"Maybe I was wrong," Abel chuckled, "Seems the party is starting earlier than I thought it would." Bracing himself against the wall, it was only a matter of seconds before the ground itself started to quake and tremble, a building on the opposite side of the street opposing their inn started to crumble from the top down as a giant figure with horrific eyes smashed his hands through it, grabbing at something and then tossing it into its mouth. the first sighting of a chain on their mission, and it already had destroyed a building, ate a human, and odds are that there was other casualties.

Then there was silence, it seemed to last forever, but it was probably only a few minutes, it was broken though by the sounds of another building breaking in the distance, then as if waiting for a queue, all hell broke loose, the streets filled with panic and screams as everyone ran like mad, not knowing where was safe, or when the chain would grab them.

"Well my dear, it seems that we are needed." Abel walked over to the open window and stood on its frame, "Try to survive the night, You are a tad to pretty to die yet." He blew Skye a kiss, then jumped out the window. He would land on a canopy overhanging the entrance of the inn, bouncing off unhurt, he then charged out In time to cut the hand off of a chain trying to grab a man who tripped on the ground. "Picking on the weak is not a very noble thing to do, I shall be your opponent now." He barely finished his words when the chain tried to smash him with its other hand.

Skye asked "What?" in response to his comment, before she yelped at the earthquake, standing her ground. She soon saw the chain and she widened her eyes at the sight of the thing eating a building. She shuddered in the silence before all hell broke loose. She looked to Abel when he spoke and she blushed and shuddered in slight disgust when he flirted with her a bit before he left. She muttered "Ugh...!" before she headed outside as well. She could see that Abel was going to fight the chain itself. She hurried out the same way as well. Only as she headed out, she heard a voice whisper in her ear to go and find the contractor who was responsible for summoning the chain.

She figured the voice was her gut instinct and she followed it. She ran through the town to soon find Sherman Holster who was standing and watching the chain destroy the town, with a maniacal grin on his face. She ran up to him and pressed the pistol at his head. She growled "Hey, you. Dismiss that chain, or you'll have your brains blown out,"
Sherman looked to her and said "Well, I certainly didn't expect to be found...You've almost got me...but you forgot something,"
Skye raised an eyebrow and she saw Thestral out of the corner of her eye, lunging to attack. Skye quickly dodged the kick, and she was soon locked in a martial arts like battle against Thestral. She was trying to knock Thestral unconscious, but the woman was too fast. Skye knew that she needed to get to Sherman, but Thestral was making that difficult.

Sheathing his blade, Abel looked around the ruins, he had made fairly easy work out of the simple Card Chains, he didn't even need to use his own chain against them. Abel looked around the ruins, searching, he hadn't found a single contractor, but clearly there had to be a few of them, and they needed to be close by. He had killed a few chains, so they should have had their contracts broken, but it was strange, usually they were closer to their contractors. He took a few steps forward, then he felt something move beneath his feet, swiftly he jumped backwards, only to see a child hand move.

Urgently Abel moved aside some rubble, only to uncover the same child he had saved earlier. Unconscience, with a few scratches, the boy was still alive by some miracle. "Alrighty little man, up you go." He lifted the cild over his shoulder, dirt and rubble falling off onto him, "I'll send you the bill for my clothing after all this is done and over with," He grinned and started moving agiliy, he needed to find a safe place for the child before he would continue to clean out the town. He looked back and forth as he pressed onward, then he saw Skye in a struggle.

"Beautiful girl, do you have everything covered over there?" Adjusting his hold on the child, he flashed his usual grin to her as she was involved in her fight, not really seeing to well whom she was fighting with, nor having the time to. His grin and time of poking had been cut short as he found a pair of hands wrapped around his own neck, Abel looked down to see the one choking him, it was the child in his arms. "Whag?" He wasn't able to even get a proper word out, why was the child's grip so tight?, Abel look into the boys eyes as his vision started to fail him, it was then when it started to make sense, this wasn't a boy, it was a chain in the skin of a child.

Skye heard Abel as she fought and she shouted back as she kept fighting, "What do you think?!" She looked away from Thestral as she blocked a punch to see a child with Abel, and that child was choking Abel, while it became chain like. She growled under her breath, as she kicked Thestral in the chest, pushing her away, and Skye pulled out her pistol again. She quickly shot Thestral in the kneecap first, making her scream, and then she pointed the pistol and the chain like child, and expertly shot it in the temple. The shot effectively made the child let go of Abel, and fall over.

Ignoring Thestral, who was on the ground holding her kneecap in pain, she went over to Sherman and she pointed the pistol at his temple saying "Let's try this again. You're under arrest, Sherman Holster. Dismiss these chains immediately,"
Sherman cackled and he commented "You really are a member of the Robbins family aren't you, Miss Skye? You are just as cruel as your parents were!"
Skye growled and she threatened "Don't you dare compare me with them!"
Sherman cackled "But it's true isn't it? You did shoot a child in the head after all," Skye felt sick at what she had done, but she didn't dare to show it on her face. Sherman continued "Why don't you show us the power of the Robbins' household chain, hm? Come on. Show us another reason why we should fear you! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Taking in a deep breath now that he was able to, Abel looked at the child, who lied on the ground, perfectly still, with a hole in its head, blood steadily forming a puddle around it. "Well, that was a bit of a surprise, both that a chain was hiding as a child, and the fact that you didn't shoot me."

He walked over to Sherman who was at the gunpoint of Skye, "Now now, pushing a lady to act violently, attempting to tear a rift into the very world itself to have your own gate, having a child butchered so as that you could hide a chain in plain view, what other crimes have you done that we could have you put under for?" He pushed Skye's pistol down, and shook his head at her, then whispered to her, "Keep calm, he is trying to provoke you for a reason, he doesn't see this as a loss yet." He glanced around noticing at least three figures in the shadows watching the events unfold. "Now then, lets just talk things out before the real party starts," Placing his hands into his pockets, and fiddling with something within them, "Why did you bait us here?" He looked at the agitated Skye, "Or maybe the question should be, why did you lure Skye Robbins here?"

Skye looked at Abel when he walked over and pushed her pistol down. She listened to what he said and she calmed herself down, lowering her pistol but still keeping it out just in case. After Abel asked, she looked to Sherman, who laughed at Abel's question, "I don't have to answer. Since she's here, we've got what we want. Right. NOW!" After Sherman called Skye whirled to see three chains had been summoned. These chains were nothing like the small fry that Abel and Skye had seen earlier. The three chains consisted of a large monster that looked like a beaver, a human like zombie wielding a cleaver and wearing a butcher's apron, and the last looked like a strange, grotesque, and monstrous combination of a turtle and a pig.

Before Skye even knew it, the Butcher chain lunged at her, and tried to cut her down with its cleaver. She yelped as quickly dodged the attack. She fired at the chain as they tried to charge again, only to find that the bullets were ineffective. Before she knew it, the Mock Turtle was above her, pinning her to the ground, and was about to take a bite out of her with unnaturally razor sharp teeth.

"Well, if you want to be slapped around a bit before you are willing to give us some answers, then we will do just that." Shrugging Abel really wasn't too worried about the new chains joining the fight, if anything, he was secretly a bit excited that he was getting a chance to really fight during this mission. He then pulled out his pocket watch with his families emblem of two wings chained down, "I can play that game as well, right Knave?" floating behind Abel a figure started to materialize, floating mid-air it let out a low whisper, then charged full speed towards Sky, using its shield it bashed the mock turtle off as it went in to strike.

Placing his watch carefully away, Abel cracked his fingers, then drew his rapier once more, darting the same direction as his own chain, but then changing direction to place himself between sky and the chain which resembled a beaver. "Sky, we will need to have a long conversation on the trip afterwards...also with that last save, we are even." he quickly flashed her a smile before he thrust his weapon at the beaver in quick succession. It was to no avail, but he had it on the run for now.

Everything was happening really fast, but Skye managed to keep herself alert as it happened. She saw that another chain protected her from the Mock Turtle, Abel's chain, and she looked to Abel when he drew a rapier and placed himself between her and the Beaver. She commented after he spoke "I agree,"
After he flashed her a smile and fought the Beaver, Skye caught sight of the Butcher, and she quickly pulled herself and Abel to the ground as the chain swung its cleaver. Had Skye moved a second later, both her and Abel would've found themselves without their heads. She commented after she shot her pistol at the Butcher's cleaver, sending the weapon flying out of its hand, "And with that, you owe me one again,"

She then stood up and fired her pistol at the chains, damaging them, but it wasn't enough to deter the chains from trying to attack her. She dodged and blocked attacks as she fired. When she ran out of bullets she quickly found a piece of metal debris that she could use as a weapon and used it as a makeshift sword against the three chains. She could hear Sherman cackle "Come on! Come on! Show us your chain Robbins! SHOW US YOUR CHAIN!"
Skye could see that he was ready to summon his chain, and she threw his metal pipe at his hand before he could, stopping him from calling his chain.

Speaking in a calm tone, but not even looking at her, Abel voiced his concern, "Skye. Don't summon your chain, the Knave and I will cut them down, just stay alive, and don't bring it out." It was true, Abel found that the chains they were fighting against were no real problem, even his chain, which was specialized in defense over offense, was able to push them around. They must have had there contracts forged recently, or the illegal contractors must not have a lot of time left. He thought to himself as he tried to look around during the fight, he couldn't visually see the contractors, but he could feel them, and it made him grin. "You picked the wrong time to try this Sherman, your lacks are starting to lack time, and I for one," swinging his rapier to the side in time to block a strike from the beaver, "Am able to do this all day." Pointing with his rapier to the left, then in two other directions, "Those three on the other hand, must be nearing their limits, I can feel it in the chains. I think it is time we end this farce of a fight." With a smirk on his face, Abel dashed and with an almost unnoticeable swing, he finished of the beaver, as it started to burn up and return to where it came from. The Mocking turtle would find it was having a hard time as well, as the Knave turned its focus on it, and was now dealing with the a fury of shield bashes. "Well Sherman, your move, make it a good one, or I will cut off both your hands." Abel was clearly looking down on the man.

Skye looked to Abel when he spoke, and she nodded in response. She watched in slight awe as he finished off the Beaver and Mock Turtle with apparent ease. After the Beaver and the Mock Turtle were finished, Sherman turned to look at the person who had contracted with the Butcher, only to see that his time was up, and the Butcher was dragging him back down into the Abyss. He looked at Abel and Skye, and with a slight smirk and a calmer air than a few moments before, he raised his hands up and he simply stated "I surrender. Go ahead and arrest me,"

Skye raised a suspicious eyebrow at Sherman. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that practically screamed that Sherman wasn't surrendering, that he had another plan in mind. She looked to Abel silently, trying to see if he had the same feeling as well.

"Well, lets make sure that there isn't anything hiding under your sleeves than," With a swift jerk of his own wrists, Abel had cut off Sherman's right hand, " Now than, you are under arrest, and will be needing medical attention." He sheathed his rapier and beckoned Knave to return. His attention was now fully on Skye, "Well then Miss, we are due for a long chat." He was still talking as if it was all business, and acted rather nonchalantly, like the events that just happened were of no big deal. He then saw one of his subordinates, and signalled to him to take Sherman away.

"So do you wish to speak out here in the open, or on the ride back, or in my private office?" Abel again addressing Skye, He was pleased with the results of the mission thus far, but not too thrilled with the lack of intell on his supposed allie.

Sherman shouted in pain when Abel cut off Sherman's hand. He fell to his knees and held his wrist, before the other Pandora officers arrived to lift the man up to his feet, and guide him roughly away. Skye looked to Abel when he spoke, disliking how he acted so nonchalant about the entire situation. She put away her gun as answered his question, "On the ride back," She dreaded the conversation. It was either going to involve him lecturing her about something, or he would be asking questions that she would either not want to answer, or have no answers at all.

She looked back to Sherman to see him look at her, with an eerie grin on his face. She also watched as the Pandora officials dragged off Thestral, who was still in pain from the bullet in the kneecap. When Thestral passed Skye, she spat at the ground in disdain towards Skye.

"Clean up the mess, I want the interrogation reports from those two as soon as you are able, also keep a few men stationed in the area and have them send reports daily, if anything seems odd again, we will come back, and if needed we will cleanse the entire town." Abel voiced out commands for the rest of the Pandora members who were just arriving.

"With that all settled, little miss, time for our conversation and ride back to our HQ." He motioned to a carriage which was waiting for them. After she got in, he hopped in and placed himself across from Skye. "Well then, some ground rules, for every question you answer, you may ask one in return. Okay? First question, are you illegal? Sherman mentioned you having a chain, but my reports never mentioned anything, do you have the mark on your body, or did it happen legally, but everyone else was left in the dark?." He adjusted how he was sitting, crossing one leg over the other, "Next, What is their connection to you, did you know them before hand?" Abel was rather calm about the whole situation, keeping himself from coming across as annoyed or angry, just the same as always.

The Pandora members responded to Abel with a loud and resonant "Yes sir!", as they continued working. When he mentioned interrogation reports, Skye couldn't help but feel bile start to rise in her throat as she recalled memories. She couldn't help but remember how her parents conducted interrogations of their own. To say the least, the interrogations were borderline inhumane. She snapped out of her gruesome recollection when Abel spoke and gestured towards the carriage. She nodded, never noticing how her face had paled. She moved towards the carriage and got in.

She looked to Abel when he spoke and she nodded in response to his question about the ground rules. After he asked his two questions, she tried to remember. When she tried to remember as to when she could've contracted a chain. There was only one possible time she could've, but when she tried to recall the memory of the incident that landed her in Pandora to begin with, she only saw black and a sound akin to ringing in the ears, pierced her brain and she gripped her head in pain. She answered, remembering that she hadn't seen any marks on her body, "I don't remember. I don't remember when I could've contracted a chain. But I do remember that there's no mark on my body to indicate an illegal contract,"

She then answered the second question, "As for your second question, I can answer that. I never actually spoke with Sherman and Thestral before, but they knew my parents. The four of them always had private discussions. I couldn't listen in on what they were talking about though,"

Abel let out a sigh, "Than odds are you are just a victim in a twisted game I suppose?" He looked at Skye, noticing how pale she was, "Well, I suppose to our current knowledge you haven't done any wrong, and till given reason for doubt, we shall stand by you saying that you do not have any marks of illegal contract. But if you do have a chain, you will have to be thoroughly looked over to see if you have one, we would have a female member do that with you though so don't worry, it wouldn't be me." He smiled after his joke of poor taste and quality. "But back to business, due to this incident, many members of Pandora are going be called to HQ and are being both tested and examined, the ones who got dragged into the abyss were also members, so this incident caused much more fuss than we anticipated. With many members gathered in a small location, Keep your guard up, if you are special to whoever, for whatever reason," he pointed his finger at her, "They will likely make another move during the exams. Don't trust anyone aside from me in a Pandora uniform for a while, and make sure you always have a loaded gun on you. Never be alone, try to remain in groups of four or more." He sat comfortably back in his seat, "And these aren't warnings, I am forcing them upon you as an order from a superior officer." He paused for a few seconds, "OH and do try to smile, things are horribly, and life may suck at times, and you are wanted for whatever reason, but keep smiling, its fake I know, and it may be hard, but you are much more beautiful when you smile?" Back to his more playful and mocking manner Abel chuckled.