[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/M5I1dzL.png[/img]
[u][h3][i][color=gold]~Heaven[/color][color=silver],[/color][color=red]Hell[/color][color=silver],[/color][color=blue]Machina~[/color][/i][/h3][/u]
[img] http://i.imgur.com/P4rt2Ra.png[/img]
[img]http://66.media.tumblr.com/51fc61ac770a524e9468f174afa94d7f/tumblr_inline_n1xc79Kcic1rb3m8r.png[/img][/center]
The Battle of Lenuria had yielded some interesting results; it wouldn't be a stretch to say the Faction Leaders had predicted all possible outcomes to the conflict at hand. But none of them could have foreseen the appearance of an outsider. They had all witnessed the great snake emerge from Lenuria and escape into the open world of the Nexus. It would not have been call for concern had the creature been identifiable by either of the Faction Leaders. It wasn't, which made their puzzlement all the greater. Such as it were then, that a meeting between all three Factions had been called into place. And when the Imperator of Heaven opened her eyes, she found herself sitting upon one of the many, discarded thrones of their usual [url=https://s9.postimg.org/lh33p2qq7/3e3e65e96825e5a0660c6466813a8b53_forum_View.jpg]gathering grounds[/url]. Eos was already present and soon enough, Rufus would be too. Deva had not expected him to come alone but perhaps, given Team RILD's chaotic nature, that was for the best. [color=gold]"To what do I owe in calling forth this truce, Rufus,"[/color] Deva spoke to the leader of Hell, assuming he was the one to call them together. Who else would be so brash and reckless?

[color=royalblue]"Nice to see you too, your high holiness. I had a real nice vacation, thanks for asking, by the way."[/color] Rufus replied from his throne, feet already resting on the table as he folded his hands across his lap. [color=royalblue]"Sooo...just not gonna mention Lenuria? Really? Guess not; had fun dealing with that newbie though. But I suppose I'll save the photo album for that another time. For once in my life I've called us together for something serious-" [/color]

The Former Sole King of Hell paused, looking about the room theatrically before resuming with a shrug. [color=royalblue]"Could have sworn that would summon the man upstairs. Anyhow, I'm certain you all noticed that between the people we tacitly call soldiers drowning the ocean, a rather large snake just happened to swim up from the depths. And since it clearly wasn't a Vassal unless Queen Toaster's wife went for a dip, it seemed only wise to call us all together for a chit chat."[/color]

[color=hotpink]"If you want to check with your own eyes, I can call her here,"[/color] Eos retorted as soon as Rufus made his last quip. The High Queen was clearly in some sort of spoiled mood, if the frown in her face was any indication of it. Probably, whatever caused Eos to be that sour had something to do with a large present box that she teleported out of the room as soon as the three of them materialized there. Being interrupted during her activities had always been a pet peeve of the android.

[color=hotpink]"Either way, I too am aware of the unknown subject's presence. Just as much as any of you two. However, I don't see what is the reason to hold a meeting over this matter,"[/color] Eos said as she analyzed their surroundings, to be sure whether or not Rufus was trying to trick them. [color=hotpink]"More importantly, don't you think that your Oligarchy should be more worried about managing your assets, instead of holding meeting like this? It is getting very tiring to deal with Demons seeking asylum every day,"[/color] she added, probably out of spite.

While mention of Team RILD's antics was perhaps a better topic of discussion than some snake in the water, Deva was much too prideful to be openly poking at Rufus' joint leadership. Besides, there was something very evident in his words and the Imperator sighed. [color=gold]"You're attempting to lie to us Rufus. As one with Heaven, I see easily through your tricks and schemes. It's best not to claim ownership of actions you don't do lest you annoy the real perpetrator,"[/color] Deva said, feeling this was a waste of her time. [color=gold]"Besides, we know this isn't a Vassal. What threat does it hold to us then?"[/color]

Her answer was given in the form of loud snickering, the likes of which drew her gaze upwards. Oh. Of course. Deva was dully suprised at Harley's form among them, rather likening herself to a queen among rulers with her taking seat in one of the thrones above them. [color=gold]"Why am I not surprised. Was it you Harley who ripped us out of our busy schedules with one of your pranks?"[/color]

[color=silver]"Oh I'm not the one you should be pandering to, Angel,"[/color] the monochrome Vassal said, all smirks and narrow-eyed. [color=silver]"He is."[/color]

[color=silver]"It pains me greatly to hear you sweep aside my summonings so easily, old friend."[/color] Whatever misgivings Deva may have had at that point were dashed aside with real shock, gaze looking past Harley. Indeed, the masked man of their reckonings was there. Like a ghost among shadows he was barely seen in the low light but that would change soon enough. Even so, the [url=https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/25ea8ca8-b576-4f34-93d8-f15b7c4c9253.jpg]Jester[/url] did not emit the emotion his words implied and he stared down at the leaders in unreadable fashion. Harley took extreme relish in savoring all three of their expressions, her snickers never missing a beat.

A jolt shot down Rufus' spine and his head lurched back to crack painfully against the throne as his petty ruse was eviscerated by the appearance of both the Jester and that maniac at his side. A sure fire way to ruin all his fun and make him regret not wearing his brown pants that day. [color=royalblue]"Che, couldn't keep the gag up forever. I'll just be happy they didn't decide to summon my compatriots. Something tells me this meeting would dissolve into flaying Ira and Lucille for getting a bit...rambunctious. Alas, it is my lot to suffer, being the most sensible man in Hell."  [/color]

Dragging a hand down his face in grandiose fashion, he turned from the Man Upstairs to Deva, finding his composure easier to maintain that way. [color=royalblue]"But you see, if this creature wasn't of note, the actually important people wouldn't be about to rake our asses over the coals, now would they?" [/color]

[color=hotpink]"Thank you for stating the obvious,"[/color] Eos replied to Rufus' more than unnecessary comment. [color=hotpink]"I'll be sure to name the next version of the Machina debug programs in memory of your contributions to the Nexus' society."[/color]

The android regarded Harley and the Jester with nonchalant indifference, showing her usual stoic face to both. It was one of her advantages over the far too expressive 'King of Hell' or the runner up for the title of less expressive being in existence, following right behind a certain Eel, that was the nominal leader of Heaven. Eos being a machine didn't really need to show any kind of emotion if she didn't need to, which —with the help of people from her past— made the High Queen's true persona into a deadpan snarker. The fact that she kept this side of her sealed for so long, thanks to the slog known as living in the Nexus, was actually a miracle. One that no one other than Roma helped to revert not a long while ago.

[color=hotpink]"I assume this does not have to do with our performance this time. Am I right?"[/color] Eos asked as soon as it became evident that they weren't here to be 'reprimanded'... yet.

[color=silver]"Oh I like that one,"[/color] Harley said, mismatched eyes zeroing in on the High Queen. [color=silver]"Full of spunk and defiance. I wonder if it's from the people she hangs around. Maybe that wife of yours should be rethinking her life choices."[/color] It was only by the fact her Master was here that she didn't tear the uppidity android apart; and she had plenty of reason to do so. [color=silver]"Well, I'd love to stick around and see you three morons get chewed out but I have to be going now. I've got some lesbians I need to make into CORPSES,"[/color] the Vassal said manically, phasing out of sight and out of mind to some far corner of the Nexus.

Her seat was soon enough occupied by the Jester of the Court and he looked down at his followers with unknown intent. [color=silver]"This latest excursion has been interesting,"[/color] he said, referring to the current status of the Nexus. [color=silver]"And yet, there is nothing substantial to be said of your progress. There are those among the Court who lack faith in this experiment, those who would feel you are all better off being erased. No one would miss you."[/color] The masked man took time to flick his eyes from one leader to the next. [color=silver]"That is why I'm...accelerating the process. The creature you witnessed was no Vassal, but the awakened servant of another. One that speaks from the stars themselves. I intend to gauge the mantle of this latest batch of experiments through the Snake of Entropy. No...it's more akin to say, I'll throw Apophis at you."[/color] 

Rufus did a remarkable job resisting the urge to roll his eyes. A Healthy respect for the Man Upstairs? Sure. Casual disregard for everyone else? Totally. But one can only be threatened with the termination of their existence so many times before the words got rather dull. That, and Deva lead credence to this being a fate far from terminal. [color=royalblue]"Can't say I'm too impressed with the progress, but at least one demon is recieving personal tutelage from a powerful Vassal. That should produce a powerful Demon worth note in the future, regardless the Faction he's with. Personally I always knew he was destined for greatness, spotted him early and even stopped at his castle to tell him how much I appreciated him."[/color]

And nearly killing Henry's dogs, but that was neither here nor there. The only animal he was concerned with was the great big snake that now had a name. [color=royalblue]"Sooo, what's an Apophis? I didn't think the Egyptian's were on par with us, so must be something else, right?"[/color]

[color=hotpink]"I see. This must be related to The Alchemist's direct attempts at influencing Your experiment. She has been far more active than usual. I was right in assuming that You had something in mind,"[/color] Eos stated in a matter of fact way. Because the Court's 'scientist' was aligned with the Machina, the High Queen had a far better insight on the world's internal workings than someone like Rufus. That said, the fact that their enforcer actually mingled with the Angels, made it hard to get the full picture. She could only extrapolate so much based on their movements.

[color=hotpink]"I see that you Demons really like taking everything as easy as possible, huh? If nothing else, your kind should know more about that Snake than Us. Well, if I had not been there when she was unleashed before, that is."[/color] In fact, among those here and now, Eos was the second one with the most knowledge about the terror known as Apophis. The android saw with her very eyes what the Snake could do was was none too pleased with the prospect of having to face a phantasm of her past, especially since she couldn't count on the help of Volunta this time around.

[color=silver]"If you seek answers, perhaps you should ask your ally among the Machina,"[/color] the Jester said to Rufus, directing his gaze to Eos. [color=silver]"If I recall, you've once made contact with the great serpent, machine. Within a failed world doomed to be lost into memory. As for the Empress' assistant, both her and her Master have taken a certain liking to this territory."[/color] Well then, that seemed to be their next course of action at the moment. None of them needed to ask how to approach this problem, for they would receive the guidance of figuring it out for themselves as a result. Still, the Imperator had been silent for long enough and finally dared to raise one question.

[color=gold]"With all due respect...why not let the Vassals we have on hand to deal with this threat? If Apophis is not among us quite yet, they should be able to deal with her before the Nexus is put in danger."[/color]

[color=silver]"You think so, hmm? I assure you Imperator, that my Vassals are not devices for which to use in cleaning up your messes,"[/color] the Jester replied, turning his masked visage at her. The Imperator had no response to this and it brought some hint of amusement to the Jester. [color=silver]"Besides old friend, you should be grateful. For which Apophis' return to the Nexus, you all will prove to me the success of this latest batch of test subjects. Through this conflict, old relics may indeed be recovered."[/color] The Imperator raised an eye at this before the Jester continued with, [color=silver]"This next battle among my Nexus will be handled in a place you know all too well, Imperator. The deserts of Exilia."[/color]
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Deep in the snowy tundras of Valhalla, another development was arising. Having found a dragon stone among the corpse of their first enemy, both Diana and Suparna were well on their way to obtaining more power for themselves. Granted, it had taken time for the maggots to spit out the swallowed jewel but it had been well worth it for giving Ascalon another element to utilize. Soaring through the skies meant a better view of the land and to their chargin, Diana and Suparana could spot a massive [url=https://s9.postimg.org/4claf7ugf/hunter_bloodborne_sample-9589b7e4744cd41dc7f8c9646a7b76b2.jpg]castle of old[/url] spiring right below them. In no time they had landed to the ground and entered inside the ancient building's interior.

[color=gold]"Well, that's what I call a cold reception."[/color] Those were the first words to leave Diana's lips as soon as they entered the old stone fortress. Despite her light build, at least in her human form, Diana's footsteps echoed through the main hall, thanks to her greaves.

It seemed like the place had been built specifically to become an old, derelict dungeon, by the way it looked: old tapestries, armor sets, statues and candelabra of all sorts, positioned in the perfect way to entice one's curiosity. However, Diana wouldn't fall for such obvious trappings. They were here for the big loot, other things could come around later.

[color=gold]"If I was a pile of treasure, where would I be hiding myself?"[/color] Diana thought out loud while taking the time to take a better look at the Dragon Stone they found. [color=gold]"Do you have any guess, Suparna?"[/color] she added with a huge grin in her lips as she seemed to sniff around, like a tracking hound, for whatever purpose.

[color=orangered]"What did you expect? A red carpet? This is at least less hostile then anything else in Valhalla. Not a Rufus-level mind fuck to be seen here."[/color] Suparna opined with a whistle, flexing her one good arm as she walked about with her gaze idly wavering over the castle grounds. No trippy acolytes of Marianne, killer elephants, or animate armor was a good thing in Suparna's mind.  [color=orangered]"If I were treasure, I'd be where the yummy smells are. Either a guard beast or an inhabitant can point us in the direction once we ask nicely."[/color]

She waved her sword to add emphasis to the 'Nicely' bit.

[color=silver]"I think I know a guy."[/color]

The voice could be defined by the smirk its owner was splaying, coming directly behind Suparna. With no concept of personal space, Harley had emerged from whatever void of existence she sporadically comes out of to look down at the two girls. [color=silver]"Oh no, it's Harley....that's what you're both thinking, right?"[/color]

[color=gold]"Hey it's you, the one that is always with that Match Head,"[/color] Diana exclaimed as soon as Harley pop into existence close to them. She had so many 'surprises' today that it was starting to get hard to draw the energy for comical overreactions, so Diana decided to simply address the obvious.

Nevertheless, a small look of disappointment replaced the grin she had in her face before Harley arrived. This untimely interrupting had cut her chance to show off one of her draconic perks to Suparna. After all, what was the use of being able to smell treasure when someone just popped out of nowhere to give it to them?

Diana's attempts to boast went right over her head, and apparently Harley's as well. Suparna jumped with a start and felt her head press against the monochrome woman's buxom before she managed to right herself and deflate under the realization of who had popped up. 

[color=orangered]"You got it in one, Cheshire."[/color] She blurted out, not dignifying the vassal with turning around and feigning terror at being confronted by such a terrifying being beyond their power. It got old after the second time in an hour.  [color=orangered]"I don't see what's so important about us a great Vassal would pop in, but we'll bite. What'cha selling?"[/color]

[color=silver]"Well, maybe one of you isn't worth my time...but one of you just might be,"[/color] Harley said in snickers, eyeing the back of Suparna's head. It amused her to see the other girl try to be brave in her presence, but she could drink a mountain's worth from the wariness she was feeling through the maggot. [color=silver]"Ah, it hurts to see you act so cold to me Suparna,"[/color] she said, sneaking a little pat onto the shorter girl's head before sweeping her mismatched gaze on them both. [color=silver]"I can't congratulate you after your long journey here? You already beat the boss so why not collect your prizes."[/color]

The Vassal made a swoop of her arm, still smirking as the room changed before them. It was a minor difference, but big enough where Diana and Suparna could make out their new features. Two rows of what looked to be coffins surrounded them, six on either side. Their lids were glass, allowing their contents to be viewed; and what they would find were twelve warriors in all, either sleeping or perhaps even dead. Twelve bodies. [color=silver]"Well? I thought you'd enjoy my present for you,"[/color] Harley said, directly looking at Suparna now. 

[color=gold]"Nah, it's not like I'm of any importance here. I didn't even came for the treasure, I just wanted to spend a little time with a friend,"[/color] Diana said in a self deprecating way as she looked at the shifting scenery. [color=gold]"Less even if this treasure is just a bunch of corpses. That's not the kind of thing I have any use for,"[/color] she added while taking the time to walk towards one of the coffins and clearing some frost that gathered on it to get a better look inside.

[color=gold]"Who are these guys anyway?"[/color] Diana asked, not quite able to keep her curiosity in check. [color=gold]"That is, if you don't mind me asking."[/color]

[color=silver]"Just some warriors I felt deserved special praise. Oh, they're long gone now. But who knows what you could do with corpses like these,"[/color] Harley answered, lingering her gaze on the dragon girl. [color=silver]"I might have something for you after all, Lava Breath...."[/color]

The levels of cheese induced a flippant eye roll in the maggot girl, and she ultimately caved under the head pat and turned around to glare at the Vassal who was so easily amused by the two of them. [color=orangered]"Could you tone down the animosity?"[/color] 

It eluded her as to why a Vassal she had never met before would be so disdainful of Diana yet lavish Suparna with a gift of...coffins, but Suparna would be feeling rather upset with herself if she didn't make some gesture of defending her rescuing dragon girl. Though putting her ill-ease aside she had to admit these were exactly the sorts of treasures she had been looking for when she came to Valhalla, and they lacked the grievous wounds of combat she would have expected to be required to take down warriors worth using as bodies. Mirroring Diana she approached another and peered into the glass, noting the presence of horns and a scent wafting out reminiscent of Diana. [color=orangered]"Are these...dragons? How generous."[/color]

[color=silver]"Oh, you could recognize them already? My, my, you're rather good,"[/color] Harley praised, smirk shifting as her customers checked out their goods. [color=silver]"Well, I suppose I had to give you what you really wanted. You did pass the time for me with your little spectacle with the Gestalt."[/color] Eyes gleaming, Harley splayed out her arms in beholden to the corpses, mocking a showman catering the best they had to offer in the production line. [color=silver]"Well ladies. Which poor soul will it be."[/color]