Heroes Uprising Part 5

Emmet's eyes glowed brieftly as he recognized the dagger instantly " Where did you get this? and how are you still alive " his tone was sharper then he initially intended it to be, frightening Avery " My apologies, but this is no mere dagger, it is an ancient mesopotamian weapon used by the gods of old " His words left a profound effect on everyone present, especially Avery.

" Used by the gods? "

Emmet nodded " Yes, it is meant to change the destiny of any individual at will, but saw most of it's use guiding kingdoms. It has ties to the elements of fire and ice, summoning storms to punish heretics and disbelievers, destroying the very land. As I said, it was not made by man but the gods, the god Anu was the last holder before it came into possesion of my grandfather, Gilgamesh. Due to his personality.......he saw it as worthless and simply threw it into his treasury, calling it a plaything of the gods "

He inspected it further and gasped softly " My early comment of how you came into possession of it, when it should reside in the gate of babylon, led me to think you some sort of thief with a death wish and for the I apologize for it seems this dagger has a will of it's own and has chosen you as it's wielder. Hmm, calling it a dagger might actually be incorrect. Time flows around it in an odd way, it may be displaced in time "

Minerva was nibbling on a pastry, completely absorbed in the conversation, she could feel something was peculiar about the dagger, but all the things Emmet was saying about it made her feel a little umcomfortable " B-But how is Avery still alive? I mean using a weapon of the gods is......" she shuddered at the thought.

" It's something I wonder as well " Emmet admited " Only someone with the blood of a god can even touch this and not be consumed by flames of the divine "

He handed the dagger out for Avery to take.

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Godric grinned " Yeah, trying to fight me wouldnt go over well for you Cassandra, HAHA, seriously? Three letters away from just being Sandra, just a clone, dont you want an identity of your own? "

Cassandra was about to reply, but Godrics suddenly left her completely paralyzed. It felt like a thousand snakes were crawling all over her body, constricting her body and mind.

" Origin, our defining point and what drives us through life. Yours is very similar to hers, I mean it's basically the same, because you are the same. Try as halfass as you want to be your own person, you wont succeed. Doesnt help that your screwing a clone of the guy that she screwed, behind her husbands back. You'll end up with some other guy, but constantly go back to Nick, you'll have children, biologically and just take them in out of the goodness of your heart or whatever you have that passes for one. You'll fall into destructive mood swings and just generally make everyone around you miserable "

Cassandra fought with all her might against Godric's hold, but his words wouldnt go away, they felt like a poison seeping into her veins.

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Tanesha shrugged " Well Riku's presendial debate should be starting now, we could watch that "

"So your saying Avery has some connection to a god?" Tesla question. If only a god could handle this thing, then it seems logical to think Avery as being one.

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"No! I don't need your help to be different from her!" Cass was determined not to lose herself to Godric. She had an idea what Godric was trying to do, he was trying to corrupt her. For what Cass didn't know, she just knew that she must not give in. She was sure only bad things could come from this. His words certainly struck a deep cord, and more then mere talk was at play here. But Cass was determined to resist with every fiber she had.

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"Oh right, that's today." In a instant the wrestlers was dressed and sent away, Sandra leaving a mental note in their minds with a rather heart felt thank you from the 4 girls. She then prodded slightly at Roberta's mind again. "Roberta darling, Riku's presidential debate is today. Want to check it out?

Avery was overwhelmed by everything Emmet just told him. Weapon of the Gods that somehow can change destiny? He knew very little about polytheistic religion and almost nothing of Mesopotamian deities. Even the King of Uruk only gained a brief mention in Highschool. With every word Emmet spoke the weight of the dagger grew heavier in his hands. Even the thought he could be some demi god almost seemed a little much for his own ego.

"Ok I'm great, but a God? No I have no special origins and my family is at best a little odd."

Glory listened intently and began agreeing with what Emmet said. It started to make more and more sense. She sensed some connection between the weapon and Avery. It was faint but present along with Avery's strange aura. "Well you wouldn't be a God. More similar to a Demi-God at best, but there is divinity in you."

Everything was making sense, but Avery still didn't agree. He felt like most people just more willing to show off how great he is. His desire to not only be normal but also stronger than the rest was contradictory and this just worsened the effect. Emmet smiled as he sensed the inner conflict within the young one. "No need to fret over this too much. In fact there is a simple way to prove it to you." everyone turned to Emmet as he spoke. Glory had an inkling of what Emmet was getting to.

"Ready your weapon Avery. Could everyone else giive us a bit of space? This shouldn't take too long." it didn't take long for everyone to move off to the side. Glory at this point understood what was happening and watched without blinking not wanting to miss this. She's only heard of this from her father. Avery didn't understand what was going on but he got into a fighting stance anyway.

"Strike me down Avery. Attacks as if your life depended on it." Emmet floated away and stood merely ten meters away. If it was anyone else Avery wouldn't take this seriously, but the look Emmet gave him forced his body into action. Avery could see into those old eyes filled with love, passion, and destruction. He needed nothing more than that gaze to force his dagger to transform into a black sword. They watched each other for a few seconds until Avery dashed forward fast enough to surprise Tesla and Glory who saw him fight. He moved far faster than he did earlier. Sword was raised and as he moved in closer the weapon was brought down onto Emmet's skull. The moment the edge nearly touched Emmet's hair it was stopped. In fact Avery's entire body was frozen as chains wrapped around his limbs. The chains extended from several golden portals surrounding Avery who struggled hard with no success.

"What the hell?"

"Beautiful aren't they. My grandfather's view of the gods are almost symbolized by this. These chains are the bane of any being that would call itself a God and will stop even beings with some divine essence within them. Even Zeus would be wary of standing before me."

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Roberta woke up with only one question. "So who's buying the popcorn then?"

This had turned out to be a interesting experience already, to think that yesterday they mistook Avery as a mere mortal with a powerful weapon, to now finding out he's divine to some degree. A weapon of the gods wielded by a unknowing god. "Well this is certainly something. I wonder what other surprises are in store for today." Tesla was certain more was to come.

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Sandra smiled. "I'll cover it for us this time" she said as she sat up, Katy still seemed to be resting so the other 3 girls decided to keep their voices lowered. "Well girls, we can view this thing on the TV. Or, we can view it live and be close to the action. Which would you rather?" If need be Sandra was easily able to mask the presence of the 3 girls from the crowd. So viewing the spectacle live wasn't a issue, if her girlfriends desired to do so.

About an hour later, Nick was in the medical wing of Shadowgreen, his leg in a cast and his nose being held together by pins. His brother Richard came walking in, standing by the bedside. Nick looked at him and they made eye contact, his trademark cocky smile returning.
"Go ahead and say it."
"I told you so," Richard replied, his own smile appearing.
The two laughed, this familiar ritual having become something comfortable for them.

"So, what's the plan to take this guy down, bro?"
"Well, first of all, not to do what you did and try to take him on in a one-on-one battle. That guy's armor has enough special features to make Tony Stark jealous."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Seven layers of armor protection, energy shielding, a bevy of hidden tools within the armor, its own oxygen supply, and a muscle suit to give this guy Hulk-like strength. In short, it's no surprise you got your ass handed to you on a silver platter, going off half-cocked like that."

"It sounds like this guy was prepared for just about any combat situation."
"To say the least. It would take all day to list all of the things he's done to that armor. Even Scott wouldn't have an easy fight with this guy. He's nothing less than a supergenius straight out of a comic book. It's a shame we have to be enemies, he'd make a great addition to Shadow Force."

"Yeah, if he wasn't a complete psycho."
"Speaking of psycho, that is one weakness we've found in the armor. Psychic powers should be able to penetrate that armor and rattle his brain. If Siren can put him to sleep without a fight, that would be ideal."
"But it's not usually that easy, is it?"
"Never," Richard replied with a laugh.

"So say that Siren can only stun him. What's the plan for after that?"
"Madame Shadow will try and ghost through his armor to remove him from it. Mike can turn to sand and gum up the electronics to try and shut down his systems. I can try to hold him in place while they do this stuff. This guy is tough, but something we do has to work against him."

"If you could, um..."accidentally" break that asshole's nose and leg during the arrest, I would appreciate it."
Richard clasped hands with his brother and nodded.
"Don't worry. No one tries to kill my baby brother and gets away with it."
The two nodded at each other with fiercely determined looks in their eyes. Richard would carry the anger and impulsivity of his brother into the battle with him, so that Shell-Shock could assist in taking Cybernator down.

One hour later, the Shadow Force was in Detroit. Using a computer scan of the city, they found Cybernator killing drug smugglers inside of a warehouse. The video was gruesome as a chest-mounted Gatling gun reduced them to hamburger. The boss of the drug operation was cowering in a corner, pleading for his life in Spanish.
"After all the lives you took, you expect me to spare you?"
One final rotation of the Gatling gun ended the pleas of the drug boss.

Moving closer to the warehouse, Rocky had them take up positions around it.
"All right, phase one of the operation. Siren, do it."
Focusing her power, the little girl tried to connect her mind to Holbrook's to give it enough of a shake to render him unconscious. However, something was blocking her access. She tried to push past it, but whatever it was had all the give of a concrete parking lot.
"I...can't..." she said, finally stopping after she was exhausted.

Holbrook smiled as he repelled the psychic assault.
"Nice try, Siren, but the same energy shielding that repelled Shell-Shock's energy blasts also stops psychic abilities."
Madame Shadow initiated phase two, trying to phase through his armor with her shadow powers. If she could get through the armor, she could touch Hans, make him a shadow, and force him out of the armor. Unfortunately, she was not able to penetrate it, either. Even worse, the shielding forced her out of her Shadow Form and made her vulnerable to attack.

A small rocket engine appeared on the side of Cybernator's right gauntlet, which would increase the acceleration of his punch drastically enough to make this punch a possible killing blow.
"Fist of Valor!"
The punch came at her almost faster than she could see, but she dodged it enough to avoid taking a flush blow. The punch cut her cheek and sent her flying, crashing through some boxes. The Gatling gun protruding from his chest retracted to be replaced with a grenade launcher, which he fired into the box to finish her off. Seconds before the explosion, Yvette became a shadow and went through the ground to escape the fatal blast.

As the warehouse began to go up in flames, Holbrook stepped outside to confront the Shadow Force.
"Let's play some more, Shadow Force. I really enjoy kicking your asses."
Mike began to cause a sandstorm all around Cybernator, hoping that the sand would strip off enough of the armor so that he could expose electronics and gum them up. However, the sand seemed to have no effect on the armor even after ten minutes.
"I built this suit to take the worst that Mother Nature could throw at me, so your little sandstorm is nothing to me."

However, it did serve the purpose of making Rocky's approach invisible to him. Cybernator had not known he was there until he took a punch to the face. Although not hurt by it, the impact knocked him on his ass and caused him to skid backwards. Mike seized this opening to become pure sand, going in through the barrel of the grenade launcher to try and penetrate into the armor. However, too late he realized that the gun was made out of material that he could not pass through. He was literally blown out with a grenade and landed hard on the ground.

Rocky had had enough of this guy, and was ready to get serious. Taking a diamond out of his pocket, he absorbed the properties of the diamond to become a diamond-armored warrior. Scott's Drilling Fist of Valor could still get through this armor, but he doubted that Cybernator could. Trying to take him down from the inside out had failed, so now it was time to take him down from the outside in. Charging at his opponent, he shrugged off a grenade and punched him right in the grenade launcher. The small explosion rattled Holbrook, and Rocky used that moment to try and shred the armor.

However, he was not having much success. The armor was damaged, but not by much. The destroyed grenade launcher was replaced by a sonic boom generator, and Rocky was blown back into a parked car.
"Try whatever you want, you won't beat me."
Holbrook punched in a few commands on his wrist keyboard, which increased the power of his sonic boom generator. He then unleashed it, which blew the Shadow Force literally into the next borough.

"Hmm, I think that's enough fun for tonight. I think I'll go home and fix my suit up."
Hans dialed back the sonic boom generator and retracted it, closing the chest plate. He had replaced the wrist blaster that Shell-Shock had destroyed with an even better variant, and he would do the same with the grenade launcher that Rocky had just destroyed. Rerouting all power to the rocket thrusters in his boots, he began to fly home. He had faced and defeated all of Shadow Force now, just like the real Crusader, and that made Holbrook feel happy and fulfilled.

Rocky, Madame Shadow, Siren, and Sandstorm were all lying in Brooklyn, injured and humiliated. Almost the entire Shadow Force had been defeated by just one guy, and the bitterness was real. Granted, Cybernator was clearly not just some petty thug, but this would not look good for them right now if anyone saw them. It was clear that fighting Cybernator was not an option, and they would have to solve this problem by other means. Richard did not want to ask Scott to come back and deal with him, so they would make a deal with Cybernator. Getting up, Rocky began tending to his friends and discussed what they would do from there.

Godric just laughed " I aint doing anything, like i said, it's inevidable that you'll go the same way. The same could be said for your boy toy and his origin. I've never met Milo Ventro, but it's not to difficult to find out about him and all the shit he did, do you really wanna inflict the world to that again? "

Suddenly Nick appeared in front of Cassandra, his expression was dazed, showing he was under Godric's control. Godric reached out and grabbed Nick by his neck " It would be simple, kill him and I bet you no one would reproach me, cause deep down their all thinking the same thing. As their doing with you " he lifted Nick up high " Hmm, your connected in that way, as Sandra was to Milo, maybe you can be your own person, without this baggage of the past weighing you down. What do you think? "

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Tanesha snuggled closer to her girlfriends " Beds too comfy, I vote tv "

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Minerva just watched silently, chains that could bind a god, that such an item could exist in this world, it boggled the mind. Emmet enjoyed the sight of Avery in his current situation for a moment longer before letting him go " There you have it, You do indeed have divine essence in your blood "

When Avery was released from the chains he fell to his knees. It took a moment for him to fully regain the use of his limbs. The power he was just subject to made him helpless no matter how much he tried to struggle. All he could do was keep his grip on the sword which reverted back to a dagger. He couldn't even fathom the strength one could have to break out of those chains. "Wow that's..." Avery struggled for a moment but then jumped up. "Fuckin badass! Holy shit!"

Avery's reaction put a smile on Glory's face. She liked his enthusiasm and was almost thankful since it broke her out of a daze. Enkidu's power was incredible and Glory realized again that she wasn't even close to her mother's level. This just made her even more committed to surpass her parents. "So, what do you think now?"

"Well I definitely got some God in me. Oh do divine beings have big appetites because I'm starving right now."
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“Master Wayne, local law enforcement received an anonymous tip about the activities in the Oscorp warehouse. Expect a response in a few mins.”

“Good work Alfred. Should be more than enough time.” Marcus grabbed a pistol off the ground and began examining it. The eyes on his cowl glowed blue signaling the activation of his predator vision. He could examine the features of the weapon and even figure out its origin. “Seburo M-5 handgun with hypervelocity rounds specialized against cyborgs and heavily armored targets. Great.” He emptied the clip and tossed it. The weapons the high grade weapons and military training was definitely Talon. Another one of many paramilitary groups roaming the planet, but Marcus paid special attention to this one. For the moment he had to worry about just dealing with the soldiers there now. He peered through the walls with his predator vision and detected movement. More than a half a dozen armed mercenaries were moving towards his position. Heart rate elevated and armed to the teeth. It was likely they heard the recent exchange and he could tell by how they were setting up at the door that they were ready for a fight.  

“Breach!”

The steel door blew off its hinges into the room. Several grenades thrown in and  exploded both blinding and deafening anyone on the other side. The soldiers moved in sweeping the area near the entrance making sure they were able to catch anyone nearby off guard. However, all they saw ahead of them were the unconscious bodies of their comrades.

“HELP!” they aimed their weapons In the direction of the cry and could see one of their men on the ground slowly pulling himself towards them. His legs were bent in a unnatural direction, but he still had the strength to move his arms. Some of the mercs wanted to help, but were stopped by their leader. However, their attention was focused on the injured comrade for a few seconds too long. Behind two of them Marcus dropped down and grabbed their heads. Before they could react both skulls were smashed into each other hard enough to instantly knock them out. The noise alerted the team and as they turned around several batarangs were thrown towards a few soldiers sticking into various limbs then exploding tossing them about. Instead of their arms and legs being turned into chunks of flesh and bone they were instead metal synthetic tissue. The only cyborgs on the team were defeated instantly leaving just four more.

“Open ARGH!” the leader tried to shout an order, but was grabbed by the throat as Marcus charged him. He was lifted up and slammed to the ground. The rest of his soldiers tried to fire but their enemy fired a grappling hook into a hole in the ceiling and escaped. “Shit stop it!” they ran towards the middle of the room to get in position right below the exit. Before they could make it they were instantly stopped. Some tripped and found themselves struggling against an invisible sticky substance.

“I’d call it bat glue, but that just sounds silly. Powerful adhesive used to stop superstrong superhumans.”  They heard the voice from behind them and struggled to turn around, but couldn’t. All they could do was shout obscenities and deaththreats as their enemy left them. It didn’t take long for Marcus to finish off the rest of the mercenaries there. Some were forced to escape on foot with their vehicles disabled only to fall into other traps. Marcus stood on the roof of the warehouse surveying the area making sure it was clear for the police.

“I assume your business is concluded here?”

He could hear Alfred in his ear, but said nothing. Something just didn’t feel right to him. The people he fought here usually got the job done even against worse odds. There had to be something else here. Marcus heart stopped as he heard movement behind him. He dodged to the fight as fast as he could in that instant.
BOOM

Marcus rolled to his right just before the crack of gunfire went off. He saw the area where he once stood and noticed that part of the roof was gone. The one who did it stood before him. A tall man in black robes, armored gauntlets and boots, shotgun ammo strapped to his chest and a white skull like mask over his face.

“Hi.” He greeted Marcus while aiming two massive shotguns at him. Marcus immediately readied two batarangs and threw them towards the enemy. As they hit black smoke came off of the robed man went straight through him. “Too bad.”

“You sure” Marcus grinned causing the robed man to turn around in realization. The Batarangs came back and were just an inch away when they exploded tossing him to the edge of the roof. He growled and got back up only to see Marcus gone. He cracked his neck thinking about going after his opponent, but the police were closing in which meant completing the mission stealthily was pointless now. “Next time little bat. Next time.” His body slowly turned into a dark red and black smoke before he disappeared completely.

Cass look horrified when Nick appeared. Sandra had Milo as a on/off thing to the side, but her main love for many years was Dave until Tanesha came into the picture. But Nick meant the world to Cass. They where created together, grew and leaned together, they where almost brother and sister if anything. Her expression would soon change to anger. "If you hurt him, I swear I will not stop until some way, some how, I find some means of killing you."

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Sandra telekintically lifted the remote from it's desk to her hand and made a bucket of popcorn appear as per Roberta's request. She turned on the TV and found the channel. "Alright, TV and food in bed it is."

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Tesla was amused at Avery's reaction, almost child like. "Don't know about gods, but your starting to sound like Goku. Maybe you have some Saiyan in you" Tesla joked. Tesla had to admit she was glad she came, haven't even made it inside yet and already have learned so much.

Aaron Stark was more than a little confused after he just met the Wayne family butler who was waiting outside next to a limo. To see the butler from one of America's richest men outside of Avengers tower who asked for Scott was strange. He let Scott know about it before heading back to fixing up Avengers Tower security.

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Roberta was more than happy to relax in bed and watch the debate outside of any potential splash zone.

Scott turned his head as he heard a knock on the door. Hoping it was Minerva, he was disappointed to see that it was Tony Stark instead. He was confused when he told him that the butler of the Wayne family had arrived to pick him up, but thanked him for telling him. Scott checked his watch, but had no idea when Minerva would be back from Emmett's place. Figuring that he would have time to meet up with Mr. Wayne and get back in time for his date, he left his room and proceeded to the entryway. When he stepped outside, he saw that there was indeed a limo and a butler waiting for him.

Looks like someone wants us to arrive in style.
Indeed. I'm not getting any bad vibes, so I believe we can trust Mr. Wayne and his butler.
Scott approached the limo and gave the butler a slight bow of the head.
"Thank you," he said, showing appreciation for him holding the door for him.
Once he was inside the limo, he looked around as they began moving. The limo was top-class, proving that money was indeed no object for Mr. Wayne.

"Thanks for the celebrity treatment, but you didn't have to do all of this on my account."
The city view from inside the limo was very nice, and he could see how one could get spoiled with this. They soon left the city and were heading into the outskirts where an imposing mansion sat on a hill. The wrought-iron gate said 'Wayne', and opened as they approached. It seemed that Mr. Wayne was the private sort, and Scott could understand that. As the car parked, he prepared for his meeting with the billionaire, wondering why he would choose to meet with him instead of one of the more well-known superheroes in this dimension.


One week after the second fight in Detroit, Hans Holbrook was sitting in the conference room at the Shadowgreen Institute. He was not wearing his armor as per their agreement, but it was nearby. Joining him for the meeting was Madame Shadow and the CEO of a Private Military Corporation, or PMC. The deal they worked out was that he would be hired by the PMC to assist the US military in rooting out terrorism across the globe. Thrilled at the prospect of being a hero to the nation, Hans eagerly took the deal. In exchange for accepting this deal, no charges were filed against Holbrook for his vigilantism, and the best interests of everyone were met.

Sandra clicked on the TV and quickly found the station. Sandra got more comfortable in bed laying on her back instead of her side. Roberta snuggled in on Sandra's right as Tanesha did the same on her left. Sandra put a arm over the shoulder of both girls with a smile. "Well this should be interesting"
Sandra regarding the event with Riku.

When Scott questioned the celebrity treatment Alfred just shrugged. "Master Wayne isn't known for his subtlety. Be happy he didn't simply order a parade for you." when they finally arrived Alfred guided Scott into the old Gilded Age Manor. The interior definitely fit the old 19th century sensibilities mixed in with a modern style. The old furniture and gas lamps were replaced with something that would come out of Silicon valley. Similar to Emmet's house there was a hallway with pictures of mainly those who came before Marcus Wayne. Eventually Scott was led to a large room that looked more akin to a training room. A man in white fencing gear was practicing against a mechanical opponent that seemed to use an actual sword instead of the typical sport fencing swords. Scott could only assume this man was Marcus.

"Master Wayne your guest is here." Alfred left them both and went back to his duties. Marcus stabbed the bot in the chest and stopped there. The robot walked away and gave Scott its sword. It was an old Napoleonic era French Saber. It was modernized with tougher steel, but the look of it including the hand guard seemed authentic. The edge seemed dull, but Scott knew that didn't stop a sword from being potentially dangerous in the right hands.

"Go on take it. I know you're a little confused right now, but go ahead. This will probably only take a few seconds and we can have a proper conversation."

Scott chuckled at the chauffeur's dry humor.
"I see."
He followed the man of many jobs into the house and looked around, fascinated by the architecture. The house was eclectic, yet tastefully done so that everything blended together seamlessly. Clearly Mr. Wayne was a man who embraced new ideas and was not a stodgy traditionalist. This was a good sign.

Scott was led into what he recognized as a training room, and the owner of the house was practicing with a sword. Interestingly enough, even though the man was wearing fencing gear, he was training with a saber instead of a foil.
"Hey there," Scott said to Marcus after Alfred announced his presence.
Marcus's technique was impressive, as he easily outmaneuvered the robot to bury his sword in its chest. The robot approached him and offered him a French saber from the Napoleonic era.
"Huh, I haven't used one of these in a long time."

Scott remembered a time at Shadowgreen where he spent a week mastering every type of sword in existence within Chiang's realm. He reached out and took the sword from the robot, appraising it with the keen eye of a swordsman. Marcus would be able to tell that Scott knew the weapon inside and out.
"Not a bad French saber at all."
Facing Marcus, he wondered what the man had in mind for him. His keen martial artist's mind ascertained every possible unarmed move and prepared for it, but also kept focused in case Marcus did something he was not prepared for.

Valor, do you sense hostile intent within this man?
He is difficult to read, but he does not wish us harm. I believe this may be some kind of test. I can sense much strength within this man, so don't let your guard down.
Got it.
Scott stood casually with the sword by his side, but a keen eye like the one Marcus possessed would be able to tell that Scott had no weaknesses in his ability to defend, which would mean that he would have to make his approach carefully.

"Come over to where I'm standing." as Scott walked over Marcus walked ten feet from the area and stood with his weapon at ready. "Now I don't really love fencing as a sport, but my old teacher always enjoyed it for the exchange involved. You get to know a person through this or at least I think you do I never understood it, so I figured why not try it again today?"

Even with the mask on Scott could sense the playful smile it hid, but Marcus expected Scott could sense something else. It didn't take more than one glance to see that Scott was more than prepared for a fight which showed Marcus some of what he needed to know. "How about first to hit wins? A slash, stab or hell even a knee to the balls is ok with me. Now," Marcus got in the standard fencing stance with his sword at the ready. "Begin!"

Scott listened as Marcus explained that combat was a way to get to know a person. He had a carefree air about him, but was also serious. Scott could easily tell that this was no one to mess with. All of the greats were like a still pond, placid on the exterior but with roiling undercurrents beneath. Scott believed he had reached that level, as well, so this would be the first time in a long time that he would be competing against a man that was on the same level as him. He certainly had faith in his own abilities if he was willing to engage in a no-holds-barred battle against a man he had just met.

"Your teacher's beliefs sound similar to what my teacher Alan Arnan used to say. In all the martial arts he taught me, he said that the best communication was always through the fist. The body doesn't tend to lie like the mind can."
He bowed gently to show that he accepted Marcus' terms, but kept his eyes on him to show respect and acknowledgement as an opponent that had to be watched.
"Let's dance."
Scott kept a casual smile on his face, but his complete knowledge of combat soon made itself clear.

Many advanced practitioners of combat arts could anticipate attacks from the opponent when the eyes stop moving. Most people's eyes tend to dart around before focusing when they attack. However, Scott was so highly-trained that he could keeps his eyes moving and still strike from any angle. His arm moved like water, a snake that could pass through the guard fairly easily. He always moved to a forty-five degree angle, the best place to attack an opponent and make it hard to defend, and also switched up his feet to make it even harder to predict his next move. Turning his body to the side to make a smaller target for Marcus to hit, he suddenly began stabbing rapidly at Marcus, the point of his blade moving like the wind toward each of the over 100 vital and pressure points on the human body, which Scott had completely memorized thanks to his mastery of anatomy.

Despite his expertly blistering assault, Marcus held firm and avoided being struck. This impressed Scott greatly, and he realized that it was not offense that would win him this contest, but defense. After deflecting a blow from Marcus, he began walking leisurely toward him in the Donde stance. If Marcus recognized this technique, he would know that carefully calculating his next move was crucial. Scott stopped in mid-stride right in front of him, his whole body ready to transfer stillness into motion like the forms of breathing the ancient grandmasters had perfected. Donde capitalized on the ego of the opponent, so now it was a game of patience; whoever had the larger ego and larger desire to win would be the one to attack first.

Throughout the entire fight Marcus fought like a Master swordsman with far too much fighting experience. He fought with careful precision and reacted perfectly as if each move was planned ahead of time. Scott's fluid and rapid movement was able to keep Marcus on the edge of defeat, but each time the blade came in close it hit either steel or air. Even still Marcus was impressed. When his blow was blocked he stepped back waiting for a counter that didn't come. Instead he could see his opponent calmly approach. The stance he had for a moment excited Marcus. In his mind he imagined a hundred arrows being shot towards Scott and all of them being blocked. Perfect against impatient opponents and he knew most people with his knowledge and skill would consider their options carefully. Marcus however wasn't most.

In the instant Scott stopped Marcus lunged forward. Sword raised towards Scott's skull as if prepared to remove it. Scott moved so fast he created an after image and struck. Marcus found that his sword left his hand and instinctively stepped back, but lost his footing. In mid fall Scott moved in ready to end this only to see Marcus correct himself instantly and charge forward. Another faint and Scott realized it instantly. You don't need a sword to kill. Left arm raised like a shield and right arm ready to strike out like a spear. Marcus struck back with shield and spear. It wasn't even half a second when Marcus's fist was right in front of Scott's nose, but the blow didn't connect. "Huh guess I lost." Marcus said as Scott's sword was dug into the padding surrounding the Marcus's left arm. Even with the padding there was still some blood on the weapon. Scott noticed the strange switch in fighting styles at the last moment. The entire beginning of the fight was just another illusion to hide what Marcus genuinely is like. He's ready to lose an arm or leg to win.

"You're pretty good kid" Marcus took off his fencing mask. He was an older black male likely in his forties. Short hair and well trimmed beard. He had a wonderful smile on his face showing that there was genuine enjoyment in that fight. "Don't worry Alfred I'm fine."

Scott looked over to the entrance and saw Alfred was in the room with them. He entered seemingly without making a sound. "Oh I know sir, I'm just hear to see how much blood I need to get out of your clothes."

Scott had enjoyed the challenge of the sparring. It was not often that he battled with someone who could match his skill. Marcus had perfectly countered with a switch to hand-to-hand, a classic nukite, or "spear hand". The blade had touched his body a second before the blow connected, ending the fight in Scott's favor. This proved that Donde was again the perfect answer to a skilled opponent, but also proved that like any martial technique, it was not invincible. This had been a battle between two grandmasters, and in the heat of combat, a single second had given victory to Scott when it could have just as easily gone to Marcus.

Scott was genuinely surprised to discover that Marcus was an older black man. His voice was so smooth and polished that he had mistaken him for a white man. Scott humbly bowed to him to close the fight.
"Your praise honors me."
Scott returned the saber to the weapon wall and sat down at the table near the west end of the training room.
"This match was very educational for me."

Marcus was amused by how formal Scott was being. "I just feel like having a drink." Marcus took off the padded jacket and gloves. With just a black shirt on Alfred came over with some bandages and disinfectant for a quick patch job. He knew Marcus wanted to get right to business. They both handed their weapons to Alfred before they left the room. As they walked through the manor Marcus began explaining why he called Scott here.

"I know you're confused why I asked for you, but its simple. I'm looking for heroes or at least people who have that potential. You may wonder why I don't ask for the more famous veterans and well...lets just say I'm looking for one's the public don't know too much about yet."

They arrived in a office he uses for some business meetings when he ever cared to do that. There was an easily reachable bottle of scotch and clean glasses next to it on a shelf. "Do you drink Mr. Young? If not I'm sure Alfred is already bringing us some tea just in case."

As Scott was led through the house by Marcus, he listened as he explained that he had an interest in lesser-known heroes.
"I can understand your point-of-view on that. I've been meeting with lots of heroes to see whether I could call upon them as allies or not. I don't know if you're doing it for the same reason I was, but I'm sure it's more than just being a fan of superheroes."
He entered Marcus' office and took a seat.
"Among other things related to personal health, I'm a teetotaler. Thanks, anyway."
When Marcus had sat down and began pouring himself some scotch, Scott folded his hands.

"You find heroes in all sorts of unexpected places. Who would have guessed that a famous billionaire such as yourself was living that kind of double life?"
Scott kicked back in his chair, assuming a more relaxed position.
"Every hero has a set of core beliefs, and the decision they have to make at the start of their career is whether they are going to kill or not. Because I was partly raised within a...well, let's call it a "special" Buddhist monastery...I prefer not to kill. I believe justice is best served on the living because the dead have no enemy."

"My core beliefs are honor, compassion, and the protection of the innocent. When my training was complete, I swore that every action I took for the rest of my life would follow those guidelines. I'm not sure why you asked me here yet, but I want it known up front that if what you plan does not follow those guidelines, then I will have no part of it. I sense that you are a hero that holds himself to a high standard, so I don't think it should be hard to meet my rules."
Scott then began to unwind, feeling like he had been suitably respectful and upfront and could now just be himself. He looked around the room, committing every detail to memory.

"Your home is very stately, I can sense lots of history. It's kind of unusual though that a man your age doesn't have a wife or kids that live here. No girlfriend even? It's the commitment to fighting crime, isn't it? Men like us sacrifice so that others don't have to. I've lived that life for almost ten years, and I'm just now starting to build more of a personal life for myself."

Marcus listened and with every sip of scotch he seemed to learn more about the man before him. Scott's own appraisal of him was only somewhat accurate, but Marcus wasn't ready to give away everything yet. "I wouldn't call myself a hero. Just a skilled guy who likes to have fun and help the innocent on occasion. However, I do have a decent understanding of your values. We seem to share similar ideas on whether or not to kill, but I think we both arrived at that decision in very different ways."

Alfred came in at that moment and offered some herbal tea for Scott that had a wonderful smell. When he left Marcus continued. "I don't have a great dislike for killing. There are some who wouldn't mind if the villain was put down and stayed down. However, that's not what the world needs right now. The greatest hero and to some the greatest villain this world has ever known is gone forever. Milo wasn't perfect, but he left a void no one person can or should fill."

Marcus pulled out a Data pad. It was a thin black device with a flat screen that lit up on contact. "Show candidates." He placed it on the table and a hologram of Emmet Von Phoenix appeared along with Sandra, Riku, some Codebreakers, Avengers and some people Scott didn't even meet but heard of. "Powerful individuals who have done some good work, but a few are known for their destructive tendencies. I thought about contacting them, but it wouldn't work. The public needs new faces with no known histories filled with bloodshed. The Hero label is tainted, but I'll work to fix it."

He let Scott take the Data pad and look through the information at his leisure. It didn't just tell him the names, known bases and power, but even threat lvl and what history Marcus dug up. His information on Emmet was the most interesting due to the mix of hard facts and myth. The Phoenix was likely a very big focus for him.

"You ask why I don't have a family or serious relationship now. Well I was never a responsible man and even now I'm asking you to join my dangerous crusade to restore the Hero name in this world. Maybe when I don't have to put my loved ones in danger then I could try it out. Now its just irresponsible." Marcus clearly thought about this and right or wrong he made up his mind at the moment.

Scott listened as the man known as Marcus continued the conversation.

"I suppose everyone has their own definition of what a hero is, and I'll have to see more of how you operate before I can know if you meet my definition of a hero. If you help the innocent, however, that is just about good enough to earn a modicum of trust from me."
He chuckled a bit as Marcus said that they arrived at their decisions of whether or not to kill in very different ways.
"I wouldn't be surprised by that. If I were to tell my story to someone, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't believe me."
It was at this point that Alfred arrived to deliver the herbal tea, and was turning to leave.

Scott, however, wasn't about to let it go at that. He gently placed his right hand on Alfred's bicep to stop him, and then extended his hand for a handshake.
"I am the kind of man that treats being served as an act of kindness, and I never let a kind action go unappreciated."
Alfred hesitated a moment, conflicted by what he should do, but the genuine kindness in Scott's eyes encouraged him to briefly shake the young man's hand before he took his leave. Scott turned back to Marcus and took a sip of tea before setting it down.
"Wow, this is great."

It was honestly the best Western tea he had ever tasted. It rivaled Chiang's Eastern tea, and that was not easy to do.
"I despise killing to the core, but I realize that there are some situations in which it just cannot be avoided. Thankfully, the Eastern warrior culture prepared me for how to handle such times."
Marcus mentioned Milo, a name that had been floating around since his recent death, and Scott realized that Milo was to this realm what Scott was to his own.
"I didn't know him."

Scott watched as Marcus placed a data pad on the table, and it cycled through holograms of many well-known heroes. Scott had personally met and worked with most of them, and was shocked to discover that Emmett, Sandra, and others all had darkness in their past. It was not unexpected, however. Scott had been chosen to be the hero of his realm by both The Creator and the Kasha, so his entire training had been designed to create the ultimate hero who was also pure of heart. Scott had been trained to be the only hero of his realm, the hero who was expected to handle every threat to Earth by himself. Most people did not undergo such rigorous moral training in addition to their own power training, and sometimes personal flaws reaped tragedy.

Scott listened as Marcus detailed his decision to not have a family. It was natural that he would not want to endanger innocent lives.
"So my assessment was not entirely correct, but I was in the ballpark. Your work is what keeps you from having a family, but it isn't single-minded dedication to a cause that drives that. It is a concern for innocent lives and a desire to avoid tragedy. I can certainly understand that."

Scott took a sip of his tea.
"I think I just now realized the true purpose of why I was sent here. This dimension needs true heroes that the people can believe in, ones that will go to the ends of the Earth to protect them from evil. There are such heroes that exist here, but as you said, many are tainted by a dark past. The people need a hero that can shine brightly in the public eye, a symbol of hope. The people's hunger for such a thing explains a lot about why what little crime-fighting I've done has blown up like this."

Scott set the cup of tea down and looked Marcus square in the eye.
"I would give my life to protect all of existence from evil. I'll do whatever I can to show the people of this dimension that they can believe in heroes again."
Scott folded his hands once more and cracked a smile.
"I will join your crusade, Marcus. With a name like Crusader, it wouldn't make sense not to."

Emmet laughed " Yes, I believe a proper meal is in order " he moved them to the main dining room where Iko, Noah, Christian, and Adrian were all sitting and eating. The table was instantly filled with more food, a lot of it was Avery's favorites as well. Emmet turned to Glory and smiled " my daughter it has been so long since i've seen you, I can think of no better way to reconnect "

Glory automatically knew what he meant and returned his smile, finding a stage already present in the room and already more then ready " Ready whenever you are mother "

Together they floated onto the stage as music started playing

Emmet:
Who am I?
Am I not unique?
Maybe I'm not here at all
Look, the fakers
Blinding us with lies
The breakers of us all

Glory:
Oh, it's useless
What could it mean that we're here?
Can we make a difference
If we don't break outta here?

Emmet and Glory:
Wake up, get up, get out there
Raise your voice against liars
Feed your anger like fire
Why does nobody want change?

Just imagine you're out there
Swatting lies in the making
Can't move fast without breaking
If you hold on life won't change

Glory:
The fakers
Are all sick at heart
Their faces hiding their fear
They look down on
All the rest of us
Like they're some special breed

Emmet:
Who's the high lord
Who thinks he's better than us?
Ain't it a crime, that?
Is there a mission for us?

Glory:
Who is that high lord?
Who'd kill a million of us?
And as the bell tolls
Is there no remission for us?

Emmet and Glory:
Wake up, get up, get out there
There's more to life than their way
If you'd live you cannot stay
Why does nobody want change?

Let your voices ring out, yeah
Take the mask off and be free
Find yourself in the debris
If you hold on life won't change

Wake up, get up, get out there
Raise your voice against liars
Feed your anger like fire
Why does nobody want change?

Just imagine you're out there
Swatting lies in the making
Can't move fast without breaking
If you hold on life won't change


Mother and daughter put on a splendid performance, incorperating some expert choreography as their voices weaved together perfectly, even the space in the room seemed to be responding, taking on a striking red. As the song ended, they took a bow and hugged one another.

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Godric starred at Cassandra for a moment before bursting out laughing " HAHAHAHAHAH, sorry, but's always so funny when people dont know how to be intimidating. But I gotta admit, I like the fire in your eyes, that look that says you'd tear me apart if you could " he whiped away some tears and let go of Nick, leaving him to float in the air " You really care about him dont you? Well then.......how many lives do you think his is worth? "

Cassandra at first refused to respond, but Godric grabbed her chin and forced her to meet his eyes, a shiver ran down her spine as she looked into Godrics eyes, feeling the weight of his age and power " If to keep him alive and have a happy life, do you think it's worth the loss of over a thousand souls? "

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The presidental debate was just getting underway, Riku rigged the coin toss and as such was gong first.

Dressed to perfection courtesy of Emmet, of course. He shuffled some pappers in front of him and promply lit them with hellfire*

" My dear Americans, four stores and some quarters later.....alright i'm just fuckin with you, but lets get doggy style, I mean down to business. My name is Riku Darkholme and I am an American...I think, oh right thats what those papers were for. Oh well, yes im an american and more importantly, I'm a demon. Please put your holy water and cross shaped vibrators down, till later. I'm half human as well or more like 80% demon and 20% human at this point. But my point is I want to be your president. Lets be real, i'm the best possible canidate and heres why "

1. I'm always right, not to be an ego maniac but it's very rare i'm ever proven wrong in anything at all. Why do you think I started the Riku is always right foundation, as it's CEO I can assure our namesake is 110% true. Your past presidents have been total dumbasses, look at all the bullshit you've had to endure because they chose not to use the greatest powers of all! Logic, reasoning, and common sense. I am an utter master of these, trust, I'll use them well.

2. I give no fucks about mutant-human dong measuring contest. A pearl of wisdom, your both unbelievably fucked up, therefore all the fighting to prove who is more superior to the other is retarded as all out door and accomplishes nothing at all. I'm a demon and while the denizens of hell have caused some problems, you all are your own worst enemies and the sooner you figure that out, the better off you'll be. I'm not saying you have to form a circle jerk and sing kumbaya, but at least dont set off mega bombs and lead genocidal wars against one another, again you'll be happier in the long run if you treat each other like that one family member you can't stand but have the tact to flake pleasantries. After awhile, maybe you'll realize you have plenty of things in common, well work that out along the way

3. I'm gay, which means i'm better then all your other presidents combined because they were breeders and i'm not. M.Vajay and Taylor were straight and look all the bullshit that happened, logically speaking it speaks volumes about my potential and overall awesomness. Gay people rock and (for the most part) were incredibly broad minded and understanding people, kindaish, I am incredibly broadminded and understanding. I'm the type of person you can come talk to about anything, having sexual cravings for your father, I say go for it, chances are high that he feels the same way. Are you being mercilessly bullies, I'm complete against that and will show you the proper way to wield a chair and bash their brains in. Gay marriage? How about just marriage, equality for all, whether they be a breeder, gay, lesbian, transexual whatever, were all the same in the end, we want love and great sex!

4. I kick ass, like seriously I kick all types of ass. I'm a badass demon sorcerer who wont just be sitting in the oval office and jerking off, i'll schedule time for that and orgies, but I intend to get out there into the world. I know pretty words alone wont settle things and my golden tongue more suitable wrapped around a dick or licking butt. Thats why I've got friends on my staff to assist me with that. I know plenty of people will still insist on showing out and I will kindly show them the error of their ways, no what or who they may be, nobody is exempt from a well deserved ass beating.

5. I'm a demon, I know this will be considered a bad thing, but hear me out, going back to my second point, I give literally zero fucks about mutant-human bullshit. I'm going to say what were all thinking, I live on this damn planet and most your assinine squabbles lead to said planet being destroyed. Sure I could hop over to another dimention, but I dont have to and neither do you people, I say fuck it all. If a demon, a creature of darkness and destruction is telling you to knock off all the bullshit, oh I dont know. Maybe you should LISTEN!!!

Standing up, Riku kicked the desk away, his lower clothing consisting of a black kick and steel toed, combat boots " Theres to much stupidity in the world already, do you know what it needs now? " music started playing and the lights dimmed down.


Riku:
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don't need another mountain
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross
Enough to last 'till the end of time

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don't need another meadow
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh, listen, lord, if you want to know

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some, oh, but just for ever, every, everyone

What the world needs now is love, sweet love (oh, is love)
What the world needs now is love, sweet love (oh, is love)
What the world needs now is love, sweet love (oh, is love)



Riku put his all into the song, putting everything Emmet taught him over the years into practice. He hit every note to perfection. Honestly, it's what he actually thought, the world was in need of love and he was determined to help it get what it needed.

"Splendid performance" Tesla said to Emmet and Glory. Tesla coated her had in diamond and placed it on the table, a small pool of diamond seemed to melt off her. As Tesla lifted her hand, 2 perfectly crafted mini trophy's raised up, forming from the pool. "Here, a small gift from me to both you for that performance."

-----

Cassandra knew the obvious answer was no, but there was to much emotion, Cass cared about Nick to much to let him die. Reluctantly Cass asked "what is it you bastard, what do you want from me?" Nick VS a thousand souls, she did know what to expect from Godric. She figured maybe he wanted her to attack a city, destroy a office building, but yet somehow that felt to easy.

-----

Sandra couldn't help but shake her head at first, Riku's unique personality and outright admitting to being a demon wasn't going to win many over, despite Sandra agreeing more or less with his message. Luckily, and smartly, Riku had included a musical performance. This is where he was more likely to win people over.

While the 3 girls listened Katy finally woke up. Still half asleep Katy got out of bed probably to go to the bathroom or find food. When Sandra said hello Katy snapped fully awake and realized she had no close one, she initially panicked and reached for the blankets to cover up. Before she could however the memories of the previous night came back to her. Katy sat on the bed, she's had sex before but what happened on that night, she'd never been in anything like that before. She wasn't even sure how to handle it.

"Last night was crazy, huh?" Sandra questioned her friend with a smile in regards to the mass orgy. "Your clothing is in the bathroom, I'd shower before getting dressed." Katy gave a assuring nod and went into the bathroom to get cleaned up. Sandra didn't bother asking if she wanted company, the girl had a lot of new experiences and her mind was still racing, best thing for Katy was to just let her having some time to settle down and come to grips with everything.

“Then its settled.” Marcus reached his hand out for Scott to shake. The moment they made contact an agreement was made. They were both ready to provide for this world the Heroes it desperately needed. Both were similar but Scott passed it by not being too much like Marcus. “I still need some time to prepare and others to meet with, but for now I believe there is another threat that needs dealing with. The Serpent isn’t an easy foe. The Avengers and at times even the Codebreakers do good work. Help them finish that fight and maybe I'll be able to speak with your friend Minerva also.”

Just as he finished speaking Alfred came in again. “Master Wayne its time.”

“Oh already? Looks like there is something important I must see to at once. Scott Young it was a pleasure meeting with you and I hope we can meet again. Alfred will take you back to Avengers tower.” He saw both Alfred and Scott off until the moment they drove off in the limo and then quickly ran back to the tv in his room. It was already on showing the presidential debate right now. Marcus followed US politics a lot more recently due to the sudden entrance of a new contender. Riku the half demon Magus hit the scene like a freight train and knocked many opponents out of the running. At first Marcus was worried about the possibility of magic or possession being used to influence politics, but it was none of that. US politics just got so bad that someone who is half hell spawn was someone people could genuinely see as presidential material.

When Riku got on stage with the rest of the candidates Marcus cursed himself for forgetting the popcorn. The moment RIku burned the papers Marcus noted it didn’t take him a minute before blatantly using magic in front of people. Fit his profile to a T. As his opening speech went on Marcus couldn’t help but mutter “Da fuck?” and “Did he just…” several times but that wasn’t it. Near the end when Riku started singing the one song that almost seemed antithetical to a monster like him Marcus couldn’t hold back any longer. He burst out laughing almost uncontrollably. The fact Riku had the audacity to be really damn good and almost seem genuine made it even worse. To Marcus this showed how horrible the United States was now. There was a real life demon on stage singing about love to an audience of humans who seemed to cheer and eat it up completely.

“This boy…goddamn…” he started to calm down a bit and got up to leave the room. There wasn’t much more he needed to see or hear. By then Marcus was sure Riku was more than just a contender for the Oval Office. Hell this was even more peaceful than Milo and the man took over the White House. Marcus was more than sure if Riku kept this up he would win the Presidency. For better or for worse the people were sick of the bullshit in D.C.

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

Avery almost didn’t notice the new people sitting at the table and immediately went to find a plate and grab some food. He tried his best to avoid stuffing his face too much thinking “I’m not exactly like Goku.” Then turned to see Glory and Emmet singing. It was beautiful and moving to see family like that come together In such a way. He could tell its been a long time since they’ve been together like this and it made him think of his own family. The moment they were done he knew it was about time for him to leave.  He stood up from the table with an already empty plate with a few bones from the steaks he ate.

“Emmet, Glory thank you for all the help and the amazing food. I really am grateful for what you’ve told me, but now I think its time for me to leave. My sister is probably bouncing off the walls worrying about me.”

Emmet smiled and with a wave of his hand Avery was teleported to his sister’s apartment. Glory waved goodbye and was looking forward to meeting the young warrior again. The diamond trophy Tesla presented was beautiful. "You really want to show off how fun your power is don't you?" she smiled accepting the trophy.

"Thank you." Glory turned to the new faces at the table and looked to see if she recognized any of them. It didn’t take long for her to sense the darkness and light among them. She smiled knowing they truly were companions of Emmet. “Hello everyone my name is Glory and I’m the lucky daughter of Emmet. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”

" Naw, having you go off and knock over a city would be boring and predictable. I hate to admit it, but there are times that I find my bro's habits rub off on me, being......theatrical?vWhatever. I mean, you wont have to lift a finger, just work your mouth " he smirked " The answer is already there, you'd sacrifice anynumber of lives to save lover boy. So the question is kind of moot, dont you think? "

He looked away and the landscape melted away and changed into the middle of space " Hey, can you see it? " he was referring to the planet, a bit bigger then earth, off in the distance. Can you tell it's a living planet? "

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

Emmet happily took the diamond trophy Tesla, holding it up with Glory, they waved to the crowd.After Avery left, they all took a seat and made further introductions. Emmet sensed Kaiser, Christian, Adrian, and Garfield return to the mansion, at the same time Elspeth arrived from assisting Jonathan with his project " Kaiser, Elspeth, your older sister Glory is home, come greet her "

Kaiser walked into the dining room at the same time Elspeth was beamed down. The two saw their sister and smiled. It should be noted that Emmet's loved each other unconditionally as siblings, but there was a current of dislike based entirely on being mothers favorite that was based around trying to outdo one another.

The two walked over to meet their sister while Adrian and Christian took a seat and Garfield retired to his coffin in the basement. Minerva said hello to the new people, feeling a bit more out of place, the calm atmosphere was helping to put her at ease. This was such a nice play and the inhabitants seemed like excellent people to her.

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Tanesha was laughing from start to finish of Riku's opening speech, it was ballsy to come out and admit that he was a demon, but given the last president had been Milo Ventro, the man who was everything, the bar probably didnt exist anymore. She agreed with a lot of the stuff he said, nodding now and again, once he started singing, she just shook her head and smiled " I'll give him credit, no stripper poles and the sex was nearly nonexistant. I've always liked that song "

The rest of the debate was entertaining as Riku's opponent said their peace and tried to cut him down, but the sass and shade were too strong from Riku, he had a quick responce to everthing, ultimately mentioning his opponents pedophillia.

" Well that's all she wrote for that " Tanesha said with satisfaction.