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The Irenic Space Colony Heosphoros floated silently above a world that had turned blood-red, visible even here... but Zerrex hated it up there, and that was why he stood on the top of a moldy, mostly-ruined mansion in a town he'd never thought he'd live in again: Baskin's Grove, where it felt like everything had started, his rise to joy, his fall to destruction, and what seemed like an eternal spiral of greater glories that always fell to more and more terrible miseries.

The world had literally turned red with fires and blood: while the Mechanauts - as Cherry called them, and was far easier to say than Mechanical Synthetic Primordial Juggernaut - rampaged, destroying cities, burning everything they came across to the ground, and spreading smoke and death across the lands, servants of the Old Gods were busy carrying corpses to rivers, lakes, and the oceans, and simply dropping them in. It was an ancient form of biological warfare, and an effective one... but even more than that, it induced terror in those who had escaped in the Colonies that had been able to launch into the air in time.

Rapidly, the planet was devolving into a wasteland, with few areas safe from the Mechanauts and worse, the Old Gods that had appeared throughout the planet, spreading their own version of destruction and torture. Combined with the vast numbers of the Mechanauts, there were simply too many opponents to contend with... and they had been able to strike too fast, too hard, shattering the defenses Zerrex had thought were almost impenetrable with the element of surprise. Kafka was dead, but Ultima had taken over the radio waves and many of the planet's satellites... and the bastard had even snuck his way on board a colony and degraded its orbit to crash it into one of the few standing cities left on the planet.

It had been a week now since the attack of the Old Gods... and now, their grip over the world was powerful, and Zerrex could sense that the mortal planet was rapidly beginning to die. Worse, the battleships of the Old Gods were approaching at a moderate but terrifying pace, and Zerrex could feel the presence of Athéos... could sense his laughter, and his feelings of triumph. It infuriated him, but the reptile knew he had to remain calm and cool, as he looked silently up at the dark sky.

All around the world, demons had been called to aid his efforts to evacuate survivors and fight against the monsters, as had the angels that could be spared from Heaven. Friends in the far North were also fighting as best they could, but the reptile knew that even with the powerful resistance there, the Mechanauts had already crushed Northern Ire into a wasteland, and they marched on the Northlands not just from the south, but from the arctic wastes as well, melting them as they went to induce horrific flooding. Killer, Zerrex knew, would be hard-pressed... but much as he wanted to help, he knew the best thing he could do was continue the fight in other areas around the world.

Hez'Ranna, meanwhile, had become a massive torch: the great jungles were aflame, and only pyrokinetic and fire-resistant demons could be deployed there. Most communications were jammed by Ultima, but coded transmissions to and from specially-linked devices let Zerrex receive updates from the colonies and their status. He knew that Albatross and Churchill, at least, had both escaped... but they were both also miserably-depressed, spirits crushed by the loss of all of Hez'Ranna in a matter of days. It didn't help that there, the Mechanauts were assisted by two terrible Primordials of fire and water that were working together almost like siblings.

Lunis was also lost: the Mechanauts had not attacked the city directly, but instead destroyed the pillar that supported the island and held it in one place, and then gone into the synthetic underbelly of the massive city and destroyed the floatation devices. It was ironic, that they had survived so long because they were an on an immense island... and that in the end, that had been what had destroyed them. But the Old Gods were terribly intelligent, and their Mechanaut soldiers knew not mercy nor compassion... all they did was follow the orders given to them by the Old Gods, who knew every in, out, weakness, and strength of the planet they were invading thanks to the information provided to them by Ultima.

They had destroyed several more of the Mechanauts... but the endeavor seemed useless. Bound electrical elementals were able to repair and reanimate most of the Mechanauts in a matter of hours, and even Colossus - while horribly-damaged - was back up and running, and the headless top of the monstrous machine had been turned into a huge viewing area for Old Gods that sat in thrones and laughed as the gigantic device rampaged through cities, tearing them to the ground. It was slower and clanky now, since the organic portion had died... but even repaired with junk parts and kept stable by a multitude of electrical spirits, it was able to cause devastation and havoc.

Advanced shuttlecraft were still coming to and from cities... and Zerrex had scouted through the ruins of Valise and found Reia helping people up onto one of the shuttles, wounded herself but refusing to go... that is, until Zerrex knocked her out and threw her into the craft, not in the mood to argue. He was glad she was safe... that some of the other people he knew were safe too, up in the Colonies... but he didn't know how long it would last, as he shook his head slowly and finally leapt off the roof of the old mayor's mansion, landing neatly on the cracked driveway and then straightening to head out the fallen metal gates onto the empty streets.

Baskin's Grove had been abandoned several years ago, although the reptile wasn't sure why: maybe the bad karma of the town, maybe people just wanted a fresh start. They had found only a few squatters here, and they had quickly shuttled them up to one of the thirty-two colonies currently floating through space after another delivery of soldiers. Soldiers of all shape, size, and uniform, but now all fighting side-by-side, as one people, as one nation: catastrophe, at least, had banded everyone together, into one people... and for that, Zerrex did his best to be glad.

But it was hard to feel joy these days: Cindy was in a temple not on the mortal plane, but in Heaven, where Little Arcy was staying beside her and tending to her terrible wounds. Mahihko and Lone were both quiet and serious, and Marina had a terrifying glint in her eyes. She knew what was coming, and what he was going to order... and he thought she was glad for it, as he looked quietly up towards the sky, his booted feet striking quietly against the ground before he smiled faintly as another figure joined him, murmuring: "Cherry. I was just thinking about... the family."

"I know, Boss." Cherry reached up and squeezed his shoulder gently, dressed in an old Irenic military uniform: the best clothes they could dredge up at the moment. They gazed at each other quietly, and then she laughed a bit, looking around the streets at the damaged homes before sighing quietly: "Fuck, never thought we'd be back here again... but not for much longer, huh? Just gotta get all the troops in order... and after that... well... you ready?"

"Yeah." Zerrex said quietly, looking down at the ground for a few moments. He knew that they'd done all they could here now, and it was up to the soldiers of the physical world and the supernatural beings they'd been able to enlist the help of to continue the fight. It would be a hard and terrible fight, but he thought he had a worse one to contend with himself... and that was the approaching ships of the Old Gods. "What about the others?"

"Everyone's prepared to go." Cherry said finally, and then she sighed a bit, shaking her head as she murmured: "Fucking Hell, Boss, I just can't believe all this shit has hit the fan. It's like no matter what we do... we can't seem to get a goddamn break, you know?"

"At least we've done what we can." Zerrex murmured, and Cherry looked at him with surprise as the Drakkaren headed down the street towards where they'd set up base camp, at one of the still-standing mansions. He smiled a bit over to her, and then he shrugged when she quickly fell into pace beside him. "I... gotta try and stay positive, at least. I have to try and believe that one day, I'll look up from Hell, and this world will be blue again... not red."

"Fuckin' A." Cherry rumbled in agreement as they headed through a gate guarded by minotaurs carrying massive machine guns, and then, instead of walking towards the open door of the mansion, they followed a small walk around the side of it, between the wall of the building and the stone, tall walls that encircled it, to a back garden. There, a circular portal to Hell had been set up, soldiers standing beside this... and Zerrex couldn't help but smile in faint relief, as he did every time he saw them, at the sight of not only his family... but Balthazar and Mercy.

The ferret had his arm in a cast... but he had survived the collapse of his building, thanks to a spell silently-casted by Mercy at the last second. She had only been able to save his life as well as her own, but Zerrex never could, never would blame her for the death of Blueberry: Blueberry had been the one to shove Balthazar out of the way when a Mechanaut had smashed in the roof of the Marble Dome, and she had been dragged down deep into the rubble. It had taken all of Mercy's power, but she had used her amulet to open a portal... and she had carried Balthazar safely through it to Hell, and more specifically, the Ravenlight Estate.

There, they had treated Balthazar's wounds, but his arm had nearly been torn off and Sin hadn't wanted to overuse magic on the ferret, unsure of how using demonic corruption to heal a mortal would work... so instead, she had finally healed onto the most severe damage and then bandaged him up the old fashioned way. When Zerrex had seen Balthazar and Mercy waiting for them here at Baskin's Grove, after he'd sent Cherry to Hell to announce that would be the staging sight for the battle, he had started to cry and hugged them both so tightly it had almost crushed poor, aged Balthazar.

Now, Zerrex approached, the soldiers that surrounded the portal parting for him and Cherry and saluting proudly, before the lizard held his hand out... and he and Balthazar shook firmly, before the reptile said quietly: "You can come with us if you want, you know. You can be kept safe... or at least taken to a colony."

"No, Lord Zerrex... no. It would be improper." Balthazar said gently, and then he let go of Zerrex's hand to reach up and grasp his shoulder, smiling at him with a look that was both tired and assured. "You see... while your Hez'Rannan friends showed courage in leaving their lands... for me, it would be weakness. Ire is not Hez'Ranna... and I am no great war leader, just a professor of cultures. Your... our friends Albatross and Churchill... they can do great good, commanding the colonies, and that is why I gladly handed them the full control of the Irenic colonies and nominated them for the position as the first joint leaders of the space colonies... why I trust that they will lead the people of Ire to safety and take care of them.

"Albatross and Churchill... are older than I, but both part of a new generation, you see." the ferret said softly, and then he laughed quietly. "And while I may be a voice of that generation as well... of the people who see everyone as one people, who have come to value... compassion and hard work and talent in things other than brutishness, who understand that strength and virtue do not come from how much land you rule, how iron-clad your fist, your patriotism or your pride... but from the ability to look past yourself and acknowledge the ability of others, to be able to lay down the sword when it is unnecessary and to be willing to develop a brotherhood between peoples... that is strength. Just as it is strength to stand up for your beliefs against those who do think that because they are powerful, they have a right to destroy, to extend their tyranny over others... and you too, are a voice of that generation. And you have your place on Hell... and on the battlefield.

"The only place I can be of use is in the administration of our forces here on the planet... and I will not abandon these other people. Not when so many other Irenic Presidents turned on their people and used them as cannon fodder, not when so many politicians have corrupted the idea of a leader. I will stay in the background..." Balthazar stopped, then shook his head slowly. "But I will not leave this planet, and I will not leave these people. They are not soldiers, or numbers, or tools. What they are now, are people who are all standing up for their beliefs, and ready to die not for themselves, but for each other, friends, family, and future. And I will not leave them."

Zerrex nodded finally, and then Balthazar smiled again before he looked over at Mercy, gently grasping her shoulder as he whispered: "And to you, I am indebted my life... so please, let me honor my debt by leaving here." At Mercy's shocked look, her strings stretching across her mouth as it opened slightly, the ferret said quietly: "Your father will need you, Lady Mercy... and if you stay here, you will almost surely die. Go on, you've done more than I ever have in developing relations with Hell and peace between the planet. You're the reason there are so many demons standing here ready to die for a world that they were at war with not long ago... so be proud of that, but go now."

Mercy swallowed, looking at Balthazar as tears fell from her eyes... and then she finally hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back, closing his eyes before letting her slip away... and she turned to look up at her father, wiping at her eyes slowly before she stumbled around the others and headed through the portal. Zerrex looked quietly at the ferret, and he gazed back for a moment with a faint smile, wiping at one eye with a single finger as he murmured: "You'd best be leaving yourself now, High King Zerrex. I'm sure the Old Gods have decided that by now, our forces must be significantly weakened."

"Then I'd better get going and show them just how wrong they are." Zerrex replied quietly, and he gave Balthazar one last hug before he turned and looked over his family, Marina, Mahihko, and Lone all silently standing in front of the portal in plain Irenic uniforms, before the reptile pointed at the rift and announced in a rusty voice: "Move out."

They nodded, then spun around in neat formation and walked through the portal, without looking back... and Zerrex and Cherry followed, neither looking back themselves. Zerrex was tempted to... but then they were walking through a tunnel of swirling white and black, and a moment later, they stepped out through a portal outside a military base in the far west of Elysium, near the great marshes of Eslovius, on the planet of Hell.

A cadre of Royal Guards were assembled near the portal, led by Vampire, who was leaning on his spear with his teeth grit nervously. But first, Zerrex found his family all looking at him for direction, and the Drakkaren finally opened a portal, saying quietly to them: "Everyone, head to the Ravenlight Estate for the moment... Cherry, help Marina settle in. I need to go over a few things with the others, and then I'll join you and we'll all be getting ready for this final showdown."

They nodded, not arguing, not complaining: no one was in the mood. Zerrex knew that Mahihko and Lone had both been hit hard by how badly injured Cindy was, not to mention the uncountable horrors that were now terrorizing the mortal realm... but even more, he knew that while Lone was simply scared out of his mind, Mahihko had become a seething pot of rage, ready to burst at any moment. It made him nervous... but then the Drakkaren looked at Marina, and he knew that the fear he felt for Mahihko was nothing compared to the terror he felt for his mortal daughter.

The lizard walked over to Vampire, who saluted him sharply, but the reptile waved that off with a look of distaste, and the huge, black-furred wolf smiled awkwardly. "My bad. I guess it's just sort of become ingrained... you know, stay as respectful as possible when you're obviously pissed to fuck about something to avoid the horribly-painful repercussions."

Zerrex grunted at this, and then Vampire cleared his throat before he said briskly: "Okay, here's where shit's at. The moment Mercy got here, Selena swept her up and put her in the magic squad. She and Ixin are working together, sorting people into mages and warrior mages; you know, the dudes who can actually pack a punch along with spells. Lily, meanwhile, is working with Alastor and Carmen in getting all the physical fighters together we can handle into another area. The Lost Lord also showed up and wants to fight. He's scared shitless... but he wants to fight. I think it's because the Hell he comes from is so desolate, but like... well, that's a story for another time, right?

"Anyway, as to our bad guys..." Vampire made a disgusted face, glancing up towards the semi-lit sky above. "The Old Gods have been bringing their battleships into position. They're not floating lazily anymore, but forming battle lines, with what we're guessing are destroyer-type ships and heavy-cruiser types forming the first lines. They're putting their slowest ships in front, which is an advantage for us, because it's taking them forever to do.

"Secondly, we've identified the ship Athéos is on: it's guarded by a massive warship on its starboard and aft sides, and below it is some kind of monstrous transport ship with these giant... what look like grapple-hooks on the sides of it. It's shaped sort of like a gigantic fucking bullet, but I'm willing to bet it's full of some very nasty shit." Vampire hesitated, then he said finally: "On two of the ships, the names are visible. The big one, which we think is a mega-tanker or a transport, is called the Netherworld. That guy Hades said it was his ship or something before he was turned to dust, right?"

Vampire sounded almost scared of bringing it up, but Zerrex knew why, as he closed his eyes and nodded silently. It brought back memories of Anathema... and with that, came anger and a renewed promise to destroy Athéos. "Okay, and well... finally, the ship Athéos is on looks like a fucking floating kingdom. It's got like... a massive, long landing area or some shit, and then a big huge temple, where Athéos is probably waiting. It doesn't seem to have any weapons of its own, which is weird as fuck and also really scary when you stop and think about it, and it's way near the back of the column. However, from the formation of the ships, as they make their approach it'll probably move closer to the front of the column of soldiers, overtop the main attack ships, so Athéos can have a good view of everything that's going on but at the same time be on a different level, so to speak, than the battle itself."

"You haven't forgotten anything from the Legion, have you?" Zerrex smiled a bit at Vampire, and the muscular wolf laughed a bit, looking down with a faint smile himself and a slow nod. "Alright, I trust your judgment on this... but we'll have a word with the General and some other friends nonetheless, at our final strategy meeting. It sounds like we don't have a lot of time to prepare, though."

Vampire grinned sourly at this, saying finally: "Maybe one or two days. There are a lot... and I mean a fucking lot... of smaller, other ships coming in, a whole convoy of them. And Boss, I really hate to say this, but... I... I mean, even if we kill Athéos... what if there are just too many ships and too many Old Gods to be destroyed? I know that well, by now, a lot of the Old Gods are probably on the planet's surface, wrecking the place up... but fucking hell, we have thirty-two different colonies to try and protect, some of them unarmed and with only their moderate-level shuttle systems to defend them and a few like... force-field generators or what the shit, and it ain't like we got a billion different ships of our own to support 'em."

"But we have a few secret weapons. Don't worry, I plan to deal a nasty blow to Athéos's forces long before they have a chance to fire on any colonies..." Zerrex said darkly, shaking his head with a look of disgust, and then he made a face as he opened a portal, and Vampire signaled to his platoon to disperse as he followed the reptile through this and onto one of the huge balconies surrounding the Central Spire as the Drakkaren asked calmly: "What about Priest, how's he doing?"

"Goddamn good, don't worry about that." Vampire nodded firmly, and the lizard felt a good amount of relief wash through him. "He's got huge landing areas free of electromagnetic disturbances set up in case any ships have to make emergency landings, mechanics and crew trained in repairing advanced space-age technology, and several very large, very-nasty looking cannons and some portable force-field generators that should work even in areas with high levels of corruption and electrical-magnetic-whatever interference."

The reptile rubbed a bit under his muzzle as they approached the doors, then he threw them open and walked into the currently-abandoned Throne Room, the massive, round table that dominated it somehow eerie. He thought to himself for a few moments quietly, and then he finally sighed and nodded. "Alright, it sounds like he's doing as best as I could hope for. Any other information you can provide me with at the moment?"

The huge lupine rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as he sat down on the table, Zerrex leaning against one of the chairs, and he smiled a bit over at the reptile, saying dumbly: "I love you long time?" He coughed at the look on the reptile's face, then yelped when Zerrex smacked his nose, dancing backwards and holding tightly onto his muzzle. "Fucking ouch!"

"This is..." Zerrex stopped himself, and then he shook his head a bit and finally smiled faintly at Vampire, who looked confused and suspicious, as the Drakkaren smiled a bit and said finally: "Thanks for... at least trying to lighten the mood. I just... I'm scared, for everyone. I want to make sure we get everything we can done."

"And everything that can be done, will be done." said an ancient-sounding, dry voice, and the Drakkaren looked up in surprise to see a Scholar standing at the opposite end of the Throne Room, flanked by two Scribes. While the latter demons wore white robes and red scarves around their necks, and looked relatively normal except for their matching calm expressions, the Scholar was a massive, gaunt skeleton, with elongated limbs and dust raining down from his body with every creaky movement, his clothing little more than dirty, faded rags, his skull without a muzzle, his bones yellow and brown and ugly to look at... but his sockets filled with a deep and limitless darkness that even the reptile didn't dare look fully into for more than a moment. And then the creature spoke again as it bent forwards, speaking again: "When you were Punished, you were placed in charge of Hell... but not in charge of us. And now that your Punishment is ended, we shall bow to your will, High King Zerrex Narrius... but the plan we know you have in mind is a dangerous one."

"I hate it when people read my mind without asking." Zerrex said calmly but coldly, his eye twitching once before he took a long breath, and finally he pointed at the Scholar, saying quietly: "Just be ready to assemble then, if you're so smart. I know you dislike assembling outside of the Spire, but I feel it's the best place."

"Yes, Lord Zerrex. As you command, we shall do." The Scholar bowed his head creakily forwards, and then a white portal opened behind it, and both it and the two Scribes turned and vanished through it. The reptile watched as the portal closed, and he couldn't resist making a face, feeling his blood run cold in his body... and yet at the same time, he was relieved that now he wouldn't even have to try and explain his plans to the others... yet... I should. I know I should. Don't start going on a crazy power trip now, Zerrex, when you've got so much at stake.

Zerrex shook his head, rubbing at it slowly as Vampire stared at him for a few moments, visibly shaken by the appearance of the beings that controlled Hell from deep within the Central Spire... or at least, they had used to. Whether they still had control of the domain of Elysium or not, however, the terrible, gaunt beings still possessed tremendous powers. Before Vampire could gather the courage to ask the Drakkaren just what was up, however, the closed doors around the Throne Room all opened at almost the same time, and high-ranking demons came in from all sides of the room.

Vampire started to slink out, but Zerrex motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs before he headed to his own at the head of the table, looking at the ground even as friends and family both walked by... but now was the time for professionalism, since there was little left to spare. Zerrex looked back and forth over the faces of these demons as they all sat down quietly, all of them looking at him, waiting for his orders, his commands... and for a moment, the weight of the burden seemed crushing as he stared down at the table, wanting a hundred different things before he finally stood slowly up... and said quietly, not looking at anyone: "This is going to end badly."

It sent a chill through the crowd... and then the demon looked quietly up. He was their High King, and yet he hated this job, hated being a leader, hated being responsible... all he wanted to do was hide, and fight when he was told to, and otherwise play his stupid game all day long. He didn't want to be responsible, to... feel the way he did, and he was scared of what he would one day do with this power... but now it was time to prove that he was different... and to prove to Athéos, too, that he was no coward, nor a fool for refusing his bargain. "I... I know some of even us might die. Demons... people... who survived the war with the Princess. I know that we're battling Old Gods that even Naganis had to hide from... but... I'm not afraid of them. I'm afraid of losing my friends and my family... yet... yet I know I have to overcome that fear. I know it's time for all of us... to stand up together against them, to stop them and their tyranny, to prove that we aren't just their playthings and nor are we less deserving of respect and life than they are.

"So yeah, this... this is going to end badly. But it'll end worse if we stand by and do nothing... if we try and hide from this." Zerrex said quietly, and then he abruptly sat down and smiled grimly around at the gathered demons, angels, and in the case of Ixin, immortal mage. "But... there's no time for big long speeches or rhetoric this time around. I need to know the status of all the operations here in Hell and the preparations for our preemptive strike against the Old Gods before they invade."

Firenze looked up first from where he was playing with his manacles, and he swallowed thickly before he said finally: "I'm... I'm scared, Dad, of what I'm supposed to do and I-"

"Firenze... believe me. If I have faith in anyone here, it's you." Zerrex said quietly, and Firenze looked at his father for a long few moments before he nodded finally, and then the Drakkaren glanced to Driz, who was sitting beside him and who raised a hand quickly. "Yes, Raven?"

"I need just a few more hours to reconfigure the last power generators for Priest and Huckleberry." Driz said after a moment, looking embarrassed... but when the Drakkaren only nodded, he blushed a bit, looking surprised and hesitant. "Are... are you sure you can afford it?"

"The one thing I know I can't afford is to doubt your judgment." Zerrex replied calmly and firmly, and Driz smiled a bit at his father as the lizard held up three fingers. "You have three hours to get them ready and working. Go ahead and get out of here, your job is more important than this planning session."

"Thank you... father." Driz said quietly, and then he stood up and left quickly, heading over to the balcony before becoming a dark bolt of lightning that vanished into the air. Zerrex smiled a bit at this and shook his head slowly, and then he glanced over to Ixin, who was waving a hand rapidly, nodding to him.

"Where can I buy life insurance?" he asked dumbly, holding up a pamphlet, and Zerrex groaned and slapped his forehead as several people growled at the mage to shut the hell up. He huffed and looked offended, and then, just as Zerrex was about to call on someone else, he added mildly: "The mage squad is prepared, though, and additionally-outfitted with crystal armlets, so they should be able to cast double the number of spells before tiring themselves out."

The lizard nodded with a grunt, and then Sin quietly grasped Zerrex's shoulder, saying in a soft but carrying voice: "Heaven will only be sending two complements of angels to join our troops, but they'll be led by Sir Raze and Sir Francis... and once the confrontation begins, Lord and Lucifer themselves will be joining us in the combat. They should be able to provide excellent support for you, Lord Zerrex."

"And you'll have at least fifty troops exceptionally skilled in both physical and magical combat ready for deployment as well." Selena added with a bit of a grin, before she coughed and cleared her throat, rubbing at her head as the Drakkaren looked at her skeptically. "Sorry, but well... resources are stretched thin, Zerrex, and even I can't intimidate them into behaving."

"Which is why we have plan B." Loki interrupted, and all eyes turned to him as he smiled grimly, leaning on his arms. "We have a total of six from the Abyss willing to help us."

"What?" Lily looked shocked, looking back and forth as several people along the table shifted uncomfortably, before she glared at Zerrex, who looked awkwardly away as he brushed a hand lightly through his hair. "Zerrex, that's dangerous! Half of them would love to see the physical world destroyed, if just for the sheer pleasure of it!"

The Drakkaren nodded, rubbing the back of his head as he said mildly: "That's why I sent Loki in to look after either mixed types, or Wrath demons that were interested in the thrill of combat, not mindless destruction. After all, what poses a better challenge than an Old God? Besides, Loki can tell you who he found."

Lily looked grumpy at this, but then she finally nodded and glanced over to Loki sourly, and the demigod sighed as he crossed his arms as he let his head drop back. "Oh, don't blame me, it was all the asshole's idea. Anyway, the six I found were Astarte, Bal'Eth, Mastos, Edward the Slayer, Evelyn the Cruel, and an old friend of mine, the god Hod. I love that rhyme, don't you?"

"Hod, who killed his twin brother Baldur, a god of peace?" Sin asked skeptically, and Zerrex did not exactly like the sound of that. "Furthermore, I think that you yourself had something to do with that, Loki. Baldur, after all, was invulnerable to almost everything... and Odin rarely asked for our help in imprisoning one of his Warrior Gods when they went rogue."

"Yes, but you see, I know Hod's price." Loki replied mildly, holding up a single finger, and Zerrex frowned a bit at the otter. I don't like where this is going for some reason. "I can get him to work for us... and while he might not seem like much, a god of darkness and winter can be exceptionally useful in an environment as cruel as space. Believe me, these six I have a good feeling about... and since my job is tricking people and causing chaos, on this you can trust me."

"I thought Astarte was just another name for Astaroth." Zerrex said meditatively, looking almost brooding as he rested his chin on his fingers. Then he paused, adding: "And you know, Edward and Evelyn are both from Ire's medieval era and very, very nasty people. I'd trust the Bloody King more than them... assuming anyone knows what the hell ever happened to him."

"Still an Inquisitor, still alive somewhere." Sin said with a bit of a smile, and then she added softly: "And no. Especially when it comes to shapeshifters, Hell's families can become... confused and addled. Astarte is a different demoness, from the family of Aera Cura, I believe... but that's not often spoken about."

"Mythology, theology, real... family-ology." Zerrex muttered under his breath, and then he shook his head a bit. "Alright. Speaking of Aera Cura, is she on board with this?"

"Sort of." Loki looked awkward now, clearing his throat as he sat up and embarrassedly tapped his fingers against the table. "She'll only help us out if she's permitted to avoid conflict. She's terrified of the Old Gods, even though she won't say so... and because she's very prideful, you can't put her in a region that's completely safe, either."

Zerrex did not look pleased with this information at all, and the otter adjusted his collar, adding weakly: "But Yemaya is completely on board! And so is Anubis and a few others, and... well... I certainly am."

There was a silence that spiraled awkwardly out for a few moments, and then Zerrex finally shook his head and looked at Lily, asking mildly: "How many Royal Guards and military do we have at our disposal, and how many of them will be able to actually do anything?"

"Stationed across Hell... I mean, Elysium... are at least three hundred thousand Royal Guards, and we have maybe ninety million able-bodied soldiers." Lily said calmly, and the Drakkaren was struck by these numbers: he'd forgotten Hell had so many troops to spare. "Since the War Games ended, fewer and fewer soldiers were dying off... and although Hell is admittedly a very-large planet from what we've seen of this solar system, as you call it, it's nothing compared to the enormity of Hell when it was its own dimension. Even with that said, we still have a fairly-high number of soldiers ready to serve."

The Drakkaren nodded slowly, rubbing at his muzzle: this, at least, was some good news. It meant he'd be able to place more than sufficient numbers at each of the areas around Elysium that needed to be secured, and still have plenty to spare. "And what about the Lost Lord?"

"His war band consists mostly of barbarians and ronin, with a scattering here and there of mercenaries and bounty hunters." Lily said thoughtfully, and then she glanced over at him for a few moments. "They don't seem to come from an advanced civilization, but some of them still have guns."

"Carbines, revolvers, similar gear." added another voice, and all eyes turned to White, who was sitting by Sabnock, both looking calm and collected as ever. Then the badger shook his head, his eyes grimmer than usual. "I feel the presence of a lot of undead and bound souls, Lord Zerrex. I'd advise calling in some favors from the Reapers."

"With Dust Toll's death, Thanatos is a little bit angry at me." Zerrex said carefully, rubbing the back of his head slowly. "Of course, he's angrier with the Old Gods, whom he considered himself neutral with... but he won't listen to me."

"Then I'll go with Silven. If you'll excuse me." With that, White stood and graciously pushed in his chair as he swept his duster off the back, and threw the long coat on as he headed for one of the balconies, Zerrex watching him go with a softly-amused look. White was always full of surprises, however calm and cold he might look on the outside... but the lizard knew that inside, he had just as many emotions as everyone else here, if not more.

The meeting continued: Zerrex got estimates on everything from ammunition and weaponry to guesses on potential vulnerabilities, but the meeting itself lasted only a few hours. The Drakkaren dismissed everyone as soon as possible, anxious to start the attack, but even more worried that the Old Gods would have started their movements... but thankfully, they hadn't, and Priest was even able to send him a calculated guess as to when Athéos would order his ships to move. It wasn't just his own troops he was waiting for, it seemed... in a little under seventeen hours, two events would happen: one was that all three planets would be their greatest distance from the fleet... and the colonies, meanwhile, would all be closest, in particular the undefended ones.

Seventeen hours was not long to prepare for a war of this magnitude, that was this desperate and in a word, frightening: but with everyone doing their part, soldiers and technology were both quickly moved into position, and now, three hours from the estimated attack, Zerrex stood looking silently up at the red world covered by clouds of black smoke, the planet near the horizon. Once it passed halfway-through, then the attack from the Old Gods would likely begin... but Zerrex knew by then they would ready. One thing, at least, did play in their favor: as the Old Gods moved their ships forwards, Hell would slowly be orbiting towards them... and while it didn't seem like it would do for much, Priest had mumbled something about it making all the difference in the universe.

Priest, currently, was being assisted by Lone, Mahihko, and Cherry: all three people who liked to think themselves mechanically-inclined, even if none were near the level of Priest. The Dragokkaren demon did currently have a shortage of staff, however, with his engineers and mechanics spread all over Hell, setting up technology and sensitive equipment... and the wolves and Cherry could at least be trusted to attach bolts and rig up some of the weapon and defense systems.

Marina, meanwhile, was still at the Estate, with several of Zerrex's other children: although Zerrex knew he might need her help later, for now he felt it was best that she stay safely back out of the fight. She could peruse the libraries and draw, and that would keep her happy until she was needed... and the reptile shook his head, trying to shake the feeling of foreboding he was getting before he smiled a bit at the circle of bodyguards around him, adding quietly: "You know, I really don't need you all out here. They've barely even set up anything on this wasteland, yet."

It was true, this area was reserved for one of the reptile's many schemes, and had nothing but a large, flat concrete platform at the moment, with a few flashing landing lights here and there and several large cannons being screwed in at each of the four corners of the hundred foot square... and then Serenity snorted, crossing her arms and rubbing absently at the scars on her arm she'd gotten in the confrontation against Legion, wounds that refused to go away. "We aren't going anywhere, Zerrex. You're a prime candidate for assassination and none of us are about to let Athéos kill you prematurely or at all."

Mist, Shine, Desire, and Cypress all nodded, and then the reptile wheezed as Carmen grabbed him from behind in a firm bear-hug: with her huge, brawny arms, it was a hell of a tight squeeze. "Totally-exactly, you shithead! We'll all follow you to the ends of the goddamn universe!"

Then she dropped him, and the reptile stumbled awkwardly around in a circle, reaching up to support himself against one of her broad shoulders. Her grin was the biggest tell that she was related to Cherry, but her huge, brawny figure was another... and when she had breasts, they were just as big as the rest of her. From the sides of her head jutted two huge, curled horns, and a third, only-slightly-curved-backwards spike stood proudly up from the middle of her skull. Her eyes were a beautiful ebony, and her scales were a brilliant gold, her features beautiful and a mix of Drakkai-like Dius and dragon-like Amazon. Adding to her captivating look were the multitude of tattoos she had: a double-helix of two twisting black snakes around either arm, and a crimson spiderweb tattoo over one side of a breast that was currently flat and masculine, the web stretching down over her side and the top of her abdominals, and last but not least, a small blue dot under one eye.

Around her neck was a thick, segmented metal collar with small, rounded spikes and a platinum clasp at the front, with the rune for the High Throne on it... but craftily, carved on the back of the clasp, Zerrex knew, were the runes for his name specifically. Not that Carmen was shy about her servitude to him: she was one of his favorite concubines, and had been a close friend ever since he'd been put into the Hell of Lust. And while they played the game of master-and-slave a lot, both held each other more as equals and companions than anything else... and Zerrex was truly glad to have her as an ally.

Carmen was the "great aunt" of Cherry, a far-off ancestor and original demon, and a descendant of a powerful bloodline. Well known for vast lusts and a comical temperament, she was sometimes referred to as a goddess in her own right: not far off, considering her strength and perseverance. Unlike Cherry, however, Carmen did not have much in the way of psychic abilities: those were powers that manifested due to the energies of the Fifth Sister Cherry carried inside of her body.

And, right now, Carmen looked far more like a male than a female, with her broad barrel chest and massive musculature... and it didn't help that she was wearing a pair of rugged black jeans that showed off legs that were large and powerful. Her beauty was very effeminate, however, as were her large hips... but even those were almost invisible beneath the cloth of her pants, as she stretched out with a yawn. "So why aren't you wearing those nipple rings I gave you, anyway?"

"Because I don't have or like having nipples." Zerrex said dryly, ignoring her for the moment. He knew she was just trying to lighten the mood... and like Cherry, she had a knack for being able to do it only at the cost of irritating him first. Then he made a face, slapping at her as hands as she grabbed at him, and Mist and Shine rolled their eyes, both currently polishing their huge cleavers on the ground nearby. "Stop that, go... play with yourself or something."

"Ha, fuck that." Carmen snorted in amusement, then she pulled her Smiting Rod out of her pocket: currently, it was shrunken to the size of a large pen... but with a flick of her wrist, it enlarged rapidly, the pole lengthening until it was almost two feet long and the deadly, four-sided mace-blade almost eight, as she held it easily behind herself with one hand, huge muscles flexing powerfully. "You wanna spar again?"

"No, we need to keep our strength up." Zerrex shook his head slowly, and Carmen frowned at him, relaxing her pose as she flicked the huge weapon and made it shrink back down until it was the size of a pen. Then she began to spin it back and forth along her fingers, looking at him seriously as he said quietly: "I want to be ready for any and everything... and you're part of the magic squad, after all."

"I didn't mean like... a serious workout, but... yeah, I get your point." Carmen rubbed the back of her head awkwardly, clearing her throat a bit before she finally pocketed the weapon, then she glanced to the side with a bit of a smile, pointing at Cypress and Desire as they returned from a short patrol of the perimeter. "Hey, the kids are back."

Zerrex smiled despite himself at Carmen's nicknames for his newest Iuratus: it was one that would haunt them possibly forever, or at least until the Drakkaren added to his growing harem of guardians. He shook his head a bit at this, thinking of the irony: the highest of the High Thrones in Hell, and he had very few of anything, compared to the older High Princes and Princesses. And even these days, despite the fact they didn't talk about it much, Selena and Lily both had plenty of concubines in their harem... although here in Hell, concubines were just as often priestesses and advisors as they were sex objects. "Anything to report?"

Both Cypress and Desire saluted him, and then they shook their heads, the latter female saying softly: "Nothing, Daddy." She stopped and hesitated, then gazed up at him quietly, reaching a hand out and touching his face delicately. "Please don't push yourself too hard."

"Only as hard as I have to. I promise." Zerrex took her hand quietly, kissing it gently before he smiled and stroked Cypress's face, making both of his daughters blush. "Now go on, before Serenity scolds you."

The two nodded, walking over to his other waiting daughter, who looked irritable... but with a single look from Zerrex, she nodded minutely and only ordered them to do a scan of the area with runic magic, instead of yelling at them for improper flirtations. They were still learning every rule and rope, after all, and a few of the things they'd learned in training were slipping a bit... but Zerrex thought it was understandable with the situation they were in. Then he quietly motioned to Serenity, and she walked over with a bit of a smile on her face, before turning almost beet red when he leaned down and kissed her lips for a chaste moment, saying quietly: "Good work, girl. You know... I remember when you used to always want to play mortal sports with me... ball hockey, football, stuff like that."

"You remember that?" Serenity blushed somehow deeper as she gazed up at him with surprise, and Zerrex smiled a bit, nodding slowly.

"Of course I do. You're still my daughter, after all... never forget that." Zerrex poked her nose quietly, and she smiled at him before hugging him impulsively, and he laughed a bit, hugging her tightly in return before he murmured softly: "I don't forget any of my kids."

Moments like these were the ones from where Zerrex drew his strength, his resolve, his joys... even if sometimes, they would amplify his sorrows, too, because he knew he couldn't save everyone, and that he would have to let them fight, too: fight as hard and viciously as they could, against gods, monsters, and terrible odds. The reptile closed his eyes, bowing his head... and then, from everywhere around him, he felt arms encircling him as the five Iuratus and his concubine Carmen all embraced him tightly: not out of duty, but because they wanted to. Zerrex was almost able to relax in that embrace that encircled him from every direction... and then, after so many minutes, it parted, and the reptile sat quietly back as Carmen began to gently massage his shoulders, sitting beside him and then smiling a bit as immense, naked breasts pushed out of her chest, pulling him back to rest his head against the huge swells as she said in a softly-teasing voice: "Come on, relax, asshole. Ain't jack-shit you can do that you haven't already done, because you're such an obsessive jerk sometimes."

"You sound like Cherry." Zerrex murmured, and Carmen snorted at this, the reptile rolling his eyes as they opened and then quietly knitting his fingers together as he let the female remove Blackheart from his back, laying the weapon delicately, reverently aside. And there was one difference between Carmen and Cherry... Carmen had a deep respect for tradition, rules, and weapons that were also symbols like Blackheart... and Cherry, meanwhile, had once stuck Blackheart down in the ground and promptly attempted to ride the handle like it was some kind of kinky sexy object, whooping and cackling the entire time.

Two hours passed as Zerrex was tended to by Carmen and the Iuratus, who had to almost hold him down at times or act as messengers every time he had some new idea... and in the last hour, people began to filter into the area. Massive, skeletal Scholars, coldly-calm Scribes, and then the four High Thrones of Hell, as well as Cherry, Priest, and even the Four Sisters of the Judgment Cross. Their monastery, sadly, had been mostly-destroyed... but the Sisters were tenacious, and had easily survived the Merge.

The Sisters greeted Zerrex fondly, as if they weren't about to go to war, trading hugs and chaste kisses: affectionate, respectful hellos in Hell. Then, with Sin and Carmen, they all worked together to begin work on a massive runic circle that was completed within half an hour, more than sixty feet in diameter and filled with hundreds of runes and incantations, as Zerrex felt his anxiety building and his breathing speed up, looking worriedly at the sky above every few minutes. It was nearly time... and the reptile made a face, rubbing slowly at the back of his head before Priest approached, looking at his father squarely as Driz almost half-hid behind him nervously.

They looked at each other... and then finally, Priest carefully dragged Driz out from behind him with one hand, ignoring the crackles of dark energy that passed over it as he said quietly: "Driz and I don't like this plan too much, Zerrex, to be entirely honest. After all, on top of what you want Firenze to do... we're right beneath Atlas, and we both recognize that... oh, fuck it."

The Cherry-side of Priest visibly flared up as he glowered at Driz, asking him flatly: "Why the fuck can't you just say it yourself? I mean, crap on crackers, do you know how fucking lame of you it is to get me, the kid you think is the favorite son, to go and tell Zerrex this? Well guess what, I ain't the favorite kid of Zerrex. And I'm damn glad of it, because you see, he knows that he doesn't need to give me extra hugs and cuddles to let me know that he gives a shit about me. Zerrex's favorite son is either you or Firenze, you dickhead. Now like. Hug it out or something."

Priest shoved Driz firmly at Zerrex, and the dark-energy demon flailed his arms wildly with a wince, the Drakkaren staring dumbly at both him and Priest before the Dragokkaren huffed, walked to their sides as everyone stared, and then forcibly shoved the two together, making Zerrex wince as dark energy sparked over him and Driz yelped as he felt Zerrex grind awkwardly against him in an effort to pull away. Then, finally, Priest huffed and let go of them, and they both staggered a step away before looking lamely at each other.

Finally, they looked at each other, both feeling vulnerable and embarrassed... but before it could go anyway, Priest shouted jovially: "Firenze, there you are! Come on, we're just about ready and we only got... ten, fifteen minutes before showtime."

Priest stomped past them, and immediately people began to chatter away before Driz stepped up, swallowing visibly before he said almost meekly: "I think this is a bad idea."

"Well... I... I know." Zerrex admitted after a moment, and Driz looked stunned before the Drakkaren glanced down, crossing his arms and finally murmuring: "But... I have faith in Firenze. I have a lot of faith in him. And this is all I could come up with on short notice to add to the power of our long-range artillery."

There was silence between the two for a few minutes, and then Driz finally nodded, and Zerrex smiled a bit as he awkwardly reached towards him... then let his hand drop as he said quietly: "It... it means a lot that you have faith in me here." He paused for a few long moments, then finally stepped forwards and hugged him, and Driz hugged him back, even if it only lasted for a few moments before the two shared a firm nod. "Let's get everyone into position."

Firenze, already, was gently being led by Priest towards the center of the circle... and then Zerrex took over, sending Priest away to go and tinker with the machines as Firenze looked at his father nervously, saying finally: "Dad, I... I'm... I'm scared. I..."

"I have faith in you." Zerrex said softly, and he looked into Firenze's worried eyes, adding with a faint smile: "And I'll be right here, by your side, the entire time. I swear to you, I won't let anything... too bad happen."

Firenze was quiet for a long time... and then, as Priest pointed to the sky and yelled, and high in the darkness, several very large, strangely-illuminated objects began to move by, Zerrex looked at him and said softly but firmly, as everyone gathered around them inside the circle, forming concentric, closing circles of their own as they took each other's hands: "You... are my son. And even I couldn't handle this... but you can. I love you, and I have faith in you... and I know that if anyone has a will that can handle this, it's you."

Finally, Firenze nodded, breathing hard and his eyes tearing up, as the Sisters, Cherry, and Sin linked hands and made the final, innermost circle around Firenze, all of them smiling at him as he looked back and forth... and then Zerrex stepped back as the blue-scaled, inoffensive-looking lizard nodded and grit his teeth, reaching down and twisting the locks off one manacle.

It clanked to the ground, and was followed a moment later by its match, Firenze staring at his arms and rubbing slowly back and forth over them as if mesmerized by the slight, naked limbs... and then he reached up with trembling hands and carefully pressed a series of hidden buttons on the collar, and a few seconds later it popped open at the front and fell backwards to clatter to the ground as well. And Firenze stood, breathing hard, his eyes clenched shut as nothing happened... and then he opened then and looked down, and he looked at his father, holding a hand out quietly. "I'm ready."

Zerrex reached out and took Firenze's hand... and then he gritted his teeth in surprise at how strong Firenze's grip was, as the small, slight demon leaned forwards with a groan, his eyes clenching shut... and then his body warped and distorted, the reptile not feeling his energy so much being pulled out of him as mimicked, his child changing before his very eyes in both his energy signature and his physical form. It was like a pulse travelled through Firenze, that was steady, then suddenly rocketed upwards, and made his body grow, his limbs thickening and distorting as the runic circle beneath their feet glowed and the runes spun violently.

Firenze threw his head back with a howling roar, energy crackling over him as he let go of Zerrex's hand and threw his arms out, the reptile ducking backwards as waves of power radiated from Firenze, his clothes tearing off as his body enlarged and his scales ripped, darker hide quickly filling in over the bare flesh. Saliva leaked from his jaws as his teeth became immense, thick fangs, and then he fell forwards... but his spine bent and cracked as he did so, and his waist thickened as another pair of legs tore out of his body, before he formed a distinct lower, quadrupedal form that connected to an upper, huge and masculine torso. Zerrex winced, motioning for the circles to begin retreating out of the circle, and they did so as Zerrex stayed as close as he could as Firenze's transformation continued, as his body absorbed the energies of the most powerful beings Hell had to offer.

In five minutes, Firenze became at least a hundred feet tall and almost as long, his lower body no longer possessing legs, but instead arms that ended in massive, powerful claws, a single large, long tail snapping back and forth at the end of his body ridged with spikes. His back was humped up and armor plated, with a strange, almost-dome in it, and the back of his upper body had four rows of ragged spikes that grew gradually large, until they became clusters of spikes along his shoulderblades and upper back, forming a tall crescent behind his head.

He roared furiously, leaning down and placing his powerful claws against the ground, his body crackling as it became more serpentine, upper form locking into the lower easily. His upmost set of arms was the largest, covered not just in muscles but thick, deadly thorns, his scales a mixture of bright blue and dark ebony all over these and the rest of his body. Immediately, the crowd of people in front of him stumbled backwards in fear, before he leaned upwards again, clenching his hands into fists and showing off his immense, bulky front, before he turned with a snarl, his eyes feral and glowing blue, powerful bolts of energy crackling over his form as his too-large teeth gnashed together... and then his eyes settled on Zerrex, as the Drakkaren reached out and touched his son's wrist, and slowly, Firenze leaned down, of such a size and radiating such tremendous power that Zerrex feared even he couldn't stop him if Firenze went completely berserk now.

The glow in Firenze's eyes softened... and then he looked slowly up at the fleet of ships passing overhead, and he roared before he spun literally around on his own waist, his body cracking loudly as somehow his upper body turned to face the back of his lower form, and he reached his huge hands forwards, clawing into the strange dome on his back and pulling it open to reveal a terrible, massive eye inside, which blinked once by means of a semitransparent, inner lid beneath the armory, toothed one that had covered it. A moment later, Firenze grasped tightly into his own sides, and then he snarled and arched his back, shuddering violently as his form became even larger, huge spikes ripping their way out of his shoulders, forearms, and then the thick sides of his lower body as a final, spade-shaped conductor tore out of the end of his tail, and Zerrex winced... then stared as lightning conducted itself between these and the tall, U-shaped horns standing high out of Firenze's head, crisscrossing as his tail aimed itself at the massive, blinking eye.

It glowed bright blue, the pupil becoming a slit as energy crackled over Firenze's spikes, and then the demon threw his head back and roared as the crackling bolts of energy shot into the conductor at the end of Firenze's tail, and this glowed steadily brighter as it trembled before it fired a conical, white ray down into the eye, Firenze roaring in fury. And finally, the eye blinked once, the armory lid snapping shut... and then it opened, and a terrible beam of solid energy fired up towards the ships, tracing slowly to the side as the eye glowed with energy.

High above in space, the beam shot directly into a massive warship, and the ship was rocked violently to the side as it sustained horrific damage, before the pillar of energy was pulled to the side... and not only was the ship almost slashed in half as it began to implode, several other ships were caught in the terrible beam, minions and even Old Gods themselves scattering with screams of shock as their forces were cut into. And even from the colonies, the beam of energy was visible... and even more so, the destruction it was causing the forces of Athéos.

Then the beam halted, and the eye slammed closed as Firenze turned around, before he snarled and hissed... and his body twisted and morphed, excited by the yells of victory and the adrenaline rush pulsing through the air. The demon slowly raised itself onto its hind hands, which became immense, clawed feet, as its waist slowly pushed down its body towards its legs... and the eye-dome vanished into its back as its whole form rippled, body thickening and legs lengthening slightly as another set of arms ripped out of Firenze's body between the two pairs he already had. He roared at the sky as his muscles grew even more massive, and then, from near where his waist now was, two thirds of the way down his body in front of his other leg, six huge tentacles erupted, each covered in bony spikes and ending in a small set of fanged jaws, each screaming loudly as Firenze rose up with a snarl to a height of almost two hundred feet even with his body bent slightly forwards, energy racing over his form as he continued to absorb every bit he could from the atmosphere.

Then he looked down... and slowly, a massive, thirty-foot thick tentacle swept downwards, the monstrous jaws opening and cupping Zerrex, engulfing him... but tenderly, even as the jaws morphed around him, eyes appearing in small humps that pushed up atop each jaw, becoming more snake-like in definition... and the appendage lifted Zerrex all the way up to Firenze's face, and allowed him to climb quietly out onto his jaws, wiping a bit of saliva from his body. Then he smiled a bit at his son as Firenze breathed softly, gazing at him with a quiet rumble, and the Drakkaren nodded slowly, saying quietly: "You see? You're my son."

Firenze rumbled again... and then his eyes suddenly widened, and his tentacle reached up and seized Zerrex, the reptile cursing in shock before he was flung to the side as Firenze roared and rose his head, breathing out steam before he lashed his head and the six tentacles forwards, six beams of energy feeding into a seventh that tore from his jaws and fired up into a terrible golden ray that was shot down from above... and Zerrex snarled as he flipped through the air, before he yelled in denial and pain, his angel wings tearing from his back as he saw Firenze's beams defeated and smashed through like a rifle round piercing through an arrow, and the massive demon was knocked sprawling on his back, before he screamed as the ray tore through him like a laser, slowly beginning to cut him in half... and the Drakkaren grit his teeth as he shot down to snatch up Sin, shouting over the howl of the wind: "It's energy! Frequency, change the frequency of mine!"

Sin nodded at the idea, recognizing immediately what Zerrex was going for as she grabbed the Drakkaren's wrist as he held up a hand, gritting his teeth as he created a sphere that rippled violently as Sin modified it with her vast knowledge and instinct... and then the lizard threw the sphere hard into the massive ray of energy as he shot by it, and the golden light flickered before it exploded into organic life, vines racing and greedily eating up the beam as they rooted into the ground and spread over Firenze instead of eating through him, the demon whimpering as his body began to shrink down, and Zerrex dropped Sin to the ground as he watched the beam vanish from above and the vines sprawl lifelessly to the wastes of Hell.

Zerrex swung around in an arc and dropped to the ground himself, wings vanishing as he ran towards the tangle of vines... and then he heard a scream from inside before the vines erupted into terrible golden flame, and the Drakkaren staggered backwards. The fire lasted for only moments, but it was horrifyingly-powerful, and the reptile could feel the reality-changing powers of Athéos in the flames before they vanished... and he stared in horror at the sight of Sin's burnt, wounded body covering Firenze's, his son nearly cut in half and Sin breathing hard, her eyes clenched shut before she snarled and tried to raise herself... and then a bolt of golden light shot from the skies and pierced through her stomach, and her eyes bulged as her back arched, a hole ripped from her back to her stomach before a second shot fired down and nearly tore her head off, half of her face dissolving in a blast of gore as she toppled backwards and Zerrex howled his denial and anguish to the skies.

He saw, almost in slow motion, another bolt of golden energy fire from the sky, and the Drakkaren leapt in front of Sin and swung his fist up to meet it... and the golden energy shattered as if he'd just punched his way through a wooden beam, splinters of light flying around him, the scales burnt off his right hand to reveal the smoldering rock and metal beneath. Then he turned around and fell to his knees, picking Sin up and moaning in denial as Priest yelled something and the cannons set up around the area opened fire with both bolts of energy and magnetically-charged rails, and his Iuratus ran over as Sin opened her single eye, trembling as she reached up and whispered: "I... Anathema... see her..."

"Tell her it's not your time... please, please... I can't lose you..." Zerrex buried his face against her chest, smelling burnt scale and blood, clutching her tightly before he rose his head, staring into her eyes as tears leaked down his muzzle... and Sin smiled weakly at him, then went limp in his arms. And Zerrex howled in pain and desperation, staring in horror over at Firenze, as Driz ran to him and knelt by him before shooting a furious look at his father... but then Firenze reached a hand up, and Zerrex looked at Sin, then at his son, then back at Sin again... but the Naganatine opened an eye and mouthed to him to go.

Zerrex nodded, putting her shakily down before he ran quickly over to Firenze, dropping to his knees and skidding to a halt by his naked child, a gouge through his side so large and deep it would have long proven fatal to most others... but then Firenze reached a hand shakily up, rasping to them: "Don't... blame... each other... Dad... go. Go... stop... Athéos..."

Then Firenze fell silently backwards, and Driz reached down, picking him up as his dark energies flickered and he looked desperately at his father. "I can't run the power stations, I have to save Firenze! If he's in contact with me, he'll stay alive I... I'm all energy, maybe... maybe I can-"

"Mist, Shine, Serenity, go with Driz, keep Firenze alive at all costs!" Zerrex shouted, and his Iuratus immediately saluted, Driz breathing a sigh of thanks before the Drakkaren spun around to see others approaching, and he immediately pointed at Carmen. "Take the Sisters, keep Sin alive! Her life, her magic, can save countless others and... and I won't lose her!"

Zerrex halted, realizing what that sounded like... and then he clenched his eyes shut and held up his hands, breathing hard before he looked weakly up at Carmen as she and the Sisters approached. "No... no. Resume... resume your posts. I... Cypress and Desire, you two can take care of her. Take her to the Ravenlight Estate, find the best healers you can to treat her. Sisters, I... I need you on the battlefield. Everyone, go to your stations."

Zerrex's throat was dry and his heart ached... but Carmen nodded, looking at him with both disbelief and sympathy before she headed quickly off... and the Sisters did the same, all of them bowing deeply and looking... not relieved, but not upset, either. Cherry and Priest ran over, and Zerrex didn't even look at them as he watched Cypress and Desire carefully lift Sin and open a portal, whispering: "You two, get to the hangar bay. I... it's time to end this. It's time to fucking end this. We have to stop them before they reach the space colonies."

They nodded, shouting orders even as they opened portals, and then Zerrex looked around at the others, yelling almost angrily: "You guys know what to do, so goddamn do it! Stop gawking, this is war!"

Then he held up a hand and opened his own portal, making sure Blackheart was on his back as he stepped through the portal and gritted his teeth, feeling his inner demon wanting to rise up but quenching it as he stepped out next to a gate leading into a facility under heavy guard... and the Drakkaren pushed his way through, slamming it shut behind him as he entered a no-corruption-contamination zone that had been set up by Priest, and both he and Cherry looked shocked to see him as the latter female ran over and said quickly: "Boss, listen, take a breather-"

"No!" Zerrex shouted, almost shoving her off... and then he winced and grabbed his head, and Cherry wrapped an arm silently around him, half-dressed in a flight-suit for one of the dozen modified Combat Armors sitting open in a line along the wall of the facility. "I..."

"I know. But get you calm back, for me, huh? Then we'll bash these fuckers into the ground." Cherry said darkly, and Zerrex finally nodded, closing his eyes and breathing slowly, letting a few minutes pass... and then he looked silently up into the air, seeing the explosions above and listening to the sound of one of the Combat Armors closing, the thrusters on the sides of it launching it into space. He rolled his head on his shoulders as Cherry examined him, now dressed from neck to toes in a thermal suit and with a pair of goggles hanging around her neck, and she grinned at him darkly as she reached up and patted his cheek. "There, ain't that better? Now tell me the plan. This shit is happening way too fucking fast, all of a sudden."

"That's because Firenze was supposed to be able to delay them for an hour... now everyone has to suddenly rush to attack them, and I... panicked." Zerrex shook his head slowly, grasping at his forehead and calling himself an idiot in gesture and mind. "Fuck, I forgot the basic code. Just because the war's started doesn't mean the battle has... we have to move fast, but it's more important to be calm."

"Boss, you stopped yourself from sending four of our most powerful allies in the universe off to try and heal one of the females I know you love way more than... anything." Cherry said quietly, and she grabbed his shoulders and shook him firmly, then actually slapped him lightly, making the lizard start and stare at her with shock as she said quietly: "I'm calm... because even though I have to shake you around a little, you're still here to give me orders. Without you, I'd be a mess crying in the corner right now."

Zerrex smiled a bit, and then he shoved her backwards before he looked over at Priest, who had already climbed into his own armor and had a full facemask on as he activated the systems, the armor booting rapidly up. "Priest, when you get into space, you're in charge of Team Foxhound. The assembly coordinates should already be loaded into the computer."

"Hey, you're preaching to the child-fucker right now." Priest said dourly, and then he smiled a bit behind the mask, tapping his computer. "I'm the one that loaded all these coordinates into here. You just remember that the alpha thruster systems for these things are only strong enough to carry you into space: the beta and omicron thrusters are what you'll have to switch to once there. Not as powerful, but beta has very quick acceleration, and omicron will last long enough to carry you wherever you want to go, and can be used for rapid slowdowns because you can switch the directions of them. And for fuck's sake, find a thermal suit so you don't die up there."

"Okay, thanks for the reminder." Zerrex nodded a bit, and then he reached out and tapped a short command into his Nanotech Armlet... and a moment later, it buzzed and hummed before his clothes vanished over his body, leaving him in just his boxers. The Drakkaren concentrated as Cherry and Priest both watched, and then they stared as rocky, twisted scales appeared over the lizard's entire form, the reptile grunting in pain as even around his neck his scales became twisted and metallic... and then Zerrex grasped his Nanotech Armlet as he muttered a short spell, and a moment later, his entire body smoothed out, ridges of muscle defined in obsidian and silver metals, his right arm slightly-too large for his body but, like his left, now with stacked, heavy plating covering it, his Nanotech Armlet almost literally becoming absorbed into his forearm as the Drakkaren looked at this with surprise, absently ripping his boxers off to reveal a solid metal groin instead of any kind of genitalia, muttering: "Huh. Probably should have realized the reshape spell would have that effect. This good?"

"Holy fuck, what did you do to yourself?" Cherry asked in shock, and then she reached down and grabbed his groin, Zerrex staring at her before she slammed a knee into it, then yelped and grabbed her knee, hopping on the spot with a wince and slew of curses, then a deep blush as Zerrex glared at her. "Sorry! Overcurious! Holy shit, though, like... holy fuck."

"I think you're good." Priest said finally, and then he tapped a few buttons, his Combat Armor starting up as the cockpit sealed shut, the armor standing up as the Dragokkaren's amplified voice called from inside the heavy war machine: "I gotta go, though, don't wanna miss my rendezvous!"

The thrusters on either side of the vehicle engaged, and then it shot into the air, and Cherry snorted, watching it leave with Zerrex before she looked at him, saying quietly as other soldiers began to appear and ran for their armors: "We better go too, Boss. It would sure as fuck suck to be late for this engagement, now wouldn't it? And don't worry, I remember your plans... you just-"

Before Cherry could finish, several immense meteors rained down towards the facility, contacting with the far side but exploding with enough force to destroy a large portion of the fence and the building, and send shockwaves through the entire area, knocking Zerrex, Cherry, and the other demons present flying, and the lizard cursed under his breath, skidding over the ground before he cursed and looked up in horror, watching as several more meteors hailed through the air to crash outside the facility and smash into troops, a terrible rain of deadly, flaming boulders falling throughout Hell as the reptile leapt to his feet and shouted furiously: "Athéos, I'll rip you apart!"