Not long after the catchup meeting started did the rest of the espers show up. After Ashley gave her excuse for being late, Mika groaned. "That’s such a weird thing to say.”

Fritzi looked between Ashley and Marrie. "It’s fine.” The eccentric doctor smiled. "The two of you pulled a literal all nighter to get things going. You even managed to enlist the help of additional freelancers to get the building bugged. I’m impressed. And I think all the intelligence you collected is going to be useful here. It doesn’t sound like we have much to worry about.” Perhaps the reason why it was “Marrie’s data” was because she was the one passing out the maps and notifying everyone of possible vulnerabilities in her software. "Actually, I wasn’t sure if you were going to handle the camera feeds or not. You seem to get along with Orion, so why don’t you follow her to the dragon? There’s plenty of warm bodies down here.”

”Some of us even have cold bodies!” The resident zombie started her chainsaw.

Luna pursed her lips. ”Just remember to wear your helmet. It might save you from splitting your head in half.”

”Oooooh! Good idea!”

Meanwhile, Billy sat back down in his hotrod with Ciri raring to go. "Ciri? If ya hadn’t asked me that question, I’d already be takin’ this pig downtown.” The engine rumbled to life. "But if ya hurry to your bike, we can take the weretiger’s to brown town!” As if sensing Ciri’s desire to fight, the shadow turned into a horse beneath her again. While the motorcycles revved, it dragged its hoof across the pavement.

The motorcycles were revving up while the other espers prepared to board Boteg. As pissed off as the dragon had been on that day, he looked timid and shy. The tip of his tail wagged like a dog that really didn’t want their master to see what they destroyed in the other room. Raven, Binky, and the Miko twins were already on board. Ashley and Marrie were preparing to get on, with Mika trailing behind them.

However, Mika stopped and raised her arm, blocking Amanda’s advance.

"I don’t think you’re coming with us.”

The girl wasn’t that much younger than Mika, but looked just as dour. A single tear formed in the corner of her eye. ”I know he’s up there. I won’t get to face him.”

"Who?”

”Timekeeper.” She sniffed. ”H-he hurt me. I want to hurt him back.” The young monster’s voice cracked.

"Huh.” Mika had never really thought too hard about the monster family unit. Most were just mindless creatures, and the intelligent ones tended to work in deceit. She knew who Amanda was, but this was the first time she had been in her presence. "He hurt me too.”

”Did he really hurt you?”

Mika looked over her shoulder. The Mavericks were still making a show of revving their engines, and the dragon wasn’t quite saddled up yet. "He killed my mom.” She looked at Amanda. "He ruins everything he touches, so I have to kill him before he can hurt anyone else.”

”He’ll hurt you again.”

"It’s okay.” Mika looked at her arms. "My mom died on her fourth operation in this place. This is also my fourth operation. I know she’s better than me, so this is where my life will end. That’s why I have to take him down with me.”

”...What?”

"Don’t worry, I’ve got this. This is your first operation, right? You can survive this.” Mika shooed Amanda away before turning around to board the dragon.

As for Fritzi, what was she going to do? It looked like she was going to stay behind and help the Mavericks out.

---

Two guards in front of the Golden Trove watched the street. They were both weretigers, but were keeping a low profile by remaining in their human forms. There wasn’t a lot of traffic on the road today, and there wasn’t a lot of foot traffic either.

”Man this shit is boring.” One said. ”It’s too bad something isn’t happening. We’re supposed to get attacked right?”

”At some point.”

”I hope they bring a lot of espers. Last I heard Gemini wasn’t doing too good. There aren’t any noteworthy freelancer’s left, and Maverick Alternative is a non-entity.”

”I wouldn’t expect much from the attack. Gemini’s got that secret agent thing going, and there’s no way the team up was anything more than a rumor. They fuckin’ hate each other.”

”You’re probably right. But part of me really wants that distant motorcycle rally to be them coming here right now.”

”...”

”...”

”It’s getting louder, isn’t it?”

”It is.”

As the Mavericks pulled up to the Golden Trove, several more guards stepped out of the building. The five of them were struggling to draw their weapons as the opposition rolled on in.

---

The camera feeds were showing a lot of action. Tony, Black Sabbath, Viper, and a slew of others could be seen rushing down the halls of the Golden Trove. There wasn’t much surveillance on the top floor of the hotel, but it seemed like it was as empty as it was going to be.

Boteg touched down on the roof. It was practically begging to be landed on. It was a smooth concrete surface without much to look at. The only thing up here were two giant AC units and the roof access. It seemed they had a moment to strategize before going deeper.

”What’s behind the door, Cerberus?” Binky dismounted the dragon.

Mika shook her head. "I’ve never been to the Golden Trove. But I can confirm that Timekeeper is waiting for us.”

---

Finn and Klava stood in what appeared to be a metal hanger. They were both seated at a small table with the fully upgraded mecha standing before them. Klava was mostly ignoring it as she finished her meal.

“Mmmm, this food really slaps. It's just a shame the ambiance sucks.” Klava pushed her plate aside before dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “Whatcha thinking about? You've been kind of quiet.”

"Oh! Uhm," Finn snapped out of his thoughts, glancing back up at Klava. "It's nothing, just...trying to make sense of everything that's led up to this, I guess." He shrugged. His eyes then drew towards his mecha. So far, his only magnum opus. It was almost a shame it might get busted up so soon.

"...You think things are just going to keep getting worse, regardless what's going to happen?" Finn softly asked her.

Klava shrugged her shoulders. “Dunno. I don't think about the future too much. Why, is there something in particular that you're worried about?”

"Guess I'm still scared that I'll still get the short end of the stick." The boy admitted. "That nothing will ever really change about me, no matter what I do."

As Finn finished speaking, a butler came to clear his place. "Do you believe that you are what needs to change, Fable?" Sofron continued to make eye contact with the boy as he collected Klava's dishes. "Are you familiar with the story of Pinocchio? He wanted to become a real boy, and so he did through his actions. He provided for his father and worked hard, but I daresay he was even more a puppet than a boy at that point."

Finn's brows rose when Sofron put in his two cents into the conversation. With an analogy to...Pinocchio?

"I...never read the original story, but wasn't the whole point of it to be an honest and good person, and all that?" He had to ask. Yeah, no one really said Finn was one in the first place, but for some god-forsaken reason he kept trying to be like an idiot. "I don't even bear much love to my own father."

"Good, because the point of Pinocchio was, actually, not to be a good boy. The point was that Italy was starting to industrialize, and they needed obedient little puppets to work mindlessly for their bosses. It was a propaganda piece to help mold children into their ideal workforce. Virtues such as being good, hard working, or revering a parental figure are all designed to ensnare and use you."

Finn's brows rose again. Huh. He genuinely didn't know that. Neat.

Klava leaned into her palm. “I think that's old guy speech for 'don't be a slave to what other people want.' Instead do what you want, because if you don't, you'll just be a puppet.”

Wasn't he already a puppet?

Finn hummed in thought. "I see." He looked between Klava and Sofron, then nodded. "Right, yeah, you make a good point. Sorry for being so tense."

“It's understandable, you're fighting old friends.” Klava stood up. “But we chose this path, so we might as well walk it.”

Sofron's eyes moved up to the machine. "I've never seen anything quite like it. Magi have made similar contraptions, but a machine that's designed to enhance an esper's abilities? That's not something these old eyes have ever seen." He placed a hand on Finn's shoulder. "You are quite the inventor, Fable. You should have nothing to worry about."

The boy's expression seemed to lighten up at the unexpected praise. When was the last time someone did that for him? Honestly?

"Th-Thank you sir." He mumbled in return, a small smile forming on his face. "It just...comes naturally, I-I suppose."

Though before the conversation continued, two figures had appeared from a shadow in the corner, after a few hours of doing some recon. Penumbra; Elise stepped out, Ramona silently following behind. "Gems and Mavericks are gathering, they're gonna be hitting the Trove soon. Everyone know the plan?" She relayed, stopping next to Klava.

"No, but I'm pretty good at improvising."

Sofron mouthed "smart ass" before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course."

---

The demon tipped his head. "Eavesdropping? A strange accusation from someone trying to gain access to government documents.” He lowered the dark tome, and a pedestal appeared beneath it. "But you're not wholly incorrect. Gemini has removed most of our spies from their organisation. We only knew you had been captured. As for how we know so much about you, well, the Hand has taken particular interest in your quest.” Bookman groaned when he realised he was giving away free information. It wasn’t a mistake he was going to make again. "Let us not dally further. I will be presenting you with contracts, telling you what they expect of you, and what you will get for signing them. You will be rewarded upon signing, but you will be expected to fulfill the contracts to the best of your ability. Should you break a contract, all of your magic will be taken away. Some contracts have a duration, others will last the rest of your life, so consider that when you go to sign them. Before we begin, one of these contracts will deal with getting you out. But let’s save that one for last. I will have a little bonus for you should you sign all the contracts. There aren’t many to go over, but it’s not like you’re headed anywhere, right?”

With a wave of his hand, a fancy wooden table rose out of the floor. It was close enough to the bed that she could use it as a seat if she so chose.

"I have some sensitive information regarding the Hand’s interest in you, as well as a host of other topics ranging from Oros to the very fabric of our reality.” As he spoke, a fresh page on the tome began to write out the details of the contract. A quill with a long black feather kept up with the demon’s voice. "I would share all of it with you, but we must know that you are serious about your quest. Do you really wish to rid the esper world of all its factions? If so, you will be given a series of missions to weaken the factions in Pax Septimus. Three in total. Gemini, Maverick Alternative, and Oros will all be involved in one of these missions. They are the three most powerful factions in Pax Septimus, and we are fully expecting you to assist with fighting the Hand once you leave here. So there will be no required mission against them. These missions will be explained at a later time, and you will be given ample resources to complete them. Refusing to perform them will be seen as breaking the contract. We understand that you have formed connections with certain espers, and you will not be required to harm them should you choose not to.”

The demon held out his hand. "You may shake my hand if you find these terms acceptable.”

Although Mika predictably made a snide comment about her reason for failing to arrive at the meetup on time, Ashley was thankful that Doctor Moller didn’t seem to be particularly bothered. In fact, the director sounded quite pleased by the preparatory work she and Marrie had conducted. Speaking of Marrie, Moller went on to suggest that the bluenette should join the G.E.M.I.N.I. contingent atop the dragon that Ashley had been dreading to approach. Yet, despite her trepidation, the Knight of Tomorrow knew she couldn’t put it off forever. Time was of the essence, and so, steeling herself, the high-tech heroine strode over to the golden-scaled creature and climbed onto its back. To her considerable surprise, the dragon didn’t even acknowledge her presence, its demeanor one of meekness more than anything else. Mika was the last to climb aboard, and once she’d done so, the group set off for the Golden Trove.

In a fortuitous turn of events, their landing atop the opulent hotel’s roof went unopposed, though whether that was due to Marrie’s virus, or the fact that The Hand was simply waiting to spring a trap on them until they’d actually entered the building was anyone’s guess. At the very least, it would give them a moment to lay out a basic plan of action. The most obvious point of entry was the roof access door, and when Mika revealed who was waiting for them beyond it, Ashley couldn’t keep a pit from forming in her stomach. Although she’d been expecting this possibility ever since the young esper’s moody departure from G.E.M.I.N.I.’s ranks, that still didn’t make confronting its reality any easier. Even so, the Knight of Tomorrow would not allow such concerns to prevent her from carrying out her mission.

“Gale, since I imagine you’ve got the best knowledge of the layout of this place, could you portal us to a suitable location close to Room 1408?” Ashley inquired. “I’d rather not use the most obvious, not to mention most likely boobytrapped, path if we can avoid it.”

---

Himiko mulled over what Bookman had presented, with her gaze never leaving the demon. He had come prepared with contracts a plenty. Confirming some of suspicions she had held, while opening the door to a new opportunity. An opportunity that was hard to refuse considering her current circumstance. Letting his words linger in the air for a considerable amount of time, only the hum from the ventilation made any noise.. Her expression remained neutral, and she hadn’t uprighted herself or moved from her position upon the bed.


“Oh, I’m sure they have….”


Lifting her legs up as she rolled over her head and off the bed onto her feet, her long reddish hair trailing down with her back towards Bookman. She started to stretch and loosen up her stiff joints from her long period of rest, twisting and stretching out her arms and back. Feeling satisfied with her stretches she turned her head, peering over her shoulder and down at the table full of contracts. Her yellow golden eyes lingered upon them for a time before her gaze shifted towards Bookman himself, seeing him rightside up for the first time. With that she let herself fall back onto the table as she took a seat on its edge, crossing her arms and propping her right leg over her left knee, flicking her long red hair out of the way as she angled herself to get a better view of not only the contracts but Bookman as well.


“I wouldn’t fret about how serious I take this, I want to destroy them, cut the head off the snake, Dr. Moller in particular… I wonder how much they truly know about me” Having a few questions and clarifications of her own that she wished to make.


“Outside of my assistant who does technical work I have no other connections that will get in my way of harming them, I want to make this clear, the facade that was the freelancer Sovereign is dead, Gemini had its chance to either save her or kill her and they chose to do neither, I have grown bored of those games, it is time to take a more direct approach” shifting her legs as she used her right knee to prop up her left leg as she took a brief pause.



“I presume those ample resources you spoke of go beyond simple supplies and include other espers, I’m capable of a lot of things, but challenging Gemini and Maverick alone is something that not many can hope to accomplish, especially if you are dragging Oros into the mix, not that I’m up for the challenge…but your promise of information has me intrigued” Shifting her attention to Bookmans outstretched hand, her expression and tone having remained just as emotionless as when he had arrived.


Without a word, she rose up from the table and slowly turned to extend her own hand, taking hold of Bookmans without hesitation in a firm and solid grip. Staring him in the eyes as a flicker went through her own. “I find them acceptable, but I wonder... is a deal between two devil’s still a deal with the devil…”

Nodding twice, Marrie began her walk to Boteg, but stopped after a few steps. Something was odd about the Gemini leader's comments. Why couldn't she put her finger on it? She supposed that someone in a position like that would be a little strange, but still... She didn't have time to figure it out, choosing instead to go ahead and get on the dragon's back.

Once she was settled, she called out to Fritzi, waving a cheap smartphone from several generations ago in her direction as she did. "Someone in the fight needs to have the cameras, right?" With her possibly ominous statement made, Marrie put the phone back inside an inner pocket on her Style and tried to calm her worries. They wouldn't do any good to keep.

Barely able to hear the two young girls' conversation, all that really made it to her ears were that the agent she'd worked with at the church planned to die and take her former comrade down with her. That definitely didn't help the blue-haired esper's nerves. She'd just have to deal with things as they happened.

---

A deep exhale, a short inhale. No, that was wrong. Even so it's what she noticed, her lungs not using the logic or knowledge that the brain hoarded from the rest of the body. At this rate she'd suffocate, so she took manual control and started to reverse the pattern.

She didn't register the situation until Cerberus mentioned that the former agent was waiting for them. Which had to mean that either The Hand was always on more alert than she'd seen, or that they at least linked her virus to a coming assault. At worst, though...

Once more she didn't have the time to get her thoughts in order, as Orion mentioned a good idea. The competing thoughts in her mind raced to their finish line, but in the end it was the one advocating for offense that won, forcing her to pull out her outdated phone again. With the camera showing her preferred target area, she placed her hand on the side of one of the huge ACs, and focused on the window in the hallway closest to 1408.

{Silver Touch - Portal - Multicast}
{Silver Spawn - Portal}

As soon as the portals opened, the phone was back in her Style's inner pocket. The big question was...

"Portal's ready. I've got the best movement, so I'll go in last. You'll see the room on the left side, halfway down the hall. Whoever wants to take point, I can't promise there aren't traps, but before they see the portal, hurry."

Even with the cameras showing no movement on the upper floors, Ashley couldn’t be sure that there wasn’t some carefully positioned trap that may have evaded the cameras. Getting tea bagged by a group of weartigers or brainwashed construction workers would be an awful start to an operation.

”I’m not sure if I like the idea of jumping into the building with this portal as our only way out. But at least there will be a brave dragon guarding the exit portal.” Binky turned to look at the “brave dragon” that had lowered its head to the ground. The tip of Boteg’s tail swept across the roof top.

"Not like rushing in has caused a problem in the past.” Mika rolled her shoulders. "Wanna breach with me, Par-a-dice?”

"Yup!"

As soon as Marrie opened the portal, the front line poured into the hallway, followed by the miko twins, Ashley, and finally Marrie. They ran down the hall as fast as they could. The camera had to be picking them up, but it looked like everyone was still headed down to meet the Mavericks. It seemed that they hadn’t gotten wind of what was happening yet.

The door to room 1408 looked innocent enough. Mika jammed her claws into the handle and twisted it off. Raven kicked the door open and both espers ran into the room. They stopped shortly afterwards, and the other espers piled in behind them.

Room 1408 didn’t look like a normal hotel room. It had more in common with a science fiction loading bay than anything else. The ceiling had to be at least ten stories high. There were pillars that looked to be covered in industrial grade steel, and fluorescent ceiling lights lit everything up. There wasn’t much for color either. If it wasn’t grey, which most things were, it was painted a bright safety yellow.

Then, a hole in the wall opened up, and a TV turned on. The screen was all static, but there was a pair of giant cartoon eyes and a grin floating inside all that static.

”Golly gee willikers! If it isn’t the boo crew!” The TV let out a squeaky laugh. ”More like the boob crew, amiright fellas? Seriously, what are you, a lesbian biker gang or something? Though I guess bikers would wear a bit more wouldn’t they?” The eyes flicked up to Binky. ”Hey Binks! Didn’t have enough fun last time? I understand they brainwashed you again. Well, I do appreciate you coming back to doctor XVIII Morning Dragon Fruit! Sadly, they’ve had to update my room a little bit. I prefer Italian maple furniture and afghan rugs, but we were anticipating your arrival. Speaking of, thanks a lot for bleeding all over the old one! Like, rude! But you came back to me, and that’s all I really care about.”

Binky groaned. ”Can someone shoot it already?”

”Babe? I wouldn’t be talking like this if I didn’t have a contingency for that. But we don’t have to fight, right? You guys seem like the sort that could be reasoned with. I know, what if I double your pay, triple your vacation time, and quadruple your christmas bonus?”

---

The demon remained quiet as Himiko spoke. He didn’t open his mouth again until after they shook hands. "Your resources will be revealed to you in due time, along with the missions we plan to put you on. We will certainly keep your willingness to off the doctor and anyone else in Gemini in mind. I only mentioned that you wouldn’t have to harm certain individuals because of your apparent fondness for the cat girl. But if that was merely another trick of yours, it was a good one. You even fooled me. Regardless, you may rest assured that we do not plan on putting you on a suicide mission.”

Bookman turned to his book of contracts, and Himiko’s name was now written on the page of the first contract. "Now to fulfill my part of the bargain. You’ve demonstrated a lot of interesting abilities that most espers do not possess. You have an awareness of things that happen outside of this reality. Not only that, but you’re able to consistently position yourself where you need to be without fail. Reality itself seems to bend to meet your needs. There is a reason you have this power, but to understand it, you need to know what Oros is.” The demon pressed his finger tips together. "The name ‘Oros’ is not that of a person. It is an honorific title bestowed on servants of Aigorost. Oros the Mad, Oros the Wise, Oros the Swift, Oros the Clumsy, and several others. Every realm that horrific entity takes interest in has an Oros within it. Normally, at least. But Oros the Mad is not from here. She came from somewhere else, which means that there is an Oros here as well.” He pointed at Himiko. "You are Oros the Greedy. You may find this hard to believe, but it’s true. Most servants of horrors aren’t aware of the influence their master has on them, which is what necessitates a third party making you aware of the fact. There are two strong indicators that someone is an Oros. At least, ones that normal people can perceive.” He raised his fingers for emphasis. "The first is being a chaos magnet. I could go into details, but I think you know what I mean. The second and strongest indicator is the presence of an ‘Endless Eclipse.’ Every Oros has one, though some have not discovered theirs yet. They are as black as the night sky and offer their wielder special powers. And this brings us to the next contract I’d like you to sign.” He turned the page. "Your Endless Eclipse has manifested. We were watchful and snatched it up before you could get to it. Aigorost has been at odds with us for a long time, and we were not going to let their champion of this world come to complete power. But if you are willing to swear that you will never use your magic to harm the main leaders of the hand, then we would let you have the power that is rightfully yours. Though breaking your oath would be seen as breaking your contract.” He raised a finger as if chiding a child. "Sharing information that you glean from your Endless Eclipse with those that would do us harm counts as using your magic to harm us. Consider who you cooperate with should you accept this deal.” Again, the demon extended his hand.

Ashley once again chose to ignore Mika’s quip as Marrie opened the requested portal. Time was of the essence here, and this way would at least hopefully allow them to maintain the element of surprise for the longest possible extent. Indeed, the subsequent lack of opposition as they passed through the portal and rapidly made their way to room 1408 seemed to bare this out. It was only upon entering the room that they encountered their first major challenge. While their target was undeniably present, the bizarre TV entity also claimed to have been expecting them, although what preparations it had made had yet to be revealed. As the unnervingly cheerful machine babbled, an annoyed Binky requested that someone simply shoot it, a course of action the TV promptly dismissed as pointless. Instead, it suggested that they negotiate, yet the way in which it worded its request gave ample evidence of its inhumanly unhinged nature.

“Sounds nice,” Ashley conceded, once Morning Dragon Fruit had finished its lucrative offer. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to pass,” she added in a firm voice, while firing a glowing green bolt from her techno-wand at the center of the giant screen.

However, this wasn’t an attack. Rather, it was a condensed spy ray pulse, intended to reveal just what hidden defenses were in place to protect the giant machine. The Knight of Tomorrow had been charging it up as soon as the monstrous TV emerged from the wall, since, if watching Knights of the Cosmos had taught her anything of value about the real world, it was that knowledge of one’s enemy was the best weapon one could ever wield against them.

---

Himiko choose not to interject into his line of information he was revealing piece by piece. She remained stoic, her expression neutral but her eyes focused on the demon and the demon alone. A flicker of recognition sparked through her golden yellow iris at the mention of Aigorost. It felt like she knew who and what Aigorost was, as if she had been aware of its name all this time, like it had been a part of her since birth. She knew she hadn’t heard this name spoken to her before, nor had she ever seen it throughout her entire life. Even so, she felt an unusual sense of familiarity which felt comforting in a strange way she had never felt before.

Even when Bookman presented her with her true title, she didn’t feel a sense of shock or surprise. What did surprise her was how it felt natural, it felt right, it felt like she had known this all along, even though that title and name had never graced her lips or mind prior and this had been the first time she had heard it. That was who she truly was deep within her core, Himiko Yoshikawa was truly Sovereign no more. In her place stood Oros, Oros the Greedy.

Once it had all sunk in, Himiko closed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest as her mind mulled over the overload of information it had to digest in quick succession, piece by piece so she could come to a determination. Once she was composed and had made her determination, her eyes shot open as her gaze met Bookmans once again.

“Interesting, I did not know Demons could feel fear, let alone the Hand…do I truly scare you that much? Oros the Greedy huh? that has a nice ring to it...” Tilting her head aside as she put her right palm against the side of her own neck cracking it. “Though it is kinda a pain in the ass that you went and found what rightfully belongs to me before I became aware of it, you were smart to have done so, if I had found it first I would have very little trepidation about who I turned it against…whatever this Aigorost desired or not”

She exhaled a small sigh as she straightened her neck, running her hand through a long swathe of her red hair. “As for Cerberus, that fondness was no trick, I have a soft spot for Cerberus even now as we speak, we are more similar than we are different, but she is not ready to accept her reality and break free of her chains, she is content to serve those who have done nothing to punish the one responsible for the death of her mother, It's not that I wish to harm Cerberus,not to mention in her current state it would be quite difficult to do so with my current abilities, but it may become necessary if she chooses to continue her current path as a Gemini drone and finds herself in the way of my ambitions which hopefully snaps her out of it” Giving her long red hair one last flick as she brought her gaze back upon Bookman as a flicker went through her eyes.

“As for Oros the Mad, I had the displeasure of making her acquaintance, though some of her words and behavior now become clear after this revelation, it does not surprise me she comes from somewhere out of this world” Her eyes glanced down towards her arm that Oros the Mad had cut off upon their first meeting in reminiscence giving her hand a few flexes.

Her eyes glanced down at his outstretched hand as she put past memories behind her “I will agree to this arrangement, but I would like to add a clause to it, if the main leaders of the Hand aim to cause me harm at any point I want it to void said contract so that I may defend myself, if that is agreeable then I have no problem making a vow to not turn my Endless Eclipse upon them or make use of it to assist others who have that desire” extending her own hand out to him as she made her counter offer as her gaze never left his. She felt it was a fair deal, even if she didn’t like the fact they had forced her hand by holding her Endless Eclipse hostage. It complicated things, she didn’t like to be restricted, but if Bookman’s information was even remotely accurate she could not pass up getting her hands on it. She needed more power if she was going to make her ambitions a reality and if it meant some sacrifices she would just have to make them.

After the rush into the room, Marrie couldn't help but be surprised by what she saw. The room was too tall, like it shouldn't be able to be there. Was it planned to be like this, built up from the start for it? Or was it some kind of magic? It didn't really matter which it was. What mattered was...

That this thing was annoying. Its speech, both wording and voice, the cadence of it. There was also the nagging feeling that whatever image it was going for, it got the idea from those other annoying screen-things from Fallout. Its words, despite being almost painful to her, did make her realize something. Whether it actually wanted to talk or not, the chance of them getting it out of the fight right now was low.

So instead of playing along with it, she backed up to stand just outside the door-frame, and cast a Melody of her own.

{Gold Self - Magic Sense}

Ashley fired her melody at the sentient TV. As soon as the projectile left her wand, a blast door slammed shut right in front of XVIII Morning Dragon Fruit. The scanning bolt struck the door and gave a readout of the metal. It appeared to be extremely resistant to all forms of attack, being that it was some arcane infused steel. It was extra resistant to arcane effects, but the powers of chaos might have been able to damage it more easily. Otherwise, it didn’t have any other special abilities,

”Yahtzee! ” The TV screeched. ”What a surprise! I wasn’t lying. Are you hard of hearing or just high on booger sugar? Does it even materrrrrrrrrr…” The voice seemed to be moving up the wall into the ceiling. ”It’s okay, once I’ve broken you of that Gemini brainwashing, I’ll have you scrubbing toilets and tucking guests in! But I’m definitely going to cut your pay for this. Hope you don’t have any outstanding mortgages.”

And then, silence. Binky turned around and ran back for the door.

”Come on.” She waved Marrie off to the side. ”We need to go back up and catch them before it escapes!”

”Honey?” The TV’s voice seemed to come from the room itself. ”I’m not going anywhere...”

Several more lights flipped on. It was now possible to see some markings in the ceiling. With a click, two platforms slid apart, and an intense red light shined down into the room. The hum of an electric motor accompanied a trap door sliding open. It just took a few seconds for it to open up all the way, revealing a massive hole into the floor above. The motors went quiet, and the room was still. But it only stayed that way for a moment. Something passed in front of the red lamp, and shortly afterwards, it fell into room 1408. When it landed, it shook the floor, and everyone lost their footing.

Mika managed to get her footing first. She braced herself against a pillar and looked up at what had fallen before them. It was the mecha that had retreated earlier.

"Aria?”

”Area?” Morning Dragon Fruit incorrectly called back. ”Yes this takes up a lot of area. We call it space though. Anyway, I know Orion tried to shoot me, but I thought it was cool how they whipped out that cool one liner. I’m gunna pass the mic over to Time Keeper and let him give you a few choice words.”

After a moment, a voice no one wanted to hear ever again spoke up. ”You know, I barely see a reason to humor this act. I already know you’re all dead set in your… personal goals. Practically chomping at the bits at the chance to kill me.” His voice sounded cold, almost mechanical. ”But I should be thanking you, really. You’ve gathered nearly every loose thread I hadn’t the chance to wrap up.” Nearly. He knew things were going to escalate, as per usual, reinforcements were to be expected.

The mecha lifted one of its arms, igniting a burst of fire from it.

”I’m going to have fun breaking you.”

Mika stared up at the mech, body shaking in anger. With a flick of her wrists, her claws popped all the way out, but she stood her ground.

The TV grunted out a barely contained laugh. ”Wew! Now that’s cold! And guys, I haven’t even done anything to him. Are you sure he used to be on your side? And speaking of cold, someone else has something she wants to say to you.”

“Sup.” It was Klava. “I’m really just here for the paycheck and to help an old friend.” The other arm came up, and a post hole digging drill flipped out of the arm and started spinning. “But I feel like this’ll put a smile on both of our faces.”

”Eh… I think we can start now.”

The mech surged forward. Rather than the clunky movement it had displayed before, it hopped forward and froze the ground beneath its feet. Thrusters opened up in the back of it as it barreled forwards. Mika and Raven rushed to either flank, awaiting the word of their commander.

Marrie’s magical site was able to tell that the mech was able to enhance and take on an esper’s abilities. Klava’s magical frost was freezing the ground beneath the giant mech so that it could slide around like she used to do. It did not look like Finn was using any magic at this time. The room they were in, while magically enchanted, was only done so for protection. While impossibly large, the only explanation was that the upper half of the hotel was made with larger rooms in mind. There was a distinct lack of rooms on this floor, and perhaps all of them were equally big, if not as well armored.

Then, from outside the room, Marrie could see every door in the hallway open at the same time. Nothing came out yet, but it seemed that Dragon Fruit would be getting reinforcements shortly. The camera systems showed this as well, with construction workers making their way up flights of stairs to reach the top. It looked like the rest of the threats were still engaged in combat on the first floor.

Still no sign of the Bates.

Where were they?

---

The Bastion wasn’t such a secure location with everyone laying siege to the Golden Trove. At the end of the day, the Bastion was just a large tunnel system, and without Billy there to maintain it, anyone could just walk in and slay as many monsters as they wanted. It was far safer to have everyone join the siege, even if it seemed more dangerous. Of course the weak and inexperienced were expected to stay back. Amanda was only here to sit on the sidelines so that nothing happened to her. That was the idea anyway.

But Maverick Alternative didn’t have babysitters, and they were down a lieutenant. Nobody was exclusively required to look after Amanda, and Billy’s order for her to remain out of harm's way was given to her directly. Ciri was not privy to it, and nobody nearby was going to correct her. Billy had already sped ahead, and the other bikes were forming up behind him. After Amanda looked at her for a moment, she nodded.

”I remember you.” She gave a single nod. ”You’re the one that helped get me out of there.” She pulled herself up on the dark horse. With the two sitting so close it became evident, yet again, that the pink oni girl was the shortest thing in Maverick. But Amanda didn’t say anything. Ciri had kept her word thus far, and this time they were headed towards the danger instead of away from it.

…

…

…

There might not have been a fancy banner for Ciri’s section, but she was still determined to make short work of the scattered weretigers. She did this by scattering insects all over them.

”Gah! It itches!”

”It burns!”

”This was a new suit!”

They didn’t even get a single shot off before the motorcycles rolled by. Two of them managed to get back inside before they were peppered by shots from Luna’s wand. Stacy Stitches crashed her motorcycle into a hedge and threw herself into the hedge beside it. When she emerged, she was brandishing her chainsaw and running her way up the steps. The other Mavericks were quick to dismount and follow her inside. Billy got out of his cadillac. Trixy hopped off of her motorcycle. She was about to rush inside when she turned to look at Ciri. A mischievous smile crossed her face and she waited for duo on horseback before joining everyone else inside.

The interior was about as lavish as one would expect. The center of the room had a fountain made of solid gold, and just beyond that was a solid gold koi fish. The rest of the room had a distinctly chinese motif that felt more authentic than the tourist traps in chinatown. One of the retreating weretigers stumbled, and Billy threw a car rotor at it’s head. Normally such mundane devices wouldn’t harm them, but being a mechromancer, Billy could create arcane car parts out of thin air. It bisected the tiger’s head, and he collapsed.

Further ahead, the enemy had assembled. Big tony stood at the front, this time dressed in a fancy business suit. He was flanked by the nuns, and stared at Billy as he entered.

…

”The big guy doesn’t like to talk.” Lenore twirled her sword before placing it on her shoulder. ”But none of you have to die today. You can back off and we’ll go upstairs and finish off Gemini for good. That’ll give you guys free reign of the city, right?”

---

Again, Bookman remained stoic as Himiko went on. He did not seem to react to anything she said. Not from the implication that the hand feared her to her clarifications about her relationship with Cerberus. His hand remained extended as she spoke of Oros the mad. It wasn’t until she suggested a clause and extended her own hand that the goat man moved. His eyes looked down at her hand, and he slowly lowered his.

"I will certainly keep all that in mind should we make future negotiations.” He said with a slight bow of his head. "It is not our goal to do you harm, so I would not have any issue including your clause. Though the way you worded it makes me wonder if you understand the conditions of the initial contract. We do not wish for you to merely avoid scrying us with your Endless Eclipse. You will need to refrain from using all of your magic to harm any of our main leaders. If we wished to stop you from using it to harm us, we could ensure that by merely keeping it out of your hands. I’m sure you understand, but I must clarify. My goal is not to deceive.”

The contents of the contract changed to reflect Himiko’s desired changes without conflicting with the idea of the contract. Then the devil raised his hand again, fingertips just out of reach.

Watching the terms of the contract change to terms that she found more agreeable she heard out what he wanted to clarify in silence of her own. Even if he had not acknowledged it directly, it was clear that whatever powers her Endless Eclipse possessed and would grant her was of great concern to The Hand. They could have kept her Endless Eclipse to themselves, but The Hand was smart enough to use it to their advantage. Enough that Bookman had sought her out to come to terms that would protect them from her while being able to unleash Himiko,...no, Oros the Greedy onto the rest of Pax Septimus. Sure they sought to use her, but it also opened the door to her using them. It wasn’t a one way street if she played her cards right and made the most of the opportunity, both sides could gain something from one another.

Getting her hands on her Endless Eclipse was an important endeavor, even if getting it would tie her hands when it came to The Hand. It was a compromise she was willing to make if it helped make her ambitions a reality. Despite the drawback of the contract it still meant that the rest of Pax was open game for her to do what she pleased. She was after the head honchos of Gemini, Maverick and The Inquisition and if coming to terms with The Hand made her goal easier then it was worth the sacrifice. The newfound powers that her Endless Eclipse would grant her would elevate her to a level far beyond any she had experienced and bring her goals ever closer to fruition.

With a small shake of her redhead, she broke her silence. “No I understood the conditions, and understand them now, that is not an issue and I see no deception” Her yellow golden eyes drifted towards the contract, she paused for a brief moment to ensure the terms met her wishes while crossing her arms. “I find the updated terms to be agreeable and fair”

Feeling satisfied with that clause put into the contract she had no issue in agreeing to this second contract. Leaning across the table to close the gap, there was a brief pause before she clasped her hand with his for the second time. Putting more strength and firmness into her grip then she had the first, never breaking eye contact with Bookman. “You are quite fortunate as I have nothing but time on my hands, now that we have that cleared up and that contract out of the way, what else do you wish to discuss, hopefully it's as interesting as the first two…” Pulling her hand away as she let herself fall backwards, plopping herself down on her bed in a seated position awaiting his next words. Sure she was selling bits and pieces of her soul one contract at a time, but she was intrigued by what else Bookman could potentially put on the table.

In an all too predictable turn of events, a massive blast door slid into place over Morning Dragon Fruit an instant before Ashley’s spy ray pulse could hit the giant TV. Even so, the information gathering attempt was still successful, with data on the barrier’s defensive properties scrolling across the Knight of Tomorrow’s visor. It was as formidable as expected, with a particular resistance to arcane attacks, such as those the high-tech heroine herself employed, but as it soon became apparent, the chamber’s armored walls would be the least of her squad’s concerns…

Even as MDF continued to spew her annoying taunts, the ceiling opened above the G.E.M.I.N.I. team to allow a familiar looking mech to slam down in front of them. The force of its landing caused the various agents, and lone freelancer, to lose their footing and fall to the floor. Even Ashley, with her boot-mounted gravity generators, couldn’t hep but take a knee to better stabilize herself. Yet, she and the rest of her team were back on their feet soon enough, just in time to hear a very familiar voice call out from the mech’s speakers.

Finn…

And he wasn’t alone. Right after the clockwork esper gave voice to another edgy monologue, Ashley couldn’t help but gasp as she heard Klava’s voice as well. She hadn’t seen The Maiden since she and Gale had teamed up with her to take out Sofron, and had reluctantly concluded that the freelancer had perished after falling into the bay, but whether or not the woman speaking was brainwashed, opposing them willingly, or was even the real Klava to begin with, the Knight of Tomorrow’s core objective remained the same. They needed to eliminate MDF, and to do that, they needed to neutralize this mech, and its pilots, as swiftly as possible.

“Cerberus, Paradise! Take out its arms!” Ashley instructed, as she began charging her techno-wand. “Cereza, Cerise! Focus on its legs! Gale! Please guard Binky!” she added, aiming her technomantic weapon at the obviously upgraded mech, while raising her energy shield to absorb the brunt of any potential attacks it might direct her way as she readied her overpowered firing solution. “I’ll take care of the torso…”

By this point, the tip of her techno-wand was glowing like a miniature supernova, which swarms of shimmering particles continued to coalesce into, while concentric rings of neon green light rapidly spun around it like a dozen frenzied gyroscopes. At the same time, a rising hum swiftly built into an ear piercing screech as transcendent, techno-mystic power rose to staggering levels. Narrowing her eyes and ensuring a positive target lock, the Knight of Tomorrow fired a gleaming, diamond-shaped spike of hard light energy directly at the mech’s center of mass.

You might be looking forward to breaking us, but first, we’re going to break your little toy…

---

Marrie was... completely confused. First of all, the ground had shaken, and she took a moment to get back on her feet. Secondly, the large room was now filled with some sort of mech. And then there was some vaguely familiar voice talking about how everyone wanted to kill the person it belonged to. And lastly, there was a somewhat more evidently familiar voice that mentioned a paycheck.

Maybe it was the trauma, maybe it was the attempts to put the whole thing behind her, (barring her rage-fueled work on her virus programs) maybe it was just that it had been so long since the event, but Marrie didn't actually recognize that female voice. No more than she recognized the male one. Instead, what she recognized was that they were really pretentious in their word choice.

More importantly she noticed several things about the mech, and then that the doors in the hall were open. "Watch out, that thing has super versions of the magic whatever esper is in there has!" Not that she really needed to say that, considering that it was already using ice to move around.

At Orion's request, Marrie turned to the only one who could possibly be "Binky," the eldest one there. She looked directly at her, sighed deeply, and grabbed her hand to pull her a bit more out of the giant room. Conflict was obvious on her face; on the one hand she wanted to get this fight over with quickly and move on, but on the other hand this was a fight she wasn't greatly suited for. She had a plan, but when had her plans ever worked out in Pax? If this mission was a success, this would be the first in her mind to do so.

But if Orion felt she could handle the giant fuckoff robot, then Marrie would trust her and save her own energy for other battles. Like the one that was no doubt going to take place in the hallway soon.

The metal gear mech was not a slow thing. Ashley had to shout her orders to overcome the howls of metal grinding on metal. The sound reverberated through the room along with melodies and a cacophony of other sounds nobody could pick out. Regardless, Gemini had a job to do.

The miko twins opened fire on the legs. Both of them launched pulsing beams of light at the metal monstrocitiy’s legs. Raven drew her pistol and fired at the mech’s burning arm, and Mika hurled a glowing hedgehog at the other. That was four different melodies, and the mech visibly shook from the attack. But the hull hadn’t been breached yet. Moreover, the mech was ready to counter attack.

The upper torso spun like a top, spreading a ring of flame around the room. Mika and Raven were able to take cover behind the nearby pillars, but the Miko twins and Ashley were right in harm's way. It kept spinning, getting closer and closer. The shrine maidens would need a moment to erect a shield and it didn’t look like they’d make it in time.

All wasn’t safe around the pillars either. A giant fist broke through the roof of the room and slammed down on Mika. Translucent energies sped out from under the fist and converted again, placing Mika in a much safer position. For the moment.

"There’s something else?”

As the oldest person in the group, Binky was a little caught off guard when Marrie locked eyes with her, sighed (perhaps out of annoyance) before grabbing her hand and pulling her. A simple hand signal or a “come on” would have sufficed. It seemed like she had been nothing but a bother to people recently, so she should have expected this behavior. Though there was something about the spectral esper’s assertive behavior that made Binky blush. Maybe it was from all the teasing Fritzi did. This wasn’t really the place to think about that. It didn’t feel good to step away from combat, but by the sound of it, Ashley wasn’t ready for her assistance yet.

”Okay.” Binky looked to Marrie. Her grip on her M4 tight. ”It doesn’t look like the hallway is going to be safe for long.”

And it wasn’t. More of those brainwashed construction workers were pouring down both sides of the isle. Binky pressed her back against the door frame and aimed down one side. It was clear the place was pretty durable, so no one should be able to shoot through the walls.

But that wasn’t going to stop another voice that Marrie may or may not have recognized from entering her ears.

"Don’t get too close. Wait for them to try and leave. Maybe we can get a grenade in there. There should be no risk of damaging the mech without magic."

If Marrie cared to look at the camera feeds, Baleful Sofron would be there. He stood behind several construction workers. Her briefly looked up at the camera before giving more orders.

---

Ciri and Lenore laughed together, like two sisters in an insane asylum. Though Ciri eventually had to stop to explain why there was no fucking way that was going to fly. This just seemed to make it funnier to Lenore, who waved her weapon around with the same kind of nonchalant energy Ciri was displaying.

”I could see your white haired metal head reacting like that, but I thought we made a good team last time. Both of the trains rode off into the sunset, did they not?”

That was just long enough for Ciri to look at a few minds.

Monsters, and even some humans, didn’t always think in words. Tony’s mindscape was filled with wrathful images. Blood splattering the walls, gore landing like wet laundry, and his hulking fist buried inside Billy’s chest. This could have been his intent, but it didn’t mean that he was literally going to use this form of attack on Billy. It didn’t seem like he was focusing on a spell or anything of the sort. He was just psyching himself up for his target, envisioning the best possible outcome.

…

”It’s like the little lady here says, you bozos are about do for an ass woopin’!” There was some hootin’ and hollerin’ from the other Mavericks.

”And if we wanted to beat up the gems, we’d do it ourselves!” Stacy added.

The cigar chomping bunny nun shrugged her shoulders. ”Be our guest!”

Stacy’s eyes went wide. ”I get it! We’re in a hotel, so you said-” The first attack of the encounter came from behind enemy lines. A sniper shot off Stacy’s head, sending the girl running after it. It wasn’t long before the others jumped into action.

Nova erected a smoke screen, Lenore ran for Luna, Lexi put a blessing on Bobo, who lifted her flamethrower and shot napalm across the space.

Luna tossed Stacy her head, who turned around in time to deflect Lenore. Trixy fired a rocket into the crowd of weretigers, Amanda flung a ball of sand at the others. Billy met Tony’s charge, and Ciri…

Ciri had gotten the fight she wanted. There was a good deal of chaos erupting all around her. Enemy reinforcements would show up, but Fritzi was right outside, and she was supposed to be a strong esper or something. Though that initial sniper round had come from somewhere, and it might be best to deal with them before they get smart and shoot at Tetrad or Trixy next time. Then at the far back of the room, Ciri caught a glimpse of them. There hunched over a desk was someone in pillaged military gear with only a small lock of cyan hair hanging out of the side of their helmet.

”We need to get upstairs.” Amanda produced another ball of sand. It started out as a few grains before swirling into a glossy tan sphere. ”If we get up there, I know we can find him…”

---

"We continue to find common ground among these deals. Before moving onto the next one, don’t you want what you signed up for?” With a snap of his fingers, a gilded bird cage appeared in his hand. His finger was looped through a ring that held the entire thing up. Between the golden bars and gilded floral decorations was a small black bird. Bookman produced a key with the other hand and unlocked the cage. The door swung open, and the tiny yet rotund bird flew to her hand. If she looked at it long enough, she would notice stars floating in its perfectly black plumage. "I’ve heard an Endless Eclipse can take many shapes, but I’ve never seen one take on the shape of a living creature.” His tone sounded genuine. Though they could not marvel at it forever.

"Halfway done now.” Bookman turned the page. "Your partner is in trouble. Their position has been compromised, and it won’t be long before they are apprehended by the police. It’s not too late to save them. I can get them off of their trail for good, but there’s a caveat.” He placed his hands together. "Cerberus, Orion, and Time Keeper have special artifacts on their person. We would like to examine one of them. You may select one of them to hunt down and retrieve their artifact. It’s effectively the same deal as the first one. You will help us with a task and be granted the resources to do so. Only you get to select the target yourself when the time comes. But are they worth the hassle?” The demon extended his hand.

Just before Ashley could fire her supercharged attack, the mech began spinning like a top, sending a flaming whirlwind shooting out in all directions. While Mika and Raven had been able to leap out of its range, the twins, along with the Knight of Tomorrow herself, weren’t so lucky, since the mech had also begun charging directly at them. Ashley knew she had to think fast. None of her teammates had been able to inflict any substantial harm on the machine’s appendages, and while blowing off the flamethrower arm would stop the fire, taking out the torso would stop the entire mech. Thus, with her target lock unaltered, the high-tech heroine fired off her gleaming energy projectile, before raising her shield to block the torrent of flame.

“Cereza! Cerise!” Ashely called to the twins. “Get behind me!”

Once the pair were close enough, the Knight of Tomorrow conjured a hexagon-etched dome of green energy around the three of them. She only hoped it wold be strong enough to resist the mech’s enhanced weaponry, to say nothing of the giant fist that had just punched its way through the ceiling…

---

Himiko held out her hand before her, her golden yellow eyes staring deeply into the bird now perched upon her fingers. Immersing herself in the endless black starry void, as if she was staring into an entire galaxy. Appearing as if she was staring into the far off distance, she said nothing, nor did she blink. In this moment she felt like a piece of her she had been missing had finally been reunited with her. She for the first time was truly and wholly complete, a new found level of power was at the tips of her fingers. It sent a surge throughout her entire body and she had never before felt this alive.


It took a while, but Himiko finally pulled her gaze from her Endless Eclipse to acknowledge Bookman and his new contract. The flicker that would sometimes show within her eyes now being a full on golden yellow glow. Her emotionless face tilted to the side as she took her free hand and started to twirl a strand of her long red hair with her index finger. “I suppose I owe her that much at the very least for the help she has given to me thus far, so I will agree to that deal, however…” pausing as she stared into Bookmans eyes, or better yet as if she was staring through him entirely. Her free hand stopped what it was doing to reach out and clasped Bookmans once more as she inched her face closer.


“If you sought these artifacts, why not take Timekeepers when you had the opportunity, you and I know that it was no mistake that you showed his name on that contract of yours when you first arrived, which means he either came into possession of it afterwards, or you chose not to take it at that time…”

Releasing his hand as she pulled back and reclined returning back to business “As for resources, what do you have to offer, if you are after something from Orion, Cerberus or Timekeeper it simplifies things slightly that only one artifact is needed as it increases the chances for a moment of opportunity arising, even so it may take a decent amount of resources as they are all quite problematic in their own unique ways..” Her eyes drifted towards her Endless Eclipse staring into it once more “It does allow me to test out these new found abilities….but until I’m able to reach my full potential I must proceed with thoughtful preparation and assistance”

Marrie wasn't sure what to do. There weren't a lot of rooms, but there were enough entrances to the hallway to be problematic. A glance at Binky showed that she was still in mundane form, but at least she was well armed. Why not transform? Could she? No time to wonder about that, just do what you can. But what?

"Don’t get too close. Wait for them to try and leave. Maybe we can get a grenade in there. There should be no risk of damaging the mech without magic."

She blinked. That... that was a good idea. Great, they had a strategist to supplement their brainless drones. The voice sounded vaguely familiar again, but she didn't have time to try to recognize it. Instead...

{Bronze Projectile - Scatter - Homing - Damage X}

She cast a Melody. She didn't need it to be powerful. She didn't need it to be fast. She just needed there to be enough of them. Her target wasn't the small army that was trying to get near, but just above each of the doorways around the hallway, barring the one she and Binky were standing near. If she could collapse them, add even a moment of difficult terrain, that would work. Better yet, maybe she'd bring down part of the hotel entirely.

With the hope that some of the enemy's own explosives, if they had any, would get triggered, Marrie took a moment to glance at the cameras on her phone. Specifically, the first floor's. It looked like the fight had started, but at least nobody seemed to have fallen yet. She could only hope that things would stay that way.

Ashley, stubborn as ever, decidedly took the “all-or-nothing” route and fired her attack at the mech’s torso. Perhaps- No, of course she underestimated the pilot that had remade it, expecting it to fall apart the instant it hit. Once she had immediately raised her defenses after; giving Cereza and Cerise somewhere to take cover, she’d see that her attack hadn’t even left much of a dent in its shell. None of their attacks were doing enough damage. Her melody might have obliterated an esper, but espers were made of flesh and bone, and this mech was made out of enchanted steel and infused cobalt.

Cute. Our turn.

While the Knight of Tomorrow had applied an AoE melody to her shield, the machine decided to go a bit lower, once the mech was in range, its foot slammed down onto the floor again, ensnaring the trio in its own painful attack as it tried to drill through Ashley’s barrier. It took a bit of will for the twin miko to stay standing against the surge of lightning burning through them.

”Kiddo, y’don’t have to do this! Please!” Cerise called out to Finn, a pointless endeavor. She managed to force herself to move just enough and dispel the melody. Her sister took advantage of the opening to fire another volley of arrows from behind Ashley. ”We don’t wanna hurt you, just get the hell outta the way!”

”Shame you’ll have to anyways, isn’t it?” The Timekeeper spoke back with an almost mocking tone.

The mech’s other arm raised to counter the incoming arrow. But rather than block it with the arm, it created a giant frigid block that the arrow struck. The enormous icecube was split in half by the light projectile, and threatened to crush the squad leader beneath it.

“What do I have to do to make a sculpture around here?”

Mika was about ready to pounce on the mech’s exposed back, but another fist came out of the ceiling. This time Mika was able to evade in time. Then a third, and a fourth. Before long, all four hands gripped the ceiling and peeled it open like a christmas gift. The ceiling had been almost completely removed, and staring down at them was a giant, red, four armed creature.

"A giant demon now?”

”No! No, you silly girl. That’s Elroy! You remember him, right?”

That’s right. Faith had been turned into a behemoth somehow, in the past. The Holy Diver had her trapped deep within its chest. Did that mean that Elroy was trapped inside this thing the same way? Or was the TV just screwing with them now? They didn’t have time for this. They were going to have to take care of this quickly so that they could get to Finn.

"Paradise? Let’s see if we can keep this thing off of the others.”

Raven sighed. "We can try."

With a roar, “Elroy” took another swing at Mika.

Meanwhile, Binky stopped firing to reload her weapon. Marrie wasn’t much of a talker, which just gave her more time to focus on shooting. That did make it that much more surprising when she hurled a melody into the hallway. ”Gah!” But the resulting hailstorm of magic wasn’t aimed at her. Not that she really knew what Marrie was aiming for.

While Marrie had intended to hit any explosives the men had been carrying, most of them didn’t have much. The slurry of magic rained down on anyone nearby, and one projectile found its way to a grenade one man was about to throw. But Marrie’s arctic magic wasn’t an ideal choice for triggering the heat activated explosives. The grenade was cut in half, and the contents poured out onto the floor.

”...Very well, we do this the old fashioned way. A fireball appeared in his hand, and he cast it into the doorway. Binky had already darted out of the way when she heard the fireball being cast. Behind her, the fireball exploded and filled the air with burning ash. Binky was only lightly burned before getting out of the way, but Sofron's footsteps echoed down the hall. ”I changed my mind. We’re going in.

---

After the handshake, Bookman produced a cell phone and sent a quick text message. He allowed Himiko to ramble on for a bit before speaking. "You have quick eyes. Just because I offer someone a deal does not mean they are willing to part with any and everything they possess. Moreover, the assistance we will grant you will be further discussed when it comes time to acquire the item of your choosing. As you so cleverly pointed out, Timekeeper has signed a contract with us. They are our ally for the time being and are performing an important task. It would not do for you to sabotage them while they are working.”

With a click, the phone powered down. "Now we are finally at the last contract.” He flipped the page. Compared to the others, there was far less written up here. "It’s simple, really. I get you out of a high security government prison, and you become our loyal employee for a year, with the option to sign on for more. I’ve corrected it with your favorite clause. If we try to harm you while you are working for us, you are allowed to defend yourself. Oh, and that would make four out of four, wouldn’t it?” He turned the page again. This time the writing seemed to go on forever. "As a bonus, we’ll let you select from a few company bodyguards, debtors, and freelancers to act as your own personal guard and crew. Their contracts will last as long as yours, and you may freely trade them out if they displease you for any reason. Though they will be strongly discouraged from displeasing you, and required to meet your whims.” Was that what the rest of the book was? Just contracted guards for Himiko to pick from?

But they weren’t hers yet.

The demon’s hand presented itself yet again.