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Okay bitches let's see here I hold onto Clover with one hand. "So how do we get these things going?"

“just hold on tight” I howl. And Cinnabar and I are off, hopefully with the rest of the pack in tow We head back towards where I last saw Cashel. When we arrive, what do we see?

You see Hale, Maia, and Ryker. Hale and Maia are talking away from Ryker and the rest of the soldiers.

I (brie) will set aside this cheesecake temporarily I (quin) slide off of clover, give her a few pats, and walk over to the two of them.

I give Quin a nod in greeting.

"Hey!" Ryker spots you and jogs over. "What's the word?"

“We’re split into three groups. I think shit gets serious now.”

i hop off my mystery dog. "yeah, we're supposed to go to, uh, 'newall center'?"

I look over to the new arrivals, before turning to Ryker. "Where is that?"

"Yeah, that's a business and shopping center. It's close to the middle of the city. Not far from here." He nods off down the street.

"Cool, okay. In that case, let's fucking move."

I nod again and rise into the air, taking off in the direction Ryker motioned towards.

I follow, scanning the area for any threats as I fly.

Whoops. I scramble to get right back onto clover and take off after them.

i hop back onto my mystery dog and do the same.

Ryker groans and wheels around, walking back to the soldiers. He shouts the orders to them, and the mass of troops turns, beginning to march towards the Newall center.

I realize that we don’t know where we’re going. I stop and wait for Ryker.

I keep Ryker and the army in my field of view. So I don't overshoot too much.

I pat clover’s back. “Want a ride?”

Ryker glances at Clover and shrugs. "I'm good. Appreciate the offer, though." He looks up ahead at Hale and rolls his eyes. "I wonder how Sam turned out to be a nice person."

I squint. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He snorts. "Direct, I see. Hale's an asshole. Sam's not... as much of an asshole, at least."

“Well, yeah. That’s a high bar to set.” I groan and pinch the bridge of my nose with my fingers. “I had to spend a whole day on that hellhole island with him, you know.” I give him another sideways glance, less jaded this time. “Kinda confused about the comparison, though. Have they met before or something?”

"Hell if I know." Ryker narrows his gaze at Hale and lowers his voice a bit. "I'm trying to see how much it takes for him to blow. It'll happen. I mean..." He sighs, glancing at you again- the pin on your shoulder, specifically. "Sam blew up at me earlier. I want to see how much Lygari she- and he- really are."

I pull back and ride in stride with Silas. “so whats running through your mind right now”

For what feels like the fifth time in the span of an hour, I stare at him in shock for a moment before I bring my hands to my face and give an angry huff. “Fucking hell! Stupid dumbass fucking families! Anything else anyone wants to tell me? You related to the baroness too or something? Is cashel the son of katanalosi?”

i pause for a moment. "huh? oh, uh, nothing really. worried about the fight and all, especially cause i kinda don't feel like my healing is going to be as... potent, i guess? ...i'm mostly trying to figure out what's going on with the guys behind us," i nod toward quin and ryker, "i'm not sure what they're talking about, but- have you been hearing this? it's so entertaining"

“its always a lot of fun to press quins buttons”

"so i've seen"

“once i just responded why to his messages for a week and he got so mad i didnt hear from him for a month”

i chuckle in a way that resembles a brief but verklempt keysmash. "really??"

“yeah and even then he would only speak to me via maia or pirine” “but quinsplosions aside its so crazy that we are meeting all our parents and how crazy cool and powerful they are”

i assume an almost uncannily froglas-like expression and nod briefly. "you... do remember which one is my parent, right"

“not really and why would that be a pro” “oh” “oh uh yeah sorry for uhhhhh” “...” “sorry” “...”

"hey no don't worry about it! it's okay, man. i do take some pride in not resembling her," i say, pausing briefly. "i don't blame you for wanting to talk about your dad. his dog ears were cool as hell and he had a real big gun"

“yeah i can see where I get it from”, as I point to my ears. “but i mean” “do you wanna talk about it i guess”

I fall back to Maia. "You ready?"

I look over and nod. "Yeah, what about you?"

i consider the offer. "i would say yes but i think we need to do fighting now"

“rain check then” I smile and lean over and give him as much of a hug as I can without falling off Cinnabar.

"Yep! Baroness is my ma. Which means we're related." He shoots you finger guns and a cheeky grin. "Stupid dumbass fucking families indeed. Pretty sure we all feel that on a spiritual level. But no, Cashel sadly is... *mostly* unaffiliated with Katanalosi."

i "aw" a little and try to return the favor. the result is weak varaition on a back pat, but it's the thought that counts.

I nod. "Yeah." Then pause, frowning, and look her up and down. "You ever feel like fighting is the only thing you're good for?"

You know what? Fuck it. I give a little laugh and shoot him some finger guns back. "Awesome," I say. "Nice. You know what? Fuck family. Who needs it. Sam and Hale are sure as hell examples of how it doesn't fucking matter. They're nothing like that stupid bastard, to answer your question."

Ryker laughs too, hesitantly. "Yeah, haha. That's... that's what made Sam explode on me." He turn his head back down to the ground and goes quiet.

I stop flying for a moment, glancing at him. "What do you mean by that?"

My smile drops. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't fully mean that." While he's not looking, I make a few gestures and grit my teeth like wow, fucking nice one, Quin! "It's all really confusing. I'm sure you know that. But, uh, not all of it has to be bad, you know. I know for sure you have a really cool brother over there, that Silas guy. And, uhhh. I'm also... you know. I could be related to a lot worse you." I'm lighting myself on fire at this point but god damn it I will go down swinging with this conversation. "Well- we are, you know, with the whole... but, uhh. Of the sibling variety."

"That's just the thing." Ryker rolls his eyes a little, tiredly. "I don't see my biological family as family. Not in any way. I make a point out of not caring about any of them- of you, I guess, at all. I won't lie, Sam was right. It's selfish of me." He lowers his gaze to the asphalt below, just in front of his stride, and drops his volume to a murmur. "Not everyone can afford to care as little about their friends and families as I can."

I stop as well. "You're like me," I say. "You grew up fighting for your life. You don't know anything else. You act different than the rest of your group. You don't fuck around."

Oh boy. We are in some deep shit now. I ride in silence for a moment beside him before coughing a little. "Did you know she was one of your donors your whole life?"

"Yeah. We've always known. We learned more about them, as time went on, but we always knew." Ryker clears his throat quietly. "Oh, also, don't tell Sam I told you that."

I open my mouth to say something, and then close it and nod. "Yeah."

"I won't. It doesn't sound like it's my business." I should shut the fuck up. My limited social knowledge is yelling at me that I reeeeally should shut the fuck up. "Well, I'm not mad at you for not caring about us," I finally say. "I mean, we're strangers, right? I get that sharing blood might not have the same significance for everyone. But, I mean, I know it's hard for Sam to indifferent about anything. So I get that too. So. It's cool."

I shrug. "I figured if anyone would understand, it would be you." I scowl. "Wait. You were paired with Lanval, weren't you."

I clear my throat. "Anyways... haha. Why are your ears purple."

I sigh, crossing my arms as I float. "Yeah I fucking was."

"Mm? They aren't purple." Ryker straightens his posture. Back to everything-is-normal town.

I squint. "Well, they aren't fuchsia."

i glance toward finn. "you know, uh, i think the ride here might be longer than i thought. i guess we could talk about it a little, if you're still up to it?"

I grimace. "Yikes."

"Very observant. My genetic parents were a purple-or-something and a fuchsia-or-something. Which means I'm in the middle, as a violet-or-something." Ryker shrugs and flaps his fins again nonchalantly.

"Oh, right. Two ancestors, I forgot." I hum. "Pretty swanky."

"sure thing si" "whats on your mind"

"Yeah no, it was fucking something. Glad it's over."

"I am pretty swanky, if I do say so myself." He raises his eyebrows at you with a sideways smile, flapping his fins even faster. He sighs, laughing breathily, and stops a moment later.

"Hell yeah. Your cape is dope, too. It kinda looks like metal. But cooler."

"It IS metal but cooler, thank you for noticing." He nods proudly. "Yours isn't too bad either."

I bow my head dramatically. "Greatly appreciated."

i think on it for a few moments. "so, as the, uh, 'heir of life,'" i say, making heir quotes, "'genetic' and 'inheritance' are two concepts i guess i'm kind of inherently (heh) connected to, but the actual idea of it, in execution, is still so.. weird to me? it's just funny to consider, that i'm never really, like, *actually* in control of who i am, and neither is anyone else." i chuckle somewhat dryly. "but *with* it, and the fairly unique position of having one biological parent, there's the understanding that out of me and lirium, one of us is supposedly to become like our- mom. i just.. i hate the in- i mean, the *potential* inevitability of it, yknow? life is the aspect of growth and change, the lotus is the deity of growth and change, i am a person who grows - mentally, moreso, for reference - and changes, and i have done a lot to make that clear! but there's still the notion that i could stay exactly the same and be just like her, and, well, i like that knowledge just as much as i think anyone else would" "like, i love my friends. i don't want my friends to get hurt, i certainly don't want to be the reason they get hurt, but the more i think about it - which has been kind of a lot, by the way - the less reassuring it feels that she used to be a nice person, like... yknow, like me." i inhale and sigh, trying to relax myself physically. "i.. i just don't want to hurt anyone, finn," i say, softly. "except these guys, i guess, cause we have to. but i don't know, and i really can't help but worry about, if being her son means i'm... you know, genetically predisposed to it. or something" i stop talking for a moment and lean forward and bury my face and forearms in this dog's fur, whom i love incredible amounts. some petting happens, as is custom.

I am. Silent. For a long time. I absentmindedly pet Cinnabar and smooth her fur for a while. “listen si im gonna tell you something that you absolutely cannot tell hale”

my head ceases to be in mystery dog's fur, but the petting proceeds. "hm?"

“I think its at least somewhat obvious from the spiffy pajamas that i operate within heart and honestly thinking with my heart has been kinda a running theme with my life” “but im coming into these powers where i can take my emotions and put them out into the world as either a beacon or as like a radar” “...” “i can also make others feel what i want them to” “and remember when everything went down and we were kicking ass” “well i kinda unloaded a lot of my fear and hate onto one of the soldiers” “and i told him to run” “i took away someones ability to feel for themselves and i need to pay for that” I’m sniffling a bit at this point. “my point is that you know our folks” “my dad cant do stuff like that and i dont know if he would” “heart is a lot about emotions but its also about who we are as an individual” “we cannot measure ourselves up to the actions of our parents” “we can only hold ourselves accountable for our own actions” I wipe my nose and stare at him. “you are not your mom” “i am not my dad” “we are us” “and thats just gonna have to be enough” I spread my arms and ask “hug it out”

i laugh lightly at the offer, but lean over and try to wrap my arms around him nice and tight. it is largely not that comfortable due to the distance between myself and finn and the fact that this has previously been described as a "bumpy ride" but it is enjoyable regardless. "...thank you," i tell him.

I obviously return the hug. "no problem" I pull away.

yeah same.

"oh hey dont know if we have the same client but here's my chathandle for messages and stuff" I pull up the profile tab that shows *tetheredCardiologist*.

I narrow my eyes. "What did he do."

"oh! thanks!!" i say. i take my phone from my captchalogue and try not to let the bumpiness of the ride get in the way of typing. wifi is practically ubiquitous now, right? assuming that's the case, finn receives a friend request from one halcyonCowboy.

I follow him back like immediately. (Once again, assuming the WiFi situation works)

It works here! In short order, the Newall Center comes into view. It's large, a wide open conglomeration of stores and restaurants, all windows shuttered and doors locked. Tall buildings sit around the stores, overshadowing the area. The parking lot in the center is empty, and a few random soldiers are grouped in the middle, waiting.

I swoop down and land in the parking lot.

I also dismount

I land, looking around at the surrounding area.

I climb off Cinnabar, five he a scratch behind her ears, and then go and join the others.

"They should arrive any second," You overhear one of the soldiers mutter.

"Who."

"The other armies." Ryker turns to the loose grouping of descendants. "I assume you have some sort of plan. Enact it, please." "You might not hear a 'please' out of me for a long time after this, so I'd make it count."

I ignore the last bit and turn to Maia and Quin. "Are you ready."

I give a solemn nod.

I nod back at Hale, turning on my saber. "Let's fucking do this."

Some of the soldiers split off and run over towards the buildings. The majority of them move forward, towards the three streets that funnel into the area.

Alright murder squad where we droppin The three streets I presume? Alright. “Take care of clove,” I tell finn, before following the others into the three streets. Clove. Haha. Clover

shitshitshitshitshit. i stop and hop off the wolf i'm on. this happens before when the rest of you did it

They begin shooting at you before you even realize they're there. Down the street, the opposing army clusters around the buildings, all firing their rifles at you. Gunshots come from above as well, windows of buildings flashing conspicuously. It's important, during this time, to remember that they have laser rifles, not bullets. The Mountain Sun soldiers hunker down and begin firing back.

I shout to the others. I’ll catch up with you in a bit. (wait crap that’s wrong) “ill catch up with you guys in a bit”

I rise into the air. Any particularly big clusters of troops that the three of us could take care of? What does the opposing army look like, composition wise? Just human/troll soldiers?

Oh no you don't rage boy I grab his ankle and yank him down. "On the ground, dumbass!" I hiss at him. "Do you want to get shot?!"

Aaww but I was going to shoot him :( He would have learned something first!!

Uh huh! I'm sure

Now, the other half

I'm fine not learning the hard way.

After looking back at the gang, I take a deep breath and extend myself. I notice that the soldiers firing on the Mountain Sun troops are frightened and scared fodder sent by the Baroness. I run out into the cross fire, dodging shots and making my way to the dead center. Once I get there, I summon the uneasy caution I had when dealing with Pythia and Rigel on the island. I say with absolute firm dedication: “EVERYONE STOP.”

"The fuck is he DOING?" I whisper.

A shot hits your upper arm before you manage to make them feel queasy enough to stop shooting.

I yell a bit. I fall down a bit and wince. I look in the general direction of the shot. “cmon really dude”

It doesn't last long. A row of bolts fires from behind the front line, soaring over their heads towards you. You instinctively raise your hands and one embeds itself in your wrist, but you manage to deflect the rest.

OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH OF THAT

Alright I tried to play nice. These assholes want a fight? I’ll give them one.

You feel dizzy. Whatever you're doing, either save it or do it quickly, then scram.

I attempt to remove the one from my wrist. Can I?

It's hooked into your wrist. You could pull it out, but that would be incredibly painful, to say the least.

Is it connected to anything or just an arrow?

Just an arrow, by the looks of it. Unfortunately, the soldiers have plans besides watching you yank an arrow out of your wrist. Another row of soldiers step forward from behind them, carrying wide energy shields.

I don’t attack. I do however give the Baroness’s troops a real good idea of the fear and cold eldritch amusement Kat has in plan for every. Single one of them. What she did to me. What I felt her do to my friends. And give them the question: is it worth it?

Another feeling strikes back from among them. You aren't the only one who can play that game.

I snarl a bit and walk back toward the Mountain Sun troops. I run towards our line and probably collapse somewhere near Cinnabar.

The row behind the shields raises their guns to begin firing again. They resume and begin to march forward, advancing the line.

I make a beeline for Finn. "Don't you ever FUCKING DARE," I say, shaking with fear or anger I don't know, "Pull ANYTHING like that again. EVER." I fix him with a hard glare before returning to Quin and Maia. "What's the plan. Maia, can you still freeze them."

I crouch beside him and look at his wounds. "Finn, what the FUCK were you thinking?!" I look around for Silas.

Ok, just Maia I guess?

i am now rushed over and kneeling at his side.

"guess not a whole lot quin"

Alright, if Silas is here then we're good. I stand and look back at them. "Same plan as earlier, maybe? Just... uhh, with Maia's powers too, now?" I just give him a Look that is 20% anger and 80% worry.

"We were in the air then. If we try that now, we're gonna end up like him." I jerk my thumb towards Finn, and shoot him another glare for good measure.

"guys if you wouldnt mind im gonna need a stick and some distance' "and soon if you wouldnt mind"

Ryker pushes out of the line, and he looks fairly pissed. "What the fuck was that?" He stops when he sees the arrow in your wrist.

"hiiiiiiiii got something i can bite down on"

"Son of a bitch." He drops down beside you and grabs your hand, turning it over to inspect it. "You are so goddamn stupid."

I try to pull away before he does.

He's stronger than you'd think. He succeeds, scowling at you.

I look at him, pleading to let me go.

"How does it feel?" He prods the skin around the arrow. It sends sharp, shooting pain through your arm.

"AH" "not great that youre poking it" "i can get it out"

Ryker groans, impulsively tightening his grip on your arm. He turns his head, surveying the group. "HALE! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW."

I open my mouth to protest, but quickly shut it. I hurry over and crouch beside Finn as well. "What the hell do you need me for. I have soldiers to kill."

I just give Maia a look. This is going swell.

"You-" Ryker points at Hale, "And you-" He points at Silas, "Are going to do a fraymotif on his wrist while I pull this thing out. If we don't get it out, and if you fail at your fraymotif, he'll die in about..." He hums. "Five minutes, give or take."

Oh my GOD

All the blood drains from my face. "What?" I say hoarsely.

"He'll fucking WHAT?"

"Fast-acting poison acts fast. At least it isn't any closer to his heart." Ryker holds Finn's wrist in front of him with one hand, the other hesitating over the arrow.

"How." "What do I do."

“well that sounds like fun”

"Shut the fuck up," I hiss.

I let out a weak laugh.

my breathing quickens. i can feel that my life powers are in worse shape than before. furthermore, fuck. "how do we do that???"

"I don't know. Figure it out." Ryker hesitates, glancing between the three of you. "Look, I normally don't do the whole giving thing, but I'll make an exception this one time." He raises his free hand. Three little glowing flecks whizz out of it, one landing on each of you. You instantly feel better, with a rejuvenated sense of accomplishment. You can do this, easy! You just have to try.

I give Silas a hard stare. "Finn's not going to fucking die. It is not happening." I grab Silas's hand and hold it as tightly as I can before reaching out with the other and focusing as hard as I can on Stopping whatever this is. Finn's not going to fucking die. I won't let it happen.

i nod at hale and silently turn to finn with a deep breath. i hold the hand that hale is not currently holding maybe an inch over finn's wrist. my palm and finn's wrist start glowing pale green, if all goes right.

Purple mixes with green and blends into his arm. Ryker barely hesitates. He wraps his hand around the arrow and pulls it to the side and out. There's a lot of blood, but at least it's out. Finn's definitely going to feel that one. Hale's powers, the purple, seep inside. The poison traces through his veins, but not too far, and the hopeful rage burns it out. Once all of the poison has been destroyed, Silas' powers kick in. The green heals the wound where the arrow was, sewing together muscle, tendons, veins and skin. The wound is nearly completely healed, only a shallow scrape left, when the glowing stops. Needless to say, all of this was very painful for Finn. Sorry Finn.

See this is why I wanted the stick. I pass out for a minute.

i, for one, have only just now put together how the stick would help you manage.

I wake up after a bit and sheepishly look around. "heh sorry guys"

am i officially out? of healing powers, that is

You feel pretty normal, not overly drained. You could always do more, but you have a feeling it might start to have a negative effect on you soon.

"Did it work? That was it working, right?"

Ryker stands up and walks away without a word. He's still holding the arrow.

i lean back and sigh with relief. "yeah!"

I watch Ryker in curiosity. What is he doing?

I let out a shaky breath. "Thanks, Silas," I say, giving him a sincere smile.

i smile back, then turn to finn.

I stay by Finn, quiet. After a long moment, I seize him by the shoulders and shake him. "You're a fucking idiot," I say. And then I pull him into a really tight hug, because holy fuck, he almost DIED. "Don't ever fucking do that again." I release him just as quickly and stand up to brush myself off. Gonna ignore the fact that happened for the rest of my life. I have shit to do.

"ow ow ow ow" (wait scratch that its healed) I hug Hale back, whispering apologies. "thought i could stop them sorry" I get up and dust myself off. "now if youll excuse me i have to go inform ryker of something bad he might wanna know" I go find wherever Ryker went.

Ryker pushed back into the lines of soldiers. You follow, ending up in a looser area with him.

“hey so apologies about rushing out like that but there’s something you should know” “i can do this thing where I give other people emotions and feelings that im feeling and there is something over there that can do the same” “i don’t know who or what it is but I thought you should know” I take a sec to look down at the arrow. “also how are you holding that there is definitely frost rot on that thing”

"It's not frostrot. Silas wouldn't have been able to heal frostrot." He glances down at it. "It's poison, plain and simple. A nasty kind, yes, but nothing you can't pull through." "You wouldn't have died in five minutes, by the way." Ryker looks up to meet your eyes. "It would have taken a few hours at least."

“huh sure felt like it” “point still stand though why are you holding it” “is the poison gone”

"No. But it won't do anything as long as it doesn't get in an open wound." He holds up the arrow for you to look at. It's fairly unassuming, a black arrow with a hooked metal head at one end. The poison is clearly visible, dry black ink on the head and shaft.

I make a face. “bleh nasty”

I glance at the other descendents near me, before turning my attention back to the Baroness’s troops ahead of us. I once again begin to slow the flow of time around them to a stop, trying to make this deadzone larger than the one I had made earlier with the drones.

Alrighty. I clap my hands together and start getting MAD, and focusing the energy on Hale.

"anyways just thought you might wanna know about whatever is over there and if you had any idea on how to fight back against it"

I don't need to get mad. I'm already fucking pissed. I turn my glare on the frozen army and slowly pull out my axe as I push my way to the front of our own. I breathe in the rage Quin is feeding to me, and let it fester and boil before channeling it into my hands and slicing the air, sending out one massive shockwave that gets caught in the dead zone. I repeat the process twice more, because more is always better, I think. They won't be able to dodge that when time unfreezes. NOW can I ask the composition of the opposing army? How they're spread out, etc?

They're spread out pretty thinly. The first rows are normal troops from the Baroness, shields and rifles aimed. The nest row behind those is a row of archers, clad in black, likely the ones that showered Finn. You see drones behind the arches, more soldiers between them, and black-robed worshippers scattered between those. All in all, it seems a pretty meager force for these shockwaves you keep sending out. Maia's deadzone, spread thin, doesn't manage to bring time to a stop, only slowing it. The shockwaves decimate the front lines of soldiers, killing most of them nigh instantly. The archers are scattered too. Only the last wave hits as far back as the drones, and doesn't manage to kill anyone visibly, but does shred a layer or two of the armor on the few drones it catches. A shout rises from the soldiers behind you. You turn around just in time to witness a number of explosions sound off among the ranks of the soldiers, covering the area in dense fog. Figures drop from the buildings behind you and into their ranks, vanishing in the smoke. Dozens upon dozens jump.

UH OH! Where is Ryker! Ha ha ha! He cannot fly ha ha ha!

Somewhere in there!

THE FOG?

Yeah!

Can I see anything over the top of the fog? Heads, horns...? OH wait is finn still with him?

Yes! The fog is higher than that.

FINN?? FUCK

Finn can fly Don't worry Are there any soldiers around us at all?

Few that weren't enveloped in the fog. You hear shouting and gunfire from the fog.

I run to the ones not enveloped in the fog and offer my hand. Is there any high point around us out of the fog that we could get our bearings in, like the top of a building?

By the time you get there, they've already charged into the fog to help their friends.

I notice the fog and immediately yell for Sam many people as possible to get on the dogs and to get out of there.

Well fuck ahaha

The drones behind you open fire.

AHAHA

(Sam??? That’s not right.) *as “wait uh guys” “i think this is just normal fog” “its uh i think we just got freaked out by some completely normal smoke bombs”

"That fucking bitch!" Okay, now I'm REALLY pissed off.

Sorry kids. You're a little too casual. A shot from a drone barrels into the smoke.

OH NO

You know, a lot of them are, but this one is important.

It would be too fast to push him out of the way right

Way too fast. Also, you can't see anything.

Shit yeah ARGH I want to help people but I am just standing there hm Okay okay I go back and regroup w male

I attempt to throw up another deadzone, this time directed at the drones. Even if it doesn’t stop them, slowing down the shooting would be helpful.

You turn back around and raise your hands. Too late, you see a collection of those robed worshipers all with a hand raised in your direction. You feel dizzy immediately, flight failing, spinning down to the ground as your vision falters.

MAIA VISION

UHH OH OK I run forward and try to catch her

You manage to catch her, sort of. You slow her descent enough that you both light on the ground without any damage.

Is she unconscious now? I'm assuming she is. We're a little pressed for time here queen. I slap her. I shake her shoulders. "MAIA! WAKE UP!"

I step in front of the two of them to protect them, and send out another shockwave. I don't fucking know man. I'm doing my best.

Maia's hand shoots up and clamps around your wrist. She squeezes nearly hard enough to crack the bones in your hand. Her eyes roll under their lids and her lips part, muttering incomprehensibly.

"Ow!" I whisper. "ow ow ow ow OW! Shit!"

"What the fuck is going on back there!"

"I need to get her back to safety! I'll be back soon!" I lift her up and start to retreat, wincing at the pain on my wrist.

This shockwave does absolutely nothing. The worshippers redirect it. The energy fizzes around them and dissipates. If you want to hurt them, you're going to have to go toe-to-toe.

Fine then. It's been too long since I've gotten up close and personal.

She releases with little encouragement, arm going limp.

I'm about three seconds away from panicking. I close my eyes and try to focus, like I did the last time these wack ass voices were involved. I hold one of her hands between the two of mine and try to listen for anything at all.

A humming begins to form in the back of your skull, slowly raising to a buzz.

I tune into it the best I can. Can I hear anything else?

You feel a cold hand wrap around the back of your neck.

UH My eyes jerk open and I spin around.

There's nobody there.

"Bastards," I mutter, and close my eyes to try again. Fuck them if they think their weak ass bullshit illusions are going to slow me down.

You feel it once more.

I ignore it and keep going.

Another cold hand reaches around in front of you and presses over your eyes. You don't think you could open them if you tried.

I keep searching. I squeeze her hand tightly. "Maia?" I say audibly, but also try to make it the focus of my thoughts.

QUIN VISION(?)

I land by Hale with the former soldier. “hi hale”

He nods at you.

I ignore him, keeping my gaze fixed on the worshippers. "No time for that. How good are your powers in a fight."

“theyre ok I can hold up with the best”

"Good. We need to take care of them." I point at the worshippers.

Quin jolts with a sudden scream, releasing Maia's hand involuntarily. Maia rolls over and curls into herself with a shudder.

I scramble back from her. Are her eyes still Xs?

You can't see them from here.

I move forward and touch her shoulder. "Maia?" I say, a little fearfully.

She huffs and flails an arm around behind her, smacking your hand. She's going to need a minute, but she seems fine.

is more than enough for me.

“sounds like a plan”

I stand and make my way back up to where Hale and Finn are. Assuming she's in a safe enough location that is "Sorry," I say to Hale shortly. "She's fine now. Let's do this." You said we could see the worshipers from here, yes?

"Get fucking moving, then." I twirl my axe and prepare to launch myself at top speeds at the cluster of worshippers. Think young and very fast man at the beginning of a racetrack. Then, with a burst of energy and purple light, I take off, flying headfirst towards Kat's posse of bitches, not even two feet above the ground. I charge up as I go, coiled like a spring, and swing as hard at the nearest worshipper as I can as soon as I'm within range, yelling. I land and skid a few feet on the ground and Keep Fucking Going combat-wise, not letting up for a second. Bitches can't dispel everything.

I grin, bear my fangs, and rush after Hale. I rush to the end of the line, dodging as many bullets as I can. The soldiers before were cannon fodder. These are the worst of the worst and the followers of Kat. It’s hunting time, and I want to look for where the thing that has the same powers or capabilities that I do. Do I sense it?

A plan slowly dawns on me. I close my eyes and allow myself to tune into the flow of anger around the battlefield. What’s the situation looking like?

The first worshiper you, Hale, swing at can't or doesn't get out of the way, and you slice them in half effortlessly. Dark bronze blood coats your axe, splashing back on you. The rest of them are much harder. Now that you're close, you can see that there are two different kinds of people back here. There are a few figures in hoods and short cloaks, the hoods descending over their eyes. They dart around between the others, avoiding you entirely. More plentiful are those in a more uniform-like outfit, a full mask over their face and a hood over that. They carry weapons, and strike back after you cut down the first of them. You, Finn, can't tell what or who it is. It hangs over these people like a cloud, in them, around them. It moves between them too swiftly for you to follow, but it is here. The flow of anger is mostly concentrated around Hale, and mixed into the fog behind you, Quin. Speaking of, the fog seems to be fading to some degree. It should be gone in not too long. Maia jolts awake.

So they have NO anger?

They have no hope; no anger. They simply move.

Cowabunga. "Hey!" I shout, walking towards one of the worshipers. "Were you the ones responsible for that sad little shitshow back there of a hallucination? That thing was pathetic!"

Well, whatever Quin's doing seems kinda stupid. Doesn't matter, though. I go after the worshippers one at a time, brutal and relentless. Are there any drones around? I feel like bowling.

Two of the worshippers step towards Quin and rush forward. They move fast, gracefully, despite their eyes being completely covered. One steps around you, the other staying in front, continually positioning themselves in front and behind you no matter where you move. As Hale scans for drones, he feels a a bolt of electricity run through him from the back of his neck and the world goes dark for a split second.

HALE VISION

I spin around and feel myself pale a little. I need to pull something out of my ass, NOW. I am assuming they’re not getting mad. “I met your god in person, you know!” I say, hoping to at least surprise them for long enough to attack.

The one before you, Quin, slows, holding up a hand. Their first two fingers, fore and middle, are raised together, all others tucked in. You feel something strike the back of your neck and you jolt, world flashing dark.

QUIN VISION

I get up, pulling out my saber immediately and scanning for the nearest threat. I don't have time to think about what just happened, I'm awake now and that's what matters.

Well Ha ha ha I turn and vomit. Yeah. I have been killing people, huh.

I stand there for a second, stunned, and look frantically around for Finn. No. He's fine. It's fine, and there's a war on, you CAN'T get distracted. Well, THAT was a fucking DIRTY trick. Once I recover, it only serves to piss me off more. I leap into the air and dive into a whole cluster of them, slamming the blade of my axe into the ground. A purple shockwave explodes outwards from that point, and if it doesn't KILL the worshippers, it sure should disorient them long enough for me to take care of them manually.

Well! My team needs me. No time to linger. Maybe they weren’t so wrong about me after all. I am killing people, and will kill more, and that is the situation we have right now. Time to live up to my namesake. Are those worshipers still around me?

They're knocked backwards, tumbling, but they regain themselves quickly, and once they do, you're in the center of a circle of them, and you suddenly realize this might not have been the best idea. Each one realizes this in unison, and they move accordingly. They move, stepping forward and raising a hand, sliding the other, stepping forward again, as if dancing. Energy laces from worshiper to worshiper faster than you can move, netting in a web over you. Soldiers of the Baroness and drones, outside the circle, amass around it, firing at anyone within range. The two worshippers are still near you, dancing around just beyond your reach.

FUCK that. These bitches can dodge my attacks, but not if they can't fucking move. I reach out telekinetically and pull two worshippers towards me sharply, and chop them (in half? flushed emote) as soon as they're close enough. I also might not be able to move at all, though, so if that's the case I suppose I do nothing.

I focus on one of them and take out my spear. I swing it as hard as I can at them. I keep focusing on the energy around me. I look further. It’s not just anger I’m concerned with anymore, it’s any energy I can possibly feel.

Maia is the first to see the parking lot behind them after the smoke clears, and what she sees is something she would rather not. The Mountain Sun's army has diminished in size, and is now pushed much further back than it was. A massive number of the Baroness' troops, littered with drones and worshipers, fight them back behind you. A row of fighters stands behind them, facing you. The army is much, MUCH bigger than it looked earlier. The other two roads on the sides must be packed with troops. Energy laces the battlefield, but the biggest buildup is undoubtedly whatever the fuck Hale's in the center of. The worshiper dodges your swing with minimal effort, darting forward and socking you in the face as hard as they can. It's pretty hard. Hale finds himself, slowly but surely, completely unable to move. The worshipers step closer and closer.

You know what? I focus on all of it that I possibly can - every scrap - and yank it violently away and thrust it at hale.

WELL! I can't DO anything, but I don't stop fighting against it for a moment.

The energy swirls around the net already there, adding to it.

I swear loudly and kick out at the worshiper’s leg. This really isn’t looking good. Wait. You said it added to the net? Y Can I pull the net away?

watching the net surrounding hale in moderate horror, i stand and breathe. my legs are a bit shaky, i find, so i resort to flying *very* shortly above the ground as i approach some part of the crowd of enemy soldiers, preferably one with a minimal concentration of worshippers. fighting, up close, against a group especially, is very much not as much my element as it is that of... some of the others in this team in particular, but i decide regardless that i need to at least try to do some damage. i hold my electric baton in front of myself, do whatever it is i do to get it powered up, and just kind of get to swinging as i float forward somewhat quickly. i am certainly not killing anybody, considering especially that this is a blunt force weapon, but i would be fairly satisfied with the notion of knocking anywhere from many to several bitches out plus whatever additional damages are brought by its electrical functionality.

Seeing this net thrown over Hale, I get PISSED. I pull out my rifle and start taking shots at the worshippers surrounding him.

I charge towards the nearest soldiers, slashing at them as soon as I get close enough. I attempt to do that clone thing again as well, the more damage I can do here the better.

You, Quin, reach out a hand and try to pull the net away. To your surprise, you can visibly see the net pull towards you. You could pull it to yourself with minimal effort, but you find yourself realizing something. There's no reason it should be this easy- unless that net, of course, was energy from Katanalosi... And you're going to funnel it right into yourself. Once it's away from Hale, it WILL go to you, like it or not. There's no telling what it'll do to you. However, there's also no telling what it's going to do to Hale if you leave it. Will it be better in the long run? There is no other way to remove it. You have a choice to make. You, Finn, have a new problem. The troops surrounding their circle fire back, but that isn't the issue here. Someone jumps from the roof of the building next to you and lands on the pavement with a thud. They look similar to the other fighters from Katanalosi's worshipers, but this one wields a dagger in each hand, and painted on their mask are a pair of fangs. "M'vach." They hiss at you in a language you don't recognize, raising a dagger to you. You, Maia, are having difficulties. You try to time travel to make a few clones for maximum damage, but find yourself... unable to. The flow of time is hard to grasp now. You start feeling sluggish every time you focus on it. You, Silas, are doing your best. It seems to be working moderately well, until someone slams the stock of their rifle into your head and your roll is slowed significantly.

It’s hardly a choice. I funnel it right into me. Katanalosi can get fucked if she thinks she can take out another one of my teammates like that.

I look at the knife bois absolutely confused by whatever THAT was. “and a howdy neighbor to you too” I howl, hopefully calling the dogs to my position. I then take a sprinter’s stance waiting for the dogs. Bout time these followers learn how a pack fights. Claws out, ready to tear them to shreds.

Well. Shit, that’s not good. I blink a few times, trying to shake off the feeling, before continuing to hack at the soldiers. I’m just going to make do with what I have for the time being.

You, Quin, aren't going to give up, no matter what. You step forward and sway your hands forward and back, naturally, without thinking. It looks a little too similar to what the worshippers around Hale are doing; the most deadly dance. You pull your hands back. The net sways and rises to a cone, swirling up and turning over to you. It moves quickly, spiraling down to you. It splits into three parts that all lace around you as you move, and soon, the entire net is gone. You, Hale, can move again. It starts slowly, like having to move in syrup, but you speed up, and the more time passes, the more you can move. When the net releases completely, you feel the cold burn off your skin. The worshippers step out and stumble back, parting the way for you to see Quin. You, Finn, grin smugly when the dogs come bounding for you, racing around the buildings and to you. Have fun. You, Maia, keep fighting. No time like the present, and no time to waste. You barely have time to process the net's energy now swirling around you when you see the two worshippers beside you move. They each take a stance on opposite sides and extend a hand, those same two fingers outstretched, darting it towards you. The energy moves around, up, in front of your eyes, and pushes into you. You can't breathe, you can't see, and most importantly, it hurts worse than anything you've ever felt before, save for when you felt yourself get incinerated a few minutes ago. Anyone watching would say they saw whatever net you pulled away get sucked into you through your eyes and mouth, shortly before your body slumped, passed out cold on the ground.

As I see them, I grin a predatory grin. I nod to the knife bois and signal for the dogs to attack and keep them distracted. First one, I have Cinnabar pounce on his back and leap off. As that worshipper recovers, I slash his arm and twist the knife into his leg. Then I run my claws across his throat. Not enough to tear it out, but enough for them to know I could have.

I don't know what happened, but I know that now I'm REALLY pissed off. I'm done playing around. I captchalogue my weapon. I don't need it. The worshippers are drained. I stand up tall and look them in the eyes, before reaching out, grabbing as many as I possibly can, and crushing them like the bugs they are.

Their bodies crumple easily, bones brittle and weak from strain. Only a few turn and manage to slip away. The ground tremors. A barrier of wind pushes through the street from the west, approximately. It carries with it dust and thin smoke. Only a second later, you hear an explosion. The hunter that Finn faces vanishes in a whirl of black smoke as he moves to hurt him. Finn, a few seconds after the explosion is heard, feels a sharp pain in his chest.

Oh, that's really effective. Yep, so I'm going to repeat that exact process with any other enemy soldiers that get in my way. Any drones I come across will be hefted right into the air and thrown into the masses, and on the off chance that they're the ones with the bombs inside, even fucking better. I'm here for blood.

i find watching hale do this very exciting. i make a beeline for where quin fell, sailing a few feet above the ground, fairly inconspicuously to anyone that isn't close. seeing that there are still worshippers here and not wanting in on that, i scoop quin up quick like he's a quinlygari2 and set off as fast as i can to literally anywhere that isn't overrun with enemy soldiers. if nothing else i'm probably saving him from getting trampled.

You move him a ways back, but there really aren't many places to go. The worshippers scatter and dart into the surrounding buildings.

I look down at my chest. What do I see?

There's nothing there. You just feel like something is wrong. Really, really wrong. You're a murderer. But they're bad people, right? So it's fine.

that's fine! i descend to the ground somewhere back here and get to healing. i set quin on the ground and try to do exactly what i've now done several times today. deep breath, arms out, hopefully some glowing. i watch quin expectantly. what happens?

I. I go deeper. What is this?

You, Silas, feel something prick your hands sharply, almost like grabbing onto a cactus. You feel something move, something horrible. You instinctively stop. You can't fix this. You, Finn, try to dig deeper into the feeling. You feel stress, pain, fear, rage. The rage overtakes everything else. If you don't stop soon, you'll feel it as if it were your own, and you don't think that's a good idea.

i draw my hands back with some quiet exclamation of pain. i get an idea that i realize i definitely should have considered before trying to heal him. whoops. i place a hand on his chest and try to feel for a heartbeat.

You place a hand on his chest and immediately feel like something is pulling the metaphysical you towards the physical Quin. Maybe don't touch.

i move my hand back again, pause, and stand back. noted.

I stop. I pull out and return to myself.

i tilt my head toward the battlefield. quin is somewhere relatively safe, right? the others in the group might need my help. i note quin's current location and leave him behind for the time being, heading toward the battlefield and looking for anyone else on this team.

Quin's body draws in a thin, ragged breath.

that happens while i am still close enough to hear it probably. i decide to assume that means he'll be alright.

I look first to the knife bois. Are any more of them coming for me?

All worshipers around have vanished.

All of them?

All of them.

Any indication of where they've gone? Did we kill them? Did they vanish into thin air?

You saw most of them run inside the buildings to your left and right.

Okay. I kind of just got this power, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Everything seems to be falling apart around us, and that explosion a little bit ago did NOT sound good. I look around very quickly to make sure I am not being imminently attacked and reach out to the buildings on my left, feeling for any supports I can bring down. If not, I can try to brute force it. I'm good at that. I set my jaw and strain to collapse some buildings on top of some bitchass Kat worshippers.

I whistle to the dogs. I then walk over to Hale. I place my hand on his shoulder. “You are not alone.”

Quin's body jolts. The buildings are incredibly stable. They're built better than any buildings you've ever seen. They aren't coming down anytime soon, unless you sacrifice the amount of power that would probably force you to pass out. Whatever forced its way into Quin's eyes and lungs, it's now leaving. A strange dark goo raises from his mouth, lifting off his eyes. It swirls in the air, collecting.

I drop my hands and do my best not to scream in frustration. I have to DO something.

Quin's hands start lifting up and swiping around randomly. He isn't having fun.

I still can't see, right? I try to sit up and stand.

The last of it lifts off and out of you, collecting above you. You can move freely now, but your arms and legs feel like they're made of lead.

"Fuck you."

The goo swirls into a funnel, just like it did when it was electricity, spiraling out to the street by Hale and up into the air. It rockets out of sight behind the largest ship from Katanalosi's worshipers.

Well, I fall back to a kneel and wait until I can see again.

Your vision comes back a moment later.

Awesome. How we feeling about an attempt to fly?

You manage to float off the ground.

I try to keep that up and make my way back down to the battlefield.

I fly back over to where Hale and Finn are, and land next to them, giving the two a quick nod. "How's it going over here?"

I won't be able to take them down from out here. I look at Finn and Maia, and then back at the building. "I'm going in."

back from leaving quin there, i find the rest of you and join in quickly. "hey! quin should be alright! physically i mean. i think there was something in him," i shrug. "what's the plan?"

I point at the buildings. "Katanalosi's worshippers are in there. I can't bring down the buildings. We have to go in." I look at Maia. "We got separated pretty early on this time. Round two?"

“im in but only if we do this together”

Real quick, I try focusing on the flow of time again. Is that working now or is something still screwed up?

Something is still wrong. It refuses to cooperate. Quin comes floating down from somewhere. He looks like he's seen better days, skin pale and fins dropping.

"You look like shit."

I look over at Quin. "What the fuck happened to you?"

"Don't worry about it," I snap. "It's fucking fine. What are we doing?"

I frown. "I could punch you right now and you'd black out before my first even hit your face."

I open my mouth to say something rude and abrasive, but spots dance before my eyes. I shut it. "The fuck do you want me to do, then?"

"Sit this one out." I say it harshly, leaving no room for argument. "If you can still use your powers, power me up. If you go in there, you're going to get killed."

I try for a moment to experimentally use my powers. I'm assuming this doesn't go well. I let out a short sigh of frustration and start trudging back to safety.

I turn back to Hale. "Something's fucking with my powers. I can still fight but I'm not going to be able to make any deadzones or anything like that when we get in there."

I nod. "Okay. What about the two of you. What can you do." I turn to the heirs.

Once I am somewhere relatively safe, I sit down and close my eyes, focusing. I refuse to be completely useless, and whatever the hell just crawled out of my body isn't sitting well with me. I try to search for it.

"oh, uh, i do healing, but i'm kinda running low on that, and i have plant power stuff. i would probably be more useful in the area called 'the garden'? oh and i have this too," i say, grabbing my baton and, if possible, doing just one little zap through it.

It zaps. Yippee!

I look up. How menacing and willing to shoot any flying descendants do those bigass battleships look? As well as any drones on the ground, I guess.

Pretty willing!

"Well. I hope you can make things grow really fast, because if you go to the gardens you're going to get shot. Finn?"

"not planning on it," i add quietly.

I stand and start shaking my hands and legs frantically, like I'm getting water off me. "Fucking god mud," I mutter. "Fucking stupid black shit." I put my hand on my chest and try summoning some rage energy and shooting it inwards.

That's pretty much the stupidest idea I've heard all day.

You think he's coherent right now?

It doesn't work. You feel like an idiot. Good job.

That's nothing new. I just let my hand drop and look around sheepishly at the battlefield.

"Alright." I crack my knuckles. "Don't stick too close to me, it looks like I'm going to be our heavy hitter. Keep an eye out for each other. Ready?"

I nod, turning my saber on.

Staring at the windows of the buildings, I snap back into focus. “oh sorry uh well dog stuff obviously also can sense and extend emotions and then theres this thing where I can make other people feel uh emotions” “...” “we can revisit that later”

"You can make people feel emotions."

“...” “yyyyyes” “but i can control it”

"I'm not worried about that. How strong. What kind."

“fear and unease so far” “i think i can use other ones” “depends”

"And you can do this to our enemies."

“maybe” “i tried this earlier but there seems to be something else that can do that too” “but it does work to some extent”

I nod. "Good. Stick by me then. It won't kill our enemies, but it should incapacitate them enough for me to."

I grin. “great” Fuck.

"uhh, one thing i forgot to mention," i add, smiling a bit nervously. "i haven't actually tried it but hypothetically i should be able to do, like... reverse healing? i don't know how much damage my lifey powers would be able to do in practice but if i can fix life i think i can probably unfix it too"

"Good. Whatever it is, do it." I look at each of them in turn. "We're losing. We're the only ones who can fix that. It doesn't matter how bad it is. Every second you hesitate is another one of OUR soldiers that is dead. Get over your morals. We're fighting a war." I turn back to the building. "Now. Are you ready."

i cheer and applaud a little.

I nod once more, I'm fucking ready to get back to fighting. "Let's go."

Internal me screams a bit. “yep ready to go lets do this”

Alright then! Go into the building already!!

I will sit back for a bit and let this happen

You're either going with them or you aren't!

I lead the charge. Let's fucking go.

I think I will follow them in case help is needed.

I follow close behind, looking around as I enter for any immediate danger.

i follow a bit less close behind, glancing around cautiously.

I walk in, nervous about what is about to happen but trusting that Hale knows what he’s doing.

inside