Monday Night Warfare 5th November 2007

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

Segment: We are NOT taking Prisoners (Credit: Shikari)

[glow=red,2,300]From the hills of England came something bad. Something strong. A beast set on taking down all who oppose him. A demon who can only be controlled by his master and maker. This beast is in ACW, and taking no prisoners. The pain will not end. The blood will not stop pouring. The tears will not stop rolling. Somebody with no emotion, is here to stay.[/glow]

John Kidman is in a room. It has white walls and is furnished with a three piece suite. He is wearing jeans and a black jacket. The view zooms out too see Shikari sitting on the wooden floor, looking straight ahead with no emotion.

[glow=red,2,300]This is the beast. And his owner. [/glow]

JK: On Meltdown you saw what happens to those who cross us. Me and Shikari are on our way to the top, and we’re going to tear everybody in our way to pieces.

Kidman calls for Shikari and the giant lumbers over to the couch. He sits down next to Kidman, who looks back at the view.

JK: This is something you need to get used to, me and Shikari. But just think of the world championship on Shikari as well. Don’t take us on, your life is a waste otherwise.

[glow=red,2,300]These two monsters are taking ACW by storm. With Simba destroyed they can move up. But who else will suffer? Who will bleed? Who will be destroyed?[/glow]

Kidman stands up and walks off screen. He comes back with a collage of every member of the ACW roster. Simba Muffasa’s face has a line through it.

JK: These are the people who will suffer. Every one of them will feel my wrath.

[glow=red,2,300]So these monsters, the sons of Satan, hell’s spawn, are looking to hurt ACW. These banes of evil are here to hurt, and here to stay.[/glow]

Fade.

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

Match 4: Annual "Chairman for a Day" Battle Royale (Credit: AK/BK)

Due to the number of people involved, everyone’s entrance has been completed during the break for the at-home audience, and all eight participants are in the ring as the shot opens up. Head referee Raymond Allen Fleming checks that his fellow referees such as Keiji Makabe, Joey Reynolds, and Carter Donovan are all in position before entering the ring himself, and moving into the centre of the unstable throng. The crowd waits with baited breath… and then with a flick of his wrist, he signals the timekeeper, and there is a great cheer from the fans as this crucial contest finally gets underway.

As quick as a hiccup the eight superstars being pairing up as if this was the homecoming dance. The Senator begins to take it to Jay Zero in one of the corner, attempting to gain an inch of retribution for the finish in their match last week Thursday. Rena and JJB are now on the other side of the ring, and JJB is wasting no time attempting to throw the Empress over the top rope. The ACW Heavyweight Champion Hunter has his hands full with the returning XS3, who's looking to score a huge win in his return match to ACW, and DiaVolo and Freeman find themselves in a scuffle by the ropes. Needless to say, all hell is breaking loose in this ring thus far and the match has only just begun. The Senator begins laying into the chest of Jay Zero with blistering knife edge chops that echo throughout the ACW Arena, shades of last week Thursday. One of the chop nearly sends Jay Zero flying over the top turnbuckle to the outside, but he manages to keep his footing inside the ring. The Senator follows up with a European Uppercut which knocks the Light Heavyweight Champion for a loop, before now attempting to eliminate him. On the other side of the ring, strangely enough the newcomer DiaVolo is giving the more experienced Jason Freeman a hard time as Freeman is on the brink of elimination.

XS3, who has managed to surprisingly keep Hunter down in the corner, saves his fellow Entourage member with a huge forearm to the lower back of DiaVolo. The pair now begin double teaming the self proclaimed "Immaculate Warrior" before attempting to toss him over the top rope. Hunter manages to come to the rescue of DiaVolo, and begins taking it to the former International Jason Freeman. After a flurry of right hands from the ACW Heavyweight Champion, Hunter bounces off the ropes and attempts to deck him with a clothesline, but Freeman responds with a huge elbow to the jaw of the Master of the Counter. With Hunter stunned for the moment, Freeman now bounces off the ropes and hopes to score with a clothesline of his own - but Hunter ducks under it and now bounces off the ropes again. Freeman runs off the ropes and rebounds himself before being drilled by a huge spear from the ACW Heavyweight Champion. Also in the middle of the ring, DiaVolo manages to plant XS3 in the center of the ring with a vicious DDT. DiaVolo rises up and begins to talk trash to XS3 before bumping into Hunter. The Immaculate Warrior turns around and looks up and down at Hunter, before extending his hand - hoping to thank him for keeping him alive in the Royal for another moment longer. Hunter accepts the handshake and now DiaVolo attempts to walk off to kick further ass and record such names after, but he cannot escape the grip of Hunter.

DiaVolo attempts to free his arm, but he cannot free himself from the clutches of the ACW Heavyweight Champion. Finally, Hunter grabs DiaVolo and chucks him over the top rope for the first elimination in the match thus far.

Phillip: DiaVolo has been eliminated!

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

As DiaVolo looks back in the ring at Hunter, he begins to grow infuriated at the champion and attempts to slide back in the ring but referees RAF, Joey Reynolds, and Carter Donovan restrain him on the outside before telling him to return to the back. Hunter chuckles a bit at DiaVolo's situation, before being nearly knocked over the top rope by a huge forearm. Hunter now feels the sole of a boot on his kidneys over and over before looking up and seeing JJB. The crowd begins booing JJB very loudly, and now he looks up before giving the people a piece of his mind. He stumbles backwards as well, hoping to size up Hunter to send him flying over the top rope - but he runs into The Senator, who has managed to free himself from Jay Zero thanks to Rena. JJB turns around and is shocked when he sees the former ACW Heavyweight Champion Senator staring a hole right through him. He backs up and now bumps into a very angry Hunter. Hunter wastes no time decking him with a huge right hand, and The Senator follows with a knife edge chop to his chest that brings the former GWF superstar to his knees. The pair of Hunter and Senator pick up JJB and hope to dump him over the top rope, but their fun is brought to an end once they're attacked by the duo of Jason Freeman and XS3. JJB manages to slither over to the corner where he's safe and elusive from the action, and the Entourage members begin pummeling The Senatorial Stable.

Jason Freeman backs up Hunter into one corner while XS3 backs The Senator into the other, and they yell at each other. XS3 irish whips The Senator to the middle of the ring, while Freeman does the same for Hunter - but luckily the duo manages to stop themselves before they crack skulls. Seconds later, they move out the way simultaneously and it's now Freeman and XS3 who collide with one another. The Senator notices that Rena needs a little help with Jay Zero, who almost has her over the top rope, and lends her a hand - or a foot, right to the head of the Light Heavyweight Champion. Zero collapses down to the mat, and now Hunter looks to capitalize on the misfortune of Freeman and toss him over the top rope - but out of nowhere JJB grabs Hunter by the back of his tights and hair before dumping him over the top rope.

The jaws drop from all over the crowd as JJB celebrates in the center of the ring at possibly the biggest moment in his short ACW career. But what he's oblivious to is Hunter holding onto the top rope. The two time World Champion skins the cat, slipping back into the ring before JJB can even notice. JJB, who's getting his groove on - proceeding to do a Lance Storm like Cabbage Patch - finally turns around and is speared in the middle of the ring. JJB is out cold, and Hunter picks up the pieces before dumping the newcomer over the top rope with ease for his second elimination of the night.

Phillip: Josh The Jersey Boy has been eliminated!

It's six left now, and the ring begins to split up. Rena, Hunter, and The Senator take one side, and Jay Zero, Jason Freeman, and XS3 take the other. While all are a bit exhausted from the match thus far, they're ready to give it all in this all out brawl.

Hunter now points to the Entourage and says the only thing to say at a time like this.

Hunter: THIS....IS...SPARTA!

All six superstars charge the center of the ring in one high octane fight and the crowd is loving every second of it. While they're not fighting with swords, shields, and other 300 like weapons - they battle is just as intense as the movie. Freeman kicks Rena in the abdomen and looks to eliminate her, but she holds onto the top rope as if her life depends on it - with legs wrapped around the first two ropes. Freeman continues to attempt to dispose of her, but she doesn't look like she's letting go any time soon. Freeman gets closer to Rena, attempting to send her over the top rope once and for all but Rena manages to scissor her legs around the neck of the former International Champion. Slowly and slowly she begins to bring him over the top rope, and now Freeman's legs are suspended in the air over his head. The crowd can feel Freeman's elimination growing closer and closer with every passing second. Freeman continues to teeter on the top rope, and finally he drops - but to the dismay of the crowd he drops right onto the apron. Freeman quickly rolls back under the bottom rope as Rena does, and they fight now continues as both man and woman begin climbing back to their feet. Freeman whips her into the corner before coming at her with a clothesline, taking all the breath out of her. Freeman backs up, and waits for her to approach him before striking with a Brain Chop.

Rena is knocked down to the mat, and Freeman picks her up on his shoulders and now attempts to dump her over the top rope - but she's not going out like that. Rena begins thrashing around on the shoulders of Freeman, before eventually biting his ear. While she doesn't manage to tear off a piece like Tyson, it's enough to bring Freeman's offense to a screeching halt. Rena stumbles back a bit, and once Freeman turns towards her he is leveled by a serious Chick Kick to the skull. Freeman drops to the ground like a sack of potatoes and so does Rena, as she lays in the corner exhausted. Back in the center of the ring, Hunter and The Senator have Jay Zero all but eliminated - but another assist from XS3 manages to keep him alive in this match. XS3 scoop slams Hunter in the center of the ring, and now drops a knee right into his chest. The Senator grabs XS3 by his hair, and pulls him and looks to land a Fillibuster on him but it is broken up by Jay Zero. Zero delivers a neckbreaker to the International Champion, knocking both him and his partner at the moment. XS3 and Jay Zero now look to finish off Hunter and Senator once and for all, but Freeman manages to stumble over towards them and stops them. He says he wants to be the one to finish off both of them. While they necessarily don't agree with this, they don't stop him from what he wants to do - so they step aside and let Freeman have the floor. Freeman looks down at Hunter, and slaps him in the face a few times before pulling him over to the corner. Freeman, from the inside of the ring, begins climbing up to the top rope - possibly looking for a Moonsault. But out of nowhere, Rena races over to the corner and pushes Freeman off the top rope right to the outside.

Freeman lands head first on the ring barrier, and that's followed by a huge pop for Rena as both Zero and XS3 can't believe it.

Phillip: Jason Freeman has been eliminated!

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

Rena winks slyly at the camera and struts a little, beckoning the remainder of the Entourage. If she wanted their attention, she most certainly got it; Zero moves forward quickly, and XS3 follows, swerving suddenly to catch both Hunter and Senator as they’re getting back on their feet, knocking them back down in a highly frustrating manner. The crowd pings back on to a standing position as Jay drives Rena back; but Rena holds her ground and her nerve, and it pays off as Hunter regains a vertical base and slips in behind Jay, hoisting him up into a crashing German Suplex. The fans whoop at the back-and-forth action; XS3 takes advantage of Hunter being on the mat, delivering a series of stomps before the champ can rise; Senator comes off the ropes with speed and evens the score with a running version of the Washington Lariat. XS3 hits the canvas, and with Rena now trapping Zero near the corner with a grounded headscissor hold, Hunter and his stablemate combine their efforts and pull XS3 toward the ropes.

Realising that he’s in a lot of trouble, XS3 lashes out; Senator holds on to him, but Hunter is shaken off, and this lets XS3 reverse the situation, flinging Senator at the ropes. He hits them at an odd angle and tumbles through, not passing over the top for an elimination but certainly giving his back no help whatsoever. Hunter has to immediately go on the defensive, and things get worse as Zero pitches in to help, having temporarily put Rena out of the action with The Plague. The Entourage pair combine speed and strength to great effect, Zero shifting behind Hunter while the World champ is trying to fend off a rain of blows. The crowd yells out as Zero restrains Hunter’s arms and tries to haul him over the top, but just then the Senator gets his act back together and jumps back on to the apron, looping an arm around Zero’s neck and attempting to drag him backwards first. XS3 abandons battering Hunter and rushes to dislodge the Senator; he succeeds, but simultaneously Hunter manages to break free of Zero, and spins around knocking the LH champion to the mat with a discus lariat.

Senator slides back into the ring and takes the fight to XS3, the two warhorses trading mighty blows which thrill the crowd. The pivotal events are going on close to the ring edge, however; Hunter has Zero up against it, and a beautiful rendition of the dynamite spells big trouble for the resident hair phenomenon. Sizing up the distance, Hunter waits for Zero to stagger up and then nails the Floyd Kick right next to the ropes, and it’s all over for – no, Zero has enough presence of mind to grab the rope as he passes over it, and Hunter turns straight around into an elbow strike to the temple from Rena, making up what she lacks in strength with immaculate timing. Hunter is momentarily dazed, and Zero gets his feet to the apron just in time to get out of the way as XS3 thunders in and smashes Hunter with a huge clothesline. Hunter is toppled; he claws the ropes, but Zero is still on the apron, and with a vicious kick to the head sends Hunter finally down to the outside.

Philip: Hunter has been eliminated!

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

Referee Makabe gets the sharp end of Hunter’s tongue; the World Champion is incensed at his removal from the competiton and curses at the smirking duo of Rena and Zero. He only shuts up when he realizes that he’s leaving the way open for XS3 to deploy some closed-hand punches to the Senator, and at least has the minor satisfaction of seeing Zero get an extremely close-cut knee to the abdomen from Rena while he’s gloating over the Senatorial member.

With the field halved, the situation is far from ideal for the Senator; he’s wrestling two demanding matches back-to-back, and XS3 scents an opportunity for a memorable one-up on the International champion. Throwing his full power into the mix, he forces the Senator back against the ropes; but the Senator won’t stay there, and a good 90 seconds is spent with the two men moving barely inches back and forth. Sensing that he needs to stun his opponent before he can make headway, Senator goes for a huge Filibuster – but fatigue is telling on him, and XS3 muscles his way out. The crowd yells out for the Senator, and the wily old politician gets an idea; he moves around quickly and feigns being disorientated, and XS3 takes the bait, going for the Shadow Step – only for the Senator to move and XS3 to spear the post.

Everything then happens at once; clutching his shoulder, XS3 pulls back – but now Senator has a target and he exploits it mercilessly, striking the shoulder joint with his feared chops. Across the ring, Zero is trying to get rid of Rena once and for all; the supreme Diva is trapped in another corner, and Zero signals the Zero Darkness. But before he can execute it, he hears a roar, and sees XS3 being walloped over the top rope; XS3 clings on, but his weak shoulder makes it hard to do so. Showing he’s a savvy team player, Zero runs in, uses a neckbreaker on the Senator, and grabs on to XS3’s arm just before he slips. He starts pulling his team mate back…

…but the Senator recovers, and glances at Rena; together they get behind Zero, and shove him up and over the top! XS3 tries to hold him… but he can’t stay steady, and the last two Entourage members plunge out of the competiton together.

Philip: XS3 and Jay Zero have been eliminated!

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

The noise in the arena rises to fever pitch; the Senator and Rena create a little space between them, and exchange slight nods. Their relationship has never been conventional, but it’s always been exciting – and now the two face off in probably the most important meeting between them to date.

The Senator’s power and technical skills far outweigh Rena’s, though she’s far from being an amateur; what evens things up is the fact that Rena is considerably fresher, having played a smart game to get to this point. For a good five to six minutes there’s nothing to choose between them; Senator gets in a couple of smart suplexes and an impressive Senatorial Series, but this is balanced by him expending precious energy just trying to get Rena into a position where he can do damage. Two, three, four times they end up on the ropes, oh-so-near and yet so far from victory… and on the fifth time, Rena gets in a lightning-fast Chick Kick, nearly putting Senator’s lights out. The fans go barmy….

With the crowd screaming its lungs out, Rena backs up and then charges at full tilt toward the Senator. She smashes into him with as much force as she can possibly create, and the Senator grabs wildly for the ropes as he is upended. He misses them – but finds Rena instead, Rena shrieks as the pair of them topple. Her weight changes their trajectory, so that the cameraman filming them at close range is suddenly right underneath, and the shot becomes a barrage of static as they both hit…

It’s near chaos as the fans all yell, disputing who was the first to touch the outside mats. From in the ring, RAF did not have a clear view; he calls for Reynolds and Donovan’s opinions, as they were the two in the correct line of sight. Reynolds declares Rena landed first, but Donovan disputes this vehemently, and no clear outcome can be determined.

RAF quickly exits the ring, and can be seen speaking over one of the arena’s two way radios held by the timekeeper. In the production booth, the editors bring up the shots from the two other cameras… the second ringside camera is positioned directly opposite the competitors, while the main overhead camera has its usual view. It rapidly becomes clear that neither has captured the last fraction of a second before impact, with the ring and safety barriers respectively getting in the way.

By now, both the Senator and Rena are on their feet; they want a decision, as do all the fans. RAF considers all the evidence, then speaks to Philip, who looks very surprised, but makes the announcement nonetheless.

Philip: Ladies and Gentlemen, head referee Raymond Allen Fleming has determined that, due to the circumstances of the finish, this match is officially… a draw!

The crowd reacts loudly; a few people boo, but most can see the logic in RAF’s call, and it throws up a previously unconsidered and intriguing situation; a “shared” chairmanship. The Senator looks nonplussed at first, but gradually finds humor in the outcome; he’s sat in enough Senate debates to have acquired plenty of useful negotiation skills for just such an eventuality. As for Rena, she argues her corner, but once it becomes clear that RAF’s word is final, she relents, and makes a “call me and we’ll talk” gesture to her opponent, one time lover, and rival…

The feed from the arena to broadcast and the Alphatron cuts rather abruptly; the fans put it down to continuing technical problems. Warfare’s over, so it’s hardly the end of the world…

Fade to Black.

End of Show….





Or is it?

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

What follows from this point on is something rather different from the norm.

In pure Kayfabe terms (i.e. the broadcast show), what you are about to witness never took place. In ACW Universe terms…. Well, you’ll see.

Be warned that this is by necessity a long read, but for those with the stamina, the journey will lead you to some of the deepest, most profound and longest-kept secrets in ACW…

Let us venture back in time approximately 90 minutes or so… to the beginning of the End.

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

I am like the ages,
Building today, and destroying tomorrow.

I am like a God, who creates and ruins;
I am sweeter than the violet’s sigh,
I am more violent than the raging tempest.

Oh Seekers, I am Truth, beseeching Truth;
And your Truth,
In seeking and receiving and protecting me
Shall determine my behaviour.

Adapted from “Song of Love”, Kahlil Gibran

-------------------------------------------------

She knew that something was up before she opened the nondescript door in front of her.

Warfare is about half-way through as Echo returns to her locker room. She once again has the ACW Entertainment Title with her, and she should take at least a little pleasure in another successful and impressive defence… but really, it’s the last thing on her mind.

Her sleep has been badly disturbed ever since Meltdown, and her waking hours not much better; the constant tension, the threat that she might descend into another of those terrifying experiences, has left her constantly on edge (though as it happens, there have not actually been any such events to break the interminable waiting). In fact, the only respite has come from the match she has just fought; it’s as if combat is the only situation in which she “fits”, a feeling which has always seemingly been there at the back of her mind, but never before now brought into such sharp focus.

The arc of light which slides into the room before her reveals what she somehow expected to see; Alicia is inside, sitting up on the edge of a chair. She’s not booked for tonight, therefore she’s almost certainly come here for a specific purpose.

The smouldering look in Echo’s eyes is muted, but can’t be hidden entirely – nor does she want it to be. It’s time everyone stopped being less than transparent with her.

On seeing Echo enter, Alicia stands up. She feels strangely awkward, and the strange part is that she knows she has nothing to be awkward about. After all, since when did Echo have a monopoly on Joachim’s attention?

“It’s not about that, and you know it,” says the voice of reason in her head. Alicia frowns, and opens her mouth to say something – but it goes right out of her thoughts as Echo flicks the light switch. Alicia has never seen her friend looking so, well… not right. Not herself. Almost ghost-like in her pale skin.

Alicia: God, Echo, you look terrible. Come and sit down.

The concern is genuine, and somehow that makes it worse. Echo closes the door and walks a little way into the room, but stays standing.

They regard one another; they both know what the elephant in the room looks like, but neither of them can find the words immediately to capture it. After several moments, Alicia reluctantly takes the plunge, knowing whatever she says will most likely come across poorly.

Alicia: I had no idea that Joachim hadn’t told you we were meeting.

Silence. Echo continues to stare directly at her; there is something in those pupils that stirs a hint of a bad memory deep inside Alicia, but she doesn’t want to be diverted by it. She realizes that this is too important, and not chiefly about her.

Alicia: We – well, no, Joachim thought that you’d be better off if-

Echo: If I were kept in the dark about what you two were doing. Yes, that makes sense; it’s only my entire life you’re poking about in. I’m sure both of you are far more qualified than I am to decide what I should be informed of.

Her tone is bitter, and justifiably so, Alicia thinks with a heavy heart. Having started down this course, though, she has to follow it to its conclusion, and there’s at least one thing she wants to put straight without delay.

Alicia: Look, Echo, I can see you’re seriously pissed off about all this. Quite clearly, Joachim and I both messed things up badly – but we were out there digging around in a less than pleasant location to try and help you.

Echo folds her arms.

Echo: Very altruistic. Is this the part where I’m supposed to become pathetically grateful? Sorry, but I’m not blind.

She glowers with hot coals at Alicia, who is taken aback at the intensity of Echo’s emotions.

Echo: I’ve seen the way you look at him when he’s not focused on you. I’ve heard the way he says your name in passing. It’s… it’s more than just a casual acquaintance, a vague interest. And there was that diary entry of yours… it was never about Thunderkiss, just like you said. It was about him, wasn’t it?

The metaphorical finger is pointing at Alicia, and she cannot deny any of it. She simply nods.

Alicia: Yes, it was.

The room falls silent again, forcing a wall between the two women. Echo looks away, her expression unreadable.

Echo: I should’ve known things couldn’t last. You know, you can’t have any idea what it’s like to share everything with a person, but that’s how it is with ‘Chim… he’s been the only solid thing I’ve had in a year and a half. All the time I’ve been searching for myself, I’ve let him have custody of what little there is of me, and in return he’s always been there… and then for a few weeks, I had you, too.

She sighs… the sound cutting momentarily through a faint “fuzz” in her ears, which is vaguely like a sort of static. It’s been there on and off for a long time, and such is Echo’s state of mind that she hasn’t noticed it getting more and more insistent all evening…

Echo: It’s an extraordinary moment when you believe you’ve found someone who sees you and says, “You’re ok, I like you”. You hold onto something like that with whatever you’ve got, you reach out for it like a plant in the sunlight…and forgive me for continuing the metaphor, but for the first time that I can remember I felt like I was starting to grow. Having the pair of you was like being bathed alternately in sunshine and rain…

The static hisses louder; Echo unknowingly clenches a fist.

Echo: …But it wasn’t enough, I wasn’t enough for either of you. Is what I want so unreasonable? I trusted you, Alicia. I was sure that of all people, you’d be the last one to squeeze me out. I bought into everything you said about being happily married-

A flash, so short that she doesn’t really register it. The static is building to a blizzard, and Echo is oblivious to the way that Alicia’s own face is switching from sadness to indignant anger.

Echo: - I thought you had principles, I thought that you-

Alicia: You think a lot, don’t you? Well, with all due respect, Echo, how much do you actually know about me?!

The laceration in her voice cuts straight through Echo’s own, shocking the younger woman out of her jealous tirade. Alicia gesticulates as she talks, emotion replacing rationality in a rare outburst.

Alicia: Everyone wants life to be simple. It’s supposed to be a linear progression – be born, grow up, choose a job, choose a partner, enjoy a long and happy period together, and eventually pass on. That’s what most people would like the world to be like, but it just isn’t black and white. It’s a dirty, mixed-up grey, and nothing is straightforward. You decide on a path, but you always wonder what was down the ones you rejected. You do something stupid or cruel, and though the world moves on, it stays with you. You paint yourself one colour, and that’s the way everyone then expects you to stay… It’s all cumulative, and none of it washes off. The layers get thicker and thicker until you can’t remember what you looked like at the beginning…

Her voice drops to a lower level, although the frustration in her eyes remains.

Alicia: I love my husband more than I can express in words. Nothing will ever change that. But as strong as that love is, it doesn’t preclude other feelings… when I’m around Joachim I feel as if there’s a kind of current running through me. He constantly challenges my assumptions, never pulls a punch with that intellect of his. And just for a little while, I can glimpse at a completely different version of myself… one that’s not hostage to what people constantly expect me to be. But that’s as far as it goes. Nothing else has happened, and it’s not going to happen, either. Whatever I feel about him, you’re the one that matters to me most.

She puts her hands on her hips, and looks at Echo. Echo sways for a second, as if pushed by some invisible force at her back, but returns the stare.

Alicia: You want the honest truth, Echo? You’re the luckiest woman in the whole world, and do you know why? Because for some unfathomable reason, you’ve been given a genuinely clean slate. I’d be willing to bet that, if you ever do find out why it is that you can’t remember most of your life, it’ll be an extremely unpleasant experience… let’s face it, with what you and Joachim have said, you’re 100 times more likely to be a mass murderer than you are an amnesiac saint. But you’re in the unique position that none of that has to matter… if you so choose, you can leave all of that wherever it’s buried, and get on with actually living now. You’re free of all the hang-ups that plague everyone else on this screwed-up planet, and I don’t give a flying toss about what Joachim thinks may or may not be behind your current state – you are the one in control here. What part of me wouldn’t give for a chance like that…

She reaches out, and puts her hands on Echo’s shoulders. Echo shudders very slightly; she can hear Alicia, but it’s as if she’s seeing one thing through one eye, and another thing through the other. Shadows… flickering flames…

Alicia: I’m here for you, Echo, whatever you are, whatever you choose to be. Do you understand that?

Echo: I….

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

It hits her like a freight train, head on. The scream in her head is like a whirlwind of razors, shredding her mind; Echo screams out too in a mirror of it, taking Alicia completely by surprise and almost deafening her. To Echo, the whole room is on fire, and Echo loses touch with reality completely; Alicia’s hands are those of someone else entirely, clutching and dragging her somewhere she doesn’t want to go…

The strength Echo releases as she hurls Alicia aside is immense; Alicia is incredibly lucky that she is thrown across the open part of the room instead of into the wall, otherwise broken bones would have been a certainty. Echo runs straight forward into the closed door; she can’t seem to see that it is a door, and batters at the panel with such force that she puts a fist right through it. With splinters in her flesh, she pulls her hand back and throws herself against the nearby wall, sliding down it, trying desperately to protect herself; she feels as if she’s being ripped violently in half…

Alicia struggles to her feet; Echo is howling, and as Alicia tries to get closer, Echo kicks out viciously.

Alicia: What the… Echo, what’s wrong?! Echo! ECHO!

She can’t get close; Echo lashes out like a cornered animal.

Echo: GET AWAY! Stay…stay away from…me…

She slumps against the wall and collapses, unconscious. Alicia’s jaw drops. She has barely even registered this when the door next to them flies open; Alicia holds her arm up to protect herself and gets it soundly struck. Wincing, she crouches, ready to attack as a figure staggers in, and drops to his knees, clutching something across his chest. His clothes are torn, with cuts seeping blood all over his arms, torso, and face. He turns, takes in the scene, and curses wordlessly.

Joachim: Damnation… too late. This is going to be messy…

-----------------------------

Ten minutes later, Alicia and Joachim succeed in bringing Echo around. She is still disorientated, but at least able to comprehend what’s going on. After briefly recounting what she experienced, she becomes quiet; both women look to Joachim for answers.

Joachim: It is as I had feared. You have been separated, Echo.

Echo: Separated?

Joachim looks at Alicia for a moment; Alicia recalls their conversation at the hideout, and with a chill up her spine understands.

Alicia: Those people who abducted you before… they’ve taken something from you.

Joachim nods.

Joachim: Their timing was impeccable; I had just this day discovered their new place of operations, not far from where you were taken the first time. They must have seen me despite all my precautions, and conducted a pre-emptive strike just before they carried out the ritual. I tried to get here before it was completed, but evidently I did not succeed.

He straightens up, looking for a moment more angry than Alicia or Echo can remember. It passes quickly, however, and he returns his gaze to Echo, who is now seated upon a chair.

Joachim: There is no time to sugar-coat this for you, m’dear. You have suffered a very grave injury, and so long as you remain without the part of you that has been stolen, your instability will only increase. If you are not made whole again in a short space of time, your life force itself will evaporate.

Alicia: Wait… are you saying she could die?

Joachim looks at her fleetingly.

Joachim: That would be the least of it, but for the sake of simplicity, yes.

Echo has never been the type to burst into tears, but fear wells in her eyes. Even so, she stands up, her pupils dilating and contracting as she fights to remain focused on her surroundings.

Echo: What do we have to do?

In answer, Joachim indicates the item he brought with him; the bizarre abacus found at the hold hideout.

Joachim: I have gathered sufficient knowledge to perform the recombination rite, and thanks to Alicia’s help, we also have the necessary equipment which those responsible for your plight tried to conceal. I will stay here and prepare the ground; you must go to the new stronghold, and recover what has been taken.

Echo glances at Alicia; no words are needed. The pair of them are in this together.

Alicia: All right. Give us the location, and we’ll get going right away. What exactly is it we’re looking for?

Joachim graces them with a mirthless smile.

Joachim: When you find it, you will most assuredly know.

Alicia: Fine, we’d best get on with it then.

Joachim: Excellent. In which case, I have something for each of you.

He fishes into a pocket. To Alicia, he gives a slip of paper and a flashy set of keys.

Alicia: ….the Porsche?

Joachim: Of course.

He reaches into the torn inner pocket of his jacket, and produces another item; Alicia feels a slight chill as she sees it. It’s the blade Joachim used on their previous raid. Echo takes it, looking uncertain.

Joachim: I am sure you will find it invaluable. Remember, you have not a moment to waste; if you are not back here within, I estimate, sixty minutes…

Echo: Yeah, I get it. Let’s…

She has to stop, and holds her head for a moment; indistinguishable voices fade in and out. Echo’s gaze lingers around the room, lingering on the obscene symbols that have begun to flicker on the walls. There’s no need to ask if anybody else can see them, as any hope of that was lost some time ago.

Echo: …Let’s go.

Alicia: Right behind you.

The two ladies leave the room; Joachim watches, then remembers he’s forgotten one important detail.

Joachim: I require both space and sky for the rite, so expect to find me on the roof when you return.

Alicia gives a thumbs up, quietly rolling her eyes, unseen. All the weird events in ACW somehow always end up on the roof… plus ca change, she thinks, as déjà vu once again prickles the back of her neck.

They pass through the corridors and out into the night, toward a meeting neither of them will ever forget.

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

The environment in which the Porsche pulls up may only be a short crow-flight distance from the former hideout of Echo’s mysterious assailants, but it couldn’t be more different in character. It’s a lonely house standing in its own grounds on a rise in the ground, fenced off from the rest of the surrounding streets. There are one or two sources of light on the ground floor, but the upper storeys appear to be boarded up entirely, shutting out the rest of the world.

Driving in the gate would obviously be foolhardy, so instead Alicia parks the car out of any potential lines of sight on a side road. She and Echo creep around the perimeter fence, looking for a way in, but it’s certainly not an easy task; the grounds are securely enclosed.

Alicia stops about half way around; she is jostled by Echo, who dodges without warning to avoid some terror or other, and the fence rattles as the pair of them fall into it.

Echo: Sorry… look, we don’t have time for the full tour. Give me a boost.

Alicia drops to one knee, and Echo backs up before taking a run forward and stepping up into an impressive twisting flip over the sharply-pointed spikes on top of the rails. She lands silently, and then puts her hands through the railings, clasping them together. This allows Alicia to get some extra elevation as she hops up on one foot and grasps the top vertical bar, pulling herself up with a big effort and clambering gingerly over the row of spikes, letting herself down on the other side.

Alicia: Tom Cruise, eat your heart out. Well, at least that was fairly inconspicuous-

She stops mid-sentence as Echo’s eyes go glassy, and with a yell she charges forward and delivers a massive flying kick to an old tree in the grounds with enough force to cause the rotting timber to crack. It starts to fall in just about the noisiest way possible, and Echo slaps a hand over her own face, trying to get a grip, as the two ladies make a dash for the shadows against the building wall.

Echo: Gahh… this is getting really, REALLY annoying. We have to get in there and get out fast – and I think I know how.

She points to the area by the tree; a couple of figures are crossing the scrubby grass. They must have come out of the front door.

Alicia: You sure? It’s all or nothing if we do it this way.

Echo: It’s all or nothing, period. Ready?

Alicia: Yes. It’s going to be chaos, so just let everyone and everything have it, I’ll take care of myself. Got it?

Echo: Absolutely.

They skirt around the side of the building, along the porch and in through the door, which has been left ajar. They’re in luck – the hallway is empty, and Echo’s glance is immediately dragged upward, toward a substantial staircase.

Echo: Up. I’m certain of it.

Alicia has enough sense to let Echo go first; she’s seen her entering “the zone” previously before matches, but it’s a pale shadow of what is happening now. She has to practically run to keep up; as Echo surmounts the stairs to the first floor, Alicia sees a flash which she knows with a sickly feeling is Joachim’s blade. But now is the absolute worst time to be squeamish, and she arrives on the landing to witness a mesmerising sight.

Echo twists and twirls, a perfect fusion of grace and extreme violence as she literally cuts a swathe through the five or six men who come rushing from adjacent rooms. Alicia stays well back from the whirling vortex of metal, assisting by kicking a couple of those flung out from its centre backward down the stairway. There is something more than a little familiar about the way Echo moves, and not for the first time Alicia feels transported to a different place, and a different situation…

The ruckus momentarily dies down as Echo clears a path. At once she heads upward again; she ducks left and right, avoiding unseen hazards – and then abruptly swings around, slashing with her blade so that Alicia has to rear back to avoid it.

Alicia: Concentrate, Echo, keep going!

Echo does not respond, but the fact that she does not continue her attack reassures Alicia that she is still hanging on to reality as best she can. They reach the second landing and Echo veers right; it’s now almost pitch black, but Echo appears to see without any difficulty…

The corridor is narrow and long, and shouts ring out as more guards appear – but Echo blasts through them all, and Alicia protects her from behind, slamming doors and incapacitating pursuers. A door ahead is open, and Echo storms toward it – in her compromised state, she does not realize that the space around them is suddenly empty. Alicia’s senses all simultaneously sound the red alert.

Alicia: Echo, wait-

Echo: It’s here, HERE!-

The huge, muscle-bound man steps out of the doorway at just the wrong moment for Echo to react; he throws an enormous punch, and Echo stumbles, losing all sense of direction. With a stab of shock, Alicia sees that he is armed in his other hand with a massive bludgeoning weapon, some sort of bat, and he takes it in both hands to swing and end all resistance.

With no time to strategise, Alicia goes on pure instinct; she rushes forward, jumps up and uses Echo’s shoulder as a launch pad, jumping up on to the behemoth’s own shoulders and locking her legs around his neck. She batters him in the head with her fists; the brute drops his weapon and tries to pull her off, but Alicia hangs on grimly, choking the air from him. In desperation, he puts all his effort in, and Alicia’s hold slips; he rips her off of him – but in all the chaos, he and Alicia haven’t noticed Echo’s deterioration.

The noise in Echo’s head is now agonising; she clutches her hair and pulls it wildly, as if trying to open up her scalp. Everywhere is threat and danger, and then something huge looms out at her; it hurls some sort of missile, she ducks, and with a bellow of utter, bottomless rage, she leaps up and plunges the blade into the shape’s neck.

The muscled man gurgles and claws the wall, the strength leaving his legs. Echo pivots; the thing behind her swerves her downward knife stroke, but in doing so leaves itself open to her blistering knee strike. It goes down with a satisfying crunch on to the hard floor…

…And then reality bites, hard, as Echo realizes with horror that she’s just knocked Alicia out cold. Everything spins; she staggers back, level with the open doorway.

A scream assaults her, not from within the turmoil of her mind, but from inside the room. She has no time whatsoever to prepare herself as she sees what made it, and then, only then, does she understand. All her anger, her strength… and why her whole life she has been treated by so many as toxic.

They were right to be afraid.

She stumbles, the room’s rotation becomes unbearable, and she falls to her knees. She crawls almost to the wall before darkness catches up with her at last, and swallows her whole.

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

She awakes with the kind of muzzy-headedness which is more normally associated with alcoholic beverages of dubious hue, consumed to excess. Such a sensation, though, is quickly dispelled by the fact that the room is more than a little chilly; in fact, she can see her breath crystallizing on the air and floating lazily away toward the ceiling.

Carefully, she sits up. The room is dark, save for a couple of plain candles. Not that much light is required, for the space appears to be almost totally empty. There is only the thin layer of matting which she has been lying on; the rest of the room is a blank canvas, plain walls, plain floor, plain everything.

With a small aftershock she realizes that she is not tied, and that the door out of the room is slightly ajar. Warily, she stands and tests her balance, checking for telltale pains or other symptoms. But everything seems to be fine.

No, it isn’t fine, not in the slightest. There’s no sign of Echo whatsoever. In that instant, Alicia’s mind is made up, and she edges toward the door, not too slowly, but not foolishly fast, either.

Pushing the crack a little wider, she looks out into the hallway; it too is vacant. There are some larger candles on stands, but this is not what draws her attention; the air from one direction is noticeably warmer than that coming from the other. Drawn by it, the only clue she has, she steps out of the room, treading softly, and begins to move toward the unknown source of heat.

As she progresses, she constantly listens for other signs of life, to no avail. What she does see is that symbols and etchings of the kind Joachim pointed out are starting to appear on the walls, that same faint glow about them. The hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end; she raises a hand to trace one of the signs-

?: KAI! METAS KAI!

The sound is pure, unadulterated anger; Alicia is almost thrown back against the wall as her body panics a split second ahead of her brain. Pulling her frazzled nerves back together, Alicia’s rational mind regains control; she feels an urge to get as far away as possible simultaneously with the realization that she has to find the source of the outburst. Joachim’s description of Echo’s last true descent into rage marries perilously with the scream she just heard…

Alicia’s pulse is elevated and still rising as she moves, more quickly now, in the direction the sound came from. The warmth is now becoming heat, to the point that she begins to perspire; and the symbols on the wall thicken in density until they cover every surface…

She turns the corner, and sees a doorway a short distance along to her right. Light is pouring from it, as is a veritable heatwave, and as she cautiously creeps closer she is shaken by another burst of yelling.

?: Xi’tarez manav ha’kreesh!!!

She shudders, and realizes that this was the corridor she and Echo were in just before it all went wrong. Crossing to the left-hand side of the hall, Alicia can see a little way into the room; she moves slowly, until suddenly she sees the ends of a distinctly feminine pair of legs. She speeds up, and, hearing no other movement in the room ahead, she practically breaks into a run as she sees that it is definitely Echo, her head lowered against her chest and sitting on the floor, supported by the wall behind. She looks to be unconscious, and such is Alicia’s concern that she completely forgets for a few seconds all the strange phenomena which have been increasingly prevalent the closer she has got to the room…

Alicia has taken no more than three or four steps across the threshold when, still looking at Echo, her blood almost freezes in her veins in spite of the now oppressive heat. She becomes aware of a low-pitched tone, a guttural growl on her right hand side.

Echo (whispering): Alicia…

Echo hasn’t moved a muscle; Alicia realizes that she may have been awake, but either unable or unwilling to effect an exit. The sound remains constant, except for occasional minute gaps for breath.

Alicia abruptly understands that this is a pivotal moment. She instinctively knows that the thing in the room is exactly what Joachim was referring to in his cryptic way during their evidence hunt, and the choice is the same; she can bury her head in the sand, or she can tackle it head on. After tonight’s events, Alicia realizes with a shudder that ignorance is not, and has never been, a justifiable option…

She turns her head very, very slowly… and comes face to face with Hell.

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

The creature is vaguely female in shape. Unlike most people, however, it has four arms, each with hands resembling dexterous talons with long, curved claws. Skin which might once have been pale is dark on the exposed areas and marginally lighter underneath; and protruding from the beast’s temples are imposing, curled horns which most closely resemble those of a Ram. Various tattoos jostle for space with marks and scars… and all of this is topped off by eyes with pupils so crimson they would fit right in with the most clichéd Hollywood slasher.

The two look at one another for no more than a couple of seconds, though the time drags interminably. Then the thing moves like lightning, swinging its claws; Alicia doesn’t even raise her guard for there is no time to do so, and no hope whatsoever of defense, or escape-

About three inches from her, the creature crashes into some sort of invisible wall; it shimmers on impact, revealing swirling script letters. Alicia is left staring into the distended maw of the nightmare, its jaw having extended in its attack roar to Venom-like proportions to reveal countless, merciless teeth.

The room sways; for a moment Alicia is sure she will pass out, but just before the blackness returns, the air temperature drops, and the creature draws back rapidly from the hidden barrier. It continues to snarl, but seems intimidated…

Her breathing shallow, Alicia takes a step back and holds her forehead.

Alicia: …..Jesus H. Christ…

??: I’d recommend that you do not take that name in vain, though perhaps in the circumstances it is not entirely inappropriate.

That voice… she knows it. Unsteadily she turns around, and gets another surprise to add to tonight’s record tally; it’s the tall, white-haired man whom she encountered at the arena just prior to Echo’s abduction. Echo looks groggily up, and recognition crosses her face.

Echo: …You… I don’t know what’s real, and what’s not. Alicia, do you see him?

Alicia nods, as if needing to confirm it to herself.

Alicia: Yes. He’s here, and so is…that.

Echo glances at the imprisoned creature and groans, holding her head. She’s still clearly in a bad way… Alicia becomes acutely aware of the need to do what Joachim told them. But how on earth can they even hope to get out together, let alone bring the beast with them?

Alicia decides that there’s only one place to start.

Alicia: I know I don’t have the right to demand any sort of information… but please, I need some answers. My friend is sick, and-

Gray Man: Yes, I know. We’ve known that for far longer than either of you, my dear. And we are trying to cure her of the thing which has blighted her existence up until this point…

He looks at Echo, then at the creature within the forcefield. It seems that every time he so much as glances at it, he has to consciously battle to control his emotional reaction to its presence.

Gray Man: But that’s not all I know. I know a great deal about you too, Alicia Laureano. A woman of many names… you should by birthright have been Alicia Black, but that was taken from you by your father’s disappearance. You then took the name of your adopted stepfather and father of your half sister, Alicia Kitamura, a third generation Anglo-Japanese gentleman who you saw only infrequently, but whom nevertheless taught you to conceal your intelligence from the brutish and unsophisticated cohort of your own agegroup. A name which you contorted into yet another, a mask from under which you could pursue your dreams of a career forged through honorable combat…

He casts an eye over Alicia, with a vague look of amusement which still manages to be reproving and stern at the same time.

Gray Man: Not something in which one could say you have been particularly successful.

Alicia frowns, and looks straight back at him.

Alicia: Your opinion is perfectly valid, but of little interest to me. I want to know what you’ve done to Echo, and what this… thing is. I don’t have time-

Gray Man: Ah, yes, time…. Such a fickle construct. It’s always nagged at you, hasn’t it?

He gestures lightly, spreading his hands.

Gray Man: Even when you were a little girl, time went fast. You would get so absorbed in your games, telling yourself stories and acting them out, that whole days would vanish. Then when you went to school, there was so much to do, exams to pass, that months and then years hastened by. And even now… you’re not even 30, but the sound of your biological clock ticks loudly in your head almost every day. Each moment of happiness you acquire is gone just as quickly, and always at the back is the despair… the cold dread of knowing that things will only get worse, you will get older, as will the people you love… and that it will all eventually disappear into the wind as if it had never been…

The room is quiet; even the creature seems to have been lulled by the oddly melodic, if harsh, tone of the gray man. Alicia is stunned; no one has ever summed up so lucidly the feelings within her.

Alicia: ………………………….How…..how do you know me so well?

The Gray Man moves toward her; he almost seems to do so without moving his feet. He places a hand on her shoulder, and it’s as if some sort of gate opens, allowing a strange kind of warmth to flow from him into her.

Gray Man: Once, long ago, I shared something with you, something that you desperately needed … and in return, you shared your life with me. It’s time you knew the truth, Alicia… but it is an ugly truth indeed. Are you prepared?

Alicia swallows nervously. She is now totally adrift in a sea of secrets… but she has to sail on, regardless.

Alicia: As much as I’ll ever be.

The Gray Man inclines his head a little and closes his eyes. The room seems to twist and shift under them – and suddenly they are somewhere else entirely.

Alicia’s blood goes sub-zero for the second time; the room is windowless, and like the previous one covered in symbols. But these are hateful, and blaze with malevolence; the atmosphere is totally and utterly evil.

A weak cough draws their attention to the centre of the room, and what Alicia sees there makes her want to be sick on the spot. The man is probably just a few years older than she is now; his whole body is riven with slashes and wounds, and clouds of flies are gathering around them, eager to corrupt his flesh. He is kneeling in what looks horrifyingly like a pool of his own blood…

??: Such a waste… you have greatly disappointed me, William.

She has never, ever heard anything so utterly loathsome; unable to turn away, Alicia is forced to look upon the terrifyingly tall, red robed figure standing a few feet away from the supplicant. The broken man does not look up, and a vile laugh escapes from under the figure’s hood. Alicia instinctively draws closer to the Gray Man.

Gray Man: You need not fear, this is merely a reconstruction of events long gone. Do you recognize the tall figure in front of us?

Alicia nods; she has to physically force the name out.

Alicia:……………..Asmodeus. He’s… some sort of evil spirit.

The Gray Man looks at her gravely, but with understanding. . Hearing that name seems to cause him something akin to physical discomfort.

Gray Man: He was far more than that. He was one of the Lords of Hell, an Archdemon of the highest order. His powers were beyond the comprehension of most mortals… but the real question is, do you also know the man before him?

The room is eerily quiet as Alicia looks carefully at the bowed figure on the ground. There is something unsettling… and then it hits her completely without warning or preparation; it’s the eyes. She knows them all too well… for they are her own.

Alicia:…………………no………………..this can’t be……..

The Gray Man takes her hand, and, sensing that she is about to break, gestures with the other; the scene dissipates into darkness.

Gray Man: There is no easy way to deliver such a blow. The man you saw there was indeed your father, William Black, in his final moments.

Alicia is shaking all over; her legs can barely hold her up.

Gray Man: William Black was a strong man with a critical weakness… he craved power, and would go to almost any lengths to achieve it. Asmodeus found him to be a most useful tool through which to act in this world, firstly in small ways but then in larger and larger ones. His main flaw was that Asmodeus did not encounter him until he was a young adult; Asmodeus wanted to mould a perfect accomplice, right from childhood. And as you know, that was where your father performed his greatest service… it was an act which, somehow, due to its extreme violence, broke the Archdemon’s hold on his servant. Shortly after, Black fled to a small town an ocean away from his terrible deeds, and began a new life there…

He puts both hands around Alicia’s.

Gray Man: But he knew almost the moment you were born that peace could not be his. The threat of Asmodeus loomed over him every day; he knew without doubt the endless lust which drove his former master. So, after just a few months, he made his decision and returned to confront Asmodeus once and for all.

There are tears in Alicia’s eyes; she does not need to see the final gruesome moments to know the outcome.

Alicia: …He never stood a chance, did he?

Gray Man: No, for he was bound too tightly to the Archdemon. But that does not mean his efforts were in vain… far from it.

The darkness gives way to a new scene; a quite ordinary room in a suburban house, albeit one with alarming seventies wallpaper. It is quiet… except for some very gentle shuffling sounds, and a murmur or two.

Alicia looks around it, and is struck by an enormous sense of deja-vu. Before she can place herself, however, a light begins to appear in the centre of the room, and it gradually resolves into another figure, dressed in smart yet flowing white robes. An arching beam of light seems to emanate from each shoulder, cascading down into an outline almost like…

…wings?

The figure turns, and for a moment Alicia sees his face. It nearly blows her mind… for it’s the Gray Man himself, albeit looking a little younger. She watches in a spellbound state as the younger Gray Man crosses the room toward something in the corner…

Gray Man (quietly): In his arrogance, Asmodeus did not even suspect your father’s real purpose in challenging him. He never sensed the prayer William Black uttered with his dying breath, that the precious blood he offered up was not for him at all…

The younger Gray Man reaches the corner, and the older version steers Alicia over so that they can see. The covers are gently pulled back, and the baby previously underneath them twitches, still quite happily asleep.

If this were a science fiction potboiler, this would be the part where the universe implodes; Alicia Laureano is looking at herself.

Gray Man: I heard that plea from the darkest of nights; a father offering his life and soul for his one untouched child. And I resolved to act upon it; at the same time Asmodeus was sating his bloodlust, I was here, to ensure that his ruinous influence upon your family would be halted utterly in its tracks.

They watch as the younger Gray Man places his hands against his chest; he grimaces slightly, and then, pulling them back, a small but brilliantly bright sphere of light is hovering just above his palms. Carefully, he lowers his hands down, mouthing incantations, and then removes them; the sphere floats, and then descends, melting with absolute gentleness into the slumbering youngster. Light sparkles everywhere…

….and in that instant, she is back in the stronghold room. Nothing has changed… and yet everything has. She runs her hands over her body, as if trying to detect some sign of what she has just seen take place, but there is nothing.

She looks into the eyes of the Gray Man, in wonder.

Alicia: …………………..who are you?

The Gray Man allows a smile, small but genuine, to cross his lips. Like a television being tuned in, his robes and wings materialize with the utmost grandeur, making the creature hiss and recoil.

Gray Man: I… am the most holy and most high, the ArchAngel Zaphkiel.

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

A substantial pause occurs as Alicia takes this all in, or at least tries to. Everything which she has experienced tonight somehow fits with this revelation, and moreover it just feels right, the answer to questions she has long had but never been able to coherently phrase. The flip side is that it throws up even more questions…

Alicia looks at Echo, who just shakes her head slightly; she’s even more in the dark than her friend, and the situation is just getting more and more extraordinary. Zaphkiel, meanwhile, appears to have more to say; he casts the most fleeting of looks upon his prisoner, his eyes momentarily flaring even more cerulean than before, then returns his attention to the two women.

Zaphkiel: I wish you to understand, this was not something which I believed you would ever need to know of, my child. But things have changed… I am certain you want to know what you just saw.

Alicia nods; words don’t appear to be within her power just at this moment.

Zaphkiel: Be assured that your father’s fears were well founded. Your birth was not planned by the scourge which plagued him, but it is certain that Asmodeus would have been most inventive in arranging things so that he could manipulate you to his own ends. I do not think I need to explain to you precisely what that would have meant.

His vision drifts into the middle distance, and a look of thunder crosses his face, an occurrence which seems linked with every mention he is forced to give to the Archdemon.

Zaphkiel: But providing effective protection from one of the strongest evil beings in creation is not easily accomplished. As you have seen, I have certain resources to call upon within this plane, and it would have been ease itself to remove you from your home and place you directly with those sufficiently skilled to conceal you from harm… but to do this would have unjustly punished your mother. No, I would not be reduced to such destructive meddling… so I chose a, shall we say, unconventional solution.

He places a hand over his chest, as if feeling an old scar.

Zaphkiel: I took from myself a tiny fragment of my absolute self, my spirit if you will, and joined it to your own; you were still so very young that the two were able to graft together and become truly one. You must understand that Asmodeus and I were as opposites; he the depraved embodiment of Lust and Malice, I the blessed guardian of Divine Justice. Our powers were as opposing magnetic poles, repulsing one another… and as strong as he was, Asmodeus had to expend a great deal of that power to appear and act in your world. As such, had he ever attempted to approach you or otherwise do you harm directly, the piece of my essence which I gifted you with would have caused him great wounds, a fact of which I made sure he was quickly aware.

He pauses.

Zaphkiel: It is for this reason that you have always felt such strength of emotion when confronted by the unjust actions of your fellow humans. My anger and despair is your anger and despair. My urge to bring righteous vengeance down upon them is what lies behind your own deepest motivations.

Alicia considers this silently.

Alicia: So… did this affect things when Simon and I encountered one another?

The Archangel’s eyes dance for a second with what could almost be considered glee, or at least a hint of smug satisfaction.

Zaphkiel: Oh, most certainly. Consider it from the fiend’s twisted point of view; he desires violence and blood, blood above all; for blood represents life and death together, the victory of being over non-being. And where better to find it in a world which no longer has sanguine-soaked alters? He steers his weapon, his holocaust-in-waiting, toward your unsuspecting and naïve little organization… only to discover you there. It’s not a total block, I do not need to remind you of your federation’s own history… but you can be sure that far worse would have occurred, far more people would have suffered, had your presence not weakened his influence so critically. Possibly that was the point at which his control first began to falter… I’m sure they latched on to it then, even if they were totally ignorant of the reason…

He muses on this; Alicia isn’t quite sure what Zaphkiel is referring to, but she has a vague idea.

Zaphkiel: He tried to get rid of you, of course; firstly through his prime servant, then later when by chance you opposed him during his possession of another of your group’s more unsavory characters.

Alicia frowns, but quickly works it out.

Alicia: Skurai… of course.

Zaphkiel: Quite so. Neither worked, and I was most satisfied with the results; eventually the threat receded as Asmodeus’ own machinations took a different course, and your ways were parted.

Folding her arms, Alicia reflects on this. Echo too is fitting the pieces together in her head; it makes a warped kind of sense when taken alongside the revealing discussion she and Alicia had just before Heatwave. But how does any of it relate to her? She is certain there is a connection somewhere, and that Zaphkiel well knows the answer. She slowly begins to pick herself up, aware that she is being closely watched by both demon and angel alike. Alicia, meanwhile, has a burning question of her own; there’s a piece which doesn’t fit, and which deeply troubles her.

Alicia: Ok… assuming that I accept everything you’ve said… why didn’t you do anything to help Simon? You know, no, you knew what he was likely to go through, right from the start. If you’re an Archangel, you must have had the option to do something.

She looks Zaphkiel in the eyes, understanding leading to anger.

Alicia: Tell me, oh wise one… what was fair about leaving him to the whim of pure evil? What was just about that? Why did my brother-

Zaphkiel: He is not your brother.

He couldn’t have delivered a bigger blow if he’d called down thunder from the heavens; Alicia is brought to a halt in mid-sentence, both by the bombshell and the Archangel’s harsh tone of voice.

Alicia: …….what?

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

Her brain blue-screens; she can’t immediately take it in. The cold look on Zaphkiel’s face recedes, and he sighs, very gently.

Zaphkiel: Forgive me… but that is the truth, my dear. That….man-

He struggles with the word, almost spitting it out.

Zaphkiel: There was nothing I could have done for him; he belonged to the fallen even before he was born. For you see, it was not your father, William Black, who sired him… it was Asmodeus himself.

The room is achingly quiet for several seconds.

Zaphkiel: The Archdemon took the form of your father, turning himself into a perfect copy with the addition of his own demonic strains to the mix. The result was a child who looked completely human, like his ill fated mother… but who was irredeemably steeped in the poisons of Hell. I could no more influence him than Asmodeus could you… blood or spirit, it adds up to the same thing in the end.

By now, Alicia looks absolutely shellshocked by the constant battery of secrets revealed, and Echo’s not far behind. Zaphkiel puts a hand on her shoulder, and a look which is kind, kinder than any he’s bestowed before now.

Zaphkiel: Please understand, Alicia, I did not take these actions lightly. I am responsible for the conflict I know all too well you have suffered; humans were not meant to bear the pressure of powers such as these. Our concept of time is far removed from yours… for every day you experience, I and my kin experience ten such days. A human lifetime is hundreds of years to us… we have the benefit of perspective which you do not.

He sounds reassuring, fatherly.

Zaphkiel: I have sensed my spirit rising in you whenever injustice rears its head, and I have known your sorrow at what has happened between yourself and the demon’s spawn. That is one thing I wish I could have prevented, for such feelings were never necessary… but now, praise be, that is all in the past.

The past… it has haunted Alicia for almost as long as she can remember, and now she knows why. She has only one more question.

Alicia: You keep referring to Asmodeus in the past tense. What happened?

The Archangel closes his eyes, and bows his head for a moment.

Zaphkiel: Almost precisely what Asmodeus intended. His son was elevated through many trials to a position of great power, casting down in the process his great earthly rival as was foretold. Once he had proven himself in this manner, Asmodeus executed his masterstroke; he lured him to his own domain, the sixth circle of Hell, and there revealed the truth, in a way not dissimilar to that I have employed here. It was Asmodeus’ final goal that his son should succeed him as ruler there, allowing him to ascend with his support to a position above that of all the other Lords. Not since the Day of Lament at the dawn of the common era has there been a supreme ruler, a true Satan, to lead them… that is the prize Asmodeus was seeking.[/i]

He smiles, grimly.

Zaphkiel: And yet, that wretched halfbreed rejected his birthright… he struggled with his own father, and eventually succeeded in something so rare it is barely known; the slaughter of a Lord. He slew the Aeshma-Daeva with his bare hands and returned triumphant to your world… but the lure of power, the call of his tainted blood, was too great. He undertook the most profane ritual, to purge himself of all humanity, and the transformation was made. So now he rules as the Smouldering Count, Vhal’kanis, unconquered, untouchable by suffering, my new opposite, and is lost to this world for all time. So much the better.

Alicia is still reeling from what she has heard. Zaphkiel steers her around so that she is facing Echo, and to one side the creature, which has been sullen most of the time the Archangel has been talking. Now, its hackles raise, as if it senses danger.

Zaphkiel: You have come here because you wish to help your young friend, here. Is that correct?

Alicia: Of course.

He nod, and looks at the imprisoned creature; it glares back, but there is distinct unease behind those vicious embers.

Zaphkiel: The beast before you is, as I am sure you now realize, a foul demon. It has been bound to your companion, trying to conceal itself, awaiting a chance to seize full control. But through our arts, we have separated its contamination from her, and sealed it securely.

Alicia and Echo look at the back of the room more closely. There is a circle drawn on the floor with the seven-pointed star etched inside; just outside and above, there is a metal frame, also circular, suspended from the ceiling by ropes. The light in the room, of which there is not a great deal, is coming from numerous candles positioned around the rim of the metal frame.

Echo: Well, I can’t say it looks a lot like me…

Zaphkiel shoots Echo a glance, but does not respond. Alicia wonders in the back of her head why the Archangel apparently does not wish to address Echo directly.

Zaphkiel: These creatures are full of tricks and lies. We had to gain access to the afflicted before the demon’s suspicions were aroused-

Alicia: -hence the kidnapping.

Zaphkiel: Exactly. As you know, we intended no harm, as you discovered when you retrieved her from us. I lost several good men in that particular incident… but that is not relevant or important now. What is important is that you are here, for you alone hold the key to ridding your friend of this sickness once and for all.

Both Echo and Alicia look surprised. Echo’s gaze narrows in suspicion, and she and Alicia exchange a glance too tiny to be detected, or so they hope.

Zaphkiel reaches inside his robes, and reverently produces a small, bright object. He lays it across his palms, and it expands into a recognizable shape.

It’s a moderately long dagger, made of some kind of silvery-white metal. Symbols are carved along its length, and these glow faintly as Zaphkiel holds it. The second the demon lays her eyes upon it, she rises up and bellows; the noise sounds like words, but no words that Alicia has ever heard. Echo, however, cocks her head on one side.

Echo: Not much chance of that, frankly.

Alicia looks at her, confused, Echo looks back, and her expression mirrors Alicia’s.

Echo: Wait, you didn’t-

Zaphkiel interrupts, cutting Echo right off in a rather rude manner.

Zaphkiel: We do not have time for me to explain all the niceties. All you need to know is that to save your companion, the demon must be expelled from this plane.

Alicia: ….by killing it?

Zaphkiel: That term is inappropriate. It does not have a worthwhile life to lose.

He ushers her forward. The demon snarls and slashes at the air; Alicia pulls back, and Zaphkiel holds up a hand, mouthing a few syllables. The etchings in the floor glow, and the demon shrieks as if racked by agonies; it seems unable to move a single muscle.

Zaphkiel: It cannot hurt you. Strike to its filthy heart, and then all this will be concluded. At long last…

Alicia frowns.

Alicia: Why do I have to do your dirty work? Killing is killing, whatever it is.

Zaphkiel maintains a steady expression, but his patience is becoming thin.

Zaphkiel: There are particular laws governing our actions outside of our own plane. Not that I agree with such flaccid nonsense… but nevertheless I must abide by it. You have enough of my essence to be able to wield that blade to suitable effect… this is your realm of existence, therefore only you can act decisively. Now do not delay any further.

Time slows to a crawl for Alicia, and yet it presses on her heavily; Joachim’s warning is loud in her ears. But should she trust him, or the heavenly being who knows so much about her? She needs help… and she has a good idea where to find it.

Alicia: Echo… what did the demon say just now?

Zaphkiel: This is foolish, you must-

Echo: She said, “Let me out”.

Alicia: Figures.

Not a lot of help. Or is it? The demon’s eyes flick to the right, and though it continues to leer, Alicia detects a very subtle change in its tone, even if she can’t understand it directly.

Demon: Xi’tarez. Xi’tarez manav ha’kreesh!!!

The colour drains from Echo’s face, and Zaphkiel’s muscles tense. He pushes Alicia forward so that she is almost up against the static monster.

Zaphkiel: Alicia, you must

Echo: Please!

Alicia’s eyes dart left. Zaphkiel seems on the verge of moving to silence her physically; Alicia can sense a rage in him unlike anything she knows…

Echo: She said “Please. Please, I want to go home.”

Alicia looks at her, then at Zaphkiel.

Alicia: Then let’s help send her back there, shall we?

She raises the blade over her head, and Zaphkiel’s expression becomes one of triumph, bordering on zealous mania. Alicia slashes….

…and jumps, cutting through the rope supporting the frame directly above her and the demon. As it falls, Zaphkiel’s concentration is broken, and this frees the prisoner’s movements. Alicia shuts her eyes as her gamble plays out… and succeeds, as the demon uses its upper pair of arms to catch the falling metalwork. Ripping it apart with claws of unfathomable strength, it roars, forked tongue lolling, and wax spills down… blotting out part of the circular markings on the floor.

In the near-darkness, a new beam shines bright; Zaphkiel has a sword, a magnificent sword, in his hands. He storms forward – and is met by a knee strike from Echo of unrivalled power; Archangel or not, he drops to his knees, dazed. The demon rears, screeching-

Alicia: Echo, tell her to stop!

The room is swaying for Echo; voices are filling her head, but she overcomes them and yells at the hellfiend in as authoritative a way as she can.

Echo: DON’T YOU DARE!

Something in her voice clearly registers with the demon; it remains poised, but turns its scorching gaze on her.

Alicia: Tell her-

Echo: I know, I know. We’ll get you home. Come with us.

Their time must by now be almost completely expired; the ceiling is shuddering; Zaphkiel must have help on the way…

The demon remains unmoved. Trust must not come easily to it, Alicia thinks; if it turns on them, it’s game over.

Finally, the demon growls, smacks Zaphkiel across the head, and leaps out of the doorway. A single glance behind it tells the two women that it consents, but only as far as is necessary.

Echo: We have to get back, come on.

She rushes out, not looking back at the Archangel. Alicia follows quickly; she too does not look behind her. She doesn’t need to; her whole body feels as if it’s starting to burn with a cold, furious fire, old beyond reckoning…

[Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune]

They are opposed, but getting out is considerably easier than getting in. The demon is masterful in clearing the way, slashing its way through allcomers. Alicia and Echo simply follow, tidying up the few who try to assault them from behind; they have no time to stand and fight. Flight is everything…

They burst to the outside, and the sky, which was clear, is rapidly closing over. A chill wind blows, and the demon shudders visibly as it jumps about on refuse containers and walls, darting its gaze about. Alicia carries straight on to the parked Porsche – they finally get a break as the angelic hordes haven’t apparently searched for their mode of transport. Alicia hurls herself into the seat and revs the engine; the demon growls back at the unfamiliar sound.

Echo pulls open the passenger side door and flips the seat forward to provide an entry to the back.

Echo: I call shotgun. Get in the back.

The demon considers this, then bounds forward, and with a neat twist of its four claws, rips the roof right off and tosses it away. It scrambles into the back and rakes the headrests, shredding the leather and making padding fly all over the place.

Innocent. It’s the last word Echo would ever have thought could apply to a demon, but it’s the only one that fits; it’s as if the hellspawn has never seen a car, or in fact pretty much anything that’s around her.

But how can that be the case, if she’s been looking out through Echo’s eyes all this time?.....

Swinging herself into the front seat, Echo quickly buckles up, and just in time as Alicia guns the gas and roars away…

They drive hell for leather; Echo keeps looking behind for pursuers, though her view is hampered by their excitable passenger. The demon isn’t belted, and goes sliding from side to side as Alicia corners sharply.

“Faster! Faster!”

Alicia grits her teeth and accelerates.

Alicia: Which direction are they coming from?

No response; she looks sideways, and sees Echo hanging on for dear life.

Echo: Who taught you to drive, you maniac?!

Alicia: You just said to go faster!

Echo: Do I LOOK like I want you to go faster? I want to get there alive!

Alicia can’t make head nor tail of it. She instinctively checks her rear view, which is next to useless since it’s filled with a demon waving all four arms in the air, head back and… grinning?

Well at least someone’s enjoying the ride, Alicia thinks. The significance of this passes her by for now… they’re almost back at the arena. Against all the odds, it looks like they’re going to make it.

Surely now the worst is over…

Rain begins to fall in large drops. Alicia feels a pit in her stomach open up. The hardest part may in fact be still to come.