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Zerrex opened his eyes to find himself once more laying alone in the master bedroom of his old house... and he yawned before straightening and heading downstairs. He rubbed idly at his naked chest, and he concentrated as he walked, before smiling slightly as clothes simply appeared on his body. He had to admit, having some of these powers was pretty nice... and he really might as well use them to the fullest while he was still here.

And when he looked outside, he saw that it was still snowing... but the world had changed. It looked like a strange mix of cities... massive stone skyscrapers towered to the sky, alongside dark office buildings of black glass and silver steel in the distance... and cherry trees were covered in snow but somehow still alive and vibrant, and he could see people walking the streets, but few cars...

Then he approached the kitchen, and found his mother there, smiling and just finishing mixing a teaspoon of sugar into a cup of coffee. She handed this to him with a soft laugh, looking up into his eyes lovingly, and he took it and sipped gratefully at it. "Thank you."

"So have you been thinking at all about how to deal with Drake? Or just been too busy enjoying my company?" she asked softly, and he couldn't help but admire her body and the clothes she'd put on today... a strapless, tight blue shirt that left her shoulders, arms, and most of her back bare, but for a crisscrossing X of string that she'd somehow tied in a perfect bow at the middle of her back to hold it tight against her... and a pair of fitted blue jeans and boots. And Zerrex couldn't help but rub the back of his head slowly and blush in embarrassment.

"I've been busy admiring you, I guess." He admitted, and she smiled softly at him before standing on her toes and kissing his cheek gently, as he bent slightly forwards towards her. Then they sat and silently sipped coffee for a little while, before he finally spoke again: "But what I'm relying on is the idea that Drake requires a host body... and there was that really weird... shadow thing, too."

He frowned a bit at this, looking down into his coffee as he swirled it slowly, then he took another sip before glancing back up at his mother. "So basically I've got a guess and something I don't exactly know what to make of, yet... but from what I have seen, his shadow is... maybe his real body? And he's a reflection into the air of it... but I dunno. He's amorphous, that's the frigging problem..."

Celestial nodded, sipping at her own coffee before saying gently: "You should go talk to your father and Requiem about this, then... maybe they could help you better with it." She paused at the look on Zerrex's face, and smiled a bit. "No, no, don't worry. Ifret is... different in this world, because this is your world. But... why don't you go find out for yourself?

"He's just across town... I'm sure you could take your motorcycle and get there in about five minutes, but why don't you try taking a walk, seeing what you can see? Maybe it'll jog your memory about a few things, huh?" Celestial suggested helpfully, and Zerrex looked at her thoughtfully for a few moments before nodding and taking one last long drink of coffee, then putting the mug aside.

"Alright." he said finally, then he walked over and leaned down to gently kiss her cheek. "I... I love you, mom."

"I love you too, son. Have a good day today, okay?" Celestial replied tenderly, reaching up to gently pat the reptile's cheek, and then she turned and headed towards the living room as Zerrex looked after her softly. Then he turned and headed for the back door, his combat boots and thick leather trenchcoat appearing on him as he opened the door and stepped out into a gentle winter world.

Everything was truly... beautiful out here. And as Zerrex walked down the sidewalk, letting his feet and instincts guide him, he glanced back and forth, smiling faintly as he passed by familiar locations that had been taken out of his memory: there was Tinman's little house and his shop, and across the street was Elliot's bar, and the reptile thought he could see the cat cleaning tables through the windows... a few houses down, he could see St. Augustine's, where Marina had gone to school... and beside that the private academy where he'd gone himself as a child for a few years.

And then he reached a large bridge... what could only be the Camelot Bridge, a place famous for two things: the only link for so many decades between Comfort Town and Apple Villa, and where the last stand of the Apple Villa vigilantes had occurred before Zerrex and Cherry had crushed their forces, ripped through their defensive line, and left a trail of slaughter all the way to the mayor's house. But today it was widened, spacious, and peaceful... and Zerrex walked over it, trading a smile and a wave with a certain vixen who was standing next to a smiling, thick-bodied border collie, who was beaming with a pink of fluffy earmuffs sitting lopsided on her head.

After a few more minutes, he stopped in front of a massive office building, looking up to the top and seeing it was the 'Headquarters of the Irenic Corporation,' a huge, looming, imposing structure... and he frowned a bit. If this was where Narrius was, then he probably was no different than he'd been in reality. But then he paused and glanced to the building beside it... and laughed softly as he recognized a squat martial arts dojo, walking across the street and letting himself into the small waiting room directly inside, brushing himself off once and the snow vanishing from his body entirely without a trace.

There was a door leading to what he guessed was an observation area, and another door leading into the dojo itself... and otherwise, a bunch of red chairs, some nice, exotic plants in the corners, and a secretary sitting in a raised area behind a counter that curved around in a large L. The lioness glanced up at Zerrex, then smiled and nodded to him. "Hello there, honey. You can just go on in if you want. The brothers are just starting a class right now, but I'm sure they'll be glad to see you."

Zerrex nodded his thanks with a smile, then he pushed through the door and idly wished his boots away: the combat boots vanished from his feet without a trace as he entered the room, stepping down onto a soft mat. The dojo was pretty basic... padded white walls, a blue tile floor, a large black mat at the entrance that was currently littered with children's shoes, and the center area composed of a large, padded square. There was also a series of hangars for coats, and another propped open door that Zerrex could see led into a change room. But he could only stand for a few moments as he swallowed and looked at the figure in the center of the room.

Sitting around him, on the tiled floor around the soft mat, were around twenty kids of only nine years at the oldest, in plain white uniforms with tightly-tied belts of various colors around their waists... and among their ranks, looking up with the same rapt attention as the rest that made him look almost ridiculous, between a rabbit and a deer, was Requiem. He, on the other hand, was shirtless, and had his jeans and heavyweight belt on... but it was Narrius who first caught his attention.

Narrius, standing in the center of the room and talking in his charming voice... but without that undercurrent of violence... and then Zerrex blinked, and he realized that no, this wasn't Narrius, but someone different... he had the same type of body, strong but lither than Requiem, although he was probably a foot and some inches taller... but his scales were a deep navy blue... the same darker blue that covered Zerrex's chest. And his eyes were blue, not crimson... but his features were the same, his voice was the same... and he was wearing clothes Narrius would never deign to wear: black, loose cloth pants and a plain rawhide weave belt with a few loops on it for shotgun shells or some other ammo of the same like. And a plain tank top that had a few stains of grease on it... and then he suddenly paused in the middle of a sentence and turned around, and smiled a bit as all the eyes in the room suddenly turned to him. "Sorry kids, looks like we have a guest... my son, Zerrex." A pause, and a laugh. "Don't be shy, kiddo, I ain't gonna bite. We were just going over defensive techniques, and how it's important to avoid a fight if possible... but if you can't flee, certain effective takedowns or restraining maneuvers. You think you'd like to help out at all?"

Zerrex nodded, looking stupefied, then he coughed and managed: "But um... don't let me interrupt, huh? Um. I'll just sit and let you give your talk, first... Dad." And with that, he walked into the room, still barely able to believe his eyes as the tall Dragokkaren smiled at him and nodded, before he once more took up his speech. Zerrex could barely believe what he was hearing as he watched the being who was apparently his father in this world move and speak in his eloquent voice, talking about defensive tactics, using force only when necessary, and how it was important to maintain calm in all situations... and then there was a gentle rustle before the reptile blinked and looked to the side to see Requiem had come and sat beside him.

"Life's cruel, isn't it?" he asked softly, leaning in close, and Zerrex glanced up at him quietly. "This is Eclipse... Eclipse Narrius. His nickname is Redeemer. Yes, Redeemer and Requiem." The thick-muscled Dragokkaren laughed softly at the look Zerrex gave him. "This is the father you've always wished for... who was more like you, who was someone you could respect and look up to... who had the same urges as you, but always managed to control them, and more... conquer them. Someone who would have loved you unquestioningly, unhesitatingly... and who was looked up to as a hero, even, by other people, who could be counted on in any situation. Who had seen wars like you had, but had survived, come out the other end alive, and not twisted..." A pause, and a sad smile. "An impossible person, in other words, who's the opposite of your real father. Ironically, this glorious male is your most selfish desire, most egotistical creation... someone who would love and cherish you most in all the world, and who would be there to hold you, and who doesn't carry the same flaws as even I did in life, like being the willing lapdog of a monster until the very end. Brainwashed, almost, into idolizing my older brother, because he'd always taken care of me... although that itself was just him using me for his own ends.

"But enjoy Eclipse... and have no regrets. Because you've earned some time to yourself and some selfishness, and although he is the opposite of Narrius, he carries all of the same knowledge that you knew your father possessed and is composed of specific altered memories, I suppose you can say. In reality, you're always just talking to yourself... but maybe that's why you can find the best answer here on dealing with Drake." Requiem said softly, then he leaned away with a smile and a glance back at Eclipse, his older brother in this world. "But for now, it's time for class."

"-And so the best way to deal with someone larger and stronger than yourself is to stay calm, and remember that bigger doesn't always mean better, especially in the case of our physical bodies." Eclipse said clearly to the watching kids... and Zerrex looked around, feeling a strange pride swell in his chest for this imaginary being that had already captured all the hearts and love of the people in the room. And then the blue-scaled Dragokkaren turned to him and smiled, his blue eyes locking onto Zerrex's own emerald: "Hey, son, why don't you come up here and show these kids just what I'm talking about, huh? You've always been better than me or Requiem at those more graceful techniques... but we should probably show the students something simpler, first, before we get onto the more advanced stuff. The basics are the foundation for everything, after all... and without a good foundation..."

And Eclipse held up a hand next to his head with a wide smile, and the kids all called out: "You can't have any good support!"

"That's right. And bad supports lead to collapse or corruption." He said softly, and then looked at his son and extended a hand out to help him up to his feet... and Zerrex felt a wave of deep mingled joy and despair, just as he had last night with his mother. In half a minute, he had told Zerrex all the things the Drakkaren never had and never would hear from his own father, but had always wished to... in half a minute, he had been humble, caring, compassionate, and wise... things Narrius never had been, and never would be in all his life, especially towards his son. It almost made the reptile's long-strained emotions give away... and then he reached up a hand and firmly took Eclipse's.

He pulled him up to his feet and into a tight hug, and Zerrex returned it fiercely, closing his eyes and resting against him for a moment as Eclipse whispered softly down to him: "Sorry I can't do more for you, Light... but after class, I do promise to help all I can." Then the two pulled apart, and Zerrex coughed and bent his head as he wiped at his eyes, mumbling something as the blue-scaled Dragokkaren looked at him softly.

Then Zerrex looked up and smiled a bit, stepping back and crossing his arms as he tilted his head and asked: "So, do you think these kids can learn the basic step-and-butt? I was going to suggest a pull-away, but like you said, basics come first. And this is probably the easiest to do when dealing with a large attacker."

Eclipse nodded thoughtfully. "Basic military stuff, huh? But I agree, that sounds like a pretty easy thing to start with, and it'd be good for the kids to learn, and I certainly feel knockin' away someone twice your size is a good confidence booster. So sure, let's start with that." He smiled and crossed his arms, winking. "So you wanna explain the movement to the kids before we demonstrate, or should I?"

"You go ahead first with it. You're better with the kids than I am." Zerrex said softly, smiling a bit, and the Dragokkaren laughed a bit before nodding and relaxing back on the spot a bit, glancing around at the students before clearing his throat as his son watched him with almost rapt attention, and Requiem smiled faintly as he looked from one to the other, then refocused his attention on his older brother with warm eyes.

"Well, first off, this is best used when someone is taking a wide swing at you, or even when they're trying to grab or charge." He explained, gesturing and making sure to look around at all the students, as if to make sure they were aware they were all being included. "Even certain kinds of kicks, but this is mostly best for wider, hooking kinds of movements and unskilled grapple attacks or attempts by someone to seize you or hit you high up.

"First, we want to set ourselves in a ready position, and remember, as always, to stay calm... to not give in to the automatic panic or fear that we all feel when someone comes at us." Then he smiled and looked around at the class amusedly. "Or at least that I feel." That earned a bit of a laugh from the students and some hesitant smiles, and then he continued on easily as he idly stretched out one arm in a windmill motion. "But when the person takes the swing at us or attempts to grab, we want to quickly backstep out of the way: but at the last moment, just after we pass out of their reach, we want to stop ourselves on our feet by planting them firmly and throwing our body weight forwards.

"Then we duck and simply launch ourselves at the enemy, shoulder first, aiming at about chest level and keeping low. It's a fairly difficult tactic to master, even though it's just a combination of two basic movements, so it'll take you some time to get the timing down... learning how to reverse your momentum is the hardest part." He paused and smiled around at the class again, crossing his arms and nodding firmly. "But if you can learn this trick, then you'll have learned how to properly time your movements and the way that momentum can affect your body, both positively and negatively. It's also the first step to learning how to control our center of gravity, which I'll get more into in later lessons. It seems my son picked a great move for us to start in on learning."

He paused and winked across at Zerrex, who blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly, then Eclipse smiled again and tilted his head. "So kid, you want to get into position? Actions always speak louder than words, after all... and I think our students will get a lot more out of actually seeing the different ways the tactic is used than just listenin' to me prattle on, 'fore we get them to practice it themselves."

"Alright... I'll try not to hit you too hard." Zerrex responded with a slight smile, then he turned to face his father, raising his hands in front of himself defensively in a basic ready position, one leg slightly out in front of himself and tensed. At the same time, Eclipse turned to face him full-on and he rose his own hands, then his son gave a quick nod to show he was ready.

Immediately, Eclipse ran forwards, cocking one arm back obviously and keeping his body fairly straight, then he threw a wide hook punch aimed at Zerrex's head. The Drakkaren smiled inwardly at the easy, wide movements as he launched his weight backwards, letting his feet leave the floor for a moment as he ducked downwards at the same time, body bending as he leaned forwards, and then he caught himself on his toes as Eclipse's swing went wide and high over his head.

His boots scraped against the mat beneath him for a moment, and then he suddenly launched himself forwards with a grunt, twisting his body slightly and lowering his head so his shoulder smashed into Eclipse's chest, a wall of firm muscle and scale hidden beneath the cloth of his shirt. One arm went out, ready to strike or catch another punch or attempt to grab his back, and the other remained crossed over his chest to block any knees or lower blows... but instead of countering, Eclipse let himself grunt and stagger backwards, pinwheeling his arms for balance before stopping himself with one firmly-planted leg behind him.

Zerrex straightened, and then his illusionary father did the same, and they exchanged a smile as the kids whispered amongst each other: both knew that both could have easily continued or countered the movement at any point, but it was an excellent exercise and beginner tactic for the little kids to learn... that and the chance of them facing a bully with any talent whatsoever other than in just swinging his fists wildly was unlikely. The two faced each other, then they shared a respectful nod before Eclipse cleared his throat and looked around at the students. "So, as you can see, it's effective even for knocking away people larger than you, especially if you hit them when they're off-balance. So now if everyone will pair up, then Requiem will start the exercise and later on, Zerrex and myself will assist as well."

Requiem took the hint and nodded, and then Eclipse walked over and threw a friendly arm around his son's shoulders, leading him off to one side of the room by the coats with a smile, and the two sat down against the wall together, father relaxing as Zerrex looked at him oddly and felt another lump in his throat, and then the Dragokkaren looked down and laughed softly and he brought one knee up and rested his crossed wrists on it. "Gods, Light. I'll never cease to admire your courage... coming here, not knowing what to expect, and then facing me when all you have of your father are these horrible, bad memories of a twisted bastard with no love for anyone in the world, including himself."

"I trusted mom... or at least, the reconstruction of her in my mind." Zerrex replied softly, and then he laughed a bit and rubbed the back of his head slowly, glancing down and blushing. "Yeah, I admit, I was worried, because... you know. But Requiem explained it to me, who you are, but that you still retain-"

"Every memory you have of Narrius. So in a way I know how he thinks... as much as you understand him, anyway, and both tainted by your biases but also from a purely observational, uninhibited point of view, too." Eclipse replied softly, and Zerrex tilted his head as the Dragokkaren smiled a bit. "No, I can't tell you exactly what Narrius is thinking... just like how you'll never see any of the dark or secret parts of either Requiem or your mother in this illusionary world. All I know is what you know... built from every movement and memory of Narrius that you've seen and experienced."

Zerrex nodded slowly: it was hard as hell to understand, but he think he got it, in a basic sense. "So... what I know of them, what I understood about them... but... you'd never be able to tell me a bank account number or anything like that? But you could tell me... anything they'd told me, or make educated guesses about... their emotions, their thoughts, and what they felt when they did an action, based on... my subconscious understanding of their tone, words, body language, and all that other psychological crap?"

"I never knew why you thought you weren't smart..." Eclipse said softly, and he looked at Zerrex with a pride that made the Drakkaren blush and look down. Then his illusionary father nudged him gently before laughing a bit. "But you got it, kid." A pause, and a hesitation. "But remember. Not all of this is a hundred percent. You could have misinterpreted because of the way your own mind works or your emotions process things, and even though every memory is crisp and clear - we're built of things that you would never have access to in your own conscious mind, but Drake has ironically opened up a lot of weird paths in possessing you - some memories might be wrong, or there could be other forms of interference, too. For instance, any drugs that Narrius might have ordered tested on you could mess with your long-term memory."

The smaller reptile nodded slowly, looking down, then he laughed a bit and glanced up at his illusionary father; the father he'd always wanted, but never even had a glimpse of. "Well... I guess the first obvious question is this. Why wouldn't Narrius mass-produce nephilim like Drake?"

Eclipse looked down thoughtfully, then he said slowly: "One thing about your... your father... is that he's not stupid. So he knows not to take stupid risks... and although soldiers imbued with nephilim like Drake that could give them... I dunno, powers of regeneration or the ability to slip through even the smallest of cracks... they would also become dangerous if they turned against Narrius. But moreover, the way Drake put it to you yesterday, it sounds like they have different obvious vulnerabilities for the most part that would make them useless. It also sounds like they were originally all designed to work in tandem with each other, but that Hellabos weaponized them and separated them from working in a single body. There must be some sort of defect in their systems... and Narrius must have all variety of other genetically-superior soldier already concocted.

"But that isn't even the most important point." He said firmly, and looked up to meet Zerrex's eyes evenly. "The question shouldn't be why doesn't he mass produce them... but if they're so powerful, why doesn't he use Drake himself?"

Zerrex frowned at this, then he looked down, rubbing at his head slowly. "I... he would only do that if it was too dangerous for him..." he said slowly. "And Drake said Narrius was a wellspring of dark energy... so Drake obviously has a few nasty side-effects he's not mentioning to me and there must be some chance of possession or something as well. Maybe he's afraid that if he uses Drake himself, Drake won't listen..."

Eclipse nodded, then he smiled a bit. "But remember. This is Narrius we're talking about... and like I said, he isn't stupid. Quite the opposite... his tactics, skills in battle, and even general knowledge all exceeded even Requiem's, and dealing with him requires thinking outside the box. Drake is being used right now to keep you in a coma... and your body is being experimented on. All the other nephilim are likely placed in other bodies, and also being experimented on... and all for some unknown genetic strengthening purpose."

Then the Drakkaren blinked slowly and looked up. "He's... he's trying to figure out a way to unite the nephilim in one body, isn't he? It's not just my body he's dealing with... he wants to perfect these... intangible weapons and unite them into his own body."

"That would be my guess." Eclipse smiled slightly as he looked at Zerrex's expression of horror. "Well, it's obviously taking him a lot longer than expected, so there's probably something there frustrating him... and my guess is that the nephilim are all currently more corrosive and parasitic than symbiotic. And Drake must be the most important one... and I'll give you the answer for this question.

"Not only is Drake capable of possessing the mind... he can split into two pieces, physical and mental. And as he also said, he gets to run freely through the bloodstream, whereas the other nephilim are restricted to certain body parts, and they die if separated from their host body, along with the host." A pause and a quiet laugh. "Drake, likely, then serves as the connecting point between all the different nephilim and as a strange type of regulator himself... maybe he's like the highway or transit system, working in the bloodstream, between stations... the nephilim. Connecting them together, and letting them work together and increasing their powers.

"Think of a large kingdom not connected by roads... it means that every town is on its own, vulnerable, and forced to defend itself, using its own weapons and soldiers and methods... but then you lay down the tracks for a super rail line. And what happens?"

"They can share everything... all their weaponry, all their knowledge, all their soldiers... and all the information. Combine their powers, and unite into an empire the size of... who knows..." Zerrex said softly, looking down and shaking his head slowly. "And Drake would be messenger too... maybe that's why he can split into two pieces. The physical rail line, like you said... and the mental engineer. The person who communicates back and forth between all the stations, all the nephilim, and the host body, the king and castle... the general who gives the orders."

Eclipse nodded and looked up at the ceiling idly. "So Narrius put Drake in you for experimentation in controlling him, because you have the strongest physical body available, apart from his own. And not only will he get to work on Drake, he'll get to work on you, and Drake will keep you comatose for... well... forever, in his mind, until he wants to dispose of you. He's not killing two birds with one stone, but maybe a dozen..."

Zerrex snorted at this, and muttered angrily under his breath: "Classic Narrius..." Then, when Eclipse glanced at him, he shook his head slowly. "So maybe Drake knows this... and either he doesn't like being experimented on, or doesn't like the idea of being a courier service for Narrius and the other nephilim who he probably figures he's stronger than."

Eclipse looked quietly amused at this, wrapping an arm amiably around his shoulders and squeezing his son gently, making Zerrex start and glance up at him in surprise. "Well, you're smarter than you think, and you're doing good to keep alive through all this and keep busy. You've even completely rearranged the illusionary world here to your liking... but you better get going, okay? This is the first day... the first trial." A pause, and he nudged his son quietly with his shoulder. "And there's someone outside who wants to see you and might be able to help you out a bit more if you talk with her."

Zerrex blinked at his father as he stood and smiled down at him, then he helped the Drakkaren up to his feet before walking over to the class, which was all practicing the basic knockback move. He frowned a bit, then shrugged and shook his head before turning and leaving the class, his mind full of other questions... before blinking as he saw Cherry standing there, grinning widely at him.

This, however, was the Cherry he knew from reality... except her body was a bit thinner, she was a few inches taller, and not quite as muscular. She was clad in the same kind of clothes she'd been wearing as the likely sixteen-year-old version of herself, though... except instead of jeans material, she had on a tight leather vest and tighter leather pants that all but shined. And the black shirt she wore covered most of her upper body, only a bit too small for her but still clinging to her breasts ridiculously-tightly.

The vest, however, was a thick military model and inscribed on the upper left breast not with the logo of the Goth Legion, but instead the word "RAVEN" in gold block letters, the R slightly larger than the others and with a long line branching out from the second leg and underlining the other letters. She also had a black hat on with a short brim over her eyes, with the same word writ upon it in the same style.

He smiled a bit as he glanced down: at least the motorcycle boots were the same. But when she saw him, she snapped to attention with a grin, slamming an arm across her breasts - making them jiggle on purpose, he bet - in salute and saying crisply: "Special Officer Cherry Blossom, reporting for duty Captain Ravenlight, sir!"

"It's been a while since I've been called that." Zerrex said softly, and it brought back both memories good and bad, that made a shiver roll along his spine as he looked at her idly. Then he nodded and gave a short, dismissive wave with one hand - the gesture for 'at ease.' Cherry immediately relaxed... which for her met letting one arm rest easy, and putting her hand on the butt of the plain handgun at her hip. "Didn't expect to find you here, though."

"That's fuckin' insulting." she replied immediately, but her eyes sparkled with entertainment before she turned and strutted towards the door, hips swaying enticingly... although Zerrex was so used to this, that instead he found himself glancing over the massive sniper rifle on her back instead of the reptile's massive booty. Cherry tossed an irritated glance over her shoulder at this, then she rolled her eyes. "Of course you haven't changed any. Come on, be like any other guy and look at my ass!"

She proceeded to wiggle the aforementioned body part back and forth like a child, and Zerrex snorted laughter as Cherry smiled over her shoulder and winked: this was an obviously-more relaxed, less-corrupted version of the female. Then she opened the door and walked out onto the street, and Zerrex followed her, his coat appearing on his body once more - and by now, the Drakkaren had grown so used to these manipulations of his pseudo-reality that he didn't even recognize he was making them.

They walked side-by-side down the sidewalk together in amiable, soft silence, Zerrex tossing looks at her, but neither needing to say anything: he knew they were going somewhere together, and that he'd find out where in time. And then suddenly the street sloped upwards a bit, and they walked from snowy road to a hot, stone rooftop in the jungle.

Zerrex blinked, looking back and forth, then he walked slowly forwards and realized that he was standing atop a yellow-brick tower in Hez'Ranna's capital city of Uroboros. And it was hot here... but turning around, he saw an access ramp and a snowy mix of cities behind him, in which the white stuff was still gently falling from the sky... but it was like he had stepped across some invisible border and into another world, where the wind wasn't blowing, it was morning instead of some cloudy afternoon, and where no snow would ever cross into.

Cherry, meanwhile, was sitting on the edge of the rooftop, looking out over the stone city that was pockmarked with patches of nature, the twisted, catacombic streets that led off into jungle wilderness, and to the distant horizon where the sun was slowly rising... and then she smiled faintly Zerrex as he took a few steps forwards and said softly: "It's beautiful, huh? But look closer..."

And the Drakkaren nodded before doing so... and he frowned quietly as he noticed the cracks running through the stone... the fallen ancient relics... and then the burning trees in the distance, a wildfire that was spreading through the forest. And as he watched, featureless Dragokkaren in black armor spilled into the streets like a plague, marching in tandem down the cobblestone roads, and tanks rolled into position in the square - squat, ugly things, and many with massive, portable mortars attached to platforms on top with a gunner ready to load and fire the huge long-distance weapon.

The fires slowly drew closer, ripping through the jungle, and out from the edge of the blaze walked Narrius, but in this world, Zerrex saw through the charming exterior and instead his true form was revealed. A cruel, twisted, misshapen beast, a drooling demon with fangs too big for his maw, and crimson eyes that rolled in his head, hands gnarled and bent into long bone claws as he walked forwards, naked but for a plain loincloth. He walked forwards, grinning viciously, towering above the army, and then he held up both his hands, and strange wooden crosses appeared in them...

Zerrex frowned, not understanding... and then he saw the strings coming down from them, attached to wooden marionettes: one of a male, and the other a female Dragokkaren. They danced and twisted to his will, and in response, the Hez'Ranna army shifted and moved as well in step, and the beast-Narrius roared laughed before flicking his wrists upwards, and the entire army rose their weapons to the sky before firing mindlessly in a single, great volley that echoed through the world, as the forest was consumed by flames: and in the distance, explosions filled the horizon from mortar shells slamming into the earth and bombs going off, and Zerrex clenched his eyes shut with a snarl, raising his hands to his head and clutching his ivory hair as he shouted: "No!"

When he opened his eyes again, he was looking once more at Hez'Ranna, back to its beautiful, natural state, the stone buildings once more gleaming, the jungle swaying in a gentle breeze and the sound of unevolved animals filling the air... and he turned to look at Cherry, who was quietly polishing her rifle, looking down at it silently, the gleaming metal reflecting her sorrowful expression. Then she finally spoke in a soft, gentle voice: "That's what this world will become, Zerrex... and that's what you have to face. A monster who has the control of... God, who the fuck knows how many soldiers in his hands... and I'm here to say it's nothing you can face alone. And nothing you'll have to face alone..."

"But... what if the others... are..." Zerrex trembled a bit, then he sat down heavily on the stone roof, brushing his hair back in an anxious, tired gesture as he stared at the ground, sighing raggedly. "Fuck..."

"Fuck is right." Cherry agreed, then she easily holstered the huge sniper rifle on her back without a glance, the rag in her hand vanishing into thin air as she walked over and then simply sat in his lap, putting her muzzle end-to-end with his as she looked up at him and wrapping her arms tight around his neck. Zerrex flinched back a bit, looking surprised, and she smiled faintly up at him. "Okay, lesson time, asshole. Lessons you already know, but haven't processed into your conscious self yet. Before we get to the hard stuff... easy question one. You know I was jealous and envious of Cindy every now and then... do you know why?"

"Because I... no. It can't be because she ended up being my wife... because... you rejected that..." Zerrex looked down with a frown tracing over his features, and Cherry smiled a bit. Most people would think he was feeling a wave of self-pity... but she knew he was only trying to think and sort through his own thoughts. The Drakkaren, after all, wasn't good at all in dealing with his emotions.

Then he looked back up, hesitated, blushed a bit, and finally forced himself to answer by remembering this was really just an object he'd created in his mind, and it probably knew what he was thinking already. "Because you... envied that she was my daughter, since that's what you'd wanted to be to me in your own screwed up way?"

"Yeah, that's right." Cherry said softly, and she squeezed him firmly around the neck as she pushed her head against his chest for a moment, then she drew back and met his eyes with a smile. "Hey, is it really such a surprise or big deal? I had a crappy relationship with my dad... and so did you. The difference, though, is that I went looking for a father figure... and you, instead..."

She softened, then reached up and gently stroked his face, going on in a more compassionate voice: "You decided you didn't need any idols... and took the harder path. Instead of looking for someone to cling on to... you felt... so betrayed, and so out of hope and luck that you turned away from everyone... but even though sure, that wasn't so good, you did make a good thing out of those bad feelings and emotions. You decided you were going to be the best you could goddamn be, and you did it, Zer. You might not want to admit it, but even though you're a fuckin' bastard at times, you've taken your fight with God and Fate and whatever fucked you over big time in givin' you Narrius as your daddy to the next level... you decided you were going to be there for everyone else, got the messiah complex without ODing on it. Because whereas most of the people who do that are too weak and just want to feed their own egos... you really, truly did want to help everyone who put even a bit of light or happiness in you, because you ain't never got that yourself from anyone before. And since you couldn't explain it in words, and maybe couldn't even face it, you gave all you could to try and make those people happy.

"You became a father figure to me from almost the start, Zerrex... you taught me, you comforted me, you loved me - and yeah, fucked me too, which daddies probably shouldn't do with their daughters and is generally not acceptable in most cultures - and you were... just... there for me." She laughed a bit and shook her head slowly, looking down. "And when Cindy... she got to be the real thing to you? Damn, but... damn. That pissed me off to no end... I was the one who'd stuck through with you forever, you know? I was the one who'd always been there with you, for years... and she, the product of some random rape, gets you as Daddy after all those years of not even knowing your name or face.

"And you know, I think a lot of people have felt that way about you. You just... have a presence. You're shy in your own way, but you're also willing to listen to... to anyone, if they want to talk. And you don't turn your back, or judge, or... anything like that. And once you know someone's willing to change, or to listen, no matter what... then you get into teaching, and you're a hardass, but you do it well, too." She shook her head and smiled a bit. "So wife, equal... too much for me. Bitch was a good second to daughter... so I decided to stick with that, and it let me fuck you more often and be underneath you too, which I also liked. I like being your subordinate, taking orders... and maybe it's also like... I don't ever have to grow up doing this, too. I'll always be here...I'll always be the soldier, you'll always be the General."

Zerrex laughed a bit at this, wanting to argue... but Cherry pushed a finger to his lips and shook her head firmly. "Don't start with me, assfuck. But now you're going to have to use that charisma and ability you got hidden in you for leadership... because like I said, Narrius has an army out there. But as with any army, there's gonna be deserters, and there'll be people who don't believe in the cause and think what he's doing is wrong.

"So you need to take and find those people... and you need to find the rebels who have to be out there, the Dragokkaren who might still believe in superiority, yeah, but who recognize that what Narrius wants is to destroy, destroy, destroy, not just dominate, and take it through unfair force instead of... uh... however else you prove you're better without... you know, kicking the shit out of someone like a bully." Cherry coughed and faltered, and Zerrex looked at her with faint amusement for a moment before she hugged him tight around the neck and squeezed him lightly, looking at him with quiet amusement. "Shut your fucking face, bitch.

"But as tempting as it might be to find the real versions of us when you return to reality... you're going to be hurting like shit and with Drake likely uncoordinated with you in your head, and just in general pain and chaos. So your first move once you get back into the real world is going to need to be to get out, and get yourself better, because if you die, there's going to be no one to stop Narrius." Cherry said evenly, looking into his eyes, and then she leaned up and kissed him gently, surprising him.

Then he responded, and their muzzles worked together for a few slow, passionate moments, one of her hands playing into his hair and her other staying tight around his neck, her body pressing forwards against his and their mouths working lovingly, tongues dancing gently... and then they both drew back, and Zerrex hesitated for a few moments before nodding slowly. "Alright. I... I'll do what I can then, to make sure I get out first, and to get my health back before I try to rescue the others or lay an assault on their base. Everyone's likely in their own facility by now, too..." He looked down and shook his head slowly. "And Narrius will probably... you know, have his own place set up somewhere else. I just hope that he hasn't hurt Marina too badly..."

"He seems to have a big investment in Marina." Cherry responded gently, then she squeezed him gently around the neck. "You'll get the littlest sister back fine, Boss. And I know that this time you'll ice that motherfucker for good." A pause, then she smiled slightly. "But you should head off and get some sleep... you've already done a lot today. Tomorrow you should likely just relax... and the last day you can take to have some fun and let out your stress as best you can before going to do whatever tests Drake has lined up for you."

"Thanks." Zerrex nodded and laughed softly, and then the Drakkaren stood. He began to turn away, then stopped and looked back as Cherry reached up and squeezed his shoulder. She smiled hesitantly at him, then she leaned up and kissed his cheek before stepping back towards the edge of the building.

"And you do know that I always loved you." She said softly, then she winked and rose her hand in a salute before letting herself fall off the edge, and Zerrex looked after her with a tremble and sharp thrum run through his chest... before he simply smiled faintly and closed his eyes, bowing his head and breathing softly. Even here... she's gotta show off and exit with a bang that gets my heart racing.

As much as he wanted to check to make sure she was okay... he knew that it was just an illusion, and that it wouldn't matter what had happened... and that she'd likely have vanished, anyway. So instead he turned to walk back down the road before pausing and shrugging, instead just closing his eyes and looking up, inviting sleep and comfort and letting himself fall back...

Then he landed on something soft, and he found himself laying back against a long, soft black cushion the size of his body in the middle of a clearing, with trees on all sides of him... and he glanced back and forth before smiling faintly as Cindy and Marina came to him hand-in-hand, both clad in plain clothes, with Cherry loitering behind them, now dressed in an exercise top and jeans instead of her uniform... and they curled up with him on one side as Zerrex felt another female and a pair of strong arms from the other side, and he didn't have to open his eyes to know it was his mother and father... and they skies swirled above them from sunlight to star-speckled darkness as Zerrex gave the softest of sighs and descended once more towards sleep.

Drake, once more, stood at the edge of the clearing... but he was unable to step foot inside, repelled by not some invisible protective force, but simply his own terror of being caught, as he looked upon something he'd never experienced but felt... a strange, horrible longing for. This time, however, he was managing to control his emotions, merely gazing instead of crying like he had earlier... and then he snorted softly before turning away and letting his body dissolve into the shadows. He needed to fake another report to Mengele, who was far sharper than the other idiots he'd been dealing with, and pretend he'd isolated Zerrex in the illusionary world when it was really Zerrex who'd trapped him...

But that was life, wasn't it? Hard for everyone. And the last thing that flashed was a Cheshire-cat grin, a flash of white teeth in what seemed to be nothing but the shadows before these too dissolved into sparkling motes of light.

Mengele is insane... it's impossible, no one has ever been able to overpower Drake. Yeah, no one has ever even survived with Drake inside them this long with no side effects... but ever since that asshole took over... I can't count the weeks anymore that it's been. But he's a fucking psychopath. I'm almost tempted to make a complaint to one of the higher-ups or even Patriarch Narrius himself, since the king seems to be the only one who can control him.

What the fuck are you-! No! You're... oh fuck, don't do it, please, just, just get away from me! No! Aaaaaagh! You... son... of a bi-

...Did you hear what happened? One of our top scientists, Randall, was making fun of Tstegi... and the bastard just drew a gun and shot him to death. Randall was the one working on the halos for one of Narrius's generals, the one working on body control. Yeah, I agree. Fucking zombie apocalypse, dear hell. Next he'll want us building flying saucers and abducting pelts to shove electric probes up their asses...

Will someone please, please tell Mengele to not eat his salad at terminal B52-12? He got lettuce and dressing all over the keyboard.

I'm scared that if I tell him, he'll shoot me. He shot Morin last week for 'being a twat.' Well, yeah, Morin is a twat, so I don't feel all that sorry for him.

Patriarch Narrius visited today, to take a look at his son... he says he was impressed by our work, and he's going to deploy more scientists to this section over the coming year for more research and development, since it seems that Subject 0's body can handle a lot more damage than we thought possible at first.

Okay, someone please explain to Mengele that we aren't permitted to hang national socialist flags up over the Hez'Ranna flag. Fine, you pussies, I'll do it.

Um. Anyone see Richard? Oh dear fuck, you're kidding me. Mengele shot a swastika into him?...Please tell me he only has a thirteen round clip.

What the fuck is a luger? Isn't that like, spit?

We got new orders today... inject Subject 0 with the new hyperactivation enzyme we were testing on subject 42 and then inject him with a strain of B-04 cyclovirus with type-2 bacterial immunity and compliment resistance factors, see if it kills him.

Subject 0 showed slight respiratory depression for about thirty minutes around eleven-oh-five last night... than he somehow fought off the virus, even with it boosted by the hyper enzyme. Give him a twenty-four hour rest period, then see if he's still healthy by doing a blood screen through transfiber microscope. If he is, wait another hour just to be sure, then inject him with uh... okay, ha ha, very funny. Mengele's blood? And what genius wrote one of the possible symptoms as growing a swastika? Fucking hell...

Mengele... just informed me that he's been glancing over our security logs, and he's requested a brand new lab team. He says we've gotten too comfortable with each other... and that he wants us all busy running genetic primers for all possible Drakkai-specific superimmunity disorders, and then extract blood, bone marrow, and lympathic fluid from subjects 0 through B-23... and once his replacement team shows up, he's going to fire us... and I just want to say that... it's been great knowing you guys and working with you as core chief supervisor, and I... you might have a better chance trying to make a run for it than staying here and doing his orders, because I figure he's going to kill us all... but just so you guys know, there's Enforcers posted at the main exit. I'm gonna... stay and delay Mengele or any of his cronies if they show up, give you guys a chance to escape... and... good luck if you're gonna try and get out.

Hey... you... your name is Zerrex, right? Damn... but you've been here a long time. Let's see if we can get you more comfortable... ugh... shit, sorry... those chains are stuck firm. But... hey... I don't know if you can hear me or not with Drake in your head... but if you can... I just wanna tell you that... well... sorry ain't gonna do much, huh? But if you ever wake up...

Zerrex opened his eyes in the darkness of nothing, sitting up and looking slowly around as his own home faded into reality around him - and damn, but didn't it give him a strange sensation of vertigo - before he repeated softly: "Mengele Tstegi had a shuttle terminal built in the second basement that runs all the way to the edge of Uroboros with five different stops along the way... because he's scared of being sealed in from above after his last experience in the bunker. And if I ever wake up... then I should go through there."

And then he remembered gunshots... and Zerrex closed his eyes, reaching up to run his hands through his hair nervously. He didn't know how much was filtering through into his mind from his comatose state... but he knew... he was getting some words from the scientists who were apparently experimenting on his body. And that he'd been an idiot to think that... the time passing here in his mind... was the same as the time outside.

It had been weeks... maybe months in the real world. And Narrius would have moved... done... who knew what by now. The reptile clenched his eyes shut, snarling and trembling a bit... and then he let out a slow breath, looking down and slumping his shoulders a bit before glancing up and frowning a bit. The fact that they were still experimenting on him like this... that he was still alive... likely meant they were still at war. And tomorrow he'd be leaving here... but for whatever reason, Drake had said again and again, he should test his powers, been firm on that...

"So why don't I do that today... so we can meet as soon as possible tomorrow." Zerrex said softly, then he stood up before closing his eyes... and when he opened his emerald irises, he was standing in the middle of his hometown, Valise City, in the downtown district. Buildings rose to the sky here, massive office towers and skyscrapers, and cars roared by on either side of him as he glanced idly back and forth, then he smiled a bit. If he was ever to go on a rampage... this city of bad memories would certainly be a place to start.

People walked back and forth on the sidewalks, tossing him looks every now and then as his mind remembered every little detail, brought everything into focus... and then he closed his eyes as a particular large transport truck roared forwards towards where he stood in the center of the road, on the yellow median... and he stepped into the path of the huge vehicle before idly putting an arm out.

The horn blared, the tires squealed, and then the truck smashed into his casually extended hand... and the entire front of the massive vehicle crumpled, wheels spinning crazily as it rocked forwards enough to cause the heavy freight it was pulling on the back to bounce into the air, then crash back down on top of another unfortunate car... or rather, something else that was just a part of the illusion. Zerrex smiled a bit, white hair falling in his eyes as he glanced off in the other direction, removing his hand from the crushed-in metal of the truck's front and letting his arm fall to the side as he glanced at the halted, staring idiots in the other lane, still sitting behind the wheels of their cars and gaping stupidly... and his eyes settled on the nearest, a beautiful, black Rolls Royce.

The Drakkaren reached his other hand up, and made an idle flicking motion with his wrist, one finger pointing at the car, then at the glass tower of an office building... and people screamed as the car suddenly flipped through the air as if propelled by some ungodly-powerful springboard, spinning rapidly before smashing into the office building and sending down a hail of glass shards... and then it simply exploded in a burst of flame and metal.

Shrapnel, glass, and blood hailed all around the reptile, but not a single thing touched him as he turned and began to walk idly down the road, letting his mind wander as he looked back and forth. People ran screaming from him, and cars crashed, smashed into each other, and a few went through the fronts of buildings... then some brave soul drew a gun and pointed it at him, shouting in a trembling voice: "Stop, you freak!"

Zerrex merely smiled a bit at him, then said softly: "This is my world." And for a few moments the flabby coyote only looked at him stupidly, before his eyes filled with some strange light... and he straightened, then turned and instead began to shoot at running civilians, blasting down a female with a baby, knocking holes in the windshield of a car with a family of five in it, killing a small boy... before he shoved the gun into his own muzzle and blew his brains out as Zerrex watched with only the mildest of entertainment.

The reptile flexed his hands... then he laughed quietly and looked up, flicking both wrists, and the road in front of him erupted forwards like a tidal wave, pavement cracking, but seeming to stretch like a rubber mat overtop a huge boulder that rolled along underneath it from one end to the other. The people and cars on the road weren't so lucky, instead being flung haphazardly in every direction by the rolling hard concrete, crashing into walls of buildings and each other in midair, and those who weren't lucky enough to land on a rooftop or go through a window came down and hit the ground with a hard splat and splash of bright blood.

Then the Drakkaren sighed and closed his eyes. It was strangely... unexciting. He mused to himself for a few moments, then smiled slightly and looked at himself idly before closing his eyes: and then the screams and sounds of people fleeing, of the fire crackling along the building and the yells of males seemed suddenly much quieter as he grinned and opened his eyes to look out over the city from his new height of at least a mile tall, massive combat boots crushing building beneath them like toys as he surveyed the sprawling city with amusement. He reached out towards the tallest tower near him: it only came up to about the height of his thigh, and he crushed it without more than a simple flex of his arm downwards, laughing softly.

Sure, this was just an illusion... but since Zerrex had often spent most of his life towering over other people, he'd wondered every now and then how it would be to be bigger than everything else... and he couldn't help but find it was definitely an interesting concept. He strode slowly through the city, crushing houses underneath him as if they were constructed of twigs, his sharp emerald eyes picking out people running away the size of the smallest termite... and then he got down to a kneel and put his hands out, bringing his face down near the ground to peer at a road teeming with these fleeing peoples... and he was amused to find that he could still barely make them out as they fled.

Then he straightened, and for a while, he enjoyed the feeling of walking through Valise, crushing buildings like toys, batting down others cheerfully with amusement... but after half an hour or so, he mused and looked up, wondering what else he could do.

Then an idea came to him, and he concentrated, then once more found himself back at his normal height and standing instead on the top battlements of the front of a castle, and across from him was Kaiser Man, one of the superheroes he'd hated as a kid because he'd been able to do anything and was indestructible... and Zerrex grinned slowly as the purple-suited canine looked at him oddly. "Well, now I'm the one with all the powers..." he muttered, then he cracked his knuckles slowly as he started forwards.

From that point on, Zerrex's reign of terror in his own mind went through a hundred different phases, as he executed every wish he had ever had in that illusionary reality: he killed for pleasure, he knocked down buildings with just his fists, he became the master of a world of his own, with a thousand slaves at his disposal, he kicked and killed every politician, bully, and asshole he'd ever met, and he enjoyed his limitless power to the fullest extent... but finding always that it never truly fulfilled him. And then finally, the strangest of feelings ran through him, and he frowned a bit as he stood in the middle of a desert with Blackheart hanging from one hand and a thousand dead soldiers around him - he'd reenacted a scene from a video game he and Cherry had frustrated themselves for hours on, but never been able to beat, and thus had resulted in them throwing it in the blender while Cindy had muttered about how immature they were - and he shrugged before closing his eyes and merely letting the thought take course, take hold, and guide him.

And then he found himself standing back in Johnny's room, in the illusionary house, weaponless, dressed in his normal clothing... and he looked back and forth thoughtfully before rubbing idly at the back of his neck. Then he shook his head slowly before smiling a bit and glancing down at his hands as he rose them. "Is that what I want to do? She's an illusion, though, fake, like all the rest... and yet... I feel that much a kinship?"

He laughed quietly at himself, at his own strange feelings... probably something Cindy or Marina had inspired in him, really. Then he straightened and nodded a bit before leaving and heading down the stairs and out the door, once more letting his feet do their trick and guide him to the destination.

The house wasn't that far away, thankfully... only a block... and then he slowly knocked thrice, and Reia opened the door after a few moments before blinking and staring at his chest, then slowly up at him. Zerrex coughed and blushed - it was so damned ridiculous to feel embarrassed in this false reality, but here he was, embarrassed - and then he smiled a bit and spread his arms, saying quietly: "Hey, Reia. I just wanted to stop in before... I..."

And he couldn't bring himself to say it... but as she simply stared, he stepped forwards and quietly hugged her against his powerful form, and she lay against him for a moment before pushing his hands against his chest and looking up at him softly, saying quietly: "Johnny? Is that... really you?"

"Yeah. It's really me." Zerrex said softly, and he felt a strange sensation run through him as he looked down at her and smiled a bit. "My question though... is that really you?"

She blinked, and then he reached up and gently touched her face, and she twitched and flinched back, clenching her eyes shut as a strange thrill ran through her form... before she stepped back, reaching out to catch herself on the doorway to stop herself from falling. But she grabbed nothingness, instead, and then Zerrex caught her shoulder and steadied her, and she opened her eyes - a bit bluer now - before blinking stupidly and looking slowly around.

They were standing in a grassy field, that stretched as far as the eye could see... and in the distance were some mountains, but otherwise, it was just grass... and a few strange-looking cherry trees around which grew small bunches of black roses. She straightened slowly as Zerrex gently let go of her, before frowning a bit and then blinking as she looked over herself, whispering: "The hell..."

Zerrex smiled slightly; the female was a bit taller, her body a bit lither, form not really more shapely, but that was fine... she was good-looking enough to begin with, in his opinion. Her scales had become slightly more lustrous but darker, and the thick hair-scales on her head were longer... her ears had a bit more of a canine look now, and her horns had lengthened as well.

The biggest changes, really, were her clothes... a tight black top that had no back to it, letting her spread her wings if need be in any situation... and a pair of tight blue jeans with a western-style belt instead of the tan pants she'd been wearing, along with combat boots akin to the reptile's on her feet. And the only thing she wore now was a dark leather choker around her neck. She frowned and looked over herself, tugging at this last a bit, then glanced around before coughing and finally looking up at him, asking faintly: "So uh. Am I dreaming, did you drug me, or... am I just... crazy?"

She hesitated at the end, seeming to fear the last was true, and Zerrex snorted before nudging her lightly and looking quietly amused. "You're fine. I just... changed the scenery around a bit and stuff." He paused, then looked down thoughtfully, as he tried to figure out how to explain this to her. Sure, he could just will her to believe... but... that would almost be like cheating. And then he paused as he realized there was another way around it... and he smiled a bit as he glanced up at her as she looked at him with a concerned frown and her arms crossed.

"You've been asleep a long time." He said finally, and she blinked, but the Drakkaren only laughed softly and shook his head, motioning around at the world. "This isn't real, any of this... it's just... a creation of the mind. That's why I'm able to change it... because I'm just part of that illusion too."

A strange chill rolled through the reptile as he realized what he could be saying... really could be true. But that led down the dangerous path of philosophy again, and he wanted to stay the hell away from there as much as possible. So he cleared his throat a bit as she frowned at him disbelievingly, and instead met her eyes as he said softly: "Didn't you ever feel that you didn't belong here? That... this world wasn't something you should experience? Sure, you've done great over your life... better than I have, as we know..." He smiled slightly at this, because the irony was, he didn't know... it just seemed that Johnny would likely be as screwed up as him. "But you've had it rough, too.

"You don't belong here anymore though..." he said gently, and the dragoness shook her head slowly before beginning to back away, raising her hands and looking back and forth before swallowing, then looking at him angrily.

"No! You're wrong!" she shouted, and then snarled and turned in a wide circle, beginning to walk away. Then she seemed to realize that she had nowhere to go, and so instead she stopped, covered her face with one hand, turned back around and walked back towards him, trembling a bit as Zerrex simply looked at her softly. He let her work through it as she walked back and forth, like she wanted to just run away from it all and not believe, but then she came back... and he wondered quietly what it would be like to be told this. Was he torturing her? And from her actions... was he lying to her? Or was she... "What is going on, Johnny?"

And she was looking up at him almost pleadingly, although she grabbed his shirt and her teeth were grit in near-fury... but then he reached up and touched her face gently, staying calm, and he pulled her against him as he wrapped his other arm around her. She resisted for a few moments, and then slumped against him, and the rage faded out of her as she simply clung on to him. He swayed quietly with her, closing his eyes and speaking softly as he bowed his head. "It's been hard, hasn't it? Not... getting that normal life. Treated like crap and... even when you were popular, not fitting in. Feeling... scared and out of the right body all the time, and covering it up as best you could. Responding in the only way you know how, and sayin' things you regret later...

"And now, when things are going alright with everything in your life, you've got someone special, and you're going on, pursuing your dreams, and you seem to have... someone you can rely on, you get told that you have to give it all up and leave this bad dream for a worse reality." Zerrex said quietly, and he realized that... he wasn't talking to her at all. He was just talking to himself... and he clung onto her silently, wanting her to be real, almost willing it to be real, just for the selfish reason of wanting to be able to stay in the illusion, not wanting to step up to the plate again... but knowing he'd have to nonetheless. He'd have to go home, and face the destruction and carnage in his real world... and leave this being in his mind who he'd locked onto as real, who seemed a different person, who seemed more real than everyone else... alone in some dark place of his mind he had never tended to. Whether Reia was real or just a creation of his mind, then he felt sorry he'd never been there for her, even if they'd never met or crossed paths.

He looked down for a few silent moments, then laughed quietly. "And why am I the one to do this? Only you know the question to that." He looked down into her eyes quietly as she drew her head back to look up at him, then he leaned down to gently kiss her cheek. Sure, originally, he'd probably wanted to have sex with her... but now it seemed more important to keep her calm and alright. And she only continued to look at him, like she wanted to whisper something... and he merely smiled a bit before reaching up to stroke gently under her chin. "Hey, save it for when you get out of here. And I'll tell you one thing... life is what you make it, but you really should try and be a bit more open and take some more risks with certain people."

Zerrex began to slowly step backwards, and Reia began to fade out with the reality around her as she looked after him, clasping her hands together between her breasts and her eyes overbright, her expression radiant even if it was filled with sorrow... and then Zerrex rose a hand slowly and smiled a bit, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. And the words that came next... he had no idea what they meant, just that they were right. "I didn't love you because I thought you were perfect... it was as much for your flaws as your beauties. But at least promise you'll work on some of your problems a bit when you wake up, no matter how scared it makes you, huh? I promise you'll feel better if you do."

And then Reia started towards him, saying something, but it was too late... and then Zerrex was once more surrounded by darkness, and alone, and he felt a strange weight slump down on him even as another left him. He glanced back and forth quietly, then rubbed the back of his head slowly before reaching up to rub the tear from his face... and then staring at his hand as he saw it was blood.

He stared at this for a moment... and then a crack of agony blasted through his head, and he snarled in pain, grabbing his skull and falling to his knees, letting out a yell, before pain smashed into him again like a sledgehammer, and he heard... so many yelling voices...

And then he collapsed, twitching once as his eyes rolled up into his head, and he faded into the darkness as well.

Drake is resisting the removal process. He says to give him more time... we tried to forcefully extract him, but it caused minor damage to the cerebral cortex and frontal lobe of the subject. We've also detected increased intracranial pressure. We've inserted a shunt and we're performing molecular reconstruction surgery to correct the brain damage right now.

Response time is still a bit slow, but his brain is 98% functional. The last two percent will regenerate on its own as we've modified his already-impressive regenerative abilities to include areas not normally capable of rejuvenation.

Herr Mengele will be pleased. His enhancement protocols are showing remarkable effects. Inform him immediately of the results of the latest synapses analysis.

The war is taking too long. Casualties are mounting... Patriarch Narrius and Herr Mengele both want the nephilim research going faster. Start phase three trials on Subject 0. Gorgon is being confined to Ruined Abyss because of her increased violence. It ripped apart two of its keepers yesterday while they were trying to feed her.

Mengele wants to tattoo him with a coded swastika, in case he ever escapes. He says the likelihood is low, but it could be a good idea anyway. That way if he ever does manage to break free, we'll be able to track him down with a wide-range thermal or magnetic search. He also believes that it'll cause many of the rebels who see it to shoot first and ask questions later, with the animosity it will cause.

Herr Mengele...

Patriarch Narrius...

The king wants us to start a new project... the war is taking far too long. The codename for the project is Godsmite... it's a genetic virus that will be programmed to wipe out all non-Drakkai... a nearly impossible project, but Herr Mengele seems to be looking forwards to it with excitement...