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[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/m2VEY2U.png[/img][/center]

	For the journey home, Annalise had been as quiet as a breeze, and yet bore forth sheer anger that better matched her Hellhound armor.

[center][color=89cff0][i][b]Why?[/b][/i][/color][/center]
How long had she been asking herself that simply question? Why couldn’t she take back the horse? It was her mission, wasn’t it? Why did the Holstaur get to make all the decisions? Who was she to decide how they would handle their mission? More importantly, who was she to CORRECT Annalise in how to go about doing HER task? Was it even their mission, once she decided that she’d the right to take over at that point?

Why didn’t Magnus stop her? Why did he just let her did what she pleased? Would she get there reward, now? Surely, Jeb, whoever the hell he was, wouldn’t think about them, since someone else returned his horse to him.

	Annalise dug her claws in the ground, as these questions burned in her head. It was burning through her time in her armor, yet equally binding her to it. However, it was not to last, as they trod back upon the grounds of the Guild. Her only memory of the cyclops that was looking things over was her leaving on her first day; they hadn’t spoken a word, hadn’t meet eyes, even. So... 
[h2][center][color=89cff0][i][b]WHY!?[/b][/i][/color][/center][/h2]
Annalise resisted the urge to scream, as the cyclops’s tongue fumbled over the syllable, settling on the common tongue name, “Anna” -- which wasn’t even close to the only proper pronunciation, which would have been, something like, “Annal”. However, that wasn’t the point -- mostly -- at the moment. “[color=89cff0]Why? Metal Eater... But, you... shouldn’t... know...[/color]” she growled, as her flames started to increase with a hissing output of sulfur. “[color=89cff0][b]I DIDN’T GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO CORRUPT NOR SPEAK MY NAME![/b][/color]” 

There was a sudden eruption, as her flaming accoutrements went from crimson with golden roots to sapphire with violet roots, and lost their shape; becoming mere spouts of flames. Even Magnus would be forced to a defensive side, as Annalise trembled in place. He could feel rage explosively rippling off her, and... an undercurrent of sadness? Before he could attempt to do anything, he heard a massive cracking, and a section of Annalise’s armor shattered like shrapnel, and fired at him -- only to return to slime at against his skin.

	‘[color=89cff0][i]Calm down! Calm down!! Calm down!!![/i][/color]’ screamed the Mimic Slime at herself. ‘[color=89cff0][i][b]No! I won’t! Why does she know my name!?Who told her!? Find them! Silence them! Protect us![/b][/i][/color]’ she screamed back, at herself. ‘[color=89cff0][i]I can’t! We can’t! I don’t wanna fight to survive anymore![/i][/color]’ Annalise cried back. ‘[color=89cff0][i][b]WE HAVE TO! THEY’LL KNOW! THEY’LL KNOW WHO WE ARE![/b][/i][/color]’ Annalise barked. ‘[color=89cff0][i]No... let’s run away... relax... before we burn up in anger...[/i][/color]’

[center][color=89cff0][i]...it’s so hot... [b]my anger is....[/b] calm down... [b]need water...[/b] find food... [b]need sleep...[/b] hide and survive... [b]like always...[/b][/i][/color][/center]
Instinct took over, and Annalise rushed down the cyclops -- only to launch beyond her, surging through the hole, and into the Guild. Her flames disappeared as she hit the ground, and rushed to the bathrooms; remembering where the dragoness, Nephele, had led her before, as her armor continued to shatter from the heat it was enshrouded in. 

[center][color=89cff0][i]We... [b]We...[/b] are Annalise Xing... [b]Madame Lin Daw Zhou...[/b] Slime... [b]Lich...[/b] Afraid... [b]Again...[/b][/i][/color][/center]
	Terribly burned, emotionally, and psychically, Annalise reached out, and turned the cold water on full blast to douse her armor, and flood it.
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