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Chapter IV

Pollenburn

"You haven't been told yet?" Max asked, his voice suddenly dropping to a whisper. "Fuck... what is it up with the bureaucracy of this corporation..." He sighed softly and it sounded like he was moving. "Look, MODD doesn't just create Seals out of nothing. People volunteer to become the Seals for the people they care about. It's like leaving a legacy or a will." Max waited for a reaction but when Jacob didn't say anything, he continued. "For their own reasons, the person let themselves become a Seal. Only MODD employees or those heavily associated with MODD are offered this opportunity and even then, only the top tiered and most trusted... Sort of like a fringe benefit."

Jacob was speechless. His mind reeled at the thought of so many Seals being used in the world. Yes, those that were commonplace were just copies but to think that there were still so many types... "And MODD doesn't tell anyone...?"

"The volunteers can't exactly say anything after they've been transformed and those that receive the Seals need to go psychological testing to make sure that they can synchronise with the Seal and then made to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Sometimes, the volunteers even explicitly say that they don't want their relatives to know and MODD stages their deaths. It's sort of like donating an organ."

"Except it's not a kidney or liver... It's your whole mind, body and soul..." Jacob let out a soft growl. But then he closed his eyes and thought this through. "MODD isn't going around releasing plagues, committing mass murder or murdering children to make great and powerful Seals, are they?"

"Of course not! The most powerful Seals like the Prime Elemental Seals or the Forbidden Seals were found after the Great Seal War. All other Seals after that come from volunteers. MODD does not force it upon people."

Jacob was still sceptical but if there was anyone he believed, it was Max. "Thanks for telling me, Max." He ran a paw through his chest hair, wincing a little as he found a clump where his cum had dried. "Do you have any idea who died to give Marcus his Seal?"

"It was my best friend, Eric."

Jacob jumped and spun around with a yelp. Marcus stood at the door to the en suite, looking worried and a little disappointed. He only had a towel around his strong, muscular frame, his short brown fur still a little wet from shower.

"Oh boy..." Max murmured. "Sounds like your boyfriend found out. If you survive, I'll be there soon. If not, I know where to bury you. Laters!"

Max hung up and Jacob lowered the phone with a wince. "Marcus -"

"It's alright," answered the roo, holding up his paw. "I guess I had to come out with it eventually." He gave Jacob a wry smile, one ear folded back. "Honestly though, as Rex's brother, I would've thought you'd know where Seals come from... Then again, I guess that mandate to keep Rex in the dark is still in place..."

Jacob gave the roo a puzzled look. "Rex is in the dark?"

"It was a stupid thing put in place a week or so after Rex became an Elemental Lord," Marcus answered, striding over to the cum-stained bed. He flipped the sheets aside so that he could sit down on the relatively clean mattress. "I think some higher ups noticed just what a big mouth your brother has and his ambition. I guess they didn't want him blabbing to anyone where Seals really came from or he might just jump ship to a competing company to become the CEO or something. After all, your brother may be the face of MODD but there are six other Elemental Lords, all of SWORD and the Board of Directors."

So MODD kept the secret of how Seals were made from Rex for fear that he might reveal it one day in either a drunken rant or perhaps intentionally. It spoke volumes on MODD's trust for Rex but also their opinion of him. Though from what Jacob knew of his brother, it was not entirely out of Rex's character to abandon MODD and form his own company with stolen secrets.

"So Seals really are people," he murmured softly. "Gale's Seal wasn't created from MODD releasing a plague that killed everyone in Bloomcrest was it?"

Marcus laughed softly and shook his head. "No. But mine..."

He took a long ragged breath and sat on the bed, just staring off into space. Jacob felt compelled to sit beside him but even the close proximity didn't feel like it was enough. On some compulsion, he rested his head on Marcus' lap, looking up at the roo. Whatever mood Marcus was in faded instantly, a soft smile crossing his features. Marcus began stroking Jacob's hair lightly.

"His name was Eric Balmweather," Marcus explained. "He was my neighbour growing up and my best friend. A cougar and had the cutest smile..." A sigh left him. "He didn't want to be a farmer and always dreamed of going to the city to join MODD to help support his family. When he left, I went with him. We joined the ANVIL recruitment program and worked construction together to put ourselves through the classes we needed to take."

"You had to pay to join ANVIL?" Jacob asked.

"To go through the training, yeah. Once you're accepted they station you wherever they need you and then start paying you. But before you get there, you have to pay. It isn't like the military where you just sign up and they let you in." Marcus looked towards the window, lost in the memory. "Eric was the best in the class. He was strong, fast, smart and rumour was, he was being targeted for the SWORD program. But being so good meant he also had a big bullseye on his back."

Jacob grunted at his own memory of his brief time in high school. While tormented for his excessive chest fur, he also noted that the smart and overachievers were picked on simply because they were above the majority. Those who were popular, regardless of their skills, were dominant due to their physical appearance and sent their minions to pick on those that did not fit their definition of beauty or normalcy. Apparently, even MODD wasn't free of such ridicule.

"When people found out that he was from the farms," Marcus said, "they latched onto that and spread the fucked up rumours that he fucked his brother and father because that's what 'those inbred rural hicks do'."

"And that's where you got your fear of people finding out where you come from..." Jacob concluded.

Marcus nodded slowly. "They picked on his accent so I shut my muzzle and became the silent strong guy. When I spoke, I made sure it was only to mock Eric either in front of his face or to his back." Marcus' eyes were cast down and there was moisture in the corners. "I always apologised every day at the construction yard and he always took it in stride, telling me he understood why I did it. I loved him for it. He was willing to be the big target so everyone would ignore me.

"It didn't seem like he was affected by it for the longest time. Every few months, we'd both go home at different times just to go back to the farm and be the farm boys we knew we were. In those times, when we were free of the ridicule of the city... I just felt like I could be myself and every day, I felt myself growing closer and closer to Eric... If it weren't for... I would've..."

Marcus grunted and shook his head, turning his gaze back towards Jacob. "I guess people drift apart a little over time and I guess I forgot to apologise for giving him shit a few too many times or eventually the rumours ended up getting to him. But one day, Eric went ahead to the farms. When I followed... I found..."

Jacob gripped Marcus' paw, hoping the contact would give the roo the strength to continue.

"I don't know what drove him to it," Marcus continued. "But when I arrived at my farm and my dad told me he hadn't heard from Eric at all, I didn't even give it a second thought. I just went right to work and told myself that I'd meet up with him eventually. Then, two days later, these SWORD members come to our door and handed me a note from Eric..."

Tears ran down Marcus' cheeks. "He... He told me that his father had shot his brothers and then committed suicide because of some debt to the Boswins. They couldn't support themselves anymore and instead of living in poverty, he spared them all. When Eric found out, he didn't know what to do... The only reason he even went to the city was to support his family and without them... he was lost. So, he called MODD, used all his savings to settle the debt to Boswin and requested that they do something for him..."

Marcus swallowed hard and offered Jacob a wry smile. "Somehow, he had figured out how Seals are made. He always was smart." He let out a dry laugh. "So he asked to be turned into a Seal... for me. He couldn't make it through the world anymore but he knew that I still could. So... he... I..."

The big roo broke down, sobbing loudly as the pain of a good friend's sacrifice and the heartbreak it brought tore open old wounds again. Marcus' gruff nature, his desperation to hide his roots and his distance from other suddenly all made sense. Borne from watching a strong friend fall under the torment of a cruel world, Marcus hardened his heart as he sought to live for both himself and Eric.

Jacob wrapped his arms around Marcus, pulling the roo into a tight embrace. Marcus' strong arms returned the gesture, sobbing loudly, his enormous form shuddering with ever heavy sniffle. He wasn't sure whether to take MODD's practices as a blessing or something to be abolished. Marcus was under no compulsion to join MODD and on some level, it was incredibly irresponsible for MODD to just grant Eric's dying wish without screening Marcus for psychological damage. But the fact that they did anyway told him that MODD had a conscience... or at least some devilish plan for the kangaroo. Though he doubted any of them would have known Marcus would become Gale's bodyguard.

Marcus' paws suddenly pushed him away and the roo wiped the tears from his eyes. "Sorry... It's been so long... I shouldn't have broken down like that..."

It was clear Marcus was still very much burdened by Eric and common sense dictated Jacob point that out, dampen their relationship and possibly ruin the one moment of happiness they had both experienced in such a long time. But he was feeling selfish and that feeling of elation, completion and the brief instant where he glanced into a possible future was too hard to resist.

"It's okay," he said softly. "We've both got a bit of baggage to carry. Best part about being in a relationship is that you get someone to help you carry it."

Marcus' lips split open in a soft smile. "You mean it? You don't mind that... That my best friend and the guy I had a humungous crush on died to give me my Seal?"

"You can't change the past," Jacob answered, speaking from experience. "You can only deal with it and move on. Looking for revenge, trying to bring back the dead using some fucked up ritual or maybe stealing a sword to make a pact with a dark god then being sent on a quest to stab enormous titans in the brain to resurrect your long lost love won't change anything."

"Huh? Oh and you're bleeding."

Jacob shook his head with a smile and brushed away the blood dripping from his nose. "Look. At the risk of my brains melting, I'm going to say this right now." He gripped Marcus' cheeks and pulled their heads together, pressing their foreheads against one another. "The first guy ended up fucking the skinny cougar and that relationship didn't even last through three chapters before another love interest stepped in. He missed out by not sleeping with the totally hot, cowboy kangaroo. I'm not going to make that mistake."

Marcus laughed softly and wiped his nose for him. "You know... I think that's you're way of saying we should totally be an item. And you know what?"

He gently pushed his lips against Jacob's... their tenderness quickly vanishing as they both inhaled the other's scent and they shared the same, life-giving breath. Jacob felt lighter for it and as he wrapped his arms around Marcus, the roo let himself fall back into the bed, their bodies pressed against one another.

Jacob pulled his lips away first, smiling softly. "You know... we still have a party to go to..."

Knowing just how sexy Jacob found his accent, Marcus said, "Parteh's right 'ere." For emphasis, he reached down and gripped his crotch, his semi-hard cock pronounced against the towel.

"It's barely been fifteen minutes!" Jacob exclaimed with a laugh.

"Are ya complainin'?"

Grinning, Jacob shrugged and said, "Nah. I suppose we could do away with the suspension of disbelief just this once."

He leaned in to kiss Marcus -

BAM!

Both of them froze and stared at one another.

BAM!

They both straightened and turned towards the door. Marcus, who was only partially nude, stood and lifted a beefy arm to hold back Jacob protectively.

"What was that?" the roo growled.

"It can't be too serious," Jacob murmured. "It was only italicised. If the sound were bold..."

BAM!

"Oh there we go..." He jumped off the bed and snatched his pants from where they lay. He found Marcus' uniform as well and threw the pieces to the roo. Without another word, they began slipping their clothes on. Jacob had barely slipped on his pants when the door burst open with another resounding bam. He instantly reacted by flicking his paw towards the wooden frame, a bolt of _Realmbreaker_appearing from his palm.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Cal, holding up his own paws in surrender. "Don't shoot!"

Joanna was right behind him and ducked beneath the wolf's arms. She looked about to say something before she took in the sight before her and her jaw dropped in pure shock. "You two!? Really!?"

Jacob growled and dismissed the bolt of Realmbreaker to slip on his shirt. "Yes, we did it. Loud and proud. What the hell is going on!?"

Joanna shook her head but couldn't keep the grin from her face. "As it turns out this whole party was just a plot of your brother's to lure the Boswins here so that he could accuse them for attacking the train with Realmbreaker on it."

Marcus stopped midway to buttoning his shirt. "The train...?" Then his eyes widened. "Of course! The Black Mist! That was Dorothy Boswin's signature move! But when I told Gale about it, he said we couldn't do anything to prove it was her!"

Jacob glanced from Marcus to Joanna. During the attack, when Marcus and his group had been huddled next to the container for Realmbreaker, hoping that Dorothy could not get to them, they the weakened by still imposing kangaroo had mentioned Dorothy's name. Connections were starting to be drawn between Marcus and the Boswins. Something told him that Dorothy hadn't struck the train because of Realmbreaker.

That same thing also warned him not to mention to either of them that he had been making frequent trips into the world beyond Dorothy's Tor.

"His brother found a way," answered Joanna, hiking a thumb at Jacob. "But the problem was that Boswin somehow had convinced every guest here and the other families to side with him! And for some reason, everyone on the guest list has a Seal and can summon their Seal Weapons!"

BAM!

Jacob couldn't help but express his shock. Cal glanced to the right and shoved Joanna deeper into the room. The wolf from SWORD slammed the door shut before drawing his own Seal Blade and backing away from the portal. Shouts erupted from the other side of the door and the heavy stomp of feet echoed down the hallway. Shadows danced against the light spraying in from the underside of the door. Whoever was on the other side was arguing about where 'those bastards' had run off to. They sped right past their door.

No one dared to breathe until they were gone.

"The guests have invaded the majority of the Tower," growled Cal. "MODD officers are severely outnumbered and are dropping everywhere! We've got maybe thirty SWORD soldiers here but there are about three hundred guests who are all capable of summoning Seal Weapons."

While Seals were common enough, most people only had a synchronisation rate of just a little over 25% with their Seals. Never over 50%. Not enough to truly be a harm to others. However, if he recalled correctly, Joanna had mentioned that the second level of _Bewaffnete_was when people could materialise their Seals into physical weapons and they were rare enough as it was. Members of SWORD rarely got to that level and those that did were assigned officer positions like Marcus or Sherry. Most of those in SWORD were just found able to synchronise with a Forbidden Seal and multiple other Seals. There were perhaps few SWORD officers who could materialise Seal Weapons, even fewer who could conjure up their Seal Armour.

Marcus grunted as he abandoned buttoning up his jacket which left him wearing only the singlet beneath which only made him look all the sexier. "What about our elite soldiers? The Archangels? Sky Wardens and Fatal Flowers?"

"The Archangels are stuck trying to defend the ships which the guests have kept from landing. The Sky Wardens aren't equipped for close quarters combat in the Tower and most them trying to evacuate those people who aren't involved. I have no idea where the _Flowers_are."

"Fuck," Marcus growled, stomping his foot. "Okay... We need to find Gale, Rex and Sherry."

"Already captured," Joanna said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Rex made a rather extravagant accusation of Winston Boswin and as a result he was at the epicentre of the attack. Gale told everyone to stand down. I don't know where they've been taken though." She nodded towards Cal. "I ran into this SWORD slut while he was looking for the two of you and decided that Realmbreaker is more important right now."

Another grunt left Marcus. "Can't argue there..." He gave Jacob's paw one squeeze before saying, "Gale, Rex and Sherry are already captured and we're at a disadvantage. We're the only ones free at the moment. It'd be stupid to run straight into the heart of an enemy's army. We need to get out of here." He gave Joanna a sly smile. "Besides if Gale tells everyone to stand down, it's his way of telling his troops to switch to guerrilla warfare."

BOOM!

"See?"

Joanna nodded shortly and turned towards the roo. "Every exit is blocked. The only one that is lightly guarded is the supply dock to the kitchens. It'd be stupid to take a car out of there but there's a service tunnel leading from the kitchen to the city. It used to house a power cable to the closest Seal Generator but when the Tower became self-sufficient, it was cleared out and abandoned. No one has gotten around to filling it up quite yet."

Marcus eyed her suspiciously. "How did you know about that?"

Giving him a cocky smile, Joanna just turned her back to him and flicked her tail. "It's a gift. We have a plan?"

Everyone agreed and Jacob grabbed the coat that Rex had given him, an ordinary SWORD coat. He threw it over his shoulders but didn't get enough time to slip his arms through the sleeves as Cal was already spearheading the move out of the room.

"Fuck!" the wolf cried.

"There they are!" someone shouted. Cal ducked back into the room just as huge, icy spears jammed their way through the door, looking oddly familiar.

"Don't retreat!" Marcus roared. He swung his paws through the air. Brilliant golden light sprang from his paws and shaped themselves into two, enormous curved blades. Each one was as long and as thick as one of his arms and looked unnaturally heavy. Their stylised pommels were shaped like three wings layered over one another to protect Marcus' fingers from oncoming attacks.

The roo let out another roar and both he and Cal burst through the door, Marcus actually smashing through the doorframe shoulder first. Jacob was a little ashamed at being aroused from the incredible display of strength from the burly kangaroo. The fur on his arms suddenly stood on end and he turned towards Joanna who had drawn the hair needles and once more deployed them as her hidden sai. A strange greenish-blue glow shone from her right thigh and she joined the other two.

Jacob hurried after them. Three men stood down the hall, each of them holding a rather strange parasol. The fabric was white but it was rimmed with blue and gold. Clearly Seal Weapons, Jacob had to wonder at the wisdom of men wielding parasols or how dangerous a parasol could be. He got his answer when each man folded their umbrellas and pointed the tips at them. Bolts of ice burst from the edges of the weapons, shooting towards them.

Joanna was the fastest to move of them and stepped forward. She thrust one paw ahead of her. The icy bolts froze in mid-air, inches from her paw. Her lips twisted into a smirk. She flung her paw over her shoulder, spinning with the gesture. The icy bolts melted and followed the path of her paw as a rough torrent of water. As she reached a full revolution, she flung her paw back towards the stunned men. They were splashed by rush of liquid, no more than causing their clothes to go damp. However, a second later, the water froze and they were suddenly encased in a thin layer of ice.

Smiling to herself, Joanna crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow challengingly towards the men. One of them broke free of the thin film of ice. With a roar he charged down the hallway straight at her. Jacob was sure it would've been dramatic from the man's point of view but there was at least fifty metres between them and the seven seconds it took for the guy to cross the distance seemed like an eternity. Joanna had more than enough time to plan her moves and gauge the man's attacks.

The invader swung his parasol like a bat at her and she ducked underneath the blow. She jabbed her sai upwards, catching the length of the Seal Weapon in one of the grips of her weapon. With an easy flick of her wrist, he yanked the weapon from the man's grip. Spinning on one foot, Joanna built momentum for a crippling kick straight to the gut. The rebel was sent flying, crashing right through the wall and back into Jacob's room.

"The power of a Branded," Marcus whispered softly. "Strength enough to cave a man's head with a fling of a finger and control over the elements... If it weren't for the fact that using the Brand is draining for the user, they could've replaced Seals as an energy source."

Joanna straightened elegantly and twisted her head left and right, her bones crackling ominously. The other two men had broken from their icy prisons as well. They glanced at one another before letting out a roar. They had just turned back towards Joanna when they realised their prey was standing right in front of them. Jacob had only seen a blur of red before the vixen had reappeared.

"Good night, boys," she told them ominously. Her fist found the gut of the man on the right, sending him flying through another wall. Using the same momentum, she spun and leapt into the air. Her legs wrapped around the remaining insurgent's chest in an almost liquid manner. The force of her leap and the sudden grip sent the stunned man falling to the ground and right into Joanna's trap. Her legs squeezed down on his air passages. A few desperate gasps later, the man had fallen into unconsciousness.

"Fuck me..." Cal murmured, taking a step back. "That's... That's crazy..."

"That's a Branded," answered Marcus with a huff. "They get supernatural strength, speed, endurance and some even say heightened intelligence. Add to that some level of supernatural powers like a Seal and they're almost on the level of us."

"Almost?" Jacob prompted.

Joanna's scent brushed past him and her tail absently flicked past his leg. He jumped back as she strode past him with a smirk. "Don't listen to the MODD propaganda. Brands are superior to Seals. We rely on our own power, the strength of our conviction and our bodies instead of that other source."

Jacob gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sure you were expecting me to ask what you mean and we could go on a whole tangent about the source of Seals while standing in the middle of a clearly exposed area, time seemingly having stopped around us as we learn that Seals are people but..." He hiked a thumb at Marcus. "He shouted it out mid-coitus."

Marcus' tail thumped the ground. "No Ah didn't!" He glanced to Joanna and Cal. "Ah didn't!"

Joanna seemed only mildly disappointed. "And after learning that people are used to create Seals, you still stand by him?"

"Yes and it's not just because I'm sleeping with him." Jacob glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was about to burst in on them. "MODD doesn't force people to become Seals. They're volunteers. Which leads me to believe..." He fixed a piercing stare at her. "... that there was someone in your life that became a Seal... and that you weren't compatible with. That's why you're bitter against MODD." Softly and respectfully, he ventured with, "Your fiancé?"

Joanna returned a sad smile towards him. "No. But you can try again after we get out of here." She gestured down the hallway. "This way. If we cut through the containment area, we can go to the armoury, snatch up what weapons we can assuming there are any left and then it's just a short distance to the kitchens."

"Seriously, how do ya know this!?" demanded Marcus.

******

The containment cell was especially designed for high-powered criminals. Through the same technology that generated BLANK fields which disabled Brands, the cells also stopped people from using their Seals. Sadly, that meant neither Sherry, Gale, Rex or a battered and bruised Silas could use their abilities. The cell's silvery walls glimmered with that same power and the bars glowed an eerie red, indicating that they were active.

Beyond the bars, Winston Boswin stood with a smug look on his face.

"You didn't put up much of a fight," chuckled the pig, flanked by his daughters and a weasel dressed as a butler. "But it was wise of you to surrender." He plucked a big, fat cigar from the pocket of his white coat and snapped his fingers. "Langley."

The weasel stepped forward, bowing slightly. One paw was behind his back while the other was extended. Rex saw a Seal drawn onto the back of the glove he wore and with a snap of his fingers, a tiny flame erupted from the tip of his index finger. He offered the little tongue of flame Boswin to light the foul-smelling cigar.

Rex shot Gale a piercing look. It had been the Elemental Lord of Wind that had demanded all highly trained troops stop fighting for their home even though Rex was confident that their superior training could take down Winston's army of Bewaffnete. But what was done was done and Rex was starting to feel a little disheartened.

"How?" Rex growled softly, staring down the pig from where he crouched. "How did you get so many people to synchronise with copies of your Seals!?"

Winston's smug features turned into a scowl. "You think just because you're an Elemental Lord you know everything there is to know about Seals. MODD just capitalised on them. They don't fully understand them! So let me educate you on something you may not have known." He practically pressed his face up against the bars. "Just because a person is close to you, when they become a Seal there is no guarantee that you will synchronise with their Seal."

Then he grinned diabolically. "But there are ways to artificially increase your synchronisation rate."

Rex perked his ears, his eyes wide. Even Gale who was binding Silas' wounds stopped what he was doing. Sherry continued to stroke Silas' hair to comfort him.

"Caught your attention, did I?" laughed the pig. "The technique is called _Dietrich_or lock pick. By sacrificing something of yours to the Seal, something precious to you, you can increase your compatibility with the Seal. It doesn't have to be something material or physical. Maybe it's something a precious as your... freewill..." He grinned towards his daughter, Dorothy. Then, glancing towards Caroline, he said, "Or perhaps it's your all the pain in your life save for your fondness for your sister."

Rex, utterly horrified, glanced towards the burly, dull-eyed Dorothy and then the sad, mournful Caroline. Dorothy looked like she was built like a tank and barely fit into the obscene dress she wore. Caroline was far more beautiful but her eyes were cast down and she held her parasol and Seal Weapon up, trying to hide her features.

"You make a pact with your Seal," continued Boswin, stepping away from the bars. "You promise it something and in turn, it is drawn closer to you. Unfortunately, just like being infused with a Seal, you cannot do it yourself. Someone must do it for you."

The grin on Boswin's face... his words...

Rex vaulted off the ground and lunged at pig, trying to claw at him but he just fell out of reach. "You bastard! You robbed your own _daughters_of their freewill and freedom!? What kind of fucking monster are you!?"

Boswin threw his head back and laughed. "A monster who has grown tired of being contained and oppressed by the forces of MODD." He spread his arms wide. "Seals should be for everyone to use and not regulated by a heartless corporation who give Seals and then leaves the public to do what they will with it. A corporation that flaunts its military might, reminding everyone that they are the supreme power in the world that no matter what they do, the people will always be in their debt."

"What the fuck are you talking about!?"

Boswin's hand suddenly seized Rex's collar, pulling him against the bars. "I'm talking about Marcus fucking Willows restricting the use of Seals in my farmlands because his tail raising boyfriend killed himself and his family!"

Gale's calm voice interrupted them; calm, collected. "Marcus restricted the use of Seals under my orders because I agreed with his assessment that the farmlands were becoming a prime breeding grounds for the Clans. People overuse their Seals and suddenly, we have another Clan starting. You bought so many copies of Seals from MODD and gave it out so wantonly without teaching responsibility that you were setting Pollenburn up for disaster."

The shotgun wielding pig huffed and pushed Rex back into Gale's arms. "Whatever the reason, my farms suffered greatly for it. I lost profits. I couldn't let that go unpunished."

"It was your moneygrubbing that led the family of Marcus' friend to suicide," answered Gale, still unnaturally calm.

"Nothing was ever proven," snarled the Boswin patriarch. "But it was your dictatorship that led to this, Gale. Now bear the fruits of your labour." He spat at Gale's feet. "Rot in this cell while I turn Pollenburn upside down. MODD won't let one of their precious Elemental Lords die let alone two. We're going to demand independence! We will secede from Rillotia if we have to but we will be a shining beacon, a utopia for how Seals should be used and distributed! With the Dietrich technique, everyone will have a Seal! No more reliance on MODD!"

Gale shook his head gravely while letting Rex get to his own feet. "I pity you, Boswin. Seals are borne from the sacrifice of people close to us. People _died_in the Great Seal War and every day, we use the Seals that survived that tragic event solemnly. We know -"

"Don't spout your bullshit at me!" Boswin growled.

"We know what happens when society relies too much on Seals!" shouted Gale fiercely. "Hox, Boswin! Hox! Is that what you want? If everyone got Seals, there would be another global war that would only spawn more Puritans! Mortaelis would not survive! That's why MODD regulates Seals!"

"MODD uses Seals as a leash to control the people!"

Gale looked about ready to counter... but then he pulled back, closed his eyes and then shook his head. "You've made your decision. Follow your path. But know this..." He opened his eyes, his eyes filled with determination. "I _will_stop you."

Boswin laughed and turned his back to Gale. "I look forward to you trying, monkey. We have only just begun."

Winston Boswin snapped his fingers and Dorothy marched behind him, following him out of the containment wing. Caroline cast one apologetic look at the prisoners before joining them, keeping her parasol over her features.

Rex let out a shout and kicked the bars loudly. "FUCK!"

"I take it you hadn't planned this?" Gale asked, his voice still irritatingly calm.

"No, I didn't plan this!" bellowed the wolf. "How the _fuck_could I have planned for something like this!? People artificially increasing their synch rates, an uprising and Boswin taking Pollenburn from us by offering everyone Seals!?" He spun towards Gale. "How the hell could you let this happen!? This place is under _your_watch!" He growled and gripped his temples, digging his claws into his flesh. "Fuck and Jake..."

Gale gave him a calm smile and moved towards the far corner of the cell. "I admit, I had not anticipated this. I had heard murmurings of Boswin's dissatisfaction with MODD but I had no idea that he had roped in the other families. Then again, it is entirely possible that he bound them to him like he had bound his daughters." He waved a hand over the wall. A gentle wisp of wind blew into the divisions between the wall tiles, emitting a soft whistling. Something clicked behind the wall. Beams of light suddenly sprang out from a pinhead sized hole in the wall, scanning Gale's features. The entire structure suddenly hissed and slid aside, revealing a secret tunnel. "But Boswin underestimates me. I built this Tower. There are ways to move around this place without anyone noticing."

He smiled over his shoulder at Rex. "Now, Boswin will think we're contained. This will be the perfect time to regroup and strike from within."

Rex calmed somewhat but he still quietly fumed inside. "And Seals? When were you or anyone going to tell me that they're made of people!?"

"As soon as you matured," answered Gale darkly. "Do you have any idea why you weren't invited by Balthazar to see Realmbreaker?"

The other Elemental Lords had seen Realmbreaker before he had? He knew about the weapon and had even been asked if he wanted to escort it from Graesham to Hox but he had refused on the account that he had a movie deal already scheduled. "You saw it...?"

"Yes, we did. All of us." Gale turned back towards Rex fully. "In the eyes of MODD, Rex, you are an immature, ambitious, naïve child who thinks that success is measured by riches and fame. When you confessed to me that you had been spending all your money on a vendetta against your mother's killer, that only confirmed my suspicions." Gale tapped his temples. "You have this romantic fantasy in your head, thinking that this world revolves around you and you're part of some action movie. I hate to break it to you, Rex Reaper, but the reality is MODD can and will live without you. You are only the face of the company because it conveniences everyone and you have the biggest mouth. Yes you may be bound to a Prime Elemental Seal but just like the rest of us for the past seven hundred years, someone else will come along to become the next Elemental Lord.

"Until you realised that, until you matured and showed some humility, no one was going to tell you how Seals were really made. We all thought you might take the secret and sell it to some other company to fuel your ambitions." Gale thrust a hand in the direction that Winston had disappeared. "And you see why MODD takes its business so seriously. If everyone were to obtain a Seal, we could have Clans everywhere or another Great Seal War. If you revealed that secret..."

Rex was left speechless... and guilt wracked him because deep down, he knew that if that bit of information were to be revealed to him, he would have used it somehow to his advantage. Maybe he would've used it to buy his way into the Unsealed so he could find the Butcher.

But given Gale's hypothetical scenarios of what could happen if Seals were just wantonly distributed...

"For now," said the Elemental Lord, turning back towards the secret tunnel, "let's go to my private hanger. I've got a small transport there that we can use to take us to my emergency bunker on the outskirts of the city. We can't stay in Pollenburn, not if Winston has so many people already under his sway."

"What about all our troops still here?" Sherry asked.

"I may have given the order to stand down but they are my troops." Gale's eyes narrowed. "I always told them that when I give the order to stand down, they are to immediately switch to guerrilla tactics. Boswin will have his hands full with my men constantly harassing him. With luck, we can contain him within the Tower."

Humbled and feeling infinitely childish before the older Elemental Lord, Rex just nodded and fell in line. Sherry helped an injured Silas to his feet and carried him with one arm over her shoulder down the tunnel. Needing to feel like he was helping somewhat, he grabbed Silas' other arm and helped carry the bigger wolf's weight. The moment they stepped out of the cell, the door closed behind them, plunging them into near darkness. Faint lights on the floor guided them down the path though they just followed Gale's confident strides in the darkness.

The nagging worry over his brother though broke the silence. "Jake..."

"I know," Gale interrupted. "My private hanger has feeds into all the monitoring equipment in the Tower. We should be able to meet your brother there and guide him to us. Once we're all gathered, we can plan our next move."

Rex didn't want to think what would happen or what he'd do if Jacob fell into the grubby fingers of Winston Boswin. He hoped Jacob could at least tear a few holes into the smug bastard. The tunnel came to an abrupt halt in a small, cylindrical chamber wide enough to fit two ladders, one going up and the other going down. Rex guessed that the tunnel stretched all the way up the Tower. Gale took the one going up and cast a concerned look down at Silas.

Silas returned a nod, gesturing that he was more than capable of making the climb.

At every floor, they had to get off and climb the other ladder leading to the upper floor. Looking down the various tunnels, Rex guessed that Gale had a whole network of these secret passages throughout the facility. It made him rethink the design of his own Villa. Every now and then, an explosion or two rocked the secret tunnels. Perhaps Gale's forces were still fighting or maybe some of Boswin's troops had found the armoury. The frequency began to die out as the night wore on and Rex just kept kicking himself at this ill-conceived plot to bring down Winston Boswin.

"For what it's worth, Rex," Gale said from above him. "It was a clever ploy. Had Boswin not been equipped with some new form of technique to bond with Seals and brainwashed so many others, I'm sure you would have had him tried, fined and jailed."

The comment comforted Rex even just a little and rebuilt his bruised ego. He took that opportunity to reaffirm his ambitions to himself. It only meant that he still had a long way to go to get the respect he deserved. Proving to MODD that he was mature would be hard especially after this fiasco but he knew he could do it. And this time, he'd have his brother right beside him.

Rex had lost count on how many floors they had ascended but when Gale didn't mount the next ladder and started down a tunnel, he guessed they must be near the secret hanger. It didn't take long before Gale reached a heavy door and pushed it open. Inside were dozens of monitoring equipment and a single, Sabre Class transport.

Sabres were unusual in that they were the only transport in MODD's fleet that had been built with cloaking technology. Apparently, the production of such transports was just too high and they couldn't maintain cloaking for more than ten minutes which, in some cases, just wasn't enough. They were eventually decommissioned especially when the Black Ring Space Station made orbital drops available for military operations. What few Sabres that were constructed were sold off to collectors and museums.

The faint tapping of keys brought Rex's attention away from the archaic machine to the slew of monitors that Gale investigating.

"Any sign of Jake?" he asked.

"From the chatter, there was a disturbance in the residential floor," Gale answered. "Three of Boswin's men were severely injured. Most of them thrown through walls."

"Jake doesn't have increased strength... It must've been the Unsealed, Joanna."

Gale nodded and found the feed. He replayed it and they both watched as Joanna Swan knocked out all three of Boswin's men without breaking a sweat. Behind her stood the stunned expressions of Marcus, Cal and Jacob.

"There he is!" Rex exclaimed, pointing at the image of his brother. "Where are they going?"

After a few more commands, Gale said, "To the containment wing, actually. If we can..." Gale switched the feeds... and his eyes widened. "Oh no..."

Rex shared his sentiments. "Oh no... Jake, please don't..." He flicked his eyes to Gale. "Can we make an announcement to him or something?"

Gale shook his head, furiously typing on the keyboard. "Someone's already overwritten the system..."

"Jacob Samuel Reaper."

Both men straightened, their eyes wide in horror.

They exchanged glances and at the same time, whispered, "Boswin."

******

While Pollenburn had its own prisons, Gale's Tower had a containment section built just for those people that normal prisons could not hold. People that were a danger to others or themselves. People like Unsealed agents that needed to be under the constant effect of BLANK fields to keep them from breaking out. People who had abused their Seals and were waiting for the diffusion process.

People like... Snakebite.

"Wow... he really looks bad..." Jacob murmured, feeling a little guilty.

The former leader of the Rattlesnakes was bound to a wheelchair, his one good feral yellow eye glaring at them from behind the glowing red bars. His room was filled with demeaning automated equipment including a tube that was hooked up to his genitals and ass, allowing him to relieve himself whilst still in his wheelchair. Mechanical arms were there to help him into his bed and even bathe him. Given the level of danger of most of the criminals of this level, it was almost understandable that they had as little interaction with other people as possible.

But seeing Snakebite with his legs amputated from the knees down and missing his trademark serpent tail and extra heads was almost worthy of pity.

"The hero returns... yes," hissed the Clan leader. "Will you take pity on me again? Yes?"

"Fuck no!" Marcus snapped, seizing Jacob's arm. "Come on, hun, leave this bastard to rot for what he's done."

Jacob blinked a few moments and stared at Marcus, dumbstruck. "Did you just call me 'hun'? As in short for 'honey' and not short of 'Hunter'?"

Marcus hesitated. "Um... Well... yeah. I thought we were... erm... Why would I call you 'Hunter'?"

"There was a joke about a similar line being used somewhere else," Jacob answered, waving a paw absently through the air. "And awwww, I'm your honey." He poked Marcus' firm chest tauntingly. "Are we going to sit by the beach watching the sunset next? How about on top of a bale of hay as the sun rises over our farm? Oh! Oh! Maybe I should get some real honey and -"

Marcus gave Jacob a light punch, a deep blush on his cheeks. "Stop it, will ya? I jus' thought... ya know..."

With a light nudge, Jacob said, "I know. I'm just having fun. Honestly, I don't mind it. But for future reference, if we were to do something overly romantic, I'd prefer it if we dove into a virtual campaign, triumphed over hardships and our impossible foes before making sweet, sweet love on top of the mound of corpses we've left behind."

The roo and everyone else around him all pulled back in surprise.

"Seriously?" Cal asked. "I know the piles won't be real but... seriously? Bro... that's sick."

Jacob rolled his eyes and stepped towards the bars containing Snakebite. "I'm kidding. I was just trying to make the point that I don't like any of that corny, romantic shit. It just isn't me. No five star dinners, no balloon rides over the countryside, no private cruises out into the middle of nowhere. Just sit me down in front of a TV, tell me you love me and then we fuck for three hours straight."

Joanna made a show of cleaning her ears. "And now I will never get that imagery out of my head. Thank you, Jacob."

"You're welcome. Since you're sufficiently distracted, I'm freeing Snakebite."

A unified cry of 'what' echoed down the long, cell-lined hallway. There were few inmates in the multi-tiered, grey hallway but those that did immediately began banging on their bars, demanding to be freed.

"Are you nuts!?" Cal shouted, positioning himself in front of the control panel to Snakebite's door. "This is the motherfucking Snakebite! As in the guy that executes people and then posts videos of it all over the internet to scare little children!? The guy that's been raiding the farmlands over and over again to bolster his ranks? You want to free him!?"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "And here comes some exposition..."

"I lost my sister to this asshole! He's also fucking sexist! He didn't even convert her! He just executed her then sent the video to my family!"

"Called it..." he muttered. Jacob grabbed the slightly smaller wolf's shoulder and pushed him aside. "Look, Snakebite may be completely and utterly insane, a murderous bastard and quite frankly, he smells bad but look at him. He's helpless. What do you think Boswin's people will do with him once they get bored?"

"Probably exactly what he deserves," Marcus growled. "You know what? Why don't we just get him out of there and then roll him down the stairs? If he lives, he can distract the bastards that are looking for us."

"No," Jacob said firmly. "There's a reason I let him live and didn't execute him on the spot back at his camp. I'm not going to let him die here."

It was Joanna who gave him an approving nod. "That is a very wise choice."

"No," Jacob murmured softly, standing directly before the bars. "It's probably the worst one I've ever made." He took a deep breath. As he released it, a bolt of Realmbreaker sprang from his fingertips. Snakebite reacted to the appearance of the weapon with a ferocious hiss. "You know who I am. You know what I can do to you. You also know that I have no reason whatsoever of trusting you."

Snakebite was silent.

"But against my better judgement, I'm still going to free you." Jacob hovered his finger over the release button. He was tempted to use Realmbreaker to peer into the future or whatever it was that allowed him to see those images but he feared passing out from blood loss in the middle of a crucial battle. Though it didn't take a weapon of apocalyptic proportions to tell him that this situation could go in one of two ways; Snakebite became the token Chaotic Evil member of the party or he betrayed them all.

"Why?"

The question stalled him for another second. Snakebite wheeled himself over to the bars, looking up at Jacob. His monumental size meant that even sitting down, he didn't have to tilt his head that far up.

"Pardon?" Jacob replied.

"You are the good guy, yes? The hero. You spared my life even though I killed so many. I am to face justice, possibly execution. But you are going to take pity on me again because I would die at the hand of another band of renegades. Yes. Why would you save me now when I die in either course?"

Jacob could feel the eyes of his comrades on the back of his head, demanding an answer. He mentally scrolled through all the excuses he could think of. Some blatantly obvious answers appeared before him and some funny one as well. But ultimately... he came to the one that he felt was right.

"I could go into saying that it's because this is the author's way of shedding some much needed spotlight on a character that got his own bio..." he began, hoping to high heaven he hadn't started bleeding. "... but I'm going to go with the hypocritical response and say that it doesn't matter how your story ends. It's how you get there." He bent down slightly so that he was at eye-level with the Clan leader. "You're going to die anyway, Snakebite. You know it. But what you do between then and now is what matters."

There was only silence in the containment chamber.

"You -" began Snakebite.

"Jacob Samuel Reaper." The booming voice froze the blood in Jacob's veins. "You do not know me but I know of you. My name is Winston Boswin and I am a good friend of your brother. In fact, if you were to go to cell 43 right now, you'd see him there along with Gale Winthrop."

Jacob immediately straightened and glanced left and right, searching for the number 43 painted on the walls.

"I would like nothing more than to reunite you with him. So why don't I open his cell?"

A loud, blaring noise erupted from one of the cells above them.

"Oops! That was cell 97. I believe the occupant was Peter Mooreman. Also known as the Cannibal of Highway 45. Sorry. Highway 45. Cell 43. You can see how I can get confused."

A big, rounded chipmunk suddenly popped his head over the railings, his cheeks ridiculously inflated. His big buck teeth were sharpened to points and when he grinned down at them, his fangs flashed, the faint light of Seals dancing across the unnaturally shaped teeth.

"Oh no! And how did he get his favourite weapon? A fork!"

Jacob gave the chipmunk and quizzical stare only for the mad cannibal. The insane stare from the unusually red eyes of the lunatic warned him of a mind shattered by Feedback. When the man lifted a fork into view, one lined with gold and glowing a bright red while letting out sizzling noises, he realised this was a man who had been synchronised with his Seal enough to summon a Seal Weapon but not enough to progress further. Likely he had tried and suffered from Feedback for it.

"One moment," Boswin said, his voice mocking them. "I can still free your brother..."

The Cannibal vaulted over the railings and landed deftly in front of them, his gargantuan size rippling with muscles. Every move he made caused odd, red light to pulsate through his veins, his corrupted Seal still infused with him.

Jacob backed away just as Marcus stepped forward, his two curved blades at the ready. Cal was right next to him, five Seals glowing against the length of his Seal Blade. Joanna flanked Jacob's other side, the eerie blue-green glow rising from her thigh.

Another loud beeping noise filled the air this time it came from behind them.

"Oops! I am such a klutz. I just opened cell 34. It contained Khan Sho, the notorious criminal who called himself 'The Third Eye'. You've heard of him, haven't you Jacob? The one who ran the powerful criminal ring that spread all over Taranebra and several surrounding states."

Jacob glanced over his shoulder. From the opened cell, a grey-furred equine stepped out, a short specimen and one that possessed a limp, having to support himself on a walking stick. The man's eyes were milky white but somehow, he still managed to see. There was a flash of a Seal in his eyes. Like the others, he still wore the bright orange jumper of a prisoner over his scrawny frame.

Several beeps bellowed across the cell and suddenly, the entire prison became bathed in red light.

"Oh dear. I seem to have released several of Pollenburn's worst criminals. Ah but it is nothing you and your friends can't handle, right? You are highly trained bearers of Seals."

Suddenly, Marcus' twin blades was encased in a bright, golden light and dissipated with the sound of several wind chimes blowing in the air. Similarly, the Seals against Cal's Seal Blade lost their glow and Joanna grunted, stumbling slightly as her Brand was nullified. The Seals used by the emerging prisoners were also nullified but their numbers just swelled.

Jacob quickly slammed his paw on the 'open' button to Snakebite's cell. Before the bars even retracted fully, he leapt into the cell and started wheeling the Clan leader out.

"Oh dear," laughed Boswin. "It seems that the emergency BLANK field has been activated as so many prisoners have been freed without the proper authorisation. Looks like the type that affects all Brands and Seals too. How advanced. Clumsy me."

Marcus backed away and threw a glance over his shoulder. Loud shouts erupted from above them as the criminals began hurrying to see them cornered. He pressed his back against Joanna while Cal and Jacob with Snakebite in the wheelchair stood beside them.

"Tell me again why you guys didn't remove the Seals from these guys earlier?" Jacob growled.

"Seal diffusion is an expensive and lengthy process," Cal whimpered, his ears folded back. His tail had slipped between his legs. "It's not like infusion that can just take an hour or so. Your body becomes accustomed to bearing a Seal. Just removing it suddenly would be like if I were to remove your kidneys without any anaesthetics. Your body could go into shock and die."

"I suppose MODD has to show _some_concern for the monsters they've created," Joanna said with a snarl.

"I truly am sorry," Boswin mocked. "If you make it out of here, why don't you come see me in Gale's office? I will apologise in person. Langley."

On a whim, Jacob flicked his paw to the right. Realmbreaker sprang up from his palms. All the former prisoners suddenly froze and Boswin vocally balked.

"What!?"

"Realmbreaker isn't a Seal or Brand, motherfucker," Jacob murmured. Several bolts of Realmbreaker appeared all around them, eight spears of crackling light that surrounded them in a tight, protective circle. Slowly, he turned Snakebite towards where he thought cell 43 was and began wheeling the crippled Clan leader there with one paw, the other still keeping a Realmbreaker instance just in case. He could feel himself reaching his limit for keeping the weapon out and he desperately hoped no one noticed how slowly he was walking.

Cal stepped forward and took Snakebite's chair from him and he nodded his thanks towards the wolf. There was relief and gratitude in the older lupine's eyes and he pushed Snakebite forward, the small array of Realmbreaker following them protectively. One lunatic hissed and threw himself at them. Jacob mentally commanded one of the blades to move to intercept. The man was sane enough to know when to dodge but wasn't fast enough to avoid the lightning-fast blade swinging in to slice a vicious cash across his chest. The feline screamed and fell back, blood pouring out between his fingers.

"Light," came a gravelly voice. Jacob found the source to be that grey-furred horse with the milky white eyes. Several other criminals were flanking him including one short-haired female lynx. "Lasers. Boswin, turn off the BLANK Generators. Whatever his power, it is nothing compared to our numbers."

Either Boswin was working for or with Khan but Jacob recalled the tales of the former criminal mastermind who had terrorised several states with his crime ring, smuggling the drug known as _spectrum_to make billions. His list of crimes was miles long. His merciless hand was felt all over Rillotia and it was only with the combined efforts of Gale and Sierra Seasinger was he eventually brought down.

He began thinking quickly. If Boswin shut down the BLANK Generator, the other criminals would regain the use of their Seals. He doubted he could strike down so many people down even with the aid of others. He needed a way to find Rex and get out of the containment area.

Then, remembering Rex... inspiration struck him.

He recalled the blades of Realmbreaker, shocking his companions. Before they could shout in protests, long beams of Realmbreaker suddenly appeared behind and in front of him. Three horizontal beams cut through the air and another three cut down vertically on both sides, forming an ominous grid of sizzling white. The criminals all gasped especially when the grids began advancing towards them at a slow pace, forcing them to back away.

"Desolation Grid," Joanna whispered softly.

Realising that they were quickly running out of room to move, the prisoners quickly scurried back into their cells. Before the grid could pass them entirely, Jacob scrambled towards the cell doors and slammed the 'close' button, trapping them once more. With the grid behind them keeping close, he ensured that even as Boswin reopened the cells, none of them could get to the team. He also hoped that Boswin was too shocked to shut off the BLANK Generator.

He briefly caught sight of cell 43 and wasn't all that surprised when he saw that it was empty.

"You better be safe, Rex," he rumbled softly.

Just as they reached the end of the hallway, the red light that bathed the entire containment wing faded. Marcus sucked in a deep breath of air and summoned his Seal Weapons once more, ready for an assault. Strangely, even as the criminals emerged from their cells once more, empowered by their Seals, none of them came close. They all stood a good distance away from the group, allowing them to retreat.

Cal opened the door for them, pushing Snakebite through first before letting Joanna and Marcus through. Jacob was last to leave and he dismissed the_Realmbreaker_ grids before shutting the door. The moment he was through, huge blocks of rock slammed into against the doorframe, piling on top of it. Joanna added a vindictive wad of spit to the last block that she threw from the bluish-green light emanating from her paws.

A strong paw seized Jacob's shoulder and he found himself looking up at Marcus' concerned features. "Ya doin' okay?"

"I'm fine," Jacob answered, quickly checking his nose for blood. There was a faint trickle but nothing too major.

"Since when could you shape _Realmbreaker_like that?"

He flashed Marcus a shaky grin. "Since it became necessary to progress the plot?" The touch of blood on his upper lip made him brush this nose with his sleeve. "Come on. Let's get to the kitchens then out of this place."

******

"The kitchens?" Gale asked aloud, as he straightened away from the console. "They could try to take a truck out of the supply bay but that'd be foolish unless..." His eyes widened. "The old supply tunnel!"

Rex glanced back towards the screens, watching as his brother began making his way down the hallways away from the containment cell. Ahead of them, he could see the armoury which had been pillaged by Boswin's troops. The weapon materialiser was still present, ensuring that if any of Boswin's insurgents ran out of ammo or their weapons got damaged, they could resupply themselves but otherwise, the armoury was devoid of guns, swords, shields or any other equipment remotely useful to the group. It was also devoid of life.

"Thanks for delaying Boswin's actions," he murmured.

"I only wish I could have done more to stop him," Gale responded. The chimp gripped Rex's shoulder and turned him towards the Sabre transport. "Come on. Boswin will now know where we are and he knows that we have access to the systems. We'll be able to keep track of your brother and stall Boswin from there."

Rex eyed the containment wing filled with those Seal-empowered criminals. He recalled how Jake had held them at bay, mimicking his Desolation Grid though to a smaller degree. Part of him felt a little insulted that his brother could copy one of his signature moves so easily but at the same time, he felt proud that it was his move that was copied. For the first time, he felt Jacob didn't need him constantly looking over his shoulder.

"Right," he said firmly. "Boswin looks to be in cahoots with Khan Sho. Those two make a dangerous combination. We need to regroup."

Gale looked stunned at his words. "You're not going to vehemently oppose my decision and demand we stay and wait for your brother?"

Once again, Rex threw a glance over his shoulder at the consoles. A proud smile crossed his features. "Jake can take care of himself. I know that now."

He stepped into the _Sabre_transport, imagining what it would be like to face down the Butcher of Ullen together side by side with his brother; to avenge their mother's death side by side. Somehow, he doubted the Butcher would know who they were or who Rebecca Reaper had been. Regardless, Rex had every intention of making sure that when he found the Butcher, he was going to make the bastard pay and know who he had killed and why he was on his knees about to be slain by the Reaper brothers.

As he sat down on one of the man wall-mounted seats, he had to tell himself to relax his fists. His claws were digging into his paws. The partially conscious Silas was strapped into the seat beside him while Sherry took up the seat on the soldier's other side. She strapped him into the seat and checked his wounds. Silas barely managed to wince and looked like he was drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Gale!" Sherry shouted. "We need to move! I don't know how much longer Silas can hold on!"

"I know! I know!" Gale shouted over his shoulder from the cockpit. The engines began to power up, the soft whirring of the Seal powered machines rising in volume. "We'll be there in a fifteen minutes. Just hold on, soldier."

There was a loud electrical buzz and Rex guessed that was the cloaking device kicking in. The doors shut as the _Sabre_began to shake and lift off the ground. Rex gripped the armrests tightly and closed his eyes, trying not to think too much about what he had learned this evening. He pushed it out of his mind and began looking towards the future, making plans and plotting his path.

"Already making your next plot?" Sherry asked. Rex glanced at her. The hawk stood up in the cramped transport as the squat invisible ship stabilised. She headed to a big, red box and prised it open, pulling out the medical supplies. A loud curse left her beak.

"Something wrong?" Rex asked, leaving his seat behind as well.

"These medical supplies..." she answered, shaking her head at the contents of the bag. "They're extremely out of date." Pulling out a vial, she said, "This metabolic serum is at least ten years old. That doesn't bode well for the nutrient drink either..."

Rex turned his head towards Silas, the soldier's head rolling to the side and his muzzle partially open, eyes open but barely seeing. Though he was breathing, the SWORD soldier wouldn't make it to the base unless something was done. Even should they get the poor guy to drink the nutrient serum, there was a good chance it had expired and would just give him sever indigestion, something his body couldn't take.

Rex flicked his paw and a glowing nebula of gaseous mass sprang from his paw, encasing his fingers with tiny stars slowly dancing through it. He moved towards Silas just Sherry gave a shout, demanding to know what he was doing. His fingers wrapped around Silas' skull and the injured wolf's body suddenly convulsed.

Sherry got to a metre from him before beams of light in the shape of a grid barred her from him.

"What are you doing!?" she repeated.

"Something I've been keeping to myself," Rex responded. "Touch of the Stars." Silas' breathing began to even out. Right before their eyes, the bruises and cuts the poor wolf had suffered began to close. "Within the stars lies all the matter of creation. In a nebula, star systems, planets and entire worlds are born."

Sherry took a stunned step back and Rex took that as a sign that she would no longer try to stop him from healing Silas. He dismissed his grid of lasers. "You're guiding the very raw matter of the cosmos through Silas' body... You're healing him." She shook her head in amazement. "You've... You've never thrown anyone through your Tor, have you?"

Silas blinked a few times and started to straighten. Rex moved his paw from the wolf's head and ran it down the lupine's strong shoulders, channelling his power through his healing touch.

"Is there something about Tors_that I should know?" Rex answered coldly. "As far as I know, they're gateways into oblivion. Criminals that are beyond redemption are thrown into _Tors and the owners of the Tor become stronger for it." He eyed Sherry over his shoulder. "Well?"

The hawk shook her head. "No. That's as far as we know as well. Only very few people have ever opened their _Tor_as synchronisation rates greater than 90% are rare. Most of those that can are the Elemental Lords."

"Most?"

Sherry headed to one of the nearby windows and peered out through it. Rex guessed she was looking at the distant Tower. "You heard what Boswin said... They could artificially increase their synchronisation rates. If Dorothy was forced to sacrifice something as critical as her freewill..." She bowed her head solemnly. "You are truly an amazing warrior, Rex, to create various techniques and methods of manipulating your Seal's powers despite never having thrown another living soul through your Tor_and your relative youth in comparison to the other Elemental Lords..." She chuckled softly. "Considering how quickly you've grown and how fast Jacob is adapting to _Realmbreaker, I can see that you truly are brothers."

Silas grunted and murmured his thanks to Rex who nodded in return and pulled his paw away, the nebula fading from his fingertips.

"I'm not going to deny that I'm shocked and insulted that I was kept in the dark about Seals," said Rex. "But I can understand why it was done. I'll admit that if some other opportunity came up to use that knowledge that's better than what MODD was offering, I'd probably have taken it." He sat back down beside Silas, wringing his paws tightly. "But I'm not blind either. I can see MODD isn't just a supply company. It's regulating Seals but making money out of it. That's fine. I'm not going to jeopardise the world for my own selfish reasons. I'm not that narrow minded."

"So you admit you're narrow minded," grunted Silas. Rex shot him a piercing stare and the SWORD soldier coughed softly, turning away. "Sorry, sir."

Rex growled a warning at the bigger wolf and turned his attention back to Sherry. "Khan Sho is clearly working with Boswin or is the true mastermind here. I don't think he'd ever work _for_that fat pig."

"I agree there," Sherry responded with a nod. "Somehow I doubt it was he was the one who researched the _Dietrich_technique. He has been imprisoned for the past twelve years and we've been taking down his criminal organisation since then. I don't think he had very many resources left outside of a few cells but they've all devolved into little gangs that are more interested in self-preservation than some greater goal."

She began pacing the length of the transport. Gale began contacting his bunker and got a reply back. He announced that they would be in the bunker in ten minutes.

"I would question why Boswin would ally himself with someone who has little to no power apart from the few Seal-infused criminals we've captured..." Sherry continued.

Silas lifted his paw. "Maybe it's because he wants more variety? I mean, with Boswin and the rest of the six families, they'd have a maximum of, what? Twelve, maybe fifteen Seals? Compared to if MODD were to come down on them hard even if they did make everyone a super soldier, it wouldn't be enough."

Rex thought of the variety of Seals still infused within the criminals of the Tower. They were likely twisted from their original sources due to Feedback but that would still be a lot of Seals. Enough, perhaps, to add a bit more oomph to Boswin's army. "There isn't a limitation to how many Seals they can infuse themselves with either," he concluded. "So long as they have more things to sacrifice, they can increase their synchronisation rates with as many Seals as they want..."

He met Sherry's horrified gaze. "He'd have an army to rival MODD's... especially if he starts preaching to the population of Pollenburn that he can give them Seals on the level of SWORD."

"Gale!" Sherry shouted. "We need to get in contact with Balthazar and the Black Ring now!"

Gale hit the accelerator and they left Pollenburn behind. Another five minutes later and they began making their descent towards a hidden airstrip. Rex watched in awe as the very ground divided beneath them, revealing itself to just be a simple set of doors for the airstrip to rise out from the underground bunker. Gale landed the _Sabre_transport on the strip deftly. As the strip began to descent back into the bunker and the doors closed above them to hide the base once more from view, Rex took in the expanse of Gale's secret hideout.

"Is that a Hive Queen?" he exclaimed, pointing out the window.

"No," answered Gale, emerging from the cockpit. "That is its successor, the Godstorm. A Brood Mother class carrier. The first of its class. Only atmospheric ship that's equipped with five rapid matter fabricators that can create drones at a pace of one per minute and housing up to sixty drones and twelve fighters. It's also armed to the teeth and has two bomb bay doors. I had her commissioned for the purposes of a last stand." The platform stopped descending and Gale opened the door. "In case the entire fleet were to fall, the Godstorm should be able to hold off a force equal to the fleet for at least a little while."

Rex let out a low whistle as he followed Gale out of the transport. "It's a good thing you didn't reveal that baby to the public. They're already sceptical about MODD's own military power matching most countries' and showing off that beast might just tip them towards calling for a disarmament of our forces."

Gale cast a smile over his shoulder. "And you see why I kept it hidden." He stepped onto the tarmac just as a man, an otter, came rushing up to him waving several papers in his paws. Rex took the moment for the short, squat man to cross the distance to take in the vast, roughly cylindrical facility. It looked like the bunker was actually full blown base to rival the Tower. Entire facilities were built into the walls of the cavern with the rising airstrip standing at its very centre. It looked like fighters and smaller ships could be rolled onto the airstrip and then deployed easily from miniature hangers embedded into the walls themselves. Living quarters and other facilities were shaped like spherical modules jutting from the walls with thin, metal bridges connecting them.

"There's something odd about this facility..." he murmured.

Sherry nodded towards the edge of the tarmac. "This cavern was actually created from when the Puritan that attacked Bloomcrest was dragged underground by that original soldier. The Puritan was destroyed and the explosion it created made this cavern. When Gale became an Elemental Lord, he moved his order of ninjas here and built this facility around their training grounds. It's completely self-sufficient and self-maintaining thanks to a hidden Seal Generator."

"I should get myself one..."

The otter finally reached them and he was sweating profusely, barely able to breathe. The bespectacled young man quickly took out as asthma pump and drew long breath from it. Even then, all he could do was hold out the papers in his paws to Gale who took them.

Gale's reaction was... strange.

"You must be joking."

Shaking his head, the otter said, "I'm sorry sir. But... that's... That's what we've got. We've quarantined the site and brought back samples but based on our projections, if it isn't stopped now..."

Rex exchanged glances with Sherry and Silas before asking, "Gale, what is it?"

Gale turned to them, a look of utter confusion and disbelief on his face. "I... I honestly don't know... but... as near as I can tell..."

He lifted up the page for them to see. Rex's eyes widened at the sight of what looked like a lion pouncing upon a screaming avian with thorny vines wrapping around and bursting out of his flesh while flowers were jutting out of his eyes.

"Flower zombies."

******

Rows upon rows of lockers were mounted on the walls behind thick, bulletproof glass planes. At irregular intervals, enormous holes had been smashed into the glass where Boswin's troops had pillaged the lockers. Mechanical arms that would have fetched the equipment for the specific soldiers had been broken and lay twisted on the ground. Stray bits of ammunition littered the floor where the ammo piles had been hastily ransacked. The wall and floors were even riddled with bullet holes were some of the more enthusiastic rebels had been driven by gun lust.

Near the end of the hallway, a group of Boswin's men were gathered around one of the weapons manufacturers. They had all adopted some form of orange overalls with the emblem of a boar's skull grinning brightly, Gale's emblem caught between its teeth. One of them stood over the holographic console, guiding several mechanical arms to work on something that was emitting an unholy scream.

"What in the hell are they doing...?" Jacob asked softly. The armoury was a long hallway so the group went unnoticed when they had snuck in. Being the stealthiest of them all, Jacob and Joanna and crept towards the group as far as they dared. They rested behind another manufacturing table, watching the flashes of light from the mechanical arms and an occasional arm thrust upwards in agony.

"Something forbidden," Joanna murmured darkly, her eyes narrowed. "The C Project."

"That weird cybernetic enhancement thing that they banned just after the Great Seal War?" Jacob responded. "They were trying to put Seals into people using machines are proxies, right? Take off a limb, replace it with a Seal-infused cybernetic copy and viola, no need for synch rates." His brow furrowed at her. "But all data on that was destroyed after it was deemed unethical and the person in charge of the project went crazy from Feedback."

"Apparently MODD kept some copies... or maybe Khan Sho knows about it and that's why he and Boswin are allies." Joanna ducked back behind the big, metal table. "This is bad. Those C-Class Soldiers were strong. Boswin's ragtag army could become even more dangerous enhanced."

Boom!

"It looks like Gale's forces are still putting up a fight," Jacob said, tilting his ears slightly. "This isn't the only armoury in the building, is it?"

Joanna shook her head grimly. "No. There are many more. This one was probably sacked and then left alone and these are stragglers." Her eyes grew fierce. "We need to put a stop to them."

She made to move but Jacob quickly seized her shoulder, pulling her back behind the table.

"Joanna, before we go any further," he began. "Why are you doing this?"

The Branded stopped and cast a puzzled stare at him. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you helping us?" he asked. "Okay, I get the fact that I have Realmbreaker and I understand the preservation of life and all but wouldn't it be easier for you if you just, I don't know, allied yourself with Boswin, bargained for our lives and let us go? Or maybe threw us in a cell and kept us locked up until your Unsealed buddies could catch up?"

She let out a soft laugh and nodded. Gently, she brushed his paw from her shoulder. "I understand your concern. I won't deny that I haven't given it some thought. Boswin has come closer to bringing down Gale than any of the Unsealed could have dreamed of. But this is not the way to do it." She responded, jamming a finger downwards. "He has actively gone and killed men and women who are just doing their jobs. From what I've gathered as well, this wasn't planned to happen tonight." She nodded towards the door. "Your brother forced his hand. I think had he been allowed do to as he pleased, things would've turned out differently."

"Looks like Rex's showmanship was good for something after all."

Joanna then gave him a brief nod and turned, keeping a low profile and sliding between the tables. The tormented screams of the poor victim was enough to hide her movements and even as Jacob quietly snuck in the opposite direction, his heavy steel-capped boots hitting the metal floor like tiny mallets, they went unheard. Jacob got as close as he dared and he spied Joanna across the room behind a pillar and ready to strike.

The screaming suddenly stopped and the gathered group of rebels began murmuring amongst themselves. One by one, they pulled away from the weapons manufacturing table. The hum of machinery filled the chamber. Slowly, a metallic leg and arm slid off the table, falling limply over the edge.

"Fuck!" shouted one of the men in the orange overalls. "Bastard couldn't take it. Khan will not be pleased."

"So it is Khan..." Jacob murmured to himself. "But why would he want cybernetic soldiers...?"

"Next victim!" shouted the man behind the controls. The group around him began arguing on who should be next on the table. Two men tried to keep themselves out of the argument by pulling the body off the manufacturing table. The disfigured form was horrific. Flesh had melded with machine from the shoulders and thighs. The mechanical limbs were smooth and shaped to appear like raw muscle. Blood was everywhere and the man, an eagle, stared blankly at the ceiling, his eyes lifeless with his feathers splattered in his own blood. The avian was thrown to the side on a pile of four other bodies, each of them dead from the surgery.

Another man was picked, an orca, and he was thrown kicking and screaming onto the manufacturing table. Several mechanical arms hanging above him quickly pinned him to the table. Jacob shook his head in disgust as the arms began to descend.

Suddenly, the man standing in front of the console was hit by a fast, red blur. He was dragged behind another table, his head banging against the metal table. The noise caused the rebels to turn. The man on the table continued to scream even though the surgery had yet to begin.

Jacob took the opportunity to sneak closer. There were only nine men left but he wasn't confident enough to knock them all out without relying on Realmbreaker. He was forced to rely on Joanna to read his movements. Quietly, he made his way towards the closest man, sliding behind the very table the orca was lying on, screaming and begging. He leapt from cover, wrapped an arm around the closest man's neck and brought him crashing down to the ground with a resounding bang. He then quickly ducked back behind the table as Boswin's men turned. The moment their backs were turned away from Joanna's direction, she appeared behind two of them. She gripped their heads and slammed them together, sending both of them into unconsciousness.

Grinning to himself, Jacob quickly charged from where he crouched, shoulders down. He slammed into the unfortunate man that wasn't looking in his direction and carried the poor soul across the room, slamming him into the nearby reinforced glass wall. He passed Joanna as she bolted towards the stunned men. He didn't spend any time watching what she was doing and just delivered a powerful punch into the muzzle of the man he was pinning.

The sound of fighting behind him died quickly and when he turned, Joanna was crouched over the last rebel standing, the man having passed out from an earlier blow. She rose and rolled her shoulders. A shrill whistle left her lips. Marcus poked his head into the armoury and then entered followed by Snakebite being wheeled in by Cal.

"You two work fast," Marcus commented, giving Joanna a begrudgingly acknowledging. "I can see why you rebels are so hard to kill."

"The Unsealed are tellers of truth," Joanna insisted.

"Brainwashers, you mean," Marcus growled.

"Believe what you will." She placed her paws on her hips and turned towards the orca still conscious but pinned down to the manufacturing table. "But what Boswin is doing, freeing known murders and criminals, killing people, turning others into machines... It is something we both agree shouldn't be." She slipped on top of the table, cradling the orca's head in her thighs. Leaning down close, she whispered, "What is Boswin's goal?"

The athletic male laughed at her, probably a little hysterical having just narrowly avoided dying at the hands of the machine. "You think we follow Boswin? It's Khan Sho we fear. Boswin made a deal with him. Help depose MODD and Khan goes free with free reign of the Tower. Khan knows that fat pig will betray him and likely lock him back up! What Boswin doesn't know is that Khan has already bought half of us off! Those of us who didn't take Boswin's deal with the devil by artificially synchronising with copies of his or his daughter's Seals will become Khan's soldiers!"

A manic laugh left the man's lips. "We number more than Boswin's 'elite'. That pig says he wants to give everyone Seals and free us from MODD? But he just wants to take MODD's place as the asshole that governs Seals!"

Joanna let out a derisive snort. "Were I younger, I would've agreed with you." Her fist clenched threateningly.

Wham!

Just the sound of her fist slamming into the orca's beak was enough to make Jacob cringe. She slipped off the bench and turned with a flick of her tail. "Come on. The air duct to the kitchens isn't far from here."

She led the way down the hallway without another word, her back straight with pride.

"Don't you think that he knows where we're going by now?" Cal asked worriedly as Jacob came to stand beside him. "I mean, he knew we were in the cells and he toyed with us up there. Why wouldn't he know where we are now?"

Jacob glanced at the wolf curiously. "You... You haven't seen any actual combat, have you?"

Cal's tail fluffed out. "Yeah I have!"

"Simulations don't count. Nor do war games." He narrowed his eyes at Cal. "You and Silas... it was one of those 'old, grizzled veterans' being partnered up with their ironically young counterparts, isn't it?" Cal didn't respond. "Oh wow..." Jacob laughed. "Has Silas ever told you he's 'too old for this shit' or is his retirement coming up?"

"What? No! He's just..." Cal fought for words.

"You do know that this is likely not going to end well for you or him, right?" Jacob said, giving the wolf an apologetic look. "Either he's going to die while leaving you a heart-warming that will inspire you out of your childish ways or you're going to die because you're the token, wide-eyed, dreamer." He grimaced as blood began dripping from his nose.

As he wiped it off, Cal said, "What? That's not true! Who's to say you're not going to die!?"

"Please," he said, the flow of blood starting to make his head ache. He figured he should stop. "The book is basically named after me and the author doesn't have the balls to kill off the main character. He hasn't killed anyone important off for ages either." He dabbed his nose, grateful that the bleeding had stopped. "But you, well, what do we know about you? You had a family that was killed by our resident maniac here." He clapped Snakebite's shoulders. "And that's all we know about you. If you want to survive, we need to make sure the audience invests in you so that when it comes down to it, killing you off will be too heart wrenching."

He coughed, blood erupting from his muzzle and splattering Snakebite's snout. The serpent swiped the blood from his scales and lapped it up.

"Your blood is delicious, yes."

"Ew." Jacob turned back towards Cal. "Look, if you want to survive, you've got to tell us more about yourself. We'll be able to work better together if we know what the other is going to do in any given situation."

Cal let out a soft rumble of acknowledgement. His paws gripped the handles of Snakebite's wheelchair. Joanna urged them to hurry and he began pushing the Clan leader after her. "You're right. I've never seen any actual combat before. I just joined SWORD two years ago. Was in ANVIL before that. Only when this bastard attacked and killed my family did I get the courage to throw my paw up to join SWORD." He shook Snakebite's wheelchair for emphasis and the serpent hissed at him.

Jacob decided to take over pushing the criminal. "What Forbidden Seal did you synch with?"

"The Seal of Finality."

Jacob ran through his memory of all fifteen Forbidden Seals. Never having to rely on Seals, he knowledge of them was a little lacking. "Is that the one that will destroy anything in exchange for blood or the one that when invoked will kill anything but something _must_die?"

Cal smiled at him and gave him a shake of his head, his curly, brown-blonde locks rustling softly. "It's the one that will sacrifice something to fortify another object to become indestructible for a limited amount of time based on the object being sacrificed."

Scratching himself behind the ear, Jacob said, "See, this is why I never thought about joining SWORD. Too many goddamn Seals to think about." He nodded at the Seal Blade resting against Cal's thigh. "I saw you had four other Seals embedded into that thing. Prime Elemental Seals?"

"Just the one," answered Cal. "Gale's Seal, the Seal of Destiny's Wind. Then I've got a metal Seal, a minor light Seal and a minor fire Seal." He took a deep breath as they passed a weapon manufacturer. "Silas synched with a Seal of Finality as well so that's why I was partnered up with him." He huffed softly. "But as it turns out, being in SWORD doesn't mean you get to hunt down assholes like him." He spat at Snakebite who ignored him, the Clan leader's eyes on the array of metal arms hanging over a metal table ready to make a weapon at a command. "We're the last resort. ANVIL is where all the action is. SWORD... you're mostly there for guard duty."

"It also means you're more likely to survive," Jacob answered, clapping the wolf on the shoulder. "Just so you know, your chances of survival just went up 250%."

"Thanks," murmured Cal softly, his eyes cast down, his smile fading all too fast.

Jacob saw the fear in his eyes. In all honesty, he wasn't sure why he wasn't afraid either. Maybe it was because of Realmbreaker and some obscure sense of security from possessing. Anyone else should be scared shitless. Even the indomitable Marcus' fists were shaking and Joanna stopped every few seconds to check her surroundings like she was doubting herself. In Snakebite, he noticed his slumped shoulders, the weight of being helpless keeping him down.

"Hey," he said, still gripping onto Cal's shoulder. "Stick with me. I'll make sure you live through this." He moved his paw down to Snakebite's. "And you too, buddy."

The Clan leader hissed at him. "I do not need your sentimentality. Yes." His yellow eyes were geared towards the weapons manufacturers though. "What I need is power. Yes."

It was transparent what the cobra was thinking and Jacob was inclined to agree. "Do you need my charity?" He abruptly turned Snakebite's wheelchair towards the closest weapons manufacturer to the shock of Cal.

"What are you doing!?" the young SWORD soldier demanded.

Marcus and Joanna froze from where up ahead and turned, their eyes wide.

Jacob grabbed one of Snakebite's shoulders and hauled him onto the table. Snakebite eagerly used his other arm to prop himself onto the table and slide himself into position.

"I'm going to increasing all of our chances of survival," Jacob grunted. To Snakebite, he said, "Now stay still and try not to scream too loudly." He backed away from the table as a holographic display popped up in front of him.

"Are you insane!?" cried Cal, standing in front of Jacob and waving his paws widely. "You're going to turn _him_into a super soldier!?"

Marcus came to stand beside Jacob as a holographic interface sprang up in front of the young wolf. "You know that project was scrapped for a reason, right? There was no guarantee that the neural Seals would interface correctly with the victim and it could result in catastrophic Feedback. You saw the results." He nodded at the bodies a short distance away. "Five out of five, no one survived."

Jacob typed in 'C Project' on the console. A big red error message flashed before his eyes. "Damn... And there's nothing to lose with Snakebite. He's already suffered from Feedback. He wants this. If he turns on us, I'll take responsibility and kill him myself."

Marcus nudged him lightly and turned the console towards himself. He provided authorisation and the screen flashed green. "I suppose that's true. Doesn't mean he might not end up brain dead or something..."

"Sir!" Cal protested, his eyes wide. "We're giving one of the most dangerous criminals in history the power to kill again! You could be tried for this! We all could!" He then turned to Jacob pleadingly. "If you care for him, you wouldn't put him through that kind of pain!"

"But if there's any way for him to go, don't you think being tortured agonisingly while metal and weapons were fused to his very flesh would be a good and satisfying way to go?" Jacob responded.

The wolf looked conflicted. There was some eagerness to see Snakebite suffer in his eyes while that emotion struggled with his morality and caution. "And if he lives?"

"I'm hoping he'd be sane enough to understand that he owes his mobility to us." He turned back towards Snakebite. "Stop squirming and lie back down! I'm working on it."

Joanna slammed her paw on the console. "This is unethical!" she snapped. "The C Project was universally panned due to the agony, risks and low returns it offered! MODD was fined _billions_for their part in the experiments! In fact, it was this very project that caused the people of the northern states to secede from the Republic!"

"We don't have any other way of restoring Snakebite's limbs short of divine intervention," Jacob countered. "And he'll only slow us down if we keep wheeling him around. I don't think you just want to leave him here, do you?"

"But this..." She shook her head and snapped her anger at Marcus. "Why does MODD even still have this in their database!? All data should've been deleted!"

Marcus smirked at her. "We're an 'evil, heartless corporation', remember?" He turned towards Jacob and nudged him slightly, convincing the wolf to step aside while he took command of the console.

Joanna fell silent.

"The project was designed to analyse the best weapons and procedures for the person involved," Marcus said, tapping away at the screen. "We can determine what percentage of his body we want to convert into machinery. It was designed for victims of the Puritans or injury that have lost limbs to regain them. Chances are, the reason those bastards died was because they were severing limbs instead of replacing lost ones."

The roo sighed and shook his head. "Damn... I don't know half of what this shit does... It's five hundred year old technology." He shrugged. "Oh well... Here goes!" With a grin at Snakebite, he said, "Make sure to scream really loud so the people who died by your hand can hear."

Snakebite suddenly let out a terrible scream as a laser shot from one of the mechanical arms and struck his leg. Several other arms descended to pin him down while two sets of arms sliced off the barely healed flesh and immediately began working to rebuild his lost limb. Right before their eyes, nerves were connected to cold, metallic wires. Blood vessels funnelled into flexible tubes and muscle fibres were rebuilt using a synthetic material that mirrored muscles but was far from organic. Cold hard metal replaced bone and in place of scales, metal plates to look like scales were layered over on top of one another to provide armour. All the while, Snakebite unleashed an unholy scream, throwing his head back and forth. As his lower leg came into fruition, he managed to bend his artificial knee and several arms had to pin him back down.

"This is monstrous..." Joanna whispered.

"You think that's bad," Jacob muttered, his eyes narrowed. "Imagine what would happen if Boswin or Khan did this to hundreds of people with working limbs."

As Snakebite's feet were completed, Marcus pressed several commands on the console. The metallic arms picked up the Clan leader and flipped him over so that he lay belly down on the table. The arms targeted the man's tail and the two nubs that had been his severed extraneous snake heads.

"Marcus! That is far enough!" Joanna cried, storming forward.

Realmbreaker suddenly appeared in front of her, not even held by Jacob's paw. The tear just hovered an inch from her nose.

"Snakebite is broken," Jacob murmured softly, one paw on Marcus' shoulder to reassure him. "I broke him. I'm going to fix him."

The Clan leader's screams became whimpers and hot tears actually streamed down the man's eyes as the machines rebuilt his tail from the severed nub. Cold metal lashed wildly behind him and he let out a loud gasp as it slapped his equally cold, lower leg. The mechanical arms began rebuilding his extra snake heads, creating the long, sinewy coils.

"There they are!"

Jacob glanced to his right. The doors to the armoury had sprung open and several of Boswin's troops stood there. All of them were wearing a set of orange overalls with the image of boar's skull and its jaws wide open, a flower with five petals within its jaws.

"Almost done here!" Marcus shouted. "Jake, just keep an eye on his vitals! Cal, with me!"

Joanna refused to move but Marcus and Cal stepped forward, drawing their weapons. Boswin's troops charged, their copied Seal Weapons in their hands and paws. Numerous as they were, they were still untrained and unleashed their powers without true coordination. Marcus and Cal worked perfectly together, Cal sliding forward and swinging his Seal Blade to move sheets of metal from the floor to block. When the barrage from Boswin's men ended, he instantly dropped the shield and Marcus swung his curved blades, whips of glowing wind lashing out and knocking the insurgents back.

For his part, the screen in front of Jacob informed him that the procedure was complete. Jacob hit the 'return' button and stepped back away from the console. The protective glass barricade surrounding Snakebite began to slide down... and the Clan leader slowly propped himself up on the table. As he lifted his head, Snakebite turned to the right to find the cold, metallic features of a snake head staring back at him, red eyes shining. Another glance to his right and the twin of the first hissed at him.

"There's too many!" Cal shouted, falling back as a barrage of icy spears smashed at his feet.

Snakebite let out a tremendous roar and vaulted off the table. The sight of the enormous Clan leader, now half snake and half machine caused Boswin's men to freeze. Snakebite stormed past a stunned Marcus and Cal. He spun around, his tail lashing out. Unlike his organic snake head tail, this was flattened to a sharpened point, a blade in its own right. The tip sliced through flesh on its passing, causing Boswin's rebels to fall back. Snakebite grinned darkly as he lifted his tail to his lips, lapping up the blood that dripped from its tip.

His two extra heads suddenly hissed and their jaws popped open, revealing a set of six rotating barrels. Boswin's men screamed, spinning around and bolting for the door. The sound of gunfire rippled through the armoury, muzzle flashes erupting from Snakebite's guns. Some of Boswin's men were struck, blood erupting from their backs and the men falling to the ground with pained cries.

"Iro, that's enough!"

Snakebite froze... and whipped around, his yellow eyes wide. "What did you call me?"

Jacob took a deep breath. "Iro," he responded, fighting down his own fear. "Iro Rakerama. That's your name."

The Clan leader hissed at him. "I am the MOTHERFUCKING SNAKEBITE!"

"But you're also Iro," replied Jacob. He had to crane his neck as Snakebite loomed over him. He may have added a few extra inches to the already titanic man's height. "Born in Valence." Jacob pulled himself from away from Realmbreaker's influence, all too aware that there as blood dripping from his nose. "You were hit by disappointment and reacted the best way you thought. You suffered for it. Same thing happened now. You fell and suffered. Now it's time for you to choose."

Jacob lifted his arms to his sides, offering up his chest. "You can kill me right now and go down exactly the same path you did last time. Or you can come with us and pick the path you should've chosen last time; the path where you live."

Snakebite's extra heads loomed over Jacob, their muzzles spinning ominously as they closed in on him. Jacob, despite the fact that his heart was racing, kept his gaze firmly placed against Snakebite's.

"Choose," he whispered softly. Then, with a demanding shout, "Choose!"

Snakebite reeled back in surprise, blinking and his eyes filled with surprise like he was actually seeing for the first time.

"You are a brave wolf, yes," murmured the Clan leader. "Insane... but a good judge of character, yes." To everyone's surprise, Snakebite suddenly fell to his knees, bowing his head towards Jacob, his twin snake heads lowering and shutting their jaws. "Yes. I will follow you. Follow you to life and death. Yes."

Jacob swallowed in relief, his throat feeling incredibly dry. "Awesome," he said, relief marring his words. "Then let's go. Before any more reinforcements come."

"What of them?" Snakebite asked, glancing over his shoulder at the men who were bleeding but not dead.

"Leave them to Boswin and Khan," Jacob responded, turning his back. "They made their choice."

******

"You must be kidding me."

Balthazar Palmers, the head of the ExIT division of MODD, stared at them with a look of disbelief from his office in Minteroca. The screen could do no justice to the jackal's expression. The reports of the doctors in Gale's secret bunker flew in front of him, showing them their findings. Videos of the men who first succumbed to the viral agent and were now contained within the bunker played over and over again in front of him.

"That's what I said too, sir," answered Gale grimly. "The virus is airborne. It seems to be carried by the pollen or spores of the flowers that sprout up from the victim's bodies." The Elemental Lord of Wind closed his eyes tightly. Rex could only imagine what the poor guy was thinking about. First Boswin's rebellion, Khan Sho's release and now this. "We've discerned that when the pollen enters a person's respiratory system, it takes root within their lungs leading to coughing within an hour. After two, it starts to grow impeded breathing. After three, the plant develops thorns that start to tear at the lungs, causing bloody coughs. Within three and a half hours, the victim is likely dead without external assistance. At four hours, the plant will have cut through the lungs and spread into the rest of the system. It will then sprout flowers out of available orifices before starting to tear through muscle and flesh to sprout the flowers."

Balthazar slammed his paw on his table, prompting Rex to open his eyes. "But how in the hell are they able to keep moving even after they're clinically dead?"

It was Sherry who answered, stepping forward in front of Gale. "The flowers seem to have the ability to hijack neural pathways and cause erratic behaviour even before death completely outside the control of the victim. Another symptom of the agent is shaky hands and paws or involuntary movement. After death, the flowers completely control the entire nervous system."

"But they're still dead."

"Correct. We've noted that within twenty-four hours, the flower's nutritional requirements causes mass entropy throughout the host's body, rapidly degrading the body past what it should be in just twenty-four hours. We don't know what happens after that as this was only discovered less than a day ago. We suspect the victim is finally unable to move, falls to the ground and the flower takes 'root'."

The jackal in the pristine, white suit shook his head, gripping it in both paws. "God... this is a fucking disaster... And you said that this all begun in your bunker?"

"From people who were investigating the Rattlesnake Stronghold," answered Gale. "Repots stated that there was some sort of hidden chamber within the stronghold where a different kind of flower, the same flower sprouting form the victims, was growing all over the walls."

"We need that place quarantined as well."

"Already done, sir. We have guards everywhere."

"Good." Balthazar nodded. "Good... Keep your quarantine procedures in place around your bunker as well, Gale. I'll take this to the board of directors and the Rillotian Government. They may want to enact quarantine over Pollenburn as well just to keep the plague out_. Tell me_ immediately if you find a cure."

Gale and Sherry both saluted. Rex was a half a second behind. "Yes sir," they all announced.

"This plague is your primary objective. Boswin and his uprising is secondary."

"Sir," Rex began. "What about Realmbreaker?"

Balthazar watched Rex carefully, his black eyes unreadable. "Unfortunately, your brother will need to wait, Rex. Once the board and the president have decided what to do, we'll know more. But right now, we need to do our best to keep this plague from spreading." He turned back towards Gale. "I want your bunker in lockdown, Gale. No one gets in or out. Is that understood?"

Gale saluted. "Yes, sir."

"Good." His gaze travelled back to Rex. "And when next you get a chance, Rex, tell your brother that I want to speak to him."

Rex flicked up his ears. "Sir?"

"It is for his ears only. Balthazar out."

The image winked out, leaving the three of them alone in the conference room. Rex let out a frustrated growl and slammed his fist into the big, oval conference table, sending quakes all over its surface. Neither Gale nor Sherry said anything and he quietly fumed. Quarantine was understandable but on the other side of things, he couldn't just sit by and wait while a decision was made. Gale gently gripped his shoulder and he immediately shrugged it off.

"Don't," he growled, "try and comfort me. Your research team better be the best around."

The Elemental Lord of Wind gave him a dangerous stare, warning him that he was slipping back into being that petulant child that had gotten them into this mess in the first place. "This is an emergency bunker, Rex. The doctors here are trained in patching up injuries not researching into new viral agents. They have their doctorates, have no doubt, but I don't have the equipment to commit a full investigation."

Before Rex could explode at him, Sherry stepped in front of him, gripping his paw and pulling him slightly so he was forced to look at her. "We'll do what we can," she insisted. "Remember, we only just found out about this. We'll be able to send our analysis to other teams across the world and they'll do their best. But for now, you have to be patient."

He yanked his paw away from her, huffing loudly. He knew she was right and hated to admit it so he kept his muzzle shut. "You said that this place has monitoring equipment. Can we check on Jake now?"

Gale nodded slowly. "It does but I don't think I'm going to allow you to spy on your brother."

That rage in Rex's veins boiled up again. "What!?"

"See that?" countered the chimp, poking him with a finger. "That's the kind of thing that'll get us killed. It is what forced Boswin's hand and put is smack dab in the middle of his forces. My men are fighting for their lives out there and Khan Sho is loose because of you."

"Because of me!?" Rex bellowed, puffing out his chest. He was slightly shorter than Gale but they were about the same build with Rex packing on slightly more muscle due to his lupine heritage. "You've been sitting on your throne doing jackshit! You knew of Boswin's rebellion and you didn't do anything about it!"

"What makes you think I wasn't!?" snapped Gale, breaking his calm. "I sent Marcus to cut Boswin's Seal supply. I've had Sherry personally observe Boswin's actions. Several of my Fatal Flowers are embedded into his group right now and are likely undermining his efforts as we speak." He took a step towards Rex but the wolf refused to back down, placing them almost nose to nose. "I had no idea how far Boswin's roots went or this new technique of his. But I was working to undermine him."

With another bang of his fist against the table, Rex bellowed, "You should've done more!"

"Any more and I would've declared war on Boswin, one of the six families of Pollenburn! And you've seen how many people he has under him, how he has the other five families behind him! I attack him outwardly, and he would've turned half of the city against me."

"Better than not doing anything at all!" Rex shoved Gale away. "If it were me -"

"We've done what you would've done," Gale interrupted, pulling at his coat to straighten it. "Now we're going to do it my way. That means you are going to sit tight, shut your mouth and stop acting like a fucking child."

Rex was stunned at Gale's sudden use of profanity. Valentine Burns was the most... crass of the Elemental Lords though Rocky was known to have a very blunt muzzle on her. Gale along with the other Elemental Lords kept up an image of never swearing to be more 'kid friendly'. Taking his silence as confirmation, Gale turned and gestured for Sherry to follow him. The Scalpel nodded and attended her Elemental Lord. The two left the conference room. Once the door shut, Rex was left. Motionless as he was, the lights switched off automatically after five minutes, plunging him into darkness.

In the shadows, Rex reached down the collar of his coat and pulled at a silvery chain around his neck. Hanging from the little artefact was a piece of obsidian. The surface was scratched and peppered with little holes. When held up into the scant light, it almost looked like it was reflecting the night sky. Jacob had found it when he was just seven years old and since he wasn't capable of buying a birthday gift for his older brother, Jacob had painstakingly carved the stone into a 'star'. Of course being seven years old and having only the tools a seven year old could have access too, little Jake hadn't been able to do much more than deform the obsidian rock to look like a man with four arms.

But the effect on Rex was profound. He clutched the little rock against his paw and reaffirmed the vow he had taken when he left to become an Elemental Lord - that he would use everything he had to take care of the two most important people in his life; his mother and Jake. When his mother had died, he knew he had to pool everything he had to protecting Jacob... and avenging their mother.

"I wonder how he'd react if he found out what I've been doing all this time...?" he murmured softly. After another moment of reflection, he tucked the stone back beneath his shirt, making sure no one could see it. His brother was a strong individual, smart and inventive. Somehow, he'd be able to make it out of that facility.

Somewhat reassured, Rex left the conference room and decided to wander around vast bunker. As large as the bunker was, it could only cover about 20% of the massive underground cavern. He wandered out of the spherical modules mounted on the cavern walls, using one of the many narrow walkways connecting the modules. It was amazing how the walls were perfectly cut, no sign of blemishes or cracks despite the hundreds of years since its formation. There was a strange electricity in the air that told him some of the Puritan's energy still remained in this place.

A glance downwards revealed that the floor of the cavern was populated by some very Valenese style buildings; slanting tiled rooftops, with bright red posts and lintels supporting the large, gently curved roof, paper thin walls that were movable and he guessed that there was a moya within each building. The buildings were arranged in a very orderly, grid fashion, almost looking like a miniature city from where he stood. He guessed those where the people manning the bunker lived. At the centre of the 'town' was an enormous multi-tiered temple, a pagoda if he remembered his terminology right.

Looking at the enormous atmospheric ship docked at the centre of the cavern, hovering over the little town made him feel even more anxious to leave. Defying Gale and possibly alienating his only ally would be a bad move especially since he was on Gale's turf. He took a long, deep breath, standing out in the middle of the walkway just letting other pass him by. Slowly, he let it out, leaning his weight on the railings. He turned his back to the ship and just stared at the curved, rocky wall that made the extremities of the crater.

There was a slight reflective sheen to the rock. His warped reflection looked... bizarre. Part of him wondered if he would even recognise himself if his younger self looked at him now. The answer was obvious. He could just imagine his childhood self looking up at him and calling out 'stranger danger'.

It was a depressing thought.

"Sir?"

He was pulled away from his revere by the voice of Silas, the SWORD member who he had rescued. The taller, reddish brown and black wolf had a few papers in his paws. The lupine had a slightly grey muzzle that belied his age and his hair was that same reddish-brown as the edges of his cheek ruffs. "I thought you might want to know this, sir," he said, handing Rex some papers.

Rex was in no mood to read and just waved she sheets away. "Just give me the summary."

Silas coughed. "We've detected the Black Mist spreading all over the countryside. It seems that Dorothy Boswin is looking for something or us."

"Black Mist," Rex repeated.

Over the years, he had seen the dossier of Dorothy Boswin and had read up on her and her sister when he was building his case against them. The younger yet bigger of the Boswins had a big_reliance on her _Black Mist technique which generated a thick, almost suffocating mist that blocked out light within a vast area. It was used both as an offensive, defensive and tactical skill. It blocked people's sight, allowed Dorothy to pass within its folds unnoticed and at the same time, any disturbances within the mist ensured that she would be made aware.

"I think I might take that after all," Rex said, taking the pages from Silas. Perusing the report, he learned that Dorothy's Black Mist was moving across the countryside in waves like a radar. It was searching for them. Assurances were made on the report stating that due to the nature of the bunker, it would not be possible for the Mist to enter unless someone opened a door. Not like anyone wanted to open a door lest they accidentally let the plague out.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking," Silas began. "You have the power to create portals and cross vast distances instantly. Why not just leave now and ensure your brother is safe? Why not bring them here?"

Rex gave the soldier a faint smile. "One, I don't know where they are. I don't even know what's waiting for me on the other side. Gale won't let me look for them either. Two, whatever it is that turned those people into 'flower zombies' is airborne. I don't want to bring whatever it is out of here until we find out how to properly contain it."

"If I may speak freely, sir?"

"Go for it."

The taller wolf struck a relaxed pose, leaning against the railings himself. "What you did back at the Tower was pretty ballsy and I think you actually caught Boswin off guard. I don't think any of us could've anticipated what he had in plan. Honestly, I don't think he planned it at all. I think you've actually got him on the ropes. It'd be stupid to let that advantage go right now."

Rex let out a soft snort and leafed through the papers to look busy. "Are you saying I should teleport myself into the middle of Boswin's place, infection and all, save my brother and watch him deal with flower zombies as well?"

"Your words, not mine, sir." Silas gave him a crooked smile. "But the longer we wait here, the more time that fat pig has to consolidate his power. I'm pretty sure not all of the city is with him and if manages to turn everyone against Gale... well..." The elder lupine glanced away with a wince. "Pollenburn has a population about five million people. Imagine each of them on the level of the Bewaffnete."

"MODD only has about two hundred thousand people all over the world employed under ANVIL," Rex cited. "None of them have Seals, just military-like training. About a hundred thousand employees are under ExIT and just maybe about a quarter of that have Seals. Not all of them are combat-trained either. Of them, maybe half are able to summon Seal Weapons. Twenty people can use their Seal Armour and they're those closest to the Elemental Lords."

"SWORD only numbers about ten thousand," added Silas. "Only a small fraction of that can summon Seal Weapons and an even smaller number can engage their Seal Armour. No one in SWORD can bring out their Tor."

Rex could see his grim point. "Your concern is noted. However, I doubt very much that everyone will just bow to Boswin. From all appearances, he's a giant asshole and not everyone likes him."

Silas snorted and folded his arms. "That isn't the half of it. The six families may have built Pollenburn but they're just a bunch of corrupt aristocrats. Boswin in particular. He has a farming empire out there." He hiked his thumb in some arbitrary direction. "People toil and strive under the sun for him and they have to pay so that they get the privilege of using 'his family's land'. I've heard Cal gripe about it enough times to know that those pigs are greedy sonsofbitches."

A soft chuckle left Rex. "I wish I had known that before orchestrating this damn gala ."He felt Silas' puzzled stare more than saw it. "If I had known about Boswin's corruption, I would've done things differently. Probably try to reveal his corruption to the people first instead of just the 'elite' of te society. Probably wouldn't have dragged Jake into this either. It's not his battle." He gave Silas an absent shrug. "But what's done is done. I just need to find a better way to deal with this and get my brother out of this mess. This is all my fault..."

Silas was silent, allowing Rex to wonder how his beloved brother would be now if he had taken responsibility over their mentally unstable father instead. Maybe their roles would have been reversed and Jacob would be the one that was distant and in the limelight.

"If I may ask, sir," Silas muttered.

Rex shut his eyes in annoyance and waved away the lupine's comment. "Stop calling me 'sir'. You're older than I am. It feels weird. Just 'Rex' is fine."

"Alright," Silas murmured. "Rex. I've heard the story. Why didn't you take your father and brother in? You had the resources, right? Certainly had you taken them under your wing, you wouldn't have to lie to your brother and pay enormous costs just to give him the illusion of a job."

There, Rex winced. "My dad and I never got along. I think it comes from the fact that he is a..." He paused and corrected himself. "Was a member of ExIT once and researched Seals. I don't know why he left all of the sudden but if I had to guess, he learned how Seals were made and bailed because he couldn't take the guilt." His scratching slowly moved towards his chest, just above his heart. "Part of me sort of understands. It's a lot to take in."

"It's got to be more than that."

Rex rolled his eyes and regarded the SWORD member with a smirk. "It was. He basically banned us from using Seals. That made Seals like the forbidden fruit to me. I wanted to know why my dad was so scared of them. I can't tell you how many days I spent grounded because I was caught using something that was infused with a Seal. When he found out I wanted to become an Elemental Lord, he disowned me. I've always hated him for it..."

He glanced over his shoulder at where Gale's experimental ship rested. "Now... I'm not so sure..."

The wolf next to him let out a thoughtful noise. "Seals do come from what many might consider a sinister source. But MODD never forces people to become Seals." Rex gave him an expectant look. "Okay," Silas allowed, "maybe there are some bad eggs that do it anyway but they're kicked out of MODD because it isn't policy. Our society relies on the Seals though. MODD provides the power and most of the equipment that runs with Seals and any personal Seals are given to people for them to do with whatever they pleased. It's not like what Boswin said. MODD isn't controlling people through Seals."

"Others might see it a different way," Rex said grimly. "The Unsealed... Boswin." He shook his head slowly. "If this has taught me anything, it's that MODD really needs to change its image. Gale may like his subterfuge but you can't regulate Seals like that." He turned towards Silas. "People are afraid of what they do not know."

"And they lose their shit when what they know is proven false," added the lupine SWORD.

Realising those words were targeted towards him, Rex let out a soft laugh and nodded. "I get it... You're saying that I've had the wind knocked out of me and like anyone else, I'm throwing punches at whatever moves as I try to get back on my feet."

Silas lifted his paws in surrender. "Your words, Rex. Not mine."

"Well, if you know so much, what would you do in my position?"

The older wolf folded his arms and shrugged. "I do whatever I do to relax and take my mind off things. For me, that's just find a good place to sit, nurse a glass of bourbon and smoke."

Rex laughed softly, cupping his muzzle as he trying not to sound too offensive. "God... That is such a _dad_thing to do." When Silas gave him a puzzled stare, Rex said, "My dad, when he was sane, had a den where he had his 'me time' and he liked to just sit next to a roaring fire, a glass of some fine red he had stored in one hand and his pipe in the other."

He lifted a finger, silencing Silas. "And before you ask, I'll tell you what I like to do to relax but it's extremely private and you have got to swear not to tell anyone about it, got it?"

Silas held up his paw. "I swear."

Rex blew out his cheeks and let out the air slowly. "I like to masturbate." He could see the old wolf trying to hold in his laughter. "Yeah. Cool, loud mouthed, arrogant Rex Reaper likes nothing more than to shut himself in his room, flip out his cock and beat one off." He rested his chin against the railings, repositioning his body so that he was comfortably stretched out. "I'm sure you've heard the rumours between me and Devlin Rooks. We met during one of his matches and we just hit it off. Unfortunately, we really haven't done anything together. Just a few dinners here and there and some private cuddling in this warehouse that he's converted into his own little mansion. He's always training every day and I'm busy being an Elemental Lord in Minteroca. I barely get time to physically fly over to him and when I teleport there, we're both too tired..."

"Why not take a vacation to further the relationship?" Silas suggested.

"Jake," answered Rex. "I have to work my ass off to make sure that I can keep my eye on him. That and I'm still looking for the Butcher of Ullen. All my funds go to them and maintaining my image. I wish I could spend more time with Dev but..." He shook his head sadly. "He's always hanging out with hotter, more attractive men and I think he's got someone else in mind. We're just good friends and I think that's how it'll stay."

Again, Rex found himself laughing at his own folly. "You know, I actually booked the trip down south for Jake to meet Chadstone West so that I could double date with Dev. And then this happened..." One paw on his cheek, he shook his head sorrowfully. "Damn... I just wish... I don't know... I wish..."

Silas was silent for a long moment. Then he asked, "May I be honest, sir?"

"I told you, stop calling me 'sir'. And of course you can be honest. You already know more about me than anyone else in the world." He set his chin back down on the railings solemnly. "Me included..."

His ears suddenly perked and his eyes went wide. A big, warm paw rested against his firm rump. Slowly, he turned his gaze towards Silas, the older wolf giving him a gentle smile.

"It sounds like you really could take a load off," said the soldier slyly. "Would it cross some boundaries if I offered assistance?"

Rex's brow furrowed. "Are you...?"

Silas shook his head. "No, sir. I just don't believe in labels. There are a lot of things that I don't agree with in this world and I've lived a long time. Long enough to know that just because your cock gets hard after seeing a guy naked or start to leak a little because of some big breasted vixen, it doesn't make your gay or straight. We just do what we need to do and right now, I know what you need and I'm offering my paw to help."

Letting out a soft laugh, Rex turned his head away. "Thanks for the offer, man. I appreciate it. But I don't think that'll help right now."

Silas pulled his paw away and gave him a friendly nudge. "In that case, would you prefer we sit down and share a glass of bourbon and a smoke?"

"I don't smoke," Rex responded, pushing off the railings. He gave Silas a warm smile. "But some bourbon does sound good right now."

******

Even with thousands of kilometres between each of the recipients of the call, the air was thick with tension. Balthazar Palmers sat at his desk, the eight screens each showing one of the most important people on Mortaelis. Six of them were members of the MODD board of directors. The seventh was exclusively for the President of the Rillotian Republic. The eighth and last was for the owner of MODD himself, Adam Don. They had all devolved into a series of bickering old men and women at the turn of events. The President was demanding MODD take responsibility for what had occurred effectively in their own backyard. The board countered by saying that MODD did not own Pollenburn and it was ultimately the responsibility of the government to rule its people.

Adam was silent however and did not contribute at all to the call.

Balthazar waited patiently, trying to hide his nervous fidgeting.

"Pollenburn was under the watch of Gale Winthrop, a MODD Elemental Lord," the President insisted. "He has been enacting sanctions and edicts that can be considered that of a mayor or a governor. This should be considered a MODD problem."

"Only where it came to Seals," countered a director. "He doesn't govern things like infrastructure, trade or agriculture. That has always been under the jurisdiction of the six families of Pollenburn. Yes, they use Seals and Gale has been able to reign them in on their use but ultimately MODD only provided them with the tools. It should be the Rillotian government's responsibility to quell uprisings! Gale is not a politician!"

"But he is the representative of MODD on Rillotia!"

_"Are you treating MODD as a country or a corporation?"_countered another board member.

"Does it matter, Julian?" countered the President. "The fact of the matter is that through MODD's inaction, the people of Pollenburn grew dissatisfied and have staged a coup. This needs to be addressed and blame should fall on the corporation that provided the weapons for the coup and_failed to mitigate the risks!"_

"That's bullshit!" came another shout. "Where is the mayor of Pollenburn here? The senator for Taranebra? This is not a political coup. This is an uprising where renegades are attempting to seize the property of a corporation that has done everything in its power to justly protect its assets! If you -"

Then, a calm, collected voice broke through the argument.

"Enough."

A chill ran down Balthazar's spine. It was amazing how the simple command from Adam Don could silence even the President of Rillotia.

"MODD will take responsibility for its actions in Pollenburn," Adam said. Before the board members could start protesting, he continued. "People will die on both sides. We will provide detailed information on why Gale did what he did and the justifications. MODD is not responsible for the thoughts and minds of those that use its Seals. We've done psychological testing as sanctioned and approved by the government. If that is not enough, we will enact changes.

"However, MODD has done everything correctly. Further, its jurisdiction is only with Seals not with the people who have willingly joined Winston Boswin's army and created this technique to enhance their own synchronisation rate. Where the blame falls on is up to you to decide but it is certainly not with MODD. This is a technique we are not aware of and have never anticipated. If you start blaming us for not knowing the full extent of Seals, then we can similarly blame you_for not knowing your people would clamour to Boswin's cause."_

The President was silent.

"We also have the issue of this plague that is spreading across the countryside. Walls can only do so much. I suggest deploying the Arc Field."

The board began murmuring amongst themselves and even Balthazar froze.

"Do what you need to do," the President grunted. "I don't want this spreading any further!"

"Very well. Balthazar."

The jackal straightened in his seat. "Sir."

"You are to deploy the Arc Fields around Pollenburn and the Rattlesnake stronghold."

"Wait!" the President exclaimed. "I didn't say send it to Pollenburn!"

"I am willing to demonize MODD for the duration of this crisis, Chuck," answered Adam. "But consider this: if news of Boswin's technique spreads across Rillotia, what do you think the Average Joe will think? You will have rioting in the streets, people clamouring to be infused with a Seal. All of them, tearing down walls, buildings and people to get what they want. MODD will endure. Rillotia will not."

"Just what are you implying?"

"Martial law. Lock down Pollenburn. No one goes in or out and communications will be cut off. We can spin some story about the plague, show footage we have obtained and spread that around. To quell any rioting in Pollenburn itself, we will make it known to them as well. People will understand we are protecting them from the plague. It will keep Boswin from obtaining absolute power."

The President mulled this over. There was a long minute of silence before the man finally agreed. "Fine. Do it."

"Balthazar, deploy the Arc Fields. This call is over."

The jackal nodded and offered one last piece of confirmation before the screens all blinked out. Just before he got out of his seat to give the command, Adam Don's screen popped back up.

"One last thing, Balthazar," the owner of MODD began. "You must make sure the wielder of Realmbreaker survives."

He gave the man a firm nod. "Yes sir. I'll do what I can."

******

One kitchen facility could not possibly support the entirety of Gale's Tower no matter how big. Thus there were three major cooking facilities in the Tower; one on the residential wing, a smaller one at the mess hall and the last at the ground floor which was primarily used for preparation of the food that would be cooked into the upper levels. It was also where the loading dock for the food supplies was located and as Jacob quietly entered the facility, he could see a few of Boswins cronies absently scrounging through the crates of food. The roller door leading out of the Tower was wide open and poorly guarded.

To the right, he spied the entrance into the preparation area. A scream erupted from within and one of Boswin's men grunted about some guy called the 'Cunt Killer'.

"Fuck," Cal murmured softly. The group including the newly remade Snakebite crouched behind a wall of crates, huddled together to keep themselves out of sight from the five men Boswin had stationed there. "The fucking Cunt Killer..." The young wolf shook his head miserably. "Whoever is in there is as good as gone."

Jacob peered around the crates at the large double doors leading into the preparation kitchen. Shadows moved through the circular windows in the door and he heard the clatter of utensils and pans. "Mind clarifying for the readers who this Cunt Killer is?"

"His name is Gordon Cohen, yes," hissed Snakebite softly. "Possessed a Seal of Knives. Became obsessed with cutting, yes. And sex. Yes. Feedback."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. Now we get to the gimmicky villains because we just couldn't get enough_insanity. I swear, if we run into a vampire or a werewolf or people who _think they're vampires or werewolves or a serial killer that only speaks in limericks, I'm going to go back home and join my dad on the crazy bandwagon."

Joanna crept past him, placing a paw on his shoulder for support. "We just might. The service tunnel is right through there." She pointed where the Cunt Killer was tormenting some poor soul. Another scream cut through sounds of struggle and even Boswin's troops were starting to grow irritated.

"It takes a special kind of man to stand still and listen to that madman work," Cal growled, reaching for his Seal Sword. "I say we teach them a lesson."

Though there was bravado in the SWORD soldier's words, Jacob could tell the guy was scared as hell. It was in the way he was crouched low, his tail between his legs and how his fingers just _hovered_over the hilt of his Seal Sword without actually gripping it.

"Okay," he said. "Let's do it."

Cal faltered. "R - R - Really?"

"Really. No good having an enemy to our back."

"But what about her?" Cal pointed in the direction of the struggle. "She's in need of help."

Jacob rose up from behind the crates much to the shock of Marcus and Joanna. "This'll only take a second," he announced loudly, enough to catch the attention of the five men that were scavenging through the food.

He turned towards the rebels, a big grin on his face. "Hi there!" He waved and with that gesture, five bolts of Realmbreaker_appeared around him, horrifying the orange-clad insurgents. "My name is Jacob Samuel Reaper. I'm the Wielder of _Realmbreaker. You know, the guy on the news? The one that brought down the Rattlesnakes Clan and Snakebite. Speaking of which..." He made a gesture towards Snakebite and the Clan leader rose from behind the crates. "This is Snakebite."

"I am Snakebite," answered the Clan leader. To add to the threat, Snakebite's two extra serpents hissed and opened their maws, revealing the chain guns within.

All five men huddled together, shrinking away from both Snakebite and the ominous glowing tears in space and time. The scent of fear was in the air and it kicked in some primal predatory instinct in Jacob. "You might want to run," Jacob suggested.

The men threw their hands into the air and screamed, immediately turning tail and bolting out of the docking bay. Snakebite surprisingly didn't fire a single round. When Jacob gave him a questioning look, the Clan leader said, "They are not worth it."

Jacob liked to think it was because the cobra's murderous streak had been tempered somewhat. For the briefest of moments, he glanced after the fleeing men and envisioned a world where Snakebite vaulted over the crates and chased after them, tearing them all to shreds. Someone would justify it as a means of preventing Boswin from chasing them down. Others would call it murder.

He grimaced softly and gripped his forehead lightly. Realmbreaker faded from around him and he turned towards where the screams and clamour was. Snakebite led the way, empowered by his bravado and the fear he had incited. The hulking cobra barged right through the double doors, letting out a loud roar to announce his arrival.

From the far corner, a female mole with her maid's outfit half torn and her flesh cut in non-lethal places cowered. Over her hovered a hulking tiger, his veins glowing an eerie silver with the effects of violent Feedback. The Seal of the seven foot titan had rapidly altered his body to the point where his stripes were an odd, metallic silver against fields of orange and white. His eyes were completely grey, no signs of pupils or sclera, just a reflective, metallic sheen.

As the Cunt Killer turned towards them, he grinned. Fangs had been replaced with what looked like razor blades jutting out of his gums, practically ensuring that he had to keep his muzzle perpetually open. A strange gurgling noise emerged from his throat.

"He can't speak because his teeth are like that," Cal growled in disgust. "He can't even eat properly."

The Killer took a lumbering step towards them -

CLANG!

Only for his eyes to go wide like saucers. The hulking tiger toppled forward... and slammed face first into the ground. All eyes went to Alicia who held a heavy metal frying pan in both paws, panting heavily and with tears running down her cheeks.

Jacob pointed on the makeshift weapon. "That would work so much better if it were on fire; and in case no one gets the reference, here's a link: https://www.sofurry.com/view/166366." He got very puzzled stares at that. "Forget it," he answered, giving them all a dismissive wave. "Alicia."

The poor mole dropped the frying pan in her paws and fell to her knees, sobbing quietly. Jacob caught her before she completely toppled over, wrapping his arms around her as she buried her muzzle into his chest. He soothed her, gently stroking her hair.

"It's alright," he said softly. "We're here."

"He - He said he'd..." she sobbed.

"Put it out of your mind." He gently pushed her away from his chest, giving her a proud smile. "You did great to hold on for as long as you did."

Through her sobs, she managed a weak smile and wiped some tears from her left cheek. With her paw, she reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a small teaspoon. "I got you that teaspoon you asked for."

Jacob let out a soft laugh and took it from her. "Thank you. I -"

A loud shout erupted from behind them. Joanna immediate gestured for all of them to get down and while Marcus and Cal ducked, Snakebite remained standing, sniffing the air. The vixen peered through the windows of the door and cursed softly.

"It's Caroline Boswin!"

"Fuck me!" Marcus growled. "Who knows what the fuck she can do now? Probably able to open her motherfuckin' Tor!"

Jacob popped his jaw thoughtfully. He gently tapped Cal on the shoulder and told him to look after Alicia. Once he had handed her over into his care, he slowly stood up and began striding towards the door. Snakebite eyed him not with caution, anger or even hatred but with an almost sense of... trust. Marcus was too busy cursing to himself to stop him from pushing open the doors. Joanna let out a cry that only caught the attention of Caroline and the five men they had just let escape.

It was the first time he had ever truly seen her physically but the sow standing in front of him, a large parasol over her shoulder, was not so different from the woman he had seen in that frozen wasteland with the gargantuan statues. Only Caroline did not wear a tattered wedding dress. She was garbed in a long, billowing, white evening gown with lance linings along her hips and thighs. The straps to the dress were similarly made of lace, merging fashionable evening wear with old-timey tastes. Her supple figure was quite stunning but modest at the same time. No feature was over-exaggerated.

"You look different without your face caked in makeup," Jacob said.

Caroline lifted her head towards him and frowned, her naturally rosy lips forming creases against her cheeks. "Have we met?"

"In some other world," he answered. "In almost every instance, I've killed you."

Her frown deepened especially when Marcus and the other stormed out of the kitchen, weapons drawn and standing behind Jacob. The men under her command began backing away but they too drew their Seal Weapons, somehow given courage by their mistress' presence.

"I assure you, this not one of those worlds, Jacob Reaper." Despite her threatening words, there was some degree of regret in her dulcet tones. She folded her parasol, resting the tip on the ground. The moment the tiny, metallic point touched the cold, concrete floor, a thin layer of ice began spreading across the ground. "Please surrender peacefully. People will get hurt."

Marcus leaned down towards Jacob, whispering in his ear. "Jake, listen to me. She likes to keep her range and isn't a good melee fighter. If we -"

Jacob cut him off with a quick swipe of his paw. That paw already raised, he held up the other and stepped forward, a sign of surrender. "I'll go peacefully."

"What!?" Joanna exclaimed.

"On the condition that you listen to what I have to say," he continued.

Caroline offered a sad and slightly sardonic smile. "You have no choice but I will listen."

Jogging his memory for Dorothy's words, Jacob said, "Your sister told me to tell you something."

That smile instantly faded and Caroline's brow furrowed. "My sister?"

"She told me to tell you that it wasn't your fault. Reggie's death was not your fault. You had to do it and no one blames you. Dorothy certainly doesn't."

His words seemed to strike Caroline like a physical blow. Her head actually jerked back a little. Two seconds later and some rapid blinking later, she regained her composure. "Clever. I don't know how you learned of that but I will learn of it soon enough. If that is all -"

"It isn't," Jacob answered. "The combination to the safe is 4083."

Caroline actually dropped her parasol in shock and her gloved hands went to her lips. The soft gasp she let out was almost inaudible, hidden by the sound of her high heeled boots retreating across the ground. She had to grip one of the men around her for support.

"H - How did you know about that?" she demanded.

"Your sister told me."

"But... But that's impossible!" Caroline exclaimed. "My father..." Then she quickly shook her head, regaining her composure. "No. No! This is a trick. You -"

She cut herself off.

Across from her, Jacob held up the tiny, silver teaspoon that he had just retrieved from Alicia. He had no idea what it meant but just the way Caroline was looking at it, eyes wide and filled with moisture, lost in memory, he just knew he had hit a chord.

Suddenly, giant blocks of ice erupted from the ground around her. The men that had escorted her screamed as they were suddenly entombed in a dome of shimmering, frozen water as hard as diamond. They smashed their Seal Weapons against the surface but the ice refused to give way. Not even a crack appeared.

"Where do you need to go?" Caroline said.

Jacob let out a relieved smile and lowered the spoon. "Anywhere but here."

Nodding, Caroline said, "My father has an estate just outside of the farmlands, far enough that with all the focus here, it'll take time for them to find us." She quickly crossed the distance between them though Marcus and the others were instantly on edge. "Stay here for a moment. I need to grab some overalls for you. No one will believe you're with me unless you're wearing it." She reached towards the teaspoon and he gladly handed it to her. "Thank you."

"I wish I knew what it meant," he answered gently. "She just told me that if you didn't believe me about the first two parts, I was to just hold up a silver teaspoon."

A soft laugh left her and she nodded. "I'll tell you once we get out of here. It's... it's quite personal."

"Good. I was hoping I wouldn't be_spoon fed_ some exposition."

******

"The technique is called Dietrich."

Caroline handed each of them set of orange overalls with the exception of Snakebite. There was no way any of them could hide the mad Clan leader's attire and having seen him escape, it wouldn't do any good to pretend that he was allied with any of them. So she offered the enlarged cobra a set of BLANK handcuffs that restricted the use of his Seal. Snakebite was none too happy about it but one nod from Jacob and the serpent agreed.

"I was there in the party when your father explained it all," Joanna said, slipping on the overalls. She picked up the worker's cap and slipped it in, filtering her long hair through the back to make a sassy ponytail. "Apparently, you sacrifice something to your Seal and your synchronisation rate with it increases."

"That's only half the story," Caroline said, handing the last set of overalls to Marcus. She stepped back and turned back towards the dome of ice that contained her former escorts. They had all slumped into the middle of the dome, waiting and glaring at her furiously. "You can't make the sacrifice yourself. Someone needs to do it. And it really is more like a pact with your Seal."

"You mean like a deal?" Jacob asked, throwing aside the shirt Rex had given him and slipping on a plain, white version that Caroline had brought.

"Precisely," answered the sow, regarding her parasol mournfully. "Part of you is given up to the Seal and in exchange, the Seal synchronises with you greatly. An increase of up to 40% has been clocked."

"That's..." Marcus began. "That's crazy!"

"I know." Caroline's fingers tightened around her grip of her umbrella. "You suffer a restriction on your very life in exchange for power. I've seen people lose their voices, entire limbs and even some part of their _personality_to obtain this power." She lifted her parasol, opening it and casting it over her features, hiding herself from them. "That's what happened with Dorothy."

Jacob glanced at the others. He got a few concerned stares before he turned back towards Caroline. "What happened to your sister?"

For a long moment, Caroline said nothing. Then, "My father took away her freewill. Now, she must follow him unquestioningly, believe what he wants her to believe. In exchange, her synchronisation rate has risen up to 95%."

Though he wasn't too accustomed to using Seals, Jacob knew that was an incredibly high number. Just the looks of horror on Joanna and Marcus' features was enough to tell him all he needed to know.

"W-W-What!?" Cal stuttered. "S-s-she's as strong as an Elemental Lord!?"

Though her features were hidden, the way Caroline's body moved told them she was shaking her head. "I wouldn't say so. Dorothy is entirely reliant on my father's commands and has no way to develop. She certainly has the synchronisation rate comparable to an Elemental Lord but she has no way to develop her techniques or grow in experience. But it will still be difficult to defeat her especially as she's been consuming people into her Tor for months."

Marcus flopped back against a crate, one paw on his forehead. "Fuck... she can summon her Tor... This is messed up..."

Slowly, Caroline turned back towards Jacob. "My sister has become a husk. Barely able to speak and with no free will of her own. And yet you know things only she and I could know. How?"

Jacob gave her a sheepish grin, feeling the fur on the back of his neck prickle with embarrassment. "Erm... would you believe that I... ah... went into the world beyond her Tor?"

Caroline's eyes widened. Stunned silence filled the loading bay.

"What did you just say?" Joanna asked. "There's a world beyond a Tor?" She turned a furious gaze at Marcus. "I thought Tors were just gateways into oblivion."

"That's as far as our understanding goes," Marcus growled back. "We've tried to send robotic expeditions past Tors but they've never managed to make it through. We see glimpses of worlds beyond a Tor, hellish landscapes all. But nothing has ever managed to survive." His anger faded as he turned towards Jacob, concern over his features. "Jake... are you...?"

Jacob lifted a paw and a bolt of Realmbreaker appeared in his paw. "When I first got Realmbreaker, I had a dream. At least, I thought it was a dream. I was in this frozen world. Like a massive frozen lake with frozen faces beneath the lake's surface. These two huge_statues were jutting out of the ice." He turned towards Caroline. "You were there. At least... some part of you. It was a version of you that was dressed in a tattered wedding dress. You shot these ice spears at me. I think... I think is subconscious reshaped _Realmbreaker to mimic them."

Slowly, Caroline lifted her own hand. Wisps of chilling winds coalesced around her fingertips, forming a familiar looking lance of ice. She held it up right next to the Realmbreaker bolt. There were similarities in shape and even length.

"My Glacial Bolts," she whispered softly. "It's a common enough skill but..."

"Over the past few days, I've been slipping into another world," Jacob continued. "It's dark. All black but with these fissures of light in the ground. I meet Dorothy there. At least... I think it's her. She's been protecting these people in a wall of light. One of them is named Darren -"

"Darren McKinney!?" Caroline suddenly exclaimed. "Oh my god... He's alive? He...?" Tears welled up in her eyes and she quickly shut those big, brown orbs. The hot tears caused her to turn her head away while she grit her teeth together, holding back a sob. "He... he was..."

She was having difficulty speaking. Emotion bore down heavily on her and he could see the regret that squeezed the tears from her eyes. "Reggie's best friend, right?"

"And the best man at our wedding," Caroline whimpered. "Or would have been if... if I hadn't..." He gently placed a paw on her shoulder but she pulled away almost immediately. Even with tears still in her eyes, she lifted her gaze at him. "So you can travel into the world beyond a Tor without being consumed."

"Maybe," he answered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Or it could be some bizarre manifestation from Realmbreaker, maybe an alternate universe or something. I can't be sure. But Dorothy told me to tell you those things." He nodded towards her left hand which still held the silver spoon. "So... what's with the spoon?"

Caroline wiped the tears from her cheeks, her mascara smearing across her pink flesh. "When the pact is made through the Dietrich technique, a Crux is required. It's basically an embodiment of the deal made. If the _Crux_is destroyed, the Seal consumes whatever it was that was sacrificed to obtain that power and the individual loses all the power they gained. Sometimes, the Seal might even desynchronise with them. Depends on what was sacrificed and the deal made."

Her features grew dark. "My father was clever. The Crux he made from my deal was a silver teaspoon. Nothing out of the ordinary. He hides it amongst the hundreds of others in the mansion. It's impossible to tell which one it is without destroying it." She turned away from them again. "And nothing can destroy it save for another Seal Weapon."

"Or maybe Realmbreaker," Jacob offered, absently letting the bolt in his paw fizzle out.

He saw her nod in agreement.

"My father has done terrible things. I can understand his intentions on some level. Perhaps they were noble at once but when he learned of Dietrich, he became consumed by his lust for power. He wants nothing more than to effectively replace MODD."

Marcus strode forward, now dressed in the same white and orange with overalls that the others bore. He slipped on a worker's cap just like Joanna to help hide his features. There was no hiding his bulk, however. "Just how _did_your father learn of this fucked up technique?"

"I do not know," answered Caroline grimly. "By the time I learned of it, he had already turned Dorothy into his slave and then he took my... my freedom."

"Your freedom?"

"He bound me to my sister. I love Dorothy more than anything else in the world. She is all I have left. So he preyed on that. He took everything else; my sadness over the loss of Reggie, my hopes for a future outside of this city and my dreams of children..." She spoke with a strange emptiness in her voice, no remorse or regret over her loss. However, as she trailed off, her eyes grew sad. "He took them all but left my love for Dorothy."

It dawned on Jacob just how cruel that deal was. With Dorothy being bound to their father, Caroline was forced to follow every word Winston made while being fully aware that she was trapped and unable to lift a finger against him.

"What kind of father would do that to his own daughter?" Joanna whispered. She moved towards Caroline and gently embraced her. For a moment, Caroline froze... then softened into the gesture. "I am truly sorry for your loss." The vixen held her at arm's length. "I lost my own fiancé as well."

"I'm sorry," Caroline whispered genuinely apologetic.

"But your father was fully capable of robbing your sister of her free will. Why didn't he do that to you?"

There, Caroline let out a bitter laugh and pulled herself away from Joanna. "My father knows I am a greater asset with my cunning and intelligence. As I said, Dorothy cannot think for herself anymore. She must constantly be told what to do."

"That bastard!" Marcus growled, punching his palm. "Erm... No offense."

The sow shook her head. "None taken." Then her eyes turned back to Jacob, the fire of rebellion deep within them as well as the starry twinkle of hope. "But you said you've spoken to Dorothy. Perhaps there's hope yet."

Then she turned towards the loading bay doors. "But first, we need to get you all out of here and out of the firing line. Follow me."

With Snakebite as their 'prisoner' and the rest of them suitable disguised, Caroline led them quickly out of the loading dock and into the nearby hanger. The sound of partying had died down and even the masses of people who were attending the exterior festivities had fallen silent. The courtyard that had been so full of life was now empty.

Caroline explained to them that her father had planned on a theatrical reveal in front of the civilians that had managed to pay their way into Rex's gala; those people who weren't rich enough to enter the Tower itself for the night's events. Winston was going to drag Gale out in front of everyone, display how he could grant anyone a Seal by copying Gale's Seal and giving it to none other than Khan Sho. Then he would pose an offer: join him or die at the paws of Khan's serial killers.

That plan, however, went down the drain when Gale had easily escaped the containment sector and Winston had delayed in freeing Khan due to Jacob and his group still being free. Gale's forces were also constantly harassing Winston's own troops. From the last reports, the Sky Wardens on the walls had evacuated everyone not associated with Winston, depriving the power hungry pig of his audience. The Archangels had successfully escorted a vast number of the non-combat personnel onto a Hive Queen and evacuated them as well.

"My father's forces haven't encountered any _Fatal Flowers_either," Caroline finished. "That is what worries him."

The hanger itself wasn't heavily guarded. A few of Winston's men searched the vehicles there and when they saw Caroline, they averted their gazes and tried to look busy. None of them gave the large group a second thought as Marcus indicated his Road Bull and they all hopped in. Jacob leapt into the passenger seat while Marcus took the driver's.

They rolled out of the hanger without any complications. The gates were manned by Winston's men and Caroline just had to show her face for them to be let through. No one spoke for a whole twenty minutes until they were clear of the Tower and its lake, driving through Pollenburn's streets. News reports were being flashed on screens all over the city, showing explosions rocking Gale's Tower and people being evacuated MODD troops.

No one knew anything... yet.

"We'll need a plan," Marcus said slowly. "You got one, princess?" He looked at Caroline through the rear view mirror.

For a long moment, the sow was quiet. Then she shook her head. "Honestly, no. Knowing your friend can talk to my sister... It shatters my understanding of Seals. I need time to think. Once we get to the estate, we can come up with a plan. Maybe get in contact with Gale to formulate a plan."

Getting in contact with Gale likely meant touching base with Rex as well. Knowing that he'd have to talk to his brother again made Jacob feel anxious and worried at the same time. Since it had been Rex that had started this entire mess, Jacob was tempted to give Rex another taste of 'Suck it, Rex'. The other was tempted to hold his brother tight and never let go. Both options and emotions left him feeling a little ill.

"If I may make a suggestion," Joanna said, lifting her paw. "If we can get in contact with the Unsealed cell in this region, perhaps they too can led their assistance?"

"Oh hell no!" Marcus roared. "I ain't gonna -"

"We are both in an alliance," snarled the vixen. "I can speak on the behalf of the Unsealed. I can tell you now that we abhor all use of Seals. Winston Boswin's lack of control and desire to spread them even further than they already are is exactly what we stand again. We _will_stand with MODD in this case."

Marcus glanced towards Jacob, searching for his opinion.

Jacob shrugged absently. "Hey, I've already got a crazy Clan leader as an ally, a SWORD soldier, a maid, the bodyguard of an Elemental Lord, an Unsealed spy and most recently the daughter of the guy we're trying to stop. Why not, right?"

******

The plan was falling apart and Winston Boswin could find no one else to blame but Rex Reaper. Months of preparation had gone down the drain. He had still been many more months before he was ready to make his stand against Gale, at most a year. Perhaps only a tenth of Pollenburn was under his sway. Only a small fraction of Gale's troops were also loyal to him and after seeing their comrades fight valiantly against the likes of Khan Sho, a large portion of them turned back to their former allegiances.

Worse yet, Khan Sho was far from pleased.

The small, grey equine stood in front of him, arrayed by the mass murderers, rapists and madmen that he had turned to his side. Contrary to what Winston had claimed, there were still at least fifty other men and women trapped in the containment wing, each of them possessing a powerful Seal but with their loyalties still outside of Khan's influence. Had they been convinced, perhaps the Tower would be theirs.

"You were reckless," Khan accused.

"I had no choice," sneered Winston. "Reaper accused me of crimes that would've sent me into a cell right beside you!"

"And how would that have dampened your ability to continue our plans?" The equine's voice was frightening calm, collected. It was impossible to read his features and with his milky white eyes, his true intentions were completely unknown to Winston. Brokering a deal with the criminal mastermind had been a risk and one that his close friend and advisor, his butler Langley, had advised against. However, the sheer variety of Seals Khan's forces had and the fact that the man still had immeasurable resources was too good to pass up.

"Had I been imprisoned, our partnership would have tilted in your favour," Winston countered. "As we agreed, this is an even split."

"Somehow, I doubt that division will remain now that the world knows I am free."

There, Winston waggled his finger at the horse. "Now, now. Don't be so sure. MODD is very much about appearances. Notice how they have not released an official statement yet. The world is holding its breath. MODD is not a major superpower here in Rillotia and definitely only tentatively on Welensha or Oxis. If this gets out, support for them will falter greatly. They will lose billions."

The horse shook his head, his wispy, white mane flying from left to the right. "You rely too much on the greed of the corporation. You would be surprised how... altruistic people can be when the need is great." He nodded towards Winston. "Your technique is based entirely on sacrifice and I am sure most of those who surrendered something great to them for a pact with their Seal did so out of selflessness instead of a lust for power."

"But they are a minority." Winston stood up from behind Gale's desk. The Elemental Lord's posture correcting chair was painful on his back. "People are greedy and will do what they can to elevate their position."

There, Khan inclined his head to the side. "Perhaps so. That raises the question though, if the world becomes inundated with Seal Bearers, what position will stand above them? Where will they elevate themselves to?"

Before Winston could answer, the criminal mastermind turned and began to leave. "I will be beginning my side of the deal. Ensure you are ready for the broadcast. If MODD is to crumble, we must act quickly before they can fully retaliate especially with Gale on the loose." He paused at the door. "And you seem to lack guards."

Winston glanced to his left and right at the two burly men he had hired as his personal guards, two bulls both wearing the orange overalls of his rebellion. Beside him also stood Langley, his butler. "I am -"

SPLAT!

Blood suddenly exploded from his right and he turned in horror at one of his guards. The poor bovine's head just seemed to have _exploded_spontaneously. Like his body was still in shock, the bull's body seemed to shake where it stood for a good, long ten seconds. Then it toppled forward, dead and spilling blood on the ground.

Khan looked over his shoulder, a Seal shining in his eyes. "You need another guard. Peter, why don't you stay with Mr. Boswin here? Keep him company and safe from harm."

The fanged squirrel grinned broadly, spinning his Seal Weapon fork in one paw. "Do you want me to get rid of the body, Mr. Boswin?" he asked mockingly.

Suddenly feeling very sick, Winston slumped back into Gale's uncomfortable seat. Khan left with his group of murderers while the Cannibal of Highway 45 strode towards the still warm body of the dead bull.

"I warned you it was a bad idea to broker a deal with Khan," Langley murmured softly.

"I know," Winston whispered back. "But we need his resources if we are to spread beyond Pollenburn and besides -" He stopped when he saw the wide-eyed stare of Peter Mooreman. The squirrel stood frozen, jaw wide open to reveal his sharpened teeth.

Winston rolled his eyes. "Great... What now?" He turned to follow the cannibal's gaze and jerked back in shock.

A pair of deep, sapphire blue eyes stared back at him through a thick, crowned helm. Pupils shaped like eight pointed stars cut through the blue irises that seemed to shine even though the being was shrouded in a silhouette. Winston had to clutch his heart to keep it from leaping from his chest as the being spread his big, skeletal wings made completely out of chains.

It was like looking at the visage of death.

"Oh..." Winston sighed. "It's you." He leaned back in the chair with some relief. "Honestly, I wondered if you would ever say anything. Hades did all the talking last time."

"Frankly, Hades talks too much," answered the Chaos Lord. "But I'm not here to chat, Winston." He pointed an armoured finger at the corpse of the bodyguard. "I'm here for him."

"Kenny?" the pig asked warily. "What are you going to do with his body?"

The Chaos Lord let out a soft laugh. "Body? Dear sir, while his life on this world may have been extinguished, his story is far from over. Haven't you ever read a comic book? The protagonists rarely stay dead."

Winston jerked his head back in surprise. "Kenny is a hero?"

"Everyone is a hero of their own story." The Chaos Lord stepped towards the dead body. Peter Mooreman let out a hiss and blocked his path.

"No! He is mine to devour!" snapped the squirrel. He jabbed at the Chaos Lord with his fork, an action that made both Winston and Langley wince. The last time anyone tried to strike a Chaos Lord, Hades had turned the man inside out with a blink. The fork, Seal Weapon as it was, scraped against the armour of the unnamed Chaos Lord, sending out a few sparks.

While it would've been satisfying to see the murderer turned into a fleshy blob, Winston did not fancy explaining to Khan that the bodyguard he had been assigned was brutally mutilated by an omnipotent entity, the same kind that had granted him Dietrich though this one in particular had done nothing but stay silent and observe.

Strangely... this Chaos Lord just reached out and patted the slightly shorter squirrel's head jovially. "You will, Peter. You will. I'm just here for something you can't eat."

"I can eat everything!"

The strange angel of death chuckled. "You know, in a previous life that is exactly what you were. Kal'Curmarman the Devourer. Almost destroyed an entire galaxy because of your unending hunger. Ended by the power of love, the one thing you couldn't understand, gave you indigestion and killed you. Hell of a story."

Peter looked up, stunned at the Chaos Lord like he had been struck in the gut. Gently, the angel pushed Peter to the side and knelt next to the body of Kenny.

"Come on, my friend. This part of your story is over. Time to write the next chapter." He retrieved a strange, glossy, brown book from beneath his starry cloak. "Well yes, I can bring you back if you so wish it but I'm also here to make sure you have an informed choice. Besides, the creators of this reality don't like spontaneous resurrections. It interferes with their plans. Why not come with me first? I'll show you what lies beyond the door."

For some reason, Winston felt that the Chaos Lord was smiling though nothing beyond his eyes could be seen beyond the helm.

"That's a good lad."

The Chaos Lord stood and turned back towards Peter. "All yours Kal'Curmaraman." The Cannibal of Highway 45 actually looked sick as the Chaos Lord stepped past him and stood in front of Winston.

"A word, Mr. Boswin, no one is beyond redemption and everyone is entitled to their happy ending. It's only those that truly seek destruction and will be a harm to others, encroaching on the endings of that deserve destruction." The Chaos Lord raised a finger. "Of course, our interpretation of 'happy ending' varies from person to person. But don't let that deter you from doing the right thing here and now."

The Chaos Lord placed a comforting hand on Winston's shoulder. "We must all make tough choices in our lives. However, a story does not end when the last page is turned. We always have the ability to start again. There is no such thing as dead end. Remember that and I'll see you again soon."

Winston shivered as the Chaos Lord's strangely warm hands left his shoulder. A sense of comfort and peace radiated from the man, contrary to the unnerving feeling of... wrongness he got from Hades. He spun in his chair, turning towards the man.

"Wait! What do I call you?"

A soft chuckle left the man.

"R3 the Writer of Reality."