[Previous Post]

---

THE WAVES POUNDED the sides of the small, thin white speedboat that sliced across the waters like a possessed knife. Upon it, two figures stared straight ahead, having heard the call of duty in this modern day of warfare. Their combined visage was of one nature: stalwart drives, silent, somber emotions. And a reckoning.

Innocence Island was in danger, and as the huge alchemic pressure directed the blind Hybrid at the helm and the shivering Huntress clutching his left arm, they both knew death was ahead of them.

Ilana Mhori recalled the last few hours carefully, to keep her mind off the bitter cold; before they heard the Call, they'd been chilling at her beach house in Florida, Netflix playing Criminal Minds as she'd laid on the couch, sick to her stomach; he had been cooking for her, that pink apron almost didn't even fit his wide physique. And then their... last mission. It had ended that morning. Against the Body Painter. 'He was just... a kid...'

Something colder than the icy Atlantic winds chilled her spine, but having experienced this enough times already, Ilana endured it.

How could she not?

She glanced up at Ethan Baine, the coloured man having stood relatively still, his large hands grasping the wheel tightly, ever since they had left with such haste. In hindsight, she'd thought it funny how easily Ethan had 'borrowed' the boat, for at the time she'd been busy consoling the owner. And his wallet. In truth, they would have simply gone to a nearby asylum hub to get some help teleporting to Innocence, but they were on their alch-fast, something they did yearly to practice restraint on their alchemy use, as well as challenge each other to invent new ways that suppressed the need for alchemy; powerful methodologies that normal humans couldn't truly comprehend, let alone wield against monsters. Ilana only hoped they'd get there in time.

But at the moment, she could only concern herself with her partner; His substantial, but subdued distress leeched into her psyche, through their link. But she knew better than to probe him about it, as she rarely could soothe him with her own emotions. He shifted his weight towards her; an acknowledgement. 'He notices me so easily...'

"Um..." Ilana muttered, breaking the silence in between the waves. Despite having been partnered for a handful of years, she was still getting used to her partner's demeanor and nuances.

"Hmm?" he noised deeply, pressing on her mind with a crystal clear clarity that made her even more nervous.

She could barely think. Why was that? Maybe she was still feeling ill, albeit she'd stopped coughing and sneezing a few hours ago. She shook her head, hoping he'd disregard her untimely utterance. But of course he did, yet his distress spiked briefly. It alarmed her, stilled her breath. Did she do that? Should she say sorry? Her gaze fell downwards slightly as her nose scrunched up a bit to the left, as it was wont to do when embarrassment splashed across her pores and freckles.

"Wat on yer mind, Illa?" he interrupted gently. 'Thank you.'

"Oh, just... Innocence. Prompt was so urgent, you know?" she replied, looking up at him.

"Mmhmm... she's there too. Pree bad..." Ethan commented.

"Bet Geko's there as well," she smirked.

"Oh, don't even start... ha...damn loli," Ethan joked, causing her to swat him lightly.

Ilana beamed. She made him chuckle. "Game of chicken always piss him off though, remember? Always savin' ya," Ethan went on, reflecting on Geko always saving Ilana when she was in danger.

"Yeah, but only because of your shenanigans. Too many risks..." Ilana countered, scolding him with a squinted gaze and smirk.

"Baby, I don't risks. Y'know that. Always calculated, all scenes plot out, yeah? Always has been," the Sciencer snorted, shaking his head.

She rolled her eyes. "Ah huh..."

"Still be nice, though. Like, raise his spirits, you know? It's a hard marriage," Ethan stated, sighing slightly.

She was moved. "Well, sure, I guess. I mean, yeah he'd love that, I'm sure. But after the mission, okay?" she told him, to which Ethan did not respond.

Ilana sighed with relief. She knew now was not the time for a crazy plan that somehow always worked out. Not when Innocence was danger, when ... the kids. She closed her eyes, the faces of many young ones flashing before her. Looking up, smiling. Frowning. Shocked. In love. Adoration. Inspired. All such were their moods, evident with each nuance of the mouth, eyes, and wrinkles. And she loved each one of them, especially... a very young brunette gazed at her mind's eye. Her mouth soured to a frown. Who was that? No. She remembered. But... was she still there?

Ilana swallowed, feeling like she was forgetting something important amongst the things she did remember. 'Bits...?'

Bits of the water splashed her face, snapping Ilana out of her reverie. She noticed now that storms across the horizon had gathered already, signalling their approach into the Area.

Ethan sped the boat up again. Again? Ilana glanced down at the lever. It'd been at full crank since they started onward, haven't it? Speed alone wouldn't get them to Innocence in time, but she knew Ethan could find shortcuts where nobody else could; in the weather, the waves, micromanaged actions. Plus, it was a beeline after all, and not all parts of the ocean moved at the same speed. So why did he speed up?

"Ethan?" Ilana asked, but then realized the left side of his mouth had curled up.

Unfortunately, she thought nothing of it and let him focus.

---

A few minutes later, Ilana found herself looking around, noticing a few familiar signs regarding the situation that Ethan had put them in; they were in a hurry; people were in danger; they were moving fast; he was in control; they haven't discussed the plan; he was smirking.

Her pupils dilated as her head tilted up, a bodyless sense of numbness encompassing her nerves as though she was a head floating in space.

Ethan was in control.
She was in the dark.
The smirk.
Ethan, was, in, control...

Her head tilted back down now and her nostrils flared as it dawned on her mind, and what he'd said earlier about a game of chicken.

'Uh oh...'

"It on the horizon?" Ethan asked, startling her.

"Uh! Um, yeah... I see it," Ilana replied, nodding quickly.

She focused on the island, almost forgetting her epiphany as she squinted for details. Something. Anything that would indicate its current state. But then Ethan shifted into high gear, the final gear. The boat roared forward with a surge, nearly forcing her back, but he'd held onto her by flexing his arm tightly onto her grasp. This also served to remind her of the game.

The Game.

Ilana bit her lip gently, a sinking feeling of grief starting to anchor her to cold, hard reality - Ethan remained quiet in her mind.

'About time, heh... ah, here comes Denial...' Ethan mused, his plan churning closer to fruition.

'It's nothing. No big deal. Reading into things again. Even if not, he's probably just trying to scare me, win our alch fast... yeah, I'm gonna have a good laugh about this later with him and the crew. Heh, heh... heh... eheh...' her mind raced.

Still, she eyed the lever. Then Ethan. Then the lever again. She knew they had to slow down at some point. They couldn't just crash into the damn island's pier. Maybe he was just preoccupied with haste, and simply forgot. So, she (rather nonchalantly) slipped one hand onto the lever. She simultaneously rubbed her head against his arm, her silken hair tickling him (to no avail).

A dark flash crossed her hand, stinging her as she withdrew her hand and recoiled. Did he just slap her hand? The size of his balls pulled on her sense of gravity. Ilana grabbed the lever this time, all coyness and pretense gone. Again, he slapped her hand away - not enough to truly hurt, she knew he was holding back, but it was enough to make her lose her footing.

"Nope!" Ethan barked, as she teetered backwards in the bouncy boat.

She knew it. He was fucking up to something! Again! Her eyes twisted with a glare as she saw the lever (broken) sailing over her head. A gasp dropped her mouth. Now their course was set. For certain. She sat there, staring up at him.

---

'...and now Anger...' he nodded, as she finally got to her feet.

Ilana swat at the air. "Well, this is just fucking perfect, Ethaniel!" she shouted at him.

She kicked the floor. "Stupid ocean! Stupid speedboat!" she growled.

She threw a bucket out of the boat. "I'm gonna bite someone in their fucking face!" Ilana cried, inhaling another breath.

She whipped her head up and down, her lungs at full power as she reached a feverish pitch.

"Muuuther fucker! MOTHER fucker!" she bellowed, stressing each syllable, "Mother FUCKER! Stupid AMRO!"

As she continued venting her frustration, her toe was stubbed. "Aww fuck! ... FUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!" she screamed in pain.

---

'...followed by Bargainin'...' he smirked lightly.

The island was getting closer. She saw this, knowing she had little time. She clung to his arm, standing up on her toes, trying to get in his line of sight. He hadn't responded to her verbal pleas, so she tried their mental link.

'Ethan, are you there? It's me... Ilana. P-please. Pleeease.. don't do this. I... I promise. N-No more... uh, blowing things out of proportion. And I'll eat when you make food! And, and no nagging. Yeah, I'll give you space! 'kay? Heh... we got a deal?'

"Nupe," Ethan replied out loud.

She broke.

---

'...dere's Depression. Yeeeup.' Ethan thought, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

Ilana bawled uncontrollably, tears streaking down her red cheeks as she grasped the back of Ethan's left leg with both trembling arms. Her hair continued to whip wildly as she pressed her forehead firmly up against his thigh. The roar of the speedboat's engine and the erratic waves clapping them on by could barely drown her out, cutting her off every few seconds. But Ethan would not budge, even as she begged him with nonsensical noises and mewling, her tone switching between lowly groaning to high pitch screeches, and all in between. After a couple minutes, she hushed and sat back on her haunches, her knees and legs forming a W; 'twas the way she once perched as a child that merited scoldings from her guardians.

And 'twas how she felt now before her partner: like a child.

Ethan turned his head, going through the motions of glancing down at her (even though he could see right through his flesh and skull).

"Mm... you a'ight, baby?" he asked calmly.

She didn't answer him, her bangs covering her eyes and lips quivering.

---

After a few minutes, Ilana was now standing there next to him, her face dried and composed. She no longer clutched his arm, simply grasped the railing and looked forward with him. She spoke not a single word, nor did her lovely face, transfixed serenely by the sight of their destination, portray any concern whatsoever.

"You know something-" she finally stated, nodding slowly as her eyes drifted to her right.

'And finally, ... Acceptance,' Ethan smiled proudly.

"-I'm cool with this," Ilana stated with a tranquil voice. "I mean, yeah, I bet Heaven has all the kids we've saved, all the ones we've put down, all happy and waiting for us. No alchemy. No fighting. No speedboats. Right?"

Ethan nodded. "Hey, maybe, huh?"

As Innocence neared closer, Ilana started breathing quickly again, her nostrils blaring loudly. This was it. She understood his plan. He was driving them straight to the greatest source, on boat. A speedy one. That needed water to move, not land.

"You gonna jump first, you know. Mmhmm," Ethan teased her.

"Ethan. I'm not in a good mood right now," Ilana droned.

"You need greater heights, Taj, but you gonna use alchemy?" Ethan pressed on, bristling his partner's fear of... pushing herself harder and harder with aerial maneuvers.

"Ethan... it's just a silly bet... c'mon..." she stated with a sigh.

"Nope. Our way of life, Illa. Why change it? It works," Ethan nodded.

They were going to die. She knew this now. The man was insane. Why hadn't she capped him already? Asylums were supposed to take down their partners when they succumb to Insanadiction. She was clearly breaking protocol.

"Receive my soul, Adonai, I await your loving embrace..." Ilana prayed softly, feeling the weight of her pending death.

"Hey! Ain't got time to die, fuck," Ethan hissed at her when suddenly the entire island seemed to have exploded.

Even Ethan could see it, and as Ilana cried out in surprise, covering her eyes, he simply stared ahead, trying to grasp what just happened. He'd felt an alchemic drive that nearly fried his mind, but it hadn't come from the pressure source he'd been trailing.

"WHAT'D YOU DO?" Ethan roared at Ilana, his teeth bared.

"Wh-what? I-" she protested with confusion as she held on tightly to him.

"-YOU PISSED OFF GOD!" he spat, driving like a mad man as he veered sharply to the right.

"Ethan, stop! What you doing, it's still there I can see-" she pleaded.

"-Water! The fucking water!!" Ethan shouted, his face a complete grimace.

Ilana's eyes went wide as she realized the gap around the island where the water had been... was now filling, and pushing out an island-shaped tsunami all away from Innocence.

It was coming right toward them, picking up height and speed.

---

Fortunately, Ethan had a plan. He always did. He quickly explained to Ilana through their link that tsunamis were not one wave, but several, all of which was called a wave train. The smaller waves broke apart over time, and even go in the opposite direction of the initial wave build up, back towards Innocence. She understood that part, of course. It made sense. Of course they still had to dodge the main one, but she didn't grasp why the smaller waves were important to him.

It was a close shave, and even Ethan felt they weren't going to make it. It was actually fairly trivial to bypass the main wave, but it was still a sight to behold: like a giant claw raking out of the ocean as it went past them. Ilana could barely think as Ethan navigated close to it, chasing one of the smaller waves as they broke apart and gained height. She couldn't see how they were going to 'catch' one, but she was confident that his little scheme was going to prove her right. That failure was possible, even in his master plans.

Then... the water below the speedboat began to pick them up, pushing up higher and higher. And Ilana gave up. It was stupid to argue with Ethan when Nature seemed to be on his side.

So Team Mischief Maven sailed towards Innocence, on a speedboat atop a mini tsunami that was powered by black balls of steel.

---

As Maeve and Kiara renewed their assault on the Vile, and the rest of the young asylums have gathered, in their own ways, a large shadow flew over them as a tidal wave washed on by past the beach. The sound of a roaring engine split the air. If they'd look up, they'd see a single man standing atop the helm, bracing himself for impact. Another figure would catch their eye, perhaps - a small lady with wild hair and fearlessness forced into her eyes. She landed in a tree, disappearing from sight.

But the man, now he waited til the last moment as the speedboat was about to crash upon the Vile's head.

Ethan's body contorted as he rolled off, impacting the ground and rolling some more. His momentum brought him towards the Chrono, but then he uncurled and skidded slightly into a kneeling position a couple yards away from her. The remnant of force brought him to a stand, onto his tiptoes as he then maintained his balance and stood at attention. With his back to the motorboated Vile, a gold emblem on a cigar shimmered with light as he brought it to his mouth.

"I win," Ethan announced (to Ilana, despite facing everyone else).

Then the speedboat exploded, too. Of course it did. Flaming shrapnel encroached on the teams' safety, but only a bit of it landed on the black man's shoulder, which he helped himself to.

Lighting his cigar, then brushing off the shrapnel, Ethan turned towards Julie, his hands on his hips. "Hey boss," he nodded, bowing ever so slightly.

Ilana slid down the side of a tree, pulling twigs and leafy bits out of her hair. She sauntered towards Ethan and Julie, past the group of asylums as she glanced at a few of them. Her facial expression stated only one simple fact: she had no fucks left to give. Nope, not a single one.

"Hey, Taj, you so jumpy today," Ethan greeted her with a half-grin.
"Shut. Up," Ilana enunciated with a scowl.

[Next Post]

AJ observed the others quietly as they all entered the room and saw the condition the woman was in. While one of them rushed to the woman's aid, AJ stood frozen in place as he looked from the rubble and the mangled woman. Although the boy's facial expression was unbroken, his eyes wasn’t something the boy had enough experience to skillfully cover up as the realization of what he signed up for started to sink in. This wasn't just another dangerous learning experience here at Innocence. Was the knowledge of learning more about Viles firsthand worth the price of reaching the final destination at a much sooner age? They were all at a disadvantage but even more so was he just on the basis of physical abilities.

"No. Kid,"

Breaking out of the trance he was in, AJ gave a slight nod towards the woman. They needed every person they could gather to help and this seemed to be the best option. Rushing towards the injured woman the boy reached out to lend the others a hand but before making contact, jerked his hand back. The nearly stoic expression the boy held up to this point was broken as a wave of panic washed over him. His hands would be contaminated from the blood and grime that covered the woman and it wouldn’t take long before it seeps deep into his clothes and contaminate the rest of his body. He could incinerate his clothes later on but the contaminants would still be all over him.

But mother wouldn't be happy if she learned she raised a coward. I can’t panic now…

Taking a few deep breaths to compose himself, AJ used that time to compose what he would say before quickly whispering out a quick chant. A light glimmer engulfed his body before dissipating. Although the kneejerk reaction the boy held moments before was starting to get under control, apprehension was still evident as he helped Omar.

“Let’s go.”

Innocence Docks

Bits and her brother were in and out of the armory in moments, with a plasma rifle for her and a smaller plasma pistol for him. Neither thought getting in melee range was a good idea for this battle. If the Vile could go up against a Chrono and hold its own, what chance did they have? From the armory, the pair hurried to the dock. Dancer reported that a few students had responded, and of those, a few older ones had volunteered to help scour the buildings for survivors and send them to the dock. Already there was a handful gathered near the boathouse, various levels of fear on their faces. “Come on, let's start getting the boats out!” Sparks called. Only a couple were actually in the water, and Bits was heading for those, to remove the tarps and organize getting students aboard.

Between the lot of them, they'd gotten a couple boats filled and started off away from the island when suddenly the ocean around them exploded. The color drained from Bits' face – had she helped the others away only to have them caught in this unexpected disaster? But no, as her vision cleared from the flash she could see the boats were untouched, though it looked like a couple students had cast shields to defend the vessels. Still, the water was all but boiling now, and the resulting waves were going to be difficult to navigate. She couldn't do much for them that they couldn't do themselves, though, and the ones in the boats were in a better position to handle it. She needed to worry about those still on shore. After all, there were going to be waves coming in, and while she wished she wouldn't need to use alchemy, mundane means just weren't going to cut it.

Bits signaled her brother, who nodded his understanding, before she headed to the edge of the dock. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. She could see the movement farther out that indicated a larger wave closer to shore. She didn't need to stop the wave, just redirect it a little. As the wave gained height, she slowly swept her hands to the side, turning the wave. It bypassed them, though the dock rocked with its passing. The next one she turned aside as well, but the third...it was huge, and far broader than the others. It would take more energy to shunt aside than just split. Bits braced herself, and the moment before it hit, she thrust her hands forward in a wedge. The water responded, breaking into two waves that soared past to either side. She turned to watch it pass.

Wait, what was-- was it a boat? And the figure dropping from it, was that...Ilana? The person still in the boat sure looked like Ethan. The pair had incredible timing, but Bits had a job of her own to focus on, so she turned her gaze back to the ocean, and any more incoming waves big enough to endanger the boats and the students that were still on land.

Location: ???
Cameron

Cameron might be more naïve than most of his peers, but he wasn’t entirely oblivious. The further Joux led him away from the blow out shell of his former school building the more worried Cams became. He was certain that most instructors would be searching for survivors or helping to evacuate as many students as possible, but Joux was doing just the opposite. And, to make things even more suspicious, his instructor seemed to know exactly where he was headed. Cams frowned, as his mind offered several possibilities: a) Joux was retreating from some impending disaster, b) Joux was investigating how the creature appeared or c) Joux knew who created that monster and he intended to confront that person.

Since the instructors would generally sacrifice themselves before allowing the students to be harmed, Cams felt it was reasonable to eliminate (a) from the list. And since he lacked any evidence to prove either (b) or (c), the boy felt he should continue trailing Joux so as to gather more evidence. He certainly didn’t want to make any false accusations against a man who was greatly admired and respected by most of the staff.

Still, though, the very thought of carrying out his self-assigned mission left Cams feeling very uneasy, because he knew he’d never stand a chance against Joux if this escalated into a one-on-one confrontation. No, he reminded himself. He’d still have to go through with this no matter what. The monster had killed so many people and injured even more people, so if Mr. Vulair was responsible, he’d want to take him down. With his mind made up, Cams moved even faster, as his eyes burned with a new found determination.

Eventually,Joux came to a stop at a steep cliff where Ben attempted suicide earlier. However, unlike the student who had been turned into a Vile, the man didn’t have any desire to throw himself head first over the edge. Instead, he accessed a hidden elevator. Cameron felt his curiosity peak again and not in a good way. Prison overseer? His eyes widened a little. There was a prison here?! He panicked for a bit at the thought of potentially dangerous criminals being held captive beneath his very feet. Again, the opportunity to run away presented itself and Cams rejected it. No, he still didn’t have any conclusive evidence about Joux’s innocence or guilt. In fact, it was also very possible that Joux had hurried here to make sure that the prisoners remained locked away despite the havoc happening above ground.

Silently cursing his curiosity, Cams took two steps back and ran towards the descending lift. He braced himself and aimed for the roof. The boy felt the wind pushed out of his lungs as his entire body slammed down on the cool metallic surface. Realizing that this might be dangerous, Cams flattened himself as much as possible against the roof and prayed hard that he didn’t end up a bloody patch or an electrocuted corpse.

The slow descend proved to be uneventful. It was a small boon for the timid boy, who continued lying on top of the lift long after it stopped. Panic, blind panic, was welling up inside his small body, as reality set in. He was here all alone in a dark almost airless space. He was …. Cams scrunched his eyes and gripped his head tightly between his hands. Dark space, not small. Just dark, he kept chanting inside his head, as he fought hard to prevent his claustrophobia incapacitate him. He, if he let it take over, all that effort would go to waste. It would be no different if he ran away when he had the chance. Inhale, exhale, inhale.

Time seemed to tick on indefinitely before the boy’s eyes snapped open. Although he wasn’t completely in control yet, Cams felt confident enough to try and cast. He was distinctively aware that the drive wasn’t stable at the moment, but this was a risk he had to take. He needed to check on Joux; he needed to learn the truth. Taking one final deep breath, the boy moved his lips to mouth the words from the Szymborska poem he used earlier. It was the only poem he knew that captured the essence of the very cast he was attempting – phasing. A pleasing warmth cloaked him and the heat seeped deeper under his skin with each repetition of the chosen stanza. The unyielding metal plate began feeling like a soft mattress he could sink in and, before long, Cams found himself sitting on the floor of the elevator. Safe, whole and very sore. The teen struggled to get to his feet then hobbled out of the lift.

He stood there with mouth gaping as his innocent eyes got used to the menacing red light that bathed the entire area that could easily pass as Lucifer’s domain. Standing here right now at the very center of the paths that ran in the four main cardinal directions, Cameron felt weak at the knees. Whoever was here was terrible enough for AMRO to hush their very existence. The teen began backing away slowly. He wanted to dart into the lift and return to the surface. Forget everything here. He was but one step away from his new haven, when a voice echoed throughout the area.

"This world has no idea what is about to be unleashed upon it. The time of Asylums.....of A.M.R.O is over."

Cams eeped loudly, as he slipped and landed firmly on his bum. His eyes wide with horror as he stared at Joux and the figure behind. He gulped. His eyes met his instructor’s and he knew there was no use pretending anymore. Shakily, Cameron stood up. He hesitated at the first, but he grew a little more confident with each step he took. He walked about a quarter of the way towards Joux, when he finally built up enough courage to stop. To defy the unspoken command to come forward. “Mr. Vulair,” the student asked in a trembling voice. “What’s happening?”

----------------------------------------



Collab by @Grif of Hearts. @Kirra and @Ryver et Rhine

Location: Aquarium - aka Fish Tank Area in the Armory
Omari, Alistair, Vail and AJ

Vail's consciousness was fleeting. She heard screaming and saw flashes of light, only for her senses to fade and return moments later. Hands grabbed and tugged at her numb body, dragging her up from the ground, but every touch was a dagger that set her skin alight with pain. She wanted to open her mouth to scream and clench her fists to fight, but she could hardly move. Vail struggled against whatever bound her, but as her vision returned and she looked down, nothing held her... but her limbs were sprawled out, skin and flesh torn and burned, almost unrecognisable as the last remnants of alchemy that pumped through her system kept her awake. She slowly fought against the pain and frailty to raise both of her hands, gauntets still wrapped tightly around them. The metal was twisted and broken, a soft trail of steam from her burned skin seeping from between the gaps. They had shredded her hands, digging deep through muscle and bone, and her hands were missing fingers and soaked with blood.

Over the sounds of screaming and chaos Vail heard one voice close to her ear. It was soft, unusually calm. "It is okay, sweetheart," it said. A shape appeared above her, shadowed and indistinct. It looked at her and she looked back at it. It opened its mouth and spoke with the same voice. "Just look at me. You are going to be fine. Just stay calm, dear, and we will get you to safety, I promise."

The woman flailed weakly in response. She felt her body carried further, until it was placed all too roughly on a cold floor. "We need to remove the metal from her hands, or the healing process will not be clean."

Vail pulled her head up again, blurred vision focusing on the feeling of hands around her wrists. The figure, along with another, grabs at her hands until they too felt like they were on fire. She saw them tug at her gauntlets, wrenching metal from her tender flesh with a mixture of alchemy and brute force. She wanted to scream as her skin was torn, the pain almost unbearable. Some of the metal could not be removed so easily, the heat of the Vile's blast so hot that it had melted her gauntlets, welding itself to her skin, but the strangers still worked on her hands mercilessly, cutting away at the molten metal even if it meant cutting through skin and muscle. It was pure agony, and there was nothing she could do.

Forcing a limb body into the (lovingly nicknamed) fish tank was harder than it had been with the stiff dummy that most alchemists had trained first aid on. Vail was a tall girl, all muscle and curves, and even then weighed far more than she looked. Thankfully between three of them, Omar, AJ, and Alistair, they managed to fit her into the glass tube. Once her skin came into contact with inner walls, the door sealed with loud pneumonic hiss. Her body spasmed in pain as her skin touched the sponge-like surface of the walls, but settled down soon after.

The woman only saw a few glimpses of the world around her as the doors sealed, locking her within some kind of dark contraption. A thick, viscous liquid began to pool at her limb feet, slowly climbing up her body. It stung, but that pain was quickly replaced by a blissful numbness that spread up her body. She found it more difficult to stay awake, especially as the liquid came up to her chest, and she limply brought a hand up to the glass of the chamber.

A hand on the other side met hers, and the two held still for a moment. Vail opened her mouth to speak, but the liquid flood into her lungs, and she began to cough violently. Over her coughing she could hear the figure speak. The voice was familiar and comforting.

"Rest easy, Vail, my dear. Rest and you will heal, I promise," the voice said. It paused, and perhaps for the first time she heard a tremble in its voice as it spoke again. "I lo-"

Vail's mind left her before she heard the figure finish.

Alistair sighed, his hand leaving the surface of the tank and clenching into a fist, which he quickly slipped into his trouser pocket. A timer lit up on the outside of the tank and, almost painfully slowly, the numbers ticked towards zero. Omar tilted his head as he looked at it, somewhat surprised by the readings.

“Twenty… Twenty minutes?” He asked out loud. That wasn’t very long considering how battered the female Asylum looked. He shrugged. “I guess you and her can catch up pretty soon.”

"She is strong," Alistair replied. "She is skilled at using alchemy to accelerate her healing, even without a conscious effort. Her wounds were probably knitting themselves back together even before we placed her in the tank."

His voice was calm and collected once more, although he was still clearly uneased. No signature smile nor spring in his step. The sight of Vail had sickened him to the core... she probably had no idea what a sight she was in, but the burns and injuries were severe. Alistair hardly recognised her. She had come so close to death... The man rested a hand on his stomach to settle himself, but the front of his blazer was soaked in blood. As were most of his clothes, in fact. He sighed and wiped his hands on the scarlet red handkerchief in his breast pocket, stuffed it back in unneatly, and stepped forwards.

"You should move quickly though, children, lest the Vile decide to make us its next prey. I will wait here with Vail until she has recovered. As quickly as you can now, and only take what you require."

"Okay." AJ said with a slight nod and turned towards Omar. “Are you coming or what?”

"I will stay behind and wait for Miss Hyson to return to full health. We shall be fine here, but you must go, quickly."

There was no offer for him and AJ to stay behind and wait. The rest have gone and Omar didn’t want to be left behind, because that meant he’d be left alone with the images branded into his mind. Even now, whenever he closed his dry eyes to moisten them, the boy could still see the bodies scattered among the twisted beams and broken slabs of concrete. He recognized some of them – friends, classmates, teachers and even people staying in the same dorm. All of them dead. A sense of melancholy filled him briefly, but Omar stubbornly shunted it to one side when he heard AJ speak. "Go? Without weapons? No way!"

Still shaking his head at the impatience AJ showed, the older student walked over to a tall rack and pulled down a rifle that looked manageable enough for the kid. He wafted it about then tossed it towards AJ. “Catch! Now wait a bit. It's my turn.”

Another rifle was pulled from the rack. Alistair held it somewhat awkwardly, not comfortable with such a large weapon, but held it tightly regardles. "Hmm, perhaps giving you something to defend yourself would be wise. But please, be quick. I refuse to let anything happen to you two while you are under my watch."

A small smile crept onto AJ’s face as his eyes pored over the weapons in the room. If the threat of the Vile wasn’t present the boy would have loved to spend hours in that room to go through every single piece of equipment and learning the ins and outs of each but listening to Alistair’s suggestion, AJ searched for more items to add to his arsenal.

“Oh wow, what a beauty.” AJ mumbled as he picked up a grenade launcher. The gun was modified to be compact and more closely resembled a handgun than a rifle but the boy knew it would still give quite the recoil given his size but it would get the job done to compensate for his size and how far he would be able to throw a grenade. As an afterthought, the boy grabbed a dagger that fit snuggly on his belt. He didn’t see himself getting close enough to the Vile to actually use it but it was better to be safe than sorry with a familiar and favored piece of equipment

Omar studied the rest of the weapons, considering the weight and the length of each carefully, before he choose what he assumed to be a "plasma" rifle given that it had this weird adjustable knob at the side. How it worked didn't matter as much, because what he liked about this beauty was that it was a comfortable length and size for him. Every small advantage was a huge bonus right now, considering that the Chrono was barely keeping toe to toe with the Vile. He was about to walk off, when his eyes fell on pair of futuristic-looking black gloves that had tiny circles and lines running from finger tip to wrist. "Check this out!" He exclaimed loudly, holding up the said curiosity for Alistair and AJ to see. "I don't care whose it is. I found it and I'm keeping it," he declared with childish glee.

He rubbed the smooth velvety material between his fingers before slipping the gloves on as gently as possible. However, when both sides were worn, Omar felt the cloth shrinking round the cuffs and stretching slightly over his knuckles, as if the cloth was moulding to fit his hands. He twitched his fingers experimentally, marveling at how the slightly oversized gloves were now a perfect. Lifting one hand up, the boy flexed his fingers and a small current passed through his skin, earning a sharp gasp from him. Omar shook began flapping the hand towards himself in a violent fanning motion and his actions caused a black metallic boomerang to leap into his hand. "What the ....?" He gasped, as he stared at it.

Gradually, his eyes lit up as he realized something. He was positive the weapon leaped into his hand earlier when he was moving his hands about wildly. So was this boomerang thing controlled by the gloves? His response to that thought was to toss the curved weapon as far as he could and then twitched his fingers to beckoned it towards him. The v-shaped metal plate switched direction mid flight and returned into Omar's hands. Yup, this was definitely a keeper along with that badass looking rifle he found earlier. Still not entirely satisfied with his stash, the student walked about from shelf to shelf grabbing random objects which he returned soon after.

The two novices wasted a lot more time than anticipated. A simple weapon restock that took a good ten minutes for an Asylum two years in the field took AJ and Omar close to thirty minutes even with Alistair's help, although he perhaps spent less time helping and more time telling them that they needed to hurry. Omar, in particular, oscillated between several guns, picking and replacing each one in turn before deciding his plasma gun and boomerang were enough. Needless to say by the time they were ready to leave, Alistair was standing by the door, missing their group was their fourth and final member who in a liquid stasis.

Alistair brought his hand up to the glass screen, wiping away the condensation that shielded his view of the inhabitant, who he could only see as a vague silhouette. As he brought his hand across the tank hissed as liquid began to seep from the sides, draining the internal chamber. He stepped back and the doors pulled open, and the figure inside fell to the ground. Alistair swepped in to catch her, but she caught herself, landing on her hands and knees on the rubble-covered floor, coughing and spluttering, desperate for breath.

The woman was soaked through, her clothes sticking to her skin with the strange, thick healing liquid that filled the tank and now soaked the floor. Alistair hesitantly brought a hand to her back, patting her as she coughed up the remnants of the fluid and took in a deep breath of air, the first she had had in nearly half an hour.

He looked her over and smiled. Her skin, where it was exposed from her torn and burned clothes, had healed. Thin, white scars lined her body where wounds had once been, and while her more serious injuries had yet to heal fully, they were clearly near to full repair. Her bones had forced themselves back into her body and realligned. Her hands still looked particularly mangled, still missing a finger on her right hand and now covered in endless pale scars, but she was alive.. and judging by how violent she coughed, stronger than Alistair could have expected her to be so soon.

"That's it, pet. Catch your breath," he said, rubbing her back softly. He brougth his hands up to his jacket and, although it was still frayed and lined with blood, would have to do. He pulled it off of himself and gently wrapped it around Vail. "I hate to rush you but we haven't much time. We need to move."

The woman pushed herself upwards, resting just on her knees and falling back, putting all of her weight on her legs. She struggled to focus her vision and every motion made her entire body feel sore... but she was alive. She remembered feeling angry, then scared, but her mind was foggy. "W-what happened?" Vail asked, looking up slowly to Alistair who fell down onto his knees to meet her at eye level.

He pressed a kiss on her forehead. "You were hurt, but you are fine now, I promise. Now please, we need to leave."

----------------------------------------

Location: Cliffside
Omari, Alistair, Vail and AJ
Allies: Kiara and Maeve

The four sprinted out the building and urged themselves to run even faster now that they were outside. Vail supported herself on Alistair who helped move her forwards as she struggled under her own weight, but they were moving swiftly.

Seconds ago they had felt the island tremble. The older Asylums had explained it was likely the Chrono and they left it at that. Amongst the rubble and the wreckage in the distance they could hardly see what was happening, but Chronos were strong, and Pendulum knew that they would have a response ready for such a dangerous monster. The pace they were forcing the boys to run at meant only one thing though; the Chronos were not winning, and the continued shakes of the ground beneath they feet only lended credibility to the theory. Gradually, the densely packed trees thinned around them and, after they broke through bush, they spotted Maeve and Kiara up ahead. The red haired woman held two knives in her hands clearly waiting for the opportunity to dive in. Kiara, on the other hand, wasted no time in firing an explosive round. Shadowy tendrils sprung up shortly after and they nudging the shot to keep it on a steady course towards the intended target.

The two younger Asylums stared unsure how to follow up. Things had seemed much simpler during their field simulationcir. Way too simple compared to their current enemy. Omar swallowed a bit then nudged AJ gently. "What you waiting for?" He teased, hoping the cheeriness would ease their tension somewhat. "We can't stand here and do nothing."

"And we will not stand here doing nothing," Alistair replied. "Vail, my dear, how well can you hold this gun?" he asked, handing her the rifle gently.

Vail smiled. "Just give me something to lean against and tell me when to shoot."

The two propped the woman against a large tree. She winced as she leaned against it, hissing under her breath, but she was steady and stable. She brought the rifle up, pointing it towards the Vile who had now come into line of sight.

Alistair's smile now mimicked hers. "Now, children, come closer. I am going to focus my alchemy to assist you three, but I am leaving the responsibility of protecting the others to you. I have faith in you, and I promise that we will leave her fully in tact."

He did his best to comfort the younger, soon to be Asylums. He honestly had no idea what their success rate was like. He was hardly an expert on Viles, and only knew that they were exceptionally powerful, capable of standing toe to toe with a Chrono and having no qualms with delving completely into the power that came from full madness... but seeing other Asylums doing their best to bring it down, there was no way he could leave them. He brought his hands up and focused on the minds of AJ, Omar, and Vail. Vail came swiftly and she accepted the influence, having felt it before, but for Omar and AJ it would be an alien and unusual presence. It was not forced on them, but the ethereal voice of Alistair echoed through their minds.

"Follow your instincts. My alchemy will guide your hand, I promise."

Alistair turned to face the Vile, his eyes glistening with faint alchemy. He could see the world differently now as alchemy took over his senses. He saw vectors and trajectories. He saw actions before they happened, how each action would result, and what might be the best cause of action. Vail, AJ, and Omari would now see it too, how each action had a reaction, and how best to play with the system and use it to their advantage. Time seemed to slow, as if decisions they had to make in moments could now be made in minutes, and the fierce, fast paced battlefield could be seen with a bit more clarity.

Vail pulled the trigger of her plasma rifle, and a stream of cracking purple energy shot towards the Vile with supernatural accuracy.

"Woah that ... it's weird." was Omar's first raction to the boost they received from Alistair. "Like cool weird." He added after as he watched the bullets leave wispy trails behind as they flew towards the Vile in slow mo. Even the slightest movement by his allies left a translucent trace of themselves that gradually fade away. He flexed his fingers experimentally, summoning his boomerang towards him, and the same thing happened. He could see the ghostly traces left by his fingers and the boomerang as they moved around. "But thanks! I could get use to this."

Out of pure instinct the younger student recoiled away from the Asylum's influence as he made his presence known to them. However as his thoughts and rationale caught up to him and the boy recognized that the man wasn't being intrusive, AJ slowly started to ease up on barring Alistair away. The hesitation the boy held lingered but slowly started to melt away as the boy became more intrigued on what exactly the man was doing. Lifting up his rifle, AJ shot off three quick rounds in succession to test out this new aid he was given and watched as all three shots hit the target.

“This will work out nicely.” Although the monotonous nature returned ever since the group dropped Vail off in the tank, there was a hint of approval in the boy's voice as he took aim again. Instead of focusing on the Vile, the boy saw something else a tad bit more perplexing as he watched a boat sail through the air and collided with the Vile. “Well I guess that is one way to made a grand enterance. ” AJ muttered after watching the boat explode.

Omar was slighter in front of AJ at the time Mischief Maven was about to make their debut. He was about to take a shot at the Vile, when he noticed a shift in wind speed and gravity. The numbers were accelerating and, while it was tempting to remain where he was and take that clean shot, his brain yelled for him to retreat. And fast! So that's what he did, sprinting and leaping backwards, as he tried to look for that "thing" closing in on them. Finally, he pulled to a stop when he was two steps behind AJ. "Who in world!" He shouted in shock as a speed boat burst through the trees.

Who indeed? The boy wondered, as he watched an extremely tall black man drive the both on a kamikaze course towards the thing. With Alistair's "help" still in effect, Omar managed to enjoy the whole action sequence in fine detail. Everything so well choreographed that it felt like a watching a professional stunt man at work. That's why Omar gave a loud, boisterous whoop to show how much he approved of the "entrance" before trying to get AJ to sound less detached. "Grand entrance? AJ, that was practically Hollywood. Like BOOM!" He gestered excitedly with his arms going round and round. "It's cool in the flesh. Whoever he is, he's just COOOOL!"

[Previous Post]

---

'Those two...' Julie thought, taking in the image of team Mischief Maven with a rather despondent smile.

Pleasantries would have to wait until later – if there even was a 'later.' Despite Ethan's constant dicking around, the Chrono and her husband understood him well enough; Underneath all that jovial demeanor coiled a strict, calculating mind of utter seriousness. Ilana would have to keep remembering that, Julie knew. That scowl in hunter's eyes proved it. Perhaps Ethan had gotten her worked up, knowing what was ahead.

The Chrono glanced at Vail, Alistair, and Omari, then AJ, Kiara and Maeve as her brow furrowed. Their attacks, combined with the speedboat tactic, managed to grant them a minute respite from the Vile. 'This won't be enough,' she thought, taking advantage in order to brief Ethan and Ilana, and address their mental inquiries.

'But… is hope a stranger to me?'

Julie locked eyes with Ilana and Ethan's odd glasses. Discipline fell into place as their personal affiliations were soldiered away.

'Keep the Vile at bay. If you can,' Julie telepathed to them, allowing the other six to listen in.
'Yeh, you got it, hon,' Ethan replied, missing the memo on personal affiliations.
'Understood, ma'am,' Ilana nodded, cringing inwardly at her partner.
'Because I'm going to prepare for my Exceed,' Julie continued, glancing at the fiery carnage behind them.

'And put that stogie away!' The Chrono hissed at Ethan, causing him to nearly drop it out of his mouth.
'Yah, ain't heard no fat lady!' he snapped to attention, which excited Ilana; her hairs even bristled.

Julie then locked eyes with Alistair and Vail – the only other bonafide Asylums in this battle. The ground beneath her shoes rose, bringing her up onto some kind of hardened earthen pillar, about 3 meters high. A firm mental grip reassured their minds, impressing upon them the sheer weight of Ethan and Ilana's years of experience; that they should simply follow their lead without question. The chain of command established, she then knelt, the tips of her fingers touching the ground beside her for balance. Her eyes closed as she loosed a sigh pass her chapped lips. It was nothing personal, but it was difficult to trust them all . . .

Inspired by Julie's rising pillar, the Sciencer smirked. 'We gonna do a Meteor-Cracker,' Ethan said to Ilana and Julie's minds, the latter merely nodding whilst the former perspired with a bit of trepidation.

'With a delay, yes?' Ilana asked him, to which he nodded.

That was all she needed to know – Grimacing, Ilana burst off her feet with a clenched fist and gritted teeth, her entire body nearly gliding like a razor across the burning grass towards the Vile's regenerating mass. Her partner had to take a step back to avoid falling into a crevice she'd left. But it didn't bother him none. He was Ethan.

No sooner than when she'd darted out, the Sciencer pulled a motem of his own, by raising his right hand towards the two asylums and four students, as well as hipping at them with his right hip. Six red lasers, barely seen except through bits of dust in the air, extended from tiny devices on each of his fingers (and hip) and made contact with their bodies somewhere – be it forehead, hand, chest, crotch, etc.

And in that moment, time seemed to have snailed down to slowly ticking milliseconds; Ilana's fist a few inches away from the Vile . . .


"Here we go!" Ethan shouted, brandishing a Wily Ringer in one hand and his Aegis in the other.

Ilana bounced back, her shoes skidding roughly against the ground a few feet away from her partner. Her face, bloodied and bruised, stained what remained of her tank-top (her black, lacy bra showed through). Her eyes had spiraled into pure determination and grit, so the feeling of shame no longer mattered.

"That thing's really fuckin' gropey!" she spat, causing Ethan to smirk as he dashed towards the screaming Vile.

She could not believe the strength and speed of this Vile; her skill level was trivial. Everyone's were... and the only thing she could do was...

Flee.

That was it. She could barely mount an attack, but that had been the point: while Ethan had ingrained his battle plan into everyone's head, her entire situation with a Vile had been a contrast in front of them, just to show how certainly pointless it was to engage it head on, alone. The only way to mount an attack was to pass the torch onto others, all while running away . . .

She caught her breath, glancing at the group under their command, before leaping into the air . . . just as the Vile slammed Ethan into the ground with outstretched arms and claws . . . the Hybrid carefully rolled away, coming to a kneeling position as the Vile prepared to charge him like a rhino.

---

At the pier

Bits and Sparks had been dealing with the chaos of the evacuation. Fortunately, it was almost over - the last remnant of survivors ushered onto the docks mercilessly. To that point, an old nanny, wizened by years of asylum child training, held a 9yo mulatto girl and a 10yo Mexican boy by the hand. She was trying to be careful, to guide them into the boats since all other entries had been blocked. She attempted to slip past a group of teens, but she panicked and lost her footing. Her pince nez flew off as she cracked her head. The boy fell to his feet, about to be trampled by another group of kids.

But the girl screamed, her body hurling towards the water. As a last moment of desperation, a pink yoyo slipped out of her hand, in an attempt to snag the rigging on the dock. But it was to no avail.

Her eyes caught Sparks' at the last second, before a wave Bits was trying to control consumed her.

Tossing, turning, lungs filling, only one thought remained: 'Daddy . . . I'm sorry . . .'

[Next Post]

Innocence Docks

The evacuation was going as smoothly as could be expected, given the circumstances. Sparks tried to keep the other students from pushing as much as he could. “Come on, everyone, keep it orderly. No shoving,” he called, as he helped slide yet another boat into the water. He held it steady as students started to scramble aboard. “Easy now, don't tip over the boat. It won't do anyone any good then!” he cautioned. The press of students eased a little once the boat was full and he shoved it away from the dock. “Get rowing,” he told those aboard. “Put as much distance between you and the island as you can.” A few of the older students nodded and took up the oars as Sparks turned to help the next clump of students dragging yet another boat from storage.

As a result, he saw the nanny go down, along with the boy, and the girl slip off the dock. “Bits!” he called, not in a position to do anything to help the one in the water. Instead he angled himself through the press to the two still on the dock. “Back up, guys, don't trample anyone,” he called over the noise of frightened students. He arrived at the side of the pair in time to keep them from serious injury, helping the older woman up first. “There you go, on your feet. You too, kiddo, up you go.”

Bits heard more than saw the girl fall into the water, followed by her brother's shout. He couldn't get to the child. She had her hands full with the waves, though they were starting to lessen. Still, they were strong enough to pull the girl under and start dragging her out to sea. “Can't have that,” she thought to herself. ”Not while I'm here, not when I'm already working the water.” The woman shunted a wave threatening the docks to the side, before circling one hand around and around. The ocean responded, spinning around where the child had fallen. With a scooping motion, the sea surged upwards, depositing the girl on the dock again. Another quick sweep of a hand and the water in her lungs was pulled out. And then Bits had to turn her full attention back to the waves, steering another one clear of the boat that had just launched.

Sparks made it to the young girl's side soon after she was returned to land. “We gotcha, kid, you're gonna be alright.” He'd seen his sister clear out the child's lungs, so all that was left was making sure she was okay.

The last thing that drowning young girl remembered was pure hatred; a gross roiling within her stomach that conjured up bile. She’d sensed Bits’ alchemic drive spike, the water-manipulation washing over her body, purging her lungs, saving her. Yet in that moment came another reason for the sheer contempt the child held for her own limits. A love for water, the ocean, the sea breeze… What a connection, what a line… what a …

String.

‘No!’ she scolded herself, using Sparks’ touch to snap her out of it.

The girl’s awareness of her own hydrophobia settled beneath Sparks’ words, making her forget the immediate surroundings. A faint blush, even in the chaos, tinged her cheeks. Her torso turned away, breaking her gaze, but it was only the lesson of gratitude that immediately brought her back to eye-contact with him. She nodded her thanks, feeling the ground beneath her bum anchoring her to reality. But as she stood shakily to her feet with the older boy’s help, an odd presence (or lack thereof) reeled her attention to her right hand.

‘My yoyo?’ she thought, noting the loop had vacated her finger.

Some other young child might cry, wail, perhaps even beat the air over losing a toy, even at a time like an evacuation. Loss was a fact of life, a fact she knew rather well already. The girl pursed her lips to the side, relinquishing the possession and archiving the resolve to rebuild another one later. But then, a memory surfaced; a brief one yet prominent, for it was said that all acts start with a memory. And all of hers started with simply him.

Her father; a male; a dominant presence; the phenomenon known as Ethaniel Baine.

She glanced at Sparks’, feeling awkward for the silence outside her grudging thoughts. He was fighting, she could sense it. Her connection with him was so strong, so intimate, that a kind of pain caressed her chest and legs as quite a distance away, the Vile trashed him and the others with impunity. She scolded herself again, her own alchemic drive flaring up and embarrassing her; it was so hard to refrain from doing something that was natural for you. One does not truly realize the gravity of the trial until it was attempted. And for her, using alchemy was less a trial and more a mundane occurrence like breathing the air; speaking her will; moving with purpose.

Purpose. The girl seized it.

She met Sparks’ amber-brown eyes with her own green pupils. “I will not forget you,” she told him with authority, her undeveloped tone void of any distinctive womanly traits.

And there, her courage fell flat. Afraid that a conversation would emerge, she walked pass him, clutching her elbows with opposing hands. But the strangeness of her words already bit into her, so she scrambled for a parting phrase; some kind of goodbye that was meaningful. What would her father say?

“Until the Next,” she smiled at him sweetly with a wave, the full meaning of her father’s phrase weaseling out from underneath her comprehension.

Sparks’ eyebrows shot up at that familiar farewell, but he didn’t have time to dwell on whether it was coincidence or something more. He glanced at the boat that was now full, then looked back at the boathouse with a sigh. “Here, kid, come with me,” he said suddenly. Sure, children tended to bounce back quickly, but he wanted to keep an eye on the girl for a little longer, just in case. “What’s your name? I’m Sparks, and that’s my sister Bits over there.” He pointed.

The mulatto girl indulged Sparks’ wishes, following closely. She strained to listen as she fought back a shiver. Sparks? Bits? Her green eyes narrowed to pinpoints, then she blinked and looked down.

“Zoe,” she lied, averting her gaze.

The woman at the edge of the dock was standing still now, but still facing out to sea. The waves were dying down, and the water felt like it was done making crests big enough to cause trouble for the boats. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, using the familiar breathing exercise to release the remainder of the alchemic power she’d been using. She waited until she was sure she’d let all of it go before turning to see how the evacuation was coming, walking quickly over to her brother and his young companion. Bits gave the girl a rare smile, before looking at Sparks and tilting her head towards the boathouse. Zoe smiled back at Water Girl. For once, it felt genuine, but she had seen too many people smile with daggers in their teeth. People bite with relish.

“Yup, just heading to get another round now. Perfect timing -- you can help,” was his reply. He tapped the shoulders of a few of the older students in passing. “You guys, come with us,” he directed. Those he selected fell in without question, for the most part, though when one of them grumbled, Sparks drew himself up to his full height. “Maybe you didn’t notice the huge fight? Or perhaps you missed Miss Julie’s orders? Do you want to get out of here or not?” The other boy looked away, and Sparks nodded curtly. He continued leading the little group to the boathouse.

‘I guess I’m not actually leaving just yet,’ Zoe thought, listening to the conversation and keeping her eyes down. She nervously fidgeted with a ring on her right hand, her steps keeping her close to Sparks, almost at his heels. Like a dog. Her mind recalled the many lessons of her father, particularly the ‘dogs of AMRO’ one.

It didn’t take too long to drag the boats to the water. Sparks tried once to get Zoe to talk a little, but when the girl seemed reluctant to answer, he let it go. He was no stranger to silent partners. As he held a vessel steady by the dock, Bits offered the girl a hand to help her aboard, to which Zoe actually accepted. However, it became apparent that she had been trembling, not just from the water, but from fear, too. She kept glancing at Bits, her eyes welling with tears, but not quite breaking. Like she was refusing to cry. That didn’t escape the woman. She wanted to reassure the child, but really, what could she say that wouldn’t be a lie? Certainly not that everything would be alright -- Bits wasn’t even sure she believed this herself. So instead, as the last student that could possibly fit in the boat climbed aboard, she said simply, “Everyone will do their best. You do the same.” The words were soft, for Zoe’s ears alone.

Zoe swallowed, consternation tugging her facial features at Bits’ unexpected affectionate words. She didn’t know how to take this. Most of the time such things flew over her head, but at times like this, it felt more like a brick wall. Her nostrils flared as she nodded, though it was a lie. She didn’t really understand. If everyone did their best, why did they die? If they died, were they not doing their best? She then realized she was still holding Bits’ hand, yet as the boat rocked beneath her, she refused to let go. The boat started to drift away slowly, even as Zoe’s eyes stayed glued in stark terror to Bits’ gaze.

“My dad is going to kill you two,” she whispered to Bits and Sparks, tears suddenly breaking free and racing down her cheeks. Sparks looked surprised and a bit confused, but he wasn’t the one next to Zoe at the moment. In a single smooth motion Bits grabbed the girl around the waist, lifting her up and depositing her on the dock again, which caused Zoe to inhale sharply and tuck her limbs in so that she resembled an odd human-shaped ball.

“What the heck are you doing, Bits, she needs to get out of here!” Sparks exclaimed. It was too late to go back -- the action had pushed the boat away and the rowers didn’t seem inclined to wait for the girl. Bits just tilted her head, and placed her free hand on the child’s head. “She wants to stay? I don’t think that matters right now -- honestly, sometimes I don’t understand what you’re thinking, Bits.”

At Bits’ touch, Zoe fell down to her knees, her legs spreading out to form a W next to the woman’s feet. She didn’t fight the feeling of her hand, but she just couldn’t stop trembling. It numbed what could have been a gesture she’d enjoy. As the two argued in their own special way, she eyed the boat, then their shoes. Then the individual grains of the pier’s boards. Her shoulders slumped. ‘What have I done? … I’m so stupid. I can’t… why am I like…’ And then she had to go and say that thing, which confused her even more. She wiped her eyes with the back of her tiny hands. Why would Daddy want to kill these two?

Bits looked down at the girl slumped at her feet. She wasn’t entirely sure what had prompted her to listen to the child’s silent plea, but it was too late to change it now. The three of them were the last ones on the dock. It was time to join the battle, as hopeless as that might be. She caught her brother’s eye for a moment, before reaching down to help Zoe up. He sighed. “Right, well, I guess you’re stuck with us now, Zoe. Bits seems to think you should get to decide for yourself what you want to do right now, but I’m going to tell you straight up. This is not a fight I’m expecting to survive--”

“--then why fight it?” she interrupted, glancing up, then looking away.
“Why fight it?” the teen echoed. “Well...sometimes there’s things that you have to do, even if you don’t live through them, I guess. Miss Julie’s fighting, and there’s some friends of mine that are staying back. Maybe I won’t be much help, but I’m going to do what I can. Bits has her own reasons.”
Bits didn’t bother voicing her reasons, but she’d always expected alchemy to kill her one day. And going out fighting seemed better than waiting to go insane, anyhow. If Sparks had wanted to run she would have run with him, but with him staying, she could hardly do otherwise.

Zoe nodded at Sparks’ explanation, not really understanding fully. She could now see him, because he spoke. He impressed upon her, and that tickled her mind. It was odd, really. His words alone just felt like a string that pulled her head up, forced her to focus on him. But courage, even when imparted, was fleeting. She considered her thoughts as she stood to her feet, lightly brushing up against Bits’ side.

“Well… I may be wrong, but I’ve seen… seen my own death,” Zoe lied to them, “and it is not today…”

She looked at them, her eyes darting to and fro Sparks’ intimidating features and Bits’ quiet demeanor. The pair exchanged looks. Neither one believed her, but neither was willing to say anything about it either. “Right, then let’s go see what else we can do to help, hm?” Sparks said instead, with a lopsided smile, as they turned and started inland.

As she followed them, Zoe mirrored Sparks’ silly grin, causing excitement to course through her little body. “Yeah, let’s!” she smiled back, almost psychotically.

Kiara and Maeve

Maeve couldn't help a sudden gasp as a mass of knowledge suddenly filled her mind. She knew exactly who was doing what and why and how they were expected to do it. She glanced briefly at Ethan, before shrugging. It was a good plan, and she didn't have anything better than 'keep attacking until either the Vile was dead, she was dead, or both'. She shotgun, giving the bald man a vicious grin. "Lead the way, oh Matador." She called as she began to move around, alternating her movements with Ethan's. Whenever he moved in from packing the earth, she would take over. Whenever he moved out, she would move in. It was perhaps a bit less aggressive than she would have liked, but if the plan was to work (and Gods above did she want the plan to work) she had to play her part. No matter how much it seemed like all she was doing was packing dirt and trying not to get brutally murdered by the Vile whenever it saw her, she had to keep doing her part.

Maeve barely dodged an attack that was a bit to close for her comfort, despite the shadow tendril yanking the attack askew, drawing a yelp from the Celtic woman as she dived for the ground and rolled. Her armor was singed. "That was too fucking close!" She glared over at Ethan as she began to move again. "You owe me a drink for this!"

Kiara merely smiled as the plan entered her mind. "I can do that." As planned she began firing her explosive rounds at Illana, keeping one eye on the Vile as she moved to another position. She really, really didn't want that thing to find out where she was hiding and start getting rid of the annoying insect that made all of it's attacks move just enough that they missed. Kiara rapidly settled into a pattern. Move, fire a few shots at Ilana, move to a new position. In between she'd make sure the Vile's attacks missed as best she was able, but there was only so much a not-even-graduated Asylum could do.

AJ stared at Ethan with as the plan became known to him before rushing off to his assigned task with no nod of agreement or any other notion of approval to man's plan. Whatever just happened to him wasn't just a normal telepathic link he was accustomed to but something foreign. The information wasn't relayed to him as if someone was speaking to him but rather just appeared to him as a full and complete plan with no gaps in explanation. How was the man able to do this? Was it something similar to what Alistair was able to do or maybe a form of mental manipulation or perhaps something different altogether. Either way AJ didn't like it. He had enough people in his short lifetime screwing with his head and here was yet another person deciding to do so.

Giving a slight nod towards Omar once he got himself in place, AJ fired his first shot at the Vile. Although the gun was adapted to lessen the recoil, it was still strong enough for the boy to stumble back a bit before regaining his balance. He could tell that this would be leaving his shoulder stiff tomorrow but at least it was a better option than having rigor mortis stiffen up his whole body. Loading the gun up for another shot, the boy fired it up in the air this time. With a firmer stance and being prepared for the recoil, the boy withstood the shot a bit better this time and was able to load the gun up in a smoother fashion before going through the cycle again as he kept a careful eye on the others and the Vile. He wasn't going to let himself get left behind nor let the Vile get a bit too close for comfort.

FIRST PART

Faster....faster or they will die, my students, my children. Visions of tombstones haunted Julie as she firmly planted herself on the ground. I am certain, it has already begun transitioning. Its strength and vitality are all surpassing the preconceived limiters, there really is no other way. The Chrono couldn't help but fear the worst, it is her students and her comrades that were engaging the Vile and it is their valor and ingenuity that kept the monstrosity at bay. Even so, their

"Please keep them alive!" her screams echoed amidst the chaos and destruction, her tone conveying the plea of a weeping soul. A prayer hoping to reach the Angels in heaven to envelop those she cherishes in their protecting embrace.

There is no room for hesitation when a Chrono must enter the fray, their resolve must be iron and their hearts barred and thus she silenced her mind. The screams of agony drowned away, the smell of blood it faded and all that was left was a melancholic serenity. The state of mind in which she had ventured was not one of retreat, but rather inciting destruction. The birds had long since seized their chirping but now appeared to be fleeing the Island; howls of disturbed creatures echoed from within the jungles and any alchemist sensitive to the force of alchemy could foresee an unnatural compression in alchemic energy.

All alchemists are capable of performing feats of wonder, however few know of how these feats come about. It is hypothesized that alchemists actually harness energy or a force and transmute it into what they desire; they are conduits capable of drawing forth from a pool of ungodly potential. This is what is known as the alchemic drive, an alchemist’s capability to draw from the endless pool of power, as such those that are sensitive to the ripples of alchemic energy can sense a disturbance. What Julie had just begun was no mere ripple, it was a tidal wave that was felt by nearly every other Chrono in the world.

My Angel's have fallen

The first verse of the incantation had been spoken and with it nature too began to sway to the rhythm of mayhem, clouds brewed and rain began to pour out of the blue. Wind encircled the island, wailing and shrieking as if a banshee's warning.

Their wings, I now feast

The desolate sky soon began to roar and ignite, lightning and thunder manifested through the second verse. The very environment shared in the Chronos emotions, the sky it wept and screamed, the tides they raged and darkness befell. The orchestra and the stage was set, the instruments they hummed and the verses sung and so this elegy neared its climax.

Forever ravenous, my hunger knows no peace

The crescendo of this piece had arrived, the final portion before the grand finale. The alchemic power had begun to concentrate in a single spot, the sheer potency of which appeared to draw the Vile's attention. The monstrosity could no longer be distracted; losing its interest in the Asylums it began a mad dash towards the anomaly. However at this stage the Chrono had completed her preparations, something which would have been impossible to do without the brave soldiers that volunteered to aid in her suicidal wishes.

Eternally I shall walk starving, EXCEED

The incantation of the 'Chrono's Exceed' was complete.

"I pity you," Julie whispered as she gazed upon a lifeless figure mindless charging towards her. "I make it a point to leave something behind to burry; even my enemies don't deserve such a fate." She continued her tone apologetic, a kin to a sinner's repentance. "After this I am afraid.....nothing will be left not even your ash."

The warped image of Ben suddenly drew to a halt mere feet before the Chrono, despite the creatures attempt to get closer its efforts appeared to be in vain. The answer could be seen through any trained Asylum's eyes, the sheer alchemic energy that had accumulated near Julie was serving as a barrier to the mutation in front of her. Simply put, her alchemic drive alone was enough to halt the creature in its tracks.

With the Vile stationary the prerequisites had been met, her arms instantly stretched out and her palm slowly converged into a fist. Mimicking the motion, the accumulated energy began to envelop the Vile and form an orb around him, a dome of sorts.

After that, the Island itself began to shake asunder. Mountains began to topple and the ground caved in, the Island was sinking all from the escaping energy that could not be contained. Such were the results of meddling with anti matter.

This was Julie's true ability and burden, her annihilation alchemy was not restricted to explosions but to convert matter into anti matter and cause a rupture which could theoretically be of biblical proportions. A single gram of anti matter clashing with matter has the potential of causing a nuclear explosion three times greater than the one dropped on Hiroshima.

"I have used this alchemy twice before, this is the first time I have created anti matter of such quantity, of course this is the first time I have actually tried to control the backlash." The Chrono thought to herself as the woman began to cough blood, her hands straining to maintain the fist. Cuts and tears slowly began to appear on her body as she screamed and struggled to hold the shield intact. The creature inside moaned and shrieked as its body began to vaporize, despite ungodly regenerative capabilities the Vile could not regenerate if the very matter that composed it was destroying itself. In but a minute not a trace of the Vile remained, only compressed energy that sought release.

"Thank god," Julie whispered as she felt her legs finally give out, with the last ounce of energy she could muster, the Chrono redirected the energy to be emitted into space. An immense column of pure energy erupted skywards, as if a divine staircase ushering the soul of Ben to the peaceful place he deserved. While nothing of Ben remained to be buried, he did possess a tombstone or a monument to be remembered by, a tiny speck of spatial distortion which had occurred due to Julie's unfathomable power.

After that the Chrono found herself on the ground gasping for breath and clenching her body. Her entire body was a canvas of wounds and while most would heal some are an eternal reminder. Julie's left hand which was clenched in order to control and suppress the alchemic energy had been burnt; the flesh had been seared and turned into a sickening charcoal colour.

"Julie, what have you done?" Geko finally appeared before his wife, his breath frantic and his eyes gaping at the horror that was in front of him. "Why damn-it, why did you have to bear it alone. I told you I would help you, I could have shar-"

"Are the children alright? Please tell me?" The woman pleaded as she continued to cough blood, the sight alone causing her husband to weep silently.

"I evacuated all other areas, only this area remains and we are about to teleport all of the students to safety. You saved them Julie; they are safe because of you." Geko continued with an incoherent tone and tears continuing to trickle down the veteran's face.
You idiot why do you have to always harm yourself to protect others Geko thought to himself as the Lost Number wiped his tears and gently embraced his wife, quietly weeping next to her.

"That is an alchemic wound, it will never heal, the pain will never stop. It’s my fault, I left you. I should be the one to bear your pain, I am your shield." The man whispered, his fist clenching till his nails would pierce his flesh such was his fury.

"Come now, you will always be my knight in shining armor," Julie consoled her husband as her left hand gently brushed his hair, while her right one lay helpless. "You are a gentle soul, I know Ben was one of you oldest students and I know it had to be me and as such you were the only one who could assist with the evacuation. It’s like you always say, we have to prioritize what A.M.R.O tells u-." She continued only to be suddenly interrupted by her infuriated husband.

"Forget A.M.R.O, YOU ARE MY PRIORITY!" Geko screamed, clearly infuriated with his reckless spouse. "We are done with it all; you are done being a weapon. We have given everything and that is enough, there is no more debt left to pay. We can buy a villa in Rio De Janeiro, I know you have always loved that place, let me be the one to take care of you now." The Lost Number continued, concluding with a gentle kiss on his partner's forehead.

"You stupid idiot, its about time you said those things!" The Chrono finally replied before beginning to sob, tears dripping down her scarred face. "Now I want to give a hug to the best hubby in the world!" She joyfully exclaimed, her left arm struggling to lift her off the ground and after repetitive tries she finally managed to sit straight and say something she had longed to say.

"I love you Mr Varen Gekk, now come here and give this adorable wife of yours a hug and maybe a kiss?" The Chrono chirped playfully before opening her arms to greet her husband to a good morning with sun gently peeking out to see the show as well.

How adorable is this? It is rather rare to celebrate when what you experienced was just the prelude, let me show you what comes after." Before Julie could actually embrace her husband a silhouette of a tall man appeared next to her, clenching her head in his palm.

"Who are yo-" Geko found himself soullessly staring at the person in front of him, his expression terrified to death, something that seemed to scare Julie even more. "Please not her, take me plea-"

"Let’s make her laugh, shall we? We all laugh when we are a little insane?" The man jeered before an intense burst of energy appeared to emanate from his arm and be forced into the Chrono, causing her to go in a vegetative state for a few seconds.

"WHAT DID YOU DO, I WILL KILL YOU!" Geko screamed, rage clouding his judgment. "I will level this entire island, heck half this damn world and bury you beneath the rubble!" The man continued before suddenly freezing at a familiar touch. "Ju-Julie....yo-you're...okay?" He spoke, too frightened to phrase his sentences right.

"Do you want me to smile?"

"What are you saying Julie....I...I don't understand. Of..of course I like you smiling.." The Lost Number spoke, warping reality behind a layer of denial. She is okay, she is speaking, she is just in shock, nothing is wrong with her.....we will go to Rio....we will live peacefully.....we just have to get of this Island

"Lets...KILL...them..ALL....that would make me smile!" The Chrono shrieked before bursting into laughter, a laugh that sounded like no human but something else, something disgusting and horrid.

PART 2

Petrified, her partner stood there gazing at her in disbelief. One could hardly blame the veteran for escaping into this state of denial; the one person he cherished had been subjected to a fate worse than death. Geko's hands trembled as he mustered the courage to stare at his wife once more; the only emotion he could feel was fear, a fear of what was needed to be done.

"Guys we need to get out of here, the Vile was a distraction!" A panicked child spoke between gasping breaths, it was none other than Cams who appeared as if he had just trekked down a mountain. "I saw- I saw a prison underground," the child exclaimed, exhaustion making him unable grasp what had happened to the Chrono. "It was Joux!" He screamed in a grave tone so as to stress the implication of this matter. "It was this he and this prisoner who caused Ben to become a Vile, but that was just a distraction! It was done so that he could free the other prisoners, he has done it!" Cams cried as he nudged at Maeve's shirt, signaling everyone to leave.

"Now it makes sense," Geko finally spoke up, his voice callous and flat. "Do you realize what you have done?" He questioned, turning slowly to face his pupil.

"A necessary evil, you should understand." Joux casually replied as he limped his way towards his old friend. "I am sorry about you wife, but we needed to send a message. A.M.R.O will fall and so will its Angels," the instructor continued with a look of regret.

"Don't you fucking say her name you bastard, she adored you! Do you have any idea what you have done? You released four of the most dangerous criminals in this world and what have you done to my wife!" Geko howled, engulfed in rage at his pupil's betrayal.

"And who made them criminals?" Joux retorted as his eyes calmly stared at the docile Chrono who was now whispering gibberish while clenching her head. "It was A.M.R.O or have you forgotten? How long will we serve this corrupt organization, it claims to be this world's savior but in truth it is a taint. Who can go up against it, what can clash against the Chrono Asylums? Clearly not any of us. Those four are the only ones who can hurt A.M.R.O, who can destroy it!" Joux spoke, justifying his actions to his mentor.

"You know as well as I do, they are trying to replicate the singularities. We thought the singularity project ended after that fiasco but it didn't, they are attempting to restart it. How many of us will die this time when the project fails?" The instructor screamed, his finger pointing to his mentor. "Will your blind loyalty save us?"

"Those four are the ones who killed our comrades!" The Lost Number hissed as his tolerance boiled.

"No you are mistaken; it was A.M.R.O and their desire for power. We are nothing but disposable tools for them and I was okay with that as long as it meant a safer world, but it doesn't! They will destroy this world! This is an organization that took those 4 as mere children and subjected them to horrid experimentation for decades. They grew up without seeing a sky, without knowing the warmth of an embrace. It is A.M.R.O that made them into monsters and then when shit hit the fan, they sent us to get slaughtered all because they couldn't risk getting Chronos involved. I will not allow this tyranny to go on, A.M.R.O will fall and this moment right here is what will set its demise into motion."

A brief pause followed where Joux returned his attention to the Chrono whose behavior had become erratic and volatile, she had begun to convulse and scream, cry and laugh. These were all blatant signs which Geko refused to acknowledge.

"A singularity is an individual who successful returned to sanity after being engulfed by insanaddiction, as such that individual is no longer hindered by insannadiction making him a deity among alchemists. There is no record of this ever happening before and yet it did. A.M.R.O found one of its Chronos regress to a stage 3 and then return to sanity, making him the strongest Alchemists in existence. It’s no wonder they tried to replicate it among those 4, it’s a surprise it actually worked. Once of those is a bonefied artificial singularity, pity that caused a disaster in which all records were destroyed and we had to pay the price. Any sane person would have killed them but not A.M.R.O, it knew its experiment was a success but didn't know who of the four became a singularity. So naturally they would try to probe them even more with the ambition of making an army of artificial singularities. That is the end of the world my friend." Joux disclosed one of A.M.R.O's greatest secrets to everyone present around him, including the children.

"Now say we manage to kill A.M.R.O's own singularity, what would be able to stop us then? Nothing at all!" The instructor jeered, taunting his mentor. However something appeared to be rather strange, Joux was talking far too much and what was even stranger was, he was disclosing sensitive information about their plans.

"So I ask you, what would cause A.M.R.O to send its singularity to intervene? Why an Armageddon event of course. That is where your wife came into play; a Chrono going insane is a situation which poses an end of the world threat. By now I am sure we have A.M.R.O attention and once their singularity arrives we will eradicate him. Quite an amusing plan isn't it? Though I don't deserve the credit, that belongs to the singularity present here with us, Mr. - "

Before Joux could make the revelation, his head rolled of his neck. A fountain of blood spraying as his body fell to the ground.

"Well color me impressed, he actually had the balls to try and reveal one of our identities, guess he was regretting aiding us. A pity." One of the prisoners thought out loud as he calmly wiped the blood of his hands with a handkerchief. "This is hardly a problem though, all of you will be joining your friend here.....because," he continued, this time directly facing the Lost Number and the others present.

With a fiendish smirk, the prisoner finished his sentence, "The Chrono is finally about....to...lose it."

As if per queue a horrendous scream echoed from the Chrono and the Island itself began to shake, as if the world itself was terrified.

"Honey you still love me right? Then can you please die for me!" Julie shrieked as she charged her husband who could only kneel helplessly, accepting his demise. Before her hands could clench around Geko's neck, yet another stranger appeared blocking her path, effortlessly holding her at bay by her shoulder.

"Why won't you let me love my husband, leave me, leave me!" The woman repeatedly shrieked these words as she unsuccessful tried to escape out of the stranger's grasp.

"What exactly do we have here? I figured A.M.R.O would send their singularity, who are you supposed to be boy?" The prisoner questioned, clearly fascinated at the individual in front of him. The stranger appeared to be a young boy of perhaps 17 or 18 and by the timing of his intervention it was rather clear he had been present at the Island.
Perhaps a Chrono in training? The prisoner thought as he casually walked up to the child, his curiosity overwhelming him. "I am going to ask this just one more time, who are you bo-" The prisoner had placed his hand onto the boy's head for but a second but sheer pain interrupted his threat.

"Mother fucker!" The prisoner cried out in agony, kneeling and clenching his arm which had melted, skin and bone molting away.

"This complicated things, I was unaware they have another singularity....we are leaving...now. We have far too much to do." Yet another one of the cloaked prisoners spoke, heeding his command each of the four immediately vanished.

"Unleashing restraints, ninety three," The boy finally released the Chrono who wasted no time in her counter attack.

"Die, die, die I will eradicate this world and everyone in it!" The Chrono shrieked as pillars of unstable energy began to erupt out of the ground, she was attempting to turn the entire Island itself into a nuclear bomb with enough force to shake the world itself.

"I am a thousand suns," the boy calmly whispered the first verse, the space around him began to gently warp, as if surrounded by an aura of heat.

"We finally made it! Move it get everyone to safety, this is the only place that is left!" Yet another group of stranger suddenly appeared in front of the confused masses of Asylums and students. They appeared to number roughly twenty one; though it was clear they were not hostile and from their attire appeared to be a militia.

"The cast is ready, move it, move it. This Island is about to go to hell!" The leader of this group screamed, ushering all the soldiers to spread a massive sheet across the floor. It was a giant , in mere moments each soldier had taken their positions, standing firmly at the end of each triangle where as the leader stood in the middle. This cast was performed by a single team in A.M.R.O and that was a specialized division of Asylums known as Porters.

"Ignite it!" The leader commanded and in sync each of the twenty soldiers stomped onto the sigil, activating it and sending a surge of blinding light across several miles. Once the light finally faded they along with all the individuals present aside from the boy and the Chrono had disappeared, whisked away to a distant base.

"Now turn to ash," with the second verse the heat wave that surrounded the boy extended to the entire Island and in mere moments the Chrono along with the vast land which once served as A.M.R.O base of tutelage had turned to a molten pile of sinking rubble.

----------------------Xx------------xX------------------------
A week later
-------------

"Director, this is the report of the events that has transpired," a tall and intimidating individual passed a file into a man calmly seated in a wheelchair.

"Thank you Tabion, I fear nothing good is to come now. It is a relief that we were able to dissolve the Armageddon event, guess we were lucky we had him on standby. If only I could have authorized the boys intervention earlier but convincing the sponsors was far more tedious then I foresaw." The director replied, his fingers gently flipping the pages of the file in front of him.

"Sir what do we do about the individuals that were present? They have knowledge to the existence of the singularities as well as the artificial singularity project?"

"Relax Tabion, we will not silence them. They have endured far too much and their survival shows the potential they all hold. We have to handle this discreetly and as such they will prove vital in the battle that is to come. I will groom them to be the counter singularity unit."

CHAPTER TWO






“Big brother we are so late right now, we would reach so much faster if we would take a car for once!” Rena complained as she twirled around her partner who grudgingly paced himself onwards, her gold twin tails fluttering as if ribbons dancing around her.

“I have faced countless monstrosities and yet these cars are the bane of this world, well cars and instant coffee.” Her partner replied, a kind smile adorning the face of A.M.R.O’s Blood Draped Angel with his hand resting atop the Chrono’s head.

“Nope nope, you are making excuses, we both know you have hodophobia,” the child chirped as she continued to spring about in her partner’s proximity while chanting, ‘my big brother is afraid of ships, cars, trains and planes’.

While for the first few minutes Angel continued to ignore his partner’s provocation, ultimately the Silver Reaper surrendered to the alternate of retaliation. “Oh look Rena, a clown!” He exclaimed with his fingers pointing in the direction ahead of them and the following reaction was his just recompense.

EEEP

Following the Shriek it took but a second for Rena to instinctively pivot behind her partner, her eyes shut and face pressed against his back. “Tell it to go away, go away!” the child murmured as her hand ‘shooed’ away the nonexistent entity in front of her. Though her cowering subsided as soon as she heard Angel’s muffled laughter.

“Not funny, not funny!” The Chrono yelped, proceeding to pout and give her brother the silent treatment despite his attempts at apology. However after multiple promises of gifts amidst additional bribery Angel successfully managed to regain favor with his overly zealous partner.

“Looks like we are finally here,” Angel couldn’t help but heave a weary sigh at the impending realization of the increase in workload that was to come with this crucial mission. Despite his expressions of dread the Chrono appeared to be overjoyed at discerning the location of their designated briefing point. “It’s an ice-cream parlor!”

“I apologize for the tardiness,” the introductory words had been spoken as soon as the doors were flung open allowing Ante Mortem to nonchalantly walk in, the door being locked and windows draped behind them by one of the waiters present.

While Angel lazily dragged his feet towards what he viewed as A.M.R.O’s cattle, his partner wasted no time in burying her face against the frosty glass covering a wide variety of exquisite Gelato delight.

“You will have to pardon my partner, currently I believe she has forgotten we exist. The space we are in is one of A.M.R.O’s bunkers; I suppose it would be more precise to say this one is designed to be one of my partner’s personal bunkers. The point being we can all be at ease, we are among associates of A.M.R.O.” The Lost Number spoke, a sense of eerie causality in his tone as if comforting one near death’s door.

“I believe introductions are in order, my partner who is currently going through a brain freeze over there is the Chrono. I am also required to provide a disclaimer when introducing her.” After a brief moment of trying to remember the exact wordings he assumed his casual pace once more. “Ah yes, for your safety as well as the safety of the structure in your vicinity kindly avoid irritating the Chrono Asylum number six, unless at your own peril. “ As soon as he finished a fiendish lay across his face, as if he had just remembered the cause for this disclaimer.

“You may call me Crow or Angel, I am Reri's partner and elder brother,” by now the Lost Number had removed the metallic coffin hanging behind his back and casually taken a seat among the Asylums, his silver tinted spectacles scanning each individual before continuing his introduction. “Now there are quite a few unpleasant rumors surrounding us, most are true which you may or may not discover however some are plain ridiculous. I believe there was one Asylum who accused me of being a vampire, I believe his name was VaRtronious. Kindly do not attempt to stake me through the heart, I would like to avoid the unpleasantness that will follow.” As soon he finished the routinely introduction he waved his hand across the table as if to signal the Asylums to introduce themselves. While he had already read the files on all the Asylums present, there was certain personality and behavioral characteristics which only disclose themselves when people speak. This would serve as an interesting lesson in understanding the collective mindset hence making manipulation much easier.

Once the introduction finally subsided multiple holographic screens appeared in front of the Asylums present, providing mission details. “I can’t believe how dreary this whole debriefing thing is, I would quite possibly stake myself through the heart if I were sitting where you lot are,” Angel shared his opinion, clearly not bothered about its blunt nature. “Well onto missions details, I don’t really need to read the rubbish on the screen right? Honestly if you meet a superior who does so, I recommend shooting him in the head; your justification can be self defense for your sanity.” The Silver Reaper continued, clearly evading the lengthy protocol which he considered tiresome and suicidal. “The short of the matter is that this mission is very important, preventing an all out war type of important, the kind of importance that severely reduces my leisure time.”

“Big brother you didn’t even mention the bloodlines!” The Chrono chirped waving her spoon about, deciding it is about time to rescue her partner from the threat of going into a comma from sheer boredom. “You are all supposed to be pretty super strong huh?” She continued, finally acknowledging the others present within the room. “I read that all of you survived when the island went boom,” the Chrono mimicked the explosion with her palms and then proceeded to applaud their valiant efforts with a clap. “Big brother says the word coincidence was invented by an idiot, so I guess that all of you being here means that this mission has something to do with the prisoners who escaped huh? A.M.R.O probably thinks one or more of the bloodlines has allied with the prisoners and are trying to cause all out war. I am super smart huh?” The Chrono proudly waved her head about, her twin tails once more dancing about her.

“All out war is something A.M.R.O can’t afford, the panic and aftermath would be disastrous which is why you all are sent to mediate the Meeting of Crests which will take place within a few days.” Angel continued, holding back his laughter at the mention of mediation. “Isn’t the irony amusing, hounds designed to destroy are sent to prevent destruction. Honestly I for one prefer the alternative of war, allow those Bloodlines to wipe themselves off the planet, less refuse to deal with. Sadly the task of implanting suggestions for war and self destruction is rather tiresome, I am more interested in watching these human affairs any ways.” Once Angel finished his debriefing a cryptic smile slowly adorned his face while his fingers gently tapped the frame of his spectacles, an iconic act which Angel performed ritualistically when he schemed.

“Now we can go to the cruise, the ship should be at the harbor as we speak!” Rena chirped as she sprung to her feet, twirling once more expressing her excitement. “Let’s go everyone I want to see all the rich people!” The Chrono joyfully nudged her partner to his feet, quite literally forcing everyone outside the door.

“Lovely….a….ship. Nothing is better than traveling on a ton of metal…..in the ocean…..I am sure those on the Titanic said the same thing.” The Silver Reaper complained as he exited, his sight scanning the Asylums wondering who would serve as a sufficient floating instrument, ultimately facing Bits. “Hmm you would definitely float,” the Lost Number cryptically spoke before joining his partner, doting on her once more.

The Banshees

Maeve and Kiara were lounged in the ice cream palor, waiting for their illustrious leaders to show up. Kiara had three empty bowls in front of her and was looking longingly at the counter again. Maeve, having had only one cone, rolled her eyes. "I don't understand how you can hate the color white, but down three bowls, four double cones, and a split of vanilla ice cream." "Because it's a yellow or off-white and is literally the best thing in the world. Not like that foul abomination you like." Kiara replied, clearly debating whether or not to get another vanilla ice cream. "I'll have you know," Maeve stated indignantly, "whisky, coffee flavored ice cream, and oreo cookie chunks is a proud traditional mix in my home country." "Your home country is insane then."

Before Maeve could go on an outraged rant, the Chrono and her Lost number walked in. Maeve raised an eyebrow at the lateness and introduction, but didn't interrupt as Angel went on his long winded explanation and brief mention of what they're actually doing. [

You dress like a vampire and carry a coffin, and you wonder why people think you're a vampire or something not human? Well. Even less human than you already are.

Hush, he's still explaining things. Like what? That he's the guy that keeps the genocidal six year old in check?

Or, as is more often the case, doesn't? We already knew that. Pay attention! Not getting killed by the genocidal six year old and her partner who just subtly threatened us is high on our priority list. Fine. Mom. How mature of you. As the two Banshees waged their internal argument, they were suddenly gestured to introduce themselves. Maeve raised an eyebrow in Kiara's direction. All yours. You're the charismatic one. Thank you oh so much.

Kiara stood. "I'm Kiara, my red headed partner is Maeve. We make up the Banshees. I specialize in shadows, she in bone manipulation. I'm the subtle one, she's the punchy one. Most, if not all, of you should know us already. And this shouldn't be too difficult. We, after all, did survive the island." Kiara smiled at the gathered people, before sitting back down. Brief and too the point. I like it. Thank you.

After everything was said and done, Maeve stood up and stretched.

"So. Prevent the Bloodlines from killing each other, try to find out who has joined with the prisoners, and punch people in the face if they try to kill each other. Got it."

Having been out on the town when they received their summons for debriefing, Team Psychosoma had to make their way from the bustling commercial district of the city to the meeting place. They could have driven, but Raythe opted to walk a while before calling their ride, this way Alcera could enjoy her time out in the light of the public world. While his partner did as she pleased, Raythe glanced about through his shades at people, guessing in his head what each was like. Sometimes he made up stories to describe them, before swiftly casting them off.

Sometimes he actually approached them to compare and contrast. More often than not though, it was fun to make the stories, then cast them away in favor of focusing on more important issues. You know, like getting his partner to flirt slightly less with everything that breathed. Joking aside, Alcera really was overflowing with sexuality. It was a fact that the people around them could hardly ignore. "You know, you really need to calm down, Alcera. At this rate you're going to cause a city-wide panic due to spontaneous orgasm," he grinned at her, his words poking fun, as was their usual dynamic.

"You love it." Alcera responded with a coy grin and soft scoff, her body moving in rhythm to music that was playing through a pair of headphones around her neck. Her hips swayed to and fro as she walked, her eyes watching people incline their heads as they passed her from the corner of her eyes. A soft laugh escaped her lips when the two walked passed a construction site and a symphony of catcalls echoed through the air. Maybe Ray was right. Then again... What was the harm in being attractive?

Speaking of attractive... The thought floated through her mind as she lagged slightly behind Raythe, making a show of looking him up and down. "Mmm-mm. Too bad your coat is in the way." The Asylum cooed to her partner watching as a boy they passed locked eyes with her and then proceeded to clutch his chest in front of his friends. She was briefly able to catch the words damn and fine.

Thinking about it, Alcera noted that he was attracting just as much attention as she was. Women couldn't keep from gawking at him in passing. Some even completely turned around from the direction they were moving to keep watching. Alcera simply smirked. 'You, have no room to talk about causing a spontaneous orgasm.'

Rolling his eyes as she lagged behind, knowing full well what she was doing, Raythe grinned slightly at her comment through their link. 'Mmm, except you do it on purpose more often than I do. Not that we don't abuse the power it brings often enough,' he half turned while they walked, glancing back at her, a grin on his features before he turned around to watch his path again.

' Look at them. I can imagine that there's a waterfall going on somewhere.' She responded, grinning when he looked back at her. She couldn't help but wink at him.

He snorted quietly and chuckled lightly at her antics. 'Yes yes, wetness and all that jazz. I'm sure it's just that bad.'

'Boo. Ruining my joke. I'm fairly certain it is.' She skipped ahead of him and turned around to face him, walking backwards. When her bright amber eyes locked on his, she fanned herself. 'I mean, really, you're awful. If I wasn't me, well, I'd just die from heatstroke.'

He raised an eyebrow at that, a smile tugging at the edges of his lips as she fanned herself. He brought a hand up and pushed his hair back in a single motion, raising his chin, before catching her eyes, 'I suppose I am quite fabulous, mmm?' His grin widened.

Alcera could feel the swoon his movement had illicited from several women they passed as he did it. 'Naughty, naughty boy. And I do it on purpose.'

A solitary "Heh," sounded at her response, his hand falling back to his side and into a pocket, while his other hand continued to move his cane in pace with his stride. 'Quiet you,' he responded, eyes gleaming with amusement.

'Mm. Order me again~.' Alcera laughed audibly at her own joke, causing people to glance in her direction in confusion.

He raised an eyebrow at her, noting the increase in attention. He sighed and shook his head, reinforcing the act as he appeared almost embarrassed at her emphatic display. "Please Alcera, it was hardly that funny you know," he responded, voice low, accentuating his seeming want to deflect attention. Some heads turned away, their curiosity sated by his response. Just a friend or couple with some in-joke, Raythe theorized they might figure.

"You're such a dork. I can't believe you thought it was a good idea to try and 'white-boy' dance at the club." Alcera followed Ray's lead with a seemingly sadistic pleasure.

He frowned and looked away, forcefully shoving his hand further into his pocket as he did so, eyes averting from her before returning, frown deepened, "Shut up, okay, it wasn't that bad. I was just...out of practice, you know." He mumbled the last bit, cane striking the ground a bit harder with each step, as if venting his frustrations. To anyone paying attention, it would have seemed odd that someone with such good fashion sense and poise was acting so awkward.

Personally, Raythe enjoyed the psychological tricks that the contrast would play on their audience.

As if feeling bad for what she'd said, Alcera dropped her pace and stopped in Ray's path. "Hey. You know I didn't mean it like that." A soft, apologetic smile formed on her lips, and she moved toward him. As she stretched out her hand to caress his cheek, she heard a few of the women who had stopped to watch what was going on whispering to themselves loud enough for the next state over to hear. They were saying things about how they would treat Ray right if they were with him, and how Alcera didn't deserve him.

In defiance of their words, and continuing with her act, Alcera leaned up toward Ray and brushed her lips against his a smile that only he would notice on her lips. She didn't expect him to reciprocate, after all, this was just an act and she was the one apologizing.

Yet, if he had been of the mind to cease their act, he would have kissed her right then, instead his eyes widened a bit and he looked away, eyes grazing over the women momentarily before shifting back to Alcera, a slight glare fading from them. It was a glare that was not for her. He met her eyes, turning his head at an angle that the women couldn't see one eye, just so he could wink at her, before he strode past her, grabbing her wrist as he spoke. "C'mon, let's get out of here," he said, looking as if he were pulling her along, though such was hardly the case.

He was so going to get her back for this. Maybe he would force her to play a similar role to the one he'd played...or maybe. A smirk played over his features briefly, before disappearing.

He knew just the thing. 'You know, if you keep pressuring me, perhaps I'll have to be the one to throw you off your rhythm next time,'

Alcera followed after Ray, a bewildered expression on her face as she was still ‘in character.’ “Where are we going, Ray?” The girl questioned him as he ‘pulled,’ her along.

In response to his mental statement, she found herself grinning cattily. ’Oh, I can’t wait.’

"I know a cool place, better than anything ‘round here at least," he said, calling back to her. He slowed down as they got further away, "One sec though, I’ve gotta get us a ride there. Too far to walk," he pulled his cellphone from a pocket in his coat as he said it, dialing a number.

’Gotta head to the briefing, as much as it pains me to say it,’ he voiced to her psychically.

’Lame.’ She responded with a pout both in her voice, and on her face. ’I was hoping we’d be able to have a little more fun.’

He grinned at her in response, the phone still ringing, ’We’ll be seeing some new faces. I think we can have plenty of fun with that.’ As he finished the thought, their chauffeur answered the phone. After a brief conversation on the phone, and then a bit of waiting on their part, the two climbed into the car as it arrived and headed off in the direction of the briefing. His last thought to her before he settled in for the ride was, ’Plus, there’ll be ice cream.’

’Yum.’ She responded with a grin, leaning over him to shut the car door.

---

Well situated in a position at the center of the group of gathered asylums, the two were each in their own relatively relaxed positions, Raythe leaned back against his chair and Alcera sitting with her knees resting on one of the two armrests, back against the other. His eyes passed over the assorted crowd, vaguely recognizing some from Innocence island, though not from the incident that the Lost Number had mentioned. Others he had only heard of, a pair of which he was quite excited to see present--though he hardly looked the part.

’Look, Ray, your hero is here~.’ Alcera mocked through their link, a soft chuckle the only thing to reach the air as she cast a teasing glance in his direction.

’For the second time today, you minx, quiet. I don’t want you to ruin this for me, alright?’ His tone was chiding as he spoke into her mind, though the tail end of his thought was a question. He made a point of ignoring her glance, eyes moving away from the Lidless Dragon’s visage till they lay on Angel again.

When it was their turn to introduce their team, Alcera aimed a pointed glance in Ray’s direction. ’Not it.’

In response he only smiled, his hand drifting through the air, palm upwards as he gestured to Alcera, “Partner, would you do the honors?” Their was a teasing look in his eyes as he said it, but there was perhaps more to his actions than mere spite. ‘If you do it, you’ll get their attention. Make an impression. You know it’s half the fun. Conversely I can steal your spotlight~. No promises that I’ll give it back any time soon,’ he blinked once, awaiting her retort.

’Steal away, handsome.’ She responded with a grin.

’Very well, then you get to set the stage if I am to play the actor.’ His eyes gleamed with mischief that only she would see as he said it.

“Aw, don’t be nervous~. You’ve got this.” She smirked as she spoke.

“Mmm,” he uttered, shaking his head and spreading his arms in a gesture of conceding the point. “I admit I am caught in a unique place here. It’s not often that we run into people who don’t know us already, in some fashion or another. We tend to leave quite the...mmm, lasting impression.”

“Mnn, definitely lasting.”

He exchanged glances with his partner as she responded before returning his full attention to the group, standing as he did so, his cane punctuating the action as he leaned on it. There was a distinct noise as it pushed down against the floor almost as if it were far heavier than it appeared--it was. “Nonetheless, I am Raytheon S. Abelli, and my esteemed partner here,” his arm swept out to indicate her once more, “...is Alcera, Koraya. Strisirin.”

“Individually we are known as the Minimalist and Lucifer’s Muse respectively. Together we are Psychosoma. I assure you that at least I am quite pleased...” his eyes shot to Ethan and Ilana, “...and humbled, to make your acquaintance.”

With that he gave them all a curt bow before rising from it, and then gracefully lowering himself back into his seat, one leg crossing the other, ankles touching, his cane resting over his lap as if it weighed nothing at all.

’Awww, are you proud of your not-so-subtle hint? How cute~!’ Alcera teased through their link.

He did not so much as glance her way, his eyes instead unfocused as he used his peripheral vision to gauge the reactions of his audience. He hardly heard her, though his response was nonetheless swift, ‘It was not meant to be subtle.’

’Your man-crush, is so adorable.’ She purred.

‘It is what it is.’ He responded, attention elsewhere. Not that he couldn’t multitask. He was actively choosing not to.

’What it is, is you having a huge nerdy hard-on for him.’

‘Mmm, that’s funny.’ While he did not look at her, his posture shifted so that his shoulder touched her knee where it draped over the arm of her chair. ‘Because I could of sworn you were once far worse with me.’ His gaze, at the tail end of the thought, landed on her, where it stayed for a long moment.

After a long moment he broke his gaze, turning his attention again to their surroundings. If that wouldn’t work, then perhaps what followed would. He shifted posture, getting comfortable again, ‘Just...let me have this, okay?’

’Mm. Boring. But, fine. Enjoy your fun you nerd.’

‘Thank you.’ He responded gratefully.

[Previous Post]

---

CRACK

Ilana's 73rd David Jumbo sunflower seed (Jalapeno flavor) lost its shell, which then flew out with an audible spoot and landed on the previously pristine floor, next to a few other shells. Her partner stood on her left, slightly behind her, with his hands hanging their thumbs on his belt like some kind of cowboy. Team Mischief Maven had arrived without notice, seeming to have merged with the crowd without ever having NOT been apart of it. Paradoxical stealth at its finest.

Yet the Air Jew herself gave no shits about maintaining that cover, her munching and spooting highlighting every silence in the room, every pause between sentences spoken by the other people. Her eyes had been staring blankly, bored, even as she occasionally caught Maeve's ogling. After all that pointless debriefing, and a few introductions, now suddenly a pique of interest? Her cheeks flushed something fierce, only then fading as her eyes narrowed at the (quite) younger girl. Looking at Maeve just made Ilana want to beat Ethan to a pulp with his fucking hand before fucking his brains out. But then again, she wouldn't win. In the end. Not with that anaconda lurking around anyway. But here, Maeve, the schoolyard bully, seemed in need of a reality check regarding the pecking order.

CRACK spoot 'You fuck that one?' she'd snorted in Ethan's mind.

The Sciencer remembered Maeve, back from Innocence. 'Nope.' he'd replied, thinking about which bloodline they were gonna babysit.

CRACK 'Mine.' spoot

'Yah, whatev.'

'No whatev, you're not gonna have a lonely!'

'...wat?'

'Yeeeah, I can smell his sex, but it came outta his mind,' Ilana giggled, sending Ethan a mental picture of Raytheon.

'...That's nice, hon,' Ethan mentally sighed.

She chuckled again, bunching her seeds to one side of her mouth. Just as Raytheon's introduction ended, which had given Ethan no cause for recourse in his pondering, the crazed Israeli tensed up. The room disappeared. The outside ate them. And eyes seemed to have fallen on them. Why? They were going to shoot them. IT WAS GO-TIME!

'Relax, Illa, I got this.' Ethan assured her, reminding her of introductions.

Ilana visibly rolled her eyes, making a show of looking away and retreating behind Ethan as he came forth. She hated introducing herself to people who were just going to die, or worst yet, just fucking disappear. Then she'd have to think about them. Most of them kids, never had sex. Or enough of it. But always high strung and cock-sure. But they just die, their bodies rip, minds clipped, all of them w---

'SHUT DA FUCK UP!!' Ethan roared, instantly quelling Ilana and shrinking her presence in his mind to the size of a pinpoint.

Yet on the surface of things, Ethan seemed to have merely stalled, or maybe just considering his words. Especially with Benedict Cumberbatch (Raytheon) over there, about to blow out another monologue. Minimalist? Ethan considered the irony of the man's very words, figuring it didn't translate over to verbal exchanges.

"Sup, y'all, so yeh... I'm Ethan and that's I--" he began, just as Ilana hopped onto his back and used him as a diving board.

The Air Jew sailed toward Maeve just as she finished stretching and summing up the mission. A mischievous grin and impish visage was probably the last thing Maeve was expecting after a debriefing, but Ethan, having hardly been floored by this antic, shook his head. He simply stood there, a look on his face that said he wouldn't care even if a puppy lit on fire just fell on his head from a 10 story building while C'thulhu popped out of the ocean and pantsed him. Landing in front of her and Kiara, Ilana proceeded to leer and inch right into Maeve's personal space, the momentum of her descent cracking the ground. With her breath hot and dank from the soiled-shell seeds in her mouth, it was not hard to imagine its insides.

"Hiya cunt, how ya doin'?" Ilana rasped, a giggle somehow escaping a throat that had no air flow.

Her hands, claws really, then snatched the Banshee's face, pulling her down to her height, after which her tongue dove into Maeve's mouth, along with a few choice seeds that would be left behind. Swirling around only briefly but slipping into every nooky and cranny, Ilana retreated her assault, taking Maeve's breath with her and nearly asphyxiating the poor asylum. Yet poorer still was on the rise. Ilana then used an ounce of her strength (1%? 5%? Something) and backhanded Maeve so hard that she flew off her feet and bounced on the ground. With a huff and growing battle lust, the veteran slipped up onto a nearby crate, and faced everyone in mid chew. CRACK...

spoot

She pointed a gnarled finger at every other gal, her voice on the verge of cracking. "Your bodies will rip, minds clip, and all yer pink canoes are mine!" she barked, before vanishing with a mere slip around a building corner.

Ethan chewed lightly on the inside of his mouth. In the distance, someone screamed in surprise, then the sound of breaking glass prompted him.

"That's Ilana. ... supposedly." he finished, taking off after her with a jog.

"We'll catch up," he hollered at Crow and Reri, as everyone (perhaps equal parts bemused and shocked) was ushered towards the ship that was definitely not going to sink at some point.

[Next Post]

Five years prior
Location: Holding cell within Innocence

"Where is she?!"

"That isn't of concern right now. There are more pressing matter to converse about." After ten or more minutes of agonizing silence from the older man, the man in glasses started to speak. It pissed Keith off that the man still wouldn't look up from reading the folder he brought in but after prodding and demanding answers it appeared that the man was finally caving. Hopefully.

"What the hell did you do to her? Did you take the woman as well?" After spending hours if not days in this holding cell with no idea of what was going on, it was time for answers. The time they left him here to what he suspected was to cool down wasn't going to dampen his anger towards these people.

"Yes, we have Ava." The man casually as he flipped the page over in the folder as he took no heed to Keith's outburst as if he was just a toddler with a tantrum that could be fueled by attention. "What is to come of both of you solely depends on both of-"

"What?!” Keith yelled as he slammed a fist down on the table. “Kill us like you did with my partner?"

"That,” The man said with emphasis as he laid the folder down and for the first time giving Keith his full and undivided attention. “Is exactly what you shouldn't do in a situation like this."

Having enough time to momentarily glance at the folder before the man closed it, it only gave enough time to get a brief glance at what was in it but that was more than enough for him to see what it was information about himself in it. Personal information that no mere group of crime lords or organization would have. Who were these guys?

"Do you fuckfaces even know the shit you got yourself in? A dead and a missing officer won't be something looked at lightly."

"You underestimate the power we have Rookie." The man said emphasizing the nickname his deceased partner would use for him. Preparing to interject again, before Keith could do so the man raised his hand slightly to hold him off. "Your little precinct is just a tiny strand within the web of power we have. Your partner is a speck of dust so insignificant that it doesn't even matter if it sticks onto the web or not. It makes no difference. His death was meaningless in the grand scheme of things."

There was no threat in what the man said but he spoke as if he was stating just a fact. He wasn't afraid of the repercussions of getting caught. Either this man was crazy or maybe there was a grain of truth in what he was saying. "Who are you? The CIA? Spys? Terrorists?"

"Tisk, tisk, tisk. You are still thinking too small Mr. Hanson."

"What the fuck do you want from me? What the-"

"There! Finally a good question.” The man said sarcastically as he feigned excitement. “You are learning Mr.. Hanson. All I have is a simple choice for you to make. Join your partner or become a fellow spider."

The present
Location: The Ice Cream Parlor

'And out of all assignments and Asylums we could be teaming up with we end up here. Why the fuck do we have to be stuck here today?' AJ groaned as he watched the chaos unfold as the Chrono and the others entered the parlor.

'It's not that bad. These are the people who were at that one attack that happened at Innocence right? They'll be able to hold their own weight. Besides you need to be around other people besides Cams and myself.'

'You forced Ava to hang out with me so there's that.'

'Force her?' There was a slight smirk as gave a glance towards his partner. The sly fox wasn't someone he could remotely even say he had the ability to tell what she should do. 'Ava forces herself on you whether you like it or not so you might as well give up on bringing that up. Besides, this will be good for you. You need to socialize with other norma-' There was a slight pause as an unfamiliar woman leaped out for a kiss in the middle of her and her partner's introduction. Seeing that calling this group of eccentric people normal wouldn't work, Keith quickly changed his wording as he gave a slight shrug. 'other people.'

'Sure, if you say so' Rolling his eyes, the younger partner glanced around the room with disinterest. 'A child, vampire wannabe and a group of eccentric personalities is a perfect place for me to become normal or whatever it is you are aiming at to shape me into the perfect partner.'

'Just stop bitching and introduce yourself so that you can at least pretend to be a human.' Kieth nudged as the introduction moved towards the two of them.

'Oh, of course. Sheriff.' AJ mentioned with a sarcastic enthusiasm. “I'm AJ and my partner is Keith.” AJ said briefly with a forced friendly tone as he addressed the group, standing up just long enough to give his introduction.

'You're not done yet. You're here to give a proper introduction.' A slight smirk crept on Keith's face as he waited to see what else the polite version of AJ might say.

“If you are curious on learning more about us Keith, my dickish partner, will be more than happy to give you all more bullshit facts about us at a later time.” 'Happy?' The sarcastic edge was quickly back as AJ gave a slight smile towards his partner. Keith knew AJ wasn't a fan of introductions and other social obligations such as that and AJ wasn't going to let it slide for forcing it on him.

“I don't think I've personally met most of you,” Keith said jumping in without being fazed by his partner's introduction. “but seeing that we've been on the field for almost two full years now and that I joined Innocence as an adult, that's understandable. We are known as the Midnight Sun.” Keith said before concluding the duo's introduction without as much flair as the others.

'What is wrong with you today? I was expecting a robot or even Spock from you but you are being bitchy today.' Keith inquired after the briefing was done and the two headed towards the waiting ship

'So acting like Spork or whatever the fictional character's name is now acceptable?' AJ scoffed, not taking his eyes off the ship as the two walked closer.

'It's Spock and at least acting like him is tolerable.' Keith mused at the man's lack of knowledge of yet another common reference that even a person not living in normal society like AJ should understand. 'It's the assignment isn't it.' Keith asked, cutting all of his joking and bantering aside.

'It's been eleven years since I last saw him. Family reunions are never a good thing.' AJ said quietly as a mix of emotions swirled within him.

'How bad can it be? They're your family.'

'Hellish.'

Ante Mortem found them self lagging behind the others as they left the ice-cream parlor, mainly due to Angel's sluggish pace. The Silver Reaper had become rather notorious for being irritatingly lazy when indulging in activities he considered bothersome , a word he believed synonymous to effort. His footsteps dragged across the floor, expressing his disdain for their current predicament.

"What do you think?" The Chrono suddenly inquired with a sudden change in her tone. The jovial and light hearted sound of Rena had been replaced with a callous monotone. As she gently tilted her head to face her partner, even her expressions had drastically transformed. A stoic and calm expression now lay bare across her face; her eyes cold and void, a kin to a doll'.

"Good evening Rin I see you are finally awake," Angel replied, greeting the second half of his partner. "This mission is bothering you as well huh?" He continued, slightly relieved it was not mere paranoia. "It is rather coincidental that the primary makeup of this team mostly comprises of the survivors of Innocence. There is no doubt the ripples of that day would eventually hit shore, but why after eight years of this uncanny silence?" The more he mused over this mystery the more interest slowly peaked.

"The Asylums present.....can you tell?" Rin inquired once more, the cryptic nature of her questions designed to keep this topic from prying ears.

"I'm impressed, there are maybe three or four people who could catch that," Angel replied, a sense of pride in his tone as he complimented the Chrono with a gentle pat. "It is subtle, a subatomic anomaly in their alchemic drives and there is no way that this occurred naturally. Currently it is of no consequence but if this mutation evolves, oh what fun." A fiendish smile lay spread across the Reaper's face as his gaze slowly shifted from one Asylum to the other. [/i]Mason you cheeky bastard.[i]

"We are dealing with uncertainty, if a risk can not be quantified we should eliminate the possibility of it's occurrence," the Chrono responded, her callous tone providing an equally callous solution. The dampened sound of mechanical tinkering appeared to emerge from Rin's boots; however before her stance could change, Angel's arm on her should abated any further action.

"Come now, they are harmless. We have Mischief Maven comprised of Nathan and Lama, I know they seem like a handful but they tend to keep themselves in check and they have track record of getting things done. Next we have Psychosoma made up of Groudon and Altaria, I think it is adorable they are named after pokemon. Also sure the name Banshee might be ominous and what not but come now, between Move and Tiara, the latter is the only problem. And please don’t tell me you wouldn’t feel bad after killing BJ and Kite, their team title sounds like a honeymoon spot.” As Angel spoke he couldn’t help but don a puppy face in hopes to try and convince his partner in letting him keep the new amusement he had discovered.

“Very well, the current probability of risk is minuscule at best so you are welcome to indulge yourself,” despite the fact Rin made it appear as if her decision was based on logic, it was rather evident this was an exception for her brother.

“Lovely, I have something to look forward to now!” The Lost Number replied with his notorious smirk.

----------------------------------------Xx---------------------------xX-----------------------------------------
Location: Cruise ship currently in harbor
Passengers: The Bloodline members awaiting the Asylums
----------------------------------------Xx---------------------------xX-----------------------------------------

Queen Anne

“Well-well sister, our guests should be approaching at any time!” Dollos exclaimed, the boy clearly enthusiastic over getting to meet Alchemists of such pedigree. “I can’t remember the last time we saw an Asylum, oh wait yes I can,” as he muttered these words the heir couldn’t help but snicker in a belittling fashion towards his doting sister. “The last time we saw an Asylum was when you, my dear…lovely sister, decided to cover a town in fog for weeks causing panic. As much as I would love the opportunity to supersede you for the position of patriarch, I rather not my sister be disemboweled by an Asylum…..so behave yourself.” From the way Dollos spoke to his elder sister, it was clear the boy enjoyed teasing and provoking her.

In the mean time the head of the family found himself mingling with an old ally, the head of the Tatasuko family. Henry had known Zume for a while, particularly due to a friendly business relationship that revolved around information and occasional favors.

“Well hello my old friend,” Henry suddenly entered within Zume’s line of sight, a bright smile spread across his face. “How was the last meeting you hosted, I hear you are steadily gaining influence. These are turbulent times, influence and friends are indeed what helps one through them. Then again within such times, it is friends that one must be cautious off.”

Adesolas

“Look at all these curs, if I find the one responsible for killing our people there will be retribution. Blood for blood, don’t trust anyone Folami, it will only hurt you in the future. You have a kind soul, but this world is not for the kind it is for the strong and the strong must be independent. If you start depending you will eventually fall prey, always remember our traditions and the past child.” Amaka softly lectured her daughter as the Adesola sat at the opposite end of the other bloodlines. Her hatred and paranoia of the other bloodline appeared evident, however what the others weren't aware of were the several eagles that appeared to roam the skies above them while sharks remained positioned far off. Such was the nature of the alchemy of the Adesolas that even nature would bend to their will.

Steins

.................

Their presence seemed negligible; the quiet bunch of alchemists remained seated without uttering a word, not even speaking to each other. The only thing of import appeared to be that even the Matriarch was present, Cassandra who had only attended two meeting in her entire life.

Laveaus

“Mon’amie, I seem to have lost your God, do you know where I can find him?” The matriarch of the Laveaus didn’t seem to waste any time in exchanging wits with the Pallidinios, a bloodline she severely despised. “Tell me Dante what does you God think about your priests ravaging young boys, il aime ca? How much do you charge him?” She scoffed in a potent French accent, blatantly provoking him in front of the other hypocrites. “What about you Zidnae, care to share your philosophy on God? Are you really sure that your God isn’t the devil?” Clair continued, poking one at the head of Legende’, however her tone didn’t have the same toxic nature, it appeared as if this woman actually respected the man but also enjoyed poking fun at him.

Laofengs

The Laofengs have been known to be consistently present in every meeting, however it has been a time bound tradition that but a single representative is sent from the head family. The presence of a Lao is but a mere reminder of who sits on top of the food chain however at the same time they refuse to interfere in collective Bloodline matters and or politics. They believe in balance and do not believe in exerting power to disturb said balance; instead they willingly allow power to be delegated and dispersed and take the role of the observer. However if this balance is put in jeopardy it is only then the Laofengs take on an active role.
The current situation that has come about due to the deaths in every bloodline has indeed disturbed the balance, which is why this marks the first time in well over a century where a Patriarch has come to grace the meeting in person.

Bearing not a single worry, Lei Gong the current patriarch appeared to be calmly enjoying a glass of vine open to any discussions by any bloodline member that seek to indulge him. However due to security conditions his sister and former Laofeng, Ying remained in close proximity. This however came as little surprise as the Laofengs were known to get special treatment from A.M.R.O and being appointed a Lost Number as a personal guard was but one of them.

-------------Xx------------xX-----------

"Looks like we are finally here," Angel muttered in disdain as his eyes gazed upon the cruise or what was in his eyes, a massive death machine.

"Socializing is not my forte," Rin replied in her usual monotone, her worries not being about the chance of the ship being destroyed but having to exert the effort in trying to hold a conversation.

"Don't worry little one, the others will be the one's who shall partake in socializing. We are merely here as insurances, or well it would be more prudent to call us a nuclear warhead on standby."

Henry Queen-Anne

"Zume! It seems forever since I last saw you!" The Patriarch of Queen-Anne embraced his long time friend, grinning. Despite the tenseness of the situation, he seemed relaxed. Excessively so. As if this was a simple gathering between several powerful families, rather than a meeting that might just very well send them all spiraling into a costly and bloody war. Especially when AMRO got involved to bring peace back. Which would involve several families being wiped out, rather quickly and violently too.

"Ah, but Zume, friendships like ours are sealed in blood, brotherly love, and mutually assured destruction." He said pleasantly, hand going up to scratch behind his ear. "We would never betray each other. We both like living too much. Influence grows, but that is the way of things. Some families wax while others wane. I'm sure the tides will turn on me sooner or later."

Folami Adesolas

"Yes mother, I understand. But what you fail to understand is that the lion that refuses aid is soon torn apart by the pack of Hyenas around it. We have pride, but we don't have our own pride to watch our backs. We don't need to trust them. We just need to feel that we can take them if they do betray us, or we can easily predict and watch."

Folami's eyes had been half-lidded, processing and casting aside the information her small group of insects brought her. Flies, fleas, ladybugs, all those often barely noticed insects were around and amongst the group, receiving information. "Zume and Henry continue to have their tight relationship, while Queen-Anne's children continue to plan to kill him eventually. The black sheep of the Stein is as friendly as his relatives are silent. Laveaus is insulting religion again. Laofengs are arrogantly showing how little they have to fear with their Lost Number around. Lucas is preparing to enter the fray, it seems something...fuck."

Folami's eyes popped open. "The Delacour family is destroyed."

Willem Stein

He seemed to be moving around the crowd with ease, chatting here, joking there, or sharing a drink over there. Always touching too. Handshakes and hugs for those few that allowed him, simple 'accidental' brushes of his hand for those many that didn't. Whatever he was around he touched as well. The table, the glasses, the wall. It was odd, but then again, so were all the Steins. This one at least talked to you. He saw the disturbance amongst the Laveau and the Pallidinos (how unsurprising) and drifted over there, smiling.

"Clair, my dear," He began in a pleasant tone, is german accent onlys lightly noticeable "surely you must realize the futility of this? With such a tight alliance and foundation in the Papal aristocracy, you will never shake Dante's belief. Or provoke him much, I imagine. Though, for an entirely different reason. The various AMRO soldiers here would take quite the offence to a fight breaking out between us, and while you might be eager to be disemboweled with Dante, I find that blood and entrails take simply ages to get out of my clothes and shoes. Let us play nice, simply for a few days, hmmm?"

Lucas Peralta

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Lucas stared at the video on his computer screen, the smoked, burning, ruin of the Delacour family headquarters, and sighed. He'd have to tell this to the other families at some point, and they would be none to pleased. Tensions would rise even further, if that was possible. "When the meeting begins, without all their bodyguard and other family members to start something, then I'll do that. Not before." He spoke aloud to himself, before leaving his room on the ship. Granted, they were all technically his room, but it was the one he chose for himself. He fried his laptop with a word before he left. There was no need for it anymore, and he wasn't willing to let the other families have a chance at looking through his private information that easily.

He walked out into the main room where the families were gathered and talking, surveying all of them. I'm insane for deciding that all these maniacs should be held by me. He gave a slight smile. Or maybe not, given that I've chosen the ground.

Out on the deck of the cruise ship, far away from the squabbling Bloodlines, two figures leaned against the railing facing the docks.

The taller one, a towering older man wearing a stiff suit as grey as his close-cropped hair, was looking decidedly bored as he fidgeted with his hands, cracking his knuckles one by one. "Are they fucking here yet?"

The girl next to him had her arms folded atop the railing, and remained completely still as she stared off into the distance, as if lost in a daydream. "No."

"Little shits." The man scowled. "Is this what we are now? Fucking babysitters?"

"They're not all that young. Which you'd know if we'd actually gone to the briefing-"

"Oh yes, I'd have loved to go and eat ice cream with the bloody AMRO Girl Scouts! Such a fucking shame we were too busy..." He paused, squinting. "What the fuck were we supposed to be doing again?"

"Keeping an eye on the ship." The girl's tone was distracted, as if she were only barely paying attention to the conversation.

Her companion barreled on regardless, nodding to himself. "That's right. Standing guard, making sure the Magic Mafia behave themselves." He paused, glancing towards her. "You are keeping an eye on them, right?"

"Mmm."

"Good. That lot needs even more babysitting than the soft-serve brigade. Fucking Bloodlines..."

Maya Song tuned her partner out as he rambled on about the childishness and stupidity of the various families. She could tell him that they were probably listening in, but she doubted that Jim Dancer would particularly care. He was a pot calling kettles black, in this case, but she was happy to let him rant on as he pleased, so long as he didn't disturb her real focus.

A pair of carefully-hidden sigils were pulling in and capturing light from all around where the Bloodlines were gathered, feeding a stream of images to the brown-haired Asylum leaning against the railing. More versatile and less noticeable than security cameras, and also less likely to be hacked. It was a tricky piece of alchemy, however, and Dancer was feeling the drain. His constant stream of complaints and insults were his way of holding onto his sanity, and served as a barometer for her to tell just how worked up he was getting.

For now, he was okay, relatively speaking. The Bloodlines were being antagonistic as usual, but they weren't doing anything quite nasty enough to warrant intervention just yet. All she had to do was keep everything copacetic until-

"They're here."

Letting her surveillance drop out of focus for a moment, Maya looked down towards the docks, easily picking out the rapidly approaching band of Asylums. They certainly weren't hard to distinguish, even from a distance. She glanced towards Jim. "Be polite, okay?"

"Right." Even as he said this, Dancer was looking at the other AMRO operatives with a look of utter disdain on his face. Before Song could do anything to stop him, he'd cupped his hands around his mouth, and roared down at them as they neared the cruiser.

"GET ON FUCKING BOARD!"

When Samad was truly and completely unsatisfied with something, it showed. Namely with an endless silence that was broken by the bare minimum of words when addressed. Currently his figure was leaning on a lamp post nearby where the cab had parked nearest the curb, every often his eyes would pass subtle, hard glances at his partner as he extended his awareness to the scenery around him. It was more out of habit than anything.

His current appearance, like much of the rest of his attire, was made more for movement and comfort. Instead of semi formal attire, he wore a black sweater over a collared shirt and slender jeans hugged his hips well, his shoes a off white pair of athletic sneakers. He looked like any normal guy would strolling down the pier for a pleasant evening. Cade, on the other hand, usually wore something more prim and proper attire in comparison: a white dress sure, a v-neck sweat and a dress vest which buttoned at the waist. Instead of jeans, topped off with a belt and ironed out trousers.

The taller but more slender man was hauling his bulky medical bag quickly out of the taxi, bent at the waist within the taxi as he passing the driver the right amount of tips and payment for his rush hour service. Standing upright, he then held out a single finger to prevent the man from taking off and rechecked his things hastily to ensure everything was in order. His arm wrapped about his medical bag that threatened to slip from his grasp while he pushed up his large, rounded glasses back upon his nose.

“Thank you, Sir.” He stated right before the car rumbled, the tires screeched quickly into traffic and out of sight quickly. It was enough to cause Cade to flinch visibly, his face frowning at the rudeness displayed. He snapped off a less than enthusiastic comment, his eyes watching the departure’s direction, with slight sarcasm to it. “Great day to you too…”

Sighing, he flipped his arm over his shoulder where his medical dangled from his fingers lightly. That’s when he noted his partner was already starting to move, not bothering to make sure he had everything, and casually strolled down the pier toward the boat. His cane flickered out as he began limping heavily on one side from a well practice feign that even the blond had difficulty in identifying it not being a genuine wound. Cade bit his lip twice in slight guilt over their lateness and resisting asking Samad to wait up, mainly because it was his fault they might miss the boat. If he hadn’t slipped into a meditative state for an extra hour and gotten lost into his own mind, then it wouldn’t have happened. He wasn’t against his Persian partner holding a grudge for a few hours, if he knew it was that simple but he got the sensation the more serious man would’ve held it completely against him for much longer. For days, if not weeks. Thinking about this, Cade let a soft, annoyed sigh escape before he realised he was gradually being left behind.

“Shit!” Cade cursed under his breath then rushed to catch up, his shoes clipped along the concrete then to wood upon reaching the pier. The others would see them shortly arriving and clearly missed the memo over when to arrive.

Antonia Palladinos

“Hey! I think that's him!” A young girl chatted excitedly to her sister as she tried to pull the older girl towards the nearby window she had been looking out of for the longest time as Irene and her parents kept busy with adult conversation. “Don't do you think so Rosella? He looks exactly how Sonia described our cousin to be.” The young girl said as she looked out the window as she watched the Asylums started to get closer but Rosella wouldn't budge.

“Shush Antonia, father is speaking.” Rosella said in a harsh tone before shaking her sister off her arm and turning back to the conversation her father was having like an obedient child.

“Humph.” The young girl sighed as she crossed her arms and looked around. She didn't understand why daddy liked to talk to the Legendes and the Laveaus. The lady seems mean and if the rumors of the Legendes were true she didn't understand why he would waste time with someone like them. It didn't help that they were boooring too. At least the Queen Anne's kids were fun and didn't drone on and on.

Taking a glance around to see if she could find the duo, a smile crept on her face as she saw that the two appeared to be waiting for the Asylums. Maybe the duo of deceit would be her ticket to see AJ.

“Mama, can I go say hi to Dollos and Apate?”

“Take Rosella with you and stay out of trouble.” Francesca said giving her youngest daughter a warning look as she held one of Luca's hand. “And I mean it Antonia.” The matriarch said before walking alongside the toddler towards the table Lei Gong was sitting at.

“Why do I always end up your babysitter.” Rosella said with a sigh as the two made their way past the different groups of people.

“Because Daddy wouldn't ever let Irene leave the conversation for something like this. She is too important, unlike us.” Antonia said with a slight snort as she took a quick glance toward the eldest sister who was standing besides their father.

“We are just seeing the two troublemakers right? You do remember we are not allowed to even talk to AJ or his mother. Father would get mad at you.” Rosella said speeding up to catch up with her sister who was now starting to skip. “You promised to behave since we are in the company of the other bloodlines.”

“Who cares.” Antonia said with a shrug. “It's not like you are going to be a part of the family soon anyways. You're going be shipped off just like Sonia.”

Apate Queen Anne
“And ruin all the fun by being a good little girl?” Apate said with a snicker in response to her brother's remark. “You misjudge me if you thought that eyesore could have stopped me. I hope at least this time the Asylums we meet will be a tad bit more fun because the last one was such a bore. Maybe if we are lucky there might be a few eye candies in the bunch too.” Apate said with a devious smirk as she waited for the Asylums to get closer to get a better view of who all would be joining them. “I just hope you polished up your skills this time around brother dearest. Let's not be too sloppy.”

Hearing the voices of children start to quickly grow, Apate turned around and saw the two Palladino munchkins head towards the duo. “Aww cute. Look who decided to play with the big kids this time around brother dearest.”

“Hi Apate and Dollos!” Antonia said with a cheerful smile as she approached the two older heirs. “It's been awhile since I saw the two of you. How are you guys? Are you waiting for the Asylums too?”

Dante Palladino
“After all these years I would have thought you would have came up with an ingenious tactic on how to pester me but here you are yet again going straight to the religion.” Taking in no appearance of an offense, the Patriarch gave nothing more than a slight chuckle towards Clair's prodding. “It is unfortunate to see the decline of your family over the years as the ideologies of the south taint your bloodline. Let's just hope you haven't fallen into all the stereotypes of your homelands and made your bloodline too pure.”

“It would explain their ignorance and lack of tactics.” Irene chimed in, emulating a similar reaction Dante had towards Clair before Willem waded into the small gathering to try and simmer down the tension.

“Yes, let's hold off on this squabble for another time perhaps.” Dante commented, entertaining the man's idea of peace knowing how futile such a promise could be given who all was on the ship. “but seeing who all is here I doubt the peace will last for long especially with all the recent rumors circulating around among the different families. I find it quite peculiar that the attendance rate of this meeting exceeds the ones in the past.”