Endocrinology said
Cortisol
Cortisol is a steroid hormone, more specifically a glucocorticoid, produced by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex. It is released in response to stress and a low level of blood glucocorticoid. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis, suppress the immune system, and aid with fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolisms. It also decreases bone formation.




Cortisol is produced in the human body by the adrenal gland in the zona fasciculata, the second of three layers comprising the adrenal cortex. The cortex forms the outer "bark" of each adrenal gland, situated atop the kidneys. The release of cortisol is controlled by the hypothalamus, a part of the brain. The secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) by the hypothalamus triggers cells in the neighbouring anterior pituitary to secrete another hormone, the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), into the vascular system, through which blood carries it to the adrenal cortex.

In the fasting state, cortisol stimulates gluconeogenesis (formation of glucose, in the liver, from certain amino acids, glycerol, lactate, and/or propionate), and activates anti-stress and anti-inflammatory pathways. Cortisol prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation.

Cortisol is released in response to stress, sparing available glucose for the brain, generating new energy from stored reserves, and diverting energy from low-priority activities (such as the immune system) in order to survive immediate threats or prepare for the exertion of rising to a new day.

With tools in hand Zachary began working on the various systems of his carriage. His powers had made significant changes to his work-flow. Underneath the carriage, he casually levitated a spanner to his hand so he could remove a section of mangled power redirection piping. He used one hand to grab the pipe for stability and also so he could read it to see the state of the nuts and bolts. With the spanner, he would use it to loosen a nut and then, with a flick of his metal bending, he unscrewed it the rest of the way without having to manually turn it. On the tighter screws he used his magnetic powers to apply some extra force to the spanner. Removing the offending segment of piping Zachary slid out from underneath the carriage and headed over to the spare parts. He found a suitable replacement, which wasn't hard as such parts are common, and returned to the carriage. Putting the nuts and bolts back on went in much the same way as before, this time using his powers to levitate the nuts and bolts which had been lying on the ground into their positions. He was able to give the piping a strong nudge where it was required to get it into shape and use his machine reading to tell him exactly how well it lined up and sealed.

This done, Zachary moved up to inspect the engine block. A few moments of reading it gave him all the diagnostics he needed. Save for the missing kinetic core, the sparker metal was partially missing, so he'd have to patch that up if he wanted the force to be delivered evenly. Sliding back out, Zachary grabbed a scrap of compatible sparker and collected his welder by passing his hand over it and picked up his welding mask manually. Back underneath, Zachary used his magnetic powers to hold the new piece of sparker in place, machine read so he could see exactly what he was doing without needing his eyes and used the welding torch to partially melt the new sparker into place, using his magnetic powers all the while to mould it into shape. This was tricky, as his powers had a limit. He had found earlier that if a metal is hotter than its Curie point, he can't manipulate it. So in order to still be able to use his powers Zachary only heated part of the new metal at any one time. To help get it into place when hot he also telekinetically used a rounded lump of metal as a small hammer. In no time at all Zachary had repaired the engine's core housing to his satisfaction.

Moving on to the electronics and electrics, Zachary had a bit more work to do. A lightning core battery, which was missing, powered the rest of the core devices in the vehicle. Controlling the power supply was the controls, with a mix of manual switches and embedded circuits. Fortunately, from a quick diagnostic Zachary was able to identify that the small silicon chip circuitry was still intact and functional, although a couple of relays would need replacing. Numerous wires had also been severed, so those would have to be fixed too. With his powers of machine reading, he was able to find these problems much faster and much more accurately than a normal mechanic could. His metal manipulating powers also helped him in dealing with parts which were out of easy reach, such as fallen wires. Most of the broken wires could be accessed with a bit of elbow grease and a screwdriver to remove internal panels. The electronics could be access from the underside of the carriage. After a lot of tinkering, Zachary finally finished with the electrics.

Settling down for an early dinner, after having washed his hands of course, Zachary looked on at the carriage. While no improvements were visible on the surface, he knew that a lot of progress had been made under the chassis. A lot of work still remained- he would have to find and install the correct cores, rebalance the power manifold and many other little changes to make it run reliably. Then there was still the ambitious goal of adding the skyway unit to it so it could climb up the Wall. And he pondered all this as he ate, and he looked forwards to the project ahead.

Vates
Vates stood in the shadows and looked out of the window of the old two story building he was in. Two teams of five were visible and were walking in slightly different directions whilst shouting light abuse at each other. Although the teams clearly knew one and other, they hadn’t approached from the same way and appeared to be acting independent of each other; their choice of words perhaps suggested that they were in competition. “The market gang?” Janus speculated.

Vates watched in silent contemplation for a moment, seeing one of the teams head purposely towards an open sewer entrance (work had clearly begun on it when the event occurred). “Maybe, but to be honest I wouldn’t have expected them to send people after me so quickly, nor them to believe what I told them about my location. Then again, I’m sure I’m not the gangs sole enemy or goal.” Replied Vates as he quickly made his way out of the room and down towards the basement.

---

“Fucking hell mate, do we have to go down here? It stinks! Why would anyone hide in the sewers?” asked one of the thugs, earning nods and mumblings of agreement from the other three men in the team. Bono was the leader of the team and didn’t stand out in anyway save for the red scarf he wore.

“Because they know regular guys like us don’t like the idea of crawling around in shit. Apparently the guy we’re after is a sneaky git so I wouldn’t put using the sewers past him, would you?” Asked Bono, not needing a reply. The team of five made their way down the two ladders leading into the opened section of the sewer. It was dark save for the reflection of the outside light on the muddy puddles. Scattered about were tools, building materials and the odd dead body trapped below fallen pieces of concrete. It was lucky the whole sewer didn’t collapse in the quake noted one of the thugs. Of the five only two had flashlights, one led the way whilst the other kept watch at the back as they made their way along the clearer and brighter of the two routes. The team eventually came across a circular basin where because of a collapsed inlet the waste was very shallow, and along one of the walls where it was almost dry were a couple of camping beds. “Someone lived or lives here.” Said Bono as his eye caught sight of a weird post in the centre of the basin. The whole team wondered over to it, and many grimaced as it got slightly deeper. The post was plastic and stood out from the water. Laying a hand on it Bono tried to pull it out but as he did gasped as the waste around their feet was suddenly subjected to a fairly weak electrical current; though it was still enough to knock them out.

Vates smiled as he watched from another inlet, one that was accessible from the basement of the building he had been in. He had often sold sewer or building plans in his line of work, and the knowledge he had gained (especially around his area) repeatedly proved to be of great value to him. The trap he had made would only last a very short period as he used a nearly dead core. He had taken a narrow jar, placed the core inside and sanded the plastic post so that it would tightly fit into it. When he placed it into the water and weighed it down it did nothing to him, but as the thugs lifted the post the water found its way to the core and electrocuted them. Now as they laid unconscious Vates ensured they would not drown and then set about stealing whatever weapons and valuables they had; many of which he simply dumped in deep waste further on because it was too much to carry. When the thugs awoke they would not only feel sore, but would be completely covered in waste and would lack the means to pose a threat to him, meaning they would likely return to the Market before continuing the hunt. It was only a temporary solution, but it brought him time as he tried to formulate a better solution and it would also hurt their moral.

Endocrinology said
Addiction

Addiction is the continued repetition of a behaviour despite adverse consequences, or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviours. Classic hallmarks of addiction include impaired control over substances or behaviour, preoccupation with substance or behaviour, continued use despite consequences, and denial. Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterised by immediate gratification (short-term reward), coupled with delayed deleterious effects (long-term costs).

Physiological dependence occurs when the body has to adjust to the substance by incorporating the substance into its "normal" functioning. This state creates the conditions of tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance is the process by which the body continually adapts to the substance and requires increasingly larger amounts to achieve the original effects. Withdrawal refers to physical and psychological symptoms experienced when reducing or discontinuing a substance that the body has become dependent on. Symptoms of withdrawal generally include but are not limited to anxiety, irritability, intense cravings for the substance, nausea, hallucinations, headaches, cold sweats, and tremors.

Several brain regions are also involved in the biological mechanisms of addiction. Most notably, the release of dopamine into the nucleus accumbens, which is triggered by a wide variety of drugs in a wide variety of ways, plays a role in the reinforcing qualities of stimuli. Since dopamine secretion is also characteristic of natural reinforcing stimuli such as food, water, and sex, it's evident that the addictive nature of drug involves processes that hijack these mechanisms. Research indicates that this process begins in the limbic dopaminergic system and subsequently modifies other parts of the brain that receive input from the affected neurons. Among these areas is the ventral tegmental area.

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are the primary sites where drugs of abuse act. The following are commonly considered abused drugs: heroin, cocaine, alcohol, opiates, marijuana, nicotine, amphetamine, and their synthetic analogues. These drugs alter the neuromodulatory influence of dopamine on the processing of reinforcement signals by prolonging the action of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens or by potentiating the activation of neurons in the VTA and NAc. The most common drugs of abuse stimulate the release of dopamine, which creates both their rewarding and the psychomotor effects. Compulsive drug-taking behaviours are a result of the permanent functional changes in the mesolimbic dopamine system arising from repetitive dopamine stimulation. Molecular and cellular adaptations are responsible for a sensitised dopamine activity in the VTA and along the mesolimbic dopamine projection in response to drug abuse. In the VTA of addicted individuals, the activity of the dopamine-synthesising enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase increases, as does the ability of these neurons to respond to excitatory inputs. The latter effect is secondary to increases in the activity of the transcription factor CREB and the up regulation of GluR1, an important subunit of AMPA receptors for glutamate. These alterations in neural processing could account for the waning influence of adaptive emotional signals in the operation of decision making faculties as drug-seeking and drug-taking behaviours become habitual and compulsive.

The withdrawal phenomenon occurs because the deficit in reward functioning causes the organism to enter a distress cycle wherein the drugs become necessary to restore the normal homoeostatic state. Recent research has shown that even after the final stages of withdrawal have been passed, an organism will reinstate the drug-seeking behaviour if exposed to the drug or drug-related stimuli.

Today Zachary had brought along supplies so he could spend the night in this workshop, keeping it safe and reducing the need for travel. This included a mattress, rations, water-core shower and a fresh change of clothes. Zachary looked at his rations and realised that they were running very low. Tomorrow the military were holding their weekly handout of rations, so he would have to make that trip tomorrow. As he set about eating dinner Kaa'is sparked up a conversation.

We had a pretty close call with that gang this morning, Kaa'is commented.

"Yes, that could have gone much worse," Zachary replied casually.

We were armed with the wind cannon, but at such close ranges it would have been awkward to use. What normally ends up happening is we clobber them metal objects, like the wind cannon or their own weapons, Kaa'is continued.

Zachary sighed. "Where are you going with this?"

I'm thinking that it is about time we were armed with something suited for hand-to-hand combat, rather than having to improvise with things not designed for clobbering, Kaa'is said.

Zachary stopped to consider this for a few moments. Eventually he cautiously suggested, "So, something like brass knuckles. Except bulkier."

Exactly! That shouldn't be hard, just a piece of metal which sits in your hand around your fingers.

Zachary moved over to his scrap heap and picked out some metal bars and bar-like scraps. A little time with a blowtorch, grinder and welder was enough to produce a pair of iron knuckles. The main feature of these were the heavy metal bar placed to hit things which Zachary punched. He could move the iron knuckles using his powers, allowing him to deliver blows of great force. As an additional feature he had padded the grip so that punches would be less likely to shatter his own hand. Zachary punched the air a few times experimentally and seemed satisfied with the weight. He slipped them into his jacket pockets, where he would be able to easily draw them on a moment's notice, either by his magnetic powers or by hand. Zachary practised drawing them and giving a few gabs several times.

When he finished, Zachary put the iron knuckles back, washed his hands and ate the remainder of his dinner. He then brushed his teeth and settled down to read. He was learning lots of interesting things from the textbook. Eventually he finished a chapter, put the book down, turned off the lights and lay down on his mattress to sleep. He would need to get an early start next morning if he wanted to have the most success in collecting rations.

Part 1

Samuel~

The Sun was setting on the distant horizon as Samuel began to wonder at what he had become. Honestly, he couldn't recall a time where he considered himself 'the good guy', But on the same token he truly didn't believe he had ever been evil. He had always doubted his own sanity, especially now that he was losing himself to his lust for power. But was he... evil? Or were his actions necessary? For that matter, was Evil even definable? In his head he could rationalize his actions in a heartbeat, but what of his victims? Were they even victims for that matter? Samuel found himself puzzled. These questions had proven to be beyond him. He grew frustrated as time ticked by and the questions piled up.. He needed a distraction..

"Miralda..."

"Yes my dear...?"

"Tell me of something.."

"Why, whatever do you mean...?"

"Tell me a tale... I need to.. Clear my thoughts..."

"How ominous," she replied sarcastically, "What nature of tale would please mi-lord..?"

"Tell me... of the past... a legend perhaps..."

"A legend? My, my, you definitely know how to make a woman feel old.. Tell me Samuel.. Do your human texts speak of the great war?"

"Hmm?" Samuel cocked his head curiously, "Was this a war between Kage's then? Or was it something more?"

"Yes, I do believe it was something like that.. This tale, however, it follows a an event much less significant than that of the war," Miralda paused for a moment, she seemed to be struggling for the words. "This tale covers the birth of a peculiar Kage, and the death of two others..."

The vagueness of Miralda's speech piqued Samuel's interest. He shifted in his position, finding a comfortable place after only a few moments of struggling. "Please do continue Miralda.. I find myself.. Intrigued..."

"Well Then, Let me ask this one last question first.. Have you ever heard of the Kage known as Artemus...?"

Ariela~

Breath came in short gasps as she struggled up the last step. The edges of her vision had grown fuzzy, and the woman was finding it harder and harder to keep her self up under Joanna's weight. Her body fell onto the handle of the closest apartment door. To her relief she found it to be open. The woman set Joanna down after stumbling into the abandoned room. After a moment of pained breathing she got a grasp on her surroundings. To the immediate left of the now closed apartment door was a large refrigerator. The woman made her way towards it, her plan was to blockade the door and retreat further into the apartment. Hopefully the Soldiers would overlook them, if not however...

At this point Ariela didn't have the capacity to know...

Samuel~

"Artemus? Now Miralda, how would I have heard the name of a being from another world, a being, mind you, who you just referred to as insignificant." Samuel chuckled at his kage's foolishness, but found his laughter cut short by a stern glare.

"Do not pass Artemus off as insignificant Samuel, he is a frightening creature, I never meant to make you see him as that. Think of this legend as more of a warning. Artemus is fearsome, and if he has found his way into the human realm with the rest of us..." Miralda paused, she seemed to be struggling with something. "Never the less, let us continue."

Ariela~

With a final grunt, the appliance fell to the ground, sounding out with a large crash that echoed throughout the halls. The woman cursed herself, in her stupor she had failed to account for the noise. She steeled her resolve nonetheless, she would live through this.. She had too. Ariela approached Joanna with caution, the woman was still unconscious, and for what seemed to be the millionth time, Ariela found herself battering herself with reasons why she should kill the woman without a second thought.Yet, despite what her instincts told her, despite what Artemus willed, she could not. All she saw when she looked upon that woman's face was the face of her mother, and Ariela could not bring herself to harm Joanna for that very reason.

She tucked her forearms underneath the woman's armpits and drug her across the hallway. Ariela was at her limit. She barely managed to prop open the door and drag the woman into the doorway before she collapsed. The woman lay on top of her, her feet pressed against the closed door. Ariela's own back was propped up on what she imagined to be a bed. Everything was fuzzy now and she found herself losing what little consciousness she had remaining..

Just as Ariela's eye's began to close however, Joanna's fluttered open...

Samuel~

"Long ago, at the close of the great Kage War, two of the strongest Kage's in existence were locked in combat. Specifically: Rin, The keeper of the moon; and Jei, The guardian of the sun. This battle was different however, unlike their brother's and sister's. They did not fight for either the extinction of the Kamikage or Onikage races. No, these two fought for a more singular purpose. They fought to annihilate each other. For They held a grudge that had separated them since long before the outbreak of the Kage War. This grudge had broken them from friendly companions, and transformed them into bitter rivals. Rin was an Onikage simply because Jei was a Kamikage, and vise-versa as well. This hatred was unlike anything the realms of existence had ever faced, and as such the two found themselves forever locked in combat."

[[End Of Part One]]

Collab Between Sage and Skai

It wasn't long before the soldiers began taking a rougher approach. They had to pick up their pace, and in doing so, their searching turned to pillaging, and their pillaging turned to ravaging. Who cared, anyway? These apartments were usually empty. Only a fool would dare enter the district known to be held tightly in the military's clutches - and it was true, too, that the military paid special attention to the complex in spite of the large collections of conduits residing within its shadows.

"Anything?!" called out the captain, his increasingly frustrated tone quite eminent in his booming voice. After a brief pause, the loud cry of a woman could be heard, and an obvious struggle with it. Moments after, one of the Vanguard Squaddies emerged from an apartment clutching a woman by her arm. "I dunno if this one's a civvie, she was actin' all strange, cap'n."

The woman cried aloud, tears streaming from her eyes as she begged to be freed. "Please! I've just been searching for my family, my kids, I'm not a host, I swear it! PLEASE!"

---

Kisheto's ears perked up and he instantly frowned. "Shit!" he called out before running to the door and yanking it open. It faced the street, and the Vanguard's path was perpindicular to the door. With a glance, Kisheto saw the woman in the man's clutch and shook his head, "We gotta save her!" he called out before preparing himself to dash towards her.

Arianna grabbed Kisheto and pulled him away from the doorway, pressing them against the wall so they wouldn't be seen by the vanguard outside. Her heart was racing from the fear of the military she had developed over the year of their totalitarian reign. The adrenaline rush was good, though. She could feel what spirit she had left flowing through her, ready to use at any moment. We have to think of a way to help her without getting ourselves killed as well, she told him telepathically. She peeked out of a busted, dirty window at the scene outside of the apartment. Any ideas? She asked.

Kisheto tried to struggle at first, but quickly stopped realizing he had to think before acting - something he wasn't good at. Before he could respond however, a loud, high pitched hum rang through the street. Kisheto peaked over the doorway to see that one of the soldiers had shot a broadsword beam at another civillian, who barely escaped it.

"You tryna die, mate?!" he yelled, as the civillian backed off with his hands up.

"N-no, sir, we just wanna p-pass through..." the man muttered in fear. As if on cue, a number of other civillians emerged from the alleys, all halted in their attempts to escape.

The captain shook his head and drew his broadsword, "SO! Anyone wanna vouch for this host? She a freak... or no?!"

The woman cried once more, "I PROMISE YOU! I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR MY FA-"

The captain struck her across the face and hushed her with a quick jerk of her head. "Shut it you. Host's don't got family... you hungry mongrels would devour your first born given the chance." He then turned to the crowd and called out again, as his broadsword started glowing a crimson color. "IS THE FAMILY OF THIS WOMAN HERE? NO ONE TO CLAIM HER AS A HUMAN, THEN?!"

---

Kisheto looked to Arianna and then back. WIth a quick push of his arms, he flew past the door way and jumped down the stair case. He then began running towards the captain with his arms reaching out, "STOP! THAT'S MY MOM!" he called.

The captain looked at the approaching man and readied his broadsword, "STOP RIGHT THERE, KID!"

Kisheto skidded to a stop and put his hands in the air, "Please, sir! She isn't a host, I swear it, she was just trying to get me and my sister out of here before..." he spoke in a hurried tone, successfully disguising it in a voice of fear and anxiety.

The captain shook his head, "What the fuck are you saying? Get you out? Before what, hm?"

Kisheto looked to his left and right quickly before looking down and sighing, "...b-before the witch attacked..."

The woman in the captain's arm was left speechless, and she had stopped struggling altogether. The captain raised a brow under his helm and looked to his soldiers before turning abck to the boy, "The hell are you sayin, lad? What witch?"

Kisheto inched closer to the captain whilst looking around frantically. "Sh-she... she's the witch of the district... She hunts people and kills them in their sleep. Legend has it that she marks targets by... by..."

The captain, quickly growing frustrated, jerked the woman forward, letting her go as he extended his broadsword to Kisheto's face, "BY WHAT?!"

Kisheto caught the woman in her arms and sat on one knee, supporting her in her state of shock. "...she kills you from inside. She speaks to you in... your mind, and the second you hear her voice... if you're still within vicinity, you'll be dead in minutes..."

Kisheto then blinked twice rapidly, forcing fake tears to stream from his eyes. "Th-that's how they got... our dad..." he began sobbing quietly, holding his "mother" close.

The captain shook his head and took a step forward, "You little runt, c'me-"

While Kisheto had been down below, trying to save the woman with a lie, Arianna was listening from inside. She trembled slightly from fear, clutching her hands into fists to try and subdue it. She couldn't let the civilians die, but wouldn't stand a chance against the military's forces. As Kisheto's lie continued, she began to pick up the hints he dropped. She began to calm down, a plan forming in her mind. She closed her eyes and focused on the Vanguards, slipping past their mental barriers easily. Suddenly, their minds were invaded by her voice. She made it sound eerie and rough, enough to sound anything but scared of them. You're too late, my little soldiers. It's been a while since I tasted thoroughbred military thugs, she hissed. You can run, but you can't hide from me.

The captain instanly flinched and looked to the side, "Did you he-"
"Holy shit!"
"You hear that?!"

As the Vanguard turned to itself and lost the confidence it had walked in with, Kisheto couldn't help but smile briefly. 'Nice job, partnah'' he said in his mind in a mock cowboy tone, knowing Arianna could probably hear him.

The captain looked back and noticed the crowd of people staring at them blankly and he grew angry. "SHE'S AMONG THEM! SHOW YOURSELF BITCH!"

He then drew his blade and triggered it once more before taking a step forward. Kisheto realized he had only thrown them off balance, instead of fearing them away. He stood up quickly and clutched his head, "OH SHIT! SHE'S HERE!"

He ran forward and "unintentionally" rammed into the captain, causing him to lose balance, "RUN FOR YOUR FUCKING LIVES!" he yelled as the captain shot an accidental beam towards a building, knocking it off its final support and sending it toppling to the streets. The scene instantly broke into a state of panic as people ran in every direction, while the military struggled to maintain its bearings. Kisheto grabbed the woman's hand and ran towards Arianna's apartment as fast as he could, while the sounds of beams hitting concrete rang out from behind him. Before long, he stopped in front of the entrance and the woman looked around frantically, "I... I... Than- I..." Kisheto looked up at where Arianna stood and then turned to his left, "Let's go... NOW!"

The woman put a hand over her mouth and continued to look around. "My... MY FAMILY... they're out at the end of this road somewhere... in the alleys... th-they..." she spoke in broken segments, her fear much more obvious than before.

Arianna made sure the coast was clear before she jogged down the stairs, skipping a step or two at a time. "We need to go. We'll find your family," she told the woman, gently touching her arm to try and comfort her. She was still frightened of the military that was just outside the door in the street.

The woman heard screams as the military began to regroup and try to contain the mess of civilians running through the streets. "Joseph!" She yelled and dashed from the building, running towards her family at the end of the street. If she had been a bird, she would have left feathers floating in the air where she had stood.

Arianna attempted to go after the woman, but ducked behind the wall as she noticed the military. "There's a back door," she whispered to Kisheto, nodding in the direction of the door. Kisheto looked at the door and squinted as he thought for a moment. He then shooked his head and peered out the door momentarily, "Nah, the roof tops. I'm tellin yah, they'll never get us." He felt much more comfortable on the high ground, trusting his knowledge of roof structures and agile movements over the hopes that they wouldn't meet any other military squads on the ground.

Arianna nodded, peeking outside. When the military thugs were looking the other way, she dashed up the stairs, heading for the balcony. The sliding doors had been damaged when the house next door collapsed onto her apartment, but the fallen building also provided a good ramp onto the roof from the balcony. She had noticed this when she was upstairs, and intended on using it to her advantage. After stepping through the broken glass of the sliding doors, she surveyed the makeshift ramp and nodded. "It should hold us-"

Kisheto flew past her, cutting her off in a flash as he jumped up and stepped off the weak railing using the least amount of weight he could. With a kick, he flew forward and upward, towards the high end of the ramp, and upon landing, he broke into a dash forward. At the end of the "ramp", where the house divided and left a gaping divide in the structure, Kisheto jumped and somersaulted to the other side, rapidly progressing along the rooftops.

Arianna's eyes widened as she watched him. She took a deep breath, starting to rethink how she could get to the roof. The sounds of the military spreading out and towards her old apartment caught her attention, giving her the final surge of adrenaline to make her commit to this odd parkour. She climbed onto the railing and jumped, barely making it onto the collapsed building. The footsteps of the military men running upstairs forced her legs to start moving and she quickly climbed up the makeshift ramp and jumped, tucking and rolling onto the roof. "Ugh," she groaned softly before standing and running after Kisheto.

Kisheto was running full speed, almost smiling at the familiar rush of adrenaline and the sensation of the wind breezing past his face. He felt free, and his speed began to increase rapidly as he jumped, flipped, and rolled past the roof tops, nearly forgetting that he had no idea whether or not Arianna could follow.

Meanwhile, Arianna was struggling to keep up. For the past year she had kept to the ground, where it was easier to hide. This rooftop running wasn't as easy for her as it was for Kisheto. She managed to jump from one rooftop to the other, but jumping and flipping over obstacles on the roof wasn't her forte. At one point she was forced to stop and find an easier way to climb over and onto the other side of a wall where the two houses were divided. She could see Kisheto getting farther and father away every time she had to stop and think her actions through. Kisheto, she warned, I'm losing you.

Kisheto looked up as he heard the voice and then skid to a brief halt near the edge of a roof before jumping backwards and backflipping towards a lower rooftop. Oh! My bad... just... hurry! It's not much farther to the guard tower! We'll be safe up there. He landed with a quiet thud and whirled around before dashing off again.

Arianna furrowed her brows, looking around for the guard tower. She nodded once she saw it and took off running again, trying her best to hurry across the difficult rooftops. The inexperienced parkour drained her of her energy, leaving her panting and tired when she arrived next to Kisheto. Her legs ached from running and jumping, and her hands were scuffed up from the rough landings. "How are we going to get inside?"

"Run, jump, and climb for your life!" he said with a smirk as the military's roars grew louder.

The guard tower resembled a large flight control tower, except much taller and wider. It was a fair distant from the nearest roof top - without a proper jump and grasp, any one foolish enough to try the maneuver would surely fall to their death. Kisheto chuckled under his breath and dashed forward, kicking off the edge of the last building and flying through the air for a full three seconds. He twisted his body just right to clutch an indentation and swing himself using an angular momentum. He found himself swinging upward and used the momentum to fly up to the next ledge, then the next, and next. He scaled up the wall rapidly, like a monkey in a forest. This was how he got around for years before the apocalypse, and the year after. It was his life before, and his survival now.

Arianna remained on the roof, staring at him incredulously. Doubts ran through her mind like a raging fire, but the military's shouts behind her increased her courage just enough to make her commit to the insane action. She backed up to the end of the roof and concentrated, then took off. She jumped into the air, focusing on an indentation and grabbing for it. She gripped it with both hands, wincing as the rest of her body collided with the side. "Damnit, Kisheto," she hissed before finding another indentation for her feet. Relax and focus, Arianna. We can do this. Castiel spoke, encouraging her to continue. With a deep breath, Arianna nodded and began to scale up the side of the guard tower.

---

"They're spreading out!" called one of the Vanguard soldiers. The captain clutched his fist in anger, "SHE'S AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE!" he yelled. In his fit of frustration, he whirled around and slammed his fist at the M.A.T twice. In response, the M.A.T lowered and rooted itself to the ground as a high-pitched, rapid whirring sound filled the air. A hatch on the roof of the M.A.T opened in a circular shape to reveal a large pillar. It rose about five feet over the M.A.T. and had a three foot radius. It was lined with kinetic cores and cores that would have been used for acceleration or construction utilities. The Captain held his hand up in a fist as he looked around. He then uncurled his fist and held his open palm even higher, causing the M.A.T to respond with an even faster, higher-pitched whirring. The ground began to vibrate crumble near the M.A.T, and the Vanguard instantly regrouped towards the Captain, making a protective dome. The Captain then thrust his palm downwards, and with it, his shield, covering off the top of the dome. In response, the pillar thrust down at a blinding speed, sending a massive shockwave throughout the entire street. The shockwave had a one hundred yard diameter, and anything living in its wake would have been rendered immobile, stunned, or paralyzed. Inside open buildings, doors were blown apart, desks were overturned, and windows were cracked. The Vanguard remained unharmed, as their shields began glowing and humming in response to the activation of their kinetic shield cores.

---

Arianna looked up, relieved to see the very top of the guard tower closer than it had been at the beginning. She saw Kisheto climb over the side and turn to make sure she made it, but a distant rumbling caught her attention. She turned her head to look at it and noticed the ground shaking. Without a thought, she quickly focused on climbing, hoping to get to the top before the shockwave hit the tower. The edge was just an arm's length away when the shockwave hit, shaking the building violently. Her grip began to slip as holding onto the rumbling building became harder to do. She reached up for the edge, but was too late. Panic set in as she lost her grip, gasping for what could have been her last breath.

Kisheto rolled off the edge, appearing to somersault down the wall of the building before twisting to grab the ledge with his left hand and swinging his right over to catch Arianna's own hand. Arianna shut her eyes tightly as she expected to hit the ground, but Kisheto's firm grip on her hand sent a wave of relief over her. She looked up at him, glad that she hadn't been scaling the wall alone. Kisheto grunted with effort and pinched one eye shut as he quickly pulled upwards to prevent dislocating either shoulder. As he balanced their weights he shook his head and chuckled, "Y'need practice, yulie." He then nodded upward and moved her to the left before attempting to swing her over the ledge on the right.

Arianna grabbed the ledge as she neared it and quickly scrambled over. She collapsed against the ledge, panting. "Dear Aeros, don't ever make me do that again," she muttered, glad to feel something sturdy under her feet. Kisheto chuckled, "Psh... it's fun, yo!" he said jokingly with a nudge of the elbow. He then sniffed and sat against the ledge, properly hidden from the military below.

"This is where I would spend my nights, y'know. Well, this tower among many. Everything's so scary out there, but once you set foot here, you feel so... safe. Gotta get it where yah can, I guess."

Arianna looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. "It might be safe in here, but the journey up here is dangerous." She looked around at the tower, resting her head back against the ledge. "There has to be an easier way to get up here without climbing."

Kisheto looked down and chuckled, "Heh... there is. Actually a staircase connecting to a perfeclty safe skywalk near the apartment we dipped from." He couldn't help but a laugh a bit more as he looked to Arianna.

Arianna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Lovely," she muttered. "We're using that to get down." Kisheto shrugged and mumbled, "Not as fun, but whatever." Arianna elbowed him gently in response, smirking lightly.

Kisheto looked off into the sky in the distance. The perch of the guard's tower had a sort of crow's nest structure, where the top floor was more of a rooftop setting, allowing one to look past the balcony ledges and into the streets and buildings outside. "Hey... you think..." he squinted and twisted his mouth as he thought whether to speak or not.

'Wonder if things will ever be okay again... hmm...' he thought, momentarily forgetting it was futile to hide things within the recesses of his mind.

"I mean... y'know...nice weather, right?" he said with an innocent smile.

Arianna smiled softly and looked over at him. "I'm sure it'll be alright, eventually." She sighed. "We just need to get out of this hellish cage." Kisheto raised a brow and then shook his head in embarassment, realizing he failed in his attempt to hide the subject that had been pecking at his brain for so long. "Yeah I guess it is a hellish cage. But it used to be the crown jewel of Leginia before. The city that couldn't be toppled, corrupted, or controlled. Kinda like... kinda like the military is now, y'know?" He then smiled and looked off again. "We'll get out. I believe it. We just needa unite. Like in those scenes in the superhero movies after the superhero has a fight with his sidekick and starts losin', y'know? Then they make up and whoop ass!"

Arianna chuckled. "I guess that is a proper reference. Especially since most superhero's fight doomsday scenarios. On the subject of the military, I'd say that it has been corrupted. My father never really trusted the military, and now he has a reason not to."

Kisheto sighed, "I used to want to be in the military, y'know? Bein' one of those superheros from the movies savin the day and all... Imagine all the glory, and all the-" Kisheto quickly glanced at Arianna and then back at the sky in front of him, "Man, a year of solitude and you forget how to have a conversation," he chuckled, "Sorry for ramblin'." He looked over his shoulder above the ledge and peaked down below. He then returned to his resting position and shrugged, "Military's scoutin'. Might as well get some rest, y'know?" Without a moment to waste, he adjusted his position and rested against the ledge with his eyes shut. "No need to keep watch. These idiots will.. never...*yawn*... good night."

Arianna smiled softly as he rambled, then nodded in agreement. She could hear the military's thoughts down below, making it hard for her to even think about sleeping. The commander's thoughts sent chills down her spine. I can stop the telepathy, if you'd like? Castie'ls concerned voice murmured in her mind. With a small nod, Arianna agreed. She suddenly felt strange as the silence filled her mind. Even as she positioned herself in a closely comfortable position, she lay awake for a few minutes just to enjoy it. Her eyes drifted shut as the yells of the military slowly faded, sending into her a blissful sleep.

Vates stopped for a moment to catch his breath as he snuck along the rooftops. In truth he could have kept going with little trouble but he did not see the point in fatiguing himself. He had been good at running and climbing since long before the event, although he had trained himself to sacrifice speed and power for stealth and fluidity; rarely you would see him bounding from rooftop to rooftop as he would more likely snake between the rooms below or jump from window to window in a quick blink. Vates had his lifestyle and career to thank for that, or moreover his insistence of gathering intel himself.

“To our right Edward” whispered Janus causing Vates to turn and look upon an old hotel named ‘The Buckle’. As his gaze met the sign his eyes turned to white beneath his glasses and he was met with a vision…

Smoke and embers twirled furiously around the hotel as a raging fire engulfed it from within. It’s crackle and roar did little to drown out the screams and cries from within. It was not clear what caused the fire, although three vehicles had appeared to have crashed into the buildings face. Outside limped a single officer carrying a flintlock and he fell to his knees as he gasped desperately at the outside air, his eyes closing in relief as he realised how narrowly he had avoided death. Oblivious to the officer below a man jumped from one of the upper floors with a scream, desperate to escape the inferno, but no further than a metre away from the window had he fell when a smoky form flew out after him, forming into a more human shape as it grabbed the man and yanked him back in.

Vates shook his head dizzily as he returned to the present, or at least his present. Looking back up at the hotel it appeared to have been untouched by fire and seemed strangely void of life. “You know Janus, if you feel one of these ‘spots’ you can just tell me rather than tricking me.” said Vates inwardly. Indeed, these ‘spots’ seemed to provide (or rather trigger) easier and more detailed visions than the ‘normal ones’.

“I am sorry Edward, but I cannot help but feel like they may have some significance. I still do not understand my powers fully either, and I do not want to risk you ignoring such chances.” replied Janus with frustration; it appeared to be rare for a Kage to not understand their powers and it strengthened Janus’ previous feelings of weakness and inadequacy. He had always been considered a weak Kage, and it was only due to his age, wisdom and friendship with other Kages that his name was ever recognised.
“I understand, but you’ve got to have more faith in me. I think it’s only fair considering I put faith and trust in you… a spirit from the other side bearing visions and the like who possessed me out of the blue!”

“Maybe I will when you stop jumping to certain death.”

“You’re not gonna let that go are you?” sighed Vates, continuing to fox along the rooftops towards where he last saw one of the other thug teams.

---

A mysterious figure stood watching the commotion from atop one of the many mountains of rubble, the natural lay of the land providing her with a height advantage where she could see more clearly. Her sleek black armour was well maintained and was clearly high grade military spec. She also wore a rifle on her back and a strange jet black helmet upon her head. From where she stood in the shade, surrounded by various pieces of rubble on most sides, she was very hard to spot. She watched as the M.A.T sent shockwaves through the area and wondered what the unit was up to. There were civilians running around frantically and she didn’t blame then at all. From the corner of her eye she spotted another two running across the rooftops. “Interesting… but not what I’m looking for” she sighed.

[Part 2]

Ariela~

"W-Where am I...?" Vision took its sweet time returning to her as she began a pathetic attempt to grasp the situation. The first thing that caught Joanna's eye was something white. It was made of wood and had... A handle? It was a door, a door that was being propped shut by her own legs. Speaking of her legs.. She tried to sit up, but found herself unable to move. A dull and scrutinizing pain bore its way into her left leg whilst her right retained almost no feeling what-so-ever.

The rest of it came to her in waves. Without warning she was assaulted by a maddening head-ache, coupled by panic as she soon realized that her arms were trapped behind her back. She tried to struggle free, but a foreign arm held her in place. She began too lose control when it all came back to her. In a single instance she relived it all. The climb up the sky mall, the shuttle, the monster... Her husband's death. Joanna began to weep uncontrollably, the sound growing steadily as she fell deeper into the void of sadness that called to her.

"No.." The weak, almost surreal voice sounded out from behind her. "Quiet.. You must be.. quiet.."

Samuel~

"..and so they fought, and the land was turn to ash. It is said that with each strike the two fell deeper into a swirling vortex of hatred. So consumed by it they were, that entire legions were destroyed without them taking notice. The battle raged for many years, neither combatant growing tired of the conflict. Many tried to stop the fight, but all were consumed by its intensity. Destruction and chaos ruled the land, and all was bleak and hopeless."

Ariela~

Ariela's voice faded with her consciousness, she had given up. She had failed.. Her only purpose had been washed away and all that remained was the pure and insurmountable force that was death. She looked at it with exhaustion, deciding in that moment that she would go willingly into the night, that she would take this chance to be liberated from her own hatred.

"Wh- who are you?"

The voice pulled her from her state of mind. Something about it gave her a need to hold on. A need to cling to that last thread. A need to live. Ariela was suddenly very awake, but the exhaustion refused to be held at bay. Without the voice she found herself slipping back into a state of dormancy. Frantically her mind searched for a way to make the voice return. The question Ariela! Answer the question! "M-me? I.." She barely had the strength to say it. "Ariela.. I am.. Ariela..."

Samuel~

"It is said that during the darkest hour of this conflict was when their hatred grew strongest. It was during this time that the two unleashed their strongest power. In the explosion of spiritual energy that came from this strike, all was consumed. Death covered the land, and the brother's were wiped from existence in a matter of moments. Then, it surged. In the final moments of their lives, the brother's hatred grew so strong that it became independent. Black energy exploded from the epicenter of the former battleground. It erased everything it touched, becoming one with it, stealing the souls of thousands. It is said that in this moment, the being known as Artemus was born..."

Ariela~

"A- Ariela... That is such a pretty name.." Joanna did not know why she said this, perhaps it was just random coincidence of thought, or maybe it was something more. Whatever it was she found herself speaking, and finding comfort in this stranger's voice. "M- my name is Joanna.. Do you know where we are?" Joanna's own voice was quite weak, but nothing compared to this woman's. The girl would need rest soon, but Joanna found herself selfishly keeping her from it.

"An apartment... Military.. here... Soon.. Shuttle."

Joanna found herself further recalling the events that had led her to be in this pathetic state. It had been the military, they had interrupted the monster's 'game' and killed her husband. Was this strange woman telling her that they were coming here? Now? If that was the case than Joanna truly did not see any way of her making it out of this alive. And what was this about a shuttle? The shuttle they had found at the sky mall? If so, how did it fit into this? and how was this woman at all connected to this event? The questions were maddening, she had to know. She couldn't just die like this. No, she wouldn't just die for this. She had to live on.. For John..

Samuel~

"In the moment of his birth, more death littered than land than ever before, and the world knew true darkness. Artemis was more than other Onikage, he did not feast for power, nor for satisfaction. He simply feasted, he had no reason, no definable pattern. He consumed all that he touched. He was.. Perfection..."

Ariela~

"Shuttle? What Shuttle? And what about the military? Are they coming?"

There it was, the voice again, pulling her back into reality. Almost like a defibrillator, shocking life back into her with each dose. Ariela savored it, focused her entire existence on this one thing. All she could ever wish for was to please it. To answer it's questions. Just on the off chance it might return, might please her once again with it's soft serenade. As her attraction quickly grew into obsession, she began to regress. "The Shuttle.. You brought us... They.. Followed..." Her voice changed as her form shifted, and she transgressed once more into an 11 year old girl. The voice was pulling her from the grasps of her Onikage. Transforming her into a human once more...

Samuel~

Samuel was skeptical. He raised his brow as he chewed on the impossibility of it all. "Bah! I asked for a story, not a folk tale!" He laughed at his kage. "You honestly believe this slander? I may just begin questioning your sanity if this continues Miralda." He continued chuckling to himself as he shook his head at the impossibility of it all.

"You saw through it did you?" Miralda smirked as he chuckled at her madness. " In truth, this tale is a children's fable. Made to warn young kage's of the dangers of nearing the being known as 'Artemus' carelessly." It was then that her tone changed drastically. She became entirely serious and Samuel's interest piqued with each word she spoke.

Ariela~

'brought us..?' It was then that it all connected in Joanna's mind. This woman.. The one she spoke too.. She rolled sideways, fear taking over as she separated from the form beneath her. Strangely, the arm that had previously held her in place was absent and when Joanna's fearful eyes lay upon what she expected to be the monster from before, she was met with the form of a small child. Shock and confusion overtook her. The child seemed to be in a deep sleep. Her breath came slowly and steadily. Whilst Joanna's own breath came in quick gasps.

Suddenly there was a loud banging outside of the apartment. Joanna heard the yells and demands of men claiming to be military. She panicked and all she could think to do was hide this child. Whatever connected her to the monster from before was irrelevant now. Instinct took over and Joanna pulled herself to her knees. The pain in her left leg was immense and her vision was blurring from the loss of blood. She fought back the urge to cry out and pulled the young child across the small room. Reaching a small closet she pulled the doors open quietly. At that very moment she heard a loud explosion as the door to the apartment was blown open from the other side. She worked as quickly as her body would allow, laying the child under several layers of spare bed sheets and closing the closet with haste.

Joanna fell to the floor with exhaustion. She lay on her stomach and was steadily approaching the grips of death.

Samuel~

"Do not be fooled Samuel, Artemis is a very real kage... And his hatred is the purest thing I know of.. He is the embodiment of anger, wishing only to see the extinction of all other life..."

[End of Part 2]

The darkness and timelessness of sleep was interrupted by a voice.

Zachary, wake up.

This voice came from with-in his head, so Zachary's unconscious mind passed it off as a dream. However, the voice persisted.

Damn it, Zachary, I can hear someone!

Blearily, Zachary's eyes opened. He could see faint light illuminate the edges of objects in the room, but that light was not sunlight or even moonlight. He was momentarily confused as to why this wasn't his familiar workshop, as he was yet to wake enough to remember that he was sleeping next to the carriage, but that was quickly overlooked when he found the source of the light. A man was in the room, with a light core which was just bright enough to walk by but too faint to wake anyone, and he was pointing a rifle straight at him.

Zachary screamed and sat up suddenly, throwing out his hand protectively. In doing this, he also used his powers to push the gun up. Three bolts of plasma shot over Zachary and left burning after-images in his eyes. Quickly he clambered upright and before the intruder could fire the plasma rifle again he was assailed by metal pieces, some of them quite heavy, from the scrap heap. Just as Zachary seemed to have the upper hand, however, fire billowed forth from the intruder and washed over Zachary. The intruder hadn't only taken Zachary's plasma rifle, but was also a host!

Zachary quickly ran for cover, going through a hole in the wall into abandoned corridors of adjacent buildings, but the light of the fire had left everything else in total darkness so he tripped on rubble and fell, scraping along the ground. Over his head more bolts of plasma were fired, prompting him to very quickly crawl up and flee further, going around a corner. It was then that he realised his jacket was on fire, so he hastily took it off and threw it on the floor as he fled, with Kaa'is telekinetically removing the iron knuckles from the pockets and slipping them onto Zachary's hands.

Now Zachary was in total darkness. He was only able to maintain a fast pace because Kaa'is was able to sense the walls from the re-bar and support pillars. Still, he could not see where to place his feet while he knew that his attacker was well-armed and had a light. He needed a plan, and quickly. As he sensed a large horizontal support beam above his head, an idea came to him.

Kaa'is, I need you to let me have full control over the magnetism powers. I have a plan.

Also not wanting to die, Kaa'is was very compliant. Zachary then tried to pull the beam down towards him, but he did it differently from normal. Normally, as he had once observed, his powers defy conventional physics, especially the law of action and reaction. This time, however, Zachary made conscious effort to not circumvent the reaction force. Since the support beam was not coming down to Zachary, Zachary went up to it, and he stuck to it. The effort, however, strained him, and as soon as he had a good grip with his arms and legs he relinquished the powers. In seconds, the intruder walked into view, with rifle pointing forwards and dim light from the light core illuminating the corridor. He had not yet spotted Zachary.

Nice move. Let's hope it works, Kaa'is complemented.

The host walked quickly underneath Zachary, looking side to side and forwards for his prey, but not upwards. As soon as the man had passed Zachary dropped down. The noise caused the host to turn, but it was too late as Zachary delivered a mighty punch with his right fist, armed with his iron knuckles. The man was stunned by the pain of the blow, leaving him open for the second punch. A great rush came over Zachary and he delivered his next punch with even more vigour. As Zachary delivered his next punch, he did not care at the sound of cracking ribs. As he continued the barrage he did not care about the blood which was coming from the wounds his fists made. He felt magnificent as he delivered blow after bone crushing blow onto the man, on a high he had never felt before. It drove him to continue, delivering injury well beyond what was required to prove his victory over the host.

As the host stumbled backwards and tripped over, clutching his ribs, Kaa'is whispered into Zachary's mind. Finish him. Already Kaa'is was drawing him to a chunk of reinforced concrete on the ground. It was heavy, but not too heavy for Zachary to heft into the air over his head and then throw at his opponent's head, lying helplessly on the ground. A sickening, squelching crunch was made when the concrete crushed the man's skull. Zachary felt euphoric. The pains and troubles of the world seemed to fade in this ecstatic feeling. He breathed deeply, taking in and savouring the spirits of the recently slain man and his onikage. The growth of strength added to his high, which came crashing down as soon as Zachary looked down and realised what he had done.

Zachary stepped back in disbelief, unable to tear his gaze from the bloodied corpse with the smashed skull before him. Had he really done that? Inside his head, Kaa'is was laughing maniacally.

"What did you do?!" Zachary stammered.

Kaa'is eased his laughter enough to respond, That was all you, Zachary.

Zachary stepped back further, shaking his head. "No no no, that can't be."

You don't seriously think I got you to do that reading because I was curious, did you?, Kaa'is said, triumphant, I don't have to break your will to get you to do my bidding. I can turn your own body against you!

Through the shock of it all, Zachary was starting to put the pieces together. Hormones. Brain. Fight-or-flight. The euphoric sensation. Zachary was reeling. Kaa'is had messed with his hormones enough so as to control his actions.

Clutching his head, Zachary screamed, "No, no, you can't do that!" He turned and ran from the crime he had committed, although he had no chance of running from his own mind or from Kaa'is, who was still gloating in victory.

Mathias and Earlson sat quietly for a moment, the flickering of the solitary ceiling light-bulb illuminating the darkened basement. Earlson looked at his friend and after deep thought, began to speak.

"What you are proposing is quite a challenge!" Earlson admitted. He had and always would follow Mathias' orders, but such and order as this required questioning and careful planning.

Mathias laughed lightly "Simply surviving in this city is the greatest challenge. Are we cowards Earlson? Sewer rats? No, were stronger than most in this game, so why not make a move?."

"But it could take weeks, months even, do we have the resources...do we have the time?"

"We'll make it happen Earlson, we also do. I know it seems..."

"Impossible?" Earlson interrupted.

"Come now, don't be such a pessimist. Look, we can't hide away forever, this has to be done Earlson, for the good of our people. We were attacked once, i wont allow it a second time." Mathias spoke with such razor sharp authority. Earlson had seen the storm that Mathias released, it still lingered aboved the estate, the loss of his followers had hurt him more than anyone could have imagined.

Earlson looked toward the table, spread across it was a vague map of the city. Some small sections were coloured in, occupied territory, most was left blank. Notes and files pinned to white boards, road maps and time-sheets strewn across the floor. Photo's adorned the wall beyond; a boy jumping between two rooftops, a girl and a boy surrounded by webs, a man in an elevator, most disturbingly the smiling face of Samuel, the traitor, was pinned in the center.

This wasn't a basement, it was a war room.

"Okay Mathias, where do we begin?"

Sector Zero Golden Merc Training Grounds



The crowd that had gathered began to sway ever so slightly as the peaceful serenade instilled a conflicting sense of hope and yearning within their souls. Eyes closed and minds relaxed, Julian's lutar taking the front of all that sounded within the manmade forest. Accompanied by the steadily running lake waters, his song echoed throughout the central camp, where everyone decided it was time for a break. Julian, himself, stood propped against a light post, his face half-veiled by the smoke he blew upward. A joint lay on his lips and his eyelids blanketed most of his eyes. The sweet taste of serenity, long forgotten by most of the audience, had been recalled for just a moment - a moment that they all were relentless to let slip away again into the sea of reality.

Julian opened his eyes and sighed, dousing his joint and tossing it into a nearby trash bin. He pushed off the light post and strapped his lutar to the holster on his back. The crowd began to cheer softly, and even the faces of the more resilient, stern mercenaries were replaced with smiles of gratitude and appreciation. Julian smiled and nodded back before turning to the three audience members closest to him, a petite, young girl (no older than 12), a tall, well-built swordsman, and a rather old looking librarian wielding nothing but a cane.

"Right, then. Back to training?" he said with a smile. The young girl nodded with a bright expression, causing Julian to laugh. "I meant combat, training yulie. I told you, you won't be fighting the big baddies any time soon, ye?" as the herb still ran through his system, he spoke in a thicker, tropical accent. The girl frowned, "That's not fair, I keep telling you guys but you don't listen! Why do I have powers if I can't use them?"

This time, the old man responded, "Young woman, I tell you with your well being in my best interest, that our kind are best left in the back of the battle, coming to aid those in retreat." Julian nodded and added on to his response, "Mr. Ivor here is right. You've been blessed with the power to heal, yulie! That's one of the most amazing powers we could possibly ask for! And as the head of this squad, I will see to it that you don't get harmed in the slightest. You're the most important, ye?"

The girl nodded, "So are any of the other squads doin' any spirit training?" she asked, to which Julian nodded, "I'm sure Hector's headed over to them right now. Go find him and he'll take yah there, and be careful, ye?" The girl nodded happily and departed, leaving Julian and the two men behind. "Mr. Ivor, you understood her role in all this, correct?" he said as he gestured towards the remaining squad.

"Correct. I shall only bring in her in for emergencies, and for no longer than thirty seconds."

Julian nodded and then turned to the bigger man, who had remained silent, "Rocky? I'm just asking to make sure..."
Rocky stood at 6'7", an ex-captain of the Sovereign Guard. He was the perfect example of a prison brute, as he had been in lock down prior to the apocalypse, though the Golden Mercenaries let it pass after thorough screening of his stability. He sighed and nodded, "Tank for the girl. I gotcha' Jules." Julian then raised a brow and tilted his head to the side, to which Rocky sighed once more before stating, "...and leaving enough space for you to slip out in your smoke form."

Julian nodded, "Right then. Now let's see what we'd do were the enemy to get in our faces..."

---

Sector Zero Golden Mercenary Briefing Room

Ishigo leaned against the wall in his usual spot, observing the gathering of the main squad of Golden Mercenaries. Hector leaned over the central table, watching as the technician besides him fidgeted with a mobile communicator. "If this works, hermano..." he then whistled as he shook his head.

"Hector's gonna order us all pizza," said another golden mercenary jokingly, causing the whole squad to laugh along with Hector. "Ay puto, I heard your mom makes a mean pasta. Haven't tried it since the last time I was over," he said with a wink, causing the rest of the squad to respond with their own additive hype and laughter.

"AERITUS!" exclaimed the techician, causing everyone to fall silent.
"It... it..." the man could barely finish speaking before Hector leaned in curiously, "It what?! Speak up!"

Before he could respond, the communicator beeped twice and sparked slightly as the sound of static emit from its speakers. Within the static, in broken fragments, came the voice of a man.

"-peat, 2.2., I repeat code 2.- .... - terday when-...... -teves....-peat 2.2, if any respo-.... -check all records, reca-.... -set frequencies to alpha 3-.... -wait, is that a-.... - VICTOR! I TH-.... COME LOOK, THE LIGHT IS FLAS-...."

Hector's eyes widened and he pat the technician on the back, "CLEAN IT UP! I WANT TO HEAR THIS, C'MON RAPIDO, RAPIDO!" The technician flinched and began tinkering away as fast as he could, slowly eliminating the static to reveal more coherent speech.

"Where? What light, hermano? I don't see n- OH SHIT! Ai, hermano, you did it! Get 'em on, get them to listen in, they..."

Hector quickly swiped the communicator and began speaking into it, "Victor? Is this Victor Esteves speaking?! Come in, COME IN! Do you read? This is Golden Mercenary Captain Hector Es-"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Victor's smooth, familiar voice, "I know who you are lil brother. How yah been?"

---

Guard Tower, Sector A

*yawn*
Kisheto stretched out his arms as he sat up. After rubbing his eyes to let his eyelids open without struggle, he looked around and immediately flinched. It was the first time he had awoken in a guard tower to find someone else up there with him. As his memory returned, he then chuckled, recalling the events leading up to his current setting. He got up and peered over the ledge of the "crow's nest" structure that he and Arianna had chose to hide in. "It's clear," he said aloud, but to no avail as Arianna remained asleep. "Wow... don't smart people usually wake up early? Get the worm and all?" he chuckled to himself and shook his head as he realized he was foolishly speaking to himself.

Man, I must seem so silly, he thought as he walked over to Arianna, ...never really was smooth with the girls, anyway. He stretched one last time before kneeling beside Arianna and reaching to nudge her awake. However, before he could make contact, he felt some sort of force holding him back ever so slightly. It was a brief moment in which he thought to himself, "No, she should rest and regain her spirit." But in reality, he had no idea what this impulse meant or why it had occurred in the first place. Ignoring the subconscious disturbance, he reached over and gently shook Arianna by the shoulder while speaking in a soft tone, "Ay... wake up, princess. We haven't escaped yet."

Arianna heard Kisheto's voice drifting into her deep slumber and shifted on her spot against the ledge. She opened one eye and squinted as it adjusted to the light of dawn and yawned. "That had to be the best sleep I've gotten in a while," she murmured softly before sitting up and stretching. She ran her hands through her hair, pushing it back from her face. With a soft sigh, she stood and looked around. "I'm surprised the military gave up," she muttered.

Cas... Give me the telepathy back, just in case. She politely requested. In an instant, she could hear Kisheto's rambling thoughts and smiled softly. It was the only thoughts she could hear in her field of telepathy. "You're correct. I hear no thoughts but your own." Arianna gave a soft smile before rubbing the last bits of sleep from her eyes. "Now, lets get down from here the safe way."

Halimae-Current Headquarters of Iktomi’s organization.

Halimae slammed the medic up against the wall with her forearm, her face inches away from his. “If there isn’t improvement by the end of the week you will be replaced, and your life will be forfeited. Do we have an understanding?” Her cold voice pressed against the medic’s ear as he nodded. “Good, now get back to work.” Pulling her arm off of his throat, Halimae walked away as the man began gasping for air. Exiting the room she leaned against the wall, a sigh parting her lips.

“Goddamn it Iktomi, I am not ready for this. I am a follower, not a leader. This is your job, not mine. You better get back on your feet soon.” Her momentary reprieve is quickly destroyed as a voice crackles over her headset. “Miss there still hasn’t been any sighting of Arianna or the other boy. We have teams spread around the surrounding areas but none have spotted them. I will keep you informed if there are any changes.” Hali nodded to herself, finger resting on the headset preparing to change the frequency. “Yes thank you Randolph.” With a quick press the noise from Randolf’s headset faded, replaced with those coming from Leo’s.

“Leo what is the status of the tunnels?” Leo’s dark chuckle echoed within Hali’s head before he replied. “You are adorable when you are in charge Hali, it really suits you. Perhaps it would be better if the boss didn’t wake up for a while.” Halimae’s face darkened at his words, her naturally cold voice taking an even icier tone. “Don’t you dare speak about the boss like that you worthless body snatcher. If he didn’t value your talents so much I would have slit your throat ages ago.” The mirth in Leo’s voice vanished as he replied. “Jeez, chill girl. I am just messing around, you know that I owe Iktomi almost as much as you do. Anyways we have finished the tunnels that we didn’t collapse when we evacuated the previous base. What are your orders?”

Her body went rigid, before she forced herself to relax. Iktomi trusted her enough to make her his second in command. He must have believed she could handle it, though the more likely scenario is that he simply did not believe she would ever be needed. “Start expansion in the other direction, if you come across any buildings take them. If they have anyone residing there evict them. That is all.” Turning off her headset Halimae sighed, remaining against the wall.

Raeven was crouched on a rooftop, eyeing the military group that was slipping through the streets. She had been watching them for a day or two, just to see what their guarding patterns were like. A hovercraft slowly flew between the group of military thugs, carrying supplies like weapons, food, and water. She also had heard about a map of the military’s bases and areas of attack were. This interested her greatly. Perhaps if she got a hold of it, she could use it to her advantage.

Her head tilted to the side slightly as she watched them grow closer to a building whose structure was quickly crumbling. She poised her bow and removed an arrow from the makeshift pouch that she had fastened from an old book bag and a few pieces of leather. Once the arrow was set, she aimed the arrow at the weakest spot in the building. Everything around her faded as she inhaled deeply, her eye focused on the weak spot. She released the breath of air as she released the arrow, watching as it quietly slipped through the air and made its target. The military supply squad was passing by the building at the moment she shot the arrow. They began to shout orders and move away from the wall as the building began to buckle and collapse, sending dirt and debris throughout the street. Now was her chance.

Raeven descended from the building rapidly, scaling down the roof ledges and what remained of the fire escape. After pulling a makeshift mask over her mouth, she moved into the dust and disappeared, warping the light around her to appear invisible. As the soldiers scrambled around her, coughing from the dust, she slipped through to the halted supply car. Just as she suspected, the door opened and a fairly old, grumpy looking man stepped out of the hovercraft.

“What the hell is going on? You pansies can’t handle a collapsed building? Come on, let's get a move on!” He shouted at them, but was choked by the dust.

Raeven had slipped inside the moment the man had stepped out of the hovercraft. She snagged a few cans of food that wouldn’t spoil and efficiently found the map. All of this, she stuffed inside of her pouch. At this time, the military man began to turn and climb into the hovercraft, shielding his mouth and eyes from the dust. She barely managed to slip through the door before the grump slammed it shut. Unfortunately, a temporarily blinded soldier crashed into her and gasped. He suddenly inhaled more of the dust and began to cough violently, his arms flailing as he tried to warn the other soldiers of the mysterious object he ran into. Raeven only chuckled lightly. “Better luck next time, pal,” she murmured before racing off. She removed the mask as soon as she was out of the dust cloud and continued to run, taking to the back streets and alleys that she had grown so familiar with in the past year. She laughed to herself, the image of the startled soldier’s face plastered to her mind as she continued to run towards her hideout.

Kisheto sat crouched at the very edge of the tower's roofing, with one hand over his eyes to block out the sunlight that had surprisingly penetrated the usually cloudy skies. "It's... well, damn... it's clear," he said turning back to Arianna. "We came from this road, and there's no one on it for a long stretch. But still... it'd be safer up on the tops, if yah ask me," he said, gesturing towards the line of rooftops bordering their path.

Arianna nodded, surveying the area also. "Let's use the stairs, then climb onto a roof. I don't want to have another falling fright." She muttered, looking down at the far away ground with disdain. Kisheto chuckled and nodded, "Alright, wimp," he said as he opened a hatch leading to the lower floors.

---

Arianna stretched as they returned to the base, looking up at the mansion. She paused at the door, wondering if Iktomi was awake and bristling about how she had disappeared for a night. She pushed open the door and stepped inside, holding it open just long enough for Kisheto to enter as well. The front foyer was empty, but she could hear the sounds of voices and boots hitting the floor drifting from the rest of the building. "Let's go eat. I'm starving," she murmured.

Kisheto nodded, and walked in, smiling as he stretched his arms. He entered with an overconfident air about him, and he immediately called out, "We're back!!!!!"

Collab

---

Sector Zero

Victor's voice was still somewhat masked by static, but Hector still managed to make out his sentences as he ran from place to place giving out orders to mercenaries.

"Yes! We're all aliv- er... we lost some, but we're still strong in numberes, hermano!" Hector said reluctantly. He hated to dissapoint his brother, and he knew that the greatest dissapointment was failing to protect the brothers he led.

Victor sighed over the comms, "Look, hermano, just... just stay alive, ok? The feds'er clutchin' the main roads by the juevos. And that damn wall - lemme tell you. I can see it from miles away, and our scouts barely manage to get out of there with their heads. This is the strongest concentration of military scum I have ever had the misfortune of witnessing. It's not going to be easy, but we have a fleet."

Hector stopped moving and leaned against a wall, "A fleet? How many do you have? The primaries are barely enough to make a fleet, hermano, tough as they are."

Victor chuckled, "I've been diggin 'round. You think you bastards are the only ones wantin' out? Most people in Sovereign have family on the outside. Families with connections. Connections to powerful people. You ever heard of Wenber Incorporated?"

Hector shook his head as he replied, "No, hermano, why?"

Victor chuckled once more, "The geyser sells home appliances. Unhealthily rich, beautiful young golddigger-of-a-wife, lovely children, nicest guy, really."

Hector smacked his lips, "Drug lord?"

Victor laughed, "Aye, hermano, the goon's got about two hundred under the radar. All spectres, no family, no records, nothing. All dagger-wielding psychos, really. Straight out of one of those video games that the rich kids play. And if that wasn't enough, we have rebels. Ay dios mio, the rebels spirit is such a beautiful thing."

Hector gasped, "Oh hell, no, seriously? Hermano, this is bad news, do they know what they're up against? The military is hunting the... wait, what do they call them out there?"

Victor paused for a moment before realizing what Hector was saying, "Oh, the mutants? Right, don't you worry. The rebels are on the mutants side, I gurantee you. Priests have your back out here, hermano, believe m-"

"No! THAT'S VERY, VERY BAD!" Hector scoffed, "There are bad mutants, too! The military has their own, and... and... gangsters and horrible beings, Victor, look. Whatever you're planning on doi-"

Victor chuckled, "Whatever I'm planning on doing will work. It always does, hermano. The military took things from these people... important things. Family, freedom, peace. Don't underestimate the will of the rebel. It's the nature of the problem child - take enough from him, and he's bound to bite the hand that feeds."

Hector chuckled softly, relieved by his older brother's surviving confidence, "I'll relay your strategies to my men. Keep your comms alive, I have to find a way to charge this thing, si?"

Victor chuckled, "Stay alive, little brother. Stay alive."

"So what's the plan?" Ishigo's voice caused Hector to flinch - something that didn't happen often. "Damnit, hermano, you're taking this sneaky thing way too far," Hector grumbled.

Ishigo chuckled - also something that didn't happen often. "This is something we should share, don't you think?" Ishigo said as he nodded towards the civillians in refuge, "A beacon of hope, just to keep them... going?"

Hector nodded, "I have tons of organizing to do. But yes, that is a good idea, hermano. How're the hosts doing? And holy shit, you know the people outside are calling them 'mutants'?" Ishigo shook his head, "That's... they'll learn. But as for them... or, us, rather, we're doing fine. Julian was the right man to trust with that squad. He knows his priorities and, well, he has a natural affinity for battle strategy."

"Really now? You think we should keep Ria in, then?" Hector said, inquiring of the young girl who belonged to the squad Julian was assigned to. Ishigo nodded, "Her powers are... well, we won't have to worry about her getting hurt, simply speaking. Julian is a good person, I can trust him despite him having an onikage. But that being said..."

Hector raised a brow, "What? We missing something?"
Ishigo nodded, "I think it would be wise to even out the numbers for the squads. If I could just find a few more hosts, it-"
Hector chuckled, "Ishigo. I know you better than you think." Ishigo looked off, halting his speech as Hector continued. "I know what you're trying to do, hermano. 'Collecting' hosts? Well, sure, it's a smart move, and that is technically what you're doing but... you really think she's still out there? Is it worth all that trouble? I'm only worried for you, hermano. I'm running low on close friends, not to say I had very many from the start, aside from the brothers."

Ishigo shook his head and smiled just slightly before looking back to Hector with a gentle expression, "There's two people I'm looking for, Hector." Hector smiled and shook his head, ready to argue, but Ishigo held up a hand, "Listen, I am finding us hosts, correct? Trust me Hector. And I know you better than you think. You want to find her just as much as I do. You want to believe that it's him just as much as I do, as well."

Hector looked down for a second before sighing, "Alright then, go be a ninja."

Ishigo chuckled softly before patting Hector on the shoulder and departing, "Take care of your fraternity while I'm gone. I'll be back shortly."

---

Outskirts of Lower Class District

Raeven lounged on the half-destroyed roof of an old grocery store, snacking on an apple. Her pouch was propped against the ledge, the edges of the map peeking out of the top. She eyed it as she bit into the apple again, enjoying the fresh taste of it. The last time that she had eaten an apple was a few weeks ago, when she had raided the last military food supply cartel. She stuck the apple between her teeth and reached over, pulling the map from the pouch. After unfolding the map and laying it on her lap, she bit out a chunk of the apple and held it in one hand. "Hmm. Seems like they're all crowded up in the rich Upple Class District. It suits them." Her eyes traveled along the outskirts of the city, where the wall loomed overtop of it. "Why would they want to attack this section of the middle class district?" She thought aloud, looking up towards the section of the city that the red X was marked. She saw the wall, tall and looming in the distance and glared, taking a spiteful bite of her apple. "What a waste of this city's potential," she muttered.

A sudden movement caught her eye, making her head turn in its direction. She immediately warped the light around her, disappearing on the rooftop. A dark form seemed to be hopping from shadow to shadow along the rooftops down the street from her. She grabbed her pouch and shouldered it, warping the light around it as well. The form appeared gaseous as it rapidly switched from shadow to shadow. She pursed her lips, squinting as she watched the darkness carefully, seeing the dark form move through them. "Oh, the benefits of night vision," she murmured to herself. Rae wanted to find out what it was, but it was moving too fast for her to confront it, and she didn't want to draw attention straight towards herself. The weight of the apple in her hand seemed to multiply before she got a sudden idea. After a few light tosses of the apple, she cocked her arm back and swung, sending the mostly-eaten apple flying straight towards the object. It found its target easily, but disappeared as soon as it made contact. Rae blinked, surprised that it didn't just hit the object with a "thunk." What kind of host is this? She thought to herself, her eyebrows furrowing.

Just then the bouncing stream of shadows reappeared, although at an much more accelerated speed and altered direction. Now, the shadow headed straight towards the location from which the apple had mysteriously floated and flung itself. It wasn't long before the shadow collided with an invisible structure, forcing itself forward, along with whatever stood in its way.

'Invisibility? It could be a number of kages, Ishigo, good or bad.' Jin said.

Ishigo had already spotted the figure from a ways back, and had taken a peculiar interest when at a moment's notice, the figure was replaced with an apple flying towards him. However, he had moved faster than the figure could realize, and as he reached out, he managed to feel what he could tell was a human wrist. The force of his impact shot both figures towards a wall, though Ishigo held the upper hand as he found his opponent pinned. The shadows slowly began to slip away from him and in the other hand, he tossed up an apple core, catching it before speaking. "This won't do much against guns and swords," he said, holding the invisible host in place with his right hand.

Raeven had barely any time to react as the shadow darted towards her. She was overtaken by a bit of panic as the shadow pinned her. Startled, she lost focus on the light around her and lost her invisibility, staring at the shadow. As the shadow began to form into a man she was filled with adrenaline and slight anger. Her eyes became icy and her body tensed. She grabbed the arm that was pinning her with her free arm and twisted it, then kicked the knee of the man. Once she had enough space, she slipped away from the wall and turned to face him, forming a defensive pose. "That isn't my only weapon," she growled. The retaliation had caught Ishigo off guard, and he had to retreat a step to prevent being disabled by the kneeshot. He lowered his hood, leaving only his scarf to mask his identity. His eyes remained closed and he sighed, "There are easier ways to handle this..." he said with crossed arms.

Raeven laughed lightly, "If I trusted you, I'd find another way." She dashed forward into a slide, sweeping her left leg around in an attempt to throw him off balance. While she initiated her kick, she simultaneously prepared to follow up with her right eblow, rising to strike him as he would've fallen downward were her kick to land successfully. Ishigo sighed once more, right before the kick hit him, at which moment he dematerialized into a shadow that traveled behind her. Her elbow rose up to hit nothing, but her momentum was controlled enough to allow her to twist to the right once more, delivering a high kick to the head. Ishigo, surprised by her mobility, was forced to respond with his own block, throwing up his right forearm to barely block the kick. He then quickly reached over with his left arm, grabbing her leg in an attempt to disable her.

Raeven didn't allow him to gain a second of an advantage, and in response, she lifted off her left leg - the only part holding her to the ground, and spun around, effectivley kicking Ishigo backwards and freeing her right leg to allow for a graceful landing. Ishigo staggered backwards, but quickly dashed forwards, delivering a couple hooks, which Raeven dodged with her natural agility, ducking and weaving in and out of the path of the punches. Eventually, Ishigo decided to surprise her with a lunging grapple, and he sucessfully managed to hold her right arm above her while using his left forearm to drive her forward. However, before he could slam her to the ground, she vanished from sight, leaving Ishigo surprised for a mere split second. It was long enough for her to slip free and jab her palm forward, again causing him to stagger back, but not before she could slide forward, delivering a kick to his left shin.

Ishigo's leg was knocked from under him and he fell forward, but caught himself on two hands. As the woman came back into sight, he spun his legs in a whirlwind, keeping her at bay. He then flipped backwards, now facing her.

'Ishigo... you're...'
'I'm getting destroyed.' Ishigo thought before Jin could finish.

He then cracked his neck and ran towards her at full speed. In response, Raeven jumped forward in a somersault, placing both hands on his shoulders as she somersaulted, and kicking his back for an extra dash as he flew the opposite way. Before he hit the ground he activated his shadow form and successfully reached what he was aiming for:

her shadow.

Raeven looked left and right, unable to see where he had escaped to, but it wasn't long before Ishigo's arm shot out from her shadow and caught her left arm. As the rest of his body emerged, he reached for her right arm as well, in an effort to restrain her, but she kicked backwards, pushing him back. Relentlessly, he dashed forward and delivered three jabs at a blinding speed, only managing to hit the last one on her left clavicle. Swallowing the pain, Raeven dished out six of her own jabs, nearly as fast as Ishigo's. Ishigo brushed off two, and effectively dodged the rest. He followed up with his own flurry of punches, to which Raeven countered with her own agility. The fists locked for a good minute before Raeven caught Ishigo right in the jaw, causing his scarf to fly off on to the ground. Ishigo stepped back, catching two more hooks to the jaw and chest, and finally, a kick to the abdomen. As he naturally bent over due to the abdominal strike, Raeven threw a knee towards his head, which landed square on his nose, instantly causing it to break. Ishigo fell back, but rolled backwards and retreated with a back handspring. He looked to the ground and popped his nose in place, though it still bled, along with a cut from his mouth caused by the strong hook he took.

"Impressive... You're more than I expected. A lot more..." he said as he smiled slightly, his face exposed. "But I've got work to do - no more games," he said as he nodded to the blood he had wiped on his hand. With a speedy dash, he flung himself into a nearby shadow, immediately bouncing into another shadow right after. He continued to shift from shadow to shadow, and Raeven found it hard to keep up, though she could see him with her vision. In an attempt to preserve her defense, she went invisible and began to step backwards, but it didn't mask the sound that her feet made against the ground. As the shadow dissappeared, Raeven decided to quickly make for cover, but as soon as she turned her head, Ishigo flung out of the nearest shadow - that of a generator - and swiped at the back of her knee, causing her to buckle. In that moment, Ishigo quickly grabbed her right wrist and bent it behind her back, before shoving her towards the previous wall. The weight of her body plus his force was enough to allow her back to serve as a restraint, and he used his left arm to hold her right arm above her head at an angle (allowing him to have one hand).

"Now then... we can start with a name," he said sternly.

Raeven winced, the twisting of her arm and force of him shoving her against the wall causing her discomfort. "Bite me," she hissed, struggling as best as she could in the compromising position. Ishigo shook his head, "No, I'm not nearly mad enough to do that... yet. Now look, I'm offering you the chance to pretend this didn't happen," he said while gesturing to his minor wounds, "but if you want me to return the favor..." he tighted his grip on her arm and pushed back further, causing her pinned arm to move upward, nearer to the breaking point.

Raeven gasped slighty at the pain, tensing as she tried to suppress it. She felt like being stubborn, but knew that it was best to comply with a man that could handle her fighting. "It's Raeven," she spat through clenched teeth. For a split second, Ishigo's grip loosened, but he quickly reverted to his forceful position before shaking his head, "Hm.. what was that? I... didn't quite hear you." His intimidating tone began to dwindle at the thought that he had heard correctly.

Raeven clenched her jaw as her arm twisted even further. "Raeven. My name is Raeven," she repeated, hoping he'd give her arm a break.This time, Ishigo's grip lost more control than he hoped. Though it relaxed a bit, he held on, despite nearly losing balance himself. He redirected his free hand to the wall on which Raeven was pinned, and he stood there for a second, breathing shallow in a conflicting fit of denial and relief. "Y-you..." He shook his head and looked down, Jin...? he thought. I heard it, too... I'm impressed. I mean, the odds?

Ishigo sighed and let his head fall on his left hand, to where he was basically speaking in her ear. He had lost balance - mainly due to the sudden loss of stress and influx of relief. However, he failed to express this to Raeven. Raeven caught the breath she had been holding as he loosened his grip on her arm, relieving her of the intense pain. She tensed more when he rested his head on his hand next to her head. Who was this guy? Was he going to kill her? Taking the man's rest as an advantage, she stomped her foot down on his foot, then twisted her arm out of his grip and slipped out from the man and the wall. She backed away from him and the wall, ready now more than ever to run. First, she was curious. "What? Have you been looking for me?" She growled defensively. Perhaps he was attempting to assassinate her? "Did the military send you?" She hissed.

Ishigo didn't even bother to respond to her retaliation. He simply took a step back, then another. He sighed and looked forward, but kept his gaze locked on the ground. It had been years upon years, and he had no idea what to say. Was it even the same person anymore?

"...Rae..." he said softly, in a calm tone, void of his previously authoritative vibe. He then took a deep breath and approached her once more.

Raeven lost her defensive stance as soon as he said her childhood nickname. She looked him over as he approached her, bewildered about him. She took a small step backwards, in case it was a trick. "I... Ishigo?" She asked, beginning to recognize bits and pieces of him.

Ishigo felt the strongest sense of relief when she spoke his name. It was the first time in a full year, and even longer, that he had felt... accomplished, free of obligation. He simply swallowed and looked up, finally confirming his assumption when he got his first good look at her face. "I... I'm sorry..." was all he could manage to spout.

Raeven's eyes softened a little as she heard him. She couldn't think straight for a little before a thought popped into her mind. "Is Hector..?" She murmured, but trailed off. Ishigo had been lost in a momentary sea of thoughts. How had she survived? Was she in control of her kage? Who did she work for, if anyone? And most importantly, if his gut feeling on Raeven was right then... But he didn't have time to speculate. The situation at hand took priority and it was perfect, too. He had gone out to find hosts that could help him and he had found none other than Raeven.

"...He's... he's fine, Rae. We're all fine..." he smiled and shook his head, still struck by awe at the coincidence. It was the first time he felt any real emotion, because it was the first time he wasn't "on duty". He extended his arms and smiled, letting the best of the relief last, "It's been ages, Rae... c'mere."

Raeven looked away for a moment after he confirmed that Hector was alright. She looked back up at him, and for a second, was wary of him. Was he the same? He obviously had a kage. After a year of solitude and hostility, though, she felt relieved to see a smiling face. She moved over to him and hugged him, sighing. "You guys are real jerks for leaving," she muttered.

Ishigo chuckled softly, "Never again, Rae... we're back now. We're all here, all together. Come back with me... Hector's leading the charge. We're going to break free, Rae. And then we'll all go home."

Raeven let out a breath, feeling much better than she had ever felt since Ishigo and Hector left her. "If it means I can take out some of these military bastards, I'm all for it," she said, resting her chin on his shoulder. She smirked softly, hoping to lighten the mood. "So, you're finally taller than I am."

Ishigo took a deep breath, "Not tall enough to stop you from whoopin' me in a fight, it seems." He then smiled and looked over to where he had came from. "We'll be alright, now, Rae. You have my word."

Halimae

“Miss we have reports that Arianna and the boy are on nearing the building. Would you like us to give them an escort into the building?” Hali tapped her headset as the voice of Randolph ended. “No, I am sure that they will make it just fine. Keep on eye on the perimeter though, if anyone seems to be getting to close cut them off and discover their intent.” Brushing her finger against the headpiece she switched to Alex’s frequency. “Alex our guests have returned from their impromptu adventure. What the boss sees in that girl I have no idea, but as you know we are to treat her, and by extension that other little cur, with respect. Will you get the men to prepare some food for them? I am sure they will be hungry.” Alex’s crisp voice came with his immediate reply. “Of course Miss, it will be set and prepared by the time they arrive.” Switching her headset back to it’s natural frequency, Halimae pushed herself off of the wall.

On her way to the main entrance Hali was confronted by her current position again and again. People that she has been working beside for years would move out of her way, bow to her, ask her for orders, etc. It was something she believed she would never be comfortable with, and made her hope even more that Iktomi would recover sooner rather than later. She arrived at the entrance just a moment before Arianna and Kisheto returned. Nodding to them as they entered, she swung her hand towards the dining room. “It is good to see that you returned in one piece Arianna. I can’t imagine that Iktomi would have been very pleased if you ended up getting yourself hurt out there. There is food waiting for you two in the dining room, if you need any assistance feel free to ask Alex.” Halimae’s body dipped in a low bow, a habit she had not yet broken, before rising and making her way back in the direction she had come. Before slipping into the hallway she turned her head back towards the pair. “Also, since I am sure you are concerned Arianna, there has been no improvement in Iktomi’s condition as of yet.” With her final piece said Hali escaped into the hallway heading back towards the medical room.

Archania-Inside Iktomi’s head

Deep within Iktomi’s mind, Archania paced around his unmoving form, a reflection of how he appeared physically. Lowering her head she held her mandibles just above his face, clicking them incessantly. ’Come on Iktomi, this cannot be how our lives come to a close. You may be pathetic compared to a kage, but you are a brilliant specimen. You managed to take control of our bond, and have kept at it for the past year. This is not how you deserve to die. This is not how I deserve to die. You better wake up soon, or I swear I will find a way to hunt you down and devour you like the little fly that you are.’

Vates
As daylight began to fade away Vates found himself much further from his home than he would prefer at this time. He was in no way scared of the dark, in fact he preferred it. However experience taught him that not only did some of the worst kages came out at night, but that in many cases survivors tried to find shelter for the night; he hated the idea of someone moving into his home whilst he was out. It couldn’t be helped however, as the group of thugs he had been following had gained numbers and were now too numerous for him to ignore. “We are a long way away from any of the traps you laid Edward. I doubt there will come an opportune time to strike. We should head home before darkness truly settles.” advised Janus who’s own thoughts much reflected his hosts at that point.

“Yeah, you’re right. If we leave now we mi-” begun Vates before being cut off by a nearby series of fire. Suddenly the dark street below him became illuminated by dozens of flares and the gang quickly broke apart as each individual member quickly sprinted for cover or escape. To his left where the flares had been fired from Vates could see silhouettes running along and behind them long looming shadows against the dim red lighting. “Oh shit it’s the military” Vates thought as he began to assess his escape routes. He would have made a run for it but through the corner of his eye he noticed moving figures in the building opposite and knew that they were likely military sharpshooters who would take him down the moment they knew he was there. As it was all he could do was sit still between the two roof vents that provided some cover and shade and hope that they wouldn’t happen to glance directly at him. His heart raced as he watched the gang of thugs get taken out one by one, some by the occasional bullet to the head but most from being simply overwhelmed by charging soldiers who were much better trained.

It was the price they paid for veering to far north as the Heights district was but a stone’s throw from the military heavy sites. Indeed Vates had often witnessed military convoys and the like passing through his district, especially in the earlier days. It was because of this as well as the fact that the tall buildings were death traps (due both to structural damage and the amount of places that people could hide) that the district appeared to have surprisingly little residents. At the same time however the lack of residents caused the military to mostly skim over the area meaning those like Vates could continue to survive undisturbed.

“I think they are all dead Edward. If these soldiers start searching the buildings for survivors they will find us in no time!” warned Janus who was now growing ever restless. Vates did not reply however as he could think of no solution. A few minutes passed in silence and whilst some soldiers had then begun combing over nearby roofs, some begun to search the building below. “Edward. I have an idea but you are not going to like it…”

Ariela; Twenty seven hours following her close encounter with death.

She felt like she was suffocating. Some foreign weight pressing down on her, making each breath harder than the last. In burst of sudden struggle her eyes shot open, but still she was shroud in darkness. She kicked at it with her tiny limbs, flailing about awkwardly until her head was released from the confines of the soft and downy sarcophagus that had entrapped her. 'Wait...' Ariela check herself hurriedly, running her hands over her body in a desperate struggle to grasp at a false truth. "I- I am..."

She had reverted. Artemis had taken it. Her old body was back, and she could feel the difference in her strength even now. She was so weak.. "How did I ever manage with only this.." She marveled at the concept of surviving in the streets of sovereign with such a insignificant sum of power. Even if had only been for a moment, she had experienced a whole new world of strength, and now she was addicted. She wanted it. She needed it. Yet, no matter how many times she delved within her own mind to confront Artemis about this hunger, he was absent.

She began to feel claustrophobic, all was not well, she needed escape. Ariela burned through her surrounding in an attempt to find escape. It was rather dark, but she could tell she was in a small room. She couldn't quite remember what they were called, it had been so long since she had seen one. It started with a 'C'. Ariela could picture the image, but she couldn't find the word. She shook her head of her mindless thoughts. Their were more important things, she had to escape this- this, whatever it was. She pushed against one of the walls, light seeped through it's upper half and she thought it might be weaker than the other three. Ariela was rewarded for her wit as the wall-door slid open and revealed the room outside.

What she saw made her want to crawl back into her downy sarcophagus and hide for an eternity. The corpse of a woman lay with its head facing her. It's dead eyes peering into her very soul. The moment she saw those eyes it all came rushing back to her. She relived it all, every scream, every step, every terror filled moment. How could she have forgotten? Joanna had saved her... Had saved...

But then she remembered something else. Ariela remembered a girl. The girl who had cursed all of humanity to death. The girl who had wished apocalypse upon the world. The girl who had killed hundreds in cold blood without ever batting a lash. What she remembered was a monster. What she remembered, was herself. Tears welled up in her eyes. All the hatred she had embraced for so long began filling her again, but now it was foreign. It had turned from comfort into agony. The memories of her mother, of her village, and of Joanna turned her hatred into a disgusting thing. something she should abhor.

She had been wrong. It wasn't the world that was against her, It was the oppressors. The raiders that had burned her village. The men that had raped her mother. The men that had... ...her. The nameless faces that had broken her teeth over lead filled bread. The military that had killed Joanna...

She had been wrong to turn against humanity.. She had been wrong to turn her hatred on the innocent. she had been wrong to kill Joanna's husband in cold blood. Wrong to turn on the man that tried to comfort her moments before this whole thing began..

She had been wrong..

But she knew now what had to be done. She would purge this world of the evil's that filled it.

..and she would start with the military forces of Sovereign...

"Yes..." chuckled a silent voice deep within Ariela's unconscious. "We... can use this...."

Zachary opened his eyes to the dim light of the morning. As memory returned to him, he hoped dearly that what memories he had were just a nightmare. But the pain in the skin of his face and hands were real- burns from the fire the man had thrown at him- and the molten plaster on the wall above his mattress where the plasma rifle struck were real too. The memories of the events felt real enough, perhaps save for where he had fought and killed the man. But the memories leading up to and following that event were undeniable, which meant that the adjoining memory must be true too. With the weight of this grim reality pressing down on him, Zachary sat up, put his head in his hands and cried. The last time he had cried had been a few days after the cataclysm, when realisation that he could likely never get out and see his home or family again hit him. The reason this murder struck him more than the stabbing of the boy last week was because while Kaa'is had done everything in the first murder, it was Zachary who had killed the man in the second. He cried for the deed he had committed, and cried for the loss, even partial, of himself to the demon who lived inside his head.

Right on cue, Kaa'is announced himself with a theatrical yawn and greeted Zachary with an inappropriate amount of cheer. Good morning, Zachary. I feel great! The best I have for over a year, in fact.

Zachary's despondency turned to rage as his attention turned to the demon which had caused him this misery. He swatted at the air around his head and shouted, "Get out of my head! Damn it, I don't want anything to do with you!"

Kaa'is chuckled soothingly in response. Pipe down, Zachary, he crooned, The damage is already done, and I'm not going anywhere. This did nothing to calm Zachary, who banged his fist on the wall as if hitting something might get at Kaa'is. It didn't, but it did work as a bit of cathartic release and the pain from hitting his hand against the wall distracted him from the pain in his mind.

Now, we've got some work to do today. We need to get that food from the military, Kaa'is reminded Zachary, We should also pick up what we dropped last night.

The reminder of last night caused Zachary to cringe. He was trying to drive it from his memory, but to no avail. He recalled that last night he had dropped his jacket on the ground and that he had not picked up the plasma rifle. Begrudgingly he got to his feet and made his way to where he had left his jacket. It was in the ground in a heap, but it had numerous large charred holes burned into it. Not irreparable, but that would need more jacket material and he didn't have much of that. He sighed, realising that he would not be able to wear it until it was fixed. He picked it up gingerly and slowly placed it on his workbench. He was stalling for time, trying to avoid the next item.

But he could not stall forever. The plasma rifle was incredibly valuable, so he could not afford to lose it. But retrieving it would mean that he would have to revisit the scene from last night. Eventually, he gathered himself enough to go and get it. The corridors were much easier to navigate now that he had been able to grab his torch as well. After rounding a few corners, he eventually came around another corner and his torchlight fell on a horrific sight. Blood was splattered across the floor, with a few stray splashes on the walls, but that wasn't even the worst part. On the floor lay a corpse. Its chest was partially caved in, with the shirt's original colour lost to that of dried blood. And its head was shattered, the face gone and blood and brain squeezed through the broken skull. The stench of blood and death filled his nostrils as the sight filled his eyes.

Zachary averted his gaze and torchlight as he bent over and retched. He would have actually thrown up if he had eaten recently. During the night he had been fortunate enough to have the monochromatic shadows to obscure the true horror, but now under full light all was revealed and he could see the full extent of the damage he did. Zachary could not bring himself to look at it, and he doubted whether he really could have done that. The thought that he could have horrified him. Zachary could not bring himself to look back, instead settling to grab the rifle telekinetically from behind his back and walking off. And as he prepared to go out and collect food he could not remove the image from his mind, nor the thought which nagged him and pulled him down. What have I become?

Collab

---

Sector Zero

Ishigo and Raeven had safely maneuvered through the city and back to the location of the entrance to sector zero. Their journey had been rather short, as they kept an effective pace while still being able to speak and catch up. It was a brief detachment from the constant tension brought upon the need to survive that everyone currently faced. Once they reached the elevator, Ishigo realized he had forgotten to explain exactly what Sector Zero was.

Raeven raised an eyebrow, apprehension apparent in her expression. "Underground? Do you know how easily you can be trapped, destroyed, or captured? What is Hector thinking?" She personally didn't like the idea of being underground like that. "The only upside is that once the roof collapses, the military won't have to worry about burying you lot." Ishigo chortled in response before revealing the entrance to the elevator - a vault at the end of a run down bank. He gestured to Raeven to enter, "You'll be fine, Rae. Trust me."

Raeven eyed the elevator, cautious of it. She examined it a little before gingerly stepping inside. "If I die, I'm blaming you," she muttered, clutching the side rail inside of the elevator and looking back at him. Ishigo smiled and closed the hatch behind him before turning to initiate the descent.

---

The gears to the lift began turning slowly, and the floor vibrated before the deep, echoing churning of metal on metal. Ishigo sighed and moved over to lean against the wall near Raeven. "We had no idea this place existed. No one did. We only found it when trying to scavenge these parts. It was maintained properly, no cobwebs, nothing. It was just...here... waiting. As if this whole disaster was planned."

The gears gew louder and louder, and soon, the wholer elevator began to shake, threatening to collapse at any given second. The frame shook, and the roofing trembled as dust floated across the fragile structure.

Raeven tightened her grip on the railing, pressing back against the wall. She grew more uncomfortable as the shaking continued. "Are you sure this is safe?" She asked uneasily. "Plus, do we really need to be underground? I don't even think the military is insane enough to use an old rickety thing like this. How can you trust it? How can you stand the stuffy, dirt of underground?"

Ishigo chuckled, observing Raeven's tension. "Rae... we're not exactly in any position to be demanding a luxurious hideout. Besides... this place gives them hope." Raeven simply let out an exasperated laugh, looking over at him incredulously. "So, a massive grave-to-be gives these people hope?"

Ishigo smiled and looked down, "More than anything, seeing each other's faces and faking a smile for one another... that's what gives them hope. Not having to worry about being on the run, but instead, focusing on each other's wellbeing - caring for one another - it sparks hope in everyone. This place is simply the container for what I consider to be the last glimpse at any positivity in this forsaken city."

The lift stopped roughly, and Ishigo opened the doors to reveal a long, dark hallway* with a dim light at the end.The two approached the end of the hallway and Ishigo looked over to Raeven, watching her face as he unveiled the thriving shelter* before them. "Welcome to Sector Zero, Rae..."

Raeven squinted slightly as she was exposed to the light, but blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light of the shelter. She was absolutely taken aback. At first, she had imagined the shelter as some mineshaft made into a makeshift base, but now, it appeared as a small underground city. Her eyes first took in the beautiful structure of it, and it made her curious about how all this had been built right under the military's noises. Next, she noticed the life teeming within the underground cave. Of course, there were Golden Mercenaries strolling about, training, stacking supplies, and making plans, but there were also families and civilians down here as well. It was as if a whole tight community had sunken underground, but had survived it all. The children were playing and laughing, as if there wasn't a large wall trapping them within the military's totalitarian grasp. The mothers were smiling as well, talking amonst each other like it was an ordinary day in an ordinary city. Her eyes traveled to the masses of trees, manmade forests that were thriving despite the fact that they were underground. The whole scene was pleasingly overwhelming, causing a small lump to form in the back of her throat. She wanted to admit that even though it was underground, it was a great place, but she couldn't admit it. There had to be something wrong with this place. After all, Sovereign had seemed like a great place to stay until something awful twisted the image of it. She swallowed down the feeling and looked down at her feet for a second. "You have a nice place here, Ishigo, but it's still just an easier burial ground," she murmured.

Ishigo couldn't help but crack a tiny smile - he could see the awe in her eyes for just a brief moment before she attempted to hide it. "I think I know someone that could change your mind..." he said in a lighthearted tone.

Raeven glanced over at him and noticed the smile. She couldn't help but smile a little herself. "Has he changed since then?" She asked him, immediately knowing who he was talking about. Ishigo took a deep breath and began walking forward, "Not as annoying... but, ultimately, no, he's the same." Raeven chuckled softly, her smile widening. "What about Victor?"

"He isn't with us. We actually just made contact with him beyond the wall. Found some old communicator, and, well... still the cocky bastard he always was." Ishigo chuckled and shook his head as he led Raeven throughout the shelter towards the Mercenaries' briefing room. Raeven smirked and shook her head, following him. She looked around at her surroundings as they walked through, then focused on what was in front of her as they neared the briefing room. She took a moment to breathe, wondering what lay behind the door.

The doors opened to reveal a group of nine mercenaries standing around a table; Hector stood at the center of the table, pointing around a map that was laid out on the holographic display. Ishigo knocked on the open door, causing the mercenaries to turn around. Hector tilted his head to the side and then nodded once, "Something the matter, hermano?"

Raeven looked over the mercenaries, then rested her gaze on Hector. She looked him over, noticing that he had only gotten taller and had more muscle than before. "I never expected you to become the leader of a rebel gang, shortstop, but it suits you," she said softly, smirking a little. Hector squinted when he first saw the woman, but his eyes widened as soon as she referred to him as what he knew to be a childhood nickname. He then quickly redirected his gaze to Ishigo and furrowed his brows, noticing Ishigo smirking at the ground in a passive "I told you so" expression. Hector held up a hand and dismissed his mercenaries, who slowly departed the room, walking past Ishigo and Raeven. Hector took a few steps closer to the two, as if to assess whether or not he was seeing things.

He then sighed and shook his head, turning around while looking up in disbelief, "Holy shit... hoooooly shit," he said before turning around and rushing to swoop her up in a big bear hug, forgetting that she wasn't wearing the same armor that his mercenaries did. "NO FUCKING WAY!! NOOOO FUCKING WAY!" Ishigo chuckled at Hector's excitement and even more at the fact that only an hour or so ago, he was attempting to talk Ishigo out of his gut instict that Raeven would be out there. Now, all he could do was imagine the disbelief Hector was facing, considering he had nearly lost his edge when he realized who she was.

Raeven had been uneasy the moment Hector looked over at her. She looked anywhere but at the mercenaries as they had passed her. When Hector came at her for a hug, she tensed a little, wary about his actions, but as soon as she was in his embrace she was reassured. She geniunely laughed, something that hadn't happened for months-years, maybe. When the squeezing became a little uncomfortable, she managed to squeak, "Hector, you're too strong!"

Hector laughed in excitement as well, but as soon as he heard her struggle to speak, he let out a dumbfounded "Oh!" and let her down. He then took a step back and put a hand behind his head, still unable to accept what was put before him. "Rae you're.... how?! How did you..." he then looked at Ishigo, "You freaking monster you. How? In this whole entire city you- AGH!" He then took a deep breath and sighed, "Ok, ok," he let his hands relax by his sides and then looked at Raeven, "I'm getting way ahead of my self, it's just been way too long, Rae. How have you been?! You been alright, consdiering... you know... everything?"

Raeven smiled, watching him come to terms that she was here. "Yeah, I've been... I've been alright," she lightly lied, her smile softening. She didn't want to bring up the boring years without them, or her entanglement with the mafia-lord. For now, she was just happy to be back with them. Hector nodded, "You've surviving out there on your own? With what? That bow and arrow? You're an archer now? Ai ai ai, we've got so much to catch up on!"

Raeven chuckled and held up her trusty bow. It was chipped, duct taped, and barely staying together, but it had survived for a long time. "I picked it up in the city." She smiled up at him, setting her bow down on the table. Her eyes skimmed over the maps laid across the table. "It looks like you and Victor have something really important going on here." She glanced up at him. "This can't have all originated back in Valira?"

Hector's expression grew somewhat solemn and he looked down at the map and then back to the ground, "Uh, no, it... well... It's complicated. Long story short, me and Victor got separated - half and half on the Golden Mercenary count. I took charge of those stranded here, and I only recently managed to contact Victor after a solid year," he then sighed and sat against the table, pressing a few projected images to close the holographic display.

"Three hours. In about three hours, that bastard came up with a plan that might just get us out of this city. He just needed to know what the conditions were like here - weapons, manpower, strength in arsenal and spirit, etcetera, etcetra. But, he's confident in his little three hour plan. And if he's confident in it, then I'm confident in it, heh."

Ishigo then pushed off the wall and walked forward before speaking, "I'm sure Raeven isn't just gonna sit by and enjoy the rations while we work towards our freedom. There's no way you expected to join us as a civvie, right?" Hector scoffed, "Hermano, I didn't even expect her to be in the city!" He then looked to Raeven, "I don't think I'll be able to talk you out of helping, will I?"

Raeven smiled softly. "You never could talk me out of anything, Hector," she teased. She then asked him about something he had mentioned that intrigued her. "When you say spirit, do you mean as in kage spirit?" Hector raised a brow, "No, chica, spirit as in morale, as i- wait..." he then cocked his head back and looked at Ishigo, "Don't tell me..."

Raeven shifted her weight, a little uncomfortable. "I'm sure Ishigo would know about my... abilities." She said, trying to lightly tell Hector about Eremiel. She was worried that he wouldn't want her help, now that she was a host, but something about how Ishigo was still around made her think he wouldn't. Would he fear her, though? Be wary of her? Maybe even be cautious about letting her join? She didn't want their friendship to change just because she was like this.

Hector looked to Ishigo, who simply shrugged and smiled faintly, giving him the most passive-aggressive expression of foretold victory possible. Hector groaned and facepalmed, shaking his head. He then chuckled, "I feel like I'm the only lame one now... great," he said obviously joking. He then looked to the ground with an expression that could only be taken as regretful. "But, it's fine. I don't plan to argue, Raeven. We have each other's backs, right? Just like it used to be, with kages or without," he smiled and nodded to her, making it quite clear that he was more relieved than anything about her ability and decision to join their cause.

Raeven swallowed lightly. She was definitely sure that she would never betray them, but needed more confirmation that they wouldn't just up and leave one day without her. "You won't leave this time, will you?" She asked softly. Hector and Ishigo had been the only ones that she truly felt comfortable around to express her more private feelings. Most of all, her worries. It felt strange being around them, now. It was almost as if they had never left.

Hector looked to Ishigo with a blank face, and Ishigo's smile faded. Ishigo remained reserved, allowing Hector to speak for the both of them. Hector sighed and walked over to Raeven, "Look... I... We couldn't possibly have ever prepared for the obstacles our path threw at us. We were fighting for something completely different then... but now, we know what our cause is. You don't think we forgot about you, did you? This sucker here always talked about how we would all go back to the good ole' days," he said, giving Ishigo a friendly punch to the arm. "And you know him, always talking about how 'he'll keep his word no matter what.' Well, I promise you Rae. No matter what happens," he looked to Ishigo, who nodded, and then back to Raeven, "I will never abandon the bonds with those I cherish."

Ishigo smiled and looked at Raeven as well, finally beginning to understand what it must have been like for her. In both his and Hector's minds, they were doing the right thing when they left for Sovereign years ago. Joining the forces to fight for the bigger cause was all the hype, but only in the face of utter disaster did they realize that the bonds with those they loved were the only things really worth dying for. Hector chuckled, "And I can't be the only one thinking that this is more than sheer coincidence. I mean, look at you Raeven. You survived a year in this hellhole just to find us against all odds. The gods wouldn't let us leave you if we wanted. So, chica, you with us one hundred percent? Because I promise you, me and Ishigo will have your back," he said with a quick glance to Ishigo. Ishigo nodded and added in, "Never go back on my word, you know how it is."

Raeven felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders as he spoke, reassuring her that they had never meant to leave her behind for good. She smiled a little and nodded. "I missed you guys a lot. Everyone there is so mundane," she said, feeling better now. She took a deep breath and nodded. "I have always been with you for one hundred and ten percent," she said with a smile, looking over each of them again. It was then that she suddenly remembered what she had gathered that day and removed her pouch from her back. "I have something you might like. I found it when I raided a military supply shipment." She pulled the map from her pouch and held it out towards Hector. "Have at it."

Hector took the map and nodded, "Wow... Can't say I'm not impressed," he said as he skimmed over the marked document. Ishigo, whose interest had been piqued by the map, walked over and looked over Hector's shoulder. Hector then nodded and let out a low whistle.

"Raeven you beautiful work of magic you - do you know what this is?!" he said as his eyes widened. Ishigo squinted as he tried to make sense of the map, but he then looked to Raeven, expecting an answer. Raeven shrugged lightly, eyeing the map. "I thought it was a map of areas they were going to attack." Hector laughed and then showed her different markings on the map, "No chica! This is a copy of their patrol routes! Not only that, but look, do you know what that red square is?!" Ishigo's eyes then widened, "By Aeritus... their exit?"

Hector cried out, "YES! WE FOUND THE GATE!"

*not EXACT representations. The shelter is smaller, and much more beautiful, with white structures instead of the dreary blue thingies. Also no flying thingies. But yeah, you get the idea.