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Three days passed... and then the hatch opened, and Zerrex opened his eyes in the dark essence he was floating in, swimming easily to the top of the well and pulling himself out as he took a long breath of air. He could taste the corruption in his jaws... and fresh in his mind were images of pain and love, hate and joy, affection and destruction... imagery that was beautiful, sorrowful, and desolate... and his form pulsed with power, as the black stuff left on his body quickly vanished into his scales as he climbed the ladder up and pulled himself into the room.

The four virgins were gone: Zerrex frowned a bit at this, but Sin shook her head slowly, the Naganatine saying quietly: "I placed them in the quieter block for rest... but your girls, well... they seem to be holding up fine. They are all Iuratus now... although all of them are tired."

She motioned around the room, and Zerrex smiled faintly as he realized that yes, they all did look fine indeed, even if they were all slumped against the walls in seated positions, looking exhausted. There were no big changes he could see at the moment... but when he gazed over each of them, they reacted to the simple glance of his eyes as if he'd touched them, their own irises fluttering and Desire even raising her head towards him with a faint smile... before Zerrex glanced down as Sin closed the hatch and then picked up Sammy, who was curling around her feet and looking curiously at Zerrex, sniffing at him. "And your pet wouldn't leave me alone at all... he's missed you greatly, it seems."

Zerrex laughed a bit, shaking his head and looking softly entertained as he reached a hand forwards and tickled quietly under the pseudodragon's chin... and although Sammy hesitated at first, a moment later he leaned forwards and nipped Zerrex's finger, and then it chirped at him cheerfully before wiggling out of Sin's grip and using his wings to flap powerfully once and land on the Drakkaren's shoulder, nibbling affectionately at his hair. "Yeah, it's still me. I just must reek of corruption to you... but I don't know how much of an effect the concentrated formula had on me. Ixin suggested this would work, but... well..."

"Ixin treats magic like absolute science." Sin said with soft entertainment, looking at Zerrex with a bit of a smile on her face. "Like it has rules and laws, and he forgets sometimes to... look at a broader picture. Not that he isn't brilliant... but he still... has flaws he refuses to recognize in himself."

Zerrex nodded, then he flexed a bit, glancing down at his hands thoughtfully. His body felt more powerful, and he felt stronger, that was true... but strength wasn't exactly what he was after. What he was after, was finding out the truth about himself... and whether or not he was supposed to even be an Incarnation, or if he was a real demon at all, considering the way Feldspar and the Princess had abusively used the Lucifer's Eye technology long before it was ready for anything as advanced as what they'd tried to do to Zerrex. He didn't want to be stronger... and if he could reverse the effects, he knew he gladly would, if only so he could let Hell's essences take up a natural flow and change him towards what he was supposed to be... but then he made a face as he looked upwards, saying softly: "Well, we can let him take a look at me, anyway. I'm sure this'll be pretty damn fascinating to the bastard... and what about you four, how are you doing?"

The Iuratus all murmured to him varying degrees of 'good,' and the Drakkaren shook his head with soft amusement before he said quietly aside to Sin: "Make sure they all have plenty of rest, alright? Set them up at the Ravenlight Estate... and tell them to come see me only after they're recuperated. I'll be busy at the Palace... much as I want to stick around with them." He paused, then said in a clearer voice to the four females, who were now all looking at him ardently: "You all did me proud... and you've all given me something I can never pay back. I appreciate it more than I can say, and you're all worthy of my deepest respect... now listen to Sin, girls, as you'd listen to me... at least, if you want to call yourself truly Iuratus."

"Sir!" came the reply, in a surprisingly-strong chorus, and Zerrex laughed softly, looking over them all before he nodded and patted Sin on the back. She looked at him with a blush and a smile, then kissed his cheek softly, and Zerrex gazed at her with soft love for a few moments before he turned around and created a portal.

He stepped through this to emerge back into his quarters at the Palace... and then he winced immediately as he heard Markus bawling, Cherry walking around the room wearing a large robe and mumbling as she tried to get him to settle down, before she looked at him and grinned widely, bounding over to the Drakkaren and holding Markus out as she said cheerfully: "Great to see you, sorry, gotta run, gonna be late for my... baby... not... shower." A pause, and then Zerrex took Markus, staring at her disbelievingly before she dashed for the doors, the Four Sisters all sighing as Cherry bounded out and knocked both Felicity and Vampire sprawling before she spun around and pointed both fingers at Zerrex, saying cheerily: "Have a good time, Daddy-Zerrex! See you in an hour before I actually leave for shit!"

Then she was gone, and Zerrex quietly rocked Markus in his arms as his crying raked at his head, wincing a bit at the lungs on the kid. But he was a handsome boy, and as Zerrex looked down at the male - now covered in blue scales, with deeper navy over his chest and a few speckled spots still over his body - Sammy suddenly leaned in and chirped. And immediately, Markus blinked his blue eyes a few times, before he tilted his head and stared in fascination at the pseudodragon, as Sammy peered at Markus with a strange sort of wonder on his own little face as well, before he looked at Zerrex and squeaked quietly.

It made Zerrex smile as he nodded, heading over to the bed and gently settling the baby down on the pillows in the middle of the large bed, between a few stuffed animals... and then he tucked him gently in under a golden baby blanket, and Markus seemed content to rest like that as the Drakkaren said softly: "Yeah, he's a hell of a kid... and go ahead, Sammy, take a look at him, just be gentle. I don't need Cherry trying to make good on her promise to strangle us both, after all."

Sammy squeaked, then he began to curiously inspect the baby as Zerrex sat down in the chair beside the bed with a sigh... before he looked up as the Four Sisters surrounded him curiously, poking at him and murmuring about corruption, and a few other things he didn't quite catch. Then Vampire and Felicity entered the room, and as Vampire inhaled a breath to probably shout some greeting that would scare the crap out of the baby, Felicity immediately covered his muzzle as she said in a warm but soft voice: "Hey, Boss. How are you doing?"

"I'm good... just got back from solidifying my bonds with my Iuratus. Cherry wanted me out for a few days so she could really imprint on the baby..." That's the damn word we were both looking for... "And now it sounds like Markus has been driving her nuts."

"I think she's exaggerating." one of the Sisters said with soft amusement, and Zerrex looked up at her with a smile as the others began to tend back around the room, getting things a bit more organized and cleaning up bits of mess here and there: towels, sheets, bloody clothing and discarded... unknown objects. "Lady Cherry took a lot of reassurances before we convinced her it would be okay for her to leave... I think she just wants to give you your time with the baby, and she wants to start dealing with her responsibilities other than the baby... lovely and gentle as he is."

"Not that he doesn't have a pair of powerful lungs on him... but I think he was just getting tired of Cherry clinging to him constantly." added another Sister, probably Fire from the fact she kept trying to reach up to touch the handle of a cleaver that wasn't on her back, while the others all had their own items on. "Not that she'd listen to us... and he seems to have taken very well to your pseudodragon, Lord Zerrex. It's a good sign."

And not just that, but Sammy seemed to have taken well to Markus, gladly letting him to cling to his long tail near the heavy ball at the end of it... and he looked up at Zerrex and squeaked softly as the baby cooed and kicked his legs a bit. Markus was growing fast... and Zerrex was again amazed at the sheer size of the kid. He looked like he'd already put on another good few pounds... and the Drakkaren shook his head with a soft whistle as he said quietly: "Just look at that thing."

Vampire nodded, looking at Felicity with a grin as he said mildly: "Not that tough-as-nails-bitch here would ever admit it, but she got a big soft spot for that kid, you know, Cap'n." He paused and laughed as Felicity muttered and shoved at him, stumbling a bit and grinning as he came over to the bed and dropped onto his knees, resting his elbows on the mattress and his chin in his hands. "He really is so damn cute, though! He's like... he's like those things you see in the zoo, the little unevolved animals you wanna just squeeze and hug right to death!"

"Vampire." Zerrex said warningly, but the black wolf only snorted and shrugged, looking defensive. The reptile didn't really have a good argument prepared, anyway, he realized... so he only sighed and rubbed at his head slowly before he glanced around at the Sisters, asking quietly: "Hey, have you guys had any rest at all?"

"We're happy to serve, Lord Zerrex... this is a momentous occasion for us." said Earth softly, as she blushed and gazed over at him with reverence. "The birth of another child to Cherry... it sends chills through all of our bodies, I think, and makes us all glad we could live to witness it... and Markus is an amazing child."

Markus is indeed... Zerrex thought for a moment back to the Princess, and the way she'd behaved inside his mind... and he rubbed slowly at his head for a moment before he leaned forwards, watching as Markus closed his little eyes and went slowly off into dreamland... and then he shook his head a bit and smiled faintly, glancing around the room as he asked quietly: "So do we have any baby formula on hand, while Cherry's gone?"

"She's been bottling her breastmilk... it's been a strange sight." one of the Sisters replied, as she shook her head and carried a pile of cleaned and folded sheets over to one side of the room. "She had us store it all in the fridge, ready to be warmed for when the baby is ready to feed... and she gave us very explicit instructions on how to heat it and how hot it should be. I never thought Big Sister would be so... protective of her child, to be honest."

Zerrex nodded, looking quietly amused as he looked over at Vampire, who was shaking his head in entertainment. "Yeah. Vampire, you and I remember those old days well, huh, where Cherry would just as gladly eat a child as save it from some fate worse than death. But she really has changed... we all have."

Felicity nodded, adding softly: "I remember I was lucky enough to still be lucid when Marina was born... and I remember how much she doted on that child and loved it. She was a strange parental figure... but she was still motherly in her own way. They're some of my last memories, but also some of my happiest... but if only we could all be so lucky."

She shook her head after a moment with a soft laugh, probably thinking of her own parents, before she smiled a bit at Zerrex, tilting her head as she asked in a playful voice: "So, speaking of which... can you make any lucky girl pregnant?"

"Go away." Zerrex said mildly, and Felicity and Vampire both laughed before the black wolf slapped her on the back, making her grunt and wince. "And Vampire, don't you start thinking any dirty thoughts, either. Besides, we all know you're gayer than the holidays."

Vampire sniffed disdainfully at this, crossing his arms as he sat back on his rear like a child. "I still bang chicks. Maybe sure, my preference is a little more towards guys, but what can I say, Boss? Ever since I got me some male-ass, and ever since I found out just how great it can feel to have a dick in your rear, well... I wanna see if I can take even Miss Bitch Cherry herself on for 'most cocks had,' if you get my drift." He grinned and winked, tapping at his nose, and then he paused and said thoughtfully: "That was a little direct, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, and you better start watching your language about Markus. Only Cherry's allowed to say things like that around her baby once he starts developing the ability to memorize words." Zerrex replied mildly, and Vampire snorted in amusement. "Hey, don't look at me, I don't make the rules when it comes to the baby. That's all Cherry's department."

"You guys are so weird." Vampire said with a strange hint of relish in his voice, and then he held out his hands, giving Zerrex big eyes. "Can I hold the baby?"

"No." Zerrex said flatly, and Vampire huffed, although he didn't put up any argument. He probably recognized that he likely couldn't be trusted to hold a newborn anyway, but had just been unable to resist asking.

They sat around for a few more hours together as Markus napped peacefully, Cherry coming back in after a few hours and looking refreshed, even as she hid her stomach under the long house-robe she was wearing: if there was one thing that did embarrass her, it was the current state of her stomach, which had gone from pregnant-yet-solid to almost-dissolved, hanging in flaps and wrinkled folds, with her scales torn and her body in a condition she found much-less-than-desirable. It wasn't just Cherry's vanity speaking, either, in this case... it was Cherry's self-health obsession, and although she could certainly put up with her stomach being a little bit out of whack for a few days, Zerrex could tell already that it was starting to seriously bother her, although he could only hope that she wouldn't already start pushing herself too hard towards exercising. Then again, she was already on her feet and running around like an idiot, when any other pregnant female would be snoring peacefully in bed... and then he winced as she chased Felicity and Vampire out of the room, before she glared at Sammy where he was on the bed... but then she mumbled something and blushed deeply as she looked away, and Zerrex pointed at her and accused: "You think it's cute!"

"Shut up!" Cherry whined, flailing her arms, but her face reddened even further nonetheless, and Zerrex grinned a bit: admittedly, however, the sight of Sammy and Markus snoozing together was indeed adorable, the chubby little newborn in his diaper - as yet unused, thankfully - and the pseudodragon resting his head on the chubby body of the big baby. He wondered for a moment if he could blackmail Cherry with this... and then she huffed as she slipped out of her robe and the maternity clothes she was wearing beneath, keeping her back to Zerrex as she rooted through some clothes the Sisters had put out from her as they continued to fiddle around the room, before she keeled slowly over and fell on her back with a grunt, staring stupidly at the ceiling as she mumbled: "I think I hurt myself."

Zerrex wasn't surprised... and he came over and helped her into her clothes, ignoring her wrinkled belly. Sure, it was kind of horrifyingly distended at the moment, but it was to be expected, with how big she'd swollen up. She still seemed embarrassed, however, mumbling at him and resisting him occasionally... but he still managed to help her into her plain, still-stretchy clothes, and then he helped her up to her feet as she smiled a bit at him despite herself, mumbling: "Stop being such a goddamn gentleperson."

"Shut up." Zerrex replied mildly, and he helped her put her robe back on, the female looking tiredly-pleased despite herself as he slipped it over her shoulders. "Someone's gotta take care of you around here... and since it isn't going to be you, I guess it might as well be me."

"Fuck you, Boss." Cherry replied, but then she kissed him on the cheek and gazed at him affectionately, grasping his shoulders and looking into his eyes as she said softly: "Can you spare me two days, now? I've left more than enough booby-juice behind to get Markus through double that, and I do feel really-really bad about taking off... but I wanna go see Priest and hang with him for a little while, and get some of my old sexy figure back, or at least start on the way towards that."

"Cherry, most chicks don't worry about their stomach looking a little deflated until, I dunno, three months after they've given birth." Zerrex said mildly, poking her gut, and Cherry winced visibly as she hugged herself, huffing. "And furthermore, you aren't going anywhere without a full guard... Sisters, may I trouble you for a moment?"

They shook their heads, and Cherry winced, holding up her hands... but Zerrex quickly said: "If you could, I'd really like it if you could accompany Cherry to see Priest with her... I can hold down fort here, especially with a little help from Selena and Lily and some other mother-figures like Vampire, and I don't want any idiots like the rebels we've been dealing with getting any ideas if they see Cherry out and about and vulnerable."

"Bitch, I ain't vulnerable." Cherry huffed, holding a hand out and creating a spark... and then she made a face at her hand, flicking her fingers a few times, then shaking it wildly, but then souring when all she managed to do was creating another small puff of smoke. "Okay, maybe I'm a little vulnerable. And my ass does admittedly still hurt, which is weird, 'cause the thing came out of my pussy. My stretched, scarred pussy, which looks like you raped me at full size. Oh, shit tacos." Cherry peered back and forth despondently, crossing her arms and mumbling to herself. "Maybe this is post-partum whatsis."

"You aren't depressed. You're just a moody bitch." Zerrex said flatly, and Cherry gave him an offended look before she shrugged thoughtfully and poked at his face a few times, making him wince. "Anyway, get out of here now, shoo. The Sisters can watch you, and that's a fine enough negotiation, since I know you're going to go and do something stupid anyway."

She huffed, but didn't really disagree as she turned around, before the Four Sisters all hugged Zerrex quietly, whispering both 'thank-yous' and 'good lucks' before they gathered around Cherry reassuringly, but she only looked at them distrustfully. Finally, she turned her eyes to the Drakkaren, pointing at him and saying flatly: "You just take care of my boy there, and don't try to set your crazy whores on me again. Yes, I get they're uh... extended family of a sort, but. Still. They're your whores. You're all whores, I hate you all."

"We love you too, Big Sister." Earth said tiredly, and the others nodded, Fire muttering something as she slapped the back of Cherry's head lightly, before she winced at the deadly glare she received. They all shifted awkwardly, and then Zerrex rolled his eyes as Cherry finally created a portal, pointing at her eyes, then at her nose, and then at Zerrex before she clenched her hand into a fist, and with that, she stomped through the portal and vanished, followed shortly after by the Four Sisters of the Judgment Cross.

The Drakkaren wondered for a moment if it had really been a good idea to send them along; it was sort of like a disaster waiting to happen, after all, but he finally comforted himself with the idea that things would only be worse if Cherry was left to her own devices. Priest, after all, could only stop her from so much... but at least the Sisters could restrain her between them and heal her if she did anything overly-retarded. Which... she'll probably do.

Then he headed over to the bed, climbing in next to Markus and gazing at his son quietly, before Sammy looked up and blinked a few times, chirping gently... and Zerrex smiled and scratched his head gently, saying quietly: "Hey, looks like we lucked out. Kid's asleep, his body seems to already be adjusting to Hell's corruption, and he's probably going to develop into quite a strong little demon right off the bat... but most important, the kid got out safely, and everything actually seems okay for once, and not like it's all going to go to Hell." He paused, waiting for something to explode... and when nothing did, he cocked his head towards the pseudodragon, saying mildly: "Maybe I should stop testing Fate though, huh? By all accounts, she's a pretty mean bitch."

Sammy squeaked at him... and Zerrex smiled as he reached out and patted the pseudodragon's cheek, adding with soft amusement. "But hey, you should head off to see Kent, too, and tell him what's up. And you better tell him I wanna know exactly what you can do soon, too... I'm getting real damn tired of waiting to see what you guys have been hiding from me after all these months."

The pseudodragon nodded as he stood up and carefully pried his tail free from Markus's grip, and then he bounced over to the edge of the bed, spinning in a circle once and squeaking at Zerrex, before he vanished from sight... and the reptile rolled his eyes in amusement, shaking his head slowly. The little dragon sure as hell was cute, he had to give him that... and he did seem to be growing more confident, although the Drakkaren really wanted to know why Kent was keeping his tutelage such a secret. He was almost tempted to head on down to the stables himself... but if he left Markus in the care of someone else, Cherry would probably skin him alive... and worse, if he actually dared to take Markus out of the safety of the Palace, Cherry would probably skin him, then boil him in a pot of acid.

Then again, Zerrex certainly didn't mind just spending time laying around with his newborn son, enjoying the tranquility and the calm as he half-snoozed beside him on the bed... and it was also nice to have an excuse that even he couldn't argue too much with to spend some time sitting quietly around without reprimanding himself for doing nothing. Because time with Markus wasn't time doing nothing... it was time he spent diligently looking after his little boy, and he smiled a bit as he thought of the kindness Cherry had done him in choosing the boy's name. Markus... my uncle would be so damn proud.

He shook his head a bit after a moment with a sigh: memories of Requiem could still sting a bit, but they certainly didn't hurt as much as they used to... and with the name this child had taken on, it felt even less painful as it did before... but the reptile still wished that Requiem could be here to witness this baby and give his blessing. He rubbed slowly at his forehead as he laid back... and then Markus shifted a bit and opened his eyes, and he looked at Zerrex for a long few moments as Zerrex gazed back at him, before the baby cooed quietly and began to move around a bit.

Zerrex picked him up and gently cradled him in his strong arms, carrying him over to the doors before he lightly booted one... and Felicity carefully opened it a moment later, looking in at him with a smile before her eyes lit up as she gazed down at the baby, leaning in and saying softly: "You're an adorable big boy, aren't you? Gosh, I can see you're already taking after your Daddy..." She paused, then glanced up at him, asking softly: "What can I get you, Boss?"

"A bottle, please... there should be fairly strict instructions all over the kitchen downstairs on how to prepare it, knowing how obsessive Cherry gets." Zerrex said mildly, and then he leaned around the doorframe to look at Vampire, adding: "And do you mind finding Selena or Lily or both? I could use someone to help me change the sheets on the bed... I just realized from the stink that Cherry probably hasn't really let the Sisters change them or anything for a good while."

"No problem, Boss." Vampire said immediately, looking happy to be of help. He bounced up to his paws and quickly ran down the hallway as Felicity blew Zerrex a kiss, following at an easier pace... and Zerrex shook his head with soft warmth as he headed back to the bed, keeping his son snuggled gently close. The baby seemed very content to be held, although Zerrex figured he should probably get some clothes on him other than the diaper, finally... and he wondered for a moment how Cherry had ever become such a good mother, and he the father of a baby that already had such a peaceful and passive nature.

Felicity returned shortly with the bottle, and Vampire came back with both Lily and Selena... and Zerrex was more than glad over the next few days to have not only them, but his new Iuratus supporting him, when Desire, Cypress, and the Twins made their appearance with Sin, who announced that they were all ready to serve. They looked the same... but there were subtle differences in their stature and their treatment of him, although it was much more obvious with Desire and Cypress: it was like the girls had grown up a bit more, as if they had become more serious and mature and lost a bit of that playfulness... but at the same time, it was so minute that Zerrex was able to only mourn it in the slightest of ways. A loss of innocence, however, was still a loss of innocence... and he knew that even if it had to happen eventually, he wasn't made any happier by it.

Sammy and Kent made a surprise entrance while Zerrex was feeding Markus, cradling him easily in one arm as Lily and Selena argued with each other even while they changed the sheets on the bed, and Mist and Shine took over for Vampire and Felicity: they had gone on break, while Desire and Cypress patrolled the Palace and Sin went to report to Amiglion and help him out with the daily duties of Hell's Thrones. They had come in through the main doors, Mist and Shine looking dubious but amused at the sight of the rustic bear and the proud-looking pseudodragon, and the ursine had offered his congratulations before he'd said: "Now, why don't you all just sit down on the bed, and we can give the little boy and his father a show of just all the things Sammy has learned. I think you'll both appreciate the lightshow we're gonna put on, even though I've asked the little dragon to dial it down a few notches so he don't disturb his newborn majesty."

Zerrex smiled slightly at this, as Sammy chirped and jumped on his back legs, dancing around a bit in a strange hopping motion... and Kent sighed, slapping his forehead and muttering: "Some things you just can't train out of people... come on Sammy, get your act together. Now show Zerrex the fireworks."

Sammy nodded after a moment, and then he leaned back and spat into the air... except instead of fire or smoke or acid, he released a short burst of three incandescent blue lights that floated upwards, then popped quietly, turning into flower-shapes... and in Zerrex's lap, Markus suddenly kicked his legs a few times and bounced, giving a giggle that was obviously in favor of the display. Zerrex was surprised, as were Lily and Selena, as they both suddenly beamed in a very-motherly way down at the baby: the development of the child was exponentially fast, after all.

But as expected, Markus did fall asleep, exciting as Sammy's showcase was: the pseudodragon showed off the ability to fly, to create small platforms of energy solid enough that even Kent could climb safely up to stand on top of them next to the little beast, and he breathed a narrow laser of scorching fire from across the room with enough accuracy to burn up an apple in Kent's hand without even singing his fur. He also displayed a surprising agility, teleportation beyond what Zerrex had expected Sammy to be able to display, and a strange, chameleonic invisibility that let him blend gradually with his environment, as long as he moved slowly... and a few other tricks that left Zerrex deeply impressed. He wasn't able to clap, but his warm smile made Sammy look giddy as he bounced around, dancing on his hind legs and chirping cheerfully, and the others clapped and laughed until Markus broke into grouchy tears at being awoken from his nap, but Zerrex was able to settle him down quickly, before he thanked Kent and promised him a bonus that the bear only waved off, saying mildly that it was a pleasure to work with Sammy... and that he was glad to keep up a few lessons now and then, but that now it was mostly up to Zerrex training his pet and partner himself.

Sammy, after all, had shown abilities very similar to Zerrex's own control of energy... except that Sammy didn't seem capable of building up the raw power needed to channel most of Zerrex's kinds of attacks. After studying what he knew about both the Drakkaren and the pseudodragon, however, Kent had deduced that Sammy might be able to focus energy abilities through his body like an amplifier, but that only time and training would tell... and Zerrex himself would have to do that training, since Kent had few magical abilities to work with, and if Sammy bore his abilities because of his distinct connection with Zerrex, then his powers would only work when he and Zerrex were able to coordinate their abilities together.

Some of it admittedly went over the Drakkaren's head... mostly because Markus spat up a little bit on him during the middle of the bear's speech and Lily insisted on wiping it up off his chest with a cloth even while Kent continued to talk in his simple drawl, looking unfazed. But he thought he understood the point the badger was trying to make, and that he even knew just what he'd have to do... and even now, as he lay in bed, late at night with everyone gone off to their own bedrooms but all ready to respond at the slightest call of the Drakkaren, Markus snoozing beside him and clinging to his baby blanket... he thought curiously about the connection he'd developed. Mercy's accident in hurting Sammy had perhaps been a blessing in disguise... because he was pretty sure that if not for the transfer they had performed, then Zerrex and Sammy would never have developed the depth of friendship and companionship that was between them now.

Sammy, meanwhile, was tuckered out and snoozing peacefully on Markus's other side, looking as protective of the baby as he would be of a younger brother. It made Zerrex smile... and he carefully got up out of bed, stretching slowly and sighing as he walked slowly around the room. His body felt sore, and he was already getting listless, missing Cherry and wondering what she was up to... but whenever his eyes turned to Markus, he always felt better. At least, mostly... his damned leg was still hurting, and he knew he still had to go and talk to Ixin at some point... but whatever the Well had done to his body, he felt pretty much normal again now. Even those feelings of strength had vanished... and he wondered if they had all just been part of a strange dream that had faded fast enough from his mind to go unheeded by it the moment he'd awoken... but left enough of a residue behind to make him feel as if he had experienced something far more grand than he actually had.

The Drakkaren neatened a few things sitting on a dresser, and then he checked to make sure he had clean diapers: thankfully, Markus still hadn't shown any need to be changed, but since he had already puked a little on Zerrex, the reptile felt that the baby might just be saving up one big crap for him. It wasn't uncommon, after all... the body took a long time, even in the most pure-blooded of demons, to adjust to Hell's corruption and develop to the point where it would no longer need to worry about certain bodily functions and needs... although often it would be slowed and less-active than in mortals. That would at least be a blessing... he still remembered changing Marina's diapers, and how that experience had made him cringe. Sure, in the romance movies, parents could still make all sorts of faces even while changing a poopy diaper... but life was definitely not like a romantic comedy, at least most of the time.

Zerrex shook his head with a bit of a smile: here he was, already being negative. He walked back over to the bed, then got down on his knees beside it instead of climbing in, resting forwards on his arms to look lovingly at Markus... and he only hoped Cherry wasn't driving Priest or the Sisters up the wall at the moment. He laughed a bit at the thought, then finally climbed back into bed and closed his eyes as he whispered: "Goodnight, son... I... love you, Markus Angelus Narrius."

And beside him, Markus cooed quietly and contently in his sleep, as if he heard.

Days became weeks... which became months... which faded into years. Cherry, of course, behaved herself around Markus in a way that could sometimes be shocking, and other times simply seemed horrendously overprotective: after all, when Markus turned four, he was already running happily around, a giant of a child at five and some feet tall and with a muscular, thick body. Almost all of his baby fat was gone, and instead he had a toned, powerful physique from training with Cherry and Zerrex... the former of whom was back in tip-top shape, and the latter glad to be working out and losing the last of any rust that he'd gained over so many years of peace-times.

Markus still had a few speckled, darker patches over his scales, but Zerrex thought they gave him character... and he was fast and strong, and even if he wasn't the brightest, he had a strange, passive wisdom. He rarely reacted to being bullied by the other children, and he was glad to attend a local academy, with his classes supplemented by private tutoring from the Sisters, Sin, and a few other teachers... and even if he rarely brought home anything higher than a C or the occasional B by Hell's standards, Zerrex felt proud of his son. His smarts didn't shine through in math, science, or even literature or languages... but they sure as hell showed in how he dealt with life, and his easygoing attitude and friendly demeanor. It almost didn't make sense who his parents were, with how happy he was to share and how he dealt with any problem life threw at him... and Cherry wondered sometimes out loud if Markus was really her child, or if aliens had replaced the baby in her womb with some sort of genetically-enhanced super-being.

Zerrex sometimes wondered the same himself, with how he saw Markus bear up under the treatment from some of the other kids in his classes: kids could be kids, after all, and kids tended to be cruel, especially to someone who was not only different, but who was privileged and didn't spend every five minutes trying to use that to intimidate other people. But his teachers all said that Markus was a team player, honest, and very loyal... and they all gave him good reviews as a person, if not as the smartest in the room. He also wasn't exactly talented when it came to any of the magical arts, but Zerrex didn't think that was important... Markus, like most of his classmates, still wasn't showing many demonic characteristics, apart from the leathery blue wings that had started growing out of his back. Thankfully, a lot of demonic children looked 'normal,' even by mortal standards... a few, admittedly, looked like they were from no mortal species that ever did or would exist, but they were much-more normal looking than their parents, to say the least.

It wasn't that Markus was without his vices, though... of course he got argumentative sometimes, and he could be almost disturbingly-quiet... but Zerrex figured that was no fault in itself. Markus was a bit shy, even around his parents... and Cherry tended to embarrass him sometimes, since she could go from treating him with respect and dignity one moment to wiping down his face with a wet cloth and lecturing him in front of everyone and anyone on anything from eating habits to her own experiences as a kid; the latter, of course, often leading to a lot of stares of shock, since her experiences hadn't exactly been normal. But Cherry was a loving and doting mother, and she wanted the best for her son... even if she and Zerrex could still get in childish fights now and then over what they were going to feed him for breakfast or whether or not he should be allowed outside to go visit his friends without a platoon of Royal Guards.

Of course, the last four years had also been... surprisingly quiet. No attacks, which was unexpected... and all of Hell had seemed pleased that their High King had given birth to such a strong and large young child. They probably saw him a successor... and Zerrex didn't know if that was good or bad, considering that Markus was a perfect vision of a demonic child, with his rapidly-developing body... but calm demeanor and friendly attitude, traits not the usual in a demonic monarch. Then again, he thought that either way it worked out for the best... and if Markus continued to grow up as well as he was now, then he truly would make a fine choice for the Throne when the time came. Not that I wouldn't give it up now if I had the chance, though... if not to Markus, then to Firenze or maybe one of my daughters who I know I could really trust to do good with it, like Blueberry or... Mercy...

Zerrex paused where he stood... and then a ball bounced off his head, and Markus winced a bit as Zerrex staggered backwards, blinking stupidly a few time as his son called: "I'm sorry, Dad! I thought you were paying attention!"

"Sorry, I drifted!" Zerrex rose a hand, looking embarrassed, and Markus smiled at him, looking abashed himself. The two were standing in the yard at the back of the Ravenlight Estate, just throwing a ball back and forth as Cherry guffawed from the sidelines, grinning widely... and Zerrex glowered at her before he reached down and picked up the ball, watching as Sammy curled around his legs and looked up at him with a dry look. "Yeah, go ahead."

With that, Sammy vanished... then reappeared behind Cherry and bit her tail firmly, and the female yelped before the pseudodragon teleported away to a safe place up in a tree, Cherry rubbing at her ass and glaring as Markus giggled behind his hands. Then he smiled as he looked over at Zerrex, ignoring his mother's vulgarities as Zerrex tossed him an easy, long throw... and he reached up and caught it in one hand with a natural grace Zerrex knew he could never have matched at that young an age. "Good throw, Dad!"

"Better catch." Zerrex replied with a smile, and he caught the ball when Markus tossed it back in a simple overhand, squeezing it gently as he looked at his son, dressed as he was in jeans and a white, silk shirt. Cherry always made Markus wear the best... but he didn't think Markus minded all that much himself. His son had a thing for nice clothes and nice toys, but nothing to the point that it was unsettling, at least... Markus was just as glad to toss a ball around as he was to play with the various enchanted toys he had, many of them more-expensive than imported mortal technologies.

He threw the ball back, and the child - who most resembled a Dragokkaren, especially with his wings - easily stepped backwards and caught it... before he paused as he saw Sin and Priest approaching. Priest had moved in with them for the last few years, under Cherry's orders... and she still hadn't let him leave, insisting that Markus needed an older brother in his life. Their youngest son certainly didn't seem to mind his older brother being around, and in Hell's standards they weren't actually too far apart in age, considering the eons that some siblings had between them... but he and Priest still were a bit awkward around one-another at times, as the tall, powerful male knelt down and asked mildly: "How're you doing, squirt?"

"Good." Markus rubbed at his face slowly, and he smiled a bit as he looked at his older brother cheerfully, holding up the ball. "Dad and I were just playing catch. Do you wanna play?"

"Sure." Priest smiled amusedly, nodding as he reached out to pat Markus on the head, and the not-very-little four year old grumbled and slipped away as Priest laughed, shaking his head and grinning. "But first I think Sin here has your lunch or something. Little demons gotta eat well if they wanna grow up big and strong, after all."

"Okay. Thank you, Miss Sin." Markus smiled up at the Naganatine brightly, and Sin nodded to him respectfully as she handed him the tray she had been carrying. He easily took it and retreated under the shade of a tree, near where Cherry was trying to poke Sammy out of the branches, and Zerrex watched with soft amusement as Markus began to eat while Priest went back to arguing with Sin about something, and Cherry continued to mutter things under her breath no mother should say near her child, the reptile reflecting on what a strange but beautiful portrait his family made.

Then Sammy popped into existence on his shoulder, and the little pseudodragon chewed at his hair for a moment before it mumbled in a mimic of Zerrex's voice: "Cherry's a bitch."

"I know, I know." Zerrex rolled his eyes, as Cherry peered at the tree branches for a few moments before glowering around. In the last few years, Sammy had learned a few distinct phrases and how to mimic different people's voices... even though for the most part he still chirped and squeaked, and preferred using images to speaking sentences. But it still did come in useful when Sammy wanted to get a particular point across... although Zerrex wished that it wasn't his voice he felt he had to mimic when he was talking about Cherry, generally in some negative connotation. "But hey, look on the bright side. At least she's so obsessive over Priest and Markus she loses interest in chasing you around pretty fast."

Sammy chirped at this and nodded thoughtfully, curling up around Zerrex's shoulders contently. Over the years, Sammy had put on a bit more size, but not much... but he was still working hard with Zerrex to better learn how to use their powers in conjunction with one-another's, and they were always developing some new ability together - or at least when they had the time to. And Zerrex smiled a bit, figuring that they all had changed a little, as he glanced down at one hand... or maybe I just like to think that.

Cherry had certainly regained her former glory: her abilities had come quickly back to her in the weeks following Markus's birth, letting her resume walking around in her butch mortal body and set things on fire as she pleased - something Zerrex had to discipline her about once or twice. And in the time it would get a normal mother up and moving around on her feet, Cherry had managed to get her distended stomach all the way down to a wrinkled paunch, and had kept working at developing her body back into shape with enough fervor that soon enough, she'd had her rock-hard abdominals back and harder than ever, cheerfully walking around and half-ordering people to punch her in the stomach or smash things against her just to show off. And then, of course, she'd wanted to start training with Zerrex... and not just for her own benefit, but for Markus's as well, and Zerrex had admittedly been glad to do so.

But after all these years, and after so many talks with Ixin and examinations... Zerrex was no closer to unraveling the mystery surrounding the way the Lucifer's Eye had affected him, and his body seemed to be in the same sort of condition it had been before, with the mysterious pains in his legs kicking on every now and then. Ixin himself was stumped, requesting access to Feldspar's old labs and equipment... and after a bit of arguing with Selena, who had taken over the Garden of Salt - Feldspar's old home and personal laboratory - she had finally allowed him to start going through the logs in the basement and deciphering just what the hell Feldspar had done, right or wrong, in her designs. Zerrex knew, of course, that Ixin wasn't just doing this for Zerrex's benefit: Ixin needed to solve the puzzle that Feldspar had created, and moreover, needed to prove that he was the better mage. The Lucifer's Eye had originally been his pet project, however, and it probably hurt him to see it bastardized as much as it frustrated Zerrex to not know what was going on with his own goddamn body.

Even Zerrex's home had changed slightly: the Ravenlight Estate had been upgraded, new security countermeasures had been built in, and the outer walls had been fortified so it would take a tremendous amount of force to penetrate them... ensuring that no one would be able to punch holes through the whole building with the ease Loki's tank had managed. Cherry had also laid out a few other ideas... and most of them Zerrex had agreed to if only to shut her up. After all... it's not like this is the easiest place in the world to break into, for anyone or anything... but I guess it never hurts to be prepared for the worst.

But even with all these changes... it wasn't like nothing else had remained the same, either. Things were still moving along at the same pace they always did in Hell: if not very quickly, then very slowly, which was the way time had always turned in the lower planes. It wasn't like Markus's birth was a big deal to everyone in Hell, after all, and nor would it be the first or the last big thing to happen for many of those to whom it was... it simply was, and that was all it was. Then again, it was hard in a lot of ways for Zerrex to accept... but he thought that was mostly because of his pride as the father to the amazing little boy.

He smiled a bit as he shook his head slowly, then glanced up in curiosity when Cherry approached him at an easy jog, dropping to a squat in front of him and grinning as she winked at the reptile. Sammy gave her a dour look, but she ignored him completely as she asked mildly, swirling her hands through the tall grasses: "So Boss, what do you think our next move should be, huh? I know we ain't supposed to mix business and pleasure, but well... I can't help bringing up a little bit of business. 'Sides, it looks like Priest is gonna take Markus out somewhere or something... we got time for a little bit of a war talk."

Zerrex nodded after a moment, then he exchanged looks with Sammy, and the pseudodragon chirped softly at him, imitating a shrug with his lithe shoulders. The Drakkaren sighed as he rubbed at his face a bit, and then he finally looked over Sin and his two sons as he said quietly: "I dunno, Cherry. I guess you have a point but... well, over these last four years, we've made a lot of progress. We took down a few major smuggling operations that were moving Wulfe Pharmaceuticals goods, and we destroyed a high-powered cloaking system. Mercy is on the mortal plane, though, and we've got our family problems here and lots of other things to deal with... and I'll be damned, but it's still so hard to get used to thinking: 'Just another century, and when I get back home, it won't even be tomorrow.'"

"Yeah, well, hey. You're the one that lived in this shitty place for like. Eons or whatever. Me, I'm just a wanderer and a random visitor." Cherry replied mildly, shrugging a bit before she looked over at Priest and Markus benevolently. "I'm like a fuckin' salmon or shit. I swim way upstream to lay me my childrens, then I go back home after I know they can fend for themselves."

"Cherry, stop being weird." Zerrex said mildly, and the female huffed and rolled her eyes, grinning a bit nonetheless as she stood up and stretched with a loud sigh of relief. The reptile thought that even after the years that had passed, she was still reveling in the fact her stomach had gone back to normal... not that he could exactly blame her. Then he paused and added in a quieter voice: "Anyway, can't we talk about this later? We've done so much as it is... we've fought so hard to try and clean up the messes we've found here, and there's been no sign of Loki, and even the Miserable Ones seem to have been disbanded... and any other rebel forces have gone to ground."

"Believe me, Boss, for once, I'd love to just sit back and let someone else take care of it. Markus is my big boy, and the little dude makes me happy." Cherry replied with a strange compassion in her voice, as she shook her head slowly and gazed quietly over at her son, who was gobbling down the food that Sin had brought. "But look at him. Do you want him to end up growing up in our world? Or can we make him a world that's even just slightly better than the place we knew growing up?"

"You're a romantic." Zerrex said with soft amusement, and Cherry huffed and glowered at him, crossing her arms and looking moody. "Oh, don't give me that crap. I know you've got a soft side to you, you just like to pretend you're covered in barbed wire and scarier than a nuclear bomb. I understand though, Cherry... except what else can we do?"

At this, the female paused and looked stumped for a moment... and then she finally shrugged, grinning at him and saying awkwardly: "Well... ain't it worse to do nothing?"

"Change for the sake of change only promotes chaos." Zerrex replied quietly, and then he made a face when the demoness gave him a look and a grin. "Go away. I hate you."

"I hate you too." she replied with a flutter of her eyes, and then she bounced off in Priest's direction, likely intent on badgering him some more on something or another. Zerrex rolled his eyes with a sigh... and then he smiled a bit when Sin approached, the Naganatine gazing at him with soft affection.

They were quiet as she came in close, then they traded a hug... and she clung to him for a moment, saying softly: "Your son is growing up well and strong... but I have to admit that Lady Cherry is influencing him in ways that are... a bit less-than-respectable even by Hell's standards. Not that I mean any disrespect myself, Lord Zerrex... only that perhaps you should talk with her about being a bit more..."

"You know Cherry." Zerrex shrugged a bit, but he understood: after all, Cherry discussed things with Markus that most adults would never discuss with each other, let alone their possible children. "But don't worry, we already had the meeting with the academy professors... they were a bit less-than-thrilled when Markus used some words in his science presentation reserved for older, wiser demons in uglier, less-academic settings."

Sin nodded a bit at this, the Naganatine looking quietly entertained before she looked skywards, at the vortex of red and black slowly spiraling forever above their heads. Then she sighed and glanced at the Drakkaren with a look of affection, taking his face in her hands as she said softly: "You're drained, Lord Zerrex... you need to rest and relax a bit. You've been pushing yourself too hard these last few weeks, if not years... trying to keep up with Lady Cherry, and young Markus, and the duties of the High Thrones and this endless search for import rings... even you don't have boundless amounts of energy."

"Well, I need to try." Zerrex said reasonably, shrugging a bit... before he smiled and grasped Sin's shoulders, kissing her forehead as he replied in a softer voice, when she only gave him a faint frown: "Don't worry about me. When I need a rest... I'll find a place to take a rest. All that matters right now is that Cherry and I raise Markus right... and of course, that we find any other clues we can to where exactly Mercy vanished off to. I still miss her, you know... she's... I dunno."

Zerrex couldn't phrase it right: even in the hubbub of everything that had happened, the Drakkaren had never forgotten about her, had never pushed her aside... and he thought she stood out so firmly in his mind not because he feared for her or that she was weak, but because she was one of his children who had proven to be among those he was the most proud of, because of her ability to strive forwards even when things seemed desperate and impossible. After all, she had been born mute in a world where there was little tolerance for the different or the handicapped... and yet she had done more than simply survive in a corner, but had finally started to blossom.

The reptile reached up and quietly stroked along Sammy's side, and the pseudodragon gave a quiet squeak as he looked down guiltily. As the little beast had matured, Zerrex knew he too had begun to feel pangs of guilt for what had happened, even though it had been a complete accident: just the wrong jump at the wrong time, that was all. Yet that was all it took to cause an avalanche, or even less... and Zerrex shook his head after a moment, clearing his mind as he murmured: "Stupid thoughts."

"See? You need rest." Sin said softly, gazing at him a bit more stubbornly now. Their eyes met for a few moments, and then Zerrex finally relented, nodding hesitantly, and Sin smiled at him, looking relieved as she created a portal for him. "Good. Go and relax, Lord Zerrex... get some sleep, and I'll keep everyone else away from you. I think Markus and Cherry can do without you for a day or two."

Zerrex grunted at this, but he walked through the portal after a moment, to step into his room... and Sammy jumped off his shoulder to land on the bed and climb up onto a large, fluffy pillow the Drakkaren kept specifically for him, the pseudodragon curling up and looking pleased. Mature and intelligent or not, Sammy was still easily pleased by the simple things in life... and Zerrex reflected on this, wishing he could be a bit less fickle himself as he kicked off his boots and swung his feet up onto the bed, muttering: "I'm not that tired, not really... if anything, I haven't been pushing myself enough."

But then tiredness was pushing at his eyes... and when Zerrex laid his head down, he fell asleep, one hand resting on his chest, the other sprawled out at his side. His mind went dark, and his sleep was dreamless at first... but soon enough, the reptile found himself standing in a cement hallway, and as he looked back and forth, he realized this wasn't merely a dream... except he also had no clue what had brought this about in his mind, either. It felt like an outside presence... and he wondered for a moment if there was something else trying to invade his mind, before a shape flew through an intersection ahead.

The Drakkaren almost gave chase, but he stopped himself, gritting his teeth and forcing his feet to stay still before he concentrated and pushed his hands out, telling himself none of this was real... and then a moment later, reality wavered around him, and he found himself instead standing somewhere in the top floor of the Ravenlight Estate. For a moment, he thought it was still a dream... and then he looked first at his hands, and then at the walls, before hitting himself in the thigh... and the consistency, everything, seemed too realistic for it to be any kind of illusion. But... how did I get up here?

"There you are, Boss." Cherry's voice said from behind him, sounding relieved... and Zerrex turned around, before he frowned a bit as he saw no one was there. It made his mind bend... and then she spoke from behind him again, saying in a milder tone: "Fuck, I mean. Hey, you awake? Seriously, wake-up call was a few freaking years ago."

Zerrex turned around again, and Cherry still wasn't there... and his mind hurt, hurt horribly. He grasped at his skull, clenching his eyes shut... before he saw a gray, formless shape move in the sides of his vision again, and he instinctively fell away from it. And instead of striking any solid surface, he only fell into darkness, into a never-ending void, as that shape swirled around him, as if trying to reach into his mind... and Zerrex covered his face-

He thudded to the ground, and the Drakkaren blinked stupidly as he sat up and looked back and forth. He had just fallen out of bed after some kind of nightmare... and he groaned as he rubbed slowly at his skull. It felt like it was splitting in half... and his goddamn leg was throbbing again, too. The reptile muttered about Sin's suggestion to rest, wondering what time it was as he crawled slowly back into bed and sprawled out on his stomach... and Sammy chirped quietly as he looked into his master's face with concern, the reptile looking tiredly back up at him as he half-threw his blankets over himself. "I feel like a truck hit me. Or something bigger and worse."

Sammy squeaked quietly, then he climbed onto Zerrex's back and curled up on top of him... and the reptile didn't know if the gesture was affectionate, protective, or just the little pseudodragon looking for a good, comfortable place to take a nap. He made a face against the pillows, but didn't move... and admittedly, it was a sort of nice gesture on the pseudodragon's part. Sort of. He paused, then grumbled as he slid his hands beneath his head, sighing a bit and adding mentally: I'm a demon and I have a headache and a leg-ache. I'm like, the worst demon ever.

After a few hours, the headache abated, and the pain in his leg died down until it was barely noticeable... but that made it somehow only all the more disturbing to the Drakkaren. He only moved once, to lay on his back... and of course, Sammy had moved with him and was now snoozing on his abdominals, the Drakkaren absently rubbing his back and wondering to himself what it would be like to live the life of a spoiled little pet. That's right, I'm thinking at you, Knight Dove. Some knight you are. I bet none of Lucifer's knights curled up on his stomach at night... but then again, that's just an awkward thought.

Zerrex snorted to himself in soft amusement... before he blinked as a portal opened and Cherry popped through it, peering at him distrustfully. The Drakkaren gave her a nonplussed look as the portal closed, and then he realized her expression was serious as she said sharply: "We've been infiltrated by spirits. Level ten Possessions, high-rank demons with lots of experience doin' this kind of shit. I need you and Sammy... the little guy can't be possessed, right?"

Zerrex nudged the little dragon, and he squawked tiredly before he jumped to his feet and shook himself off. In a single look, the Drakkaren let the little beast know what was going on... and Sammy nodded and chirped, sitting at attention as Zerrex said mildly: "We have a connection between us... if he was Possessed, I'd know. That may damn well explain my dreams, though... but how the hell could they get inside here?"

"Only one way... they'd have to be inside the Estate somewhere." Cherry tapped her nose a few times, then she grinned a bit as she winked at the Drakkaren, earning herself a sour look. "Hey, it's just like old times, Boss... hunting the hunter before they hunt us down and... do what hunters do." She looked lame for a moment, and Zerrex wished absently that he could pretend evil spirits had taken her over, just so he could stuff her in a closet somewhere quiet. "Come on, though... Markus is safe with Priest and Sin, but like. I don't want anything trying to get near my kids."

The Drakkaren nodded, and then he followed Cherry out into the hall, Sammy running along at their feet as he asked mildly: "Where are we headed first, in that case? And how did you detect the spirits?"

Cherry shrugged, looking nervously around at the walls and ceiling: Zerrex knew if there was one thing that freaked her out, it was Possession... because even with her powers, it was hard for her to detect. "Dunno, Sin figured it out, you know her crazy-ass powers... she suggested the 'balustrades' or some shit... what the fuck is a balustrade, anyway?"

"She means the gallery." the Drakkaren responded, nodding as he created a portal and making a face: it was the perfect place to hide out, assuming that someone not only got inside, but knew the right places to sneak into. As they entered the long hall upstairs where Zerrex kept not only his prized collection of art, but a small gallery of portraits of people he had defeated in the past, he pointed towards the roof... and Cherry stared dumbly at the system of arches and supports that formed an intricate maze above their heads. "See?"

"The fuck is all that for?" Cherry asked flatly, and then they both stared as something above sparked, before flickering out of existence. Immediately, the demoness was on it, leaping high up to catch one of the support pillars and jackknifing onto it... but then she cursed angrily, kicking a used-up crystal down to the floor, where it shattered at Zerrex's feet. "Shit, shit, shit! Fuck, we got detected like... fuck, we look like idiots!"

Zerrex watched Cherry's tirade for a few moments, admittedly feeling a bit less-than-pleased with his own performance: now, not only had someone successfully snuck into the Estate to try and Possess someone to either steal information or cause havoc... they had just screwed up in his capture. The Drakkaren looked down at Sammy, who was growling and sniffing the broken magical crystal... and the lizard knelt by it a moment later, realizing there had been runes engraved in the body of the crystal. "They must have picked us up on this... or been waiting to do something with it. We need to bring this to Sin for analysis."

"Yeah, yeah... sorry Boss." Cherry jumped down from the high pillars, rubbing at her face before she cursed again and punched the wall, snarling... and Zerrex watched her with sympathy and a strange sort of tenderness. He knew she wasn't just angry because they had been outplayed, after all... she was pissed off because someone had threatened the safety of Markus, and she wouldn't stand for that. But then again... I'm sure professional pride has a lot to do with it, too. "Fuck."

Zerrex couldn't find a better sentiment himself, so he simply nodded as he knelt down to gather up the pieces of broken crystal, wondering quietly just how this piece of the puzzle locked into everything else going on in his strange, interesting life.

On the one hand, the Drakkaren was proud to see Markus take up an old family hobby: beating people up. But on the other, Zerrex thought that the atmosphere of the fighting ring was far too uncivilized for the sixteen year old male, who was built more like the Dragokkaren he was named after when he had been in his prime, and fought with a calm and contemplation that made his father envious.

Standing at nine feet tall and covered in bulging, powerful muscle, Markus still had those odd speckles here and there over his body of darkest navy blue that gave him a strange, patchy look that was nonetheless somehow attractive. Small, cone-shaped fringes of spikes had developed on either side of Markus's head and down his spine, although for the most part his body lacked visible demonic characteristics... but during the rare times when he grew angry, other, much-more imposing manifestations of his demonic side would show very clearly through his body.

Markus was a demon of Wrath, although he showed very few similarities to the sin itself: he was loving, gentle, and exceptionally-kind, often refusing to fight even the most meager of enemies to try and instead reason with them. Nonetheless, violence and the thrill of combat did still attract him... along with what Zerrex understood to be the tactical dance and the aspect of intellect it took to become a truly proficient fighter, especially in the competitive fights like today... even if they usually only offered up overeager, muscle-bound fools that Markus easily made a joke out of when he fought seriously.

Zerrex, Cherry, and Priest currently sat near the front row, all of them dressed plainly and mixing easily with the crowd of cheering fans, students of the Academy, and other relatives and friends who had come to watch the matchups. They had all squished themselves in - often sitting uncomfortably close - in order to gather around the large, hexagonal-shaped arena with a heavy chain caging around it to add to the claustrophobia and experience of the fighters, and currently, Markus was standing at one end of the cage... with a huge demon at the other who already dwarfed Markus in size and height, even if he couldn't be much older. They were both dressed only in loincloths, although Markus had wrapped his fists and feet in tape as well... and both were waiting anxiously for the referee to signal the fight to begin, as the crowd around them cheered and yelled expectantly. It reminded Zerrex of the old arenas back home where Cherry had taken up street-fighting to earn some money and even teach a few lucky students who could understand her particular methods, and he smiled a bit as he sat back as the referee in the cage signaled the fight to start, backing quickly off to the side as the huge, rhino-like demon roared and immediately charged Markus in a full-out bull rush.

Markus waited until the last moment, and then he swung a palm up to knock the demon's head back, stunning him long enough for the Dragokkaren to slip in close and slam his fists into his opponent's abdominals in fierce, precise blows... and when the huge demon fell to his knees with a groan, Markus grasped his skull for a moment, as if about to throw a knee into his chin... but then he instead simply shoved him backwards, and he toppled to the mat, visibly dazed. The referee began to count, but the demon climbed quickly back up... and Cherry flailed beside Zerrex, shouting: "What the fuck?"

"He doesn't want to kill him, that's all." Zerrex said mildly, leaning towards Cherry, and she snorted and muttered that it wouldn't be a big deal. Admittedly, Zerrex knew that there were a few accidental deaths every year in the ring, especially with these younger fighters who were just learning to control and inherit their demonic heritages... and that was part of the reason he didn't like this place. But Markus, for some reason, preferred to do his fighting as part of the Royal Associated Academy's open-sparring club, and not in a more professional setting... probably because he doesn't want a lot of attention. Few talent scouts ever come here... it'd be like going to a little league game to find the next big hitter.

He paused, then smiled a bit despite himself at the term he had chosen to use, watching as the huge demon tried to pounce on Markus... and Markus ducked beneath him and caught him in midair before throwing him hard back into the cage walls, the demon looking stupefied as he fell heavily on his ass. "Then again, sometimes you get surprised... some kids can hit pretty damn hard."

"Kid's on fire today!" Priest exclaimed, and he and his mother exchanged grins before they both jumped to their feet, cheering loudly as Markus rammed a shoulder into the rhino-demon as he stood up, and it caught the giant in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to the ground in a stunned heap. Zerrex was admittedly impressed by the speed and precision Markus showed on the battlefield even with such simple attacks... but he thought Priest and Cherry were simply enjoying watching Markus kick the snot out of some poor demon bastard who had probably been used to tyrannizing smaller demons his entire life. Sometimes, the Cherry really does just bounce out of his personality... "Yeah, go little bro!"

"Kick his ass!" Cherry hollered, earning a few glares from some of the other people, but she blew a loud raspberry at the nearest, twiddling her fingers at the same time before she watched as the rhino-demon made one last desperate swing... and Markus blocked it with his arm, getting inside the blow and hammering a hook under his chin with enough force to finally knock the goliath out and send him down on his stomach, the referee stepping forwards as Markus quickly backstepped. Cherry and Priest both cheered, and Zerrex clapped, feeling deeply impressed as Markus didn't dance around, only stood and half-bowed politely to his fallen competitor, displaying a professionalism and confidence that was beyond the level of most professional fighters. Kid's got style... and he certainly didn't learn it from me or Cherry. And the way he took the guy down... minimal damage to his whole body. He's careful and gentle even when he fights... goddamn, Requiem would be proud.

The Drakkaren relaxed as people continued to cheer, content to be swallowed up by the crowd and analyzing his son closely, the way he behaved, the way his muscles moved, and how he held himself... and he smiled a bit. Sure, he could see himself and Cherry in the kid at times, but right now he only saw good qualities in the boy... and if there was one thing he and Cherry did not have in surplus, it was good qualities.

After another few seconds, Markus was led out of the ring, and Cherry sat down with a huff as Priest cleared his throat and tried to take on his normal composure, but he was fidgeting more than a little bit. Zerrex shot them both a sour look, and the demoness shrugged, before she asked in a loud, whiny voice: "Can we go now? I wanna see my kid."

"There's only three fights left." Zerrex retorted, holding up the roster for the day... and Cherry bad-temperedly pointed at it and set it on fire. The Drakkaren only rolled his eyes, however, letting it burn down a bit before he clenched his fist tightly around the paper, and the merry flames were smothered by the smooth scales of his hand. "Come on, one of the fighters is that kid he's always talking about, you know... his new best friend or whatever. We might as well stay and watch."

Cherry grumbled and dropped her face on her palm... and the reptile admittedly wasn't as impressed as he'd hoped to be by the last three matchups, and wasn't able to pick out which of the fighters was Dai Faulkner, the only person Markus ever really talked about. Even sitting here at the front, after all, there were still plenty of parents who had left the stands to flood into the area around the cage... and by the end of the fights, they were treating it more like a bar battle than a children's sparring competition. Zerrex wondered mildly if it was because they were in Hell, or if it was because they were dealing with parental issues that were unrestrained by the mortal society's conventions against violence.

The fights, at least, were fast, and Zerrex, Cherry, and Priest slipped their way out through the mingling crowd to make their way out of the school building. Markus had promised to meet them out in the front, near Hell's version of a parking lot: a place where steeds could be saddled and people could portal in and out freely without setting off any magic sensors. It's like their version of cars and smoking. "Will you two stop pouting?"

"Dude, totally barely worth it." Cherry replied acidly, waving one of the rosters at Zerrex. "Markus is so way above their levels and like... bullshit, just like, bullshit. I can't believe they paired him up with the giant dork, too... we really gotta get him into a better program or something, something where he can show off."

"Cherry, showing off isn't the only thing important in life." Zerrex replied flatly, and Cherry put on a shocked face at this, grabbing the sides of her head. "Stop being a whore. And... what, you actually agree with her, Priest?"

Priest shrugged a bit, looking embarrassed as they made their way out of the building's main doors, a few demons bustling by them: normal Academy classes weren't in session, but just like in mortal schools, there were plenty of after-school activities for the children to get involved with... and a good amount of demons attended special night classes at this place, too. "I dunno... I mean... well... I know Markus could be doing better, that's all. I think he's just scared of moving up to a new grade and not being the big fish in the pond anymore... maybe if you guys helped him out some, though, or encouraged him-"

"Hey, I am the big mother of encouragement." Cherry snapped immediately, glaring at Priest and pointing a finger at him threateningly, making the huge Dragokkaren rear back as Zerrex slapped his forehead. Here we go. "If you want to blame someone for not encouraging him, blame the hairy bastard over there. Your father is that bastard, and yeah, I know, he wants Markus to go along at his own level..."

Cherry continued to rant, and Zerrex let the sound fade on her as he turned away, watching as a few other families walked away and some of the other fighters talked and argued with each other. A few of them had some nasty bruises... and as the reptile watched them walk onwards, he wondered quietly how many of them were fresh, and how many of them were old... and how many of them weren't the product of these fights at all. He knew that on some level, Cherry understood that Markus wasn't like these other fighters in every way... Markus, for all his positives, had never had a truly grueling experience growing up, while some of these kids were probably beaten every day.

Not that it was a positive quality: only that it made their experiences different. Zerrex knew from his own personal experiences growing up that life could be vicious, and that was part of the reason he'd triumphed in the military... he'd been hardened by his life to the point where doing something remarkably stupid and suicidal like charging at a tank with nothing but a grenade was just another day's work. But the child who grew up blessed by his parents, who joined the military because it was his dream, sometimes was the same soldier who fell apart on the battlefield... because he had never been surrounded by anger, guns, noise, and yelling, even if he'd trained for it all his life. Training was one thing, however... and experience was another entirely. Even virtual training never probably simulated all the feelings that came with doing the real thing.

The Drakkaren glanced over his shoulder, and he saw Cherry was still ranting, although now he was pretty sure she was pissed-off at Priest. When she started on a tirade about something - especially about Markus - Cherry would sometimes seem to start off by talking about what a horrible parent she was or Zerrex was... and then somehow, usually about halfway through her rant, the actual focus of the sarcastic ramble would become clear. In this case, Zerrex was pretty sure she was lecturing Priest on her parenting abilities - even with her kids she was sensitive about that - and how Markus might be more interested in gaining hand-to-hand experience before he went on to something bigger, if he ever did at all.

Then the reptile let out a sigh of relief as he saw Markus exit from one of the side doors, dressed in jeans and a pressed shirt; just like when he'd been a kid, he still loved a certain kind of clothing. The huge Dragokkaren smiled warmly at his father as he approached, and Zerrex crossed his arms, looking up at him with soft amusement, the giant of a child easily carrying a heavy pack over one shoulder, likely loaded with different kinds of weights and his change of clothes. "You did good today, kiddo... how you holding up?"

"Shut up, Priest." A loud smacking sound, followed by a grunt of pain from the Dragokkaren, and Zerrex rolled his eyes before Cherry shoved him aside, almost knocking him over as she grinned at her son and put her hands on her hips, inspecting him. It made Markus blush slightly as Zerrex and Priest looked at each other, and then she declared: "Come on, we're gonna go out for dinner tonight. My kid did good."

Zerrex rolled his eyes and sighed... but he knew that it was just an excuse for Cherry to spend time with the family, and that she thoroughly enjoyed the idea of having this little family all to herself. Admittedly, he didn't mind it as much himself... but what did bother him was the way Cherry usually chose to behave when they were out in public together, getting a meal or doing anything else. Either way, Cherry had already started preening over Markus, dancing around him and giving him advice and looking over his huge, thick body, and Zerrex created a portal before he stuck a foot out and tripped her, and Cherry squawked, pinwheeling her arms before she was thrown easily through by the Drakkaren, who motioned for Markus to go next with a slight smile up at him as he gave an embarrassed look in return. "Go on ahead. I'm sure she's going to chase you around all day either way."

"Thanks, Dad." Markus nodded and murmured, and he and Priest went through next before Zerrex followed last, stepping out into the main hall of the Ravenlight Estate and immediately wincing and ducking when Cherry tried to tackle him. She flew over his head and hit Priest instead, and he fell on his back before kicking her hard off... and Cherry's arms flailed before she landed on her back with a squeak, her eyes bulging as Markus stared in shock at his three closest relatives.

Priest pointed at her and laughed as he jumped up to his feet, and Zerrex rolled his eyes as he walked over and kicked Cherry lightly... and she peered up at him for a moment before she rose a hand, saying dumbly: "I think I may have landed a little bit awkwardly. Help me up."

Zerrex did so after a moment, rolling his eyes... but when he and Cherry looked up, Markus was gone and Priest had also run off somewhere, a portal just closing behind him. The two exchanged frowns, still absently holding hands as the muscular female rested close... and then she said slowly: "Markus doesn't know how to portal, does he?"

"No, he hasn't really learned any magic at all, yet..." Zerrex replied quietly, glancing back and forth. For some reason he suddenly felt watched... and he wondered if this was a prank that Priest had dragged Markus along on, or if he was just being paranoid. And then he and Cherry traded a look before they stepped away from each other, the male making a face as he brushed his hair back. "Either way, it's your fault."

"Fuck you." Cherry said absently, cracking her back loudly and wincing a bit at the sound. "Holy hell, that one stung. So where the hell did those two rat-bastards go, anyway? Do they like. Not like my dinner ideas?"

"Usually when we go out to dinner you make an ass out of yourself, Cherry, that's the part of the idea they don't like." Zerrex replied with a bit of a smile over his shoulder at her, and Cherry snorted... but both of them still looked nervous. The events of about a dozen years ago now still shone brightly in the heads of both, when nasty demons capable of possessing others had gotten into the Estate. Cherry had broken what amounted to pretty much just a simple luck charm, and Sin had spent weeks analyzing it before saying it was really nothing of importance... but for whatever reason, that haunted feeling had never left the Estate since then. Maybe it was because even with all their security... people who want to get in are still going to get in.

Cherry finally shook her head, muttered something like 'this is stupid,' and headed for the stairs... although she paused at the foot of them, looking over her shoulder at Zerrex and saying mildly: "What, aren't you coming? Markus always drops his shit off at the weight room and stuff first, right? So let's go there, see why he and Priest left in such a hurry."

"Priest left because you kept hitting him." Zerrex muttered, and Cherry grunted something in return, but he joined her nonetheless. They made their way through the Estate on foot, and as they passed a few people and the familiar pictures and paintings and furnishings, Zerrex began to feel a bit more at ease, and Cherry visibly relaxed beside him. Things felt like they were going back to normal... but at the same time, Zerrex felt strangely unsurprised when they found the weight room empty... just as Markus's room was devoid of stuff in it, too.

Priest they caught up to in his room, tinkering with a mortal gun design... and he told them openly and honestly he hadn't seen his little brother at all. Cherry, by now, looked like she was about to throw a temper-tantrum... but the reptile knew it was her way of trying to hide how concerned she was. The Drakkaren, meanwhile, was a bit worried but not exactly overly-so... after all, the Ravenlight Estate was a massive place, and even he still got lost in it every now and then when he wasn't watching where he was going.

So he turned down Cherry's manic idea of a search party, and instead reached outwards with his particular ability to control energy, sensing and in a way, touching at the other energies in the building... and he hadn't been surprised when he'd felt a familiar energy signature moving around on one of the lower floors. When they'd arrived there, they'd found Markus looking embarrassed, his gym bag torn and his stuff all over the floor... and Zerrex realized he'd just been running armloads of the stuff to his room.

A simple explanation... but it didn't get rid of that strange feeling in the air. Cherry, of course, just acted smug... but the moment she and Zerrex were alone, she clung to him, muttered that he'd better never tell anyone about what she was doing, and then finally asked him to look over the security of the Estate again. She couldn't bear to let anything happen to her son... and Zerrex understood what she meant. Markus might be exceptional in many ways, but he was still no match for any serious demon that wanted to do real harm to him... and the Drakkaren promised to look into the Ravenlight Estate's security countermeasures again.

Still, something was off. Zerrex felt that, although he couldn't place his finger on it for almost two weeks... and by then, Cherry had completely forgotten about what had gone on with Markus and was busy badgering him about joining one of the more-professional competitive fighting groups in the local area. At the moment, she was out dragging her youngest son around to different arenas, and Zerrex was simply wandering the Estate with Priest... before he paused as they walked along the third floor, looking down and kneeling to pick up a quill off the ground. "Surprised no one picked this up... Markus must have dropped it, it's got the Academy logo written on it. Who the hell puts a logo on a feather, anyway?"

"Why was Markus up here?" Priest asked curiously, tilting his head as he and his father began to walk forwards... and Zerrex paused and turned around with a slight frown, and the huge Dragokkaren shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, it's kinda out of the way, that's all. His room's on the second floor and he likes to do his exercising either outside or in the training rooms in the deep basement."

"You're right." Zerrex said slowly, and he walked back to where he had found the quill. The Drakkaren looked at this in his hand for a moment, and then he tucked it into the pocket of his pants as his eyes settled on the door he had found it in front of. A few weeks ago, they had found Markus up here, after all... and the Drakkaren opened it carefully, as a sense of cold foreboding washed over him.

It opened on one of the few empty rooms sitting around the Estate... and Priest rubbed at his head slowly as Zerrex stepped inside, the Dragokkaren saying curiously: "So what, he came up here for... quiet time or something? Everything's covered in sheets... I thought you put all the rooms in the Estate to use."

"I did." Zerrex said softly, and he grasped one of the sheets before he pulled it back... and he winced away at the sight of a dead, beaten body. Zerrex couldn't even tell what kind of demon it was anymore, and it had long ago putrefied, flecks of black falling to the floor as the Drakkaren leaned in close, trying to find any distinct mark at all on it... before he shook his head slowly, kicking the couch it was laying on with disgust. "Shit."

"Fuck, what the fuck..." Priest said weakly, and he closed the door behind them, looking back and forth fearfully before he grasped another sheet-covered object... and when he pulled it off, he unveiled only a small shelf with a few books stacked inside it. Immediately, he gave a semi-hysterical, weak laugh... but then Zerrex motioned for him to inspect the book, and the Dragokkaren looked at him dumbly for some ten seconds, as the Drakkaren went about the cold business of looking through the rest of the room.

It had once been a den... but now there were no less than five putrefied bodies piled up inside it, along with a few bottles of some sort of cleaning solution - to deal with the smell... - and a large bucket full of congealed blood, ashes, and bones. Priest was almost retching in a corner, looking ill and pale as he clutched a book in his arms... and Zerrex looked at him quietly for a few moments before the Dragokkaren said finally, in a weak voice: "I don't think he knew. I really don't. Dad... I..."

He finally held up a book, and Zerrex took it, flipping through the pages before he settled on one that had been clearly marked, and his emerald eyes settled on the bold chapter title: 'Advanced Transfer of Physical Traits.' "I think I understand..."

"Come on, Boss... you... you know that..." Priest forced himself to his feet, looking at Zerrex pleadingly, his hands outstretched... and Zerrex closed his eyes, barely able to take that image on top of everything else wrenching at his heart right now. "Look, okay, I get it. But... maybe... Possession? Control? Suggestion? Shit, don't do this!"

"What choice do we have?" Zerrex asked tiredly, as he closed the book before looking at the rotted corpses, and then he turned around and created a portal, adding quietly: "Front hall. We'll let Cherry and Markus..."

"Don't say it like that." Priest almost begged, and he followed his father quickly through the portal, looking, in a single word, scared. It was a strange expression on the giant's face, as they stepped into the main hall, and Zerrex walked over to quietly sit on the steps as Priest leaned on the railing, lowering his head and saying in almost a whimper: "Don't do this, Zerrex. Forget what you saw. Maybe it wasn't him..."

"No, we know it was..." Zerrex said quietly, and the words felt heavy... everything felt heavy. It made sense though... the Dragokkaren, after all, was enormous by even a demon's standards, and had immense strength... but more and more over these last two weeks, he'd become reclusive and had vanished on more than one occasion, for hours at a time. The haunted feeling made sense now, more than ever... and he sighed quietly as he rubbed at his face slowly, thinking of the children he'd had over the years... and hoping that Markus was more like Atlas or Firenze then his son who'd gone bad in the worst of ways.

For a long while, they sat together in an awkward silence, neither speaking and neither even knowing what to say... until finally Priest lowered his head, murmuring quietly: "You know how protective Mom is... when you tell her... when she finds out..."

"You'll see a very different side of her." Zerrex said quietly: because while he was unsure of what to expect from Markus... he was fairly sure he knew what to expect from Cherry. After all, the chances of an evil child being born to them with their mixed heritages was pretty high... and he smiled grimly as he curled his fingers together, murmuring: "This means we can't deny our sins though, doesn't it?"

Priest looked at his father for a moment with something like horror... and then he simply closed his eyes and shook his head, saying quietly: "I don't think so, Boss. They were dead, yeah, and pretty badly beaten up... but it looked more like Envy or Greed or Pride than Wrath. Wrath is hateful and violent and sudden... sins of Wrath are often sins of passion. Maybe I'm so damn upset because... it wasn't a sin of passion, it was... fuck, Markus..."

Priest dropped his face in his hands, and Zerrex glanced over his shoulder at him with quiet love and respect and so much sorrow... and then he looked forwards when a portal opened, Cherry coming through with a laugh and a grin and Markus smiling... before the smile froze on his face as Zerrex threw the tome he'd found forwards, his eyes cold as he asked in a soft voice: "Care to explain?"

Cherry frowned, looking up at Zerrex and Priest... and then she looked across at Markus, before her eyes widened as he shoved her hard away, and she fell on her ass, not even bothering to catch herself, only looking shocked and stupid as Markus rose a fist and yelled in an angry voice, his features suddenly filled with anger: "I knew you wouldn't understand! I knew it! Just like Faulkner said, you are elitist, you and her and him, you all think you know what's best for me but when I go out and start building my experiments, then it's horrible and wrong, while you, I know all about you and your sick and twisted-"

"Shut the fuck up, Markus!" Priest leapt to his feet, looking furious as he jumped forwards and swung an arm out, and Cherry simply continued to look stupefied as Zerrex closed his eyes... but he could still see them in his mind, their family falling apart right in front of him and the Drakkaren unable to turn away. "Necromancy and transmogrification? And on yourself? What the hell is wrong with you? Those were good, living demons... what the fuck were you thinking, you're already-"

"I need to be bigger, stronger, better... I need to be better, so I can rule Hell one day!" Markus declared, spreading his arms wide and looking insane now, his calmness gone in the face of lunacy, before he snarled and pointed a finger at Zerrex, shouting: "And what are you going to do about it? You're already so embarrassed about what happened with Aether-"

And then Cherry was on her feet and her fist was raised, and Markus flew through the air, gargling as blood shot out of his jaws, a few pieces of tooth flying from his muzzle before he fell heavily on his side, and Priest gaped as Zerrex touched his forehead, his eyes half-open to watch as Cherry pointed at the blue Dragokkaren on the ground with her own eyes glowing with fury and anger and hate and self-loathing, as she shouted: "No one talks to Zerrex like that, you understand me? And if you know what's good for you, you'll keep your goddamn muzzle shut and up your ass until I tell you to speak!"

"Cherry, enough." Zerrex said quietly, and Cherry turned around, wiping at her face furiously as she snarled, her muscles bulging and her demonic characteristics beginning to push through... and as Markus lay on the ground, rubbing at his bloody face in horror, the Drakkaren asked: "Why, Markus? A bright future... so much ahead of you... why would you throw it all away? You're sixteen... not even a full demon yet. You have no reason to commit these crimes to boost your strength when your strength grows every day..."

"I wanted their powers..." Markus grasped the rug, squeezing his claws into it as he leaned forwards, snarling like an animal... and Priest automatically stepped back, looking revolted as Markus hissed: "Magic makes physical strength look worthless in comparison but physical strength can crush the bodies of the frail and weak who devote all their time to the study of spells... but there are supernatural abilities, too, and so often I hear you and others talking on genetics... if I implanted myself with their genetic material, maybe their powers would develop in me... maybe I would reach my true strength even faster, and-"

"Enough." Zerrex stood up and walked forwards, looking down at his son with sorrow and pain and contempt... but when he glanced up to Cherry, she nodded, even as tears spilled down her face. "Self-gain. Weakness. Pride. Markus, I thought the world of you... but you are... just... a foolish child. You're more like me than I thought."

He looked down, hating how painful the last phrase was to say... and then his eyes met Markus's as he said in a heavy, slow voice: "Markus Angelus Narrius... you're committed a crime. And in Hell, we all pay for our crimes and our sins... as will you. I'm going to send you to a private prison cell for a little while-"

"No!" Markus leapt up and grabbed his father's shoulders with surprising strength, before he turned and threw him hard backwards, the Drakkaren slamming into Cherry before the maddened, blue-scaled demon looked back and forth for some way out... but then Priest charged forwards and tackled him, knocking him to the ground. Immediately, the two locked in combat... and even as Cherry scrabbled to go forwards, Zerrex stopped her, shaking his head quickly as he met her teary but vengeful eyes, and knowing full well how Cherry's mind worked... and how her love could be curdled into a hate so dark that she wouldn't stop to think before she killed her own son.

Priest and Markus wrestled on the ground, rolling back and forth like children... then Markus got a foot up against Priest's abdomen, except the older brother managed to twist his body out of the way just as the male kicked, and instead Markus's foot flailed uselessly into the air as Priest slammed his own knee up into the blue-scaled reptile's crotch. He groaned in pain, his eyes bulging... and then Priest managed to pin Markus down by the shoulders and shift his weight upwards, straddling his chest as he threw several hard punches down into his younger brother's face.

It was over in less than a minute, Priest keeping the male pinned by the chest as Markus covered his face with his hands, crying like a mortal child... and then the older sibling slowly stood up, shaking wiping his arms off and visibly resisting the urge to kick in Markus's side, looking down at him with disgust. He didn't speak, even though he looked like he was trying to say at least something small... and then he finally turned and walked away, shoving his way through the front doors of the Estate as Zerrex and Cherry walked over to tower over their son, who was curled up on his side and crying still, beaten and bloody.

Zerrex finally murmured a name, and Sin appeared a moment later. She didn't need to be filled in, as they stood there: she had seen that look on Zerrex's face before, and she simply nodded mutely before she created a glowing purple cube around Markus... and she vanished a moment later with him. Zerrex knew she'd take him to a high-security, solitary cell somewhere to await trial, and that she'd send Sabnock or another judge to come and gather evidence, but for now he was alone with Cherry... and a moment later, they clung to each other, both fighting back tears as she asked him raggedly: "Why... goddammit... why?"

He had no answer for her... so all he could do was continue to hold her, their bodies supporting each other as they stood in the empty and haunted hall.