..."

He snarled to himself as he looked down, then walked towards the silver and iron gateway, shouting down the hall: "We've been tricked! We have to get out of here, this was all a goddamn setup... it's Job! Job is Lord God... oh shit, even his arm... I should have known back then, his arm!"

"What are you talking about?" Sephire asked sharply, and Zerrex turned with a snarl as he grabbed at his forehead, clenching his eyes shut. For all his ability to analyze a situation, he'd missed the biggest clue... the goddamn killer had lunged at Job, but had down little more than rip his robes with an awkward, wide movement that had gone across Job's entire body... and he'd dug a shallow gash over Job's bicep, and yet hit was his entire arm that had looked hurt. Zerrex had assumed because of the dark energy... but it was me. I cut Lord God's arm not long before I went to Heaven... and his entire arm was wrapped up to hide that! The bastard... oh the goddamn bastard...no wonder it was so bold and out of character for the murderer to attack him in public, he wanted people to see him attacked, to make sure none of the suspicion would go to him... that son of a bitch, that son of a fucking bitch!

"Oh, so you figured it out." said a soft voice, and Zerrex looked up in shock, half-turning to the other side of the study... and then he snarled and set himself as the Armor of Naganis shivered against his body. Across the study, something was now standing there... something that radiated malice and evil and darkness, something that looked mechanical but felt terribly-alive, terribly-sentient, like an intelligent tumor... and it chuckled quietly as the reptile rose his fists, saying quietly: "Oh, how cute. You seem to think you're a match for me. I find this very entertaining..."

"What the hell are you?" Zerrex whispered, hands raised... and the creature simply flicked a wrist, and the furniture and objects between them flickered violently before vanishing from sight, the reptile's eyes widening in shock. "That... what did you do?"

"Sent them away." the creature said almost teasingly, as Zerrex gazed across at it: it was covered in black metal, with large golden rings that encircled the joints: its legs ended in black stumps that widened only slightly, little more than thickened bases... and its legs were stumpy and short, connecting to a broad, perfectly-symmetrical chest covered in heavy black alloy plating, with stripes of gold over its breast and standing out through the crevices between interlocking plates. Its shoulders were covered by immense black pauldrons almost the same size as its head, with small golden domes standing off the sides of them and black, curved spikes standing out of these, and its arms were thick and hung at its sides: the upper arms were shorter, but the lower arms were shaped like immense black metal ovals that hung almost to its knees, with golden rings around the base of this and fists covered by tight, dark leather sticking only slightly out of these heavy metallic sleeves.

Its head, finally, was featureless: nothing but a vaguely-rounded shape covered by a mask of dark leather, without the bulge of a muzzle and only faint depressions over its eyes... and surrounding its head was a heavy war helm that was left open at the front, but the sides and back of its skull were protected entirely by the curved plate of metal. An enormous horn stood up from either side of this, golden and gleaming... and Zerrex shuddered at how alien it was, how foreign, how mechanical and monstrous... and then he shook his head slowly as he felt the Armor of Naganis sizzle against him as if reassuring him, as if to add to his confidence and courage as he said darkly: "Listen... whatever you are..."

"I am the left hand of Lord God... I am his punishment for the nonbelievers and the heretics and the usurpers like yourself, Zerrex Narrius... I am Blight." the figure said softly, and then it rose a hand, and Zerrex winced as dark lightning crackled down the limb and then formed into a black sphere in front of its palm. "There is no need to draw out your suffering, so do not resist."

The orb of pulsing darkness shot towards the Drakkaren, and the reptile leapt out of the way before he cursed in surprise at the power of the sphere's explosion when it struck the wall, erupting in a massive flare of dark energy before the reptile leapt towards the creature... and it seemed to simply blink out of existence before reappearing behind the Drakkaren, a hand that sparked with dark energy seizing the back of his neck and lifting him into the air as he howled in agony as the fifteen foot tall, terrible being said softly: "Pathetic."

It turned and flung Zerrex through the hole that had been blown in the wall of the study, the reptile flying out of the mansion and wincing as he felt the Weight of the World crushing down on him as his limbs flailed, before he half-turned to catch himself... and his eyes widened in horror as he saw reality visibly pulse before Blight was simply standing on the ground, waiting for him, and Zerrex immediately slammed both feet out into the creature's face... and he simply bounced off with a curse, not even dislodging his helmet as he flew backwards and flipped to land on his feet... before Blight was in front of him again, reaching out almost casually to seize the reptile by the bone mask over his face as he said softly: "As I stated before. Pathetic."

Dark energy shocked over the Drakkaren's body, sapping his strength and making him curse as he fell limp, wincing in pain... and then he stared in horror as Blight rose his other hand, a black sphere appearing in it... and the lizard cursed as he forced his body to react, kicking a foot suddenly hard upwards and booting the back of Blight's hand, and the dark figure grunted in surprise as the sphere was knocked skywards before Zerrex yanked his head backwards and slammed two hard punches into Blight's armored stomach... but his fists only bounced painfully back and didn't even make Blight move, the white bone gauntlets cracked as he cursed and looked down at his hands in shock before he snarled and lunged into a third hook forwards... and Blight caught it in his hand almost gently, holding the reptile's hand firmly in place as he said softly: "You cannot stop me. I was built in the image of your most powerful opponents."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I can't beat you alone." Zerrex said quietly, leaning forwards and closing his eyes... and then he looked up coldly at the creature's face as he sensed confusion in Blight's body language. "The thing is... I'm never alone."

Then Cindy and Cherry both slammed their feet into the creature's side at the same time, and Blight let out a shout of shock as he was sent skidding to the side, releasing Zerrex's fist and digging trenches through the ground as the Drakkaren snarled and readied himself, looking back and forth... and although Dragokkaren troops and Dragon Warriors and Disciples here and there were still fighting enemies over the battlefield, from angels to Strange Beasts, many more of his Disciples were now flooding towards the Drakkaren... and Blight tilted his head forwards with obvious distaste at this before Marina, Sephire, and Raze crashed down to the ground behind him, Marina's eyes burning as she hissed: "You stay away from my Daddy!"

"This possible turn of events was not unanticipated... I shall simply kill you all." Blight said softly, and he spread his arms as dark energy crackled over his body, and the skies above blackened and swirled slowly. "Heaven's light shine down upon your souls and grant you mercy."

"Ancalagon, destroy the construct!" Anathema Sin roared, and Zerrex looked up in dumb surprise as a massive, three-headed skeletal dragon charged forwards, Blight half- turning towards this before the central head snapped down towards him... and the creature grunted as it easily caught the upper and lower jaws, holding the forcefully open before the other two heads leaned down on either side of it as poisonous, acid mist washed out over the creature, before cones of flame and cold washed out over it... and yet it barely seemed to notice before it flung Ancalagon's head back and then created a sphere of dark energy it flung into the skeleton, striking with enough force to blast the massive, skeletal dracolich backwards as its central head flew in one directly and most of its body and chunks of neck flew in the other, an arm pinwheeling wildly though the air as Zerrex cursed... but Anathema Sin only grinned as she skidded to a halt beside him, saying easily: "Oh, don't you worry. Ancalagon is mightier than any clockwork golem of Heaven."

"Are you sure that's a golem?" Zerrex asked sharply as he leaned forwards, and then he closed his eyes, taking a slow breath as he extended a hand towards it as Justice and Raze both ran forwards... and the black-armored being turned as swung hard out at Justice, punching her with enough force to send her crashing onto her back with a look of shock as she clutched at her broken ribs, and Anathema Sin winced backwards.

Zerrex cursed as he felt the thing: it had energy, and terribly-distinctive energies at that... and yet she was right, it was mechanical in nature. And he frowned a bit when he saw the look of horror on the fused Naganatine's face before he looked up sharply as he heard a howl of absolute rage from Justice, and she charged forwards again, almost leaving afterimages behind herself as her body began to glow blue even as Raze was picked up and thrown hard into Sephire by the creature... before Blight let out a loud, distinct grind as Justice smashed him into the air with one fist before she leapt up and seized him by one shoulder, throwing him straight down to crash and bounce against the ground as her metallic tentacles snapped outwards like scorpion tails as she landed... and her movements as she circled the monstrosity were almost a blur, her fists crashing into the golem and her feet slamming into its armored body with monstrous force as her metallic tentacles tore against it.

The Drakkaren could barely believe his eyes... and then Blight managed to seize one of Justice's tentacles and whiplash her against the ground before flinging her hard, sending her flying through the air... but she had still done visible damage to the creature. Except then Zerrex's eyes widened in horror as it simply rolled its arms, and then dents, cracks, and damage dealt to it rapidly repaired itself as it said quietly: "By all means. Tire yourself out. Use up your rage and energy. You will descend into hopelessness and despair all the faster... and then I shall free you of this life."

"It's... wait..." Zerrex closed his eyes as Cherry and Cindy ran forwards from the front and Sephire and Raze charged from the back, before they were all knocked backwards as it simply threw its arms out and released a powerful shockwave of dark energy that blurred the Drakkaren's thoughts for a moment... and then he snarled, looking at Anathema Sin and saying sharply: "It's drawing energy from the atmosphere, from the Weight of the World! It's sucking in all the Purification, that's why it's so goddamn powerful... we need to get rid of that!"

"I'll do it!" Zerrex looked towards Maria with surprise as the Broken pushed through the crowd, the female saying quickly: "I can open a rift large enough to negate the Weight of the World... but I'll need time to do so... and whether it's dead or alive or somewhere in between, if we force this monstrosity into the Unworld..."

"We'll kill it. Maria open the rift. I'll help stall the bastard... Anathema Sin, keep her shielded." Zerrex ordered, and the Broken and the fused Naganatine both nodded firmly before Anathema Sin whistled to the massive dracolich as it finished rebuilding itself, and Ancalagon looked towards her with a rumble before charging quickly towards his mistress, and the Naganatine leapt up on its back as the Drakkaren turned towards Blight and shouted angrily, as the golem knocked Cindy staggering and simply ignored the Great Diviner when it bounced uselessly off its body: "Hey, asshole! Isn't it me you're after? Tell me, why the hell does Job have a robot working for him when we've been dealing with this recombinants all this time?"

"Lord God built me in reference to your greatest foes. I am as strong as Jupiter, as resilient as Iron, as powerful as Crow, as cunning as Aether." the golem replied calmly, flexing a hand slowly... and Zerrex snarled at this, setting himself as he pulled Blackheart off his back, the sword glowing faintly before Blight said quietly: "Your plan will not work. The Weight of the World cannot be so easily tipped by a single Broken."

"Then you better hope you kill me before she shows you just how wrong you are." Zerrex said coldly, and then he grinned when Blight created a sphere of dark energy and threw it at him, and the Drakkaren's eyes flicked outwards before he batted it hard back at Blight, and the golem slipped out of the way with surprising grace despite the obvious moment of surprise... before behind it, Driz shot past and caught the sphere before flinging it at Blight's back, and it contacted with a tremendous explosion that sent the Golem staggering before Sephire appeared out of nowhere in front of it, her sword smashing into its face before it reached up to try and seize her... and instead, Marina snapped her chains around one arm as the Great Diviner wrapped tightly around the other, and Sephire kicked off its shoulders as Justice barreled forwards with a snarl and smashed bodily into it.

It flew backwards, the chains pulling taut, and Marina and Cherry both snarled and yanked savagely forwards, lifting Blight into the air... before it simply vanished, and Justice's eyes widened before the chains of the Great Diviner and Marina's psychic links snapped into her, knocking her to the ground with a curse... before she screamed when Blight fell from the air and crashed down on top of her, vomiting blood before he began to raise a fist back... and Zerrex snarled in fury as he vanished from the spot and appeared in midair in front of the creature as Blackheart glowed white, feeling greater strength surging down from the armor as he lashed his sword out, as if Naganis was crying out for him to protect his child... and then the Drakkaren slammed the heavy blade into the golem just as it began to swing downwards, and Blight was knocked flying backwards with a grunt of surprise before Thor leapt in with a roar, smashing into its skull with his hammer and sending the golem down before he shouted to the skies above: "Foul monster, taste the wrath of Asgard!"

He stepped forwards in a hard, savage downwards swing of the hammer as lightning exploded from the skies above, smashing into the creature's body with enough force to send the golem ripping down into the earth as the ground around it cracked and soil and grass exploded upwards... and then a sphere of black energy slammed into Thor's chest and exploded, sending the caracal flying limply through the air before he crashed onto his back and rolled several times, most of his vest blown away and his chest ripped open in a terrible gash, his heavy hammer falling to the ground as he choked for breath as blood burst from his chest and his jaws... and Loki and Mary were both beside him in an instant before the otter looked up with a snarl and vanished from the spot to reappear above the golem's head, flinging two spheres of dark energy down into its skull that exploded with enough power to rattle its body, shouting furiously: "Do you really think we're just going to sit around and let you take everything away from us?"

"Yes." Blight said softly, and the golem vanished before a third sphere could connect, reappearing a moment later above Loki and driving a fist into the demigod's back, the otter howling in agony as Blight drove him towards the ground and crushed him face-first into the field, his back snapping loudly as he screamed in agony before Gilgamesh leapt forwards and slammed a foot into the golem's face... but it was to no effect, the warrior god slapped away a moment later as Blight straightened... then stepped on Loki, making him scream again as he said softly: "I will not allow any of you to survive this ordeal."

Then Marina snarled in rage as she reached up and tore her collar off... and reality around them rippled as Zerrex gritted his teeth and set himself before the psychic shoved both hands hard outwards towards Blight, and the golem was slammed off its feet, flying backwards before it managed to catch itself on all fours, forcing forwards for a moment before Marina grinned savagely... and she vanished from the spot to reappear above the creature with her arms outstretched, snapping: "I'll kill you for what you've done!"

Blight vanished, reappearing behind Marina and lashing his arms out... and they passed only through an illusion, the golem seeming surprised as it fell forwards through her image as it flickered out... and the air behind it hissed softly, trembling and vibrating, and Marina faded back into existence, wrapped in heavy chains, naked and her head lowered forwards and more than fifty feet tall before her eyes opened slowly; glowing green spotlights, as ivy and vines twisted their way slowly out of and along her scales.

Then she reached out and caught the golem easily in her hands, and dark energy shocked violently up and down Blight's body as she squeezed him slowly, leaning down over him and whispering: "You're nothing but a toy... a toy that's about to be broken."

She rose him above her head, then slammed him down into the ground, crushing the golem into it before Blight vanished and appeared in front of her face, slamming a fist forwards and knocking Marina backwards with a curse, leaving a bloody welt on the now-giant psychic's forehead before he flung a sphere of dark energy into her features, and it exploded with a tremendous bang that knocked her sprawling backwards... but even as she fell, the giant Marina shattered apart into nothing but chains and vines, and the terribly-powerful psychic reappeared, grinning and savage and ruthless, behind the golem once more, this time back in her normal size as psychic chains formed around him and then solidified even as large chunks of ivy began to push out of her body and bark spread along her scales, rasping: "You can't hold out forever..."

"Neither can you." The golem slammed its elbow back into Marina's stomach, making her gag before he seized her by the throat as he turned around and dove towards the ground... and then Zerrex vanished from the spot and seized his daughter in midair, slamming his feet into Blight's face and wrenching her free from his grip before he vanished again as Blight grabbed at him... and below, Selena snarled as she slammed her hands into the ground and Cherry and Carmen did the same, and a massive pillar of lava, red fire, and golden energy erupted upwards into the golem as it crashed down from the sky, magma and flames splattering in every direction as Blight passed through the column with a snarl before smashing into the ground as Selena's eyes burned black and she snapped her hand upwards.

The lava cooled immediately, rapidly becoming stone... and Raze snarled as he easily lifted this up off of Blight's smoking body before he slammed it hard down into the golem's back, crushing down into him with enough force to shatter the pillar of rock into deadly, heavy chunks of boulder that slammed themselves ruthlessly down into the metallic creature even as it slowly climbed to its feet, stones ripping and dent and crashing into it before it staggered backwards as gears ground loudly with it... and then dark energy sparked over its body before it looked down at its own hands as if surprised, saying in its slow, mechanical voice: "Impossible..."

"Analysis indicates vulnerability and lightening of magic suppression in the area." Soul said quietly, and the golem looked up before it vanished from the spot. Zerrex cursed immediately, knowing where it had to be heading as he snapped Marina's collar back on her neck to halt the transformation over her form: when the psychic became too excited and began bending reality to her will, after all, reality had the nasty habit of bending her back. And much as he wanted to take care of her... he had a much bigger concern right now.

Blight appeared in front of Maria, who was hovering silently over an immense rift she had torn open at the other side of the mansion, her chains buried in the ground around it and holding it open, and the Broken's eyes widened as Blight began to raise a fist... before Ancalagon's right head snapped forwards and seized it in its jaws, breathing flame and smoke over the golem as it lashed backwards and threw the creature down into the ground, Blight bouncing against the field with grunt before it vanished from the spot again, dark energy sparking over it as it lashed a fist into Maria's face and sent the Broken flying backwards with a scream of pain, the rift beginning to close before her chains snapped back into place, and she snarled as she straightened herself even as Blight threw a sphere of dark energy towards her, easily batting this downwards into the rift itself as the golem launched itself backwards through the air... and then it simply froze up, electricity and black energy sparking over its body as Anathema Sin buried one of her claws into its lower back as it hovered in midair, the Naganatine standing at the edge of the rift as she whispered: "A synthetic spirit inside a synthetic shell... but with organic energy. That feeling, that you may be experiencing for the first time? That's called pain. Allow me to show you agony."

She twisted her hand inside of it, pushing forwards, and the golem screamed unnaturally as Zerrex appeared at the side of the rift and stared in shock at the sight of it, its legs kicking and bucking before she ripped backwards, and a spray of both white, liquid purification and black energy gushed out of it as it fell forwards to all fours in the rift, and terrible, unnatural hands reached up to seize into the creature even as the golem tried to pull away, shaking it head as its helm fell off, before a hand clawed upwards and ripped through its mask to reveal a flat skull beneath this with deep, dark sockets for eyes... and it shook its head wildly, without a mouth but instead a speaker, still sounding calm even as it rasped: "I am... this is impossible... I am invincible... Lord God told me..."

"Lord God told you lies." Zerrex said quietly, and then he looked up at Maria and nodded... and the Broken grinned cruelly, her eyes all-but-glowing as she rose her arms, and a terrible, massive black hand ripped slowly up out of the rift as the golem sank deeper into the black vortex, its head shaking wildly as smoke and steam poured up from its body. "Goodbye, Blight. Don't worry... with the rate the Unworld consumes energy, you won't suffer for long."

"Impossible." Blight whispered, and then the massive hand clawed downwards and smashed into him, seizing around his body as Blight howled in agony, his skull exploding as dark energy erupted over his body and more purification burst out of the wound Anathema Sin had ripped in his body, before he was dragged down into the black rift... and Maria's back arched as the rift sparked before snapping shut, sealing the fate of the terrible, half-living golem.

Maria dropped to the ground quietly as the black chains vanished, and Zerrex breathed hard as he lowered his head forwards... and then Anathema Sin closed her eyes as Ancalagon leaned one of his head forwards with a snort, studying Zerrex even as she absently reached out to pet its head as she murmured: "So. Is what you said true, Zerrex? Is our enemy really..."

The Drakkaren nodded after a moment, looking at her quietly... and Maria bowed her head silently, shaking her head slowly as she murmured: "Soul detected... that thing's presence, I guess. An energy signature she couldn't recognize... so I brought us out of there. We were going to come and find you, but... well, knowing you, you'd already gotten into trouble. I figured... it would have been better to wait."

"Holy shit, what happened?" Zerrex looked up as Priest and Markus ran towards him, both bloodied and wounded but none the worse for wear... and the reptile wasn't surprised as he glanced up to see the skies lightening as he felt the purification lifted. With Blight dead, there was no more real reason for the Weight of the World, after all... but Job would know they had found out the truth, and that they would be coming to have a word with him in Heaven now. So the Drakkaren only gritted his teeth and shook his head when Priest began to ask another question, and the huge Dragokkaren winced for a moment before his brother reached up and quietly squeezed his shoulder, and instead he said quietly: "I... okay, Dad well... uh... all of a sudden, the Strange Beasts turned and fled again. Like they had been given a signal... so I'm guessing that shit has not gone as planned, right?"

"Right." Zerrex muttered, and he shook his head slowly, looking back and forth before he said finally: "We need to regroup with the others, take care of our wounded, then head back to Hell and let Vivien know what's happened. We're going to need her help, and then we're going to need to contact the Archangels... except after everything that's happened, I don't think that's going to be a simple task. We might be looking at another war between Heaven and Hell if we don't act fast... and worse yet, one that comes down to nothing but a stupid goddamn personal prejudice and vendetta..."

"Don't it always?" Priest asked, giving a half-grin... and then he winced a bit as Zerrex glowered at him, muttering: "Guess it must be serious shit. Bro, we must have missed one hell of a fight, too."

"You have no idea." Zerrex muttered under his breath, and then he shook his head slowly, looking back and forth grimly as Anathema Sin closed her eyes and leaned silently against her dracolich as it quietly lowered a head to nuzzle her with a rumble, the reptile's other arm wrapping tightly around her. "Come on, let's... get ourselves moving."

The others looked at him... and then, as Anathema Sin nodded mutely, Zerrex felt the armor tighten reflexively against his body, and the reptile could almost feel the tears of Naganis on his own cheeks as the armor reverberated with the pain of a child's betrayal.

"Once more, we stand upon the brink of war; as was inevitable, we face a Betrayal." Job said clearly, his voice echoing through the amphitheater as he gestured calmly around himself, features cold and callous. "As many of us feared from the very beginning, the being known as Zerrex Narrius, once a demon, and now a god, has begun to move against Heaven. First he united Hell; second he told the demons they were equals to us; now he wishes to move against us and conquer us, if not through subterfuge and misdirection then through direct war.

"We must not allow this to happen. God did not seal the ten Betrayers from Heaven to allow it to fall to a misbehaving godling, and we have come too far as a planet, as a people, to allow a traitor who sacrifices the lives of his own family and friends to force blame upon Heaven, to wage battle upon us!" Job shouted furiously, and his voice quavered with emotion, with a fanaticism that made it clear he truly believed what he was saying. "He has manipulated angels to his cause, among them even the jealous Archangels, but it does not matter! We are Heaven, and I am Naganatine, and in God's Heaven the Naganatine are His inheritors!

"It is with the need for safety and protection that I have given Emergency Order 1402, which grants the Heavenly Council temporary powers during times of great crisis or war. Powers that I shall bestow upon trusted members of the council who I know will act in the best interests of Heaven, and will use to prepare our defenses against the imminent attacks of Hell, before their forces can gather. Powers I shall use to strike back at our aggressors with the full force of Heaven's might, and teach them why Heaven will always be known as unconquerable paradise!"

Cheers and roars of approval sounded as Job thrust a fist into the air, and then he looked coldly back and forth before saying quietly: "Today, we become a true, free republic. No longer will we kowtow to Archangels, but we shall be headed by this very Senate, that all of Heaven will bow to... and in time, will keep even Hell itself under control and in check. The Archangels are wanted for treason, dead or alive, and from this day forwards, we shall begin our preparations for a new world, a new Heaven, a new, ordered and structured universe.

"To further ensure the safety of all Heaven, we have ordered all angels to withdraw to Heaven, and declare that those outside of Paradise shall hereby be known as 'exiles,' and are no longer welcome inside our home, as they have chosen, chosen, to ally themselves with demons and mortals, with traitors to God's glory. All portals in and out of Heaven have been shut down and movement between planets is restricted until further notice, given our immense need for defense against the looming and terrible powers of Hell.

"As part of my security initiative against the demons and gods who even now work against us, I have also ordered that all known Hell-sympathizers, all known angels with connections to Elysium or the mortal world, all known residents of Heaven who are merchants involved with trading, importation or exportation and anyone who has only recently joined Heaven and has not yet proven their allegiance shall wear a distinctive armband, under penalty of incarceration if they refuse." Job continued coldly, his eyes flicking back and forth. "Furthermore, I have taken further steps to ensure our safety by sending all demons found inside Heaven to containment facilities for interrogation and eventual release back to Elysium, after we have ensured that they are not a threat to Heaven and in no way can harm our great Paradise.

"We will not falter. We will not fall... we will not allow the madness of one god who fancies himself equal to Heaven's righteousness to destroy everything we have worked for!" Job shouted angrily...

...and Zerrex closed his eyes as he leaned over the High Council table, looking silently towards the large crystal dome sitting in the center of the furnishing from which the image was being projected, even Ixin looking strained and serious as Vivien silently sat with her fingers laced together, Selena and an exhausted-looking Mercy on one side of her, Sin and Amiglion on the other. "Zerrex... what do you suggest we do?"

"I don't know, Vivien... what can we do? The only way to end this madness is to kill Job, but now he's dragging all of Heaven and Hell into conflict... unless you're willing to actually wage war on Heaven, our options are limited, because not even I can just shoop into a place like the Senate Building to kill him. Worse yet, if we do attack Heaven... we'll just be justifying everything he's saying." Zerrex said tiredly, and then he closed a bone-gauntlet-covered hand into a fist and hit the table, closing his eyes tightly and lowering his head forwards. "Yet I don't know if we have a choice... if we don't..."

"More lives could be lost." Sabnock said quietly, and the wolverine nodded slowly from across the table before she looked towards Vivien. "We need to raise our own defenses and begin marshalling our forces. And we need intelligence, and to discover the influence Job has had in the last three days over Heaven. The fact that the Archangels are either missing or imprisoned is of great consequence, however... they are our most powerful allies in Heaven."

Zerrex nodded slowly in agreement with this as the Armor of Naganis seemed to squeeze silently against his body, still adorning his form... and Vivien sighed quietly, shaking her head silently. It had been three days... three days where they hadn't been able to do anything but spread information, repel small attacks from Heaven, and listen to Job's fury, watching a projection of the Naganatine storm back and forth overtop the crystal projector. Silven was sitting at the council table as well, declared an 'exile' and not wanting to risk Job's wrath if he tried to return... it was well-known that Silven supported Elysium, after all.

From what they did know, Job was heavily locking down and reinforcing Heaven: he was overriding the executive laws of Heaven with his now almost-unlimited powers of Chancellor, hiding the fact he had just turned Heaven into a massive dictatorship behind the façade of a grand republic. He was turning Benevolents into full-fledged Angels, granting wings and the powers of the divine to anyone who would serve his cause, and from the tortured and mangled demons he kept dropping into Elysium, they knew he was using Purification pools to break minds... and Zerrex had the feeling he was only throwing them the failures from his experiments as warnings and taunts.

Some forty percent of Heaven was behind Job, the last time they'd checked, but it was difficult to get the crucial, necessary information with the planet under complete lockdown like it was: all their information came secondhand through smuggling portals that were very quickly shut down. The Prophets and Metatrons of Heaven were following every last order given by the Naganatine... and Zerrex shook his head in slow disgust before Sephire stood up and said coldly: "There might be one vulnerability in Job's plans and defenses."

Zerrex looked towards her, and she smiled grimly as she continued: "Job thinks of Heaven as 'separate' and 'apart,' and like it's a different plane. From what the escapees and our scanning have told us, he's securing the quick and easy routes in and out of Heaven... but Heaven ain't just Heaven anymore, it's also a different planet. And that actually makes it easier for us to get to, because now all these things exist on the same physical coil."

"The spaceports were locked down and everything, though... as I remember, Heaven didn't have many to begin with, meaning finding a landing zone isn't going to be fun considering how much of the planet is a giant metropolis. And even if Job doesn't have a lot of visible aerial defenses... my main concern is that even shielded, a few good blasts of lightning are going to do a lot of damage really goddamn fast to most spaceships." Priest replied quietly, frowning a bit, and then he added slowly: "Worse is the fact that if we launch these ships from Hell, it's going to be a goddamn nightmare getting them all the way to Heaven under the radar."

"Then launch them from the mortal world, you got lots of friends there who owe you one." Sephire said clearly, looking over to Zerrex quietly. "And I ain't saying our main force would be on board the ships... I'm saying that the ships could carry portal rings, powered by demonic crystal, right up Heaven's ass and they couldn't do anything about it. The Prophets and the Metatrons can control the Purification of Heaven and its effects... but unless they drop magic suppression or a full-on portal block, they wouldn't be able to stop a vortex from opening powered by demonic abilities or corruption-filled demonic crystal."

The Drakkaren nodded slowly at this, grimacing a bit... and then Vivien said quietly: "We'll do whatever we have to do, Zerrex, don't worry about that. And we'll deal with whatever comes later on... but we do have to kill Job and stop this madness from progressing. In order to do that, however, we need information. I cannot imagine that all of Heaven is already behind him... I cannot imagine that all of Heaven will fall behind him. The Council controls much, but the Archangels were well-respected... and many people remember that Elysium has done good for both Heaven as well as the mortal world. When we attack, all that may change... but right now..."

Zerrex nodded slowly, looking down... and then he shook his head slowly and muttered: "We need intelligence, we need information. The best we can do right now is satellites and scrying, however... Ixin, what have you gathered so far?"

"Not much." Ixin admitted, rolling his flute over his fingers before he muttered: "The Metatrons and the Prophets know their shit, and Job's not wasting any time or energy in getting everything hidden. A lot of my attempts to read into what's going on are being blocked out completely."

The Drakkaren shook his head slowly at this, and then he looked up as Sabnock said quietly: "Then we must not waste any time ourselves. Although it seems like there is nothing we can do, we can at this moment prepare our forces, contact mortal allies, and ready our equipment. We are not yet in a hopeless situation, however desperate things may seem and despite the enormous head start that Job has on us. But we must act swiftly, or we risk facing full-out war between Heaven and Hell. It will be pointless to kill Job if doing so will only incite further violence."

"I hate to agree with you... but you're right." Zerrex said quietly, looking down and shaking his head slowly... and then he sighed a bit and stood up from the table, looking slowly back and forth: friends, family, and Disciples looked up at him, and he said softly: "Please excuse me. I need to go and take some time to think, if that's alright."

"I shall accompany Zerrex and ensure his safety." Celeste said softly, her collar glimmering around her neck as she gave Marina's hand a small squeeze, and the tired-looking psychic gave a faint smile to the Strange Beast: she had been badly-injured, but everyone was recovering slowly. The one good thing was that few people had died... injuries had ranged from slight-to-severe, but only several Dragokkaren, two Dragon Warriors, and a handful of soldiers had passed on, although their caskets had already been added to the funerary stage in Acheron, in honor of what they had died for.

Celeste walked quietly over to him and took his hand, squeezing slowly... and the reptile felt a rush of emotions before he turned and walked quietly with the Strange Beast out to the balcony. The female created a Gateway, not having to ask the Drakkaren where he wanted to go, and then they stepped through this to emerge silently into the Center of the Universe, Celeste respectfully bowing her head even as she reached up to remove her collar with her other hand, saying softly: "There is no need to restrict my mind here."

Zerrex nodded in agreement, no longer minding the way she brushed through his mind and emotions... and she smiled at him faintly as the Drakkaren turned and headed quietly inside the large, supported dome, gazing silently over the alien statues of the First Gods as he walked quietly between them, slowly wandering around the pool in the center and sitting down on the edge of it beside the statue of Camus, the reptile bowing his head and saying quietly: "Hello, old friend. I hope you don't mind me coming by to talk a little... but even though you're gone, you're still one of the smartest people I know. I... find I think clearer here. Things are sharper... I dunno, maybe it's the energy in the air, or the slight-but-crucial time difference... so much weight resides here at the Tether, at the Center of the Universe, that... well, you know, don't you? Of course you do, Camus..."

He laughed a little, rubbing at his face slowly... and then he sighed a bit as he gazed quietly at the lion, continuing softly as he reached out and touched his stone arm: "And I wanted to tell you... that you were right, by the way. About Theophilius I mean, you... you were always right about a lot of things so I guess saying that like that could be confusing, but... yeah. He was Order. He's... he's a good person, I think. But he's scared... not that I can blame him.

"And these Guardians... they're working for Job, and Job, well, he's going to destroy everything Naganis ever stood for, not save it. He's become a lunatic..." Zerrex shook his head slowly, glancing down and murmuring quietly: "Poor Naganis. This armor... it was made from his remains, actually. I thought you'd be interested in that... I think you'd understand, too, why I keep it." Zerrex raised a hand, studying the gauntlet covering it slowly, flexing his fingers quietly as his white hair floated around his shoulders, the skull-mask separated into two pieces that rested on either shoulder. "But I haven't been able to take it off for the last few days. It hasn't even responded to me trying to will it off... it's like Naganis is scared and hurt. But I don't know why he'd feel safer attached to me..."

"Because you are the inheritor of his powers and spirit. Because you emphasize much of what Creation did." Celeste said quietly, and Zerrex looked over his shoulder with surprise at her as she walked quietly forwards and reached out to silently stroke along one arm of the armor... and it shuddered quietly against him as she said softly: "I have come to accept you as the new Creation. Not the one I once loved, perhaps... but although you say continuously that Naganis was selfless in saving you, that you do not understand why you were chosen... I believe that in a way, giving himself up is also what allowed him to save himself. He lives on inside you, in ways both metaphorical and literal, Zerrex... and you are so very different from the person you began life as that perhaps it is not entirely unfair to say that you are not entirely Zerrex... just as Naganis was not entirely Creation."

The Drakkaren looked up at her quietly... and she gave a small, faint smile before leaning down and hugging him around the neck, surprising the reptile... and then she pulled back and said quietly: "You seemed to need that. Do not despair, Zerrex Narrius. No problem is without a solution, even if it is designed to be. Our ability to discover an answer is only limited by our imagination, just as a cage is only a prison when it is perceived as such."

Then she turned and walked quietly to the edge of the dome, staring out into space... and the reptile shook his head a bit with a faint smile at her before he turned back towards Camus, saying softly: "Those sound like the kinds of things you'd say, old friend. So do you have any thoughts to share with me yourself?"

The statue was silent... and Zerrex laughed a bit before he stood up and quietly rested a hand on the stone Camus's shoulder, gazing silently down into the Tether before he said quietly: "I've spent a long time now, trying my damnedest to figure everything out... and I think I finally am starting to get there. I know that even after I put a stop to Job... there'll still be Negative to contend with, but... if I can get rid of Job and the Strange Beasts, then I'm sure that even Negative will only seem like a small problem in comparison to everything else I've been through." The reptile closed his eyes, nodding slowly before he smiled at the statue of the lion, saying quietly: "Yeah. You always help clear my mind, old friend."

Silence descended... and for a little while, the Drakkaren only stood quietly with the statue of his lost friend before he finally turned and headed towards Celeste... and wordlessly, she opened a Gateway for him and slipped her collar quietly back on, and the two stepped through to emerge back into Elysium and the balcony of the Central Spire. The reptile wasn't sure how much time had passed, as he glanced back and forth, calmer now... and he frowned a bit as he entered the Throne Room and found it mostly vacant, only Sabnock sitting quietly at the council table and nodding to him respectfully as he approached. "Where is everyone?"

"High Queen Vivien has gone to speak to Eslovius, to find out whether or not they will supply us with additional troops... Eslovian forces may be enough to turn the tide of the upcoming battle in our favor." the wolverine said quietly, and then she paused for a moment before adding softly: "While you were gone, several refugees from Heaven emerged, among them an angelic knight and the Inquisitor Job claims you mutilated and murdered. He was in very bad condition and was moved to a Healing Cathedral for treatment, but he was able to inform us of several of Heaven's current operations and defenses."

Zerrex nodded, gesturing for her to continue, and Sabnock said quietly: "Similar to the tactics we used to attack the research facility, Job is preparing an enormous vortex, and it is through this area that the Inquisitor was able to escape, giving us an idea of the location Job first plans to attack: unsurprisingly, it is in the Eastern Province, where our defenses are minimal. However, it seems that he aims to establish an immense, permanent portal that will pour Purification from Heaven into Elysium. It is a fool's gambit: it will create a volatile effect that will rapidly degrade Hell's environment and atmosphere as the opposing energies first negate each other, and then unsteadily mix."

The Drakkaren gritted his teeth a bit, muttering: "So it'll create a pocket of Purification, or what? No, wait... they're made from the same stuff, right? So..."

"Yes, in differing amounts to create different effects. But forced together, they will concentrate each other and the effect will likely spread rapidly throughout Hell. Either it will infuse numbness and sap the emotions of all it contacts... or worse, it will act like super-charged corruption, transforming demons and devils into nothing more than passion-crazed animals. Job does not understand that the Corruption and Purification are not total opposites made from differing energies... they are akin to-"

"Poisons, made from the same plant. That's what Helena told me..." Zerrex said quietly, and Sabnock nodded as she reached out and silently touched the reptile's forearm, and Zerrex shook his head slowly. "But that's not all, is it?"

"No. Job has been preparing an army of Holy Dervishes, Paladins, and any and all forces of Heaven he can find or enlist." Sabnock said quietly, and then she gestured towards the table, and ice spread rapidly along it before forming into a large, three-dimensional map of a section of Heaven, with the Senate Building at one far side and a road carving itself through the frost, cities and buildings and landmarks growing up from the blue and crystalline frozen water. "As the Inquisitor escaped with the aid of several Angelic Knights, however, they were able to give us an idea of the area of Heaven job controls... and there is good news."

Sabnock snapped her fingers, and several sections of the map rose up and turned white: the Senate Building and the area around it, and a rough, angular stretch downwards and spreading upwards through the map. "These are known areas where the Council's influence has the most power. The metropolis of Oakum and many other cities are under Heaven's sway... and the Great Road leading to the Senate Building is under heavy guard."

Sabnock pointed, and the enormous stretch of highway turned back, leading straight to the Senate Building... but there were still blue patches here and there, and Sabnock said quietly: "The remaining are neutral territories that want nothing to do with being dragged into another war and will neither attack nor defend unless provoked, and patches of resistance movements that have already formed in response to the hard-line policies of Job. One of these zones is Beggar's Crossing, which is not surprising: it is an industrial town of processing facilities and production plants that are being reconstructed into weapons plants and purification zones. The residents are unhappy with this adversity and the massively-increased guard, and have been giving shelter and aid to the rebel groups."

"So they have their hands full already, trying to fight off rebels... and Beggar's Crossing is on the Great Road, not all that far away from the Senate Building." Zerrex muttered, rubbing at his face and nodding slowly, and Sabnock nodded back before the Drakkaren grimaced a little. "But how the hell do we get down there to set up our portal rings, if that's what we've settled on?"

"Your son Priest is already contacting Hez'Ranna to request the use of several drop-ships. These will be able to hover above Heaven's atmosphere and drop both cargo and passenger compartments: a small strike force will be sent in to hold back the enemy, secure the area, and activate the portal rings." Sabnock replied calmly, and Zerrex grinned sourly at this: it sounded like it would end up being quite a dangerous job. "Once the portals are activated, we can begin moving our forces forwards to secure Beggar's Crossing, then begin to push towards the Senate Building in a direct, full-frontal assault."

Zerrex looked surprised at this, and Sabnock gazed back at him quietly but confidently, as she said softly: "It will be dangerous. Many lives will be lost. We will be flanked and undoubtedly attacked from every angle. But our goal is not to do anything but give you the time necessary to force your way forwards down the Great Road to the Senate Building, to kill Job and end this conflict before it escalates any further, and a war is started in earnest. We must cut off the head of this serpent as soon as possible."

The Drakkaren nodded slowly... and then Sabnock measured him quietly with her eyes before she said softly: "We have one day to make our preparations, mental and physical, for what is yet to come. Not all of us will be at full strength... therefore all who can fight must fight. I ask you to go to Acheron and gather those who are still there, Lord Zerrex... to call upon every friend you have for what is to come, and across Hell, all of us will do the same. Anathema and Amiglion have even travelled to the Reapers, to ask them for their aid, knowing they may agree if only because Job tampers with the cycle of life and death they seek to preserve... just as Thor and Loki and Gilgamesh all go to other warrior gods. There are still many traps in wait and many unanswered questions... but we have no choice but to fight forwards and work to find a solution to this together, before it grows too late."

She halted, looking down... then she gazed back up and silently leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him quietly, and Zerrex hugged her tightly as he kissed her slowly back before their mouths parted... and she closed her eyes and bowed her head forwards, saying softly: "You and yours shall be the spearhead. I and Vivien and many others who care about you will be following behind you in a larger force: while you, the vanguard, battles ahead to Job, we shall stay on the Great Road and allow ourselves to be attacked from all sides. It will give you the time necessary to put a stop to Job and whatever he has in wait... but you must promise me, that you must not die."

Zerrex smiled faintly down at her, reaching up and grasping her shoulders quietly as he met her eyes. "I can promise you that if I can survive, I will... but none of us... as much as I want to be able to... can make the promise that we won't die in what's yet to come, Sabnock. I think you know that as well as I do, unfortunately... we're in for a rough time here." He closed his eyes, bowing his head and nodding a little, and then he sighed a bit as he straightened and grimaced quietly. "Kind of funny, in a sick, twisted way, isn't it? We already took on Heaven once before, killed Narrius, thought we'd saved Paradise... but it only fell into another death spiral all over again and here we are, once more trying vainly to save a place that... just seems like it doesn't want to be saved."

"Heaven doesn't want to be saved..." Sabnock looked down thoughtfully... and then she nodded slowly, saying quietly: "Once upon a time, Hell didn't want to flourish in peace, either... but it did. With the help of you and many others... peace was brought here. Job's actions are not Heaven's fault, and nor do they reflect the desires of Paradise... he is only one Naganatine, obsessed and lunatic. We must not forget that."

Zerrex smiled a little at this, nodding slowly back to her as he reached up and stroked her face... and then Sabnock said softly: "I shall make you a promise. If we both survive... I shall grant you three favors, no matter how large or small they are, with no constraints to them. In return, I expect the same."

"Done." the Drakkaren said softly, and then he smiled again as the wolverine stepped backwards, the reptile saying mildly: "How do you know I won't just ask you to marry me, though?"

"How do you know I will not ask the same?" Sabnock countered calmly, and Zerrex's jaw fell open as he struggled for a response before she glanced towards him with a small smile. "It is time to prepare ourselves for the conflict, Lord Zerrex. Our banter will have to wait until afterwards."

With that, she headed towards a balcony... and the Drakkaren mumbled under his breath as he rubbed at his face, glad that at least the time between now and then would allow him to think of a retort, if nothing else.

His mood, however, quickly became serious as the Drakkaren headed first to the mortal world, stopping in to Sunshine Labs to find Huck was already preparing weapons and equipment for them side-by-side with Priest, grinning grimly in a way that made him almost look as obsessed as Mengele. The mad scientist himself was working in the genetics laboratory, isolating DNA data and examining the remains of Blight that Maria had dug up in the Unworld after going down to ensure the golem had actually died... and Mengele was utterly enthralled with the designs, rambling about 'replicated DNA' and 'organic metal' and other complicated things Zerrex didn't understand.

But what did quickly get his attention back was when Mengele had added a bit of liquid Purification to the broken pieces of Blight's chest, armor, and a fragment of skull... and the pieces had trembled violently before clacking as they attempted to rebuild themselves and pull together, and the Drakkaren had been horrified as Mengele had clapped gleefully and exclaimed: "It's almost invincible! With enough concentrated Purification... this creature could reconstitute itself, rebuild itself... well, almost. The Unworld essence has bitten too deeply into it... now, even when I dunk it in Purification, it shudders and parts of it reform... but as soon as it's removed, it rots back away. It has lost sentience, lost consciousness, lost what little piece of a soul it once had... fascinating, nonetheless, and the applications for such an ability are endless. It is less a golem and more like a mechanical recombinant... it is an alchemist's dream, secret desires, and worst nightmare all at once."

"Look, what about the stuff Huck said you were working on?" Zerrex asked finally, and Mengele grumbled a bit before nodding and simply shoving the chunks of Blight off the table, grabbing a metal case and yanking it forwards to pop the top open and produce several large vials filled with black liquid, the reptile picking one up and grimacing in disgust at it. "Oh that looks appetizing."

"Its grape flavored." Mengele said drolly, and Zerrex rolled his eyes before he tucked the vial back into the lockbox, and Mengele slammed it, saying distastefully: "Concentrated Corruption, modified from the samples you gave Huck, the potency increased by a little meddling with the cells... and magnificent as they are, I have to say that this is highly-irregular and dangerous. Five vials... one for... no, no, let me guess. Yourself, Cynthia Blossom, the recombinant, the one you call Hope, and... Missy, the little doggy calls herself, correct?"

"I could swear you could read minds." Zerrex reached out and took the box, grimacing as well as he added flatly: "Look, I don't like the idea either, but we need every edge we can get, right? And if Cherry ever catches you using her name-"

Mengele only snorted and waved a hand irritably. "Please. But you understand that these Corruption cells are capable of attaching themselves to and modifying DNA, yes? They may even be able to do it permanently... meaning you had better be very, very careful playing with such things, Subject-0. You don't want Cynthia to end up a monster, do you?"

"I think Cherry would be touched you don't think she's a monster already." Zerrex said mildly, and Mengele threw his head back and laughed before the Drakkaren nodded slowly. "Believe me, I will be. And... and what about Soul?"

Now the dire wolf smiled slowly, saying quietly: "She is beautiful, and flawless. When she was here for repairs, I was careful when I reinstalled the armor upon her... now, should she once again exhibit the remarkable ability to evolve herself dynamically, the armor will break apart into separated plates as she changes to continue to grant her maximum protection. She is very talented... she may not even need the boost the Corruption will give her."

Zerrex nodded slowly... and he had only dallied a few more moments before heading to Acheron, to inform his Disciples and family that they were to travel to Elysium or Hez'Ranna, and prepare accordingly for the confrontation that was to come.

Earth had gathered Dragon Warriors and Dragokkaren who were eager to aid as well... and the reptile had been hesitant about this, but he couldn't turn down their aid or insult their dedication, and every capable body was needed. Hardened Dragokkaren, too, were a force to be reckoned with... and from the weakest mortal to the strongest god, Zerrex needed everyone he could get for what they were about to face.

The reptile stayed only a short time in Acheron, long enough to gather a few personal things and head back to Elysium with the metal lockbox still in his hand... and he'd been surprised when he had found Epiphany and Sin waiting for him quietly, every Sacrifice armed and ready to serve, Dragon Warriors standing in salute with their spears and axes and maces, Beasts snarling and ready to fight... and Zerrex had only smiled faintly. He couldn't say no, not to them, not to his daughter, not to his wife... and he had closed his eyes and nodded, telling them quietly to make their preparations.

The Drakkaren had found Vivien waiting for him at the Ravenlight Estate, already dressed in her battle armor, and she told him quietly that there were ten thousand Royal Guards at his disposal, and three hundred thousand troops already gathering, as Wentaku and Archmages led by Ixin rapidly assembled portal rings... and then she had smiled a little and said quietly: "We aren't going to falter in this, Zerrex. We have a plan, and it's a rough plan, and a crude plan, but we're going to fight forwards all the same and put an end to this. We can't afford to wait this time, after all... if Job convinces much more of Heaven or continues to assemble his armies... it'll mean total war. Right now... if we stop him, the war machines in Heaven will grind to a halt. But if you can... don't kill him right away. If we take him alive and make him confess to what he did, we can stop the conflict before it can truly begin... and then we can execute the son of a bitch afterwards. But if we kill him in Heaven, even if right now a lot of people are questioning what he's doing..."

"I understand, Vivien. I'll... I'll try. I won't make any promises after everything he's done, but I will try." Zerrex said quietly, nodding slowly... and then he glanced up as Naganen quietly walked down the steps and smiled faintly at him as he approached quietly. "Hey... you look a little pale, Naganen. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, but... I want to come with you." Naganen said quietly, and Zerrex looked at him with surprise as Naganen glanced down, rubbing at his head slowly. "I don't know... it doesn't feel right for me to stay back here. Everyone is going to be on the front lines, even Amiglion is going out to fight... and I appreciate that people are saying I could stay back and act as an advisor to the Abbess and the others that are going to be running Elysium while everyone's gone, but... I'm not old or wise enough to do that in earnest.

"But what I can do is come with you, and help fight to free Heaven... my magic is powerful enough to activate the portal rings, and I can take care of and defend the injured. I'm prepared for this... and I want to help put a stop to what Job's doing. Darren... died protecting me, protecting others. I should have some part in helping preserve his memory... in making sure that what he did wasn't all in vain." Naganen said quietly, looking up at his father silently... and Zerrex nodded slowly before he glanced at Vivien, who frowned a bit... but then nodded as well with a quiet sigh.

"Naganen... then promise me you'll stay close to me or your father at all times." Vivien said quietly, looking down at him, and Naganen nodded with a faint smile up at her. "We can't lose you on top of everyone else. It would be devastating to us all... especially your mother."

Naganen nodded again, and then he said softly: "I promise to take care of myself, Aunt Vivien. And I'll stay by you or Dad or Mom, the whole time."

Zerrex nodded again at this, and then he sighed a bit before he reached out and squeezed his son's shoulder gently, saying softly: "I honestly hoped to protect you from this, for a lot longer than I have, Naganen. You're a good son... talented and strong and most important of all... compassionate. You have wisdom beyond your years and I love you, very, very much... and I am honored to have you join us in this, scary as it is for me to think of. Hard as it is for me to imagine."

Naganen nodded a bit to the Drakkaren, looking up at him quietly... and then he smiled a little, saying quietly: "But we have to do it, Dad, and we have to be fast. Job's goal, after all, isn't merely to sow dissent between Heaven and Hell, isn't even to destroy Elysium... I think he's... he believes he's doing the right thing. But that makes it hurt all the more..."

Naganen glanced away, shaking his head slowly before he said quietly: "I've always been scared that one day I'll get convinced I'm trying to do the right thing too... I'll become arrogant, or I'll lose track of that wisdom you and other people are always saying I have and I'll end up... doing terrible, awful things to people, convincing myself it's justified or right. How... how have you survived all these years, keeping what's really right and wrong in mind, Dad? And you too, Aunt Vivien... even when you get so angry, you try and do what's best for Elysium, always."

Vivien and Zerrex smiled awkwardly at each other... and then Zerrex glanced down at the lockbox dangling from his hand, saying quietly: "I don't always do the right thing, Naganen, hard as I try... sometimes I have to do awful things in order to try and save people, and put others through terrible torments to figure out how to... stop others from getting hurt in the future. I believe in a few things that are very extreme... and I question myself a lot even after all these years. Even if I do the right thing... the ends don't always justify my means, and a lot of what I do is still... pretty goddamn nasty, even evil."

"I know." Naganen said quietly, and he reached out to silently touch the armor... and for the first time in several days, the Drakkaren felt it loosening slightly against his body as his son smiled faintly up at him. "But sometimes the darkness is necessary, to make light shine brighter, to give day greater glory and meaning. Besides... your evil things are leading down the right path nonetheless, while Job is trying to do good and has done... monstrous things."

He looked down quietly, then shook his head slowly and said quietly: "I'd rather be like you than him any day, Dad. And I know that I'm not like you, I lack your... your courage and your conviction and maybe even your unflinching moral compass... but I can only pray that I won't end up like Job, either."

"You're a better person than I could ever be, Naganen." Zerrex replied empathetically, stepping forwards and hugging his son tightly, and Naganen hugged him firmly in return before the Drakkaren stepped back and kissed his son's forehead, then lips in blessing, saying quietly as he cupped the side of his face as the young male blushed: "Go now. Join the others, help Ixin set up the portal rings. By now, your brother Driz should be there too."

Naganen nodded a bit, and he headed for the doors of the Estate before Zerrex sighed quietly as his son left, glancing over at Vivien... and Vivien smiled a bit at him before she said reluctantly: "You're... a good dad."

"No, Naganen's just a good son." Zerrex replied softly, smiling a little at her, and Vivien nodded a bit before the Drakkaren glanced towards the ceiling, saying quietly: "Anything else you need to let me know about? Because otherwise I'm going to head down to the vault and finish preparations here, then... I guess I'll assemble my strike force and head to the mortal planet, I guess. Huck told me while I was down there the first time Albatross was hurrying to requisition some ships... a few basic cargo carriers. Hopefully Heaven won't have aerial defenses in place."

Vivien nodded slowly, looking down... and then she glanced up and said quietly: "I know this is happening fast, but you're keeping pace well. I'm surprised, to be honest... just don't tire yourself out or do anything stupid. We're going to need you in top condition... and... listen..."

She stopped, glanced away... then looked back towards him and leaned on her battle axe as she said softly: "This is not your fault, so don't throw your life away. You have a look in your eyes that worries me... and a glow in your aura that makes me think you're going to do something stupid. It's not your anger, or the hatred, or the lusts or wrath or anything else that worry me... it's the despair that emanates off you, Zerrex. It scares me."

Zerrex closed his eyes quietly... and then Vivien stepped towards him and reached up to tilt his head upwards, gazing into his emerald irises as her own glowed faintly before she said softly: "I'm your friend, and I don't want you to die. I care about you, so don't die... when this is all over, you'll feel better. When we're actually moving, and our plans have stabilized... you'll feel better."

"I'm just worried this is another trap. Job's... he's smart, Vivien. He's goddamn smart. He might want us to invade Heaven... he might have left purposeful holes in his defenses, while at the same time making a big gesture like this... super-vortex he's apparently trying to build, just so he can ensure that even if he dies, it'll start another endless war where there can't be victors or losers because Heaven and Hell need each other to continue to exist." the Drakkaren said quietly, shaking his head slowly before he looked away with a grimace. "And all of you... you keep telling me not to die, but you all sound like you're ready to get yourselves killed for me."

"Please, I'm not planning to die either." Vivien said sourly, and Zerrex rolled his eyes before she grabbed his collar and yanked him down, making him wince a bit as she met his eyes with both concern and frustration. "And none of us have the habit of regularly getting themselves killed like you do. I don't want to see that happen again... you can't keep coming back from the dead, after all, Zerrex. One day the Reapers will come for you themselves if you keep showing off this annoying habit of digging your way out of the Beyond."

"Eat me." Zerrex muttered, and then Vivien snorted and shoved him backwards before she shoved a hand against his chest.

"Tell you what, survive, and we'll talk sex afterwards, even if I'm not fond of the idea of being stretched like a Glutton's stomach." Vivien replied dryly, and Zerrex grumbled a bit before she smiled amusedly at him. "And here I thought that would cheer you up."

"Why does everyone think everything's about sex with me?" the reptile asked flatly, and when Vivien only gave him an indulgent look, the reptile rolled his eyes. "It's physical closeness. Sex is just... a nice way to get that. And feel powerful and strong and... I don't want to talk about this with you, especially not right now."

But the Celestial Devil only smiled at him again, softening a bit before she said quietly: "Then I'll hold you to the promise that we'll talk about it after the battle, and in person. Which means we'll both survive."

Zerrex glanced at her, then he nodded slowly... and she nodded back before hesitating and looking down, then glancing up and saying quietly: "The army is gathering in the Eastern Plains. Easy enough to find. Send your Black Rose Platoon over and anyone else who's armed and ready to join, then come yourself to assemble your strike force. I'll be waiting to give you final orders."

The Drakkaren nodded again... and then Vivien turned and left, not looking back, and the reptile watched her leave quietly before he closed his eyes and said softly: "I hope I can keep my promise."

Zerrex stood inside an immense airfield in Hez'Ranna where three massive, rectangular drop-shifts were resting, mechanics hurriedly attaching the last of the low-altitude thrusters to the sides of the machines as Huck walked around them. Spotlights swung slowly back and forth through the air and scanned through the darkness surrounding the spaceport, ensuring there would be no intruders or interruptions as heavy, rectangular steel casings that contained assembled portals were loaded into different compartments on each ship, as well as heavy crates of ammunition and supplies of demonic crystal in lockboxes.

The Drakkaren sipped quietly at a cup of coffee, the Armor of Naganis gleaming and radiating a faint white light in the shadows of the airfield as he stood alone on the cracked cement, a tall, electrified fence to his back as he studied the foremost ship. It was enormous and rectangular, and normally was unable to get out of the atmosphere by its own power despite the massive thrusters at the rear of the ship and the additional jets on the bottom of each container, but these would be able to escape gravity's pull thanks to the enormous, additional boosters being attached that would be released once they were high enough in the atmosphere.

They were made of heavy black metal, reinforced armor plating that was designed to protect from both space debris and more-actively hostile things like missiles. The rectangular and slightly-trapezoidal body was mostly hollow, however, containing instead the heavy clamps and magnetic attachments that held the compartments in place: armored, heavy-duty boxes with cushioned seats or chains and magnets to lock cargo in place, each with powerful thrusters and magnetized tops that would allow them to return to the orbiting carriers while they hovered a safe distance above the planet. On this trip, however, the compartments wouldn't be making a return flight... they would simply be set to drop to the surface below, with the insulated circuitry hopefully surviving Heaven's electromagnetic interference long enough for the safety thrusters to activate before they hit the ground, or it was going to end up being one hell of a landing.

Blackheart glimmered on Zerrex's back, and the Armor of Naganis clung tenaciously to him, with a single holster of leather formed on the skeletal belt in which rested a vial of Corruption... and the reptile stroked quietly along this, grimacing a little. Negative's Corruption didn't affect the Drakkaren like it did other people, Inverted or not... but it would give him an energy boost, even if it was a little disgusting to think of.

His strike team was currently being prepped by Priest, while Zerrex was allowed to calm himself down out here, his mala safely around his neck and safely tucked beneath the armor, the Drakkaren rolling his shoulders slowly as he breathed quietly: it would be a four-hour trip to Heaven, and assuming they didn't get the hell shot out of them in the atmosphere, they would then drop down to Beggar's Crossing and make their initial attack... and the reptile closed his eyes, breathing slowly. They were already two hours behind schedule, but he was trying not to focus on that, as he flexed his fingers slowly: Huck had repositioned several satellites to get a good look at what was going on in Heaven, after all, and although it didn't look good... the main areas being fortified were around the Senate Building and various key cities. Job obviously expected them to attack, and likely even expected them to go straight for him... but the Naganatine was shrewd enough to not leave any major vulnerable points. Beggar's Crossing was likely being overlooked only because of either arrogance... or because Job wanted to give them a good point to start the invasion from.

But Zerrex wasn't going to underestimate him again: he wouldn't forget that despite Job's love of politics, the Heavenly Council had allowed Job to further hone his ability to strategize and carefully develop tactics for any given situation. The reptile grimaced a little as he rubbed at his face slowly, and then he crushed the paper cup in his hand and looked at it for a few moments before concentrating, and it burst into flames that vanished a moment later into ashes in the reptile's bone-covered palm, smoke floating quietly up from this as he said quietly: "We need to stop him. And we need to do what he won't expect... and that means playing into his plans and using his arrogance against him. If we strike fast and hard... we can rip through his defenses, and he won't dare to have the Prophets drop the Purification lockdown because then we'd be able to create portals ourselves without the use of demonic crystal or Hell's corruption... and then he'd be screwed because we'd just flood the Senate Building."

The Drakkaren rubbed slowly at his face: what worried him most was if the portal rings didn't work. They were a good idea, yes: paired rings that would draw on their own power sources from both sides of the field, but if Job ordered the Metatrons or Prophets to lay down a full-out portal block or the Weight of the World, they'd be screwed... and the reptile closed his eyes before he pushed these thoughts away and glanced to the side as Missy approached with Hope, both of them dressed in thermal suits and smiling faintly. "Hey, done already?"

"Your big-ass son Priest gave us the basics... he's going over the more complicated stuff with Cherry and the others. But I think the real reason he sent us out here was to try and cheer you up, and remind you this'll all be over soon, Biggs." Missy said quietly, and she shifted awkwardly, the golden sword sheathed behind her waist in a beautiful, white leather casing ornamented with Enochian runes and held tightly on by a strap that hooked into her belt. A large rifle was across her back as well, the barrel glinting in the glow cast from the massive floodlights above, and a small computer system rested on her arm, the golden retriever holding this up with a grin. "Looks pretty cool, but ain't it gonna be useless in Heaven?"

"Insulated technology is fuzzy but works okay in the electromagnetic atmosphere... you know, for a little while, anyway." Zerrex replied softly, studying Missy's red-and-green eyes... and then he glanced down to her belt, asking curiously: "Did you already drink that vial I gave you?"

"Why wouldn't I? I trust you." Missy shrugged a bit with a smile, and Zerrex felt absurdly touched before the retriever paused, then flexed a little. "Do I look a bit... I dunno, bigger, to you? I feel bigger. Stronger."

Zerrex studied her curiously, but although she did feel... radiant, in a word, with energy, he couldn't see any major changes. So he only shrugged, then looked at Hope as the doe gazed at him affectionately, her own blue and purple thermal suit zipped tightly up over her body and a heavy Hez'Ranna Military .50 handgun holstered at her side, looking almost too large for her slender hands... but the Drakkaren only smiled a bit at her, asking quietly: "How are you holding up?"

"Not bad, Zerrex... I'm saving my vial for later, in case I get injured, so you know." She reached down and patted a hardened leather case at her side, and then she looked up at him for a few moments, before glancing at Missy... but the doe only blushed a little as she said softly: "I don't... want to discuss this much with the others, but I feel... strange. I think Cherry could sense it, but... I can feel that... that she's felt the same way. Like part of me has transformed, in a way I can't describe... like a new 'me' is just beneath the surface... like my soul is going to become physical and be revealed to the world."

Zerrex nodded slowly as Missy rubbed at the back of her head awkwardly... and then the Drakkaren reached up and stroked under Hope's chin, saying softly: "The Corruption is... it has strange effects on people. But who knows what's going to happen? I only know that it doesn't matter to me what you look like... so long as you are still you."

Missy and Hope both smiled at this... and then the Drakkaren laughed a little as he gazed towards the golden retriever, reaching up to brush her hair back a bit. "You should put this back in a ponytail before we get to Heaven. Keep it out of your eyes... although you do look nice with it loose."

She smiled softly... and then Zerrex's eyes travelled upwards as Soul walked towards them as well, and Zerrex softened at the look of her. Metal layered the front of her form, from her shoulders down to her waist, with thin white breaks here in the armor indicating where it could pull apart, and rounded plates with the same visible lines through them here and there layered her shins and forearms. She bowed her head quietly as she approached, then reached up and gently touched the emblem of Elysium that had been embossed in black over her chest, saying quietly: "When I am next upgraded... would it be difficult to have a black rose or other symbol of Acheron placed upon my armor? Or shall I instead tattoo it on my person?"

"You don't have to be a Disciple of mine, Soul, if you don't want to." Zerrex said softly, but he smiled nonetheless... and Soul studied him before she smiled quietly in return.

"I enjoy associating myself with you. And I enjoy being a person, with free will, to choose what I do... yet nonetheless I am better suited to following in another's lead. I have followed you this far... I would prefer to continue to follow you in the future. You have lost much: I wish to give you some of that back." Soul said softly, and then she looked back and forth before her eyes flicked to the drop-ship. "Analysis indicates a design better suited for movement in space than in a gravity-weighted atmosphere: secondary analysis indicates a moderate-high probability of turbulence during exit of atmosphere, which has a thirteen percent chance of damaging the ship's systems, including its vital functions, and thus compromising mission integrity."

"Oh Gods, Soul, don't say crap like that." Zerrex groaned and covered his face, and Soul looked at him for a few moments before she blushed slightly and nodded quickly. Then the lizard let his hands fall away with a sigh as Cherry, Cindy, Naganen, and Priest approached, and the Drakkaren grumbled a little as he looked towards them: "These things are gonna be fine, right?"

"They'll be fine, Dad." Priest said absently, waving a hand and dressed in a heavy purple-and-navy thermal suit himself, a computer system on one large forearm and metal plating attached over the other as well as his shins and shoulders. Thick, rubber-soled boots covered his feet, and his knives were holstered as always above his tail as the huge male gazed down at his father, his muscles flexing visibly against his clothing as he said quietly: "You're gonna make it out of there okay, right? You're not gonna let yourself die, right?"

"Dad's going to be fine." Naganen said softly, smiling encouragingly at his father, and Zerrex smiled a little as Priest rolled his eyes and reached up to ruffle his little brother's mane, making the male laugh a bit as he staggered to the side, despite the fact he seemed pale with worry even as his eyes glowed with courage. "We gotta have faith in him. And in us."

Zerrex nodded slowly, studying his son: Naganen, dressed in a thermal suit and heavy rubberized boots instead of his robes, tight blue leather gloves over his hands and a thick black cloak hanging around his shoulders... and Anathema had been so goddamn proud of her son when he'd said he was going to join in. Anxious and worried, but... proud. And Zerrex felt the same way, but he felt better about things when he saw the protectiveness the others looked at him with, knowing that no one would let any harm come to Naganen while they were around... and knowing as well that Naganen was very capable of defending himself if need be.

Cherry grunted as she crossed her arms, dressed in her full body armor and with whip hanging on one hip, Great Diviner on the other, and several pouches across her belt... and Cindy was in her own thigh thermal suit, her hair braided into two pigtails that were then neatly wrapped into one long braid, thick, black dragon-scale gloves with iron-plated knuckles each imbued with a different demonic rune on her hands as her spiked bracelets and collar glinted in the light. They were as ready as they would ever be for what was to come... and Zerrex took a slow breath before Cherry grinned a bit across at the Drakkaren, saying softly: "We did it once before, time to do it once again. Let's go knocking on the Gates of Heaven, Boss."

"Excited, Cherry?" Zerrex couldn't help but smile slightly nonetheless over at her, glancing towards the muscular female, and she grunted as she flexed her arms, making the plates of metal over her body stretch slightly. The reptile shook his head with faint entertainment at this, and then he looked towards Priest, asking quietly: "Do you remember the plan?"

"Of course, I ain't as brain-damaged as Momma." Priest replied with a slight smile, and Cherry made a horrible face as she stuck her tongue out, the Drakkaren sighing and rolling his eyes before the Dragokkaren became more serious as he said quietly: "You, Naganen, and Soul form one team, Cindy, Hope, and Missy form another, and that leaves me and Momma heading the last. We're all supported by several teams of Dragokkaren Enforcers who are riding in with us... you know, Dad, it kind of scares me how excited those guys are about... attacking Heaven."

"To the Dragokkaren of Hez'Ranna, Elysium or Hell would be Paradise... Heaven is known as 'the blurry light,' it's more like limbo to them. No atonement or pain... but no adventure, no real pleasure, no nothing. The Dragokkaren feel its where you go when you were a nice enough person in life, but too hesitant or wishy-washy or if you didn't follow your beliefs. Spiritually-unfulfilling." Zerrex shook his head a bit and smiled slightly up at the huge, demonic-Dragokkaren. "And a lot of them are probably just excited to travel with you. You're an Elemental Archfiend, and a demigod in your own right. I'm sure a lot of them will be fighting hard to impress you."

"A lot of them already impress me. Scare me, almost." the tall male winced over his shoulder, pointing towards one of the eighteen-foot tall mortal Dragokkaren dressed in layered black armor made of fiberglass and metal plates, a heavy, armored pack over his back next to an immense machine-gun and a featureless, protective mask sealed over his face. "You... you're sure those aren't demons, right?"

Zerrex shook his head, saying softly: "A lot of them are clone descendants. Since the clones were programmed with the biggest and brawniest genetic signatures Narrius could find, and Drakkai DNA has a habit of 'stacking' good characteristics when they have a child, these latest-generation soldiers, well..."

"They're gonna be scary, kid." Cherry said mildly, grinning up at him as she crossed her arms. "Don't let 'em show you up too much, huh?"

"Oh fuck you, Momma." Priest grumbled, and then he crossed his arms before looking back towards Zerrex with a grunt. "Okay. So the first thing we do is secure the area and set up the portals... but as long as we get even just one going, the support team should start coming through to assist us with securing the area and shit, right? How do we know that they aren't going to block our vortexes one way or another, though... Heaven's real good at that shit. They might even be able to block your short range teleporting."

Zerrex rubbed at his face slowly, saying quietly: "There's always a contingency, Priest... one way or another, we'll get those vortexes working. What about the compartments?"

Priest hesitated, and then he replied with a grimace: "They'll survive the drop. If the thruster systems don't activate, we'll... be knocked around some, and it'll suck, and hurt like hell when we land, but they'll survive the drop. It's dangerous, but I've also programmed a rapid-drop procedure into the computers and told the pilots to 'scoop,' which means they'll arc down, a little deeper into the atmosphere than usual, drop the containers, and then fly back up before gravity can get too strong a hold on them. It's a difficult maneuver but it'll give us a second or so less of fall-time, and leave them less-vulnerable to long-range attack."

The Drakkaren nodded to his son, and then he said softly: "Alright. I trust your judgment, Priest. Then in that case, we should get ourselves going... we're already running late as it is and by now Heaven probably is getting ready for us. Go ahead, see Huck and make sure everyone's getting on board and loaded up, we'll find our way to our ships."

Priest nodded, and Zerrex turned with a smile to Naganen, reaching up and grasping his shoulder quietly... and the group slowly parted ways, silent looks travelling back and forth before they headed towards the waiting drop-ships and the prelude to battle that would hopefully halt the coming war before it could even begin.

The journey was silent; their arrival, however, was much less quiet.

Zerrex winced, the harness strapping him back against the seat tightening slightly as the compartment shook violently and a voice shouted over the loudspeaker: "It's gonna get bumpy, we're under heavy fire from the enemy, shields can't hold! Gonna have to drop you... goddammit!"

A fizzle of static... and then Naganen yelled and shoved himself back in his harness, looking terrified, as the harness clenched against him and the whole compartment shook, Zerrex wincing as the skull mask snapped up and locked over his features, the bone armor rapidly tightening against his body as if in response to his son's shouts as the Drakkaren shouted: "Hold on tight!"

Soul, meanwhile, was resting back in her chair and looking almost relaxed despite the tenseness of her expression and the way the crisscrossing harness was squeezing into her body, as she said calmly: "Point of impact in five... four... three... two... one..."

There was a faint scream of something as vertigo lashed at Zerrex's senses... and then a sensation of a sudden stop as they crashed through something, the Drakkaren's yells joining Naganen's as he winced and his body shook violently. Then he cursed under his breath as he heard nothing but a faint sizzle from above... before looking up stupidly to see Soul standing in front of him, the female reaching down and easily ripping the harness free from the reptile's body as she said quietly: "We have arrived."

"Thanks." Zerrex muttered, stumbling to his feet... and then something slammed into the outside wall of the compartment, leaving a trail of long dents through it in a series of rapid clangs, the Drakkaren wincing backwards from this before he cursed and looked towards Naganen, who was pale and stunned. "Soul, take care of Naganen, be... be gentle. I'm going to see what's going on outside."

Soul nodded, and the Drakkaren looked back and forth through the mostly-empty rectangle of metal before he approached the rear door of the compartment and simply slammed his foot into it, the fizzling electronic door tearing off before the lizard hopped out... and winced at the sight over his shoulder. The compartment was half-buried into the ground, explaining the slight-angle everything had been on inside it... and past it, the reptile could see smoke boiling up from a large building that had half-collapsed inwards from several more compartments crashing through the sloped roof. It looked derelict, thankfully... and a moment later, a window shattered in the side wall and several black-armored, masked Dragokkaren soldiers leapt out, weapons at the ready.

Zerrex nodded to them... and then a bolt of light shot by, and the reptile winced backwards in shock before he half-spun to face out past a dirt road and towards where a Metatron was standing, its white robes flowing around its body and the silver, eagle-like facemask it wore glinting in the bright sunlight as it announced coldly: "Zerrex Narrius. You are under arrest. Surrender or you shall be destroyed."