Dire Times (Closed)

[Tenshi the Sunkern]

"Wha- What happened to Diamen? My baby... What happened to my baby?!"

Crigan could only stand and hang his head low as Mara grabbed her son and held him close. "I am sorry. It was my fault this happened to him. I should have told him to stay away, and not follow me."

"What do you mean?" Mara asked. They were in her living quarters, along with Shiki Eiki and Proteus, both of which were just as curious as Mara was, though Crigan could see that the Yama was looking away, as if knowing where that mark had come from which now disgraced the firstborn child. "Who did this to him? Was it Persephone?"

"Mom, it doesn't hurt that much anymore. I'll be alright. It just stings abit. The Maluvor who did this... she didn't seem that threatening at fi-"

"Wait." The Yama cut him off. "You mention the Maluvor? They did this to you? Please tell me you did not engage them in combat."

"Well..." Crigan explained to them what happened. As he told them, he noted the three's expressions. Mara's was confused and horrified, her eyes widening as she shook her head. Proteus was reeling from it as well, while the Yama stayed silent, her eyes cold and narrowed.

Once he was finished, it was Proteus who spoke first. "This is bad. Shinki was so sure the Maluvor wouldn't be able to make an alliance with anyone... and yet, the worst case scenario has already occured."

"Add onto that, I fear that due to my recklessness, we have lost an ally as well. Auroros seemed enraged at what I had done, and I hope I can make this up to him, as well as you all. It was my own failure that allowed Diamen to be harmed, and for the rescue of the Emmisary to nearly blow up in our faces."

"Crigan." Mara's voice caused the god to look over at her, and the woman placed a warm, tender hand on his head. "It was not your fault. You had no idea just how dangerous those monsters could be. To think these were what Persephone's own mother fears above almost all else. Things will be alright, thought. Trust me, they will be."

"How can they?" Crigan jerked his head away. "We have monsters assailing us from all corners of existence. Nightmares from my own past, nightmares from the pasts of others, and entities that have showed up from out of the blue as third parties... It is because of my presence that you are all in danger. They are after me, and because you are all close to me..."

"Crigan, that is enough." The Yama ordered. "It is my fault for not informing you of the Maluvor beforehand. Though you were in a class not devoted to tracking and dealing with them, I should have informed you of their existance and power beforehand. And it was the very rigid code of combat and enemy neutralization we have implemented for lesser evils that got you into that mess. My deepest apologies, Crigan."

If the circumstances weren't so dire, Diamen would have laughed. "I should have heeded your earlier advice, father, and not follow the soul trail. If I hadn't i wouldn't have this stupid mark on my face."

Mara tried her best to smile, but failed to find the strength to do so. After what she had been through, especially her humiliating defeat by Tel recently, she had no strength left. "There has to be some cure for it. There must be a way to undo that damage you have on you."

Shiki Eiki shook her head. "I am afraid there is none. The tainting powers of the Maluvor are without equal, and almost all known cases have been fatal before we could even study the victims. The only two known survivors of such an encounter, are lady Shinki, and Diamen here. We lack the means to produce such a cure for nether poisoning, I fear."

Mara hugged Diamen even tighter, burying her head in his chest. "Atleast you are alive. I lost you once before, and I don't want to loose you again."

"Mother, I'm made of tougher stuff that you think. It'll take more than a cute angelic girl to kill me."

"So... what are we to do in this case?" Proteus asked, drawing everyone there back to him. "Things are obviously at the worst they can possibly be. Not only do we have Yuuka Kazami with her own ambiguous agenda and motives, but we also have the Maluvor and this Ommadon figure working together. Shinki will we worrying herself to death if we tell her this."

The yama sighed. "We should also inform the High Council. Perhaps they would have an idea of what to do in this dire situation."

"Both of those ideas are illogical." A voice boomed from the corner of the room. All turned as a spatial rift tore open, one with crimson energies flowing from within. A sole figure emerged from the rift as it closed, a figure that was draped in a torn black cloak. Metallic clawed fingers could be seen gripping the edge of the towering being, and with each step it took, the figure swayed from side to side, abit subtly. And underneath the hood, they saw only darkness, but they knew that whomever it was had them in its sights. "And very much premature to report."

[Tenshi the Sunkern]

All eyes were on the cloaked figure as he lumbered into the room. As the rift closed up behind him, the mysterious entity shifted its unseen gaze upon all there. "Reporting this to either the High Council or to Shinki would only result in further complication of matters. As seen by the handling of the Orsa incident, the High Council is ill-equipped and too rash in nature to deal with the Maluvor, and Shinki was the one who allowed this issue to even be a possibility here. Therefore, it is in our best interests that we deal with this complication ourselves." With that, it turned to face Crigan. "Though I suspect my former test subject has his doubts in regards to my idea."

Crigan tried to find the right words to say, but they simply weren't there. He seemed... familiar, whoever, or whatever this thing was. And test subject... Crigan eyes widened as the realization hit him. The memories came flooding back, the painful memories he had been trying to suppress for so long. "You were the one! You were the one who dragged me into Hell and messed with my brain!" He hissed, form twisting into his more monstrous appearance.

"Indeed, though I fele the need to apologise for that incident. It was I who experimented on you for half a century, but it was not for the reason you suspect."

"Oh?" Crigan asked, an eyebrow raised. Beside him, Diamen also seemed confused, and Mara as well.

"I am Laeptus, Persephone's head of science team, and one of her Elite Guard." Laeptus said, his voice deep and somewhat mechanical in nature. "It is my duty to help further the scientific endeavors of Persephone's forces. During her coronation as QUeen of Hell, she was attacked, by one of your fellow Legends."

"She was WHAT?" Crigan gasped. "That's impossible. I'm practically all that's left of them, that and a friend of mine who's got no business in the Underworld at all. it must have been someone else. it couldn't have been a Legend."

"That was what I hypothesized based on her limited description of a twin headed dragon, but she was adamant that it was your kind. She ordered that you were to be dragged before her and weaponized as a warning against those who would threaten her rule. I followed her orders, but then suggested that merely probing you for information and weaknesses would be sufficient. She obliged, and the following 500 years were those studies. There was also attempted sabotage and assassinations that interfered with the experiments, which is why it lasted as long as it did. I would have preferred you to have been out in only a few years, micro chipped and all, but the process lasted far longer than I had anticipated. During that time, every aspect of your being became known to me. Your thoughts, your desires, your strengths and weaknesses... I know them all based on the research, and the chip implanted on your brain transferring all your thoughts into my posession." Laeptus calmly stated, before sidestepping a punch thrown at him from Crigan. "There is no reason for this hostility at the moment. We have higher prio-"

"Higher priorities my ass!" Crigan shouted. "I don't care if you were just following orders at the time, doing that is just sick and wrong!"

Lapetus seemed to vanish as Crigan tried to throw another punch. A powerful grip held him by the back of his skull and began to squeeze. He couldn't move or even say anything. the grip hurt too much. "I did what I had to do at the time. back then, it was just as likely you had caused the massacre that day. Only by checking your very thoughts, was I able to see you were innocent. I tried to remove the chip from you and set you free several times, but Lord Persephone refused, and you eventually broke free before I could complete the task. I understand you are enraged at what I have done to you, but right now there are larger problems that must be solved. I could very easily crush your spinal cord here and now, and it would be at no expense at my part. I could clone you time and time again, just to drive the point through your skull, that you NEED the help. Going in solo accomplished nothing but pain and misery for you. If you want any hope of defeating the Maluvor, then I am your best solution. Do I make myself clear?"

The Death God wasn't in any position to decline. The words Laeptus said stung deep, and as angry as he was at him, he was just as angry at himself. Allying himself with such a figure... He knew the ramifications it came with, and it threw his morals into a cheese grinder, but if it meant defeating the Maluvor... He nodded, and Lapetus dropped him. "So... Persephone wanted you to ally with us?"

"Negative. I came on my own free will. I was given access to all known Maluvor incidents that the High Council has records of, and from them, I have created a preferred course of action. Informing Lord Persephone of this will come in due time, but for the moment, this is known only to us. An alliance between us, while unheard of, is paramount for stopping this epidemic as soon as possible."

Proteus cleared his throat. "I'm just surprised you came out of your laboratory and showed up here. Whose keeping the lab under check while you are here?"

"My research assistants are more than capable of keeping things under control during my temporary absence. Project Titan is practically complete, and only requires that the staff supervises the final processes ensure there are no fatal flaws in the serum."

"Project... Titan?" Mara asked. She had heard Persephone talk of Laeptus before, but this was the first time she had met the entity face to face. "What is that?"

"The answer to your problems." Laeptus flatly said, turning to address her. "This area you are in now is currently shielded from those trying to detect your souls. The Maluvor cannot hear or see what you are doing in here, so this information is safe with you. All I can say, is that Project Titan is the ultimate Maluvor hunter...

[Tenshi the Sunkern]

"The ultimate.... Maluvor Hunter." Crigan mouthed as his mind reeled. Something... designed to hunt down and kill the Maluvor? It seemed too good to be true! Never had he heard of an entity designed to hunt down godly beings... especially those said to be immortal. Just what sort of entity WAS this Project Titan he was speaking of?

"It is exactly as I said it is. All I request is that we join forces, and ensure that this greater threat that is the Maluvor is stricken down and obliterated. They and Ommadon pose a far greater threat than anyone else currently here, and our combined resources and power would be enough to see an end to this calamity."

Crigan bit his lower lip as he looked around. the faces of the Yama and Proteus were near impossible to read, for they were as flat and unemotional as possible. Mara seemed uncertain, with a look that was begging Crigan to reconsider, her eyes filled with the horrors she had seen and committed under Persephone's own influence. And Diamen... his face was a solid frown, and Crigan could see he was very subtly shaking his head, lips moving to mouth the word "no" over and over. It was a hard thing to think about... making a temporary alliance with a force that had caused hima nd his family so much pain and agony over the centuries, even if she herself was unaware of the deal.

On one hand, it was the best shot they had. Persephone had untold fountains of resources and knowledge she could use, and since she was Shinki's daughter, no doubt she knew far more about the Maluvor than the Enma had told him. If there was anyone that likely had the firepower and tech to go toe to toe with the Maluvor, Crigan was sure it was Persephone and her side that held that here at the UCA.

But on the other hand, he couldn't overlook the atrocities of the past Persephone and her legions had caused. the assumed revival of an ancient evil that he and his former lover Astrelus had worked so hard to curb and bring to an end, his own torture and experimentation at the hands of Laeptus for half a millennium, the subverting and temptation of his wife, the entire human-demon war, the murder of his firstborn and granddaughter, the collapse of the Kingdom of the Sun that he had worked so hard to help bring to life... all of that had been caused by Persephone and her cronies, and as far as Crigan knew, she had orchestrated the vast majority of those incidents either for kicks and giggles, or to make Crigan's own life a living hell. They were all marred into his very mind, and the chilling sounds of her laughter still haunted his and Mara's subconscious. He couldn't forgive her for such things... for all the pain she had caused him and his family, all the loved ones he had lost at her sinister, malicious hands.

"I... I have to think on this decision." Crigan finally said, shaking his head. "I know how dangerous the Maluvor are, but I simply cannot overlook what your master has done either. I need time to sort out my thoughts, and we need to think on this before I can give you a definitive answer. Is that okay with you?" Crigan said.

The tall cloaked being took a step closer, and for a moment, Crigan was sure he had enraged the Elite Guard into action. A metallic clawed hand, siverish in color, reached out of the cloak and clenched tight, steam blowing out of the joints in the metal. "Your answer, while disappointing, is only logical given your circumstances. Very well then. I will give you and your friends and family time to think on this issue. There is no right or wrong answer, but what you choose will affect the outcome of the events that will transpire here." With that, the figure turned, and began to walk away, before turning its head back to face the group. "I assume you wish to stay with them, Proteus, or will you be coming with me?"

Proteus quickly shifted his sole eye away from Laeptus. "I'll be staying here, helping with his decision. I'll catch up with you and inform you once we make a group choice."

"Very well then." The towering figure walked out the door, and it closed shut behind him. All strayed silent for several moments, until Mara finally shattered it.

"Crigan, are you really considering making a deal with him? He works with Persephone, and I don't want to be anywhere near her again. She and her crew cannot be trusted!"

"Hey." Proteus snorted. "I work with Persephone, but only because I'm the only one that can keep Charybdis's temper on a leash. I don't agree with her rules and agenda at all, so count me on your side."

"Sorry... I just... I really, really hate her."

"So do I." Crigan said as he let out a painful sigh. "I do not intend on seeing through with this deal at all. I didn't make a deal when Ommadon tried to approach me, and I won't make a deal with Persephone. If the entity is evil in nature and cannot be trusted, then I refuse to align myself with them. It is my moral standing as a hero, and I shall hold true to that. I only said that I need time to think to buy us some time to think on how to deal with this issue."

Diamen let a smile crease his face as he hugged his old man. "Clever thinking. We can definitely come up with a plan before we have to go back and give our answer. Maybe we can even strike down Persy's crew and the Maluvor in one fell swoop... or hope they blow each other up."

"That was our thinking when we assumed the Maluvor wouldn't make any alliances." Shikieiki said, bringing attention back to her. "But it is clear that we were wrong in that regard. If anything, we must prevent any more alliances among the evil ranks to increase, and strike down the greatest of our foes."

"We will need help with that... but not from Persephone. Knowing her, she'll just use the opportunity to undermine and torment us some more. Any help is better than her help." Mara growled, the wooden chair in her hands splintering under her grip.

"Well... we better start thinknig and getting into action. The longer we wait, the more danger we are all in." Crigan said, knowing that the times ahead would be most dire indeed...

____________________________

Outside of the room, and slowly walking back to Persephone's room, Laeptus was oddly silent. He knew very well what Crigan was thinking, and he know of the deception he was trying to play. Such deception could have easily have been put to better use, but to try and pull the wool over the person who had implanted the microchip that allowed him to see every thought and sight Crigan could into his mind... it was illogical and irrational.

He would have to teach his lab experiment better than that, to punish him for such disobedience. nice talk had failed to sway his heart to their cause... so he would have to take a more conventional means, at least in his mindset. If he could not convince Crigan to join... then he had no choice but to do it by force. Lord Persephone would be in for a pleasant surprise in the near future...