Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC

Wastes of Arusia

- Ariana -

Jax grinned into the second kiss, running a hand through Alina's silky red hair before letting his hand fall away. "That's a promise."

Alexei and Ariana rejoined them as Lisa managed to beat back the Blackcape for the moment.

"Now, who still has any gas left in the tank?"[/color] Alina asked as the snow began to settle and the wind whipped the steam cloud away. "I'm not going to lie here, I've only got enough left in me for one or two more spells."

"I don't know how much more I can do either," Ariana admitted. It felt like she'd passed her limit a long time ago and was running off sheer willpower.

Jax hated to admit it, but he was reaching exhaustion as well, and the bitter cold wasn't doing much to get his blood pumping.

"I figure I can keep this up for about five minutes, assuming he doesn't wise up and try something sneaky." Lisa said, knocking the Blackcape back out of sight.

A portal opened above them, and the Blackcape dropped down from above.

"Just had to say it!" Jax bellowed as they all dived for cover.

Alexei held onto Nadenka and dove out of the way, pulling out his batons and beating back the tendrils as they lashed out toward them. "I don't know how much longer we can wait. You might need to do your thing again," he told her.

The Blackcape screeched, and several magic circles appeared. The shimmering balls of energy hovered above then plummeted toward the ground.

"Megidola," Ariana gasped.

"Everyone run!" Jax yelled.

The next moment was pure chaos. The blasts sent snow and energy flying in every direction. Jax struggled up and gritted his teeth, disoriented and pained. Alexei looked the worse for wear, but at least he was standing.

Ariana though... She lay unconscious by Alina's side, her once crisp and perfect uniform singed and ruined.

Jax gritted his teeth, calling forth his Overlimit. Heat and magical energy surged through his muscles as he punched his fist forward. "Heat Riser!"

He leaped toward the Blackcape, beyond caring about the flailing tendrils or the magic circles it was conjuring.

"Lisa!" he roared. "Hit me!"

[OOC: Use Lisa's Overlimit to propel him forward into the Blackcape, magnifying the impact of his punch.]

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Maxim watched James fiddle with his device, a pained smile crossing wryly across his face.

"You may have trouble believing this," he murmured. "But not everyone who opposes you is a heartless or uncaring monster."

He gazed over at the rampaging Blackcape, his face tightening. "Kurik meant everything to me... and that thing swallowed him up in an instant. I can't let that go... and I'll never forgive myself for letting it happen."

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The Inner Darkness

- Rise -

Kurik didn't respond to Rise's touch. Was there something keeping him from waking? Or did he not even care to try?

Anger suddenly surged through her, and she shook him hard. "Hey, wake up. You don't get to cause all this mess and then quietly slip off into the dark. You're going to wake up, you're going to get out of here with us, and then you're going to answer for everything and make it right. Do you understand me?"

Wastelands of Arusia

- Lenka -

"Blue Wall!" she called out when the blast form the Blackcape threatened to reach them. Her spell was only able to lessen the impact, but it kept her and Marcus unharmed.

Watching the lightning leave her hand, she suddenly realized. There was something she could do to save him.

Her fingers were shaking when she placed them on Marcus' unmoving chest.

If this didn't work...If she didn't have enough control... No! She couldn't allow herself to think like that.

Swallowing hard, she tried to drown out all the distractions so she could focus on her own power.

"Please know, that I'm doing this to save you," she said, tears still streaming down her face.

"Zio," she whispered, concentrating the lightning in her hand, only allowing the smallest amout of power to escape from her fingertips into Marcus body.

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- Ehlana -

Ehlana skidded to halt next to the others. She was also beginning to look exhausted. Her shoulder hurt and the energy level on the batons was reaching a critical low.

Just then the Redcape decided to drop down on them again in combination with multiple spell circles. The blast also sent her flying through the snow. After taking a few deep breaths, she struggled to her feet and over towards Ariana.

Thankfully the girl still had a pulse. Quickly she beat back the tendrils that threatened to overtake them.

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- James -

James never looked up when Maxim replied. His fingers were still fiddeling with the device, connecting wires and re-attaching screws.

Eventually, he looked up. First at Maxim and then his eyes glanced towards Jax.

"Trust me, I know," he said with a light smile, remembering the first time they had encountered Jax. "I was just curious."

He knelt down in front of Maxim.

"I'll be borrowing this refraction crystal," he said and took a piece from the center of Maxim's mostly destroyed suit. "Hopefully it'll act like an amplifier."

Attaching the crystal, he started to walk towards the Blackcape.

"For your sake, I hope we can save your friend," he said. And ours, he added in his mind, thinking of Rise.

When the massive counterattack from the Blackcape hit, James was also thrown to the ground. He struggled to his feet to see Jax prepare an attack.

"Please let this work," he whispered. Hopefully the whistle would give Jax the opening he needed.

Raising the cuff high above his head, the high-pitched whistling sound rang through the air just as Jax and Lisa prepared their attack.


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Inner Darkness

- Kurik -

It seemed Rise's voice was getting through to him. Kurik's eyes opened with a start and suddenly it seemed like the tension that had held him suspended disappeared. Unceremoniously, he landed on his butt.

Disoriented, he looked around, recognizing Rise.

"What in the world...? I don't understand what happened..." Kurik started to say, "How did you get here?"

He stood up, looking around. It seemed there was only darkness. But at least now, it didn't try to encroach on his mind again. Kurik shivered slightly. Rise was right, he needed to take responsibility for what he'd done. Giving up had only gotten his mind swallowed up by the darkness.

Nadenka

Nadenka was surprised by the blackcape's attack, and then there was explosions. She was ready for the impact, but somehow she came out mostly unscathered. It didn't take awhile for her to realize why Alexei was standing over her protecting her; her eyes were widen and she could hear her heart beating fast. The thought of losing him was unbearable. "Alexei..?" She called him, not being able to make what to say then she saw another incoming attack of tendrils, she pushed him along herself to move away.

Belobog came in just in time to intercept it so that both would be alright. After helping Maxim out, he had came back running to the field once more.

"Is he alive!?" Belobog asked hurry, Nadenka quickly checked for the pulse. Nadenka looked at Alexei, putting her hands on his face. "Diarahan" Said Nadenka light covering Alexei, "Even if I bring their friend back, if I don't have you my side..." She did not continue, no, more like she did not want to think about such scenario. "Just make sure you survive this, okay? I need you."

Said Nadenka standing up, her eyes locking on blackcape. She just hope that Rise and others are able to make it in time. Nadenka was ready to use her power.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Luke

Luke was there as well, and he was not so sure what was happening. He could see Rise and Kurik, and he tried to get to them quickly.

"Hey, you found him!" Said Luke, with a relief. "We come here in the same way as you did. To bring a friend back home." Luke answered, and his eyes had no wavering, but still filled with hope. "And I got to say, calling Alex won't reach him here. We need to search for him." Said Luke, looking around for any sign of Alex. He puffed, then shouted. "Alex!!! We are here!!! Let's go back home!!"

- Lisa -

No, no, no.

Lisa scowled at the Blackcape as she pushed herself back to her feet. Her right ankle didn't want to hold her weight, and she sank back to one knee with the air leaving her lungs in a pained hiss. This meant an end to any non-magical mobility she might have, and she couldn't afford to spend her reserves on flying.

"Stop being such a dick, Alex!" She screamed at the Blackcape as she unleashed another burst behind a charging Jax to increase his momentum. Hopefully, the force of it wouldn't cause him any harm, but she couldn't be sure. The only things she'd ever actually used this on were the Blackcape and some scrapped cars out in the countryside.

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- Alina -

Groaning, Alina sat up in the snow, bringing a hand to her head. Her fingertips came away bloody, and she grimaced. Hopefully, there wouldn't be a scar. Not that it would matter. Jax might think it was sexy. Her cheeks heated at that, but seeing Ariana in the snow beside her was enough to cool her off pretty quickly.

"Ariana!"

She rolled to her knees to check the girl. The misting in the air over Ariana's face told Alina that she was still breathing, but she seemed unresponsive.

"Hey, no sleeping on the job." Alina halfheartedly joked as she gave the girl a gentle shake. Singed pieces of Ariana's uniform fell away beneath her touch, and Alina grimaced when Ariana's head rolled to one side. "Yikes. Talk about burnt ends." She ran her fingers through what had once been a ponytail, and wasn't surprised when it crumbled away like ashes.

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- Marcus -

Marcus' body jolted upwards, bowing off the ground as electricity surged through his system, but as soon as the shock was over, he fell back onto Lenka's lap, lifeless once more.

Wastes of Arusia

- Jax -

Jax felt the force of Lisa's spell slam into his back with bruising force, but he clenched his teeth and channeled the pain into his strike. He surged toward the Blackcape, its tendrils shooting toward him to skewer him, when a terribly shrill whistle tore through the air. The Blackcape writhed, its tendrils dropping out of the way.

Opening up the way for a perfect strike.

Jax rammed the Blackcape full-speed, the burst of his attack sending the Blackcape rocketing backward through the snowy landscape until it tumbled out of sight.

Jax dropped to the ground, shaking and exhausted. He buckled, then fell to one knee. Well, that was the last of his reserves.

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Alexei blinked in surprise, his senses returning to him as he found Nadenka's light washing over him. He caught her hands and smiled at her, shaking his head.

"Heh, they'll have to bring three of these things if they want to get rid of me. I'm surviving this. You're surviving this. That's all there is to it."

He got up just as Jax made his desperate attack, buying them all some time and breathing room. When Jax lost his balance, Alexei moved forward to catch him and help him up.

"I don't think we can wait much longer," he said, glancing at Nadenka. "When that thing comes back... you go for it."

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Ariana whimpered, struggling to open her eyes at Alina's words. She tried to move, but a weak gasp slipped past her lips, and she gave up immediately.

"Is... is this it?" she whispered. "Are we going to die?"

"No."

Maxim, helped by James, made it over to them. He sank to the ground near Ariana and stared into the distance where the Blackcape had disappeared.

"Belo, Alexei, and Ehlana should be able to find the entrance to Arusia from here," he said. "They can get you inside. I can still fix this. I can still end it."

He took back his device from James and cranked a gear.

"I'll blow us both back to the Stone Age," he said wryly. "Or, at least, before this whole mess started."

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The Inner Darkness

- Rise -

Rise breathed a sigh of relief when Kurik woke up, and even more so when Luke appeared out of the darkness to join him.

"Reaching Alex and getting him to stop this is the only way any of us is going to make it out of here alive," she told Kurik. "I know you don't care about us, maybe you don't even care about yourself, but I think you care about Maxim. And he's going to die if we don't stop this. Last I saw him, he took a hit from the Blackcape trying to stop it. If he isn't already gone, he will be before long."

She looked over at Luke and nodded, and he immediately began shouting for Alex. After a long pause, someone walked to them out of the darkness.

"God, you're loud. And shouty," he said.

Rise took in his face, her eyes widening. "...Will?"

Will smirked at her and shrugged. "Sort of? Not really? Just another figment of Alex's broken psyche. He never was the most stable guy, was he? Self-loathing and a hero complex rolled into one... guy was a ticking time bomb."

Rise glared at him, a mixture of anger, betrayal, and sadness burning in her anew. But she couldn't waste time on that - on this. This wasn't Will, and he wasn't worth their time.

"Where's Alex?" she demanded.

Will shrugged and motioned them further into the darkness. "This way."

The trailed after him, wandering through the dark void for no one knew how long. Finally, they caught sight of Alex, sitting crouched on the ground with his arms wrapped around his legs.

"Alex!" Rise cried out, rushing past Will to reach him. When she fell to he knees in front of him, however, she found his eyes glassy and vacant.

"What's...?" she tried to ask, but Will's laugh cut her off.

"Even in his own head, he's out of reach," he said, crouching down behind Alex's back. "Still hiding from you. Still hiding from reality."

"Shut up!" she snapped. "Alex, it's Rise. Listen to me. We need you to come back. We need you to fix this. Please."

She shook him, but all he did was shudder.

Then, out of the darkness, the ghostly form of Pierrot appeared.

"Naught. All for naught," it cackled.

Another appeared near it, then another. "It was inevitable," the Shades of Pierrot echoed. "He was always doomed to be a monster."

More and more appeared until they were surrounded by the twisted phantasms. "Doomed to destroy everyone and everything he held dear."

Rise held out her hands. In a flash, her fans appeared. Mind over matter here, it seemed.

"Kurik, with me! Luke, break through to him!" she called, sending a wave of fire surging at the Shades. They vanished like smoke, but more stepped out to take their place. And with a terrible thunder of cackles, they surged inward like a tidal wave.

Luke

Just as Rise had her fans up, Luke had his hands and arms covered in materials he had never seen before. Perhaps, it was his imagination?

In whatever the case, Luke was sure, there was Alex here and they had to drag him out of it. "Alex, a monster? Don't make me laugh!" Luke clenched his fists, "He is too kind to be a monster, no, if there was a going to be a monster, I make a better one, cause I am going to bring him out no matter what!" His fists carried weight, and with force of punching through the darkness. "Alex! You going to let your apparentice do all the work? You still got responsibility to take care of it, don't you? You said it yourself, we got to work this together! You said you will stop running! Then stop running from it!" Luke fists punched through the darkness with much greater force, his fists shining even brighter, as he kept on pushing through it.

The light he had been given by encountering Aegis; Jax, Rise, James, Lenka, Lisa, Marcus and so many more, and among them, there was Alex as well.

"You know, Alex? The light I got on my fists? This isn't just mine. It's from everyone, and that everyone includes you. You, too, have a light in your heart! So stop running and let's face it together!"

As he finally break through and reached Alex, he grinned.

Then with his hand, shining brightly, he gave a flicker to the forehead of Alex, "Hey, teach, it’s your turn.”

Nadenka

Nadenka sighed in relief, and her eyes swallowed up tears quicly. Trying not to show how much she was worried. “Well, for me, as long as you are by my side, I’m okay.” Said Nadenka.

She nodded in the response, “Yeah, that’s what I am thinking.” Said Nadenka, readily to use her overlimit. “I just hope they are ready.” She added.


______________

Belobog

“No, don’t” said Belobog, blocking Maxim’s way. “I got a feeling Kurik will come back and when he does, he gonna need a jail buddy.” Then he looked at the standing Aegis. Still ready to fight and bring Their friend back home. “Remember? You are the one who said Arusia and Kaddath working together might bring something beautiful. Maybe this is the moment you and I will witness one. A miracle.” Belobog readied himself. “Until every last of us fall, hold onto your life. Having faith in your friends, it helps.” Said Belobog.

Wastelands of Arusia

- Lenka -

Lenka watched Marcus‘ body jolt upwards. And then nothing happened.

Maybe the voltage hadn’t been enough? She tried to think clearly.

Under tears, she placed her fingertips on his body once more, refusing to give up.

“Zio,” she whispered. More electricity coursed through Marcus’ body. It pained her to see this. To be the one hurting him. But again nothing happened. Yet, she had to keep trying.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Lenka stopped. She took his hand.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice breaking. “I tried so hard, but I’m not strong enough.”

“I thought I was strong enough on my own, but I’m not. You showed me that it’s okay to rely on people. And now I can’t even help you when you needed me…” her voice cracked.

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- James -

“No, you don’t,” James said and knelt down in front of Maxim. With a determined move, he took the gear back from Maxim. “I actually agree with this guy,” he added, pointing at Belo.

“You tried to kill yourself before and we’re not having that. Grow up and take responsibility! You can’t run away from this!”

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- Ehlana -

“We’re not dying,” Ehlana said without turning around. She still had herself posted between Ariana, Alina and the Blackcape in the distance.

She put her foot down.

“And we’re also not hiding!” she added with an angry voice and glanced at Maxim. “I’m done with this. We’ve been hiding for over a century. Enough is enough!”

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The Inner Darkness

- Kurik -

It looked like Kurik’s eyes were going to bulge out and he opened his mouth in surprise at Luke’s words.

Eventually he found his voice again. “You let yourself be swallowed up on purpose?” he shook his head. This was unbelievable.

However, he followed Luke and Rise while they were searching for their friend, lead by another apparition that Rise was familiar with. His thoughts were still coming to terms with their actions when they finally found Alex, curled up on the ground with empty eyes, as if his soul had left.

Kurik averted his eyes. He didn’t need a second look. It felt like the look in his own eyes after he’d stumbled into Arusia.

Suddenly Pierrot appeared and then more and more copies of him appeared around them. Kurik tensed. He could tell these weren’t on the friendly side.

He lifted his hand and spread his fingers.

“Leech!”

Dark tendrils spurred up around the small group and wrapped the ghosts of Pierrot in all directions, crushing them. Kurik could feel a small amount of much needed energy being restored to his magical reserves.

His other hand touched Rise’s shoulder. “Makakaja,” he cast on her while he kept his Leech spell active, repelling the ever incoming ghosts of Pierrot with dark tendrils.

- Marcus -

Pain racked Marcus' body as he jolted upward, electricity coursing through him. Before he had the chance to suck in a breath, darkness surrounded him again, only to be driven away by another surge of voltage.

As he forced shallow breaths into his lungs, Marcus felt something wet fall on his cheek. Sounds were still fuzzy, but he could tell that someone was talking to him. With great effort, he pried open his eyes to see a tearful Lenka hovering over him.

He tried to raise his arm, but found it constrained by something. The other appeared to be free though, and he lifted shaking fingers to wipe the tears from beneath her eyes. There was no feeling in his fingertips, but he could sense the pressure from her skin.

"Some friend I've been, making you cry twice in one day..." He muttered, only now realizing that he'd been unable to raise his other arm due to Lenka holding his hand.

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- Alina -

"Just lie still." Alina said, putting a hand on Ariana's shoulder. "Your back is basically one giant burn. If it weren't for the snow, I'm not sure that you'd still be conscious."

After ensuring that Ariana would in fact stay put, Alina pushed herself to her feet, stumbling slightly in the process. The world around her listed counterclockwise, and she groaned. This was not the time for a concussion, mild or otherwise.

Her gaze drifted to Maxim as James relieved him of the potentially explosive device, and Alina shot him a stern look. "When this is over, we're going to have a long talk about your tactics. In the meantime, everyone get ready for one last push."

Staggering again, she turned towards the Blackcape. "I'll immobilize it for a moment. Use that opening to the best of your abilities!"

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- Lisa -

From where she sat, Lisa watched the horizon for the Blackcape, but there was no sign of it. Cold air surged behind her, building slowly as Alina concentrated on forming the spell. They would only get one shot at this. She needed to make it count.

A shriek rang out from behind her, and Lisa turned to see that the Blackcape had appeared from the opposite side of the group from where Jax had previously shoved it. Twisting her fingers, she reactivated the magic circles covering Nadenka, pulling the woman into the air.

"Glacial Axis!" Snow and ice churned up in a path towards the creature, knocking it over and covering it in a thick layer of frost. Before the spell even hit, Lisa had already tossed Nadenka towards it, making the most of the opportunity Alina created.

She was unable to scream as a portal opened beneath her and dark tendrils dragged her through it. No, Lisa needed all of her focus to control Nadenka's path. If this failed, they were all doomed. If that meant she would have a front-row seat to the action, then so be it.

- Lenka -

Lenka’s breath stopped for a second and she froze when she felt Marcus’ hand on her cheek. Warmth and relief flooded through her.

Without a second thought, she threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

“You’re okay…,” she sobbed, tears still running down her cheeks. “I thought I had… lost you…”

“… and that would’ve been unbearable.”

She finally allowed him some room to breathe.

“Please, don’t ever do this again. Please don’t ever die again,” she whispered, wiping her eyes.

There was a turmoil of emotions still going through her head and her heart. She was overwhelmingly happy that Marcus was still alive. It was a krass contrast to the despair she’d felt only moments ago when it felt like her heart was torn out upon seeing him so lifeless. But she also felt like a fool. These weren’t the emotions of someone who deep down didn’t care for the other person.

Had she lied to herself back then? Had she been lying to herself all along? Clearly she cared more for Marcus than she’d allowed herself to admit.

Was it only her wish for independence that had stopped her from admitting her feelings before? Had she wanted to prove so badly that she didn’t need help or anyone’s support. The only thing she’d shown herself was that this wasn’t true.

And it also wasn’t what she wanted. She was sure of that.

- Marcus -

Marcus did his best to return Lenka's hug, but after a few seconds, he shifted uncomfortably, realizing how weak his body was right now. "Lenka..." He wheezed, tapping her on the back with the hand she didn't still have a death grip on.

"Lenka. Let up. I can't breathe." That seemed to get her moving, and he groaned as he slumped back to the ground.

As she wiped at her tears, Marcus took a moment to assess his condition. No more dark patches in his field of vision. That was a good start. His heartbeat had returned to a regular volume, although he could still feel it. Both good signs.

He didn't hurt everywhere like he had before, but Marcus wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that, since he also couldn't really feel any of his extremities. That said, he could still move everything, there just wasn't any sensation.

"I won't make you promises that I can't keep." He responded, punctuating the words with something between a cough and a chuckle. "Everyone dies eventually, but if it makes you feel better about it, I don't have plans to do so any time soon."

Using what force he could muster, he squeezed her hand, but Marcus was sure it felt feeble compared to his typical strength. "What did you hit me with? I can't feel my toes."

- Lenka -

Lenka wasn't sure how it was possible in this near-disaster situation, but a small chuckle escaped her lips when Marcus complained about his toes.

Carefully, she helped him to sit up.

"I used electricity," she said, flipping her hair back, trying to ignore the seriousness of the situation. "What else could I do after your heart stopped beating?"

"Give it some time, I'm sure the sensation will return soon."

He still looked weak, unsteady. She'd preferred it if they got medical attention and time to rest first. Unfortunately, one look towards the others told here was no time for either. They appeared to prepare one last attack against the Blackcape.

"Here, let's try standing up" she offered and took his hand to help him up.

Wastes of Arusia

- Maxim -

Maxim stared, wide-eyed, as first Belo, then James, and even Ehlana rejected his last ditch effort. This Aegis group... they were something different. And they'd even rubbed off on his agents. They weren't the same Alexei, Belo, and Ehlana he remembered.

"Well..." He closed his eyes and smiled, the cold trail of a tear sneaking its way down his cheek. "It seems I've been thoroughly outmatched one last time."

Ariana turned her head weakly to gaze at him.

"Just give up and embrace it," she murmured. "Whatever they've got, it overpowers you eventually."

Maxim turned and gazed up at the united group of Aegis and Arusia as they formed together for one last attack.

"I'm starting to believe that..." he whispered.

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- Jax -

Something like a seismic boom emanated from them, and a shadowy blur shot forward at them like a black comet across the snowy landscape. Everyone braced themselves, unsure how to stop anything that fast and powerful speeding right at them, when it suddenly vanished right before them.

Then a shriek rang out behind them, and they whirled around as they Blackcape emerged from nothingness, its tendrils flailing at them like a thousand whips. Lisa reacted quickly, hauling Nadenka into the air and out of the way, as Alina unleashed her last attack.

"Glacial Axis!" Snow and ice churned up in a path towards the creature, knocking it over and covering it in a thick layer of frost. Before the spell even hit, Lisa had already tossed Nadenka towards it, making the most of the opportunity Alina created. Even as she did, however, a portal opened and dragged her through.

"Lisa!" Jax roared, diving toward her. His hand swiped through open air, however, as the portal closed right as he reached her. He gritted his teeth, and immediately leaped up to his feet. No time to think about it. They were all dead if this didn't work.

As Nadenka plummeted toward the Blackcape, her Overlimit activating, it gave an earth-shaking roar that burst apart Alina's ice in all directions. Jax, Alexei, Belo, and Ehlana rushed into certain doom, trying to knock back the tendrils and give Nadenka the opening she needed. Even as they did, dozens upon dozens of magic circles began to appear around them, conjuring Megidolaon spells that would annihilate them all.

"Nadenka!" Alexei roared. "Do it!"

There were three flashes of light - one from Nadenka, one from the Blackcape's spells firing off all at once... and one from inside the Blackcape.


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The Inner Darkness

- Rise -

There was no end to them.

Rise spun about with her fans, sending waves of fire sweeping outward to purge away waves of the Shades of Pierrot. Thanks to Kurik's magical boosts, her spells were faster and stronger than ever, but every second that one of the Shades vanishes liked smoke, hundreds more replaced it.

"Come on, Luke, get through to him!" she called out.

Luke tried his hardest to reach Alex. "Alex, a monster? Don't make me laugh!" he said, clenching his fists. "He is too kind to be a monster."

Will laughed from his place behind Alex. "You're exactly right, kid. That's the problem. He's too soft... and the realization of what his power has been used to do... what he's done, is too much for him. He listened to all of you, he put aside his fear to come help you, and this is what it got him. He's hiding because he can't face the awful truth of what he's done... what he always knew he would."

"No!" Rise shouted. "He may have messed up, and he may have done harm. And maybe he'll keep messing up. But that doesn't mean he gets to give up!"

Luke's fists began to glow as he beat off the darkness threatening to swallow up him and Alex. "Alex! You still got responsibility to take care of it, don't you? You said it yourself, we got to work this together! You said you will stop running! Then stop running from it!" Luke fists punched through the darkness with much greater force, his fists shining even brighter, as he kept on pushing through it.

Will winced and backed away. "You guys never change, do you? Even after everything, you still..."

Luke ignored him and stared directly at Alex. "You know, Alex? The light I got on my fists? This isn't just mine. It's from everyone, and that everyone includes you. You, too, have a light in your heart! So stop running and let's face it together!"

As he finally break through and reached Alex, he grinned.

Then with his hand, shining brightly, he gave a flicker to the forehead of Alex, "Hey, teach, it’s your turn.”

A flicker of light returned to Alex's eyes. He shifted his head, looking up at Luke for a long moment. Then, with strength returning to his face, he nodded and took Luke's hand, the light from it shining even brighter.

Finally, Alex stood and faced the encroaching wave of Shades, anger flashing in his eyes. "That's enough."

The Shades dissipated in an instant, the shadows swirling together and converging into a single Pierrot, who stood before Alex with glowing golden eyes. Slowly, he reached up and removed the mask from his face.

"That's..." Rise murmured, her eyes wide.

Alex's face stared at them from behind the Pierrot mask, his expression cold as death. But Alex, the real Alex, stared unflinchingly into it for the first time.

"You're not me. And I'll never be you," he said softly. "Now, get lost."

Cracks of light appeared in Pierrot's form, and with a shriek, he burst apart in a flash of white. Alex kept his eyes fixated on the fading glimmers of light before finally turning to face them all.

"I'm sorry, everyone," he said. Not with his former self-loathing and despair but with strong resolve.

Rise smiled, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She took a few tentative steps, then threw herself at him with a half-laugh, half-sob.

"Welcome back, Alex. We've missed you," she said.

"Yeah," he smiled. "Missed you, too."

He glanced past her, eyes resting on Will. Will shrugged in resignation, a wry smile on his face.

"I can take a hint," he said. "No need for dramatics. I'll show myself out."

Rise let go of Alex and turned to face Will, at tug in her heart. Alex squeezed her shoulder and nodded.

"Bye, Will," he said.

Will glanced over his shoulder, smirking, as he faded into the darkness. "We said goodbye a long time ago, Alex."

There was a moment of stillness as the four of them stood together in silence for the first time that day. But it couldn't last. Alex winced as the space around them trembled.

"The Blackcape," Rise said. "Alex, we have to stop it from feeding off of you before it kills everyone."

Alex nodded. "I know. Let's put an end to this."

He took hold of Rise's hand with his left and Luke's with his right. Rise and Luke each grabbed hold of one of Kurik's hands with a smile as light began to surge from Alex and push through all the darkness around them until they were swallowed up by it.

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

Wastes of Arusia

- Rise -

The light slowly receded, and Rise blinked up at the wintery sky above. Her hands still clasped tightly to Alex and Kurik, and she finally let go to turn.

The Blackcape loomed above them, a black and empty husk frozen in its death throes. Slowly, the black tendrils began to turn ashen and crumble away until the icy winds carries the last, dusty remains away.

Everyone blinked in surprise, no one daring to speak as they stared in shock at the foursome that had appeared in their midst. Alex gazed back at them all, struggling to find the words to say in that situation.

He was spared the need when a cry from above made them all look. Lisa plummeted from up above, dropping right toward them in what would surely be her death. But with a wave of his hand, Lisa dropped through another portal and landed safely in his arms.

"Hi," he said lamely.

She couldn't help it. Rise giggled, snorted with the effort of trying to contain it, then let go and burst out into laughter. That complete dork.

He was finally back. They all were. Safe and sound.

Wastelands of Arusia

- James -

James‘ weapons cluttered to the ground when the Blackcape froze and Rise and the others re-appeared. Without even giving it another thought, he rushed over to them and pulled Rise into his arms.

He hugged her tightly, burying his face on her shoulder.

“I knew you could do it,” he choked out.

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

- Ehlana -

There were just too many spells. Ehlana had rushed in with her comrades and Jax to keep the Blackcape in check, to give Nadenka that crucial opening. All to no avail.

Then with a flash of light, it froze. When Ehlana opened her eyes and the bright spots finally disappeared, she was greeted with the sight of Luke, Rise, Alex, Lisa and even Kurik.

It didn’t take words to confirm that everything was over. On the spot where she stood, she sank down. Exhaustion and pain were taking over.

“I can’t believe they pulled it off,” she muttered. What would happen to them now? Or rather, how would they get back to the city?

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

- Kurik -

Kurik gritted his teeth. There was just no end to them. He could feel his energy draining faster than he could replenish it with the Leech spell.

However, it seemed Luke was finally getting through to Alex. Just as his own spell started fading, Alex opened his eyes and the ghosts of Pierrot merged into one. In the next moment Pierrot burst apart.

Then there was stillness.

And they were back. Back on the plains, the wastelands above Arusia.

Kurik sank to his knees into the snow after Rise and Luke go of his hands. How? How did this happen?

Belobog

Belobog sighed, and smiled weakly. It was over, but now what? Would they be punished? What would happen to Arusia as well?

Belobog took out a cigar, something he was saving it to lit when the mission was over... A mission to take over Kaddath, but now that mission was long forgotten. Belobog's mind, hands and heart realized it and lit it up for different mission. But was it really over?

He blew, "Guess it's time to just wait for the judgement, huh?" He muttered. Then he looked at Maxim, "Hey, look, guess who came back with them." Belobog pointed at Kurik's location.

________________________________________________________________________________

Nadenka

Nadenka poured everything she had when the opportunity came, and before she knew it, it was over. She sighed, then she sank to the snow with exhaustion. "We made it." Said Nadenka, and she looked at the Aegis gathering around together, some were making tearful reunion. She smiled, and her eyes wondered to where Alexei was. She smiled warmly at him, "We really did it." She said to him.


________________________________________________________________________________

Luke

Luke smiled at others, and he could not help, but also laughed with others. Then his eyes wondered off to Lenka and Marcus, there was a pain in his heart, but he also felt grateful as somehow he caught a view of them being together. Marcus was not in good shape, but he kinda felt that it was all good. Besides, with Lenka on his side, Luke shrugged, Marcus is probably going to be okay. "Glad that you two are doing good." He muttered in hushed manner. Then, he continued to enjoy the moment with the others.

- Marcus -

Marcus coughed out another chuckle as she pulled him into a sitting position. Sucking in a pained breath, he grabbed at his shirt, which had crumbled to ash over the left side of his chest. An angry, red burn in the shape of Lenka's hand rested over his pectoral muscle, causing him to wince when he flexed his left arm.

As she pulled him to his feet, Marcus leaned into her for a moment before he found his own feet. "Sorry." He said, steadying himself on her shoulder before letting go. "Still a little light-headed."

Turning towards the others, he was just in time to watch as the Blackcape melted away, leaving behind Alex and the others. "Looks like we missed the finale." He said, giving Lenka an apologetic look. "Sorry, I know you wanted to be in on the action."

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

- Lisa -

Lisa blinked up at Alex from his arms. He was holding her like a princess out of some fairy tale.

"Hi?" She repeated the word in a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. "That's the best you could come up with?"

She reached up with the hand that wasn't wrapped around Alex's shoulders and smacked him with it. Hard.

"Idiot!" She smacked him again. "Pervert!" And again. "Asshole!"

"You scared me! And you pulled me through multiple portals against my will! And you know how much those make me sick! And your holding my ass!"

When he shifted as if to put her down, she gripped him tighter. "Don't put me down, idiot! I'm still dizzy!"

"I could have caught myself with my magic, but NO! You had to drag me through another one of those stupid nausea devices..." She groaned, burying her face in his shoulder.

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

- Alina -

"Looks like we've survived another day." Alina said as she leaned into Jax, both her arms wrapped around one of his. "I know we're going to be busy with all of the cleanup, but I really want to just go home and sleep. Does that make me a bad person?"

As the others began to make their way towards Alex, she pulled Jax towards where Ariana lay in the snow. "Help me with her?" Obviously, someone would need to lift the girl, as she wouldn't be able to walk on her own right now, but that wasn't really what Alina was asking, and her tone would make it obvious to Jax what she meant.

Wastes of Arusia

- Rise -

Rise buried her face in her hands, shoulders heaving with laughter as Lisa continued to berate poor Alex, who looked completely bewildered by the whole situation.

"Lisa, we just got him back! Don't go killing him just yet!" she laughed.

Alex, flustered, glanced between the two girls before smiling. "Sorry, Lisa. But if you can't make up your mind..."

He sat down in the snow, still holding her, and sighed. "This might sound weird, but... it's feels good to have you smack me around a bit. You always knew how to set me straight."

Rise's laughter faded, her smile taking on a more wistful look. All the time of Lisa giving Alex a peace of her mind over their journey... They really shouldn't have moved apart the way they did.

She heard weapons hitting the ground and turned to see James running toward her. She barely had time to whisper his name before he'd pulled her into his arms.

“I knew you could do it,” he murmured into her shoulder.

"Thanks for believing in me," she replied, squeezing him back.

As she hugged him, she looked over James' shoulder and saw Luke watching Marcus and Lenka, who seemed to be holding onto each other. Had something changed between them? It looked that way.

Luke...

She smiled at him over James' shoulder, hoping her would be all right.

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

- Alexei -

Alexei found his way over to Nadenka, crouching down beside her and cradling her head.

"You're all right." He sighed with relief and shook his head. "It's you who dived right at that thing to open the way out for them. You did it."

He lifted her chin and kissed her deeply, then rested his forehead against hers. As exhausted as he felt, he never felt more alive at the same time.

“I can’t believe they pulled it off,” Ehlana muttered, plopping down beside them.

Alexei grinned and nodded. They were a crazy bunch, this Aegis group. He liked them.

Belo joined them a moment later. "Guess it's time to just wait for the judgment, huh?"

Alexei picked at his chin. "Hmm. Not really our style, is it? I have a better idea. Let's ask for a job instead." He nudged his head in Jax's direction. "I wouldn't mind working with that one. Or that Raidon fellow."

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

- Maxim -

Maxim stared, eyes wide, at the group that returned. His eyes fixated on Kurik immediately, watching as he fell to his knees in the snow, looking disoriented and lost. Gritting his teeth, Maxim crawled over to him, his face lighting up as Kurik's eyes met his.

"You're alive. I thought..." Maxim grasped his hands, then bowed his face. "I'm so sorry, Kurik. I ruined everything for you. I nearly got you killed. When I realized that, I was ready to..."

He let the words die as he shook his head.

"Whatever happens, just let me take the blame. Whatever I have to do to make sure they don't lock you away, I will."

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

- Jax -

Jax smiled as Alina leaned into him, both her arms wrapped around his.

"Looks like we've survived another day," she said.

"You sound surprised," he said, raising his eyebrows. "I didn't doubt us for a second."

It was nice to see her smile in response to that, but it immediately gave way to weariness."I know we're going to be busy with all of the cleanup, but I really want to just go home and sleep. Does that make me a bad person?"

"I think it makes you human." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "And I think it's well-deserved."

As the others began to make their way towards Alex, Alina pulled him towards where Ariana lay in the snow. "Help me with her?"

Jax paused at the way she seemed to weigh her words. He didn't really know what had happened between the two of them, but he didn't doubt Alina for a minute. Nodding, he gently lifted Ariana up from the snow and glanced at the others. Rise should be able to help easily enough.

"I can't believe it..." Ariana murmured softly in her arms. "You all really..."

"We," he corrected.

She looked up at him, her wide brown eyes make her look impossibly childlike and innocent. She was Ariana Adalia, a huge part of this mess. But he thought of Miki, and he couldn't help but smile. Maybe after all this time, he still had a soft spot for kids.

Wastelands of Arusia

- Lenka -

Lenka looked at Marcus, shook in her expression.

“Don’t be an idiot,” she murmured and averted her eyes. “How can you think that me casting a few spells is more important than your life?”

She supported him as they made their way over to the others. It appeared everyone was still alive, albeit exhausted and hurt.

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

- James -

James eventually released Rise from his tight hug.

He took a deep breath to regain his composure.

He placed a hand on Alex’ shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re back,” he said with a smile. Never again did he want something like that to happen to his friend.

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

- Ehlana -

Ehlana let her gaze travel over to Jax, who was holding Ariana.

“I wouldn’t mind staying in Kaddath,” she said, contemplating. After all they’d been through, would they ever be able to go back? She felt, for the first time she understood why Kurik had struggled so much in Arusia.

“But don’t be hasty, Alexei,” she added. “Let’s wait to see what kind of government and order they establish after all this. After all we’ve been through, I don’t think I can go back to blindly following orders.”

She squinted at the sky.

“But I’m not opposed to the idea,” she added. “What do you think, Belo?”

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

- Kurik -

When Kurik realized what Maxim was about to say, anger welled up inside of him.

He suddenly stood up and grabbed Maxim’s shirt collar and hoisted him up, so their faces were on the same level.

“Stop it!” he thundered. “Stop trying to take the blame for everything! I wanted this as much as you did. I could never allow you to take the blame for my actions. That’s my responsibility.”

“And for you to try and kill yourself over this…” Kurik shook his head, still sounding angry. “Don’t you understand?! I can’t lose another friend. I can’t go through that again. You’re the best person I know and you’re important to me. That will never change.”

He lowered his hands a little, allowing Maxim to place his feet back on the ground.

Luke Jaron

"Hey you two," Said Luke greeting Marcus and Lenka, "I am glad both of you are alright." He smiled warmly. "Of course, one of you looks like you need some healing right away though." Said Luke, looking at Marcus with worried look.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Belobog & Nadenka

When Alexei kissed her, she sure wanted it to last for long time. She smiled at him as their forehead rest on each other. "No, we did it. Without you, I would have messed it up" Said Nadenka, smiling warmly.

When it finally came for Belobog to answer the question what to do next after all these, "Me?" Belobog said with surprise, then he smiled gently, looking at his comrades. "Well, you know what? I would like to take a break and spend some time with you all." He answered, "I guess I will be staying in Kaddath as well and perhaps have good time with my comrades."

Nadenka smiled, "If it all goes well, you guys could stay in my place. It's a big place for just the two of us." said Nadenka, optimistic.

- Alina -

“Yeah.” Alina sighed as they moved back towards the rest of the group. “The fight is finally over.”

She shuddered, thinking about what was to come when they returned to the Capitol. “But the worst is yet to come. We have a lot of rebuilding to do.”

“Hopefully, the next Administration will learn from our mistakes and get it right.” Of course, Alina herself would be willing to help with the cleanup efforts, but the thought of sitting in the High General’s chair no longer appealed to her. Twice now, the governments she’d helped to build had turned on her. It wasn’t a situation she intended to experience a third time.

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

- Lisa -

Now that she was fairly convinced her dinner wouldn’t be making a surprise appearance, Lisa pushed herself away from Alex and flopped over into the snow beside him. “You.” She put a finger in the center of his chest. “My office. Ten AM. Every day.”

“You need some serious therapy, and I intend to see you get it. God knows, I’ll need some of my own by the time I’m done straightening out all of your issues.”

Turning away from him, she took in the others making their way through the snow. Somehow, they’d all managed to make it, although a glance at Ariana and Marcus told her that some were better off than others.

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

- Marcus -

“I’m not devaluing your work.” Marcus gave Lenka’s shoulder a squeeze, since she was helping hold him up while they walked. “In fact, I’m eternally grateful.”

“Doesn’t mean I feel great about you having to bring me back though.” He scrunched up his face, contemplating. Then, he broke into a chuckle. “Oh geez. This must be how you felt when you woke up on our way to the nurse’s office that day we met.”

“I’m just gonna shut up now.” It felt really strange to be on the other end of this dynamic, but in a way, Marcus was glad for it. Now, he understood Lenka a little better.

“You know, most girls would just leave a hickey.” Lisa said as the two of them approached, gesturing to the hand shaped burn on Marcus’ chest. He glanced down at it, then looked over at Lenka, trying to gauge her reaction.

Wastelands of Arusia

- Alexei -

Alexei smiled and nodded at Belo. "Of course. We're still a team. We stick together."

To his surprise, Nadenka offered the all room and board at her place. For the first time, he really considered the idea that they would live together. He'd never had a relationship like that before. It was a big step forward, but he was ready for it.

"Sounds perfect," he said, grinning.

After a long sigh, he stood up and offered Nadenka a hand up before turning to his companions.

"Come on, no time to sit around now. These lightweights will freeze out here if we wait too long."

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

- Maxim -

Maxim gave a start when Kurik grabbed his collar, bellowing directly into his face as he rejected any attempts to deflect blame.

"Kurik..." he murmured, eyes wide.

When Kurik set him back down, he turned away and stared off across the snowy plain, deep in thought. At last, he turned back and offered Kurik a weak smile.

"It seems I still can't refuse you," he said. "Together then... into the great, wide unknown."

He offered his hand to Kurik, and the two approached the rest of the group, waiting to see their fates.

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

- Rise -

Rise and James broke from their hug, and she smiled as James went over to greet Alex, who was just finishing getting berated by Lisa.

"Therapy..." he mused. "All right then. I trust you to get me straightened out."

He smiled, then looked up at James.

"Thanks, James. I'm glad I'm back too."

Alina and Jax approached them, with the Arusian team trailing behind them and Kurik and Maxim at the tail end. As they approached, Rise overhead Jax and Alina talking.

"What do you mean 'next administration'?" she asked, brow furrowed. "We won. Everything should go back to how it was, right?"

Jax glanced at Alina, his eyes soft. "I'm not sure it's that easy..."

"But..." She looked around helplessly at the others, but no one knew quite what to say.

"What's your plan from here?" Maxim asked. "Our best bet might be to head to Arusia if we want to survive this cold."

Alex shook his head and stood up. "No need. Not when I'm here."

He held out his hands, and a magic circle appeared beneath all of them. In a sudden flash of light, their surroundings disappeared.

It was disorienting for a moment, but a second later they were back in the throne room at Caltha. Raidon, Keynes, Serena, and the restored Commanders looked up at them, their faces brightening up. It looked like they had managed to round up the rest of the Old Guard forces, and a very unhappy Electorate Durmail.

"Look who's back," Kokonoe said, glancing up from where she was inspecting the remains of Maxim's armor on the floor. "Still as much of a pain in the ass as ever, kid."

"Sorry, Kokonoe," Alex said sheepishly.

Raidon approached them all, relief etched on his features. "I'm glad to see you're all okay." He looked particularly at Lisa. He couldn't have found the strength to face Arya if something had happened to her...

"This has been quite the ordeal," Serena said. "But I'm glad the worst is over. We still need to decide how to proceed from here. With the captives-" She glanced at the Kurik and Maxim. "-as well as the inevitability of contact with Arusia."

She approached Alina, her eyes fixed on the floor. "I'm sorry I didn't trust your judgment before. I shouldn't have doubted you. And all I seemed to do was make a bigger mess of things. I hope you'll resume your position effective immediately... High General Grey."

Nadenka & Belobog

Nadenka smiled warmly and stood up with the help from Alexei, putting herself closer to his well trained and perhaps warmer body.

Belobog chuckled on Alexei's comments about the light weights, "Yeah, we don't want to carry frozen human to our base." He added and followed them.

As they all got together, Alex transported them back to Kaddath without much trouble. Belobog was stunned by it, but soon he looked like he understood something. "So, this is how..." He muttered, feeling little dizzy as this was his first time traveling like this.
____________________________________________________________________________

Luke

"This is so cool!" Said Luke, "I wish I could do this one day... My dream to travel around the world might be attainable goal." He commented, grinning at Alex, then he grinned as the others greeted them with their own expression of relief and gladness.

"Hey, teach, welcome home." He said to Alex one more time, smiling.

Caltha - Palace

- Lenka & James -

Lenka looked from Marcus ripped shirt to Lisa and back. She chuckled, finally bursting into laughter.

She flicked her hair back. “Well… most girls isn’t my style,” she said, still sounding amused.

In the next moment, they were transported back to the Palace. Lenka held her breath, however they were greeted by familiar faces. Relief. It really was finally over.

James turned towards Alina. He wasn’t sure that he liked what he heard. He couldn’t imagine anyone else at the head of the country. Before he could ask her any further about it, they were back at the Palace.

Now that he knew Rise was well and safe, he made his way over to Lenka and Marcus. The latter looked rather worse for the wear, but at least he was still standing.

“Are you both okay? We’ll get you medical attention as soon as we can,” he said and placed his hands on their shoulders.

Lenka shrugged his hand off. “I’m okay. I barely have a scratch,” she said. “He needs a doctor,” she added and pointed at Marcus. “And Lisa, you look like you could also use one. Your ankle is turning blue.”

“Are you sure you don’t need to eat anything, so you don’t faint?” James asked and pulled an energy bar from his pocket. Lenka looked at him, wide eyed. Wouldn’t he ever stop treating her like a fragile doll? Then she saw his grin and huffed.

“You are just utterly embarrassing,” she said, though not with the same anger. He would probably always care. “It’s entirely too early to be making jokes about that.”

With another grin, James tossed her the energy bar. “At least now I know you’re really okay,” he said and then turned around to help Lisa.

“Listen,” she said to Marcus when James finally turned around. She looked at him with her bright blue eyes. “When you feel better… will you go on a date with me?”

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

- Ehlana -

Ehlana shuddered when the world materialized around her. This wasn’t something she wanted to get used to.

“If you’re going to throw up, please face the other direction,” Ehlana murmured towards Belo. He looked a little dizzy. Right, he probably hadn’t travelled like this.

“Take a couple of deep breaths and the dizzy feeling will go away,” she added and leaned against the wall. It seemed order had been restored here at the Palace as well. Hopefully, whatever they had to discuss would happen fast.

Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, she felt bone tired and her shoulder hurt. Well, no surprise if she was stupid enough to take a bullet.

She looked at Belo, Alexei and Nadenka. Still, it was worth it.

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

- Kurik -

„Yes, to the future,“ Kurik replied and took Maxim’s hand. Moment later, Alex’ spell enveloped all of them and carried them back to the throne room.

Bracing himself for the effect, he supported Maxim, who could barely stand. His armour was almost entirely gone and there were too many injuries for him to count.

Kurik’s eyes wandered over the destruction and stopped at the throne. It was hard to imagine that a short while ago, he sat on that throne. However, looking at it now, he didn’t feel the slightest desire to even get close to it.

Eventually he cleared his throat and stepped towards Alina and Serena.

"I'd hate to interrupt, but can't you deal with the administrative stuff after everyone is taken care of?" he asked.

- Lisa -

Her ankle was temporarily forgotten as they went through another teleportation circle. Lisa groaned and flopped onto her back, looking green. "Make it stop..."

She rolled onto one side, hugging her stomach. Why couldn't anyone ever warn her first? Lambda warned her first. Maybe this was a good reason to like androids better than people.

The initial wave of nausea faded fairly quickly, but she remained laying on her side because it kept pressure off her ankle, which was actually turning a shade of purple. Probably best not to think about what that meant.

Letting out a sigh, she glanced up at everyone else milling about. They'd all survived. Somehow.

A shadow fell over her, and she rolled to her back, looking up at Raidon, who stood over her, a concerned expression on his face. She couldn't help it. She laughed. She laughed hard enough that it jostled her ankle, which made her groan. Then, she laughed harder.

"That look," Lisa wheezed, trying to catch her breath, "on your face..."

"Priceless."

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

- Alina -

Alina shook her head and pulled Rise into a hug. "Sometimes, you have to step back and ask yourself what you really want." She whispered in her friend's ear. "I've given so much of myself to my people. To our people. The only parts left of me to share aren't ones I'm willing to give them."

"A true leader should recognize when her followers no longer have anything to gain from her leadership." Alina pulled away from the hug with a sad smile and raised a single finger to her lips. "Between you and me."

Turning to Serena, Alina reached out an put a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Apology accepted." When Serena glanced up, Alina continued. "While I will be happy to aid in the cleanup efforts, I cannot resume my position due to my inability to be objective with the sentencing of the offenders. On that matter, I would also like to present my full report of the circumstances surrounding all that has transpired here."

"We'll look over that report with great interest." Keynes said as he stepped up to the pair of them. "I've already called for medics to tend to the wounded."

"Thank you. Please have them tend to all of the wounded, not just ours."

Keynes gave her a long look before nodding and moving back towards the rest of the group.

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

- Marcus -

Marcus felt a combination of relief and warmth as Lenka responded to Lisa's tease. He'd worried that she might feel responsible for causing him harm. His hand drifted to the burn on his chest, and despite the pain of the contact, he traced the smooth path one of her fingers had left on him. This wasn't a symbol of suffering. No, it was a symbol of hope.

"I wouldn't turn down a doctor right now." Marcus said after Lenka responded to James for the both of them.

He watched the rest of the conversation in silence. While he'd wanted to stand up for Lenka, it wasn't his place. For starters, it was something she needed to do for herself, and it was also fairly obvious to him that James was making a joke of it. Lenka took a moment longer to catch on, but once she did, her expression lightened.

In fact, she seemed to have decided something when she turned to him.

"A date?" He asked. "As in a romantic outing?" Marcus tried to temper his emotions. He needed to be sure they were on the same page here, and even more than that, he needed her to be sure of what she was asking.

- Lenka -


Lenka looked at Marcus, her expression turning vaguely impatient. Why did men have to be so dense at times?

"Yes, a romatic date," she repeated. "You know what a date is, don't you?"

"And no, I'm not accepting pizza and a movie," she added. "I want to do something fun."

Then her expression turned serious again. "Once all this is over and we know everyone is okay. When you're okay."