#not to mention how this moves the ball for callisto

[penelope-regulus]

Headcanon #2

After the hunting competition, Callisto desperately wanted to see Penelope every single day, talk to her, and just gaze at her beautiful face for long hour without end, so he secretly had the empire's best painters come to the palace and paint portraits of her, which he kept everywhere, being careful to order his servants to hide them every time Penelope visited his palace, and having them placed in a secret room in his treasury when she moved in as the empress after her studies were completed. He also kept things like the gloves he wore any time he held Penelope's hand, the piece of cloth Penelope ripped off of her dress when his arm was injured, the arrow that would have killed him if not for the amulet Penelope gave him at the hunting competition because he realized that she actually cared whether he died at that moment, a collection of crystal balls that can replay every moment he shares with her, no matter how trivial, which he has the imperial magicians make by photocopying his memories, down to the heads of all the people he killed for messing with Penelope as trophies and the dead skin of his lips that came off a few days after his first kiss with her.

After Judith grew up a little, whenever Penelope would visit the Eckhart duchy to see her father and second brother without Judy, Callisto would take her to the hidden room in the treasury and show his memories of Penelope and tell the significance of each of the objects, making her jealous that she couldn't live the moments he did with Penelope. Upon Penelope's return, Judith would take Penelope to her room, making sure her father can't come anywhere near them for hours and tell Penelope to shower her with more love than she's ever done for Callisto, consequently making him the jealous one.

Safe to say, Judith has tried to kiss Penelope on more than one occasion in her child days and Callisto has received a lot of scoldings, ear and hair pulling, and nights alone for teaching their Judy bad things.

She also has a secret collection of things that can remind her of Penelope, inspired by Callisto and known to only the two of them, although nothing is as particularly crazy as dead skin cells. This collection includes a mountain full of memories, Penelope's used perfumes, make up, accessories, pens, and other belongings that she thought she threw out (Judith and Callisto fight over these), spoons that she's eaten from (Callisto gets the forks), and even the dress Penelope was wearing while giving birth to her.

Penelope returns early on one day after her visit to the duchy and catches the two of them sharing one of those super cute father daughter moments where they treat each other like love rivals and Penelope isn't even surprised, but has them get rid of all the items. Judith confides in her uncle, Reynold, and the maids that were supposed to throw the things out transport them to Reynold's secret sea-side cottage (which I think makes sense for him to have), and Callisto does the same with Cedric (Reynold easily complies because his heart always gets the best of him and Cedric is threatened to). They do get to keep some of the things of their collection with them, though, after hours of begging and imploring Penelope to please let them.

ALSO!! Reynold attempts doing the same with Emily after hearing of Judy and Calli's collection from Penelope later on, but is caught while trying to add the very first item, and ultimately fails.

And I should also mention Callisto got the idea to start this collection from Cedric!

When Callisto used to ramble on and on about his times with Penelope to Cedric whilst he was working, Cedric once got annoyed and went "With how obsessed you are, I'm surprised you don't have magicians preserve every breath she exhales and the water she washes her dirty hands with!" At that moment Callisto jumps up from his chair, kicks the table he's sitting in front of, sending it flying, and darts out of the room at the speed of 100km/s to the imperial magicians and tries doing so right away. Unfortunately for him, they're not able to preserve her breath for real and he can't keep the water she cleans herself with because at the time she was still living with the Eckharts and trying to go back to her world, blissfully ignorant to everything happening at the palace. Callisto begins to fidget with his lips (and this is a few days after the first kiss) and a piece of skin comes off. His collection began with this, and poor Cedric, traumatized, never made sarcastic remarks within Callisto's hearing range ever again.

[keyofjetwolf]

My name is Xena.

Fuck me but this whole scene is so fucking incredible. The speech, the setting, the acting, the reactions. It seems counter-intuitive to use the word “understated” when talking about Xena, which is generally an extravaganza that has never once in its life considered not going as absolutely balls-out hard as it possibly can. But it’s that business as usual default that helps make it that much more powerful when it does choose to pull its punches. There’s nothing funny about any of this, the show doesn’t try to give it a drop of comedy or levity. It lets the horror stand with the truth of it, it lets the shame and the judgement intermingle, and at the end, it leaves you feeling unremarkable and empty. No one learned anything, no one received closure, no one feels healed, and yet still, life continues.

Oh yeah, that “read more” means I’m not done, BOY AM I NOT DONE SORRY EVERYONE. Let’s start with the speech itself, which is delivered in this incredible monologue by Xena. It’s given in this factual tone, not particularly remarkable or hyperbolic. There’s little embellishment; we can argue it strays only slightly toward the end when speaking specifically of Callisto, but even there, I feel it’s not untruthful. For all that, it’s a monologue given sincerely and painfully, and however much Xena may be attempting to distance herself, it’s impossible. Once again acting as her mirror, we have Callisto, attempting to pull everything she possibly can from it, but unable.

I jump ahead of myself, though.

My name is Xena. Some call me The Warrior Princess. Some call me murderer. Many years ago, there was a village called Cirra. It was a village just like yours: small, prosperous, full of life. Until the day that my army came. Until the day that *I* came. Destroyed it. Under my orders, my men sacked the village, burned the houses, and killed every living thing. Everything was destroyed. Including the soul of one young, innocent girl, who will never be able to reclaim her childhood, and will never know what the Fates had planned for her if not for me.

Again, there’s nothing here that’s untrue. That’s the most damning part of all of it. Callisto holds all the cards right now. Xena needs her help, and while she’s offering Callisto a carrot, Callisto doesn’t NEED it. This, then, is Callisto’s price: go to the nearest village, and tell them. What you did to my village and my family. What you did TO ME. Callisto doesn’t make Xena say she cackled as the houses burned, or bathed in the blood of her mother and sister. She doesn’t infuse it with anything moustache-twirly or overtly sadistic and unforgivable. It’s the truth, it’s precisely no more than the truth, AND XENA KNOWS IT.

Callisto doesn’t allow Xena anywhere to hide. She can’t pretend it’s exaggeration or inflated for sympathy or humiliation. She has to stand there and confess her crimes, no more and no less. She has to say, and so also has to know, that perhaps the greatest responsibility she bears is not for the things Callisto has done, but for all the things she will never get to do. 

All of this delivered on a small, unimpressive platform in a small, unimpressive town. Behind Xena, dyed clothes whip in the wind, and it’s such a simple but evocative backdrop. Never still, always shifting and changing, the colours shifting from dramatic reds and oranges to serene whites and pinks, to regal purples and golds. The possibilities, all snapping around her, never settled and never still. (I don’t know that they changed the placement of the clothes for different takes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.)

Gabrielle stands in the crowd.

She finds it hard, almost impossible at times to directly watch Xena. Her earlier rage has faded, now she’s nothing but compassion for Xena having to go through this. Does Gabrielle feel the truth in it all, I wonder? I think so. She knows that these are all things Xena has done; as I said, this is nothing but factual. Gabrielle’s heart is with this Xena though, the Xena she knows, the one Gabrielle sees as continually paying for someone else’s crimes. What’s particularly interesting about Gabrielle in this scene, though, is how she steals a glance at Callisto when it’s all over.

There’s none of the hatred of earlier, and you’d think this would be a perfectly opportune moment to get some in. While I wouldn’t quite put it either compassion or pity, I do think in a particular way, Gabrielle feels sorry for Callisto, and that’s perhaps not as surprising as it sounds.

CALLISTO GOES ON A FUCKING JOURNEY HERE. She begins as gleeful as you’d expect.

Whatever the ancient Greek version of popcorn, I feel strongly that Callisto should have some. Just give this girl an overstuffed arm chair and let her snuggle in precisely as much as she wants. Every day since Xena came to Cirra, Callisto has wanted this. Xena shamed and humiliated, Xena humbled and punished. This is a woman about to get everything she ever wanted handed to her on a platter, and she is READY.

Only, as the monologue progresses, things begin to change. She hears Xena’s confession, hears her take responsibility for what she did to Callisto, and feels...

Nothing.

As Callisto processes all of this, she moves in this incredible, jerky manner, like her insides are made of broken glass, the pieces grinding together with every movement. Whatever relief she was planning to feel, or satisfaction she was expecting, there’s nothing at all. Is Callisto just that broken, to where she wouldn’t know how to let go, even if she wanted to? Or was this the lie in all the truth, and this always WAS her fate, Xena or no?

Meanwhile -- and while I don’t know this is the rawest thing, it would definitely rank up there -- we have the villagers, who stand to listen to this without comment, and then move on about their lives without comment. This huge -- HUGE -- moment playing out before their eyes, and yet it means nothing to them. Do they know of the old Xena? Do they know of the new Xena? Do they give even a tiny shit about either, so long as they can stay out of it? To them, this is ancient and irrelevant history, and they just. don’t. care.

This whole scene is just phenomenal, start to finish, and so well played in every possible way. Callisto was right: they absolutely DID have time for this, and thank you.

[malfoymanortings]

somebody else PT 2

SUMMARY: Mae has been in love with Draco Malfoy since her first year at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy fell in love with Mae in their fourth year, and then promptly fell into Pansy’s bed instead. All the while, Mae clings to the hope that Draco will change. That is, until, Ron Weasley takes his chance.

PAIRINGS: toxic!Draco x OC, Ron x OC, Ginny x Luna

im not sure that I like how this turned out, but hopefully you all enjoy it! I was very surprised I got so much positive feedback on that little one shot i posted. thank you all for the love! 

also, let me know if you want to be on the taglist for the next part. 

Perhaps it was her conversation with Ginny the previous night, or perhaps it was because she felt so hollow inside, but Mae resolved herself on confronting Draco. Of course, he didn’t make things easy for her. He never did.

“Pansy and Draco are sitting awfully close, aren’t they?” Blaise said conversationally, taking a sip of his morning coffee. Full of cream, three sugars. As always.

Mae eyed Draco and Pansy warily, noting the way Pansy laughed into Draco, her hand seeming to move onto his leg although it was hidden from the table. “They’re just friends.”

“Rubbish,” scoffed Blaise harshly, stabbing an egg. “You’re much smarter than that, love.”

Pansy took that moment to brush Draco’s hair out of his face, and something broke inside Mae as Draco caught her hand in his own, bringing her knuckles to his lips and ghosting a kiss across them.

“It’s none of your business though, innit?” snapped Mae, slamming her glass of pumpkin juice down so harshly it brought the attention of the entire half of their table, including Draco and Pansy. “If Draco wants to fuck a slut, let him.”

Blaise choked on his eggs, slamming a fist into his chest as he attempted to swallow. Draco tilted his head, a sneer on his face, while Pansy began hurling insults at Mae. 

“Perhaps if you weren’t a filthy half-blood, Draco would be more interested. He wants a real woman.” Pansy declared wickedly, her lips lifted up in a snarl.

“A real woman with real STDs, hm?” retorted Mae, standing up from the table. “Everyone knows you fucked Theodore Nott last week, and he had to go to Madam Pomfrey from whatever you gave him!”

The part about Pansy fucking Theodore Nott was true, although the STD part was not. But Mae was so angry, so fed up with how the both of them were treating her, that she couldn’t contain it anymore. At this point, most of the Great Hall had caught sight of what was happening, although the teachers at least pretended to be oblivious. She caught sight of Ginny grinning at her encouragingly.

“I’m going to be honest with you, because no one else will,” Draco said the words slowly, casually, as though he were speaking of the weather. “Anyone who says they’re interested in you, beyond just fucking you, is a liar.”

Mae felt her cheeks burn, as the Slytherin table began laughing and oohing under their breath, and she rushed out of the Great Hall. She heard footsteps behind her, but she ignored them, until someone tugged harshly on her arm, the rings on his fingers alerting her to who it was.

“Why?” demanded Mae, turning around with unshed tears. An amused Draco stood in front of her, looming over her. “Why do you do this to me?”

Perhaps the question caught him off guard, because Draco replied with “I don’t know.”

Mae let out a strangled sob, wiping her hands harshly down her face. “I just want to be the one you love.”

“Oh darling,” Draco said the words softly, reaching out to caress her cheek. Mae closed her eyes for a moment, and she could pretend everything was fine. “I’ll never love you.”

With those words, Draco shoved her jaw harshly, causing a loud popping noise to sound as pain reverberated through the lower half of her face.

“I’m breaking up with you.” Mae said the words first, opening her eyes to see Draco actually looking.. Hurt, by her words.

“Took you long enough.” 

Mae looked to see Ginny heading her way, her hand intertwined with Luna’s, with the Golden trio, Pansy, and Blaise following close behind.

“We would have never made it anyways.” Draco responded quietly, and Mae felt a bit vindicated to see that he appeared to feel at least partially upset.

“That’s your fault.” her voice shook, but Mae said the words passionately.

“How?” he had the nerve to sound incredulous, and Mae balled up her fists as tears of anger came to her eyes.

“You always cheated on me with Pansy! You treated me like I was your pet, like you could keep fucking around without any care for my feelings!” the words she had been keeping in for so long burst out, and she felt a rush of vindication that she finally got to say them aloud.

Draco scoffed, and any hope of him apologizing or fighting for her went out the window. “You really think I give a shit about you? It’s your loss, Callisto.” he sneered her last name, looking over his shoulder to see the others approaching them.

Mae’s eyes hardened, hatred growing as Pansy ran pathetically over to Draco. “Your whore’s here.”

Pansy rolled her eyes. “Sorry you don’t know how to keep a man.”

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be Callisto,” Draco drawled out, slinging an arm over Pansy. “Nobody likes a slut that doesn’t understand when her time is up.”

“What did you just say?” Ron Weasley was the last person Mae expected to speak to Draco after he said those words.

Draco scoffed. “You heard me, Weas-”

Before Draco could get the full word out, Ron’s fist collided with Draco’s delicate features. Mae’s eyes widened as Ron wound his fist back once more, knocking Draco flat on his back. Pansy started screaming, and Blaise started laughing.

“Blaise, help him!” Pansy shrieked, slapping a hand to her mouth in horror.

Blaise sighed, rolling his eyes. He gave Mae a quick look, (perhaps in an apology?) before he gave Ron a swift kick to his stomach. Ron stumbled backwards, falling on his bottom, and Draco lay on the ground clutching his bruised and bloody face.

Pansy promptly threw herself down onto Draco, and Blaise stood there with his arms crossed as though he were just waiting for the show to be over. Mae, on the other hand, had nothing left to say to Draco, and turned her attention to Ron, who had just gotten off the floor with the help of Harry. 

“Thank you,” the words were quiet, but sincere. Ron nodded to her, his eyes not wavering from hers.

“He’s not worth it, yeah?” said Ron, shaking his bruised knuckles. “He never deserved you.’

Mae, suddenly flooded with emotion, just shook her head, and with tears burning in her eyes, she left the scene behind her.

--=--

The hardest thing was seeing Draco be so openly affectionate with Pansy. It broke her, each time she entered the common room to see her sitting on his lap. Getting a kiss on the cheek. A hug. A tender embrace. It burned like hell.

So, she began spending less time in the common room. She began joining Luna and Ginny on their outings, normally in the astronomy tower, and at some point, the Golden Trio started joining them. It became a routine, the six of them hanging out in either the tower or the library, if Hermione got her way. 

On the bright side, her grades had never been better. 

A month after the incident with Draco, Mae found herself feeling the wound particularly harshly. She paced outside the Gryffindor common room, hoping to find Ginny coming out of the portrait hole. Instead, she got Ron Weasley, who didn’t seem all too surprised to find her out there.

“You alright?” Ron asked awkwardly, halfway in the doorframe and halfway out.

Mae shook her head silently, her chest aching. “Not really.”

“How ‘bout we take a way, yeah?” suggested Ron, stepping out of the portrait hole. It swung shut loudly behind him.

Mae shrugged her shoulders, and together they walked in silence. They had no clear destination in mind, and Mae found she felt slightly better having his company around her. Ron, she had found, had a fairly dry sense of humor and it was ever so easy to laugh around him. Sometimes, the others didn’t quite understand the joke, but Mae always did. His humor was similar to hers, if she could just find it again.

“I always wondered,” Ron broke their silence, stopping to sit on a ledge overlooking the black lake. “If the squid really existed.”

“Oh, it does,” Mae assured Ron, hopping up on the opposite side of the stone ledge, wrapping her robe tightly around herself. “Sometimes in the common room, we get to see it swim by.”

Ron’s eyes flashed with admiration. “Wicked.”

“I suppose it might be a bit more exciting than overlooking the grounds,” Mae said the words pretentiously, sniffing as she hid a grin from Ron. “We get to see the inside of the black lake, while you boring Gryffindors just get landscape.”

“At least during winter we haven’t got to sleep under ten blankets just to get by,” protested Ron, bringing a hand up to brush his hair out of his face. “Then again, you might just have an iron deficiency.”

Mae’s eyes widened. “That’s a big word for Ronald Weasley.”

“Hermione mentioned it!” defended Ron, moving his hands as he spoke. “She’s the one who suggested you go to Madam Pomfrey for it! You’re always freezing!”

“It’s a perk of being damaged goods, I suppose.” Mae said the words without much thought, as she had gotten distracted by Ron’s rather large hands moving around.

Ron went still, and he gave Mae a confused look. “Damaged goods?”

Mae’s feelings of inadequacy came back, and she felt the stinging of tears hit her eyes. She tried to play it off, giving a weak laugh. “Well, yeah, what else would you call me?”

“Beautiful,” the word rolled off Ron’s tongue rather quickly, as though he hadn't had to think about it at all. 

Tears slipped out of her eyes as Mae processed his words. How could anyone think she was beautiful? Couldn’t he see how damaged she was? Draco had used her up and thrown her out, and no one else would ever want his seconds. He had told her that many times.

“Don’t,” the words came out wet and wobbly. “Don’t lie to me.”

Ron was rarely serious, but he completely focused on her as he reached out to grab her hand in his large one. “Mae, why would I lie about that?”

The tears came freely now, and she could feel a sob building up in her chest. “Ronald Weasley, don’t you dare sit there and lie to me! Don’t fucking sit there, and tell me I’m beautiful, because I’m not. I’m used up and I’m damaged, I will never be anything beyond that!”

Before she could protest, Ron had pulled her into a hug, engulfing her small frame in his large one. Mae had forgotten what it was like to be embraced like this, and she buried her head into Ron’s wide chest as she cried. In the back of her mind, she understood that was likely having a panic attack. 

“Calm down Mae,” Ron held her close, caressing her hair. “You’ll be alright.”

They sat like that, until Mae’s cries subsided and she took a shaky breath, pulling out of Ron’s embrace. She was suddenly embarrassed that she had overreacted as she did, and a blush stained her wet cheeks.

“‘M sorry about that,” mumbled Mae, wiping her cheeks roughly. “I didn’t mean to make you all soggy.”

Ron laughed at that. “Why would I complain, a beautiful girl cried on me today. Sounds like a win to me!”

Mae hit Ron on his arm for that, a small laugh coming out of her as well. If anything, Ron Weasley knew how to switch the mood. “Don’t be a prat, Weasley.”

Ron’s eyes crinkled in the corners as he tossed his head back in a loud bout of laughter, and Mae found herself staring at his full lips. Really, how had she not noticed how perfectly shaped Ron’s lips were before? And Merlin, how were his teeth so straight and white?

As quickly as she began admiring Ron Weasley, images of silver hair and grey eyes flashed through her mind, and she shut her eyes and swallowed hard. There would never be Draco and Mae, that much was clear. It did not do to dwell on things that would never change.

“Imagine leaving me for a Weasley.”

Mae’s stomach dropped as she saw Draco swaggering towards her and Ron, Blaise close behind him. She hated how she still got butterflies as he eyed her appraisingly, before sneering at Ron.

“Shut it, Malfoy.” snapped Ron, his ears growing pink as he dug in his robes for his wand.

“Oh,” whistled Draco, drawing out the vowel. “Weaselbee is going to show off how big of a man he is. Trust me, Weasel, been there, done that. I’m the best she’ll ever have had.”

“Tell me Malfoy, you ever been hexed so hard you had to fight for your life?” snarled Ron, standing before the silver haired boy and brandishing his wand.

Mae quickly got down from the stone ledge, standing in between Draco and Ron, placing a hand on both of their chests. “Both of you, stop it!”

Ron’s jaw clenched, and he didn’t lower his wand. Draco smirked at the sight of her hand on his chest, his eyes flicking down at it before backup to look her in the eyes. 

“Stop looking at me like that,” Mae said the words firmly, glaring at Draco. “We aren’t together anymore. Stop acting like this.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t fight little Weaselbee.” drawled Draco, flexing his fingers on his wand. “I still had you first.”

“And I fucking left you!” shouted Mae, shoving Draco back from her and Ron. “Get that through your thick skull, and go back to Pansy. The bitch you always cheated on me with!”

“You said you loved me.” Draco said the words softly, bitterly, so quickly that Mae almost didn't catch it. 

For a moment, it felt as though it were just the two of them, Draco and Mae, just as it should have been.

Mae stepped back, away from Draco, away from Ron. Her mouth twitched, her eyes grew wet, and she was at a loss for words. She turned then, and hurried out of the courtyard.

How dare he do this to her. 

taglist: @xoxohollands @phantomsmalfoystyles @lidiyabest @justmimithings

Part one

Part three

[bvnga-aprikot]

a rant about DIOEFV (SPOILERS)

EDIT 11/17/2020: FOR THOSE OF YOU READING, THIS SPOILS THE SIDESTORIES OF DIOEFV, SO PROCEED WITH CAUTION  

so this post will probably trigger a lot of people, i’m not saying that i hate these characters and all but i just wanted to let this out of my chest for a while. these are full of my personal opinions but if i miss some important facts here please let be know i’ll gladly appreciate it. i would like to say more but for now i’ll leave it at that. 

Trigger Warning: mentions of abuse and toxic behavior

For a very long time, i was and still really pissed with golden boy (Callisto btw, the ML). Yes, i personally think that he’s one of the better options and i have a good time seeing him interact with Penelope. To be honest he lightens up the mood after their first meeting. And although i find it a bit cringey at times, it’s a nice contrast to DIOEFV’s supposedly dark plot. Basically, thumbs up for those fun interactions.

But what i’m going to talk about is his his behavior, specifically towards Penelope in the first half the side stories. To be honest with you, i had such a terrible time dealing with him and let me tell you whyyyy.

Actually it’s more or less like complaining to literally no one so to the few people reading this, um have fun getting offended with my opinions. 

Okay so starting off this little rant, we have the beginning of the Side Stories. Now in the beginning, their interactions were fine, they were. Yeah Golden Boy was overprotective of Penny and all like but nothing there. HOWEVER as the side story progresses Callisto gets more possessive I- the reason i’m talking about this now is because I had I trusted him as a male lead. Ever since seeing the Hunting Competition Arc I was looking forward to Callisto and his relationship with Penelope and this is what he shows us after they're in a relationship?! And I mean like an official one they're like at this point in the story they were getting engaged and soon married and blah blah blah you get what I mean. I'm just recalling this from memory and what I've read and heard from the side stories but to give you an example of how possessive he was,  this madman f****** isolates Penelope after she defeated a f****** cult.  If that sounds familiar to you, that’s literally what Derrick and Iklies wanted to do to Penelope  if they got their way (aka ended up with her). Okay, this man was a hypocrite, next!

Next we have their interaction after Penelope managed to escape the palace. She went to the Eckart dukedom (i forgot why i haven’t read the side stories in a long time), reunites with the people there and then we get to Derd**k. Man that was one hell of a reunion cuz the guy had the audacity to tell her not to marry Callisto (who even though i’m ranting abt now is just- dude why are you still trying to control her like that?!) and begs to her like a worthless piece of shit. That is where Callisto comes in, Derrick exits out of the room AND THEN we finally got Penelope confronting him about his behavior towards her. Honestly i wished Penelope did more than belittling the shit out of him and pulling his hair, but overall that scene was pretty satisfying because WE GOT THIS MF HYPOCRITE WHO FINALLY ADMITTED TO DOING HER WRONG.

But in all honesty? Is that all he got?? Just her threatening to leave him if he did that to her again??? Cuz if i were her i would’ve challenged him into a duel, kick his balls both metaphorically and literally, and move into another country where i can be a rich single lady not worrying about her love life (if you don’t know in the novel Penny got reaaaalllly rich). Okay i’m getting too indulgent there but anyways back to the rant. Obviously this type of behavior is UNACCEPTABLE in many ways. It can become emotionally abusive just confining your partner into a place they don’t want to be in. And no, i’m not saying Callisto doesn’t love Penelope, it’s just that being in love is NOT a justification to do that to your partner whatsoever.

Okay maybe I should not put the blame all on him. Personally, I also think this is my fault.  I mean there were red flags everywhere. Callisto literally just got back from a war so he's not really in the best shape or form to interact with people. Secondly, this guy is obviously a madman. He's not afraid to torture people, and unless Penelope’s telling him not to kill people in front of her,  I'm pretty sure this guy would not hesitate to commit a whole ass genocide. We see that with what he did to Delman, the country where Iklies came from, maybe it's implied that it's from the emperor's orders but he still did it. And let's not forget that first meeting, the first meeting that set things off in their relationship and the one we are most familiar with. Yeah just because he was not in the mood for talking to people does not excuse his actions towards a noble lady (he almost slit her throat despite not having the intention to kill her).

In the end, despite becoming better and actually giving Penelope the space she needs (finally), those actions are still very impactful in many ways, and can cause much harm towards your relationships with people even if you truly love and care about them. Honestly a good example of this can be Allendis from The Abandoned Empress. He loves Aristia very much but the way he does so becomes very twisted, so far as to getting jealous when she gets new friends and wanting to isolate her. I would stay here and talk about how Callisto and Penelope’s relationship developed after that whole debacle, not every relationship is perfect in any way but i think if i’m motivated enough i’ll try to make a separate post about it someday.

For those of you who want to know where to read the side stories, i hate to say this but almost all of the translations have since been deleted due to the hunt. I still don’t know if most of them are still up but there might still be some translations remaining on it’s Novel Updates forum.

Have a nice day or night or whatever timezone you’re in now and here’s another low quality meme i made for this post:

- Sav

[kuno-chan]

Sides of the Moon - Ch. 15, To Sweetly Hold

Summary: Runaan and his team of assassins discovers that Rayla has defied him. Again. But when they find her, she’s bleeding out in the woods with precious cargo under her arm and face to face with the princes of Katolis running away from their own castle. They find that, upon this meeting, the die has already been cast.

Rating: T

Please consider reading and commenting on Ao3

--

Rayla never knew there was a difference between rich people, nobles and excessively rich people.

Rich people talked about themselves.

Nobles talked about politics.

Excessively rich people talked about themselves and how much money they were making. These were usually merchant lords and self-made men who, apparently, needed to make up for whatever they lacked in those confounded coins humans loved so much. These people seemed to love said coins more than they loved themselves.

Many, many of the people here at the ball qualified as excessively rich people.

Callum gained his royal status through his mother’s marriage. Privilege and luxury were things he grew up with, but largely from his station and by who his mother married. Then again, Rayla knew little about his life before his mother married the king. He never mentioned a father outside of his stepfather and made no indication he even remembered much of his life before living in the castle.

But, apparently, life in the castle was different than here because he had none of the ego or the haughtiness of some of these people.

Lord Yervin had been well enough, she supposed. He talked mainly about battle tactics and sword fighting techniques. All things she could relate to but did her best to keep under wraps. Regardless of Eveline’s apparent skill with a sword, there was no need to raise suspicions about Rayla’s identity.

So, simple girl from a trading village she was.

Callum had the lion’s share of the work. She only needed to stand there and look interesting. And interested. He was expected to actually talk to these people.

Truth be told, Rayla was not the best at listening to people for an extended period of time. She was definitely more of a girl of action and Runaan always adjusted his teachings to accommodate. Thankfully, he also was more inclined to do than to talk; it was his way to get through to her.

Once they hit their fourth or so lady and lord, Rayla started tuning out after a few minutes of general discussions. Somehow, Callum could tell when she was drifting. He would shift the position of his hands, from giving her his arm to putting a hand on her back. Then would repeat the motion after another few minutes. The first time he did this, she glanced at him, but he only gave her a quick look and flashed a smile.

She straightened up just in time for Lord… Meron was his name? He turned around and shuffled away after what felt like an extended bid farewell.

Lady Eveline had them moving on to a woman who wore more jewels than Rayla had ever seen in her life.

“People do this on their own free will?” Rayla murmured when she felt Callum put a hand on her waist, his arm resting at her back.

He squeezed lightly. “It’s been maybe thirty minutes.”

“Wow, only half an hour and I already want to chew my own foot off.” Callum snorted. She glanced up at Callisto’s shadow. No movements. They hadn’t found it. “Do all these people want to talk to you?”

“Kind of. They care more about what they think I can do for them, usually. Nobility always tries to climb the social ladder.”

“Sounds like a fun time.” She could understand it, at least. It wasn’t that much different from certain groups of people back home. Humans were just… smarmier about it. She smirked. “How come you aren’t like these rich people, hm?”

She let him guide her along as he frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you rich? You are a prince.”

Callum shrugged. “I guess. More like step-prince. Aside from having people just get me things when I want them, my life I guess is… normal? I don’t know. My stepdad never really made us believe we were any different from anyone else.”

“He sounds like a good father.” She kept her voice low.

His smile was sadder than before. “He was.”

Another half an hour went by and Rayla decided that Lady Cynan was her least favorite. She talked endlessly, largely about her businesses and her diamond mines in Del Bar.

“Lady Cynan is a busy woman. Don’t mind her. She comes from a family of jewelry merchants and likes to discuss business proposals when she can.” Lord Gallias turned to them, shaking his head. “Might you two be thirsty?”

“The wine sounds nice right about now,” Rayla said before she could stop herself. Callum elbowed her a little.

Lord Gallias laughed. “I feel the exact same way after a round with her.” He flagged down one of the servants. Rayla took a water, instead. “Might you excuse me for but a moment? I have to find my wife. She seems to have disappeared.”

He excused himself and Callum turned to Rayla. She shrugged.

“Well, that was subtle.” He made a face at her. “Aren’t you supposed to be the discreet one here?”

“But if I don’t say anything, he’ll just think I’ve got no personality.” He just stared at her for half a second, then rolled his eyes and rubbed his brow. She sighed, swirling her water in her goblet. “Fine, I’m sorry. I’m just… bored. And they all look like they want a piece of us.”

Of me, she said to herself. She figured she didn’t have to clarify who or what exactly she meant by they. Apparently, she didn’t have to say it at all.

He lowered his voice and got so close she could feel his breath. “I know you’re nervous.” He said gently. “But you can do this. Only a little longer.”

“It’s silly, you know,” she said, sipping her water with him so close to her ear. “I shouldn’t be scared. Humans aren’t so bad. At least, not the way Runaan made it seem sometimes.”

And, yet, she couldn’t help but remember who was surrounding her.

“He really does hate humans, doesn’t he?”

She knew what it looked like, Callum so close to her, his hand on her waist and his mouth near her ear. She tried to smile at him. “He’s seen a lot of things.”

He didn’t comment on that much further. “So have you. You’ve got this. You’re one of the strongest people I know.”

Rayla smiled at him this time in spite of herself. She let out a noise of dismissive confidence, setting aside her drink on a nearby table. “You’re right.” His brightened expression raised her spirits. “We just need to survive a while longer. Let’s do this.”

“Good, because here comes Lord Gallias.”

“I’ve realized that some of my other guests are also here to speak with me and I certainly can’t be a bad host.” Gallias said. “Why don’t you two mingle with the crowd? The night is young, after all. I shall catch up with you after I’ve gone to make a few proposals myself.”

He bowed short and Callum hadn’t even the chance to stop him before he disappeared into the crowd. They watched him make his way to a tall, spindly man who dressed just as splendidly as everyone else; the spindly man walked with Lord Gallias in a grace that reminded Rayla of an imitation more than a genuine gait. Lady Eveline had disappeared, too, now that they were looking.

“Oh no, what are we going to do now?” Rayla whispered.

“He’s not going anywhere, yet,” Callum reassured. They both glanced upward. Callisto made some kind of gesture and Callum translated, “They haven’t found it yet. They need more time.”

“We won’t be able to stalk him without looking suspicious. There are too many people looking at us.”

“I know, I know. We just have to figure out a way to keep his attention down here…”

“Well, unless people start dancing, I don’t see how that’s going to happen.” Callum looked at her and stared for a long moment. She narrowed her eyes at him. “What is it?”

“I think you’re onto something. Wait here.”

-:-:-:-:-

“We’ve cleared the west wing, but there’s nothing. Andromeda and Skor are going through the east wing and Runaan’s going through the west again.” Ram’s head popped up from the opening in the roof. “How’s it going down there?”

Callisto’s eyes were trained on the red and black figure, weaving and bobbing through the crowd; moving toward the musicians near the front of the room. Callum had Callisto splitting his attention between him and Rayla, left alone in the middle of the crowd.

Her nerves would have her standing there, fidgeting with her hands, attempting to appear normal in this sea of humans who thought her one of them. Runaan wouldn’t admit it, but Callisto knew it made him nervous to put her in this situation; not only defenseless, but at somewhat of a disadvantage. That dress made her fit in very well, but it certainly did her no favors if she had to end a fight.

In this, they were relying on Callum’s brain. And him being human.

Runaan may never say it, but he was squarely placing Rayla’s general protection on the boy’s shoulders.

“Where is he going?” Callisto whispered more to himself than Ram.

He felt Ram climb up onto the roof and look down. “Is he leaving her there?”

“He’s human, not stupid.”

Although sometimes that notion was one and the same.

“Then where is he going?”

“We’ll have to see.” Alright, now Callum was heading back to Rayla. “Report back. Runaan wanted regular updates.”

-:-:-:-

“Dance with me.”

“What?” Rayla caught herself, then whispered furiously at him. “I thought you didn’t know how to dance!”

He took her by the hand and led her toward the open floor as the music stopped. “I don’t, but my parents used to dance to this. It’s the only one I know.”

Most people at these things didn’t -- wouldn’t -- dance until someone found the courage to start. Sometimes, that person was his stepdad. Granted, it happened much less often after his mother died.

Still, he remembered some of the steps. Enough, he hoped, to keep the crowd rather captivated. The throng quieted down when Prince Callum and his mystery Lady Rayla, stepped into the center of attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lord Gallias and Lady Eveline sidling up together to watch as well.

Rayla, for her part, didn’t argue after that. In her eyes he could see she understood. She let him pull her close, one hand on her back and the other lifting her hand in the air. He gestured for her to grip his shoulder.

She obliged just as he could hear the musicians starting up.

“Follow my lead.”

The music hummed to life. It was slightly unconventional for this kind of occasion, but he knew it by heart.

It was a lull. A rise. A solemn call that had Callum moving his feet. Rayla followed, spinning with him in a slow arc across the floor. They drifted to and from the crowd, now completely enraptured in their dance .

In the hum of the music, Callum could hear the life of the song itself underneath.

Promise me.

He let it take him and glide him where he needed to go, Rayla a solid weight under his touch. She was as nervous as he was but easing as the music took hold. For a moment, he forgot this was only a show.

Feeling the music about to change tempo, he prepared to move with it.

Eternity.

Then, he felt Rayla’s touch leaving his. The note of the music drawn out and rising with a lovesickness to the air, she spun out slowly, slowly and dipped in a form of curtsy, her skirts fanning the floor around her.

Callum frowned. He caught her little smile.

What was she doing?

She walked across from him, along a path which might have led to his back if he hadn’t walked with her. Her gestures were mockingly coy and that smirk.

Callum blinked. He narrowed his eyes in a way that spelled amusement when he realized what she was up to.

She was playing.

They walked in a circle with the tempo of the music, more than an arm’s length from each other and the slightest, casual bounce in their step.

She rolled her shoulders in a mock demure manner, somehow still teasing in a way only Rayla could. He humored her.

He danced with her.

Your arms.

The music shifted again. They twisted on their heels. He didn’t know how she knew or how he knew she knew as they began walking in opposite directions, retracing that circle between them, but not without Callum dipping in to take her hand from across the gap.

A token of his participation.

They were a bit closer now, but still at arm’s length, Callum holding her hand in his.

And even with all of that, it was nothing compared to her eyes. The way she looked at him outshone any jewel in the golden glow of the chandeliers, or any beauty that dress she wore boasted.

He squeezed her hand.

Stay.

The melody drifted into the next and they twisted again.

They only need share a look and both of them stepped in, crossing forearms in a way that had Callum resisting the urge to reach out and brush her hair behind her ear.

She smiled at him. A smirk or a smile. A cross in-between. It didn’t matter. The artist in him couldn’t stop taking her in. Every detail and curve of her face.

Your hand.

That smile curved a bit more. Definitely a smirk.

The music hit a point in which he didn’t want to turn away from her anymore.

Near me.

Callum stepped next to her, side to side, their hips and waists finally touching. She put her arms down, resting against her dress. Callum found his arm across the front of her body, his hand on her waist.

Her nose was nearly touching his.

He dragged his gaze from her eyes to her mouth.

He had to draw her face. Yes.

This was what flowed through his mind as his eyes followed the intoxicating curve of her lips and nearly forget the rise and fall of his own chest.

The music picked up tempo for its finale. Callum guided Rayla back to him as she slid back to her original position. Her hand graced his shoulder and his hand never left her as it slid to her back. They intertwined their leftover fingers together.

And they danced.

In a larger circle, to the crowd, from the crowd, Rayla’s skirts bouncing and flowing as their feet found the melody. They smiled and Callum even found the courage to twist her, spinning her in white and gold.

Callum lost himself in her. The laughter in her eyes. Her happiness. Had he ever truly seen her happy? It’d only been a couple weeks, but he felt like he’d known her forever. As long as he had known Claudia, even. Maybe it was the music, maybe it was her, but gliding across the room with her, like this, felt right.

Felt better than his life had in a while. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure he ever felt like this before.

The music reached it’s descension, and they slowed their spinning, the hum of the song nothing but an entrancing invitation back to her and the center she had somehow become in the past few minutes. Minutes imitating eternity.

The final note faded out and their spinning followed, resting into their original position. Her lips twitched into a smile. He forgot to breathe again.

And the crowd cheered.

Callum blinked and looked around. Rayla seemed to remember them, too, and seemed about as red as his suit. They could see Lord Gallias and Lady Eveline together clapping and looking at them admirably. In fact, everyone seemed to be pleasantly surprised and delighted at their dance. Truth be told, Callum was surprised himself.

The music started up again and other couples joined in on the floor, including their targets of the night.

Callum breathed a sigh of relief. Perfect.

He hadn’t let go of Rayla’s hand as the dance ended. He glanced up as they moved out of the way. Callisto was signing.

Perfect .

Rayla hooked herself on his arm again, her fingers tightly interlaced in his. He could feel the tension in her body loosen as they swept out an entrance, away from the ballroom and the center of attention.

“Did they find it?” Her voice was in his ear.

“Yeah, they did. We’re leaving.” Let the patrons who saw them leaving in such a flurry have their own ideas, judging by their expressions, about where and why the two were leaving. It would be just the alibi they needed.

-:-:-:-

Outside, the streets were still busy, but she could breathe. It was better than being stuffed in that room with all those… people. She shook her head. Humans weren't bad. They weren’t the way Runaan had made it seem, sometimes, growing up. Rayla wasn’t particularly keen on most of the people she had met tonight, but most of them at least seemed to have some good in them. They were people. Not the monsters she’d come to have a distaste for.

Not all of them, at least.

“Feeling better?”

They tried to keep it cool. Still appear normal as they strolled away from the palace. Callum hadn’t let go of her arms or her fingers and she hadn’t bothered to release them just yet . She only breathed. “Yeah. It was a bit much in there,” she said. “You don’t think they’ll be suspicious of us leaving so soon?”

“We were there for about an hour. That’s long enough and I think they’ll fill in the blanks about where we went off to afterwards. They’ll just tell Lord Gallias we went off for some midnight stroll. Which is technically the truth.”

“Oh… I guess,” was all she could a manage. She didn’t bother questioning it.

“Where do you want to go next?” he asked, looking more to the stars than at her.

Now, Rayla stopped in her tracks, shaking her head slightly. “Uh, back to the inn? Remember? That was the plan, wasn’t it?”

“Well, yeah,” he said, shrugging awkwardly. “But it’s still kind of early. And you haven’t seen this side of Meraxia, yet. I could show you. If you wanted me to.”

Now, she let him release her from his grip, but not entirely. He still hung onto her hand even as she pulled away from him. They were almost at arm’s length now, her hand held out to him as if he wouldn’t let go until he got some sign that she actually, truly wanted him to. She rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. “We should be getting back,” she said quietly. Weakly. Unconvincingly. Even her body betrayed her words as she took a step toward him.

“Come on. Run away with me for the hour.”

Her resolve was crumbling. “Callum.”

It was a poor excuse of an admonishment.

He didn’t let go. Neither did she pull her hand from his, but she knew that if she had said no, and meant it, he would would have let go and they would have gone back to the inn. But he was waiting for her answer. He would do whatever her heart desired.

She didn’t try to hide her smile. “I hope you have something good to show me.”

His grin was bright as he pulled her along with him through the streets. “You’ll love it.”

-:-:-:-

The streets of Meraxia were cobblestone under her feet, hard and cool as Callum lead Rayla to their mystery destination. They didn’t hold hands or walk arm in arm like before, but it was comfortable and pleasant, really, despite that. The vendors on the streets sold wonderful goodies from pastries to little trinkets.

“It gets busy because of the celebration. So, there’s all kinds of things for sale out here.” Callum explained, biting into a pastry. It was cream filled. Lemon, maybe? “Good, isn’t it?”

Rayla licked the crumbs off her lips. “Mmhm. What’s in it?”

“Cream. Kind of like vanilla cream, but I think this is lemon.”

“Well, as delicious as this is, it can’t be the thing you wanted to show me. Remember? The thing I’ll love,” she said, teasing him more than anything. “It better be amazing or I’ll be disappointed.”

She wondered if he took it to heart, judging by the quick flicker of some perceivable nerves. He took her hand. “It’s just up this way.”

They were on the outskirts of the city now. At least, it seemed like they were, but at the same time it was all remarkably close. They wandered past a few buildings and up a neatly tended path with rose bushes of every color. The street lamps planted along the corners and pathways became the only light, with the moon serving them the rest of the way.

Rayla could smell the roses, the city feeling much farther away as they climbed a hill. They didn’t talk much, and after some time, the city noises died around them and she realized the crickets were their main attendees now.

They followed the stone path until they crested the hill, a single bench amidst the rose garden and statues, with a lone fountain sitting at the center of it all.

Before she could even open her mouth to admire it all, Callum put up a finger. “That’s not the amazing part.”

She let him lead her to the bench and turned her around.

The city glowed.

The firelight, canals and the water all lit by the life of the city, and here they were overlooking it all. From this high up, the view was panoramic. Enticing and entrancing. It was bright and beautiful with an amber glow which would have taken time immemorial to paint.

A city alive in all its beauty. All its glory.

“Wow…” she breathed.

Callum squeezed her hand lightly. “Yeah… amazing enough for you?”

She didn’t even look at him, her eyes transfixed on the view. “It’ll do, I guess.”

He laughed. She felt him sit down on the bench behind them, leaving her to ogle at the view of the city. “Human cities really aren’t so bad now, huh?”

She broke her stare to look at him smiling or smirking -- she didn’t know. Tucking her dress beneath her, she took a seat next to him, her gaze drawn between him and he view. “How did you find this place?”

“My parents found it when I was really young. I would come here and admire the roses while they had some time to themselves.”

“Oh?” she asked.

“Yeah. We just came here to relax and get away from it all.”

“It’s lovely.”

She meant it. Xadia boasted some of the most beautiful places she would ever see in her life, but there was something about this place that was… simple. Magical. The glow of the city stark yet gentle against the dark of the night.

They looked at each other and his gaze flickered between her and the ground. He leaned back and rested on the palms of his hands. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you like it though? I know it’s probably not the most brilliant thing you’ve ever seen, being from Xadia and all, but I though--”

“It’s good,” Rayla said. She smiled warmly at him and looked out again. “It’s beautiful. I… it’s just so peaceful here. And pretty. I’ve never been somewhere like this before. I wish I could come here whenever I wanted.”

When her gaze settled on him again, he blinked then returned her smile. “So do I. It’s…”

“It’s nice,” she finished for him. “I wish we could stay here forever.”

From the look on his face, he agreed. There was a mix of emotions. Perhaps some sorrow, but also maybe something content, something happy. She scooted next to him and wrapped an arm around his, holding it to her. Her thumb rubbed the fabric of his suit jacket. They stayed like this for a little while.

He broke the silence. “Do you want to dance?”

“I thought you didn’t know how to dance?” It was a somewhat empty question.

“I think I can make something up,” he spoke quietly, his voice just between the two of them.

“There’s no music.” Her voice lowered to nearly a whisper.

“I don’t think we need it.”

They both rose, trying their hardest not to be awkward and, yet, there was no need. After a moment of waiting to see what the other might do, Callum moved around her, the light of the city at their backs and found both her hands with his.

He moved her, his body her guide as she followed the slide of his steps. There was no need for words. Only a glance over her shoulder to let him know she could feel his next move. The shadow of his face did nothing to dim the illumination in his eyes, and his smile, the amber glow awash in his hair and against his features. She wondered what he saw when he looked at her.

He brought her hand over her head and spun her around. She laughed, and he followed, her dress whispering against the stones

-:-:-:-

It said enough when Rayla hadn’t realized he was there. Callisto rubbed his face, perched on top of a statue a mere hundred feet away.

She hadn’t seen him, and she hadn’t even suspected or sensed him. He didn’t expect Callum to, not at all, but Rayla… she was better than this. Callisto hadn’t even tried to conceal himself very well.

He suppressed a groan, muttering, “Please, don’t make this an issue I get to deal with.”

He snuck off into the night with no intention whatsoever of being the one to tell Runaan. Not tonight.

With prayers, perhaps, this would pass.

--

Woo, I'm glad this is finally out. It's a big turning point for Rayla and Callum and I can't wait for people to kind of feel how things evolve with them from here on out. Thank you to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday. It means a lot!

Things get real from here on out. And I can't wait for you guys to see what I mean in the next coming chapters. It's about to get real complex here. I was going to address a thing here but I want to see how you guys respond in the next few chapters. I do want to say though that Rayla and Callum have long journies ahead of them. This story is a lot about how you deal with things when the lines (that weren't really crossed in canon) have been crossed because of the different experiences and specific actions and timing of those actions they have experienced. Rayla is an assassin dealing with, well, being an assassin and all the consequences and things that come with that. And Callum has a very long journey ahead of him. Very grey, nuanced and complicated issues that we will be dealing with head on as this story progresses. I plan for this story to be like 2-3 parts in and of itself so please keep that in mind! We got a LONG way to go.

Also, the specific one I was thinking of is the one by Peter Hollens by the way for everyone who gets what I mean by that.

As always, guys I love it when you guys leave those reviews. They really keep me going and keep me motivated! Thank you for reading! Tune in for next chapter!

[shooter-nobunagun]

[I will tear it apart at the seams; if that’s what it takes]

“Commander, there seems to be an object in the air! Headed towards us!”

“Is it an Invasion Object?”

“No—well, I don’t think so...actually, these energy readings...it’s a, holder?”

“What?!”

“Which one? No one’s scheduled for anything right now!”

Their frantic chatter filled his ears, but Adam didn’t really care to listen to any of it. He could have disabled his suit’s radio connection to the main command center if he chose to, but the darker side of him found some sort of deranged pleasure in hearing their confusion and uncertainty. 

“Getting a date...coming in, genetic signal traces to 1888...it’s ball #13?”

“Jack the Ripper?! He’s here?”

“Jack, what’s going on? Status report, please! You are currently retired from the active roster; I repeat, status report!”

A worried buzz filled the command room, Saint-Germain exceedingly quiet while Vidocq brooded in his chair, the bags under his eyes even darker than usual. “Strange, very strange...according to Hunter’s last report, the man could barely get out of bed unassisted, let alone suit up and wield an AU ball...!” The blonde nervously chewed the remains of a half-smoked cigarette, casually spitting out the used tobacco. “He’s up to something...”

“...You think he has an ulterior motive?”

Vidocq eyed their stoic commander uneasily. “...Well, given the current circumstances and everything that’s happened—losing Nobunagun, losing his daughter, not to mention his deteriorating health...do you think he is currently in the best of mental and emotional states?”

“Dr. Hunter reported he seemed stable and was convalescing back in his quarters—”

“—oui, that’s what they all say—but I have a feeling...Adam Muirhead, that man...he never has taken anything sitting down, without a challenge...” Vidocq moved from chewing the cigarette to his thumb. “I don’t like this...”

“You aren’t the only one Monsieur Vidocq,” both the tactician and Commander Saint-Germain turned to the new voice of Michel de Nostradame, who had just entered along with William Tell. “Apologies, I meant to tell you earlier but given the recent events—”

“—just spit it out already—it’s another prophecy, isn’t it?”

“...Oui. Oui, I’m fairly certain...at the time the accuracy was only 44%, so I did not say anything until I could get a better reading. But now with this...” The redheaded seer took off his glasses and wiped them on the edge of his jacket, before putting them back on. “He has done something to himself, that man...and it will end up causing great destruction...and much pain.” 

“Human pain, and suffering...even now, it is a paradox to me.” Dogoo’s bubbling, disembodied voice cut back in, as it was now sealed back inside its hibernation chamber after the disastrous attempt to use it on another human. “You are implying...Adam Muirhead is now hostile towards us, is that correct?” Nobody said anything for a few seconds, as if afraid that once they voiced it, it would come true. 

“...Well, I am not saying he will outright attack us—but, certainly the feelings I sensed in the prophecy, they were...courroux, désespoir—ah, how do you say—”

“Anger, despair,” the Swiss archer translated for the prophet. “Adam Muirhead...even now, some twenty-odd years later, you’re still just a brat that does whatever you want, regardless of how much trouble it causes others...all for the sake of her.” The AU ball gleamed in the dim lights, as if readying itself and its owner for battle. “Tch...how the hell someone like him ended up becoming the leader of the new Second Platoon is still beyond me.”

“Hold on a minute, Tell...you’re not actually going...to confront him?” Even Vidocq seemed shocked at this turnaround, nevermind the fact Adam hadn’t responded to any of the calls, and was still coming closer—and now according to the outer cameras, with his AU weapon fully drawn as well. “Mon dieu...what is going on?!”

“Trust me, the last thing I want is to get in a fight with that idiot—but if that’s what it takes to beat some sense into him, then so be it.” Without another word the archer headed for the gates, stripping off his outer uniform to reveal the undersuit he’d already put on. “Nostradamus, Vidocq, keep me posted—I’ll be out there in a few.”

“W-Wait! Mr. Tell, before you just jump in, please let me take a look!” The Special Squad’s spotter finally burst in, breathless from having run all the way from the other end of the halls. “If it’s as you said Nostradamus, that something’s...changed inside him, maybe my orbs can find the cause and resolve it without having to fight~su!” There was a terse few seconds of staring, but Galileo was determined to not back down, despite Tell’s unnerving glare. The Second Platoon and Special Squad had enjoyed one of the closest bonds between all the platoons over the years; to simply engage in one of their oldest friends without even an explanation was an insult to not only its living members, but Nobunagun’s memory as well.

“...You get five minutes Galileo, and then I’m heading out.” 

The spotter nodded, pink hair that still remained in pigtails to this day flying about. “Roger~su! I can do it in four!” And without even suiting up she called out her AU weapon, the orbs all flying out through the nearest open hatch. “Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto! Let’s go!”

The atmosphere was thick inside the command room as all eyes watched the tiny spheres zoom out, while Adam flew closer still. By this point the staff were starting to run through protocols for a possible invasion, even if it was by one of their own and not their designated enemy; the officers and controllers moved about in a daze, as if not really believing that one of their own could turn against them.

“Commander...should we really engage him? He’s not responding, but still...!”

At this Saint-Germain turned his full attention to the screens. “...We must follow the protocol, Vidocq. After all, when Iyo handed the reigns over to me...it became my duty to carry out our mission, no matter what obstacles we might encounter. If we deviate now, it could cause more harm than good.” The glasses were pushed up just a touch further on the bridge of his nose. “I must admit I am a bit surprised Vidocq; that you would go out of your way to defend Mr. Muirhead...”

The blonde heaved a sigh and sank into the depths of his AU easy chair, which itself was sagging due to the holder’s exhaustion. “...Heh, I can see why you would be. I do not blame you...it’s not as if I really got along with either of them...Sio Ogura and Adam Muirhead...and yet...” A finger smudged the stray ashes that were spilling out of the ashtray, staining a greyish streak onto his trousers. “...Call it an epiphany, or perhaps just age; but I think I understand now why he feels this way...although, too little too late perhaps.”

Saint-Germain grew quiet, as if really thinking as himself for once, rather than the mindset of Commander. “To protect that which is precious to you at any cost...that feeling, I understood well...once upon a time...”

“But she is no longer there to protect. So why engage us now?” The clay figure seemed confused, once again reminding them it was not of this planet to begin with. “Human feelings...I know they are complex, but perhaps I underestimated just how much and to what extent they can influence an individual’s actions.”

“Dogoo...what are you insinuating?”

“Perhaps I made a mistake. When I offered Adam Muirhead the option to save Sio Ogura...had it been wrong of me to intervene then?” The bubbles continued to roil amongst the background din of a frantic crew. “I claimed back then human emotions, the ability to feel and love as deeply as he can—as all humans can—is something exceedingly precious and worth protecting. And yet now I can see, those same feelings and emotions...are capable of great and terrible destruction, as well.”

Nobody said a word, only a strained silence as they all tried to justify their actions in their own ways. They knew Dogoo was not wrong—it was correct, this very paradox of emotions that made them human. Love and kindness, hate and despair...

“...You cannot have one without the other, in this world,” Saint-Germain murmured quietly, more to himself than the alien. “Humans are supremely complex; I’m sure you know by now, that not even we fully understand ourselves.”

“But was I wrong?” All eyes turned to the alien figure.

“...Non, Dogoo. For humanity, sometimes there is no right and no wrong; that’s just how life is.” ---- From his viewpoint in the sky, the base was finally coming alive—defensive shields coming up, and the heavy mortars were being uncovered. Though the shells were ultimately useless if the Objects really were to attack, they were at least effective as a buffer—and could more than blow him in half should they land a hit. But that was if they could actually hit him in the first place. Ironically, Adam couldn’t help but think of how excited Sio would be if she saw the heavy artillery being loaded up. Unconsciously his lips quirked into a smile, the memory of when she finally got to command a whole fleet of M1A2 Abrams during Operation Stone Forest bubbling up, so many years ago. 

A gleam caught his eye and he stopped suddenly, focusing his gaze on the four tiny spheres spiraling up into the sky... Galileo, of course. No doubt Command was trying to figure out what was going on first, instead of blindly open-firing.

“Hang on, I think I’m getting something~su!”

The spotter’s high-pitched voice cut back into the radio but he ignored their words, much like he ignored Europa and Io—or whichever orbs Galileo had launched in an attempt to try and scan him. Jack’s power meant that he could shatter them in a blink of an eye and render her blind for good, if he really wanted to, but that would just be a waste of time and energy. That, and Niall would never forgive him; despite his animosity towards DOGOO, Adam couldn’t betray the kindness the anatomist had shown him over the years by incapacitating the one Niall truly loved. They would know the truth soon enough anyway, his changes from Jack—there wasn’t anything they could do, except prepare for the inevitable.

“It’s...no way, it can’t be~su! Mr. Jack...”

“Galileo? What are your readings?”

“These numbers, the wavelengths—it’s, they’re not his usual e-gene signal—no, the most I can compare it to is when he forced the two modes to fuse, Jack the Ripper and Nightingale...but it’s not exactly the same...”

“The mode-change fusion?! He can still do that?”

While the staff was trying to make sense of it all, he was busy taking in the surrounding area. The base was currently offshore, but there was land close enough should it come down to a ground fight. But most importantly was the endless expanse of grey clouds and blue sky that rose above him...

He sensed the other one before the jets even came into view. Not even a warning, he simply appeared before him, clad in the green-and-white suit that always covered his mouth no matter how many iterations their armor had gone through. And though his weapon was different, he too, could soar through the skies the same as him—making two of them DOGOO’s most valuable holders.

“Well well...fancy seeing you here, William Tell.” There was no mistaking the sarcasm in his voice, but the other holder acted as if he didn’t even hear it. “Should’ve known they’d send you of all people...after all, takes one t’ get one...”

“Jack the Ripper. Or I should say, Adam Muirhead...you’re a goddamn pain in my ass, you know that?” The archer’s words were harsh but his expression was neutral. “I wondered if you’d end up learning some empathy for others after you got married...but I guess my expectations were too high. Always doing your own shit...with total disregard to the one who has to clean up your mess. I don’t know why Command has always put me in the role of being your nanny...but perhaps it’s only fitting, that the former head of the Second Platoon shall face off with its current head. Or no, my mistake—that’s Newton’s role now, since your ‘retirement’.“

Despite everything, Adam couldn’t help but bark out a laugh. “Nanny? I always pegged you as more of a guard dog. But that’s your fault, isn’t it? After Columbus died...”

There was an unmistakable pulse of anger in the other’s eyes, but to his credit the archer did not say anything. Before Sio or Adam had joined DOGOO or even awakened their e-genes, there was the holder of Christopher Columbus; who, along with William Tell and Robert Capa, comprised of the original Second Platoon. To this day Adam still didn’t know the whole story; the only dark stain upon DOGOO’s otherwise illustrious history, until that ill-fated mission that lead to Sio’s eventual death. All that ever came trickling out, despite late nights in the document library and casually asking around the senior staff, was somehow Columbus had lost control of his e-gene—an incident dubbed the ‘runaway e-gene’—that resulted not only in enormous casualties, but the holder’s untimely death, as well. And though the old man never stated it, Adam suspected it was what forced an otherwise-healthy holder into a wheelchair and why Tell gave up leading an assault squad, instead being relegated to sniping missions as part of the Special Squad. For, despite how hard the organization tried to wipe the details of what went wrong, still bits and pieces leaked out, and all of them pointed towards the failure of then-leader William Tell to prevent the incident in the first place. Whether or not Tell resigned or they transferred him was never known, but what mattered was to this day, he hadn’t forgotten.

“Since you seem to know everything, then you probably already know what the spiel is: Adam Muirhead, stand down right now, or I will not hesitate to use force to subdue you,” the archer warned, and the arrows were pulled back, ready to fire at a moment’s notice. “I’m not going to give you a second warning.”

“Wasn’t expecting you to even give me one in the first place.” 

Tell’s eyes narrowed in disgust. “Hmph. I promised Galileo I’d give you five minutes to speak your mind...and it seems, those minutes are up.” Without even another signal or glance the arrows fired, but Adam easily weaved through most of them, parrying the last few with his newly-formed blade. It wasn’t as massive as its normal form, instead curving similarly to the claw but it was still wicked-sharp and able to slice through Tell’s arrows with ease. The rush of power at each slice, each swing and blow...even with all the battles he’d been through, the high that comes from dancing the line between life and death took him by surprise.

‘But of course; you’ve always fought to win, for survival. But fighting to destroy, for revenge...it’s delicious, isn’t it?’

Jack’s voice laughed gleefully in his mind as Adam continued to match Tell. Fwwap! Two arrows turned into splinters while a third was dodged; another twist in midair as he moved to block Tell’s multi-shot barrage, the metal feathers liquifying into darts that fired into his own hail of metal shards, the archer hastily pulling back into evasive maneuvers.

“Tell! What are you doing?!”

“They’re seriously going at it...”

No amount of pleas from the ground control, Galileo or otherwise, could sway either man. It was as if they were possessed by some force greater than themselves: Adam fueled by a combination of primal rage and Jack’s darker influences, while Tell met him blow-for-blow with a cold precision that was uncanny of any human, e-gene holder or otherwise.

“Adam! Stand down, for god’s sake!”

“Adam! Don’t~su!”

Back in command, even as the two men continued to clash the ones that remained behind begged futilely for them to stop. Galileo was near sobbing at this point, her voice growing hoarse as she cried while the data from her orbs came in, each data point creating a fresh wave of tears. “Oh, Adam...what would Sio say if she saw this now...you’re only hurting yourself more...” 

“Is there really no way to stop him, except by force?” Vidocq threw his half-smoked cigarette to the ground in frustration. “Surely it can’t come down to something as crude and primal as—this—!”

“Non I’m afraid, Monsieur Vidocq,” Nostradamus sighed, already resigned to watching this aerial duel play out. “This, too...was part of my visions. A swath of destruction, though the outcome...I know not.”

“Wonderful.” Vidocq rolled his eyes, the gears of his AU weapon turning with greater urgency. “So not only do we stand to lose two holders, but the base as well?”

Nostradamus looked almost abashed, if not for the gravity of the situation. “...Oui. There is a high chance we may have to evacuate...”

“That’s part of the standard procedure and things are already underway,” Saint-Germain interrupted, “though from the looks of things, we may need to leave soon as well.”

“You’re joking—and just, what, leave those two like this?!” Vidocq sputtered. “I have known Adam Muirhead during our entire careers together at DOGOO; and though we may have never truly seen eye-to-eye, there isn’t...non, he cannot possibly lose his mind like this—”

“—Nay, but then again, all of this, and the events before...were unprecedented as well, werennae they?” As the regular staff were streaming out in an orderly fashion, Hunter walked in with Adam’s son in tow. “So, ye really did it, ya fuckin’ bastart...bloody hell...” Those tired eyes were still red from tears, but his face was now set in a serious mask of grim defeat. “I tried stoppin’ ‘im, but ye know how he gets...tried talkin’, tried beggin’, hell I tried every single reason I could think of...” Hunter didn’t finish his sentence, only shaking his head very slightly as he clenched his jaw.

“Tou-san! Please, don’t—just stop all this—!”

“Don’t bother; nothing we say seems to be getting through to him, regardless of whether or not his radio’s still connected,” Vidocq sighed heavily, eyes still unable to tear away from the two figures on the screen, who were now weaving in and out around the main armaments. “You should evacuate with the rest of the staff, and let us handle this...”

“—What! But I—my father—”

“Guards, please escort him out to safety with the remaining crew.” Ignoring the teen’s cries, Vidocq rose up from his easy chair, taking over the main control panel as most of the operators left. “...I understand your feelings; however, at this point having you here may well put you in danger...and if there’s anything we cannot afford, it is to lose anymore lives.” With a final nod, the guards forcibly carried him away, the teenager still screaming at his father to stop, pleas that fell on deaf ears and hardened hearts.

“Well, now what? Any more brilliant plans, Vidocq?” Hunter asked sarcastically, though everyone remaining knew there wasn’t much they could do, at least not indirectly. “Adam...what are ye tryin’ t’ prove with all this...?”

“H-He, he’s...oh Adam, don’t do this...no more, please~su...” A tearful Galileo was still combing through the data even as Tell and Adam continue to tear each other apart, both holders now visibly bloody as pieces of their armor started to break away. “Y-You...you won’t survive like this...”

“What’s going on exactly, Galileo?” Despite the overwhelming shock of the situation, Vidocq still maintained his head as their lead strategist. “You mentioned he performed the mode-fusion...”

The spotter nodded slowly. “Yes, at least that’s what I think...the data, it’s not like anything we’ve seen before~su...my best guess, is h-he somehow...forced Jack the Ripper and Nightingale modes to fuse simultaneously, again...but, the numbers...they’re all so, extreme...” A tear slid from her eye as data streamed continuously across her goggles. “His energy levels are way off the charts, even higher than when he was in his prime...but the toll it’s taking on his body...I, I don’t what he did to gain this power—but, eventually...it will kill him...”

The remaining holders glanced at each other warily, their attention still half-focused on the aerial fight. Vidocq’s easy chair was once again spinning its gears, even though its holder was already exhausted. 

“...Dogoo, is there something more about the e-genes themselves that might trigger this? Especially in the case of Jack the Ripper and Florence Nightingale...it would not be inaccurate to say, that technically, Adam Muirhead is a holder to two e-genes, would it...”

“...No, I suppose not. When I met with Nightingale all those centuries ago, we were aware and did agree upon, that both her own powers, and that of ‘Jack the Ripper’ would be necessary for the planet’s future; however the risk it might pose. Just as the ‘Voice of God’ can never be fully controlled...we knew, there would be a possibility that Jack the Ripper could become more powerful over time, a chance he could influence a holder independently from Nightingale.”

The creases in the strategist’s brow grew deeper as his AU weapon calculated furiously. “...If so, and given the data Galileo’s collected...I wonder, is it possible...that Adam is no longer in full control...let alone Nightingale...”

“Wait a minute, ye cannae mean—” Hunter’s eyes widened in shock as the pieces started falling into place, little by little. “My god...are ye insinuatin’ tha, that...his e-gene has somehow...possessed him? Is that even possible?”

“Wasn’t there one recorded incident, of something similar a long time ago?” Nostradamus’ quiet voice spoke up at last. “With the e-gene holder of Christopher Columbus...the ‘runaway e-gene’ incident, I believe it was called? An e-gene who had become corrupted and in turn twisted its holder...”

“You are correct, Nostradamus. Christopher Columbus was one of the first e-gene holders we recruited, and formed the original Second Platoon along with William Tell and Robert Capa. But eventually, the corruption overwhelmed him and he lost control to the e-gene—either voluntarily or involuntarily, we don’t know—but it became a mindless, destructive force, so we had no choice but to stop him. Permanently.” Saint-Germain’s voice carried no trace of hesitation, even as he looked away. “Which means, if the same thing has indeed happened, and Adam is experiencing another ‘runway e-gene’ through Jack the Ripper...”

“We must stop him. No matter the cost.”

At this statement however, Hunter could bear it no longer; instead slamming his fists against the forcefield, the bubbles around Dogoo boiling more than usual. “That’s complete bullshit! So Adam loses control to Jack the Ripper, because yeh sure, who wouldnae be tempted to make a deal wit’ the devil after all the fucked-up shit he went through—and yur only response is to murder him in cold blood?!” Even Vidocq and Saint Germain seemed unnerved by Hunter’s rage, given the anatomist’s usually conservative attitude. “Fuck this! Fuck you all t’ hell!” Slamming the consoles one last time, before he stormed out in a fury. “I’m through wit’ all ‘f you; I dinnae care if it’ll cost me my own life, but I am not going to let you just kill him like this!”

“Hunter, wait~su!” Galileo tried to stop him, but even she was pushed away coldly. Tears ran unchecked down her face, and now she was truly questioning, for the first time, if they were still doing the right thing. “V, Vidcoq...are we, really going to, have to...”

“...I, Saint-Germain, the executive commander of DOGOO, will take full responsibility for any and all actions committed by any other members of DOGOO. As such, William Tell...you are authorized to use any means necessary to prevent another runaway e-gene.” Saint-Germain paused only for a moment, before nodding in slight agreement with Dogoo. 

“Even if it is through lethal force.” ------ “Adam! Call it off! We’re both wasting our time and energy—I know you know this! Adam!” Tell grimaced as he dodged another strike from the winged holder, but not without adding another red streak to what little of his face that remained exposed. “God dammit...! You can’t be serious...”

The other said nothing, only rushed at him with a speed Tell hadn’t thought possible anymore, except back in the days when both holders were in their prime and fighting the Objects. Saint-Germain’s authorizations for lethal force had come through minutes earlier, but the Swiss marksman couldn’t bring himself to do so...yet. Even though he knew full well the risks of a runaway e-gene, and the certain consequences it would bring if Adam was not stopped soon...

‘It’s not even about Adam’s feelings at this point—it’s the e-gene itself wrestling control from its host; whether through false promises or else strong-arming...’ As it had been in the case with Christopher Columbus, decades ago; even before Adam or Sio had joined DOGOO he’d led the Second Platoon then, with Capa and Columbus. He should’ve known then as the leader, when Columbus started exhibiting strangely anti-social behaviors, but put it down to just ‘stress’.

And then...

“Oy! What’s the matter, the guard dog realizing he’s all bark and no bite?” The archer swung back right before the claw carved an actual hole into the armor, instead cleaving a large gash in Tell’s hoverboard. “Tch, sneaky bastard...” The fight was dragging longer than he’d preferred, but Tell was no slouch—not that Adam expected the match to be easy. In truth, had both men been at their optimal peak, they would be evenly matched: both holders were capable of flight, and while Adam specialized in melee combat versus Tell’s long-range arrows, their power levels were on equal footing. Even with the boost he’d already sustained a couple wounds, though nothing too serious yet. ‘Jack, you’d better be sure about this advantage...!’

It seemed the spirit heard, or at least was telling the truth. Three parries and a counterstrike against the barrage of arrows Tell was raining down on him—in one swift movement, his blade caught the tip of an arrow and he flung it back, the explosion nearly knocking the archer from the sky as his board swung wildly, Adam moving in for the kill. “You’re dead—!”

A sharp pain pierced his chest, and at the last second the blade swerved to the left, missing Tell’s artery by inches. “Urgh—wh-what th...” Another convulsion of pain wracked him, forcing Adam to circle back, while Tell looked on in confusion and amazement.

‘Jack! Th’ bloody hell is going on?! My heart...’

 ‘...Ah. It seems our time is nearly up.’

‘What?!’ 

Before Jack could respond however Tell was rushing towards him again, taking advantage of Adam’s momentary weakness and pinning the holder in a vice, unable to fly away nor draw his blade close enough for a swing. “Listen Adam, I don’t know what the hell’s going on in your head, but you need to calm down and stop this at once—”

“Get...off!” Adam struggled, but Tell’s hold was firm. “Ugh...” His heart was pounding like a machine gun as he spat out a mouthful of blood, and Adam knew he didn’t have much time left.

‘I granted you power, yes, and you saw its strength firsthand. But that power only applies so much as your body can take it...and you, as one who has already done so much to yourself...’

Emeralds narrowed into slits at those words, as Adam vainly fought for breath while his chest grew tight. ‘In other words...I’m dying, aren’t I?’

‘...Eventually, yes. This power isn’t meant for humans, even a genetically-enhanced one such as yourself. You are already breaking down on the genetic level; unless you can overcome William Tell before then, you’ll quite literally fall apart.’

Even Jack’s tone was grave for once, Adam stilling for just a second as the realization slowly sank in.  

So, Nightingale was right...of course she would be. How many times had she begged him to not listen to those honeyed words? No, not just his e-gene—but his friends, family...

Niall’s pleas to not leave his son to fend for himself. Mahesh and Jess’ sorrowful looks each time they tried to coax him into joining them for one thing or another, instead of shutting himself away. The sympathetic glances from all the staff and crew, and even the random, sometimes-anonymous messages sent from well-wishers across the globe. 

And his own son...

‘What am I supposed to do?! I don’t know anything—how can I make your name heroic if you’re just going to run off like this?! Please father, you can’t leave me! I can’t lose you too...’

Those memories and words pierced him, even more strongly than the pain now radiating outwards across his entire body. He vaguely heard something from Jack warning him about his DNA unwinding, but even that felt like a faraway dream. Was this really all worth it? Had he made a mistake when that first notion of revenge reared its head, long before Sio and his daughter died—in fact hadn’t he grappled with whether DOGOO was doing the right thing once before? Why had he been able to rally himself then, and not now? What had changed...except everything?

No. No no no; they took everything away from him; his family, life, and a beloved sniper with maroon eyes and a smile that often seemed too big for her face...

“Adam—!” Tell let go in shock, unable to grasp the metal shards that were now sprouting along the other holder’s wings. “Stand down, you’re badly injured! I know your heart can’t take much more; you need to stop this nonsense and get treatment—”

“Shut up!” The claw thrust forward, but even Tell could see his power was waning, only leaning back slightly to dodge the half-hearted attack. “What...would you understand about loss and suffering...Xhavit...” Tell’s real name ground out between gritted teeth, as Adam forced the metal shards to fire, only to nearly fall from intense pain that followed as his heart seemed to squeeze until it was fit to burst. “Aauugh! Fuck...this...!” It was all he could do to even remain in the air, struggling to prevent the AU weapons from vanishing as he fought wave after wave of agony. Blood seemed to be seeping out everywhere: his eyes, nose, coating the inside of his mouth with the vile scent of warm copper as he barely resisted the urge to heave.

“Tell! Now’s your chance. If you can’t restrain him, then finish him. That’s an order,” Saint-Germain’s voice cut in coldly, as Tell attempted to grab the other holder, but still he couldn’t get close enough beyond the rows of spiked feathers, nevermind Adam’s sword that was still attempting to decapitate him. “What are you waiting for? If you let him continue, there’s no telling what he’ll do!” 

The arrows pulled back but Tell hesitated; his target was right there, a mess of blood and metal wings but he was weakening; he could see the tremors of pain running through the other man’s body, hear the pained wheezing as Adam struggled for breath while still attempting to lash out. 

“Adam...please, that’s enough. Don’t make me do this,” Tell warned. He could fire right now and end the battle—he should, and yet... An image from thirty-some years earlier came flashing forward, a towering abomination of limbs and flesh-fused metal that was only barely human lunging towards him and Capa, screaming at them to end its life...

“If...yer really not just all bark...then why don’t ya do it?” The archer startled out just in time, narrowly avoiding another slash while Saint-Germain barked at him to stop stalling, that Adam was very likely beyond saving at this point. “I know you want to...and they’re tellin’ you...so just end it already.”

“Adam...!”

“Unless, you want to die—!” Despite his own pain Adam surged forward, literally knocking headfirst into the archer and sending him swerving across the sky to regain his balance. There was no point in holding back now; whether by Tell’s hand, or his own body’s degradation, Adam knew his time was up. Everything was coated with a haze of pain, from simply drawing a breath to to forcing his wings to continue flying. If it weren’t for Jack’s power holding him together, he was sure his heart would’ve burst by now.

“...No!” In one moment, and with total disregard for his own safety, Tell let the claw pierce his side. A gush of blood went flying but Tell ignored it, ignored the searing pain as he finally grappled the other holder, this time determined not to let go, feather and blades be damned. “No, Adam. Death and killing...they’re not always the only way out. I know this. You know this. Mindless destruction...we’ve both had enough, haven’t we?”

“Nnngg...! No...stop!” Adam tried to reach behind for Tell, but suddenly everything seemed so weak, so tired...he doubled over as pain pierced his chest again, so strong that he couldn’t help but cry out.

“Adam! Command, we need a medical evac—!”

“...No...don’t, bother...” His vision blurred and sounds were all strangely muddy, even Jack’s voice nothing more than a faint whisper. “I’m dying, and they know it...all, I want now...is to just see her again. Just do it, Xhavit...kill me, and let me rest...please...”

“Nay Adam, I willnae allow it! Xhavit, you’d better not try anything stupid!” Hunter dashed out among the concrete pillars, grappling to the highest point of the command center he could reach. “Dinnae you listen to those orders Xhavit! Adam, we can still help you! I can still help you! Adam!”

Niall... Why was he still continuing to fight, to struggle when Adam himself had already long given up? What was it about Niall that allowed him to continue holding on to hope, however false it may have been? Perhaps it was proof then, proof that people like Niall and Xhavit and even Henri were better than him, more capable and worthy of life compared to him. After all...how could a the embodiment of humanity’s worst fears ever be worthy of true happiness... A surge of pure despair and hatred towards himself rushed through him, overcoming even the pain as Adam felt his mind fall into an unknown haze as a feeling of disconnect from his body numbed all other senses.

‘There’s no going back at all from this. You cannot ever be considered human from here on out. And it should go without saying, but you definitely will not survive.’

‘Yeh, I know. That’s fine. It’s something I’ve wanted...for a while now.’

‘...Heh, you surprised me Muirhead. Perhaps even...impressed me. You an’ me, we might’ve actually gotten along...had we met under different circumstances.’

Jack’s voice seemed to fade away into a void too, after that. And then there was nothing more, no other voices telling him what to do or how to do it, no more phantoms or pleas from his memories, or even the soul whom he was supposed to be the reincarnation of. Only a lingering feeling of sadness, or maybe it was regret, but he was too tired to figure out which one it was...

“Adam—!”

“What th—oh, jesus fuckin’ christ...!”

It grew, the metal melting and oozing like a hideous slime as the AU weapons distorted before their very eyes, covering Adam until he was barely visible as the goo seemed to grow and reshape everything. Long, twisted spikes shot out from all angles to what could only be assumed as ‘limbs’, while feathers seemed to grow and disappear at random, as if the being was trying to figure out how to even structure itself. Something akin to blood kept dripping from cracks and gashes, only the color and viscosity seemed closer to an oily sludge. A monstrous, half-formed wing made up of both organic and metal feathers shot out suddenly, precariously held in place by sinewy strands of muscle, and the whole thing seemed to quiver as a rumbling noise vibrated from deep within the creature, as if moaning in its own agony.

“It’s another runaway e-gene! Commander, what should we do?”

“Oh no...! No, no no no...this can’t be happening~su!”

“Tell, Hunter—if you aren’t prepared to stop it then retreat immediately!”

Tell let go but hovered a short distance away, too stunned by the awful metamorphose before him as Hunter could only watch in growing horror from his position. “By th’ name of all that is good and holy...Adam Muirhead, what’ve ye done...” A monster, that was the only word left to even begin describing the...thing, or creature, that was now lumbering in front of them. Nothing remained that could even vaguely be described as human, except for a continued, echoing moan that sent a shudder of despair down both holder’s spines. “Adam...! Oh no, please mate, ye cannae—tell me yur still in there!”

“Niall!” In a split-second the remaining holders tumbled against the ground, Tell tackling the anatomist just before giant shard of metal pierced the very spot he’d been standing. “C’mon, we can’t stay here any longer! When a holder turns into a runaway e-gene...there’s nothing more we can do for them. Trust me, I know...from experience.”

“But—”

“—No time for ‘buts’ Niall—oh shit get down!” 

First came the wave of metallic feather shards, raining in every which direction and seemingly capable of piercing through several inches of solid concrete. Shouts were heard from the command center as a metal tendril whipped through the control tower, sending glass flying every which way as the unluckier members of DOGOO were flung into the cloud of smoke as debris rained from the sky. 

“Commander, we need to get out here!”

“All remaining DOGOO personnel evacuate immediately!”

“Adam! Stop this, ye gotta come t’ yer senses! Please!” But even Hunter could only watch in shock as what was left of his friend, now a grotesque, swollen abomination of alien metal and human guts, barreled towards them with a primal roar before everything seemed to implode and explode at the same time.

Oh Sio, I’m so, so sorry...

Sorry...

So— ----- “C—mander—py? I r—eat does an—opy?”

Smoke and ash were falling in a quiet hush when the anatomist regained consciousness. Next to him, the archer was also stirring, as the emergency broadcast continued in their radios.

“Bloody hell...wha happened...Adam, he...!” Niall looked around in shock, surveying the damage and destruction, most of which was unfortunately centered around DOGOO’s main command center. “Oh no...”

“He couldn’t live with it. Either with his fate...or himself. And so he was determined to bring us down with him...” Xhavit sighed heavily as he pulled the other holder up from the wreckage. “Fucking hell, I shouldn’t have hesitated...should’ve just ended it in one, clean shot, like he wanted...”

“No need for such self-deprecation, William Tell.” Both holders spun around as Commander Saint-Germain picked his way through the rubble, glasses cracked but still sitting on the bridge of his nose. “You were under immense pressure...everything that happened today, shouldn’t have in the first place, had we been more careful...”

“Tch, oh yeh, now ye fools start thinkin’ ‘bout what ye could’ve done? Load a good that’ll do...” muttered Niall, but without any viciousness. “What ‘bout the others? Henri, Valentina...”

“Vidocq and Galileo are both unhurt, along with Nostradamus. They managed to evacuate with Dogoo and the last of the controllers...though as for the base itself, I cannot say the same...” The three men stared silently at the smoldering wreckage. “This will set us back quite a bit...”

“Somehow, I cannot help but feel it was intentional,” a French accent chimed in, as Henri arrived with Dogoo in tow. “As Nostradame said, Adam’s feelings of frustration and vengeance...” The strategist only shrugged but didn’t finish his sentence.

“Even though he was aware that DOGOO is the Earth’s last and only line of defense against the Invasion Objects? And that hurting us will only hurt those he cared about?” The bubbling voice of Dogoo was accompanied by the creaks as it struggled to move itself over the debris. “Once again, my limited knowledge of human nature shows itself...”

"Forget it, all this...in the end, I can’t tell if fate just had it out fer him, or we just got unlucky.” Niall sighed heavily, too tired to shed anymore tears. “At least, ye can finally rest now, Adam...you and Sio both, together. It’s what ye wanted fer so long...”

“Human emotions...or rather, the human capacity for love. Perhaps its true force can only be understood by that of a human, and not an outsider...” The others gave the alien a questioning look, but said nothing else.

“All this time we have labelled the Evolutionary Objects as monsters without peer, yet now I cannot help but think, perhaps the darkness that resides in all of humanity...may be just as monstrous.”

There was no answer.