Stein woke up once more in his lab, where Mia had brought him. Damn. It seemed he'd been outclassed. And now that he'd used his last card, he wouldn't be able to infiltrate the group as he had before, not without a new face and voice. And a new soul, for the Witch. No, this would be quite troublesome. "Mia, did you capture them, or kill them all?" Stein was hoping she'd taken them captive. That Witch had some way of blocking God-Killer Resonance, and he didn't like that. He'd have to find out what that had been, and how he could circumvent it in the future.
"Well, I got one of them. And the other is insane now. Oh, and I brought the witch to Hope." Mia smiled nervously, hoping dad wouldn't be all too angry with her. She'd not only failed to capture the girl, but she'd unleashed one of the most dangerous beings known to the multiverse. "Maybe Hope killed the witch and went back to sleep....." It was a small chance, but certainly a possibility.
"You fool!" Stein got up, face taught with anger. Unlike Mia, he had met Hope, and knew what she was like. Either the witch would be blasted into oblivion, or they'd become friends. The latter option was a risk Stein wasn't prepared to take. He was pretty sure he could deal with Hope if he managed to get in close, as even her massive power depended on her bod being intact, but the problem lay in her ability to wipe out entire planets with a thought. Many of the gods Stein had fought were at least beatable, on a certain level, but Hope was an unstoppable force, built to kill Daemon. "We'll have to leave immediately."
Mia nodded, ashamed of herself. She very well knew that her father would not show the full extent of his fear and anger, because he loved her, but she knew that he was far more afraid than he let on. Daddy was an actor, after all.
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Stein and Mia emerged from a portal next to Hiro, quite on purpose, of course. Hiro was heavily depressed, and Stein was counting on her being desperate. Desparate people were easily manipulated, and thus made perfect tools. "Why hello, miss." Stein put up his best smile, as Mia moved backwards, keeping an eye on the surroundings, ensuring her father would not be interrupted. "My name is Alturi Shinigami, the Keeper of Souls. And you've been messing with my quotas, Hiro." Stein put the slightest bit of threat in his eyes. He also let his insnity aura flow out, making him seem far more menacing than he really was, the lines of his body blurring, his glasses reflective. He had instantly slipped into the role of the Grim Reaper.