Elric bundled up a bit more and walked down the sidewalk heading towards his apartment only to stop at the stoop a moment his hand finding his dog tags and let out a deep breath. He didn’t want to give up but his dad wanted him to No he needed him to stop but then that meant he was truly giving up the fight. That he was accepting the fact he was going to die in bed suffering and knowing he’d let people die. 

“Hm I was hoping I’d get to see her the last time I saw her was last Christmas. Maybe I should bring Elric it might be good for him to have some family around seeing as Teddy and his partner are overseas right now helping stabilize the portals in the dead zone,” Hammond said before drinking some rum from his small glass “and with me being so busy ensuring our troops are going where they’re needed I can’t always keep tabs on him. What I’m asking is could we ask Serena to help keep an eye on him? I am willing to pay her for it but I really do need someone to help make sure he’s resting.”

As Elric was about to enter his apartment complex he heard the screams and saw people fleeing. There was not even a moments hesitation as he ran towards the portal outbreak the brown bag filled with his medicine still in hand. He saw the nethercorpses pouring out thankfully this was only a level one portal. Meaning there was only a few of them. Elric charged kicking one of the ghouls back from one of the fleeing members another ghoul came up behind Elric raking claws down just narrowly dodging which forced his hat to slide off revealing a bald head. As his hair had been the first to be unable to reform once he got sick. Elric growled and summoned his scythe slicing the monster in half and he sent a current of fire sailing across the ground circling around the open portal creating a barrier to keep the ghouls and nethercorpses from pouring out. Blood was trickling down Elric’s mouth his eyes turning black as he grimaced from strain his body shaking. 

“I’m really worried the exertion is going to kill him Dante before I can find a cure for him,” Hammond said. In truth the general had poured much of his personal finances into funding projects to cure the blight. But none of them were able to produce promising results so far making Hammond look like he’d simply gone mad in an attempt to save his son.  

Dante paused and looked at him. “You know what will happen if she sees his state? She will want to help him. Is there a way she could be a partner for him Hammond?” He stood up and paced the room with his glass. “If you think it would help, we can go see her tomorrow and see what we can come up with…”

He would hearing running behind him and a gun being loaded. Serena burst past him, barely seeing him standing there as she pulled two pistols free and started firing at the ghouls. She took head shots and yelled “everyone get to safety now! Clear the area!” A ghoul was moving behind her as she blasted the ghouls going after people. 

Hammond shook his head deeply remorsefully, “if we can avoid both of us loosing children I’d prefer that. As much as I hope to cure him I am not blind to the fact it’s likely he will die long before I manage to find the cure. Though I will not give up not until that bell has truly been rung. I would be happy if she could just help him survive another day.”
Then finished the last of his rum and scooped up some shrimp in a creamy garlic sauce before shoving it into his mouth still being rather hungry. 

Before the ghoul could hit Serena Elric was right there to burn the thing into a pillar of ash. 
“You should be watching your six at all times… Serena? What are you doing here it’s been ages,” Elric said realizing who he’d just saved. 
Then turned towards the portal his body still suffering from the strain he needed to close the portal. Though something was calling out to him from within the swirling vortex of energy. Elric stopped a moment just staring into it head tilting gently as he listened his body moving towards it slowly then a screaming searing pain hit caused by the overexertion and he nearly collapsed. 
“Right gotta close it make sure it doesn’t grow any bigger,” he said grimacing. 
Then used his magic to seal the breach ignoring the many voices as they called out to him. 

Dante sighed and rubbed his neck, the stress showing on his face. “I’m sorry Hammond…I wish I could do more…for both of them…” he sat back down and picked up a piece of steak and put it in his mouth. “Serena could use your guidance…she’s been getting strange dreams as of late…you knew her mother better then I did, did she get foresight flashes?”

Serena turned and said “not on my nest game right now…Elric it has been a while…” she watched him and covered him as he closed the portal, a worried look on her face. When he had it closed she walked to him and looked him over. “Elric…what’s going on with you?” She looked as bad as he did but for different reasons. 

Hammond chewed as he thought about Dante’s question and nodded swallowing. “No that was more her fathers thing. While her mother knew a lot about ancient magic he was the one with the talent for it. So it is likely that Serena inherited his talent,” he said before forking some pasta into his mouth. He swallowed another bite before leanjng back again, “I could maybe do a one on one with her help her get more control over her magic and supply her with some magic tools to help her get better control until she better understands her new gift if that’s what you’re getting at with that line of questions.”

Elric looked at Serena blood still dripping down the corner of his mouth his eyes bloodshot and the whites a deep black. “I’m not gonna lie I’ve been better,” he said laughing weakly. Then grimaced in agony as his body protested eventually he dropped to his knees and he had to raise a hand to preemptively stop Serena from getting any closer. “I’m sick with the blight so don’t touch me right now… I don’t wanna infect you too,” he said grimacing. “My medicine… I had it a second ago it was in a brown paper bag. It’ll help suppress the infection so people are safe around me. Can you please go find it for me I lost it in the fight.”

Dante nodded and said “it’s more out of the blue. She’s been skilled in seals and combat arts. Heck it’s why she went into the military after her father did. It’s why I want her for an agent. But…this new thing worries me of what she could be becoming…”

Serena nodded and looked around. Then she spotted it by the curb and ran over and picked it up. She pulled out the bottle and read it to get the right amount ready for him, kneeling down and held out the meds. “I’m so sorry Elric…I didn’t hear…I haven’t been great at keeping touch the last little bit…can I get you home at least?”

“I don’t think she will become any stranger though I’ll monitor her when I can see how her magic progresses,” Hammond assured him. Then crossed his arms thinking about it for a moment. “Though psychological trauma can cause ancient magic to mutate as someone whose experienced it first hand… It’s possible her magic is mutating as a defense mechanism to help her prevent the loss of anyone else she holds dear. Precognition in the right hands is incredibly powerful I can talk to my brother Edgar as an Oracle he will be better equipped to teach her how to perceive and better translate the prophesies she sees. Far better than I ever could I’m certain it will also give me an excuse to check up on project goup… it’s a bad project name but at least it’s accurate.”

Elric took the medicine being very careful not to touch Serena not wanting her to get sick too because of him. After taking his medicine the blood finally stopped dripping from his nose and mouth while his eyes returned from black to white. 
“I’d appreciate the hand, now to find my hat my heads cold.” Then looked around his bald head and bald eyebrows furrowed as he looked around for his nice knit cap that Lexi and Teddy had gifted him before heading overseas. Thankfully he was able to find it and snuggly fit it back over his head as he looked at Serena again. “Yeah you can walk me home sorry. Sorry I wasn’t trying to ignore you just my mind gets a little fuzzy after taking my medicine,” he apologized. Then motioned for Serena to follow him he dismissed his scythe and gently took the brown bag back from her. 
“I live close by to here… and I don’t fault you for not knowing I mean you’ve been busy fighting the portal breaches. I’m guessing your home for shore leave? Last I heard your company was working with my squad to close up a level nine that had opened up in the Andes. Did everything go alright? I kinda worry since I’m not there watching everyone’s backs anymore,” he said grunting with a bit of exhaustion. 

Dante nodded and said “any help would be taken here…she’s lost Hammond…I still don’t know what happened over there but…it did something to her…” he leaned back and rubbed his face, clearly tired and stressed out. “Then I now have a case of missing sailors…”

Serena stood up helping him up carefully then froze when he asked. She swallowed, the memories coming back of the last fight when it all went wrong. “It…got closed…Im not on leave…I was retired with honors…I…” she closed her eyes, her hands shaking like mad. 

Hammond let out a soft sigh and said, “well I suppose having Elric’s and Serena watch out for each other is the best idea. As for the sailors are you still unable to find any clues as to where they’ve gone?”

Elric paused a moment it didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand what happened. He slowly moved and held her cheeks in his hands and smiled weakly at her. “It’s okay you’re home, you are home Serena the battle is over soldier.” Then he began to just breath with her helping her to slowly settle down and get over her ptsd episode. Then slowly he took his hands away then grimaced as his heart beat awkwardly in his chest making him stumble back into the wall. Though he did manage to just barely catch himself. Then turned and walked into his apartment complex and went to the elevator. Hammond made sure to send a elevator technician over there every week just to make damn sure it’d keep working, as he didn’t want his son struggling with three flights of stairs just to get home. As they got in Elric began to take a dip again this time loosing his human form and turning into a full grim. His robes were dingy and tattered with the chest having a large section missing revealing the four long claw marks on his ribs that were stained black his heart was a dim light that was flickering. Elric chose to ignore it as he waited for the elevator to take them to the fourth floor. 

Once there his phone was able to unlock his door as he had one of those fancy locks thanks to the fact he was a partner less grim living alone laws had been placed that they were allowed to change any lock to a residence if they didn’t feel safe. Elric walked inside slowly taking short shaky steps before eventually hitting the ground the sound of bone cracking echoing through his empty apartment. There wasn’t even any furniture or table just a plain kitchen and a few barstools. 
“Gonna see you guys soon,” Elric mumbled to himself his heart dulling even further. 
At hearing his friends that his family was dead the fight he had left in his body evaporated. The infection began to quickly spread reaching back towards his heart making the white aura around it slowly turn red. Then amid his robes something began to beep rapidly it was a sort of life alert to let Hammond know if Elric’s condition dipped to critical levels. 

Hammond shot to his feet knocking over food as he looked at his phone skin pale as a sheet as he looked to Dante. “I need your help getting to my boy. Please Dante,” he said voice breaking. As there was a very real chance he was going to loose his son tonight unless he got to him and took in his heart. It was insanely dangerous but Elric needed someone with enough strength to keep him stable. While he didn’t want to risk Serena’s life that didn’t mean his own was off the table, far from it. 

Dante shook his head and said “nothing. And I mean nothing. All were last seen lights out in their cabins or rooms. Next morning gone without a trace. Stuff still there…just vanished…”

When the call came he stood up and said “I’ll text Serena. What’s the address? She can get there faster and start to help…it’s how she saved that team”

Serena was with him the whole time and heard his words. She cursed and moddd in front of him saying “Elric your team is fine. They weren’t there. They were at fhe portal and were closing it when…it happened. Your brother is fine. Your squad wasn’t harmed…I made sure of that…look at me Elric! Don’t you dare do this to me! I swear if you die on my I will killed myself just to drag you back!”

“Same place I programmed it into your phone under his contact information,” Hammond said putting his phone away then began to summon his shadows too him needing to teleport the both of them without touching Dante. As a long time ago during a battle with a level ten portal Hammond had been mortally wounded and in order to save his life Dante had to take his heart into his body. But since then Hammond couldn’t touch Dante because if he did his body would instantly try to pull his friend in. Seeing as they were both grims it caused Hammond’d body to become crippled and unable to move. 

Elric gently touched Serena’s cheek and seemed to smile weakly at her. “It’s okay… you don’t need to lie… I am dying anyways I don’t have a cure… I, I would rather die with someone I know and care about here with me. I’m happy that I’m not alone… I’m tired Serena… I’m really really tired,” he said softly eyes closing as his hand went limp. He was still conscious but it was coming in and out much like the light coming from his core. As a soldier Serena knew how to save the life for a partner less grim on the battlefield and that was to find a host with ample strength and mana. 

Dante smirked at him and pulled his phone out, his long sleeves pulled down. Dante always made sure to wear long sleeves and long pants around Hammond. Just to be safe. Skin contact would mean a fusion. Dante frowned as they moved and said “Hammond…her phone tracker is already there…”

Serena glared and said “you have played poker with me Elric. I can’t lie. I saved your guys after that thing went off wiping out my squad. I don’t know how I did it but I did…” she saw him fading and cursed. “His going to be pissed…but I’m not losing another friend…at least I can save you” she ripped open his shirt and started to look for what she needed to make the bond. “Okay…crap it’s been years since I learned how to do this…uncle Dante I could use your help right now…”

Hammond’s eyes as widened and he began to move faster knowing that Serena would do something reckless. Eventually the spell was ready and he got the both of them to Elric’s apartment just in time to see Serena dipping her hands into Elric’s rib cage. “Serena darln I’m gonna ask you to please take your hands out of Elric’s chest real carefully,” Hammond said gently while slowly approaching. 

Elric coughed in pain Serena could feel how weak the beats of his heart was as she remembered that she’d need to swallow his core in order to assimilate it into her body and in turn save his life. Elric didn’t have much longer he was so weak already hairline cracks were developing along his bones. As once a grim died they turned to dust it made burial easy but it was no less devastating to watch someone you care about turn to dust. Hammond looked at Elric sorrow in his eyes as he wished he’d just had more time to help him. But right now he needed to make sure Serena didn’t do anything foolish. 

Serena closed her eyes to remember which thankfully the lecture came to mind, the funny thing it was Hammond giving the lecture at the academy. She moved her hand into his core and found his heart just as the men burst in. 

Serena looked up and said “I can’t sir…he think his squad died. They didn’t but he heard me say what happened and it caused this…I’m not losing anyone else. No more. I can do this. Yes I’m tired and drained but my mana is good and I can handle it. You said years ago we would make a great pair…well, let’s see if he will take me” 

Serena pulled the heart out and she said “you’ll have to shoot me to stop this. But I’m not losing a close friend and you aren’t losing your son…” she then put the heart into her mouth and swallowed it whole somehow. 

Elric felt someone runmaging around his chest but he didn’t feel violated he felt safe. His eyes slowly opened to look up at Serena just as she was saying something his head turned to see his father his senses were all so distant and time moved slowly. His head turned to look back up at Serena as she pluck his weakly beating heart out and swallowed it. He was stunned and confused as to why she’d choose such a sorry fate to be tied to him he was dying he had the blight what if by taking in his heart she became infected too? A weak hand reached up desperately trying to gasp at Serena and he let out a weak fearful call without any words. Hammond was right there to gently take his hand and stared down at his adopted son with immense love. 
“It’s okay she knows what she’s doing,” Hammond assured him. 
Which allowed Elric to rest a bit easier his eyes slowly shutting as he began to rest. Hammond lifted his head to look at Serena he was absolutely seething at the fact she’d put herself in such an immense amount of danger. 
“What were you thinking? I am grateful but at the same time the one thing I didn’t want to happen was to loose my god daughter. I swore to your parents to keep you safe what in the nether were you thinking,” Hammond said his voice furious but kept low to prevent waking Elric with yelling. “I know you didn’t want to loose anyone else I understand that better than you can ever know. But at the same time you need to understand there are limitations. What you’ve just decided to do is no better than deciding on a suicide pact. We are going to go see my brother and the woman in charge of project goup today, no right now. Maybe that woman has finished a prototype. Her work centers around isolation of the infection and treatment. With how you’re now carrying Elric’s heart we are going to need something to isolate the infection from spreading to you as well.”
Then stood up quickly and turned to look at Dante Hammond was absolutely furious his eyes glowing gold and his shadow having taken on a larger more avian shape. Teleporting a large party of people so quickly after teleporting himself and Dante was taking a toll Hammond was going to need to rest as soon as they arrived. But it was unlikely the general would. Meaning Dante might need to actually pull Hammond into a merge just to get the panicking father to calm down and sleep once everything was said and done. 

Serena looked at him and said “I’m dead anyway…might as well give him chance to survive…and maybe with a partner he can heal…I can fix his heart maybe…I just…I had to do something…” 

Dante sighed and said “breath Hammond…can’t have the bird of prey losing control right now…”

Hammond just pointed at Dante in a warning manner wanting him to talk to his kid and figure out what in the hell she meant and to give him a minute while he got another teleport ready. His eyes turned to look at Serena, what in the hell did she mean by already dead? 

Dante sighed snd said “Serena what do you mean?” Serena looked at him and said “I should have died back in that battle field…my heart stopped out there. And since I haven’t felt anything…they have been calling me a walking dead.” 

Dante cursed and looked at Hammon and tapped his head, wanting to talk mentally.