NationStates Jolt Archive

The quiet nation of European Free States began a new day. Within the nation, sat the solitary country home. Dante had missed his walk that morning due to the pain in his leg from his fall the day before. He lay in bed amid a deep sleep while the nurse rested her head of his chest, running her finger down it gently.

She grew very found of this man, but something about the way that woman stared at him yesturday and reached for her rifle only brought fear. She was obviously a past acquaintance; and that was just what she tried to protect Dante from. She knew his past was dark, murderous, and evil. She knew he had enemies.....many who wanted him dead. And he would never knew what hit him if he ran into one.



In the mean time, Der Fuhrer woke up. She got dressed in a long black slender dress, which defined her figure impeccably. She slid a purse over her shoulder, feeling the weight of the pistol she had placed in there. Finding her appearence appealing, she headed out the door, her destination.......a quiet little country home isolated from the mainstream of events.

C9, the masked fear showing through, looked into Richard's eyes. She whispered, but in her head it was more of a repetition of the words that had sealed one nation's fate, "Callisdrun is attacking us."

And as she said it, Alex joined both their sides, a look colder and grimmer then any others emminated from him. Forcefully and harshly he spoke, maintaining an air of coolness, "Are you two coming with?"

C9 looked to Richard for her answer. She knew very well what she had just gotten everyone into. The outcome would not be happy.

Richard stood there clutching C9 for a few more moments while this irksome man continued to try to rush them along; and C9 seemed to appriciate the wait.. it gave her time to gather her thoughts and calm down again; that look of resolve approaching stoicism appeared on her face again, with a hint of rage at the surroundings and situation.

So, off they went following this Alex, who kept eyeing his sword and measuring Richard as if he thought he would have a chance against defeating him in hand-to-hand combat.. Richard liked being underestimated; and thought he and Alex might have become friends under different circumstances.. but he was rightfully curious about this newcomer that had embraced C9 like a long lost lover. Richard disliked following people into unknown situations, but felt comforted by C9's presence; he already knew that she would keep him out of harms way, and that he would gladly do the same.

In the nation of Ultimate_apocalypseIII Khaos is talking about some plans on the phone. "Yes that would be fine! You have the support Myself and the support of all of my Troops the U_AIII army is behind you 100%." Khaos hears his call waiting going off. "What oh, its just Katalyst I dont want to hear her ranting right now im not in the mood."

A Muscular man dressed like he is trying to look nerdy enters the room and says. "Sir I have the troop and vehicle reports you wanted and I am told that mathias's place is under attack. Sir, isnt that where Katalyst is?" Khaos hangs up the phone and says "Just give me my reports. She's fine I just recieved a call from her." He recieves the data that he had been waiting hours for. " You may leave." The soldier is seen leaving the room. And Khaos is there flipping through the countless reports that were set in front of him.

On calisdruns ship Inferno is sitting there listening to the sounds of destruction all around him, a smile is seen spreading across his face. " Ah, the sounds I have missed so much. Ahh I feel so much better, I wonder when they are going to take these damn bars out of my back. Yeah metal out of my body sounds like a plan!"

A Helicopter is seen leaving Ultimate_apocalypseIII its destination unknown.

Raining from the skies, unseen by any, the final assualt fell likes fallen angels to Earth. Launching a high altitude ( ;) ) attack, the Spirits attacked the ships that lined the shore a final time and brung their assualt inward like a magnanimous wave crashing into the mansion.

The Spirits then left as silently as they came, the Blackbirds leading the way home. The deadly assualt over before anyone really knew what the hell had happened.

Unfortunately, the bombers were out of range of the anti-aircraft guns. Some Surface to Air Missiles were launched when bombs started falling, but all the commanders knew that there was really not much they could do. Luckily, the accuracy was much diminished, and added to the fact that the fleets had already been taking evasive action, most missed. A few ships were unlucky, but it was not the hell it had been a few minutes earlier.

OOC: Is the Red Queen still preventing them from leaving?

OOC: Of course you hadnt heard any orders from DFD so for the most part just assume that the Red Queen Defense is still in affect.

IC: *Inferno sits in madical bay trying to rip the bars out of his back* "If any action happens I cannot be held back by this damn metal in my back. I know that soon I will have to be able to move quick, I have that damn feeling again. Like an old enemy is back." *Inferno keeps bitching about the bars in his back for the next few hours*

Helicopter pilot to passenger "Sir, we are almost there are you sure you really want to go here? We have been getting some strange reports out of this sector." *Yellng ensues, the pilot nods his head and prepares the plane for a landing.*

Katalyst "Fine if he doesn’t want to talk to me I don’t want to talk to him." She brushes the dirt off of herself to be semi presentable. Quickly she makes her way down the steps. At the Bottom of the staircase she proceeds to try and make the entire group of guest as calm as possible.*

“Everyone stop panicking it is only heavy artillery Nothing to be alarmed about!" While in her head she has thoughts flashing left and right counting all of the guests that have already fallen thinking up a way to spin this as to have none of the foreign nations take any other negative action against the home region.

OOC: Um, the metal in his back is actually so that he can move without severing his newly repaired spinal cord. He wouldn't be able to move his legs at all without it.

OOC: Um, the metal in his back is actually so that he can move without severing his newly repaired spinal cord. He wouldn't be able to move his legs at all without it.

OOC: you could have made an in character post about that. You know a doc comes in and says that. All Inferno knows is that there is a foreign metal in his back not the whole reason its there.

IC: "Sir, one last time are you sure you want to land here? We have reports there have been sightings in this land" Khaos looks at the pilot and says " Yes im sure im not here about the sightings I just have to visit a certain spot here its abit of a ritual." Khaos point for the helicopter to land.

The bright sunlight sparkled on the dew covered grass, little diamonds in the early morning sunlight. Der Fuhrer stepped out of the limousine a mile down the road, taking the rest of the trip on foot. Walking down the narrow path that led the house, she only stopped when the house came in full view.

Blanketed in sunlight and surrounded by many willows stood a massive house, quite large for just one person, now two, to live in. The walls of brick stood strong, intimidating on lookers, yet managing to look graceful at the same time.

Watching from the distance, a crow rested itself upon the branch of one of the large willows. Its blacked eyes stared at her menacingly as stood there in silence. It had been surreptitiously stalking her since she had left the security of her vehicle.


Within the house Dante lay sleeping still, having missed his early morning walk do to the pain in his leg from his previous fall the day before. He lay in mid-wake; the dreams of the early morning flowing in and out of his head, fusing with the life he was now living….dreams of hope for a future. He had been dreaming of standing, with the nurse at his side, staring over the pond in their yard, content with this life, this only life that he had any recollection of living.


Der Fuhrer, determined to continue her plans stepped forward, toward the door, her resolve set. In a quick swoop, the large dark crow spread its strong wings and let out a shrill caw. Its dark eyes stared into her eyes, darkness the same color, black as both their hearts. The crow perched itself closer to the house, on the railing of the porch, its eyes borrowing in hers, forewarning her to leave now. She continued forward, the crow called out louder, yelling at her to stop now. Such a small mouth produced such a deadly warning as the crow opened its small beak and once again cawed at her, like a bear protecting its cub.


Dante awoke suddenly from the shrill cries. The nurse was still asleep at his side, and he marveled in her simple beauty as he leaned over her. The pain in his leg surged; he winced and clenched his jaw. Leaning over her, he smelled the faint remains of the perfume she wore last night. He kissed her gently, wincing from the pain, as he climbed out of bed. He grasped for the crutch nearby, supporting himself as he headed for a robe to cover his body. Finding the nurse’s robe, he covered himself sloppily with one hand as he looked upon the scars on his body; mainly the ones of his abdomen. Disregarding them quickly at another loud shrill from outside, he headed for the front door.


Der Fuhrer pulled out her gun then, placing on the silencer. She stared down the crow, as it too stared down here, standing its ground, refusing to let her closer. With a single shot the crow fell backward onto the porch; its black wings spread outward, black feathers drifting softly through the bright morning sun. She placed her gun back in her purse and continued on to the house as Dante continued his way slowly to the door.

Dante recognized the silence outside, stopping before the door. He learned to acknowledge the subtlety of nature; for nature was God’s way of speaking to us all. He backed up slightly, questioning whether or not he should continue. Unsure, he pressed forward, his hand on the knob, turning it slowly.

Der Fuhrer stopped in her path. The door was opening. She stood, poised, ready to remove her gun and shoot if need be. But there was need to be in such hostility for coming from the open door was Dante, a feeble man emerging from the darkness of the house into the bright morning sunlight.

He covered his eyes, shielding them with his free hand, from the brightness of the morning. A sharp pain shot through his leg as he tried to step forward. He moved forward more, stepping in a warm wet puddle with his bare foot. He looked down, focusing through the brightness to see the dead crow. Realizing he was being watched, he quickly looked up, focusing in on Der Fuhrer.

Der Fuhrer’s eyes narrowed on him, trying to read him, but finding that she was incapable of making out anything about him. She could not determine what he was thinking, what he was planning, why he was here, anything.

Coldly, apathetic, without compassion, Der Fuhrer spoke, “Hello Dante. I would say it’s a pleasure, but you know well enough it is never a pleasure when you are around.”

“I….what…..who are you,” he asked, wondering how this lady knew his name and what she was talking about. He recognized her as the woman from the previous day, as his leg throbbed like sudden reminder of their encounter.

Der Fuhrer stepped forward, Dante stepped painfully backward, slipping on the blood, but catching his balance with a quick move of the crutch, a reflex that was so fast that it puzzled him. He looked confused as Der Fuhrer grinned with satisfaction.

“For once Dante, I must say you have me puzzled. I cannot say I know what you are planning. I have no idea why you are here, and more importantly, how you are still alive. You were killed, your body left to rot. I admit, I felt horrible about that, but you were, should be, dead.”

Dante looked at her as if she were crazy. The only thing he remembered of her was the accident the day before. He was sure he never met her before then. He was baffled at the mere thought that she believed he was someone she knew; someone who had died, but he did not die, not that he remembered.

Feeling insecure, unsure of who she was, Dante backed up again, almost like a timid dog cowering from a stick its familiar of being beaten with. He backed up into the door, closing it by accident. “Who…..are…..you,” he stammered, “I don’t know you. I think you’re mistaken.”

The nurse heard the door close, and felt the emptiness in bed. She started drifting back to sleep, believing Dante had only gone out for his normal walk. Oblivious to the situation outside, she embraced the warmth of the sunlight and lavished in the morning air.

OOC: will post soon

Richard continued to follow C9 and Alex down the narrow hallway; growing rather suspicious. He wished he had at least one of his men nearby; but they were all stopped by dictatorship forces. He chose to go alone, naturally doing it for Adyndril; but he couldnt help but to be a bit uneasy being in this large empire all alone.. perhaps that was why he was out of element, and why he was being friendly and demure.

Richard shot a quick glance at C9, she had on her stoic warrior face; but he could almost feel her blood pressure rising. Richard chose to offer a comforting hand for the walk; being used to attacks on his city, though not from another country, Richard actually felt more at ease.. in these situations he was in his element, calmly analyzing the situation to try to find a solution to the problem at hand, and quickly finding the right men to deliver his orders. C9 grasped his hand without giving him a look, her jaw set, and eyes focused ahead, into the distance; as if she were looking miles into the distance. He did not know if it gave her any comfort.. he seemed to not know a lot of things lately.

He finally noticed Alex after losing track of the time. What was this man all about? Before he could puzzle that question, they stopped at a door; C9 didnt seem surprised, so he knew that she knew where they were going.

Dante winced as Der Fuhrer stepped closer; the menacing movements of her body disturbed him as he tried to back up, but only succeeded in pressing his body further against the door.

Der Fuhrer spoke, cold and cruel, "You are fooling no one with your charades this time Dante."

"I.....who are you," he stammered, unsure why this strange woman was here and what she intended to do.

"You know very well who I am; and I ought to just feed you your bullet now," she angerily glared at him as his confusing grew deeper.

Growing angry himself at the threat against his life he yelled, "I've never even met you before! What do you want?"

Furious at his response, Der Fuhrer met his groin with a swift kick, sending him to his knees. Walking over to him, she grabbed the top of the robe and started pulling him without mercy.

Incapable of fighting back, Dante stumbled to keep up with her. Gasping for breath through the pain he muttered, "If you're going to kill me just do it. But don't make Brianna search for my body."

"Shut up Dante. I am not going to kill you yet unless you keep talking. I want to show you something first," she angerily shot back at him.

She drug him down the road and hailed the limo that was park further down. As it slowly approached, Dante struggled to break free, "Where are you taking me?"

Removing the gun from her purse she stuck him on the head, knocking him unconscious before he could fully break free. She drug his body into the limo and got in herself. They left the house and drove quite some time; where within that time, Dante regained consciousness. He sat in silence staring at the floor, unmoving, with his hand covering his head with the sleeve of the nurse's robe.

"Dante, that is a lovely on you. I did not know you changed your taste recently," Der Fuhrer scathingly mocked.

"Leave me alone," he murmured back to her, barely above a whisper.

They drove in silence for a half hour before stopped. Der Fuhrer grabbed his arm and guided him through a labyrinth of tombstones before stopping at a profoundly distinct one.

She thrust him on his knees angerily, grabbing his head by his hair and pushing his face closer to the stone. "Remember now asshole! Remember who this is? REMEMBER? You little shit," she angerily cursed at him.

Dante read slowly:
ATTICUS RUHMANAH

Confused he stammered, "I........I......I don't know who that is."

Furious rage burned within her as she took his head and slammed it into the stone. "Stop trying to decieve me you asshole!"

Dante groaned, feeling his head throb with pain and Der Fuhrer's finger tightly clutching his hair.

"I.........don't...................know.............where am I," he spoke slowly and drawed out.

Clutching her jaw, she withdrew the gun again and pressed it against his head. "Fuck you Dante!"

Her finger tensed on the trigger, as a hand from seemingly no where placed a bundle of flowers aside the tombstone. She quickly withdrew the gun and stared up at the man shocked.

Whispering in disbelief, "Mathias........"

Mathias stared at her and pulled out a little notepad and pen. I knew you would be here. After last night, I suspected you would take him too.

Der Fuhrer threw down the piece of paper angerily and placed the gun back in her purse. "Get up," she demanded Dante who stared at her confused still.

He looked to the man who offered his arm to help him up and noticed the large scar that ran across his neck. "What happened to you," Dante asked staring at the huge thick scar.

Mathias looked down at him puzzled. Is he playing games with me? he thought as he looked Dante in the eyes. There in his eyes was the pure innocence and confusion.....he did not remember. Amnesia? Brainwashing? Resocialization? What the hell did they do to him? he questioned further as he extended his hand in friendliness, seeing the man he once despised and hated in such a pitiful position.

Dante, sensing no harm, slowly grabbed Mathias's hand, as Mathias helped pull him up. The firm grip of Mathias astonished Dante.

But then.......something happened.

ATTICUS RUHMANAH. Der Fuhrer. Mathias. A knife. The scar. A war. The gunshots. The operations. His death.

It came back to him in a flash; and Mathias noted the terror that suddenly filled his eyes. He broke free and fell backward, stumbling and crawling away from them. "YOU," he angerily spat! "What the fuck? I thought you died."

He collapsed to the ground feeling ill. After throwing up, he sat up and placed his head in hands. "Did I die," he asked remorsefully.

Der Fuhrer, feeling pity, walked over and helped him up. "Dante, there is a lot we need to talk about. Will you come with us?"

Without thinking, he nodded his head and placed his hands behind his back, ready to be cuffed again. Slowly placing her hands on his she brought them to his side. "Not this time Dante. This time, we are on the same team," she softly spoke.

Dante looked over to the grave, "He died because of me, didn't he?"

Der Fuhrer said nothing.

"Rest in peace Atticus. You were a good man," he whispered to himself as the three left.

Silently, the three boarded the plane and headed back to The Dictatorship. The long trip would take time; and that time was going to be of a long reflection.

The Dictatorship of Der Fuhrer Dyszel....interesting. Lord Dreadfire ran his hand across his freshly shaven face and thought hard about the decision. Though once allied to us through mutual connections in both GDODAD and Metus, relations with The Dictatorship have been distant at best. The small host of men that had gathered around Dreadfire nodded in agreement as they looked on at several maps and historical texts.

The war that has enguled The Dictatorship has lasted longer than I can remember. Insurgents, treachery, and bloodlust are abound in that land, and it appears that the last standing city has been taken out after a massive aerial assault. Damien thought briefly on the situation before laying down his orders, however short and to the point. He turned to his officers and ran his tongue across his teeth, drawing a deep breath and tightening his lower lip.

Seems to me we have our first catch of the day. Operation: Shadow Walker, the mass colonization of outer foreign territories will begin here...at The Dictatorship Der Fuhrer Dyszel. The small gathering of officers looked at eachother, then at Dreadfire before stating their personal approval. The torches that lined the war room of the Great Hall flickered and cast an eerie light throughout the room. I am assigning you with the task of collecting for me this future colony of mine. Normally I would offer you a full Sentinel corp and as much naval power as you need, but with Operation: Backdraft looming over our heads as well, we cannot spare you as much as you would like.

The room began to stir in disapproval now, and Damien looked about his officers with a confused and slightly disgusted look. What is it? Do not act like you need everything and anything under the sun to launch this campaign. I will still issue all of you a few divisions of Sentinels, but for the most part you will be using standard human infantry. Fear not, they will fight as hard as you push them to, and forget not that our ancestors did not have instruments of death such as the Sentinels at their disposal. I have every confidence in you.

Dreadfire's officers left the room and made immediatly for the docks that were several miles to the north of ULE City. The ride there was silent, and each of the five men reviewed their documents and began getting their battle plans situated. War had raged throughout The Dictatorship for as long as anyone could tell, so certainly an attack on territory such as that would be costly. A few more hours passed before the first ships began to slip out of port and take to the choppy seas. The fully loaded convoy consisted of several of every vessel they would need to execute this campaign, and enough supplies to keep them afloat for years.

For now their purpose in this ongoing saga would be a mystery, and the entire convoy moved in formation away from the AMF mainland as one. The sun began to set in the distance, casting it's dying colors of orange, yellow, and deep crimson across the horizon. Brandan, lead Warchief of this campaign, stepped out onto the decks of the late Azrael the Advocate's massive flagship, the War Nerve. The foamy seas tossed the ships around side to side, spraying mists of salt water into the air. Brandan closed his eyes and let the water splash against his face, and he took in one final breath of Automagfreek air that blew in from the west.

The War Nerve remained at point as the convoy crossed into international waters, their course becoming more obvious as the hours passed by. Night had befallen the seas, and the waves crashed down upon the mammoth warships as their quest towards Dictatorship territory continued. Orders had been given to not return any radio transmission from any source save for the AMF mainland, but that was of no real concern...for there were very few in the world who would openly challenge a fully loaded AMF battle fleet.

The hours turned into days, and the days lingered on painfully as Brandan continued to survery the possible landing sites with a slight distaste in his mouth. The Dictatorship had always been a land of great interest to him, since learning of DFD/AMF mutual relations throught the now quiet GDODAD that Damien had brought back to life. Long had he yearned to meet Der Fuhrer, her captivating and mysterious nature astounding him and being the subject of many a late night thought. But now the feelings would have to be set aside and swords would have to be drawn. Lord Dreadfire commands this land to be annexed.....and annexed it shall be. But for now, we bide our time. Move only a few hundred yards inland a day. Keep the radio open, and nobody returns a transmission except for me.

The battle group ground to a halt as The Dictatorship's waters were nearly in front of them. With the chaos and the sting of battle engulfing the mainland of The Dictatorship, Brandan wondered if they would even take notice of his presence. He laughed and shook his head at the notion, for who would not take notice to an Automagfreek battle fleet outside their waters? Brandan scanned his radar screen and satellite feed for several hours, sizing up the situation. But in the end his decision was the same as it was before they had set off: they would watch and wait. Perhaps Der Fuhrer would not suspect their intentions to be conquest...perhaps she would not see the long dagger hiding beneath his cloak.

Time would tell, and the Freeks sat quietly at sea, with only the slightest hint of activity. No planes were sent up into the heavens, and no patrols were being run. The only movement was beneath the waves, where nearly a half dozen Supremacy class submarines scanned the waters in search for any predator that tried to strike. The War Nerve remained at the head of the fleet, and Brandan sat patiently in the command tower and waited for the next move to be made.

OOC: On a sidenote, newbies to this thread (as I am comparatively) shouldnt be overwhelmed by the size; DerFuhrer Dyszel has an intimate knowledge of every aspect of this thread, and she's nice enough that by simply asking, im sure you'll get an answer. ;)

Just a disclaimer *shrugs

Meanwhile, on her ship, Erzsebet had noticed the crew was getting restless. The ships in her squadron were unharmed for the most part, so she thought of things to do while waiting for further instructions. "Do you think the crew would like a dance?" she asked Leif and Katarina. They both replied that it was an excellent idea.

A half hour later, a portion of the crew was gathered on the quarterdeck dancing to various old folk songs. Three crew members got out a violin, a guitar and a cello and commenced to play a slower dance song that was peculiar in the type of dance associated with it. When they began playing the familiar tune, the crew cheered and the man and woman that everyone decided were the best dancers went into the middle of the ring formed by the others.

The dance was a highly sensual but also comical one. It revolved around both dancers holding an end of a string, between one and two feet long, that they then danced around, using it to lead each other around, sometimes with the man leading, but more often with the woman leading. Sometimes they seemed to push apart, and others they used the string to pull close as their combat boots made thunking noises as they danced across the deck. The song ended with them putting their ends of the string in their mouths and drawing more in until they kissed. Erzsebet watched with an approving smile. She had greatly enjoyed doing this particular dance with Knut on her first tour of duty.

Nos heard the odd music coming from above; hearing the dance, and the the jest of the jovial crew. He laid, grimacing, as his eyes slowly focused on the ceiling above him. His hands searched his body as he felt the large wound he just inflicted.

"Fuck," he muttered, "They saved me. Why did they......did that woman......what was that noise.......that rumble........the explosions.......was I dreaming?"

He strained to sit and felt slightly uneasy as he pushed himself off the cot. He groaned as his knees shook and his chest seared.

"Erzsebet," he weakly called.

Talking to himself he continued, "I think something bad is going to happen. Something doesn't feel right. You should get out of here. Save yourself." He paused briefly before continuing, "No, you go, save yourself. I'll take care of them." A minute passed before he continued, "No, fuck you. I won't do it!"

He stumbled his way to what he thought was the exist from the medical bay, heading in directions he really was not aware about, periodically mumbling something incoherent or calling Erzsebet's weakly.

A nurse came and helped steady him. "Sir, you really need rest. If you would like, I can get Erzsebet for you. As far as I know, she's not busy right now," she said sweetly. The nurse was a younger woman, about eighteen or nineteen, and had a friendly face. Her name was Erika, and she was noted as being exemplary in her duties. Her compassionate and warm personality could make even a sailor getting a leg amputated smile.

Nos looked to her confused.

"You're not Erzsebet. I need Erzsebet.........where's my sword? The one that was lodged in my chest? I don't remember taking it out..........who are you? You're not Erzsbet," Nos incoherently continued to mutter as he stared off behind her, not looking at her.

"The sword was removed and is being kept in our commander's office, sir." Erika quietly told another nurse to go get Rear Admiral Sorvik, and then said to Nos "Erzsebet will be here soon. Would you like to sit down until she arrives?" She wasn't particularly short, but there was enough of a height difference for her to look up at Nos with seemingly gigantic eyes. Like all the nurses, she wore red and had her hair in a pony-tail so it wouldn't get in the way.

His hard body pushed itself from the floor, as he wiped the dust and concrete particles off his black suit. The leader of The Reich Freedom Fighters stood up and opened the door to the room his fellow fighters were in. About them lay many dead bodies, a bullet hole in the head marking all of their deaths.

"The initial run is over. Immediately after her declaration of war, she'll be ordering the second run. This one is not targeted at The Dictatorship though. We should leave here and head in land more. Get us one of those tanks on the outskirts of the city that remain. Kill anyone who stands in the way. We need to get out of here soon or our presence will be caught. Continue with the plan. I need to finish up business here. I have business with this government," spoke the apathetic voice of the leader.

The men left immediately; knowing well enough that when orders were given, it was best to accomplish them as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the leader hung around, kicking the dirt with the toe of his shoe.

"I'll call myself Damon. They'll want a name. I'll tell them it was all a lie; they won't believe it though. I'll tell them he was a fake; no, they would know the difference. I'll tell them I don't know him. That might work well. I could tell them I was sent here; no, risking too much information. Got it. I will tell them that I lost my child. That should stir some of their bones," he grinned with satisfication as he left the building; leaving behind a sleeping Darla. "She will only drag me down," he told himself in firm resolution as he closed the door behind him, locking it before leaving.

Nos shook his head, declining her offer. The motion of the action sickened him though. In a dizzy spin, he clutched the nurse's outfit to steady himself and resting his head in her breasts.

"I think I'm going to die," he muttered as he breathed heavily into her chest. "Am I naked again? Every fricken time I get conscious, I'm naked........I'm starting to wonder what happens when I'm not conscious.....I'm not gay.....I was drunk. Fuck you, you don't know the truth.....you weren't there. I was drunk.......mmmm.....bon bons......."

He didn't finish the thought, rather, he sagged more, burrowing deeper into her chest.

"There there. It's all right." Erika was not the least bit scandalized by him putting his head where he did, it was no big deal. "I don't think you're gay, and none of us would care if you were. Yes, you are naked, but nobody cares about that either. Nudity is perfectly legal where we come from, and besides, you're our patient." She patted his head. Her genuine compassion was obvious in her voice.

Just then, Erzsebet arrived. "Nos, I was told that you wanted to speak to me?"

"I'm cold," sounded a stifled murmur as he spoke with his head burrowed in his chest. He weight grew heavier as he began to lose the ability to stand on his own. He trembled a bit before beginning to collapse to his knees. He could no longer stand; his breath growing weaker as he panted into the nurse.

Still speaking in the nurse he murmured, "I........you........I........you.......Erzsebet........it's cold.........I............I...........don't like it here.........it's cold...........stay with me."

Erzsebet helped Erika carry Nos back to his bed. Erika went and got Nos some more blankets. Erzsebet sat down next to Nos's bed. "Is there something wrong, Nos? I mean, besides that it's cold?"

More lucidly, but plainly delirious, he continue his muttered rambling, "Erzsebet.......are we dead.......I heard explosions......felt rumbles......did we die.......did you stab me..........I think someone stabbed me........someone tried to kill me Erzsebet........he's on this ship.........don't let him get away........I want to kill the bastard.........Erzsebet...........I'm going to die.........stay with me while I die..........I used to eat ice cream with all the kids when I was little.........you know...........it's funny..........I like you and I'm not supposed to.......I'm hungry........it's snowing out.......there's snow.......lot's of it.......and I with them.......blood in the snow........It's cold....."

"We were attacked by bombers. We gave them hell for it, though. And don't worry, this ship was not damaged beyond scratches." She put her hand on his forhead. "You'll be all right, Nos. You had a little accident with your sword. The doctors will make another check up on you shortly." Erzsebet stroked his hair back a bit. "Anything else you want to tell me Nos?"

Seconds later, doctors were around them, tending Nos.

"Erzse....bet.......it...s....hot.....I'm......hot.....and cold.....it's cold too......hot....and....cold.......I......war......I......killed......assassin.....I.....she.....DFD. .....she......helicopter......shot down.....she.....bad.....don't trust her......don't trust her.......bad," he gasped more, "she......bad......turned sides........sold information.......DFD......enemy......Dante.....war.....don't trust her.......I.....can...t.....breathe.......wa....ter...."

Erzsebet suddenly became alarmed. "Who? Who are you talking about Nos?" She grabbed his hand tightly.

Nos gasped, unable to breathe in through his delirium. Visions and memories flooded his head, making it practically impossible to discern reality from memory. He searched in his head for the words, but futility he murmured an incomprensible slur that sounded like he was drowning.

He could not think; his mind racing every which way and incapable of focusing on one thought. He tried to speak one thought at time, but he the capability to speak what he was thinking. Words, incoherent and babbled, flowed free from his muttering lips. Nothing seemed to make any sense; indirectly though, an underlying thought he continued to creep into this insensibility.

"Wa.....ter........dying.........drowned.......sister.....bad.....don't.....trust.....her.....help... ...cold......bad......DFD.....Dante.....killed.....bad......don't.....can't.......get...away.......r un.......now.......bad.....don't.....trust.....not...her.....sister.....bad....dead...."

"Keep him alive, doctors." Erzsebet said. It was plain she would get no more out of Nos until he was treated.

"We'll try." They went quickly to work, anesthetizing Nos before performing surgery. They were hard workers, fast and precise, and experts at their craft. The flagship of a fleet always had the most experienced and best physicians. Certain things in Callisdrun lagged behind the rest of the world, but medicine was not one of them.

His faced pressed against the splintered wood that entrapped his body; blood dripped from his nose and mouth, as he heard the sound of a steady ringing in his ears. His vision blurred as he opened his eyes slowly and closing them almost immediately before slowly reopening them.

He searched the room, what was left of the room that he could see, for his wife. He looked hard; calling her name periodically. There was no respose however. How could he expect a response? His wife had died before the war during the evacuation procedure gone that had gone horribly wrong. The helicopter that was to carry her to the airport went down; severing her head in the process. He had not been there with his family though; rather, he was two thousand miles away, putting on his battle gear, preparing for the war that would eventually consume an entire region.

He struggled to pull himself out, but pinned beneath the heavy beam, he was not moving anywhere fast. He called then for his daughter; she too had not answered. How could she have answered as well? She was captured by a group of men. The only thing left in life for him was stolen from him. He had not heard anything more about her. She was gone; the government doing absolutely nothing to bring her home. Seven young and brilliant children stolen from their homes on the night Lady Lux was murdered........and the government sat back and did nothing to bring them home.

Fury engulfed him as he cursed the nation he was fought proudly to serve, taking a bullet through his clavicle to prevent the enemy from crossing their lines. Proudly he once served DFD.......proudly he raised his daughter in Stadt des Meeres........and for what.......to have his daughter stolen from the safety of his own house? To have a government that he served beyond the call of duty turn their corrupt backs on him? To have the dictator disappear from a nation in need? To be trapped in his own house that now lay in ruins in a city that was sworn never to be attacked?

Fuming with rage; he pulled his body excruciatingly from the beam with a wild yell. Breathing heavily and coughing up blood, he used every ounce of his energy to crawl across the rubble. If he could just get outside, he would get help........if he could just get out of here, he could find her himself.

But his efforts failed, for as he pulled himself from the rubbage a few hours ago known as his house, he saw parts of the city in flames beneath the beating of a heavy rain. He was on the only one on that street; nothing moved, no one moved. No sound stirred beneath the patter of the heavy rain and occassionaly rumble of a building's structure finally giving up it's fight. He coughed again and lay on the road, staring up to the blackened sky as the drops pelted down on his face.

"It's over," was all he whispered.

Noskalenaeuroph awoke from the drug induced his sleep, the drugs slowly wearing off, bringing him slowly to; his delirium settled. He groaned as he felt his stomach turn. He could not remember anything; where he was, why he was there, what happened, or when this had happened.

The only thoughts that filled his head was the slight twitching of his left hand as he lay motionless there.

He groaned again, what was supposed to be the call for someone which he could not pronounce. He had hoped that someone was around; someone that could tell him what was going on and what had happened.

On the flight back to The Dictatorship, Der Fuhrer sat facing the back of the plane while Dante sat to her right and Mathias to her left facing her. There was silence for a long time; while Dante stared out of the plane at the pristine skies that spread the vast distance.

His memories did not fully regain, but he knew well enough that he should not have been sitting there at that very moment. Realizing that his body had not be adequately covered, he covered himself with the rob. The pink embroidered flowers brought him the painful realization that he left the nurse behind without stopping back to tell her anything. Had he loved her? Had the ruthless killer loved someone?

Quietly he spoke, without removing his gaze from the window, "What happened?"

Der Fuhrer looked to Mathias; and after a brief silence, she began.

"Dante, I cannot tell you how, why, or what happened to you. You were dead to us. They took you from that cell, tortured you, and left you to die. None of us know how you got out of there or how you even lived.

"I do not remember how I got out of there either Dante. All I remember is that little glass vile breaking, the chemical spreading quickly. It destroyed my nervous system. The last thing I remember is falling; a wretching pain twisting and contorting my body to positions I though impossible. I remember being unable to do anything; it felt like every muscle in my body was being ripped to shreds, every vessel contricting to block off all acces, every bone being broken, every part of my body withering.

"Next thing I remember, I woke up in a hospital bed in the nation of European Free States. I was in a comatose state for a long time.

"I returned home; huge welcoming party. But they are unimportant. Dante, I have only bad news for you," she stopped.

Dante stared into the skies; the pristine tinting, becoming darker and darker as the moved closer to The Dictatorship. He weakly laughed, "Well you better tell me now. It's not like I've never had bad news before."

Sighing, feeling terrible guilt surge through her, she continued, "Dante, I made a promise to you in the base. I failed your promise. Your daughter was kidnapped. No one could them from taking her."

Dante stared at her confused. The few memories he regained contained to knowledge of a daugther, or of a wife, or of any other woman besides his nurse and Der Fuhrer in his life.

"I don't have kids. I never even married. Kids would've just bagged down my plans. You now that DFD."

"I do Dante, but you did have a child. One that you did not know about. The woman you impregnated never kept contact with you after you left her. She gave up your child to her grandmother so that she could continue to help you in her silent ways. You are a father Dante."

Taking in the knowledge, his gaze traveled from the window slowly to Der Fuhrer's knees. "And? Come on DFD. Don't play games."

"After I returned, your daughter called me. She found out my new operatives and kidnapped them. Seven young children were stolen from my nation and our Lady Lux was murdered. Your daughter ordered the attack Dante. I do not know her motives, but it looks like she plans to follow in her father's footsteps. Dante, you need to stop her. This war is not meant to be fought by children leaders; you know very well the viciousness to which we have massacred each other. Your daughter does not....."

"What the fuck do you want me to do about it," he snapped angerily. "I've been gone longer then you were. I don't even know my supposed child's name or anything about her! And you're asking me to stop a woman I don't know!"

"Dante, your child is not a woman. She is a mere child. She is young; just as young as my operatives. Your daughter is still a little girl Dante. She will continue to attack us; she will make contact with us again. You will be ready to talk to her."

"No. Fuck that. You don't even know if will listen to me or believe you that I'm her father. And do think she's going to trust or listen to a man who hasn't ever been part of her life? I'm through with this all. You have your little war. I'm done. I'm going back home with Brianna. And we're going to live away from this all."

"Do not run from your responsibilities Dante. You helped bring this child into the world; you are not leaving her because she does not fit into your agenda now. If you want the end of all this; you need to stop it."

Dante thought long and hard, his eyes traveling back to the window. The skies grew darker and darker. They were getting closer; he could feel the ominious presence of evil and darkness. It was then he succumbed to the fate he realized. He sighed, heaving himself up, oving toward the back of the small plane.

Quietly, "I'll go. But this isn't for you or this dead place. I'm doing this because Brianna would want me to help that little girl."

Alex walked into a large room; a conference desk sat in the center; folders and papers splayed across it. Ergonomic executive chairs surrounded the table, and Alex pulled one out as he took a seat in it, pulling a manilla folder closer to him.

He skimmed the pages before discarding it to the side and pulling another folder closer. He did this to half a dozen folders before he sat back contently with one and read through the papers carefully.

"C9, leave me. I need to work in silence. I will need you to to find me a red folder somewhere in this mansion. It is labeled The Third Protocal. I need it."



C9 looked at him wistfully, being that he was not paying attention to her, but engaged deeply into this papers. She responded with a turned heel as she left the room, grinning to Richard.

"Will you help me Richard," she asked, sounding almost like a helpless child who lost her kitten.

Richard smiles at C9's excitement and proposal to take him; he had less desire to stay here with the odd Alex than to go learn more about this beautiful enigma.

Richard looks into C9's eyes and she gives him a bit of visual encouragement before they leave the room together.

"So, where is this red folder supposed to be?"

Richard saw the gleam in her eyes; and knew that she knew where the folder was, and what its contents contained. His estimation of the influence she had in the Dictatorship rose, as well as of her ability to get places she isnt allowed to get. All great things, and for some reason, he was proud.

She answered with that same gleam of her eye, and grabbed his hand to head off to an unknown destination.

C9 wrapping her thin fingers with his and smiled mischeviously. Whispering evilly, "Richard, this will be an excellent show. Alex is vicious. The man fights with a vengence I have not yet seen. His father died in the war; and he has sworn to destroy anyone who stands in the way of The Dictatorship and Der Fuhrer's supreme rule. Poor Callisdrun; they should not have attacked us. The little damage the inflicted on us will not compare slightly to the hell he's capable of bringing. I've seen this man in training; he annihiliated a rebel training squad single-handedly. He doesn't take anything from anyone. This will be a brilliant show Richard."

She led him through the labyrinth of corridors until they stopped at the enterence to the labratory.

"Will you join me or shall you stay here? I need to retreive something," she said, as if hinting to the red folder that she was requested to retrieve.

Meanwhile, in the nation of Mahanoy; the Blackbirds and Spirits reassembled back at the landing zone. The victory was widely celebrated; as bottles of champange were cracked and numerous prostitutes hired to please the men and even women for a job well done.

Genocide smiled from behind the large desk; a small girl behind a large desk. It was only a matter of time before she would take the region, proclaiming it her land.

Her past was nothing anymore; her parents did not exist, how she got here she could not remember. All she could remember what that Mahanoy was her home and that Mahanoy had been a power concealed far from The Reich; a holding zone of the infamous Dante's "toys." She had access to all of the bases and materials that she knew of; and she was going to exploit every last one of them against her new enemy.

She smiled in glee; this war, all a game to her. No more challenging then hide and seek or tag in a child's world.

The leader of The Reich Freedom Fighters slowly slid among the rubble of the fallen city. He made his way toward the mansion; taking his time. He was in no hurry to get there; for he knew that this job required precision.

Walking among the rubble he stumbled across the body of man. The man was laying in the street staring up at him. He took the man for dead, until the man's eyes slowly met his. The rain still heavily beat, but Damon did not seem to mind.

The man on the road slowly spoke; the blood still coming up though his coughes. "You need to help me. I need to get my daugther."

Damon removed his gun, aiming between the eyes of the helpless man. "I don't help this place."

Before he could pull the trigger the man continued, "I don't care about here either. Just help me. I hate this place. I hate them all."

The leader of The Reich Freedom Fighters pondered his words for a while. This man could prove to be useful. He crotched down and lifted the man, tossing him over his shoulder. He now had access to the mansion.

Richard listened to C9 explaining the situation about Alex from C9, a bit unimpressed, but he showed outward appearance of casual excitement. Now that he knew how much she knew, he figured he should step a bit light. None of it made him attracted to her any less, but it just made him.. wary, and more dependant on gathering information on his own. He was also genuinely worried about her, and wanted to give his all in any scrape that she may get in.

He only said, "I think I will go into the Laboratory with you, just in case any trouble awaits. Lets retrieve this folder and finish this soldiers task."

In they went, to the laboratory, he hoped she knew where that light switch was.

C9 smiled as she pulled him into the dark labratory. The lights snapped on as they stepped foot into the labratory, revealing a large room with extensive research.

C9 walked among rows of bottled chemicals, reading their names casually. She grabbed one, smiled, and walked toward a counter nearby, retreiving a needle and withdrawing some of the chemical. She smiled pleasantly as she held the needle in her hand.

"Once Alex is done annihiliating the nation of Callisdrun, we shall put him to his final rest. He will only get in the way if we keep him around; the worthless man and his dedication to a dead hope," she scathingly hissed.

She smiled at him then, pulling him closer and kissing him lightly on the lips, before pulling away and winking. Without hesitating, she ran down the stairs and toward the room Alex was in.

As C9 looks around at the vials in their pristine enclosures, Richard spots a vial whose contents interest him immensely; not an immoral man, Richard considers leaving it, but waits until C9 walks down another row before pocketing it and a few other choice chemicals. He was grateful for his training as a child in the Family of the First, especially if you were in line for the sword of ages. Not much to it really, just a very well made sword in a non-descript scabbard.. but it was what it symbolized that made it a fearful weapon. The Firsts were always trained in modern warfare, defending ones' self with high powered modern weapons; but the name harkened back to a time when there was much power struggle in Adyndril. His family came out on top, and has been in power ever since. It was tradition for the First to carry on the flame of the past, so they were trained in the same way that elites were in the past.. but in a modern way, learning about advanced poisons with deadly intent. Richard spots a couple large vials of one such intraveinous poison, a rare, dark blend that he thought would work very well coated on his hidden fighting knives. Rarely did a first have to use his weapons, but Richard had been in scrapes in the past.. besides, now was a better time then never. So, he took them, and a few others, placing them in his pocket; not telling C9 for fear that she would object to him stealing.. which seemed like a non-issue when it was for good reason in a time of war.

Richard found the sword, like all other Cyphers of note, by figuring out the complex puzzle that his father left which gave him the code to open up the Vault, one such that only he had access to. He was working on implementing a modern system to delete the number from his mind after he used it; and resolving the now simple puzzle to find it all over again. He had wanted to make a trip, and call in some of his covert soldiers to live in the city for a while in case of attack.. but he couldnt leave because of the protocol, and wanted to wait on the soldiers as long as possible while they were still safely hidden outside the protocol zone.

Richard hears a vial break in a row next to his and C9's resultant curse tells him that she had knocked something over, she smiles as she picked up a different colored bottle and walks over to the counter. Richard follows her and thinks he hears her say something under her breath with rather evil intent. Richard sees a syringe in her hand, filled with the contents of the vial she filled it with. He approaches C9 a bit cautiously, when she turns around and smiles at him sweetly.

Richard, still cautious, harkens back to a quote, 'Run when a woman smiles sweetly. Have riteous fear when she yells; but time the two effects just right, and she'll be riding you like a cowboy rides a horse on the plains of D'Hara,' and smiled right back at the thought, more from remembering that old Adyndril saying than its intent.

After a kiss that fuzzed his head sufficiently, so much that he barely saw her wink at him, he thought, 'but, of course, time them wrong; and you may wake up with a missing family jewel,' thinking of the final, usually discarded part of that saying.. and grimaces.

Finally noticing C9 ran off, he leaps ahead and is soon confronted with a problem in this labyrinth. In a dark hallway he cant decide which direction to take; but, leaning in close to the floor, he sees a tiny blue dot. Remembering the vial of blue dye that she dropped, that blue dot was slight, but there nonetheless. Thanking his luck, he follows, probably 5 mins behind her.

General Farkas crawled out from under some of the rubble. For a nation that has been at war for years, their air defense is pathetic he thought. The question of why no fighters had been launched, no measures had been taken to prevent the attack dogged his mind. He was cut a bit, as were most of the troops who had also been in the mansion. No matter, Callisdrunians were not intimidated easily.

"Radio the nearest platoons and tell them to come help search for survivors," Farkas commanded the communications officer. "You others, help me start searching." They went forward, in a reconnaissance formation, men and women of Istvan Farkas' personal guard. 17th Platoon would also be there within five minutes. They walked deeper into the mansion, watching for any sign of life, checking every door. If anyone was alive, they'd find them.

17th Platoon showed up in armored cars, some getting out to search on foot. Several tanks were also with them.

Farkas recieved a message from Admiral Sorvik. "We have a patient on board who's pretty high up in the Dictatorship. In his delerium, he mentioned not being able to trust someone. In my time at the mansion, I think I know who he's talking about." She then went on to describe C9. "Be on the look out for her. I for one know that she's a power hungry bitch, loyal only to herself. Don't let her play mind games with you, Istvan."

"I'll keep that in mind," Farkas said. He was not a man of many words, and preferred straight forward business.

C9 slid among the corridors; a stealthy snake amid a forest. She worked her way back to the room Alex had stationed himself in to work from. She knew this war he would single-handedly wage would be monumental; and as she continued around the corners of corridors, she smiled maliciously; pleased that she had progressed another rung on that ladder of power.

In the mean time, Perry collected himself off the floor. During the bombing runs he had lost his balance; already being on the floor he decided to take a rest, which only a few moments ago he woke from. He used the wall to guide him; his body felt weak and old, despite his youth. His partner Nye was murdered at the hands of his enemy. He cursed this nation; the air, the land, the water......everything about it. This place was a vile hell; a desolate wasteland; the darkness and silence life consumming. He needed to get far away from here......he needed to get back, go home, go anywhere but here.

In the midst of her dauntless dash, she ran precariously into Perry, nearly knocking him over. Perry regained his step and glared at her. He could not fathom that she was still alive. She should have been killed; her reputation had be tainted here. He glared at her coldly as she moved closer to him, more menacing then ever.

Hissing, "You're still alive Perry. I thought for sure they'd have killed you be now."

Laughing strongly, "Woman, you're the one who should be dead. I'm too valuable to be expended so easy. You.......you know nothing of our movements. DFD won't kill me but you're probably number one on her list. Stupid bitch."

C9 glared back coldly at Perry. She hated the man. He was going to present another problem to her plans. He needed to be removed as well, but as it stood, she only had enough of her chosen chemical to kill Alex. She could split the dose half and half on each, but they both not die then.

She stood, contemplating her decision. She had to make a decision and quickly, for she knew Perry was formulating his own plan of disposing of her. She grinned at him quickly and winked.

"Oh Perry, you fool. You have no idea what you are talking about."

Richard stumbles down the hallways; wishing he worked out a bit more lately.. he might not have been out of shape, but certainly a few celebrations about the lack of bombs in Adyndril until the one before he left. Putting on weight was mandatory for a man in a time of peace in Adyndril, and his reign had been the most peaceful; something he could be somewhat proud of.

He stops for a moment at a hallway with 4 exits and sits for a moment, deciding which exit led to C9, and Alex. As was the unconscious habit of all sword-users, Richard lifts his sword to make sure its cleared in the scabbard, and that his other hidden weapons were still where he expected them to be. Finally, he opened the door to a scene of madness; and instantly had his sword out of its scabbard; looking at C9 in apparent danger, the maliciousness in the two's eyes while they looked at each other.. he was unnoticed.

Deep inside the mansion, with 17th platoon now close behind and catching up, Farkas could hear two people arguing, a man and a woman, they sounded like. Taking a turn around a corner, he and his guards came upon them.

Already suspicious, as the woman matched the description of this C9 woman that Sorvik had given him, his guards held their weapons. "Your names please?" Istvan said, in a voice that was neither happy nor angry, merely cold and factual.

The men and women of 17th Platoon arrived about a minute after he did, adopting the ready stance of Farkas' guards.

Perry's eyes flashed with fury as he snapped violently. He clenched his fist and swung hard, hitting her across the face. She stumbled backward and stared up at him in disbelief.

"You fool Perry; you have no idea what you just did," she hissed back as an evil grin slipped across her cut lip, which dripped a droplet of blood onto the floor.

Perry, feeling satisfied at the punch stiffened his poise. He was not sure what she had meant by her threat, but somehow he knew that he would regret it. He eyed her cautious, monitoring every slight move, including the drop of blood to the floor.

"Your names please," sounded close by, but the words went unheard among the tension of the moment. C9 and Perry locked eyes; their furious rage burning intensely. A few moments later the sound of others joined the man who had spoken, but neither C9 nor Perry made a move nor a comment.

In a flash, C9 winked to Perry as Perry's eyes wondered toward the people gathering. She wrapped her arms around him, looking into his eyes, the same intense fury burning between them.

"Your names." Istvan Farkas said it with just a tinge of irritation in his voice this time.

By now, most of 17th platoon was behind him. Of his guards, most looked somewhat annoyed by the two in front of them, ignoring them. "Come on," one said. "We haven't got all fucking day, you know." She cursed in Callisdrunian.

[OOC: hooray! new page!]

C9 grinned maliciously, she wrapped her arms around Perry and pulled him closely, bringing her lips closer to his. She smiled and winked to Richard, who she slightly noticed out of the corner of her eye, poised and ready to attack.

Swinging Perry hard into Istvan, she lept forward using Istvan's falling shoulder as a crutch to swing her heel into the neck of the closet soldier behind him. She removed her heel after piercing his carotid artery; her eyes glimmering with the thrill of a fight.

She hesitated none; the thrill of the fight coursing through her as she snatched the fallen soldier's weapon and placed three rounds into the next man's head before diving behind Istvan, holding the gun toward his neck right below his chin.

"Let's see what you can do my dear," she playfully whispered seemingly into Istvan's ear, but winking at the figure in the shadows.

Richard leaped out of the shadows and sunk his larger knife into the side of a soldier on the flank closest to him to announce his arrival. Pulling the blade out, he runs behind the soldier he just stabbed and picks him up to use as a quick temporary shield. Throwing the man at the soldier who was turning to fire at him, Richard capitalizes on the confusion by cutting across the man's face, then sweeping down to disembowel him. Without pausing, he's swiftly in and out of the men, using his knife without pause. The knives gave him more capability in close quarters combat such as this. By now, he's more than noticed; the 30 or so men of the platoon wondering where the screams are coming from.

The lieutenant of the platoon suddenly appeared and swiped at him with his own combat knife. Richard reads the next cut, and intercepts the man's arm with the blade of his knife; not violent, just a pause, before ramming the heel of the knife into the man's nose and the knife across his throat an instant later.

The men open fire on him as he leaps and dives behind a solid object. He pulls out his two pistols, checks to see if they're loaded, and peeks out. Bullets hail his position as he makes his presence known.

Richard leaps up and over towards the other side of the room firing his two pistols.. but only manages to get one. He mutters and tells himself to stick to knives. Following cover on the side of the room, Richard pulls out his sword and chops a man's hand off before ramming his knife into the man's skull. Pulling the red blade out violently, and slicing it quickly across another man's abdomen gives him a short breather as a sergeant approaches. Instead of taking the moment to stretch, Richard intercepts the man with a throwing knife and turns around find C9 again to see how she is handling things.

Grinning at his work, C9 slid her hand slowly up Istvan's leg, slowly and gently, before reaching for his weapon and disarming him. He struggled, trying to break free from her; and almost succeeded in breaking free and retreiving back his weapon.......that was, until C9 nailed him in the back of the head with her weapon.

She grabbed the back of his shirt, and wasting no time drug him from the battle scene. Almost free from all range of fire, a stray bullet plunged deeply into her calf, sending her to her knees. She screamed loudly, a fierce angry scream of a furious woman.

The sound echoed the corridors, sounding as if it came from every direction, making the precise position impossible to determine.

The scream and gunshots did not go unnoticed though. Alex, busy with his plans, set them aside as he grabbed a single grenade and gun. Apathetic he walked out of the room toward the battle. He did not slow his pace none, even as he closed inward toward the battle. He stopped right at the range of the battle, in perfect military stance, staring at the scene before him. C9 on her knees before him and the bloody scene off in the distance at bit.

EDITTED:

WITHDRAWING FROM RP

The soldiers took careful precautions with this man that had attacked them. He was clearly very dangerous, however, they might be able to get information out of him. One woman approached from the side, feinting toward him to catch his attention, while a sharp-eyed soldier on the opposite side fired a round at each of his knees.

However, it became apparent to them that someone new had recently arrived on the scene. They eyed him warily, not knowing what to think of the man in the distance, whose posture seemed to be perfect.

Richard took a breather from his spree, having no small amount of cuts, and welling stains on his outfit as direct consequence. He found a spot with shadows, and stuck there like glue watching the situation develop in the center with C9 and that other man. C9 knew he was here, but he wanted to play the shadows this time; perhaps finding out who wants C9 would be an appropriate stance for him right now.

Richard wasnt thinking straight, he had a feeling that this would not end well for many.

I guess we're continuing.

Perry, unable to react before being thrust into Farkas, was knocked unconscious. His thoughts flashed quickly.....he would get her back somehow. His body slumped to the ground almost in slow motion. He lay unmoving as the battle continued around him, a few stray bullets barely missing his head; a few grazing him as they dug themselves into the floor or nearby wall.

A few soldiers dragged the unconscous Perry into their midst. Perhaps he might know something about what the hel was going on.

Alex looked down to C9, who's leg was bleeding heavily. "What happened? Do you have the folder," he asked directly, no longer looking down at her, but at the battle scene before him.

Through pained gasps, "No......Alex......they attacked me. I think Richard's dead. I......don't know what happened. I was on my way to back to get you and we were ambushed."

"Can you walk," he asked while standing straight and staring at the others.

"I don't think so Alex. Just leave me......They'll kill you. Get away Alex," she pleaded with him.

Alex stooped down, sliding his arm around C9's back and assisting her up. "Who is that man," he asked before continuing.

"He's the one who led the attack on us," I was going to bring him in for questioning.

Alex remained standing there for a while, contemplating whether or not he should take this man with them as well.

The soldiers made no move toward the man, who the woman who had attacked them was talking to. And she had their commander. By now, all the soldiers who weren't directly involved with the knife-wielding man had their eyes fixed on the man and the woman down the hall.

Alex turned around, assisting C9 and leaving the man behind, after determining that this man would not be needed after all. He did not look back once as he walked slowly back toward the door, taking his time, leaving an open oppurtunity to anyone who dared to shoot him.

A small group of soldiers immediately ran up to see if General Farkas still lived. They breathed a collective sigh of relief when they saw that he did. They didn't quite know what to do about the man leading the woman who had attacked them away. After all, he had not done anything to them, and had not killed or harmed Istvan Farkas in any way when he could easily have done so. A medic got out supplies and saw to Farkas.

Alex pulled C9 back into the room and laid her on one of the chairs. His dark eyes looked into her's as he spoke softly, "Stay here, I will be right back."

He left the room, slowly walking back to the battle scene. The fighting died down and it appeared that it was now clean up time. He walked over to a group of men who were surrounding the man who he had neglected to bring back.

"Who is this man," he asked calmly as he stood, perfect stance again, staring at those around him.

Two soldiers, a man and a woman, seemed almost to race each other to reply. Their accents were fairly strong. "He is General Istvan Farkas," they said, almost in unison.

Alex stooped down again, checking the man's pulse. He looked up suspeciously at those around him.

"Your General still lives. What happened here? And where are you from? We have not met before," he spoke as he slowly stood back up again, straigtening his plain black unmarked uniform.

The woman spoke. "We were searching through these halls, looking for survivors from when we were just bombed, and we found two people. We asked their names and they attacked us. I don't know why, perhaps they had their reasons. We captured one of them I think. The other was that woman that you led away."

Now the male soldier had his turn. "We are from Callisdrun. Do you know what's going on?"

Alex's stepped back abruptly.

Coldly, "If you have a God, I would start praying now. I hope you lived unregrettable lives."

He turned around sharply, and walked away slowly, without saying a further word. He knew what he would do next; he knew that they only way to eliminate them all would be to call on The Red Queen.

"What? What are you talking about? Why should we start praying? Will someone please tell me what's going on? Why didn't anyone launch fighters when we were being bombed?" The woman seemed to be more talkative than the man.

Alex withdrew his gun in a fluid movement and turned sideways facing aiming the gun at the woman who spoke.

"Get far away from me right now if you want to live. You do not have the right to speak to me. I will give you ten minutes to get out of this vicinity before I destroy you all."

"C'mon, he's obviously psycho," the man said to the woman. The word "psycho" was similar in Callisdrunian to English. They picked up General Farkas and ran to the others, looking like confused puppies. The others did not take much explaining to be convinced it was time to go.

Alex started to head back toward the room when he stopped suddenly. He turned again and called to the fleeing men.

"Wait there a second. I need to ask you something," he said, his demeanor cold and ruthless.

His mind raced, "If they are from Callisdrun then they are here for a reason. Perhaps they were ordered to get information. Or maybe they are here to sabotage the mansion? Were they in the Depths of Hell?" His mind flooded with countless possibilities. They were the enemy, but yet they were here inside the mansion. Did they betray The Reich? Did they kill Mathias? Mathias was in control when he left The Dictatorship. Mathias would have been in his own home, but he had not seen him at all. His rage consumed him......he needed to find out the truth; he needed to seek revenge.

"Ask any question you wish, sir." The woman was polite, but she was now wary of this man. He had threatened them, and she stood poised to have the rest of the troops run on a split second's notice.

Staring into the woman's eyes coldly, "Where is the leader of this nation?"

He did not have time for leading questions. The absence of Mathias was evident and he was not about to give them a chance to get away with the murder of his father's best friend. He stared at her coldly, wanting nothing more then to slam her head into the wall and crush her skull. He held his demeanor despite his rage though; outside he appeared to be calm and reassuring......inside, he burned with hatred and rage that wanted this woman dead just for speaking to him.

"You mean the Dictatorship? I do not know." She considered for a second. It seemed an odd question to ask. Then an idea struck her. "General Farkas might have that kind of information in his briefcase. We'd have to break the locks to open it though. How important is it?" She did know that Farkas and Sorvik kept communications open, and that briefcases of leaders as high as the two were equipped with tiny message recievers of some kind.

Alex stepped forward slowly. "No, you will do no such thing. I will not let you leave this perimeter," he said almost threateningly as he moved closer to them. He would take one of them and interrogate them......it was his only solution. He needed an answer and needed it quickly.

As he moved closer, a twinge of pain shot down his leg and arm, and he halted suddenly.

Unsure of what to do, he looked to the woman, "You there, miss, come here," he demanded coldly. Rage burned within him. Mathias......dead......he would kill whoever killed him.

Richard woke up in a daze on a floor that he didnt recognize; panic filling his very soul for a moment before he realized that he wasnt blind.. that the room around him was as dark as a moonless night.

His eyes adjusted quickly as he fumbled his way towards the nearest point of light.. tripping over what felt like dead flesh.. he finally reached a door and opened it to the hallway outside. Stumbling out cautiously, Richard wondered what had become of C9 and how he could locate her again.

"We have it with us sir, the General never lets it out of his sight." It was true, one of the communications officers had the briefcase, he was only twenty feet away. It was also true that the briefcase was never far from General Farkas.

C9 sat tending to her wound, using her nails to pry out the shards of the bullet from her injured leg. She clenched her jaw tightly as her thin fingers dug into the torn skin of her leg and fumbled around from for the small pieces of metal embedded in her.

After retrieving the last piece and discarding with a relieved fury onto the floor, she inspected the wound. It was bad, would take a while to fully heal, but she would live from it. She sighed slowly......she hated being shot, it was such an annoying burden and set back in her plans.

Using her good leg, she pulled herself toward the table with Alex's plans and papers sprawled over it. Wiping the blood clean from her hands on her short skirt, she used her freshly cleaned hand to examine what he was looking through.

A malicious smile spread across her face......

"Another one bites the dust," she whispered to herself as she limped back to her seat.

"Would you like to see it sir?" the male soldier asked most respectfully. "We can have it open in no time, if you want." He didn't know why he was doing this, maybe to save Farkas' life, all their lives. This man after all had threatened to kill them.

Anger welled inside him. He wanted to snap; wanted to take her head and smash it into the wall, or pull back out his gun and shoot her in the neck. He moved closer, the rage building further.

"Now," he yelled angerily, losing his temperment for a moment.

The woman stood up, and the man brought the briefcase from the communications officer and held it before this angry man, for him to take. The woman waited for him to indicate where to go.

Alex reached out for the briefcase and seized it. His grip ceased though as pain shot down his arm. The briefcase crashed to the ground, as Alex stared at them almost terrified.

His heart screamed out in pain; the constricting feeling he was fighting in the rage unleashed. He grimaced before backing up away from them. He took a few steps back, the pain from his chest spreading down his arm. His back pressed itself firmly against the wall and slid down it.

"Not now," he muttered as he grabbed his chest with his good right arm and leaned his head into his knees. He felt ill, his head began to hurt, his heart screamed with each beat. "No," he faintly whispered, "fuck."

Kahlan froze.

For her life she could not see how it would be possible for her to escape this situation.

Laying in her bed at night, only a soft scrape told her that someone was in the room with her; fingering the knife under her pillow, Kahlan nearly shed a tear thinking of her lost Richard.

Just a week ago, she would have been all too happy to have him die; but not yet.. he was still needed.. and the news of his death had caused only more rioting and distress amongst the people.. for all he was, Richard was loved by his people.

Adyndril was a capable country that could become something satisfying one day perhaps, but today would not be that day.. and she had more pressing problems at hand.

Unsheathing the knife with the one hand she had available for the job; Kahlan prepared herself by relaxing her muscles, instead of tensing. The assassin struck by plunging his own knife into a now unoccupied mattress. Kahlan doubled under her bed and hamstrung the man standing atop it looking for her body. As soon as his screaming form hit the ground, she silenced it with a press of her knife on his throat.

Guards swam into the room in confusion as she somewhat graciously stepped out from under her bed. These guards would know what to do with this man, and he wouldnt have fun in the sub-basement chambers of the large castle overlooking the city of Adyndril. His screams would be heard throughout the dungeon for days before they subsided.. finding information would be but a lucky bonus here.

"Are you all right, sir?" The woman, her last name was Freydisdat(a mouthful), despite the angry man's threats, had a look of genuine concern on her face. The man, his last name was Olsen, called for a medic to get on the spot immediately.

Richard worked his way down the hallway, following little clues left behind by the party that left him behind.. possibly for dead, but he knew C9 wouldnt have left him behind unless she was either in trouble, or knew he would be alright.. which left him in a tight spot.

All he knew was that he had to find her as soon as possible; time was of the essence, so he trekked down the hallways of the seemingly abandoned castle with his knife at hand in case anymore soldiers popped out at him.

Richard had been in such a hurry to take off and get his bearings again that he forgot to check for injuries. His father had always said that 'any injury that leaves you walking is an injury that can be sustained'; so he kept going for now.. not feeling any pain, but not sure if anything was wrong either. His father also said to 'know your own weaknesses before you know your enemies,' so there was an apparent contradiction when he tried to apply this circular logic at this juncture. He soldiered on in confidence that he would get to where he needed to be.

Finally hearing a voice inside a door, he walked in, and immediately found exactly who he was looking for; praising his luck, he walked over to C9, who hadnt seemed to notice him yet fully.. she appeared to be in deep thought.

Alex laid down on the cold floor; his face pressed against it as he stared at the parallel wall in front of him.

"Not now," he murmured again as he clutched his chest. The rage quickly diminished, but it was too late, he pushed his body too far. "Fuck," he whispered silently as the pain clouded his thinking.

His breathing became strained as he closed his eyes slowly. In the silence that persued his strained breathing, he knew he pushed it way too far this time. "Go away," he barely managed to whisper through the strained and painful breathing.

"All right sir. If you need a medic, we have one with us." Fredyisdat stepped back from the angry man, though still remaining in the hallway, not wanting to appear to be running away.

C9 heard Richard enter, but remained as was. She was indeed in deep thought, and did not want to be disturbed from his glorious moment. Alex would take this to the maximum.....what could be better?

After a few moments, she looked up toward Richard, and gave a little jump to give the appearence of being startled. "Richard! Goodness, you're alive! Alex grabbed me before I could check on you. He helped me back here. As you can see, I can't walk at all," she mentioned as she showed him her injured leg. "Damn buggers got my leg as I tried to get Farkas out of there to interrogate him," she said playfully.

"Enough about me, what happened to you?"

Through his raspy and hard breaths, Alex mustered a few words, "Red.......Queen........tar....get......Callisdrun........program.........Z3....COSP...."

Finishing the words, he let out a long painful breath. This would be his end he thought as he laid there. He pushed himself too far and now his body would pay for it.

Destiny......

Richard, noting C9's hesitation; wondered what had her thinking.. probably just her injuries.

Answering her question, Richard held back modestly as he was taught to, "You know most of it.. sometime after blacking out; I awoke and found you here.. your leg looks pretty bad, may I take a look?"

After she said nothing, he bent over to inspect her wound; procuring a bandage and a pair of tweezers from a drawer nearby, Richard set to work pulling out the tiny shards that C9 had missed.

"You dont want this getting infected.. ill be gentle."

C9, not seeming to notice the pain at all just sat back and studied him as he went about his task, finally finishing up with a bit of cotton and gauze.

She thanked him quietly and began to debrief him on a bit of the situation at hand. It was good to finally find a few moments to look at her, study her form; athletic and bold.. with a few proud scars.. her eyes were striking, a testament to the pain that she had been through in her past. Finally realizing that he had missed an important part, Richard gave an embarrassed grin and let her finish.

Below the complex, Destiny sat on the bottom step of a long staircase. She loved her brother, but she also knew that he was too dedicated to love someone else back.

Destiny......

She quickly looked around the crowd of practically silent people. Was she crazy? Did someone just call her name?

She looked around frantically, realizing something was wrong. She felt it without knowing what it was. Standing up, her long dark green figure cutting dress falling down, removing the small wrinkles that built up from her sitting, she quickly made her way up the stairs past a few individuals. Guards seized her at the top of the stairs though.

"Miss, no one leaves. Orders."

Desperate she pleaded, "Please, my brother.......something is wrong!"

"No one leaves ma'am. Orders."

She tried to struggle past them, but their brute strength restrained her.

"Alex....." she whispered as she stared at the ground, a feeling of despair and failure overcoming her.

Through his raspy and hard breaths, Alex mustered a few words, "Red.......Queen........tar....get......Callisdrun........program.........Z3....COSP...."

Finishing the words, he let out a long painful breath. This would be his end he thought as he laid there. He pushed himself too far and now his body would pay for it.

Destiny......

"What?!" Both Freydisdat and Olsen yelled at once. "No, sir, what are you doing?" Freydisdat said frantically. The medic rushed in to see what he could do, Olsen cracked open the briefcase, shoving it in front of the angry man. One of the papers included General Farkas orders, signed by the King himself, to give his full support to Dyszel, another, a report sent by Erzsebet Sorvik on Dyszel and Mathias leaving the country. Several other important documents were visible.

"What does he mean?" Olsen asked Freydisdat.

"I'm not quite sure. I've heard mention of the Red Queen, don't know much about it, but I know that the word 'target' followed by the name of our country can't be good. Why the Hel would they do this?!" Turning back to the angry man, who the medic was frantically working on, she screamed "Why are you doing this?!"

The words which Alex managed to hear were barely comprehended. He could not put a full sentence together in his mind; for he was too focused on the constricting and painful beating of his heart.

Below, he knew his sister remained out of harm's way. That was all he could ask for. He loved her more then anything in the world; he was just too afraid to show it. He was afraid to admit he loved; he was afraid of emotion......and now, he would regret never saying those words to his sister.

Alex felt hands press against him, trying to move the arm that protected and gaurded his chest. He curled into the fetal position without opening his eyes or removing his arm. He tried to hide from whomever it was there, but he could not. He could not even open his eyes to see them.

His heart beat strained further as his breathing weakened. It was only a matter of time before he died; he was aware of it as he tried to fight of the hands that touched him.

C9 finished his debriefing, and with a sigh, Richard stepped out into the hallway and went for a short walk to gather his thoughts.

He spotted what appeared to be an emergency, just a bit further down from where he had met C9.. Richard broke out into a run and caught up to the scene, immediately taking charge. He found out that this man had been struck by what appeared to be a heart condition.

Richard then remembered the things he took from the lab.. looking down into the pocket where they had been put; he considered his options.. should he simply perform field first aid on the man.. till help arrived? Or should he take out his adrenaline needle and perhaps reveal that it had been stolen?

He quickly chose the latter, figuring that no one would search him for any of the others; and took out the needle. Alex immediately began to struggle against his attempts to stab him in the heart.. which was understandable.. but Richard quickly overpowered his slowly dying body.

Plunging the long, now extended needle into Alex's heart, Richard then just prayed that it worked.. getting up calmly, needle in hand; Richard finally realized that there were people all around him in an uproar about something.

Realizing that the situation was a bit humourous, Richard introduced himself to the people around.

"I think he's having heart trouble, the pain he displays seems to be coming from his chest area, and his heart beat is getting weaker," the medic spoke quickly.

After another man came in and injected the angry man, introducing himself as Richard, the medic decided that the best action would be to get the angry man to professional care. It was not a hard decision.

Several soldiers helped the medic lift the angry man up, which was no easy task, many of them getting bloody noses and black eyes from trying to approach him, though they succeded eventually, with great effort, and they then ran, carrying him, down to the room where most of the people waited. They knew they had little time.

"Hello, I'm Medic Carlsen" the medic said. "We have to get this man to a hospital or medical facility of some sort."

Alex was unconscious by this time. The struggle with Richard took the last of his energy and consciousness. He lay there, breathing shallow, as his heart slowly calmed down, the constricting feeling loosening. His body relaxed from the tight curled up fetal position into a limp partially curled up body.

He might just live after all.



Meanwhile, below, Destiny began to cry as she felt her brother's life slowly slip. It was bond they both shared. She knew the feelings tied to him and often could tell something was wrong without being near him at all......and now, being just right below him and unable to save him, she felt horrible. She cried as she remembered the little boy he was when growing up with their father.

Carlsen and the soldiers carried him awkwardly, while going as fast as they could, towards the exit of the mansion. It was still a ways away.

Memories of a little boy filled both Destiny and Alex's head, despite his unconsciousness.

A little boy, so happy, and so carefree ran across the large from yard, racing his sister, as a bold man walked toward the house. He lept up into his father's arms and giggled just as the little girl joined him. "Daddy! Daddy!" they both called excitingly as they wrapped their arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

The man laughed happily and carried the children into the house, where he placed them down. They ran about his legs and told him story upon story of the events that he had unfortunately missed. Excited children and happy father.......

Richard focused his attention at the dying man in front of him.. Alex.. what had compelled him to save this man? Richard always trusted his intuitions.. and he had a serious moment there where he had considered letting him die. He hoped that this incident wouldnt end up inflaming this man's slight control issue, that would be a worst case scenario.. but some of the people he had met since arriving here had been a bit odd about certain types of things, Richard had yet to really begin to learn the Ways of the flow of political and military power here, lacking the time to divide his attention to it; and attend the requisite social functions..

Immediately snapping out of his train of thought, Richard smacked Alex lightly, to his still-light protests.. which seemed to be draining him further.

Richard told the crowd to step back so that Alex could rest until he could be transported to the nearest medical facility to recover.. and he needed the room to be secret; not knowing if this had been done by design. So he set about his tasks with a busyness that demanded obediance from his glare.

Carlsen sent one of the other soldiers as a runner down to the basement to tell everyone what was going on.

As soon as the runner came in sight of the guards he started yelling about how a man had had a heart attack and needed an ambulance.

C9 followed Richard out of the room, from a distance. Curious as her nature was, she followed suit, realizing quickly that it was Alex who the trouble was centralized around.

She watched from a hidden distance as Richard shoved a needle into Alex's chest after a struggle to subdue him and as they carried his body, which was now limp as a noodle, away to seek help.

He has to die. C9's thoughts traveled back to his plans and the needle. He must die.

As quickly as possible with her wounded leg, she followed them. She would save his life for the moment, but he would have to die sometime.

OOC: Maybe my previous post should be ignored

IC:
Carlsen, in the meantime, did everything he possibly could to keep the angry man alive. The man had threatened them with death, yes, but it was dishonorable not to care for the wounded, and Carlsen supposed this qualified. "What's the emergency response number here? Is it 911?" he asked Richard or anyone who would listen. It seemed to be that in most places.

Destiny heard the words clear as day and stood quickly from the stairs, tears still streaming down her face.

"Oh God, Alex," she screamed. She rushed past the guards, who once again seized her and prevented her from leaving. "Alex," she screamed louder, hoping he could just hear her cries.

Looking to the runner she called to him. "Is he alright? Oh God, please tell me he is alive! What does he look like? What's his name? Please, tell me something!"

"He's alive, but he needs to be taken to a hospital or something. The medic says he's having a heart attack." He paused, panting for breath. He had run at full tilt. "He's about this tall," he said gesturing to indicate the angry man's height. He then described the man's physical features, hair, eyes, etc.

"Oh God, Alex," she cried as she fell helplessly to her knees. "It's Alex. Oh God. He can't die.......he's my brother," she said through the streaming tears.

Realizing there and then that her brother was bound to die, she cried more, feeling weak and useless. The medical facitilies had all been destroyed in the city. And the one's in Mathias's mansion were useless without professionals to run them.

"Alex," she whispered, "please don't die. I love you."

"Is anyone in here a doctor?!" the runner yelled into the room. He then said "I'm sorry ma'am. I think he has a chance of surviving, well, I hope so. I'm no doctor though, so I don't know."

Admiral Hunny*Dew worked her way toward Destiny. If it was Alex taking a heart attack, she might be able to help him. She walked up the stairs, a grace swan amid the chaos of any situation.

"Stand down men," her sweet singsong voice sounded. "She will go with me to check this man. I will provide any medical assistance needed."

The men took one look at Admiral Hunny*Dew and immediately moved aside. Despite their orders from Alex, they knew not to cross the right hand woman of Der Fuhrer Dyszel. She helped Destiny up and walked over to the runner.

"Take us to him quickly please," her sweet voice sounded as she smiled softly.

She had learned to keep a cool head and kindess in chaotic situations.....the voice of reason was often needed most then.

"Thank you ma'am," the runner said. "I'll take you to him. He's not far away at all." And with that, he set off at a pace that could be followed easily.

Meanwhile, Carlsen was applying all his skill to keeping the angry man alive. He was noted as having great ability in saving lives, especially under pressure, but this was quite trying. Occasionally, he asked Richard to help him with something.

Reaching Alex, Admiral Hunny*Dew immediately assumed control over the situation. Trained under battle for years, she was capable of taking care of any injury or wound. Heart attacks would be more difficult, but it was nothing compared to some of the previous wounds she had treated.

Destiny rushed over and crouched aside her dying brother. "Oh Alex," she cried out, "why Alex? What happened? Please live, for me, for daddy.....don't leave me brother. I love you."

Admiral Hunny*Dew's singsong voice sounded above the rest. "Young sirs, please take this man to the medical facility down the hall. Walk straight down that corridor, turn right, and follow that, then turn left. You cannot miss it dears, it is massive; the only room in that corridor with four doors," she said kindly with a wink. Continuing, she turned to Destiny, "Alex will love sweetie. You just stay here and relax. He will live as long as we have patience with his condition."

Destiny looked up to Hunny*Dew and wiped the tears streaming from her eyes. Nodding, she agreed to Hunny*Dew's terms and stood up, taking a seat on bench not far from her.

Looking to Richard now, Hunny*Dew smiled. "And you sir.....come with me. We need make haste. Anyone with medicial knowledge should accompany me with haste. Thank you all."

Kahlan Amnell was meanwhile facing daily threats on her life; and upped security around herself as high as it could go. Literally leaving her with little ability to manage the country whatsoever. She temporarily appointed Richards deputy as the decision maker, because she had no way to make decisions.

This so-called rest of hers, out in the country.. 'Rest,' she thought, 'with about 100 of Adyndril's heaviest soldiers, and even the 50 hidden assassins out at strategic spots in the forest all around to spot any intruders.. no one's resting around here..'

No sizable force could possibly get to her, especially when that force would likely be rabble. The rest of her assassins were purging all of her opposition; so that she could come back to the city and rule supreme, at the very least it would eliminate all of this rioting, bickering, and politics. She hoped it would be enough.

Richard watched the entrance of Admiral Hunny*Dew with a touch of trepidation, following interest in her... unexpected femininity; but what he had heard was mixed in the least. There was also something in the back of his mind bothering him; Alex had wanted him to find Hunny*Dew.. it had appeared that he had done so, and not on his terms either.

He followed this woman as per her request, only because he cared what happened to this Alex whom he knew so little of. The first thought that entered his mind when they began leaving was C9, he wondered what she would think of him leaving with the Admiral, a woman that she had apparently held malice for.

blah blah blah, declaring war? lame. :D

blah blah blah, declaring war? lame. :D

OOC: Shoo

IC:

Artemis sat at his desk, pondering the problems that many of the First's before him did. Even though Artemis was just a temporary replacement, he took the job seriously, and whoever was the country's leader WAS the First. He reflected back on his years, serving Richards parents as the Battle Commander had worn on him. Children had already created budding legends about how he had to kill a man a day to keep from going mad; the truth was far from that, but it was the reason that he was chosen by the council while Kahlan was away. He was now simply leader, should Kahlan ever come back; the council would have another decision to make, but in the meantime, she still commanded quite a bit of authority, controlling without a doubt the entire intelligence community in Adyndril.

It was this budding community that he had to get in touch with to fix Adyndril's problems; he would do better than Kahlan, because he cared more and elicited a higher level of obediance.. but he needed her now more than ever. Shame all of those Heads of Houses had to die to make a point about Adyndril coming before power in every possible sense. The houses had their own assassins as well, but unfortunately, there were fewer, and most of them were known. Being a House Assassin these days was a hard job; not many were any good, and most had come to the Royal Line for higher pay and distinction; plus a better chance at not waking to find yourself paralyzed, and with torture imminent. They were perks to break the backs of the Houses, who now had to resort to their own personal area of control.. much like a feudal system.

'Undoubtedly, as soon as the new batch is trained, they will come to us as well,' Artemis thought with a twinge of pleasure at the plan that he formed with Kahlan and Richard both.

Richard.. like a son to him.. Richard was what Adyndril needed; Artemis had no idea why he took on this journey, Richard wouldnt speak of it to him.. and before he left, Richard asked Artemis to stay and watch over Adyndril.. taking too few men with him to The Dictatorship.

Artemis gave a long sigh at the list of things to do today; much preferring battle to paperwork, he wasnt used to this.. but he got on with it carrying as much resolve as he could through each day; knowing that his skills on the field would be called into play again one day.

blah blah blah, declaring war? lame. :D

OOC:
Blah blah blah....spamming threads you do not belong to.....even more lame. If you find this lame, I laugh at you. Wasting your time to post here is more lame then this can ever be. And watch you say here, you are walking on thin ice in this thread. I suggest never posting here again and removing your post for you own sake, before you make an even bigger ass out of yourself.

Carlsen and the soldiers carried the angry man, whose name was apparently Alex, to the medical facility as quickly as they could while still being careful. All bore looks of dire seriousness.

Once there, Carlsen remained with Admiral Hunny*Dew to assist her if needed.

Kahlan wired her messages from the nomadic forest isolationism that she had taken on the old fashioned way; by dove, for fear of hacking, the protection against which she would not have out here in the woods.

She had been located 3 times, forcing moves around the land; her hidden men out in the woods killed them all before they approached within 2 miles, so she still always felt that layer of safety. Her assassins might not be the best in the world, but teamed up like this, half their total force; they were a powerful force indeed.

She hoped that Artemis was doing his job properly in Adyndril, she had left him explicit instructions; and most of the messages that he had wired her were so full of code that she could barely understand their contents.

Kahlan breathed a sigh of relief as another bird flew from sight, and lay down to dream of Richard, who she had begun to miss more and more as the days passed; his powerful reassurance that he knew what he was doing had always been intoxicating.. and she had grown fond again without realizing it, and quite a bit too late.

Once again, she lay down; hiding her face from the world as she emptied herself in a heated tent where she slept.

Admiral Hunny*Dew walked into the room and immediately to a counter off to the side of the room. Removing a pair of polyurethane gloves, she doned them and grabbed a few bottles and other accessories while walking over to Alex, who was laid neatly on a working table.

She checked his pulse and monitored his breathing before removing his clothing. She took a syringe, which she filled aptly, and inserted into his upper arm, subcutaneously. Prepping for a bilateral IV, she thoroughly cleaned his midarm and placed a torniquet on his arm to reduce the blow flow as she inserted the needle and set the IV.

"We need to stablize him. His condition could flare up if aggrivated again, so keep a close eye on him. I will go see what else there is for us to do that we actually can do here in the meantime," she sweetly said, as she removed the gloves and walked to a room off the side of the facility.

"Sure thing, ma'am," Carlsen said. He kept a vigilant watch over Alex as Hunny*Dew went into another room. "It would be easier, so much easier, if it was a normal battle wound," he said under his breath.

Hunny*Dew shifted the pages of the book, looking through the book for any information that would help. She knew Alex from the service; he was good, sometimes too good. His father was a great reknowned member of The Reich; his service to the region and The Dictatorship was honorable and legandary......as the bullet wound and chemical poisoning that ended his life.....how he fought for what he believed in, The Dictatorship and Der Fuhrer, to the last second of his life.

However, she also knew that he had a rage problem. He bottled himself up when his father died; shut himself off from the rest of the world and turned to work and dedication to the region to avenge his father's death in the hands of the enemy. He swore to never let another betrayal fall upon The Reich, but at the deadly cost of his wellbeing.

Paged through books and folders rapidly, she finally came to something of interest and began skimming the article for key words to assist her.


Meanwhile, C9 limped toward the medical facility, after following Richard and the rest there. She knew Alex was in good hands now, but she wanted to see him despite the care he would receive. Before coming to the medical facility, she saw Destiny wandering about aimlessly.

After a moments hesitation, she called to her, "Dear Destiny! Is that you? Is everything alright? You look pale and nervous."

Destiny, startled by the abrupt halt to thoughts, looked quickly to C9. "Who is that?" she called looking throught the darkness of the corridor, which her eyes have not been trained to see well in due to the lack of battle experience and war. She moved closer toward C9 to make out her face. "C9!" she yelled estatically after making out the face, "I can't believe it's you. Oh, Alex has told me so much about you. Oh C9, it's terrible, Alex took a heart attack. He might die....." she trailed off slowly, looking to the ground as tears filled her eyes once again.

"Come with me Destiny," she said simply.

Carlsen continued to monitor Alex's condition, making adjustments when needed, though only minor.

The soldiers that had carried him into the facility stood outside the door, nursing black eyes and bloody noses, though doing so as if mending a tear in a shirt.

Alex lay unmoving on the table, his heart beat steady and his breathing normal once again, while Hunny*Dew remained the room still paging through articles and reading materials.



At that same time, C9 walked into the room with Destiny at her side. "How is he," she asked calmly, noticing Richard and winking at him playfully.

"His life is in great danger, but for now, he's somewhat stable. I think he has a decent chance, though Amiral Hunny*Dew would be a better judge of that than I," Carlsen said soberly.

Amidst the dying of the night, the dew and foggy haze that filled The Dictatorship this early morning, a plane approached the remains of Stadt des Meeres. As it neared the destroyed city, dark black clouds of a looming storm, bond to disperse soon, hung above like evil destructive demons in the sky.

Der Fuhrer sat back in her seat, her eyes skimming across the surface of clouds below her as they began to make their descent. The plane would barely make it to a landing zone before running out of fuel. She knew the trip had been long and costly; a flight without fuel fo so long was a heavy risk, but the only one option they really had.....they would need to chance a crash landing if need be.

She looked over at the man who she had fought for so long. He was asleep again, his head resting back against the padded seat that supported his head. Periodically, his face would flinch or his hand would tighten it's grip.....she knew that he was dreaming then, but of what, she could not have guessed. He looked dangerous right there and then; as if waking him up would cause him to react as if living inside the dream and killing them all. She made a note from refraining to wake him until they landed.

Her glance turned to the otherside, where Mathias too was asleep. His sleep was troubled as well, he shifted continuously and grunted time to time. She knew he had never slept well since his throat was slit and he lost ability to speak. She often wondered if he had dreamt about speaking to others or if he was mute too inside his dreams. She sighed as she stood up, grabbing a bottle of Bourbon from a refrigerator they kept on board. Taking the bottle back to seat, she opened it and began to drink straight from it. Her eyes traveled back to Dante......how much they had hated each other before.

She looked at his pathetic appearance......a woman's robe over a scarred body. The element of fear was removed from his face. No more would people probably quiver and shake beneath his stare. His face only showed sadness now; a deep loss and undescribable longing. She felt bad for him, but only for a moment. Her eyes traveled back to the dark clouds and there she saw the first glimpse of Stadt......in ruins.

Richard watched Hunny*Dew's surgical skills with interest; she was good, he had to admit. He contented himself with handing her what she needed occasionally, and watching. When it looked like she was wrapping things up, Richard stepped off to the side and with a glance at the man standing in front of the door, he left the room.

Richard sat down in one of the chairs across the hallway, and thought briefly about the day's events. He always loved fatigue, it told him that he had worked hard. C9.. enigmatic as always, what did she want? Hunny*Dew.. she apparently simply wished to use him. Alex.. he was the oddball, from his perspective, it seemed he wasnt as in on things as other people; he wanted to know why he felt the need to save this man, but it did not matter. He did good deeds whenever he could.. like the heroes in the stories.. wasnt one of them named Jain Longwinded? I dont remember..

And Richard fell asleep, up in the clouds.. as light as a feather.

Carlsen simply paced. He knew well enough that when a surgeon was at work, it was best not to get in the way, lest one cause cause the operator to make a mistake from distraction.

He hoped everything would turn out all right, though it probably would not. Why did it have to be me sent here? Why? He wished his unit had been kept in Callisdrun, or even sent on far patrol. Fighting brigands in Altar Rang was preferable to this.

The operation lasted a grueling six hours. Precise intrinsic measures and cuts were needed to perform the long operation. When they finished, Hunny*Dew wiped the sweat that had collected on her forehead and walked back toward the rest.

"He will live, for now at least......"

Her voice was broken by the faint sound of jet turbines in the distance. Her mind immediately began to race, calculating the all the feasible possibilities. It could be another attack. No, those were no turbines of a military craft. Enemy negotations? No, an enemy would not come in person to talk to them unless they had a bribe, and even then they would contact The Dictatorship first. Der Fuhrer? No, she would have contacted The Reich to report back before she came. Reinforcements? Perhaps, it would have to be. It would have to be an ally or someone to that extent.

Her voice came out distant almost, trying to remain calm, despite the intensity of the stress she had just undergone. "Has anyone reported in to The Dictatorship?"

"No one," responded someone amid the group.

"Damn," she murmured. "ID that jet or plane or whateve right now. Have them report to us before they land."

"Admiral, all towers are out. The ports have been destroyed."

"I want someone on that plane right away. The second they land, you need to have them identified and confirmed. Communication through the Red Queen will be opened. I will work on that now," she said turning away, leaving the room.

Lost in thought, she did not realize Richard until she had passed him and caught his image out of the corner of her eye, which had startled her with a jump. "My, Richard, you startled me. I did not see you there. Would you mind following me for a moment? I....feel lost."

At the news of Alex's operation going well, Destiny and C9 walked slowly toward him to see him. C9 upheld the trembling Destiny as they neared her weakened brother.

"Oh God," was all Destiny could whisper as she saw him laying on the table, covered in bloody sheets with tubes running in and out of his body. He remained unconsciousness; the site of her brother's blood stained sheets made her stomach turn for the worse. Before she vomitted, she turned away and ran toward a sink not far from her.

C9 looked upon Alex's figure. He would live after all.

She remembered the needle, the injection that would kill him. She stood by the table, debating for a moment. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she just kill him? It would be so easy. Destiny.....?

She shook her head, disgusted at herself, and quickly turned and sped out of the room, just in time to catch Hunny*Dew's last words to Richard, "I....feel lost." Curious, she slipped out of the door, trying her best not to be noticed. "What was going on," she thought to herself as she inched forward slowly, trying to pick up what was going on.

Richard sleepily realizes that he had dozed off as Admiral Hunny*Dew approached.

'Thats a more open position than I should allow myself to be in, I need to be more careful where I go to sleep,' Richard thought with a bit of disgust before Hunny*Dew spoke.

After she spoke, Richard thought about her motives, and his own strength.. He saw no reason not to walk with Hunny*Dew, but the exhaustion seeping through made his eyelids fight to keep open.

Out of the corner of his eye, Richard saw something flash; and felt a funny feeling. Shaking it off, he thought of C9.. Just where was she?

Before walking off with Hunny*Dew, a woman whose rigidly authorative personality hadnt cracked until just now.. Richard made something clear to her.

"We can walk wherever you would like to go, Admiral; but I fear I will just drop without the proper rest," he said, subtly faking most of his distress at his situation. "I must find some post haste."

Richard was keen on getting back to C9, but couldnt help but feel compassion for this woman, much more exhausted than she looked. Standing up, Richard led her off down the hallway with her escort following behind.

C9 slid along the walls, keeping a safe enough distance. Stealth had been one of her masters in training. Of course, she had modelled her training courses off of DFD's best traits; naturally, the stealth courses would be top on her list. There was no better stealth operative then DFD within The Reich. Even after the intensive training programs, she could not even detect DFD who had tracked her full daylight and came up behind her with a knife at her throat. The words from that day stung now, "It would appear that you have failed."

Anger welled up inside her as she tightened her jaw and continued forward. Her curosity was hightened when she heard the hum of the jet in the distance, which had caused her to abruptly stop. "What the fuck," she murmured, before realizing that she was to remain silent. "Shit," she thought as she looked toward Hunny*Dew and Richard, seeing if they had noticed her there.

Hunny*Dew, hearing perfectly well C9's voice, turned around, taking notice to her following suit.

"C9, I did not notice you. Please come with us. I may need your help. Something has come up," she spoke as kindly as she could under the stress of the situation.


C9 moved forward, coming closer to them, smiling weakly. Without hesitating, she spoke, "That plane......who is it?"

Hunny*Dew's normally passive and optimisitic mein fell. "I don't know. Our systems are down. We need open communications with The Red Queen. This might become risky," she said, feeling a headache beginning behind her left eye. "Richard.....C9.....this way, and please hurry. This is important to our nation, what is left of our nation. We need to get that plane ID'ed and we need to begin a search through Stadt. Alex is.....well, he is fine, for the moment. And well, I need you both. Can I trust you?"


C9 flinched, their past was not the best, yet, Hunny*Dew had asked for her trust. C9 swallowed hard. She felt sick herself. What was happening to her? This weakness? This compassion? This whatever it was? Why did she care? Why was she flinching?

Slowly her words formed without thinking, "I am sorry Hunny*Dew. I cannot promise you anything."

Richard became slightly startled himself hearing what Hunny*Dew was asking them to do.. she was asking him, a foreign citizen with no diplomatic ties to this dictatorship to come and explore intelligence data with C9.. someone he knew to not much like this talented Admiral Hunny*Dew. But in times like these, people will look for help in unexpected quarters.. and he was happy to give that help.

The tension of the situation was apparent even to lesser men scrambling away. C9 spoke, and surprised him. She was obviously struggling greatly with an internal problem.. appearing to stem from a desire to bring harm to Hunny*Dew, but fear about the status of their current situation appeared to be the source of her awkwardness towards the situation, seemingly wanting to kill Hunny*Dew, but maybe thinking she could use the Admiral in the end. He wished he knew more of the history between these two women, but it became apparent immediately to him that he needed to give these two some space.

First, Richard moved over to C9 when Hunny*Dew was finished talking, looked into her eyes, making sure she knew that he was there for her.. it was a look, hidden from Hunny*Dew, that hopefully told C9 that he would give her the benefit of the doubt, not knowing the full situation at hand.

With a squeeze of C9's shoulder, Richard popped back over to Hunny*Dew, thanking her for the explaination with a smile. When they began walking again, Richard was sure to keep C9 in his line of sight.. and snuck her a discreet wink when he thought he saw her looking.

The three of them moved forward, Hunny*Dew leading the way. Her normally elegant graceful gliding fell into an exhausted sloutch. This was becoming far too much for her. The entirety of the war has finally caught up with her; the loss of some many good friends and coworkers has finally taken it's toll. She just wanted peace, but the attack on Stadt, the criminal acts stated against him, the operation on Alex all became too much for her to bare anymore. They were bond to be coming to peace with the death of Dante and the return of Der Fuhrer; yet, everything went to absolute hell.

She held her head high, refraining from letting anyone else see her face. However, small tears rolled down her face as she blinked. Her vision became blurred, but she refused to lift her hand to her face to wipe her tear filled eyes.


Farther back, C9 followed mechanically. Her mind went blank under the stress of the situation; suddenly becoming completely apathetic, a machine, a robot, just following orders. Her walk was consistent and steady as she followed Hunny*Dew, her gaze transfixed in front of her like a moving sculpture, seeing nothing.

Richard thought he would have been stuck between a rock and a hard place; but the situation at hand must have been the key to unlocking change amongst fields of stress for these two, normally firmly in control people. He wanted to motion for C9 to walk with him, but also needed to be near an exhausted field doctor who helped save a man's life just earlier.

He hoped his presence would be enough to keep these women from each other's throats when exhaustion became irritation after it settled in further.. he broke into a private grin imagining these two fully grown women going at it like a couple of soldiers over the best sleeping arrangement, and drier spot.

Richard followed Hunny*Dew with interest and some trepidation as they neared their destination.

Carlsen followed, slowly at first, and came up behind Hunny*Dew, Richard and C9. He didn't like the C9 woman, and could never trust her. However, Hunny*Dew seemed to be all right. He closed the distance quickly, and made no effort to be quiet about it.

Hunny*Dew led them to the massive foyer and up the grand staircase, where they turned left and followed a labyrinthe of corridors before stopping outside of a door. She grasped the cold metal knob of the door, turning it slowly, while pulling toward her. The door opened with a creak, that made Hunny*Dew awkwardly shudder and flinch, as if terrified of it.

The room was pitch black; nothing could be seen from within. The darkness spilled into the already darkended corridor, making for an eerie movie scene where a monstorous beast leaps from the darkness killing them all. Hunny*Dew crept forward into the room slowly, grasping along the wall for the light switch, which she found and clicked.

Bright yellow lights clicked on instantly, blinding her for a moment, filling the corridor with the artifical light. She motioned for them to come in and took a seat at a massive computer monitor and numerous keyboards and machinary that travelled the entirity of the far wall.


C9 moved forward, taking a seat farthest left from her in front of another small group of machines. "Is right here fine?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," responded Hunny*Dew as she pushed in a button that brought the room to life.

A unidentified woman's voice came from apparently no where, filling the room and corridor, "Welcome to the personal mainframe of Mr. Mathias Bortniansky's residence. Please hold a moment as we confirm your access."

Hunny*Dew rapidly typed a few codes and performed scans. When completed the voice spoke again, monotone as it was, "Access approved. Welcome Admiral Hunny*Dew. Please hold as systems load." A few moments passed and the voiced continued again, "Systems loaded. You may begin your work."

Carlsen took it all in, nervously, though his expression hid his emotions. He knew that every nation must have classified material, he had served in a unit guarding the notorious Mt. Agaden fortress, around which all sorts of rumors swirled. Some were close to the truth, others plainly amusing. He supposed it was much the same with this place.

Richard followed directly behind Hunny*Dew, staying slightly in between her and C9 the whole way around.. knowing that every step was another assault on the physically, and for the two he watched.. mentally exhausted group.

He noted with interest the look on the faces of the man, 'Clark.. Carl.. Carlsen, thats right,' when Hunny*Dew introduced the location of the place where they were standing.

Richard looked at Hunny*Dew for acceptance when he chose a spot to sit, getting acquainted with the various strange things he was facing. C9 looked like she knew what she was doing, but Richard was not familiar with this equipment. Richard dearly wished Kahlan were there, but oddly only because she knew about these sorts of things. He sighed, the seat was comfortable.. but instead of looking like an idiot, he copied C9's file pathway a bit, but almost immediately asked for help; not knowing what he was looking for, or what these complex strings of data meant.

Luckily, his size prevented all from sneering.

C9 did not hestitate at all. Experienced in data and communications research, she grabbed a headset that say nearby and slid it on, resumming a professional attitude.

Speaking into the headset, seemingly to herself, she began running along a train of thoughts, "Search all flight departures within The Reich in the past three days." She typed furiously as images and charts began flashing on the screen, a large map of The Reich being displayed predominately over the others, with small red dots marked flights that have taken off.

Through the headset, the muffled voice of the monotone woman could be heard responded to C9's inquiries and demands.

"Locate all flight paths recorded toward The Dictatorship within the past three days. Search open communication towers standing at this moment within the premises and surrounding areas of the city Stadt des Meeres within The Dictatorship," C9's voice continued to drone on, professional and business like.

Her rapid typing continued as the display map's red dots slowly dwindled down, eliminating possible flights from their search.


Hunny*Dew turned to Richard, "I need you to send out an immediate response message to all nations within the region informing them of our current situation. Can you do that?"

Not waiting for a response to turned to the person who had followed them, "Sir, take a seat and start compiling a search and rescue team to comb through Stadt. Can you do that?"

Again, without waiting for a response, she began typing away, but my slowly then C9, adding much more thought into what she was doing then anyone else.

Richard looked in bewilderment at C9's pace, and took another empty glance in front of him. Almost immediately, seeming to sense his confusion, Hunny*Dew took the liberty of assigning him a task.. one which seemed far too difficult to handle at his first glance.

He found a node with what looked like a list of nations within The Reich, compiled by something so apparently complex, this Red Queen, it bulged under its own technology. Without bothering to open the file, and look inside; he tried to see around the obvious, and figure out how to send a message to the people inside, but to no avail. Richard was literate with this equipment to the point that he could point and click, but disinterested enough that he never felt the need to explore. There wasnt ever a benefit to letting someone else do work for you, and he made a note to learn more about computers when he found downtime, if he survived his stay in The Reich.

Richard opened his mouth, wanting to ask C9 for help.. but he couldnt form the words. Eventually, he gave the computer a desperate glance before looking sharply at the woman next to him.

"I found this list of nations, I need to send them a group message."

C9 responded back hastily, not taking notice to his plight, "Open the emergency response system, and have it send a 'Respond Back Level Alpha' message to every name in that folder," and got back to work immediately.

He thought through what she said two or three times before sending the standardized message, not wanting to make a mistake.

Carlsen, never one for computers, looked over C9's shoulder as she worked. He didn't act suspicious, as she had been the closest one to observe even if he hadn't thought she was unworthy of trust.

C9 hit a fit more keys rapidly before spinning around on her chair, leaving the headset on, and sliding to another screen. She spoke aloud to Hunny*Dew, "The flight heading here departed from European Free States about a week ago. The passengers are unregistered, but a record indicated that three passengers boarded that flight. I need you get into RQ quickly so that she can take care of that plane. Need help?"

Hunny*Dew was beginning to respond, but she noticed that C9 had not waited for an answer before pulling up files and and entering data into a system. Almost defeated, Hunny*Dew responded, "Yes, I need the help. This isn't easy."

Working at a slower, but still noticably fast pace, C9 typed and clicked away, talking fast using terms in a language that was obviously one designated just for the upper Echelons of The Reich.

In the middle of the encounter between C9 and Hunny*Dew, Richard took a moments respite from his mentally exhausting work to push his seat away from the computer, and rest his head in his arms, which were resting on his knees.

As he looked down, thinking not of the quagmire he put himself into by coming to The Reich, but of the one he put himself into by walking into this room.. retracing the work he had done thus far sitting in front of what he was beginning to see as a beast, not a machine, was something he felt inclined to do at every step to be sure he didnt get lost in the technology. Richard remembered playing in the woods as a boy, at the end of a long period of peace.. learning war from his fathers Captain of the Guard. Richard disliked feeling weak, but did not try to hide it; head stooped on his knees as it was.

Richard caught something out of the corner of his eye, it looked like some sort of chip.. but very tiny, like a tick, unengorged with blood; flat with many metal legs, this black thing looked at him with curious intensity from its spot directly behind the heel of his boot. Richard casually reached down and picked it up, placing it in the pocket with the remaining two vials. Richard was facinated by technology, despite his tendency to shy away, according to Adyndril tradition. He would put it away with his other little baubles of interest when back he went to what remained of the palace. He had a bubbling museam of technology advances through the ages, and a tiny computer chip would look great in his collection.

Looking around, Richard thought, 'I should really be more stealthy about this recent bout of kleptomania ive seemed to have contracted,' with a grimace and sigh before looking up at his own private hell, and placing his fingers back on its hot coals.

The plane descended through the thick black clouds which loomed viciously over Stadt des Meeres. As it neared the mansion, Der Fuhrer's eyes scanned the ruined city. It did not faze her the slighest bit as the plane lowered its landing gear, preparing to land.

Within Stadt the landing plane became a horrendous howl from the turbines. The deadly silence of The Dictatorship was broken, and now the simpleness of such an object created an unspeakable loudness. The screech of the tires hitting the ground pierced the survivors years, sounding much lounder then it normally would have in any other nation.

The plane rumbled, a loud screeching sounded, then the sound of metal scraping into the ground and tumbling, as the landing gear snapped off from stricking a half destroyed landing zone. Slowly, the plane came to a loud scraping stop.


Within the plane, Der Fuhrer had no time to respond when she felt the landing gear snap off and the nose dive forward hitting the destroyed landing. She had no time at all to react before her body was hurtled across the plane slamming into the window on the opposite side of her. Glass broke as the plane rolled, sending about her body and her companion's bodies like rag dolls. She saw Dante stumbled to his feet before the plane violent threw him across its interior into the back wall, where he collapsed, pinned against the wall by Mathias who tried to save him.

By the time the plane came to a halt, fire beginning to sprout from parts of the plane, the passengers all were unconscioius, their bodies laid awkwardly on the side of the plane in shards of broken glass and twisted metal; the sound of light rain hitting the exterior of the now demolished plane.

Hunny*Dew's half alert senses noticed Richard's movements. Too engaged in her work, she dismissed him and continued to concentrate on the intensity of the task before her. The RQ was a difficult artificial intelligence; not only that, but because of her ability to replicate and modify herself without assistence or command, she became increasingly difficult, if not nearly impossible to crack. And with DFD out of the picture, no one had the capacity to command her.

Hunny*Dew's brow forrowed deep as she stared silently at a series of codes for a half hour, listening to the rapid typing of C9. She would have to trust her. Her exhaustion was over taking her as her eyes slowly began to close and suddenly lift; each time the space between the two becoming longer and longer, until eventually, her head collapsed forward.


C9 her the thud of Hunny*Dew's head hitting the screen. Taking off her headset, ceasing typing in the process for the first time in hours, she stood up and walked over to Hunny*Dew.

She felt extremely tired and exhausted herself; her leg throbbing from the gunshot she received earlier. "Damn it. She's out cold," she cursed out loud as she tried to wake the Admiral. Her leg throbbed more, extending throughout her body at times. "I should have taken something. Damn," she thought angerily as she looked to Richard and Carlsen for some sort of assistence.

Richard plodded through lines of code with skill, 'heh.. skill,' he thought, 'as skillful as a teenaged virgin on a hot date, and as nimble fingered as an elephant. This is not my element..'

Richard heard the thud, but took a moment to respond.. being sure he saved his place on the computer. Running through standardized first aid triage, Richard saw little need to worry about Hunny*Dew's health with urgency. First moving her to a prone position, Richard ran a pen up her foot; her toes thankfully, yet predictably curled. He then put a hand to her jugular to check for circulation problems, and a ear to her mouth to check her respritory system, and found her breathing rate normal, hovering around 15-20 breaths per minute.

"Good, good.. pulse normal, if a little slow. No obstructions down the airpipe, but unless she swallowed a fly.. I wouldnt think there would be," Richard rambled on, talking more to himself than anyone else, "Please hand me a penlight, I need to have a look at her pupils.. if that checks out, we'll classify her as 'Unconcious but.."

The first thing he heard was a low rumble, then a sharp sound, before his entire world crashed down around him and his companions.

C9 was watching Richard, unsure whether or not she should continue her work, when the roaring hit and then the loud screeching and rumbling.

"What the fuck!" she yelled above the noise, which continued to screech for a few more minutes.

The monotone woman's voice responded at that moment from C9's headset. "The pilot, Thomas James Wilhelm, 68, of European Free States has indentified the three passengers aboard an unidentified private jet to be of high ranking Reich military. Der Fuhrer Dyszel is aboard the flight. Locating the plane's destination now."

A sickening wave of nausia quickly passed over C9. Der Fuhrer was aboard a flight here.

After what had apparently been a plane crash next to Mathias' mansion, Richard ran a quick recheck on the patient under his glare who he simply classified as someone passed out from a complete lack of sleep.

'Should have thought so,' Richard thought without any regret, 'but its always better safe than sorry.'

"Mathias." Richard tested the name on his tongue after finding Hunny*Dew to be in the same condition as before, but he thought, 'who is he? Ive not heard of any Dr. Bortniansky. This is quite the mansion for a doctor, who apparently has equipment that ive never seen, and holds secrets that few should have. Odd goings on here today.. C9 seems to have felt that since she followed along.'

He immediately stood up and suggested that they run out to see who would have been crazy enough to try to land on that particular airstrip. What he saw of it was completely destroyed.

Looking at C9 again, Richard saw a change in her eyes.. and hoped she wasnt coming down with a stomach flu. He immediately went over to C9 to see if she needed anything, wondering who was on that flight.

The woman's monotone voice sounded again as they prepared to leave the room, "The plane cannot be located. It appears to have lost its signal."

C9 flinched at barely hearing that.....was it a plane that had done all that?

She grabbed onto Richard's arm and held on tightly, her leg hurting, "We should check that out," she said worried.

Before they left, Richard paused and said, "Carlsen, make damn sure you take care of Hunny*Dew until we return with any survivors. I guess it would be nice to find her a place to rest peacefully and get back her strength."

Richard took C9's hand, and began to help her limp back through the way they came. He didnt find it difficult to follow their steps back, but suddenly C9 stopped, and said.

"No, thats the longer way, Hunny*Dew took a little diversion off course so that it would take a longer time for anyone who didnt know the way to leave after she brought us into that room.." and then she sighed and uttered something that sounded something like 'always the wily bitch she was..'

She then began leading him through an apparent shortcut outside. Instead of welcoming daylight, Richard opened a final, heavy door into darkness.. with black stormclouds looming in the sky. They both meandered to the site of the crash, off in the distance.

They walked quite a while, C9's leg wounds beginning to reopen by the time they got there from the over use of a recent wound. The plane lay bent and broken upside down on the destroyed airport.

C9 froze. Were they dead?

"Hello?" she called out. "Is anyone alive?"

Hearing no response, she moved forward, closer to the plane, seeing the pilot's dead body ripped to shreds from being drug with the plane. She recomposed herself and managed to find an enterence into the destroyed cabin. She stepped on an arm and moved back quickly. A body she recognized as Mathias's lay trapped beneath a chair that had torn free.

She gave him a light kick and noticed he was still breathing. "Fuck! Richard! There's a live on," she yelled, obviously startled that someone had survived.

Richard stumbled around the wreckage until he reached C9.

"Kicking plane crash victims now?" Richard asked C9 playfully before giving a little laugh, "I guess its a quicker triage system.. we'll call it 'Wake up asshole!'"

After sticking his tongue out to counter the bird he was given from C9, Richard hoisted the chair that pinned this man to the ground in the air, and tossed it to a side of wreckage he hoped didnt have survivors. Running through his own triage, and classifying this man as one who could wait, Richard and C9 went off to find more victims to triage, before they applied first aid. Richard dearly wished this place was more... inhabited. They could sure use a Life Flight heliocoptor right about now.

As they searched, Richard couldnt help but to sneak quick glances at C9.

Carlsen moved Hunny*Dew over towards the side of the room, so that while still on the floor, she was resting against the wall. He then took one of the chairs, this particularly had been thrown against the wall and broken by the force of the crash outside. He took the cushion off and put it on the floor, slightly moving Hunny*Dew's head to rest on it. Since it was a rather hot place (to him) anyway, this dictatorship, he took off his coat and laid it across Hunny*Dew like a blanket.

Intrigued by something that caught his eye, Carlsen went over to the console Hunny*Dew had been working at before she collapsed, and observed what he could on the screen. He looked down at the keyboard and frowned. Gods, I hate the English alphabet he thought. Even though he knew English well enough, runes would have been easier.

C9 continued pushes past the rumble, ducking under the caved floor of the plane, which had now become the ceiling. She saw a man's arm laying there, either ripped from a body, which she had assumed, or trapped beneath the broken wing that cut through part of the plane. Blood dripped down its limp hand and fingers; the nails of the hand tinted blue.

She made note of that, assuming that the arm had be severed from its owner. Ducking and stepping over rubbish to investiage the arm, she heard the sound of metal clanking ahead of her. She looked up confused to see a woman slowly standing up, using the caved in wall to pull herself up.

The figure became instantly recognizable. It was Der Fuhrer. C9 stood there, staring at her coldly. Their last encounter was not a pleasent one.

Richard walked: amongst rubble, around rubble, in between rubble, under rubble.. everywhere he looked, the ground was strewn with the wreckage of what was a very large jet; and yet it was one holding so few people.

Richard angled back towards the pathway C9 was on, and found her missing; meaning she was either behind, or ahead of him. Hearing a voice nearby, Richard strode quickly over to take a look, and found C9 staring maliciously at a woman whose face he couldnt see, standing with her back to him behind an obstacle. Apparently C9 knew this woman, and as she was up and walking; Richard did not feel a need to approach, but he stayed, and watched; being sure he was nearby if C9 needed help.

Der Fuhrer awoke, her head and left side throbbing intensely. She was covered by the door that had belonged to the plane's bathroom. After moving it, she slowly stood, checking out the carnage, before noticing C9 glaring at her.

"I would have thought by now you were dead," Der Fuhrer coldly said walking directly toward her. "Move out of my way," she demanded, her voice resumming the infamous ice coldness it was most known for.

Richard saw the intensity of the situation, and felt his sometimes overly protective nature try to intervene. He stayed back, watching with interest the situation unfold.

This woman.. he had heard discription, but what he could tell couldnt be enough. Was C9 an enemy of.... Der Fuhrer?!

Richard sat down hard, and put his head in his hands; looking at the hoplessness of the situation in a similar way that he looked at that computer. DFD was someone he wanted to impress, and gain the favor of; play the diplomatic game with, but he had become rather attached to C9, and couldnt betray her friendship.

For a moment, Richard felt deeply helpless; but he steeled his resolve, and crouched back again to listen and be prepared to intervene.

C9 did not move; rather, she moved closer toward Der Fuhrer. "Things have changed when you left Fuhrer," she hissed at her, her glare sharpening and burrowing deeper into Der Fuhrer.


Der Fuhrer did not waste a minute before taking a nearby chair leg and swinging it against C9's head. C9 would be unaware of it at all as the leg struck her head, knocking her unconscious immediately. Der Fuhrer watched as C9 collapsed to her knees and fall forward. Tossing the leg aside, she took the first notice of Richard there.

"You, right there, help me lift this immediately. He can not breathe," her ice cold voice demanded once again, somehow sounding more colder then before.

She croutched down, grabbing ahold of the sharp destroyed wing as best as humanly possible, and began to lift up, to buy Dante time to breathe until Richard helped free his body. As she lifted, the metal began to cut into upper shoulder and arms. She did not falter at all though as she held the wing up as high as she could lift it and maintain its stability.

"Now," she let out angerily.

Richard saw the exchange between the person he now knew as Der Fuhrer Dyszel, and C9 with rising interest. He was shocked when C9 confirmed his suspicions.

Just then, Der Fuhrer moved like a snake; but faster. He found his own senses, again weaned in those woods, inadequate to follow her movements. He did a double take as C9 fell to the ground, and sat there for a moment shocked, allowing what little cover he had to be blown.

Richard looked up at Der Fuhrer's request with empty eyes. He hoped C9 was OK, but knew she could handle the punishment.. whether that was possible being as exhausted as she was had yet to be seen; but as Richard saw it, he had no other option but to obey this woman.

When Der Fuhrer lifted the wing, Richard percieved her burst of adrenaline, telling him that she cared for this man, one way or another... and figured he would need quite a lot to hold that wing high enough for her to pull that man out.

Richard was already thinking about this man's possible injuries, and how he was going to get to him for proper first aid. This creature was fast.. fast enough that he worried about his very manhood being comprimised by that knife he could tell was bred for killing on the small of her back, and he didnt dawdle getting over to that wing.

Straining his muscles in concentration as he lifted the wing as high as it could go didnt seem to work, this was made from the lightest carbon-fibre materials, but yet likely weighed well over 500 pounds, he had no idea how she lifted it to where she did.

After tanding back a moment to take off his travel coat, and roll up his sleeves quickly, Richard hastened to the wing; and squatted down, lifting with his entire body until it was overhead. He could feel his arms visibly shake under the strain, and see muscles bulge as they filled deeply with blood, his veins expanding with the added blood flow.

Not knowing what was going on underneath him, or if Der Fuhrer needed help; Richard put all the effort he could muster into looking down, instead of up, to see what was going on under the wing; and it appeared as if Der Fuhrer had already taken this man out from under the wing.

Letting the massive wing fall back down with a crash, Richard hastened over to the injured man.

"Excuse me, Der Fuhrer I presume? I am Richard, of Adyndril; this man is seriously injured, and it appears as if you have an emotional attatchment to him; I need to tend to his injuries immediately..... if.. that is your thought as well, of course."

Lending not her, but the patient a wary eye; Richard began to look him over, without approaching too close, and without Der Fuhrer's permission, waiting for a response. He had sustained trauma, of that, Richard was certain.

Der Fuhrer looked up to Richard with an incredulous cocked eyebrow. "You are mistaken. I do not have an emotional attachment to this man; he tried to kill me and destroyed my nation."

When the wing was lifted from his body, she had noticed that a small piece of sharp metal had pierced the middle of his clavicle digging into his neck. It would explain the blood. The wound would need be treated immediately to prevent from being fatal, but judging by the placement of the wound and the possible severed vessel, he would not die within moments. They would have time to get him to the mansion and perform the necessary procedures there.

Gently turning him onto his stomach, she ran a finger softly down his spinal, checking for any broken bones that they would have to be concerned with; finding his spinal column in tact, she hoisted him up over her shoulders and began to carry him out of the plane; the woman's robe he wore shredded exposing his nudity. She laughed to herself; a man such as himself without a shred of dignity left in him. Something large had happened indeed.

Speaking back to Richard, "Richard, you may drag her back." She did not turn to look at him nor really acknowledge or care if her orders were met. She continued forward out of the wreckage, where she met up with Mathias who was now sitting holding his head.

She tapped him with her foot to get his attention, "We are going home Mathias."

He nodded and used his feeble strength to hoist himself up to follow Der Fuhrer. Home.....what did that mean to Mathias anymore?

Richard sighed after the encounter with Der Fuhrer while bending over to look at what would be a fair sized bump on C9's skull. As contrasted to that unidentified man who must have weighed at least as much as him, C9 was a feather, and Richard found the luxury to carry her comfortably in his arms.

Not making the effort to catch back up with Der Fuhrer was easy; Richard had a feeling that they would not get along very easily, when she was a woman who seemed to always expect obediance; and since he was a boy, he always asked 'why?' Curiosity has more than once killed the cat, and he was not going to be the cat when it came to Der Fuhrer; he would be sure of that. Richard had begun seeing other ways to gain favor, or the technology he needed to send away those rebels within Adyndril, without needing to even speak with this woman; so he thought it best that their two personalities were kept as seperate as he could manage.

Not bothering to wait for him as he entered the mansion, Richard wondered if she even knew where he was going to; or that Hunny*Dew was in the mansion; and began following the shortcut back to Mathias' mainframe, being sure not to let C9's head bump on any of the walls in the narrow corridors.

Der Fuhrer entered the mansion, taking the quickest path to the medical facility. At the sight of Der Fuhrer, people stood at attention; frightened smiled spreading across their faces. They loved Der Fuhrer, but instensely feared her as well. She was carrying a man on her shoulders who looked vaguely familiar.

As she crossed Mathias's gaurds, they not only saluted, but accompanied her toward her destination. They studied the man closely, he did look really familiar..... If they had seen his face it would have all made sense, but only his figure looked familiar, too familiar that they kept glancing at each other for one of them to make the connection with the man and solve their little uncomfortable mystery.

At the facility inside Mathias's mansion, the guards rushed forward and thrust the doors open for Der Fuhrer, who carried Dante toward the table that Alex had been laying on. She placed Dante on a table nearby Alex and turned around to the entourage inside the facility, looking at Alex and seeing the bloody sheets from his operation still covering him.

"Report," was all she said as she looked into the eyes of everyone inside the room; her ice cold voice chilling them and her stare not easing the situation at all.

Richard continued weaving back to the mainframe room; his arms feeling as if they had been acid dipped and beaten with a tenderizer. Each member of their original party had been dropping like flies. He half expected to see Carlsen passed out from dehydration, or something else slowing them down; and the other half expected he was next.

Richard avoided people as much as possible, and at a point, realized that he could go no further; requiring a password to go through, but not one to leave. Richard sighed, and stood back against the wall in the inhabited hallway. Being startled by the door itself opening, and a couple of men in overcoats walking out in the opposite direction, engaged in an unrecognizable conversation, in an unrecognizable tongue; Richard nearly missed his opportunity to squeeze by before the door shut.

Finally reaching the mainframe room, Richard sighed, and realized he couldnt get inside this room either. He remembered it wasnt soundproof, and kicked the door a few times. Richard did not greet Carlsen as he entered with more than his eyes; with exhaustion forcing him to robotic movements, he lay C9 down comfortably near Hunny*Dew, and patched up her minor wounds with a nearby first aid kit.

"So, what was that all about?" Carlsen asked, honestly. He looked down at the unconcious C9 woman. "I take it the search for survivors didn't go so well."

He was still looking at the computer screen. "Are you any good with computer programming? I'm not sure I understand this."

OOC: Away until Saturday night, though I might be able to check in tomorrow (Friday)

Richard, after patching up C9, checked Hunny*Dew over once more before taking out the smelling salts.

"The search for survivors went very well; they all survived. Unfortunately, they arent my sort of company either. Hunny*Dew might not need the salts, but do you mind keeping Hunny*Dew company for me while I apply them to C9?" Richard went on, knowing full well that Carlsen was an easily competent physician, and could handle the task.

While looking, quickly and pointedly in disdain at a computer nearby, Richard grated with control, "No, I hate the damned things, if its programming you want; its C9 you need."

Richard watched the man out of the corner of his eye for misbehaviour while Carlsen checked Hunny*Dew's vital signs, and asked, "Is Hunny*Dew in need of these?"

Richard needed C9 awake now, he couldnt very well carry both of them out of this wretched, computer filled bunker with just the man from Callisdrun; who was to protect their backs? As Richard waited for his answer, he uncorked the salts and waited for the sniff of ammonia which would likely trigger an immediate, heavy inhalation from the unconcious victim, hopefully waking them from their unconciousness quickly.

"No, I'm not about to ask C9 for help. Everyone was ordered not to trust her and to disregard any order from her whatsoever. Apparently, this came down the chain of command from our Chief of Diplomacy, and that's one woman I do trust." Carlsen was surprised that he had said something so bold, but it was the truth. What he didn't say, but implied, was that the orders had mentioned treachury, even treason. Carlsen was a plain and simple man, a skilled medic and a good soldier, but he was no diplomat. He didn't understand the interweavings of politics, and if Richard wanted to converse with a woman that Carlsen understood to be untrustworthy, that was his choice, but the Callisdrunian medic hoped he had made it clear that he surely wasn't going to be involved with her.

"Hunny*Dew's all right, from what I can tell. It seems she simply collapsed." He continued looking over her. "Probably from exhaustion, though perhaps there might have been some sort of fumes or something." It was hard to tell, just from external observation. "Who was on the plane?"

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

Erzsebet watched the faint outline of the city, in the distance, from the bridge. Suddenly, there was a streak and a loud boom, a plane crashing into Stadt, very close to the mansion, unless her eyes, which were very good, were playing a trick on her, most unlikely. This was cause for concern. And another good reason to go back, however, this time with more backup. The first good reason was the fact that her best navy overcoat was still at the mansion. It was a very comfortable coat, and more personalized than the one she was wearing on the bridge. She ordered a helicopter and as many Berserkers as would fit inside readied for her departure.

She got out and radioed Knut, who was captaining the battleship Telemark. "Hello Knut. Can you do me a big favor? Get yourself a full escort of Berserkers and meet me at that mansion in Stadt. Thanks old love."

The helicopters were aloft within minutes, hers arriving slightly before his.

C9 woke up, her head throbbing. "Damn it," she mutted as she slowly got to her feet and took in her surrounding. She saw Richard, Carlsen, and Hunny*Dew still in the room, "what happened? Was I dreaming?"

She looked to Richard. If anyone knew what had happened it would have definately been him.


Meanwhile, Admiral Hunny*Dew was awaken by the smelling salts. She sat up quickly, coughing loudly with tears coming out of her eyes. "Our nation will not comply," she yelled, taking in her surroundings, realizing that she was not captured.

"Oh, dear, forgive my outburst," she softly said embarrassed as she stood up, looking around at everyone. "I guess I fell asleep. I am sorry."

Richard gave C9 a final glance over as she awoke from unconciousness, and spoke to her in hushed tones just below the hearing of a waking Hunny*Dew.

"I dont think you were dreaming C9, not if your dream involved a very angry little woman who knocked you upside the head with a chair leg. I think you know her, Der Fuhrer? We should leave."

At the mention of Der Fuhrer, C9's face expeditiously set in angles that he didnt want to see by fault of his own, and he knew that the thoughts going on in her head werent pleasant. As he studied her reaction, he subtly percieved a change in the mansion, and knew that they had to leave this room with haste. Not being sure of Hunny*Dew's intent here now that Der Fuhrer had arrived, Richard awaited C9's response with growing trepidation at the feeling of approaching danger which progressed as moments ticked by.

"Leave?" Carlsen said in mock innocence. "Whatever for?"

He did not like the C9 woman, and that Richard seemed to be so taken in by her infuriated him.

In Callisdrun, there was only one crime punishable by death, and the message that had come from Admiral Sorvik via General Farkas had mentioned such in connection with the C9 woman. His face looked innocent enough, but if one took the time to look deeply into his eyes, one would see disgust. If C9 was really a traitor, than in Carlsen's mind, Richard might as well have been consorting with a pig.
-------------------------- ------------------------------------

Erzsebet jumped out of her helicopter as it landed. Troops filed out behind her, as a similar scene was visible a few yards distant at Knut's copter.

From the vantage point of the mansion's roof, she could easily see the plain wreck. Quickly she selected a few troops who spoke good English. "Go search the crash site for survivors in case no one's bothered to do it. I wouldn't doubt it with the state the city's in."

She practically barked more orders at the rest of the troops. "All right, we're going to go through the building top down. Don't do anything stupid, remember you're Berserkers not fucking Horde rats."

They entered and traveled quickly.

The whishing of blades, clearly a helicopter, sounded as two helicopters approaced the mansion. They hoovered for a moment over the mansion before landing on the flatter parts of the roofs where they could be found.

Hunny*Dew looked upward, as if looking to the sky for an answer. The hushed whispers and movements created too much sound for her, "Shhhh," she barked as listened in closely. After a few moments of complete silence within the room, she spoke up slowly, "There are people up there."

C9 looked up as well, obviously not hearing what Hunny*Dew had heard.

Within the room as if out of no where, a little girl's voice sounded, "Intruder alert. Sealing off the upper level immediately."

The voice rang through the mansion, showing that it had not just sounded in one room.


Within the medical facility, Der Fuhrer scrubbed her arms and hands and was placing on gloves when The Red Queen sounded. Frustrated that she needed to work on Dante herself when this was happening, she coldly demanded, "Red Queen, seal off all rooms and escort the guests to me. If they alter their course slightly, destroy them. Once here, monitor all members, if one pulls out a weapon, eradicate the person immediately."

The little girl's voice giggled and sounded again out of no where, "Yes Ma ma!"

Without another thought, Der Fuhrer grabbed a scaple and materials to stitch Dante's wounds and headed to his still unconscious and bleeding form on the table.

Within the upper levels that were sealed off, locking Erzsebet and her followers inside, a little girl with curly shoulder length hair and a flowing dress appeared in the hallway, like a ghost.

She smiled at them and giggled.

"Hello intruders. My ma ma would like for you to follow me. If you try to break away, I will have to kill you," she giggled, a smile forming on her face at that thought. Giggling again, she spoke, "This way please."

She turned around, her curly length hair bouncing with her step. Despite the fact that she was an AI, she looked remarkably human like through her superior design.

She began to lead the group down corridors and stairs, sealed doors opening before them and closing after them.

"Do as she says, lower your weapons so that they're pointing on the ground," Erzsebet said to her Berserkers. "This thing can be quite troublesome. A wrong move from just one of you could cause us all to suffer a horrible gruesome death. I'll go first. Keep your guard up, but don't do anything stupid." Erzsebet motioned the Berserkers to follow her. Knut led another bunch behind them but deferred to Erzsebet.

They followed wherever they were led, though always glancing around for potential threats, though Erzsebet didn't know what good it would do. Of course, if threatened, we could ask it for help. The thought of the Red Queen helping them made her chuckle cynically. She shook her head, to dismiss the thought. No one talked, even to ask where they were going, and they walked at as quick a pace as was set for them. The walk didn't take very long.

Richard watched Hunny*Dew listen to sounds that he could just barely hear, a mellifluous thumping just out of reach that he could not distinguish. Years of tracking and adventure in the woods allowed him to feel the presence of people up above, and Hunny*Dew confirmed that the sound he heard and movement he had felt was a heliocoptor; likely full of elite troops from the people who brought war to this desolate land.

'Hunny*Dew's hearing must be spectacular if she picked that up.. I wouldnt want to hunt with her; where's the fun?'

Richard then wondered aloud about the little girl voice he heard, telling them a fact that they already knew; and assuring him that this voice had full control over the mansion.

'Hmm.. they've an able security system, that is for sure; but will it be enough?'

Before he could answer.. a curious thing happened. What looked like a computer program from the mansion suddenly.. activated itself. A little girl, very young, and innocent, appeared to all of their eyes. He realized that this little girl was the one talking, and her voice when she first spoke sent shivers down his spine.

The walk that seemingly did not take that long, did in fact take quite a while to make it from the top of the mansion to the medical facility, following the labyrinthe of corridors that The Red Queen had guided them through.

The Red Queen at times would disappear while giggling, reappearing farther up the distance smiling and giggling even more. To think that such an advanced artifical intelligence acted like a child.

At the doors of the medical facility, she stopped and bowed, pulling her little dress out. "To my ma ma you may go. Beware.....she's not too happy."

Before anyone could say a word, she disappeared; the doors to the facility looming before them, waiting for them to enter.

Der Fuhrer removed the torn robe from Dante and discarded it by tossing it across the room as far as possible. She then reached for the scaple and began to cut into his shoulder and surrounding areas.

She cut deep enough to begin her work. As she searched for the severed vessel, she heard The Red Queen outside the room. Pushing it aside, she focused on her immediate task....to get Dante patched up and as quickly as possible. They would need him to fight this war.

Richard followed this Red Queen in amazement as they played catch-up with this apparition. He had no words to utter to C9 when she quickly briefed him on who.. and more accurately what The Red Queen was.

Her playfulness, and realism despite what she was.. it was what made Richard really quiver as he watched her play up and down the hallways. He felt danger at every step while in this place.. worse now that the owner was back; and a sharp, metallic, pointed feeling he got as they passed through one door told him that he was lucky to have not passed through without this little girl going in first, because he would have been dead.

This was the place that The Red Queen stopped, and spoke in those cascadingly childish tones what they were to do that sent shivers up and down his spine. As the little girl left just out of their sight, Richard released a sigh of relief at the human intellect they were now to face in Der Fuhrer, anything had to be better than the power he felt from the creature he had just met.. and in Richard's opinion, that included even the person who controlled that technology.

The door opened, the entourage of people outside being revealed in the bright light from the facility. Der Fuhrer did not look up for a moment as her focus was trained on Dante, who was beginning to wake up. He began to groan and tried to turn onto his side, if it was not for Der Fuhrer pushing him back onto the table flat on his back.

"I believe we have met before. Identify yourselves," Der Fuhrer demanded, as he leaned in closer, grabbing the severed vessel with specially designed sissors and beginning to stitche it shut.

"Der Fuhrer," Erzsebet said, in her hissing accent as she saluted. "I am Admiral Erzsebet Sorvik, and yes, we have met before. I heard the plane crash, and so we came back..." she sighed. "Again."

The Berserkers were all standing at the ready, though they looked unconcerned, since if their commander had saluted to someone, it meant that the person was on their side. "Also," Erzsebet added. "I forgot my coat." She smiled sarcastically. There was no telling what the woman would find amusing these days. Her green eyes looked as if they could bore through walls.

"The plane crash appears to have been right near here... how bad was it? I dispatched a few troops to search it for survivors, because I wasn't sure if it had been done already." Looking over at "Who's he and what's wrong with him? Is he a plane crash survivor?" Erzsebet could be shockingly frank at times.

Richard sighed, realizing he was standing next to Erzsebet, meaning he was next for introductions.

"I am Richard of Adyndril, been looking forward to meeting you; unfortunately, that meeting was supposed to be in a different place, at a different time. Im glad that no one was injured in that crash. If you're in the need of assistance with that man, I can provide it," Richard said looking at DFD's back with far more strength in his voice than he felt in his body. He did not think she would want his help, but it was in his nature to ask.

Richard looked next to him, and saw C9, Hunny*Dew, and Carlsen.. all with stolid resolve on their faces; all prepared for an inevitability.

Der Fuhrer did not look up from her work, momentarily ignoring her guests who started to shift with impatience. When finished stitching his wounds, she placed the scalple down aside Dante and looked up at them, her eyes analyzing each person, searching deeply and quickly for the flaws in their character.

She moved forward and extended her hand stiffly, neglecting to remove the blood smeared gloves. When no one took her hand, she looked down, a smile spreading across her face as she began to remove the gloves.

"Let us try this again. I am Der Fuhrer Dyszel, dictator of The Reich. Welcome to The Dictatorship," she said formerly and quick, her smile quickly fading. Apathetically, she began again, looking directly to Erzsebet and staring into her eyes, borrowing deeply for the hidden secrets that her eyes could not hit, "Admiral. This man did survive the crash. I am pretty astonished that you cannot recognize him. Anyone with the knowledge of an ounce of Reich history cannot mistake this man unfortunately.

"He is not to be harmed though. No one is to touch him or to insult him. Anyone who does such will speak to my rifle personally."

After saying so, she frowned slightly as she stared deep into Erzsebet's eyes before turning to face Richard. She extended her arm to him as well and grinned. "A gentleman in The Reich. This is going to be a pleasure. I assume you know the history of the men of The Reich. The good are all twelve feet under."

Erzsebet did her best to be polite, though it was obvious that Dyszel was not in a good mood. When she thought of the woman's name, she simply thought of the actual name, she generally didn't think about titles. "Our country is one that until recently was very isolationist, Ma'am," she said. Despite more than a hint of faltering sanity in her eyes, at the moment, her mind was working quite rationally, though her odd sense of humor remained. A voice in the back of Erzsebet's head wondered if she should address Dyszel any differently, but then again, even the King himself was addressed simply as "Sir." So she dismissed the voice.

"I only know very basic backround, and the only pictures I was shown were of weapons of war, devastation, and a few allies. You seem to suggest, though, that this man is a very important person, indeed." She paused. "A very important person on the other side, and there are very few names that come to mind to fit someone of that description." She looked down at the patient. "Yes, very few names..." she said with a look of high interest. Of course, by Dyszel's statements, she had puzzled out who the man was with ease.

Richard found Der Fuhrer's smile to be as imposing as the rest of her, but smiled back with the same strength which was in his voice as he spoke to her just before. He could see that this woman was quite talented at hiding her true emotions and feelings, and he could not tell if the smile she gave him was genuine, but figured it would not matter in any case. The way she took in Erzebet before smiling at him and proferring her hand only said that the two were enemies, and that the whole gesture was likely just her way of further spurning the woman from Callisdrun.

Richard could feel the presence of all the other people in the room, as if they gave off palpable heat.. his years in the woods had made him good at seeking life, and his senses could pick out C9's particular scent, though Richard nonchalantly avoided noticing her whatsoever in the presence of a woman who did not need to know. He didn't want Der Fuhrer to read anything into their relationship beyond what she already knew and give away more than he knew he already had.

As they shook hands, Richard was concious of the strength he put into the squeeze.. what little he knew of the subtleties of a court was enough to make sure he was aware that too tight a squeeze would tell her that he was trying to intimidate her, which would not go over well at all; and too soft would tell her that this gentleman from Adyndril was a pushover.

In the meantime, while shaking hands, Richard spoke deliberately, with a smile made genuine by all of his summoned will, "It is indeed a pleasure, I do not know of this man myself, but it does not matter; im sure I will learn who he is when I need to know. I am not sure what name I should call you by madam, is Der Fuhrer appropriate?"

Erzsebet was wary of the stranger standing next to her. He seemed too confident for her tastes. Perhaps she should cut him down to size a bit No, that would never do she thought. Suddenly, a thought came to her mind.

Normally, titles did not matter to her, but then, manners did, and even more so in diplomacy. "Der Fuhrer..." She said curiously, "Where is Mathias? Wasn't he with you when you left?" She did not know the man very well, but their one meeting had been quite dramatic. She didn't want him to die in a plane crash after going through that.

Carlsen squeezed his way past the others to whisper all the events he had seen into Erzsebet's ear. He asked whether he was right to be suspicious of C9, Erzsebet whispered back that he should have killed her. Carlsen frowned.

Der Fuhrer looked at her new guests. "Miss Erzsebet, I would like to have a private meeting with you momentarily. Actions on your account are being put into question. I must see to it that I discuss recent events with you alone."

She took a pause as she surveyed the group again, Dante moaning on the table as he tried to sit up through his clouded head which throbbed intensely. "Mister Mathias Bortniansky has returned to his room for a rest and change of apparel. He is not to be disturbed until he wishes. Anyone trespassing on his privacy will be taken care of properly," Der Fuhrer added coldly as her eyes burrowed into C9's.

"Fuck you," strained a weak male's voice as Dante slid off the table, scalple in hand stumbling forward at Der Fuhrer. "You bitch," he murmured as his vision started to darken.

Der Fuhrer moved forward, assuming an air of control over the situation. "Dante, you lost quite a good amount of blood. You must rest," she demanded as she slipped her arm under his good arm and escorted him back to the table. As she helped slide him back onto the table he plunged the scalple down into her neck, barely missing the carotid artery, before falling onto the table awkwardly and slipping into unconsciousness.

"He has lost it," Der Fuhrer said painfully; her hand grasping the scaple and slowly removing it, putting pressure on the wound. "Men, isolate him," she said sternly as she walked over to a counter along the wall and grabbed some gauze and pads to cover her wound, the red unmistakable color of blood seeping through the fingers covering her wound.

"Richard, remain here with C9 and watch Dante. Erzsebet, accompany me," her final orders were as she walked out of the room, silence persuing.

Richard watched the situation unfold between the man Dante and Der Fuhrer, frozen; understanding that this was a woman who could handle herself. Richard planned on minding his own business when it came to these two. He saw the look in her eyes as she forced him to help her at the crash site.. this was likely a man she wanted to use in some way, and he would not be the one to die stepping in between.

As Der Fuhrer slipped an arm under Dante to help him back to his table, Richard saw the scalpel in the other man's hands, and the animal look in his eyes before he stuck the blade of the instrument-become-weapon in Der Fuhrer.

If he had not been told, with a look, that he was to mind his own business; Richard would have helped.. but he was quickly finding a distaste for the controlling woman standing there with blood spurting over her guests. Since she was not in mortal danger, he did not get involved.. she was more self-sufficient than his father's Captain, Artemis; and that was saying quite a lot. True to form, she helped herself, and gave him an order to watch over Dante with C9 as she left to talk with Erzsebet.

Richard spoke in whispered tones to C9, within sight of the subdued man Dante, but out of earshot.

"I do not much like your nation's leader, I want to get out of this house.. nothing good can come from a place of so much death. I can feel the power here as palpably as I can feel the flesh of your arm right now. Either we do something to take advantage, or we get the fuck out before this half-crazed dictator gets the whim to kill us both."

C9 gave him a look that he could not decipher... but he took it to mean that she did have an alterior plan.. which made sense; he could see that she had no desire to stay here any more than he did.

They both made their way back to the man lying on the table, now unconcious, and Richard ran a quick check of his vitals. He felt sorry for this man who had no control over his life at this point, he was Der Fuhrer's pawn.. through and through. Richard stepped back.. just how much control did he himself have?

Erzsebet nodded at Dyszel's request. It's probably actually an order, put in the form of a request she thought. A voice laughed inside her.

She quickly whispered instructions to Carlsen. No one else present could understand Callisdrunian, but then again, being careful was probably a good idea. She pitied any poor fool who tried to learn the language without having grown up with it.

C9 was still standing there, that wench Erzsebet thought. I would like to see Ilona have her way with that rat. She did not think much of plotters. Her thoughts referred to the sadistic Ilona Batory, a nuclear physicist, professor and very controversial figure back home, sometimes even more so than Erzsebet herself. She hoped Dyszel knew that C9 was a traitor, and wondered what the punishment for treason was here. In her country, it was the only one that carried the death penalty. If Dyszel gave the order, Erzsebet would gladly do the execution herself, and gorge herself at the same time.

She was jolted back from her thoughts when Dante stabbed Dyszel in the neck. Clearly, this man is still quite dangerous. Perhaps they should restrain him more. Odd, to think he has led the juggernaut that destroyed not only Dyszel's country, but countless others, yet she seems to treat him with no ill feeling. Erzsebet did find the ways of foreigners fascinating. All this went through her mind in the instant it took to get to Dyszel's side. The sight of the woman's blood did not even register with her. She had fed recently, and seeing the blood of a person she viewed as a comrade did not unnerve her, she had been in actions before.

"What matters do you wish to speak of, Der Fuhrer?" she said respectfully. Though her accent remained, it was softer, with less noticable hissing, the more quietly she spoke. Though she did not cower, her body language as she walked did signal deference to DFD, who obviously outranked her entirely.

After Der Fuhrer left the room, C9 scanned the room, her eyes settling on Alex and Dante for a moment. Gently grabbing Richard's arm with ample force to guide him to a counter nearby she asked in a manner similiar to Der Fuhrer's demands, requests in the form of polite, if you can call Der Fuhrer polite, orders. "Can you please help me with bringing over this ointment?"

Once at the counter, she leaned over to him, so that he alone could hear her hushed whispers, "I doubt Der Fuhrer plans to dispose of any of us just yet. Take notice, she had more then every oppurtunity to kill me already. I, like herself, can handle myself quite well," she said, a beaming grin spreading across her features, setting a evil glint into her eyes....a glint that Dante had once bore in his now tired and dejected eyes.

They walked back to Dante, bottle in hand and set it aside of him on the table, without opening it or using it on him. He grunted slightly as he began to regain himself. He sat up, despite C9 and Richard's efforts to keep him laying, and looked about the room, his head blurred. Weakily, as if straining against his very breath, he spoke raspily, "Where am I?"

The harsh cold threatening voice that had once sunk into a person's very soul when he spoke now had diminished. It was replaced by a confused, tired, remorseful voice that brushed the surface of your skin and sent shudders down your spine as each hair stood up, little army men attentive of an officer. He began again, weaker with each breath, "I don't wish to fight. She brought me here.......my....Genocide......my daughter. Is she....?"

He could not finish the thought that everyone already subconsciously finished for him. As C9 stared coldly into his eyes, expecting a rather henious trick from a man who successfully managed to single-handedly destroy half The Reich. Instead of finding a well placed facade though, she found that the man was indeed no longer the feared and ominious Dante they once had known, but now a battleworn and exhausted scarred Dante.

He tried to slide off the table again, feeling cold and upset, looking into Richard's eyes for helping against a restraining C9.

Der Fuhrer led Erzsebet into the labyrinthe of corridors, cutting and turning down corridors. She stopped in front of two large doors, obvious that a conference room was behind them. Opening the doors, she issued Erzsebet in before her into the pitch black darkened room, where no light from the outside had issued in, none from the dim lit corridors either.

Once inside, she shut the door tightly and locked it, before smiling, knowing well that neither of them would have a problem discussing important matters in this darkened room. However, preferring the light in a situation such as this one, as to show lucidly her facial features and gestures on the matter, she called out one swift precise order, "lights" and the lights turned on in a moment.

Her face remained resolute as she guided Erzsebet to a chair at the end of a long oaken table where she properly sat herself at the other end. In a moment, the holographic little girl from the corridors appeared in the room and sat herself in one of the many chairs toward the middle of the table so that all three can converse properly.

Der Fuhrer, with her usual, skip the question demands, began, "Miss Erzsebet. Tell me why you believe you are here."

After a momentarily silence in which she assumed Erzsebet was contemplating a well stated reply, she began without giving Erszebet the chance of explanation. "I have brought you here upon various claims of attack against the city of Stadt des Meeres. I trust you will be honest hereforth. Any lies will lead to the destruction of your nation."

Which, at that very statement, the little girl giggled and gave an anticipating squeal of delight as she shifted in her seat much like a child on an amusement park ride waiting for it to begin.

Richard was a caring man. He grew up being taught about the plebes, and like his father before him; spent the 3 years before taking his position living amongst them, making an honest living, else he would starve.. the same as any other man. As a consequence of that, and his own natural desire to help his fellow man, it was in his nature to care and help those who needed it. Alex was one who learned this fact recently.

Looking down at this man Dante on the table, helpless.. he should have felt a desire to help him; he should have wanted to take care of him himself, instead of allowing the beautiful woman who had taken control handle the situation.

Richard sat back and watched C9 with curiosity.. Richard could see the innocence in Dante's eyes and he felt an odd detatchment towards whatever she was planning to do, instead of the usual desire to protect an innocent man. Perhaps this was a man who once made men shiver in their boots, and perhaps he would once again become that man; but right now, he was at the mercy of a woman with a decidedly naughty glint in her eyes.. and Richard was in between emotions.

There was a brewing conflict in his mind, and the situation did not even warrant this alarming realization of change. Here sat an injured, broken man, wondering about the safety of his daughter; and Richard was more worried about himself and C9 than the man.. what was wrong with him?

Not avoiding Dante's eyes, he gave Dante the kindest look that he could muster, and betrayed his own initial response.

"Do not worry Dante, we are here to help you. I would not personally wish the wrath of Der Fuhrer on my worst enemy, and I certainly would not want it to be directed at C9 and I for not taking care of you as best as we can," he said with a soft voice.

Giving C9 a significant look as he pulled his eyes away from the man lying on the table, Richard grabbed the ointment that she asked for, and resumed his thoughts.

Erzsebet's thoughts wandered far from her body as she followed Dyszel into the conference room. She did not mind that the door was closed before the lights were on, she was comfortable in darkness. However, the lights were soon on at an order from Dyszel, illuminating the room.

She cooperated and sat, not really thinking about. Something in her mind told her that it should strike her as odd that Dyszel was sitting all the way on the other side of the table. The little girl, who Erzsebet knew was a hologram, though an extremely well done hologram, appeared, which made Erzsebet wonder. Whatever could be the reason for her to be necessary?. She now doubted that it was simply strategy and tactics that Dyszel wanted to talk about.

When Dyszel asked her what she thought was the reason for their closed doors discussion, she was about to say that she didn't know, and that she supposed it was for whatever Dyszel felt like talking about.

But of course, she didn't get to say all that. In fact, she had not even opened her mouth yet when a stunning accusation brought her mind fully to where she was and what was going on with quite a jolt. She could not hide her shock and disbelief, and her confusion showed plainly on her face. What in Odin's name?

When she finally was able to stop blinking in surprise, and had composed herself, she put her hands on the table and spoke. "I know that Stadt de Meeres was bombed, but my fleet was also bombed when our anti-aircraft batteries opened fire on the attackers. We got some pretty good views of the planes while they were dropping explosives on us, and I can tell you that we could only wish we had bombers of that quality." Her voice was sincere, and it was true that the aerial assault had been done with planes that far outmatched anything Callisdrun had. "We lost many good men and women, and several ships. Some of the finest soldiers in our navy died, and from what I've seen, so have many of the best troops in the army. I don't know what led you to the suspicion that we would bomb Stadt, Ma'am, but I'm glad that I can truthfully deny it."

Erzsebet did not smile. One did not talk about cities being bombed and smile, unless of course the cities in question were Altar Rangian, which Stadt was not. "General Farkas was inside the city when it was bombed. We would not kill our own troops, our best troops, and one of our most talented generals. Despite the fact that I have some problems of my own," she continued, "The military apparently thinks I have at least some talent, and so would not send bombers to kill me, let alone rain down fire and destruction on the military's prized warships." Sometimes her brain worked quite logically. "Furthermore, and this is the greatest reason that we were not behind this atrocity, is that it would be a blight upon our honor. You see, Der Fuhrer, we hold ourselves tight to what we deem to be honor, we believe that without it we are nothing, and to violate it makes us such." It was odd explaining something that everyone in her home country took for granted, very odd. "In our belief, the most dishonorable, most disgusting, vile and low thing that someone can do is to betray a friend or ally." When talking of the military reasons why Callisdrun could not have attacked Stadt, Erzsebet had been all logic, but now she was speaking from the strongest, most deeply held beliefs, and it was apparent by her voice, and somehow her accent only emphasized that her words were from her heart of hearts. "It is a great insult just to be accused of such treachury. You did not know that, so I cannot be angry about it," she said calmly. "Nevertheless, I am glad that we are having this discussion in private."

Perhaps never in her life before had Erzsebet spoken with such obvious conviction. She might be a bit loony, but this was one part of her mind that insanity would never be able to touch. "Der Fuhrer, attacking Stadt in the way that happened would be so dishonorable, so shameful that I would question whether we even had souls if we had done it." Her burning emerald eyes had been locked on those of Dyszel the entire time. Now they burned not with madness, but with passionately held principles.

OOC:
Multipost

OOC:
Multipost

Der Fuhrer kept her eyes locked on Erzsebet's as she leaned backward, watching and observing Erzsebet closely......a human lie detector. Finding satisfactory results, she leaned forward, resting her head on her fists, a grin spreading across her face.

"Well done Miss Erzsebet. I, of course, knew all along that your nation was not guilty of the crime. But I needed to see your reactions and dedication to our region."

The little girl giggled, "Mommy's so clever."

Der Fuhrer disregarded the little girl's comment and continued to look into Erzsebet's eyes. Then, her demeanor changing from satisfied contempt to serious business, she sat back again before continuing. "You suffered a great loss Miss Erzsebet. Your eyes tell me this much. Tell me more about it. I too have seen great loss; I am sure we can related," she said with a sincere expression now filling her face.

Dante hated them both at they very moment, but the rage quickly settled when he remembered his nurse back in the comforting atmosphere of European Free States. He sighed and laid back, remembering that anger was not the way to solve his problems anymore.

He looked toward C9, who when satisfied, released him and stepped back. Why had their fates crossed again?

He grimaced again, hazy and cloudy memories resurfacing. Had he slept with this woman before? He groaned as his mind was filled with blurs that were memories, people whose faces were barely noticable, names he could barely remember, actions that were masked behind an odd mist in his mind.

Was this his past? Was it all coming back to haunt him?


In the mean time, C9 grinned in satisfication as Dante laid back and stared of at the ceiling. She looked toward Richard again, a malicious grin spreading. "This man is Dante. You should have seen him so long ago, in the midst of his prime......quite the man. If he is back, this can only mean one thing." She glasped her hands together in excitement. "We are going to war my dear Richard. We are going back to war!"

Richard did not fear C9's life as he watched the rage dance in Dante's eyes, she could handle herself. He had been examining his thoughts instead.. Richard worried about this change in his belief system, and wondered how it came about.

Stealing a hard look at C9, he pondered if it was something she had done which changed him.. he cared for her well-being; he cared for her more than any other woman he had ever met, and that included Kahlan. He had been told that the marriage between them, which was arranged, was the best for the people; that he would learn to love the woman who he eventually learned to despise, always plotting behind his back, always looking for a bigger piece of the political pie. C9 was little different; she came off to Richard as being similar to Kahlan. The biggest differences were subtleties which drew him to her like a moth to light; and the biggest was that Kahlan never let her weaknesses or emotions show. C9 had shown despair, joy, anger, and curiosity in greater amounts for the little time that they had known each other than Kahlan had shown him in their short marriage together. Richard did not think that she was a woman who did that often, and it made him feel special, seeing these moments of hers that he expected few lived to see.. it all made him feel more at ease.

C9 had the ability to steal his breath away with a smile, sometimes even just a glance.. it was in these times that Richard felt his stomach jump into his throat, wondering if there was anything she could ask that he would not try his best to do.

He had changed.. it was imperceptible at first, but the change was there. 'Lets just hope I dont change any further, this is alarming enough.. this man Dante does not deserve mistreatment.... I know this, so why do I not feel the need to protect him as an innocent? He should not be made a casualty of war, no matter how evil he was in the past.. I saw innocence in his eyes until he was baited; where did this change come from? Was it in me the whole time? Perhaps the rage I saw in him before has made me see him differently, not as innocent, more of a threat.. yea.. thats it,' Richard thought, ending with a smile

He nearly missed C9's excited declaration.

"What does that mean? Who is going to war with whom? What role shall we play?" Richard asked with a small measure of exasperation. He did not like being the last to know things, especially when they concerned death and destruction. He did not expect a straight answer, but wanted her to know what was on his mind.

Placing a hand to his throbbing temple and sitting down on a nearby chair, Richard looked at C9 apologetically, "Its been a while since ive had any rest; and I have a few problems to work out. Im sorry if I ruined your..... good mood."

As Richard waited for a solid idea of what was going on, he stole a glance at the man on the table.. did he know?

Behind C9's excitement, Dante slid from table barely noticed. Still in pain from the crash, he grimaced as he grabbed a one of the sheets of the table and drapped it over his shoulders, covering his scarred and mangled war destroyed body.

Like a destroyed shoulder, Dante held his head low as he shuffled past many people whose jaws dropped as they stared at him as if he were a hostile threat that was just captured.....after all, in the eyes of many Riech members, he was. He was, and remained to them, a hostile threat that could not be trusted or left free.

It was not until Dante reached the doors to the medicial facility that Richard and C9 noticed he had left the table. Pale, as the blood rushed from her face, she stumbled forward, rushing to stop him.

"D...Dante. STOP!" she yelled as his hand grasped the cold handle of the door and pulled it toward him. He looked back toward C9, his eyes saddened as they stared defeated at this woman.

He said nothing, his face dejected, as he continued to move forward through the door.

"Richard! Do something!" C9 yelled as she ran toward one of the nearest guards and seized their gun. "Damn you worthless pieces of shit! Couldn't you have stopped him!" she continued to yell as the doors shut behind him.

Dante breathed deeply, the pain he once felt in isolated places, beginning to spread deep into his joints and across his body. He worked his way down the corridors, either knowing precisely where he was heading or wandering aimlessly.....those of which, it was impossible to tell.

Richard was far too engaged in C9's eyes to notice Dante sliding away.. he now had another thing to worry about. He thought that he would have picked up on his escape.. intent that betrays his own wishes usually gives him a certain feeling. Either he simply did not pick it up, Dante had a coping mechanism to block his senses from noticing him leave, or Richard's own, personal change had altered his natural ability to sense danger, or subtle variations in the world around him.

Running to keep up with C9, Richard had thought he could rely highly on his tracking skills; but this man Dante was cleaned, and spotless enough that he could only pick up a faint change in the warmth of the floor where the man had walked over it, and only then by squatting down. As he ran down one hallway, he picked up on the old shortcut that they had taken earlier. Realizing that C9 would follow the man, who looked to be heading towards the entrance, Richard chose to take the shortcut, and try to beat him to the way out. Running at full tilt through the abandoned, nigh oft used hallways; Richard hoped he was not too late.

Remembering Der Fuhrer's stern words, Richard rushed to hopefully meet the oncoming man. He would take the shortcut to the entrance, and then the long way.. the way he hoped C9 was taking.. back to meet up with her. He dearly dreaded a meeting with Der Fuhrer having lost his charge.. and it was for C9 that he was most worried.

Finally reaching the entrance, and finding no commotion; Richard breathed a sigh of relief, and began to work his way back towards the lab, idly wondering where the Red Queen was, and how she might have been able to help, if they could have summoned her use themselves.

Dante had slid his way up a seemingly abandoned flight of stairs. At the top, his leg began to hurt him terrible. He only winced with each step, refusing to mutter an annoyance or exasperation of pain. He struggled his way a few more steps before his leg seemed to give out, tumbling to the ground with shame.

He used one of his arms to pull himself onto his knees, where he mustered a half crawl and drag halfway down that corridor. His other hand held the sheet around him tightly.....he felt degraded enough, and to have his previously sworn enemies to see him in this state would be a loss of self esteem and dignity beyond repair.

He passed the grand staircase, again, barely seen by anyone and collapsed, out of energy and in pain, half way down that corridor.

"Mathias," he muttered weakily. Realized that Mathias would never hear him from this far away and that quietly, he raised his voice and called out once again, "Mathias!"

He scooted himself against the wall, almost sitting, half leaning and was breathing heavily. He hated himself at that moment, so weak and useless.


In the mean time, C9 wandered the labyrinthe herself, the gun poised ready to shoot. "Damn him," she cursed herself silently. She had lost him. As she wandered about, she heard his call faintly. Following the direction to which the voice eminated from, she found herself making her way to the massive foyer. If he was calling for Mathias, surely he must be close by Mathias.

Breaking into a run, she found herself in the large foyer just below the grand staircase. Wasting no time, she began to run up them, hearing Richard nearing as well, possibly already upstairs and running from the direction which Dante had come from.

Richard heard a man yell, off in the distance. It sounded as if someone were yelling for the owner of this mansion, the doctor whom he had yet to meet.

He took off from his walk into a dead run until he turned a corner and saw Dante lying on the ground, trying to cover himself up as best as he could. For a fleeting instant, Richard felt compassion for the man, lying there naked; but then there she was. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw C9, breathless after what must have been an all-out sprint up the flight of steps that Richard remembered should come next.. were he following the proper trail back to the lab. His face hardened to stone, and he stopped running. Dante had nowhere to go, and he looked to be in a great deal of pain.

As soon as C9 spotted Richard, she too stopped running; and they walked towards the man on the ground.. as they did so, Richard checked the sword in his scabbard absentmindedly to make sure it was clear.. an old habit for a weapon most considered useless in this day and age. For most purposes, it was.. but he was shite with guns, so he was taught to rely on his strengths.

Richard felt little compassion for the man lying on the ground, now mere yards from his feet; but he thought he might be forced to restrain C9, as her eyes shone with malicious intent towards their escapee. Richard walked around Dante so that he could stand in between him and C9, but affixed her with a pleasant smile and remarked playfully, "There you are! Lost another prisoner I see.. am I going to have to keep finding these for you?"

Ignoring her murderous glare, Richard turned back to Dante and picked him up with both of his hands. The larger man's feet dangled on the ground as Richard held him to eye level, "Do that again, and no half-psychotic dictator in the world will save your hide from tasting the cold steel on my hip; are we understood?"

Not waiting for any kind of response, and not expecting one, Richard tied the 'stolen' blanket around the man's waist. That task being quickly completed, he then hoisted Dante up onto his shoulders, Fireman's carrying style, and asked C9 to watch his back as they wove through the corridors back to the place where Der Fuhrer would expect to see them next.

Before Richard or C9 could leave, a door creaked open and another dejected pride destroyed man walked out from the room. Mathias remained in the same attire, blood stained as it was and shredded from the plane crash. He was lying on his bed with a beloved bottle of Bourbon and Desert Eagle when he heard the desperate plea......he knew that voice anywhere.

The cold steel slit his throat again, digging deeply, severing his vocal cords, severing his trachea, cutting, continuing to cut from one ear to the next. Shaking, he ran his fingers across the thick scar that remained from that day.....the scar of his failure.

He hoisted himself from the bed and pulled open the door, the Eagle in his hand firmly. He raised it and shot, the bullet blazing past C9 and knicking Richard's arm.

He stepped forward. As much as he hated Dante; it would be him who destroyed this man in the end, for Dante destroyed his life. He held his gun at C9 who was about to fire upon him, and in an instant, another pierce broke through the air and struck the gun, tearing it from her hands and causing it to fire prematurely at the wall before falling to the ground.

Mathias made his way closer, a look of anger and hatred in his eyes as he glared at C9, now defenseless. He raised the gun again, aiming for mouth; his jaw firm and clenched.


C9, however, appeared frozen in her steps. She did not move, did not wince apart from having her weapon shot out of her hand. She looked into Mathias's eyes with a defiant look that seemed to question what he dared to do.

Dante felt powerless as Richard with moderate force pinned him up against the wall and threatened him. His gaze dropped the floor......he deserved this. He deserved it more then anyone.

He did not struggle or fight any as Richard hoisted him onto his shoulders. However, he flinched as he heard a gunshot......he would die. In a blinding split second moment, he realized that he would die. That C9 had shot him in an act of rage.

His heart raced and his mind went blank. Was he dead for sure now?

Richard would not forget the dejected, lost look in Dante's eyes after he threatened him; there was little turning back at this point, and he realized that he now had to rely on C9 more than he had expected. In a lost moment, he hoped he could turn back time and take back what he had said to the man he was now feeling sorry for. He shifted the man's weight on his shoulders so that he could be more comfortable.

The gunshot was his warning, again cursing his senses for not warning him of the threat, Richard went down to a knee, and placed Dante on the ground. He had never been shot before, but he didnt want to endanger the man anymore than he already had.

Standing up and looking at his arm, bleeding through the shirt he had on; Richard thanked the good spirits that it was only a grazing. Again looking down at Dante, lying on the ground, he again felt a pang of regret for the way he treated the man.

'It takes being shot to bring me back to my senses? Then why do I still feel this emotional pull towards the cruel woman standing nearby? Too many questions, not enough time..'

Richard diverted his attention to his attacker, knowing full well that if he were meant to be dead, he would already be so. Worried about C9's well being, he spoke with a glare at Mathias, who he recognized as one of the men he had found at the crash site earlier, with haughty tones, "Do you intend to stand there all day, or perhaps you were thinking of your next step.. shooting at guests in your home must be a common thing for you; perhaps this is why the place is so damned deserted that I cannot get a decent meal. I help an injured man in the hallway, and get shot as my reward. Well? Have you anything to say?"

The man gave him a glare of his own, and Richard remembered just then that he was a mute.

"Ahh.. I have just remembered.. you cannot answer questions. Next time you want to initiate a conversation with strangers, might I suggest you shoot that gun in the air instead. We mean you, and your house no harm; the both of us came here with Admiral Hunny*Dew, and were charged by Der Fuhrer to watch over this man back in the lab; which reminds me.. would you mind giving me a hand getting this man back onto my shoulders? We should return before anyone misses us too greatly."

Another gunshot, this time thankfully in the air, warned him that doing so would result in more blood being shed; and it was possible that this time, it would be the blood of one of his more vital areas. His ruse had worked though, and Mathias seemed mildly curious about him, instead of intent on killing C9.. Richard hoped that she had thought further than he had, because he hadnt an idea beyond violence to end the threat from the mute 'doctor' who owned this estate.

Dante struggled against the hard floor, his leg began to throb with pain. Couldn't his life just end already? He suffered so much.....had he not learned his lesson? Had he not already payed for the damage he caused in the past? Where was 'God' now? Where was this all forgiving and almighty 'God' who would not forgive him for his past mistakes?

Dante managed to pushing himself back into the half sitting and leaning position against the wall as Richard and Mathias's eyes were locked in a furious glare.

Mathias held his gun back toward C9; he did not trust the vile woman at all. After the vile acts that she had committed against him and forced him to do to another.....after destroying him and sentencing him to a sure death that would follow after the war.....he could not trust this deceptive bitch.

He hated C9 so much, his glare setting on the defiant woman before her. He wished to lower his gun for a moment to write a simple message; his only means of communication anymore, but lacked trust in the woman he hated so much.

He listened to Richard closely before slowly turning toward him, still aiming the gun toward C9. "What is he doing with her? What does he want with Dante? Dante...." he shuddered at his mind repeating the name.

Forgetting momentarily about the both of them, his eyes went to Dante who seemed to be having trouble breathing normally......pain perhaps?

Dante looked up at Mathias. His voice weak and no longer as cold as it once was broke from his up until now silent lips, "Please........Mathias.......help me."

Not prepared to end the confrontation between him and the man holding all of the cards after Dante spoke, Richard stepped in between C9 and Mathias, holding his arms up as a protective measure and took another chance on his read of the gracious doctor.

"You will not harm an innocent female in my presence," Mathias' gaze changed ever so slightly into incredulity, and curiosity, likely over his definition of 'innocence'; but maintained its bricklike form, "there is no one here but us three, and I can see that you feel little kindness towards any one of us. Where do we go from here?"

Affixing Mathias with another hard glare, one which he hoped the doctor pulled mounds of malice from his grey eyes; Richard noted hesitation in the doctor's outward appearance.

"You have something to say? I see that pad and paper you keep handy, we arent going anywhere," Richard said with a bit less force in his voice, choosing to play a bit of the part of a man unused to stress, a bit of the doddering diplomat.

Stealing a look behind him at C9, Richard noted with worry that she was mentally coiled up like a snake, ready to attack; and Richard needed the three of them to play it as cooly as possible to get out of this alive.. he gave her a significant look, and she seemed to understand his intent.

Mathias could not win this battle. Feeling his failures resurfacing, he looked down at the man who now begged for his help. "How could Dante turn to this?" However, no sooner then he finished the thought, Dante interrupted him.

"Mathias.....I thought we made amends at the cemetary. Remember, you both came asking for my help. I didn't want this. I didn't want any of this....but Genoci...." he stopped at the thought of the daughter he never knew in harm or dead. "Damn it," he muttered as he felt a hot burning sensation in face......he was crying. An emotion he had not remembered until this moment resurfaced at the small tears splashed down his face. "Oh great, this is just great. Why the heck did I have to cry with them here? Why? If this isn't embarrassing enough......"

He struggled to compose himself, but the trobbing pain in his leg prevented him from standing or moving much at all.

"Mathias.....please," he murmured as he looked down to the ground. He felt weak like a mongrel in their presense.


Mathias considered for a moment what Dante had said. He had been the one to stop Der Fuhrer from brutalizing Dante. He had come with Der Fuhrer to ask for his assistance. They did need him for this war.

He closed his eyes to consider for a moment what to do; in that instant, lowering his gun.

Couple with Richard's comments, his head began to spin. Perhaps the Bourbon?

He let out a deep breath that sounded like a grunt through his mangled pipes. His hatred for C9 did not diminish any; his hatred for Richard grew when he stepped in front of his target protecting her, while his sympathy for Dante grew......had he pitied Dante?

Der Fuhrer kept her eyes locked on Erzsebet's as she leaned backward, watching and observing Erzsebet closely......a human lie detector. Finding satisfactory results, she leaned forward, resting her head on her fists, a grin spreading across her face.

"Well done Miss Erzsebet. I, of course, knew all along that your nation was not guilty of the crime. But I needed to see your reactions and dedication to our region."

The little girl giggled, "Mommy's so clever."

Der Fuhrer disregarded the little girl's comment and continued to look into Erzsebet's eyes. Then, her demeanor changing from satisfied contempt to serious business, she sat back again before continuing. "You suffered a great loss Miss Erzsebet. Your eyes tell me this much. Tell me more about it. I too have seen great loss; I am sure we can related," she said with a sincere expression now filling her face.

"An interesting change of subject," Erzsebet said, stretching out her pale hands on the table. One could see that she was a bit less comfortable with this new subject than the one they had last been discussing. I can't lie, not after that. She can see into me. That disturbed her. Well, it takes trust to get trust she said in her head. It was a more obscure saying, but an old one.

After collecting herself, she began. "Der Fuhrer, I will relate to you the cause of my pain, but I trust that you'll be kind enough to keep quiet what I confide to you. Too many people know all about it already." Her voice was now humble, holding much sadness, and also a slight touch of worry and embarassment.

"I was an idealist when I joined Callisdrun's navy, through the naval academy in my hometown, Drun," she said. "I was sixteen at the time. At seventeen, I was at sea, and it was hard but exhilirating." A smile touched her lips slightly, in rememberance. "By the time I was nineteen, I was a gunnery officer, commanding 'B' turret on the battle cruiser Varghona. It was the most wonderful time in my life. While on board, in fact, in the turret I commanded, I met a gunnery officer of slightly lower rank, who was very intelligent, sweet, and quite charming." This time she smiled openly, though she also seemed to be feeling longing. "Of course, Knut Tveitan and I fell in love, quite quickly in fact. Everything was so beautiful at that time. Everyone knew about us, but everyone thought we were perfect for each other, even his parents, despite the fact that he is a normal human and I am Moroii." Human parents were often more vigilant if their child's significant was a moroii, because of the ramifications of getting involved with one. "We were on many voyages together. Finally, after a few days on another one, we decided to get married. We were going to be wed as soon as we got back from that voyage. We wanted to settle down and have children, and raise them in Sorvik castle, and be a family."

A tear trickled down her cheek. "But at a firing exercise the last day out at sea on that voyage, that wonderful future became impossible." Another tear ran down. "I still don't quite get what went wrong. You see, on board large warhips with multiple gun turrets, often the turret crews are competitive with each other, for speed and accuracy and such. We're all friends, yes, but there's a bit of a rivalry. We played pranks on each other as well. Nothing too mean, though." More tears starting flowing. "Everything was going fine, it was just a routine drill, and then, 'A' turret was gone, and there was fire and shrapnel everwhere." Tears were now streaming down Erzsebet's cheeks. "The men and women we'd been having a good time with that morning all died when their turret blew up." She cradled her face in her hands. "They were a great group, my friends. We were close enough to their turret so that several of us were injured. Knut wasn't, fortunately, but only because the shrapnel that would have hit him, tore me up instead." No one could deny she was crying now. "I still have the scars," she said, unconsciously putting her hand under her clothes to feel them. "What I don't have, any longer, are most of my uterus and my ovaries." Her head fell to the table. To say that it was emotional for her was an absurd understatement. "With our dreams of our future life ruined, my relationship with Knut hasn't really been the same since. We still love each other, but sometimes we separate, I don't even really know why. I can only destroy life now."

Richard saw the emotion in Mathias' eyes as he considered the man lying on the ground, in a wretched state, in despair, begging for his life. Had he misread their connection?

Richard did not speak again, his goal of protecting C9 accomplished, he had no more use in provoking the mute, gun wielding doctor; instead, reading the situation to mean that they had once again escaped death, and seeing the man they were supposed to protect still on the ground injured, Richard went over to Dante, hoisted him up, and waited for instructions about what to do next. Him dying meant them dying; so there was little use in protecting C9 if Der Fuhrer would simply have that creepy little girl slaughter them on the spot anyways.

He let out a sigh of mild impatience at the lack of conviction, or perhaps careful planning of this Mathias.. a man he was growing to dislike somewhat. Who the fuck shoots a total stranger while his back is turned, carrying an injured man? Richard assumed that Mathias was such a man, and despite the fact that he knew little of the situation at hand, he knew what he needed to know to dislike this doctor.

Hiding the anger he felt dancing to the surface of his eyes, an anger which would certainly cause the results of his disarming attitude to be eliminated; and restraining himself from interrupting with scathing words about the weakness he felt radiating from Mathias as he considered Dante in a new light, Richard replaced them with worry over C9's state. She still looked coiled, and not at all disarming.. Something was going on which was beyond his comprehension; but they would live to see another hour tick by, and there were more pressing matters at hand.

'Even Mathias finally seems to get this through his apparently thick skull,' Richard thought halfheartedly, without logic as he turned and visually checked Dante's breathing, to see that it was laboring a bit.

Der Fuhrer did not move forward to comfort Erzsebet; rather, she sat back and continued to stare empathetically into her tearing eyes as she told her story. When Erzsebet finished her story, Der Fuhrer simply stared ahead a faint smile playing at her lips.

"Miss Erzsebet," the words hung in the air for a moment before she continued, the little girl sitting in the chair oddly quiet and looking down, as if saddened by Erzsebet's story. "You are fit for the Reich. As you may know, we have become what appears to be a collection of mishappened people. Embrace your inabilities Miss Erzsebet. When you learn to do that, you will become a stronger and more intelligent person."

The smile broke from her lips into a grin of satisfication. "Now, let us get to business. The Reich shall engage in a retalitatory act against our new enemy. This act may result in another war. I trust we have your support."

She smiled again, giving Erzsebet a chance to speak.

Erzsebet sat back up and got out her handkerchief, which was black, and wiped her face with it in a less than graceful manner. She didn't care if she didn't act beautifully in front of Dyszel, after all, if she could trust her enough to tell her misfortunes, then she could could trust her enough to look awkward in front of her. "Yes, right," she said as she was regaining her composure. Slowly.

"Yes, we were both attacked, therefore whoever commanded it is an enemy to us both. I think that attacks against either of us," and when she said us, she meant it multiple contexts, "should be considered one and the same. I agree that a retaliatory attack should be mounted, however," and then her voice became slightly sheepish, "I still don't quite know who ordered the bombing."

It seemed to Erzsebet that Callisdrun's part in retaliatory campaign would probably not be able to be mounted in the sky, since Callisdrun had no planes to compare to the ones that had devestated the city and harassed the fleet. With a little more information, we could certainly hatch up something nasty, though she thought.

Mathias watched Richard take Dante again, who when lifted murmured a very faint, "Mathias....help me....." Stood between fighting too many evils at once, the rage inside him burst. He was a failure, but he could not let them take away Dante.....something inside him told him this. Dante came to him for a reason......

Sliding his Desert Eagle into his pants for just a moment, he moved forward and as gently as possible, fought to remove Dante from this man he barely had known. After a moment of self doubt, when he was sure Richard would win this battle, his grip of Dante came loose, perhaps due to the fact that Richard did not want to harm the man. He knew that Richard was not done with him. He was probably given strict orders by Der Fuhrer to be fighting this much; he understood fear, he understood obedience......Der Fuhrer was not the woman to cross.


Dante collapsed to his knees.....feeling like a worm that two birds were fighting for to feed their newly hatched. He breathed heavily and weakly. He just wanted to sleep, just a little sleep.....


C9 moved before any could blink. Frozen for the majority of time, she cracked like thin ice on a warm near spring day and unleashed from the depths beneath the ice a torrent and wave of sheer anger and hatred. In that swift move, Mathias felt his manhood being practically forced inside him as he too collapsed to his knees with labored breathing. He wanted to curse her so bad, but his inability to yell or shout or even whisper caused him to silently endure this wretching pain. Feeling as if he were about to vomit, his hands grabbed his abused manhood, as if protecting them from another kick, while his now damp forehead, from the perfusive sweat, hit off the cold, now refreshing, ground.

Richard watched with abject horror the situation unfold in front of his eyes.

He barely resisted Mathias taking Dante away from him, because he did not care for another fight so soon after finishing the one they had just completed.

"You can have him, Der Fuhrer will know where he is, and that he is under your care; his neck be on your shoulders, not mine doctor," Richard said, speaking the last word with a sneer and a derisive look.. but it did not fully allay his fears. If something happened to this man Dante, he expected the same would happen to the three of them; they were now all tied together, because of this man, and Richard did not like the feeling, "but I will be following you, because I have a feeling that it is my hide as well should something happen to our charge," he ended, with a look at C9.

He saw her crack just then, a change in her eyes that told him that whatever happened was now beyond his control; he hadnt time to think beyond that realization before C9 dropped Mathias to his knees after a rabid attack to his manhood. Richard stood there with shock, unable to move, lest he make a wrong decision. C9 made his mind up for him by, with astounding strength, lifting Dante up onto her own shoulders, and using a free hand to guide Richard quickly away from the doctor; who he instinctively knew would not be a happy man when he recovered. It was all happening as if he were watching someone else move, and Richard himself was along for the abusive ride.

Stealing a last look at the recovering doctor lying on the ground before they took off towards an unknown destination, Richard knew that what C9 had just done may have sealed their fate; Richard knew that the both of them would be hunted, and likely.. without assistance.. dead within the hour. He was not happy about it, but had no other choice but follow C9, and stand behind her snap reaction.

"Miss Erzsebet, before we continue, The Red Queen was issued an order to destroy your nation." The little girl sat bolt upright at the sound of her name and nodded fervently.

In a little girl's voice that was now devoid of the giggling, she began, "Mmmmhmmm. Yep! Alex. Yep! Told me to blow your nation to itsy bitsy pieces. I didn't though. Mommy didn't give me the orders directly. I did blow up two cities though. A tiny one that was barely populated.....I calculated the population before I attacked. And a bigger one that a bunch of peope lived in. But this one.....it had many bad people in it. So I didn't think you would miss the bad people too much." The little girl smiled, proud of her work, as any child is proud of a drawing they made of their family or favorite pet.

Der Fuhrer looked at Erzsebet, taking notice of the initial shock of disbelief. Perhaps in that moment, her mind raced with the possibility of friends or family being destroyed.

Der Fuhrer gave her only a moment, but none enough to respond before continuing, "I supported the attack Miss Erszebet. And as your care deeply for your nation and The Reich, I am sure that you will give me a chance to explain these actions."

She took a breath, slow and steady as she continued on with her explanations, "I ask you allow me to finish before intervening. Your questions and comments can follow afterward.

"Your nation needed to be attacked. I can tell the way you look at C9 that you have also noticed her corruptive behavior. The attack on your nation was a necessity, in many ways. The sound of the explosion will reach Stadt in precisely thirty six minutes and fifty two seconds. This will convince C9 that your nation has been destroyed. Be grateful that The Red Queen has mastered the ability to attack small areas using the force that would destroy a nation. She will indeed be convinced that your nation has been destroyed, and you must play your part as well. Normally, I would not tell anyone of this, but I trust your abilities to act and play the part.

"You must inform all your men that your nation has been destroyed. They must not know that it remains, as they become potential threats to ruining our plan.

"The enemy that has attacked used special planes and fighter jets. Red Queen."

The little girl smiled and giggled as she stood up and opened her arms where almost precise holographic replicas appeared in the air, zooming about, flipping in the air, racing, and dropping bombs.

The voice of The Red Queen changed though, from giggling to serious and business like. "Take notice that there are two crafts that were used. Faster agile planes known as Blackbirds coordinated the positions of our troops and your ships to the larger and slowly Spirits that remained for the most part higher in the air. These ships were not detected by my security system. Based off past materials retrieved and stored in my database, we have concluded that these ships can only belong to our vindictive nemesis Mister Dante. Mister Dante had excelled these two particular air crafts beyond their normal capacities to use against us in the war to take down The Reich. However, all assumptions, his mysterious disappearence and exile by his own people led to these crafts never being used until now. Mister Dante was the only one who knew about these ships other then his Elites. However, as you may have noticed Mister Dante was incapable of leading an assualt as he was with us the entire time. This leads us to believe that we about to face a force far more greater then we imagined. We assume that the attack has been made by his Elites in a last ditch effort to fulfil Mister Dante's overall goal to take down The Reich."

As she finished, she bowed her head and the air crafts disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. She smiled and sat down again.

"Thank you Red Queen," continued Der Fuhrer. "Now, as you can see Miss Erzsebet, it is essential to convince these enemies of ours that a hostility has formed between your nation and my nation. This will lead them to believe that we do not have a strong enough force due to internal strife to fully attack them, allowing them to slip on their offensive and defensive operations, hopefully giving us some sort of upper hand in this war.

"If you have any questions you may ask them now," she finished as she sat back and watched Erzsebet with a straight face the conveyed play time was over and the serious business has begun.

Mathias's hand shook as her heard their footsteps move away from him. Reacting as quickly as he could, he removed his gun from his pants and aimed shakingly at C9's back.

He shot, the bullet piercing the air, the bang ringing out loud echoing off the corridor walls. "Fuck her," was all he could think as he saw a piercing bright red light flash right behind C9, Richard, and Dante.

He knew instantly what and just happened and slammed his fist down in fury as his plans failed yet again.


C9 heard the shot, but knew she would never be able to turn around to see the bullet before it hit her. However, in that briefest of thoughts, a bright red light shun suddenly behind her, a blasting heat overcoming her. After the light and rush of heat subsided, she turned slowly to see Mathias know on one knee holding his gun half aimed at them.

Then......the giggling came.....

"Oh ha ha! Oh mommy's not going to like this one. I'm going to tell! Bad bad Mayphias.....mommy told you that you weren't allowed to shoot C-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1! But I stopped it! Yep! Stopped it! And I'm going to tell!"

The little girl appeared in a short flowing dress in between them both as she danced around in the middle of them excited. "Oh! I'm telling! And C-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 you're going to be in trouble too! You shouldn't play with Mayphias's privates.....they're...." she leaned forward toward C9 and Richard holding her hands over her mouth and looking over her shoulder to make sure the coast was clear, "they're bad......naughty. Private parts are bad C-6-5-4-3-2-1!"

She giggled again as she danced around longer. "Oh! I'm telling! I'm telling!"

She giggled and final time before leaping up into the air and disappearing.


"Fuck" murmured C9 as she glared at Mathias and put Dante down again.


After a momentary silence the elapsed in the shock of what had just happened, a faint weak voice broke out, "What.....the hell.....was that?" asked Dante as he stared in disbelief at the empty space between them all.

"Before I get too far ahead of myself.. allow me to echo a bit of Dante's sentiment.. What the fuck just happened?"

Richard was now more than alarmed.. the appearance of The Red Queen was not unexpected, but he did not ever think that he could get used to such powerful AI; and it scared him further to see, to even feel the childish approach that the apparition took on in not only looks, but.. and he shuddered with the thought, personality as well.

He did not hide his fear, "What do we do now? We cannot exactly run.. I say we bring Dante back to where Der Fuhrer left us, and await her wrath. There is not much we can do; how likely is escape from this humongous place, controlled completely by a thing that can destroy us on a whim. I am not comfortable here C9, I want to go, and I want to be gone NOW."

With a worried glance at Mathias, who seemed to be resigned as well to an inevitability, Richard looked deeply into C9's eyes for the answer, for an action which would save the lives that they had, lives that hung in the balance. He did not know Der Fuhrer well enough to gauge what she might do, but he assumed it would not leave the both of them feeling at all comfortable.

Mathias stood up, straigthening his manhood and placed his gun back in his pants before he walked toward them. He place a hand on Dante's shoulder and raised another to them both to symbolize that Dante would remain here with him. He hoped in the slightest that his messaged would be understood without having his manhood killed this time.

He grimaced and quickly covered his manhood with the hand he rested on Dante's shoulder when C9 shifted her weight quickly. He flinched, waiting to feel the intense pain and fall to his knees again, but that did not happen this time.

C9 merely stood there, shifting back and forth with her arms crossed, apparently in silent contemplation on what to do next.

"Mathias? As much as I hate you, you digusting pedophile, can't you shut that bitch off? This is YOUR mansion!"

Mathias glared at her and shook his head in a negatatory. Of course, C9 already knew this would be the response, for Mathias trusted The Red Queen and held confidence that she would protect him and his mansion when presented with serious situations.

She clenched her jaw and looked down at Dante. "Pathetic! So pathetic! Look at you two! Pathetic......creatures.....inhuman beasts. Dante, get off your knees and stand up like a man. Mathias, stop grabbing yourself. You disgust me. Der Fuhrer will be here shortly. Just shut the fuck up and let me pull the strings you two."

She looked to Richard now and smiled faintly so that neither Dante nor Mathias could see. It was a comfort to her to have him around. It would possibly buy her immunity with his diplomacy.

Erzsebet was speechless. Am I on the wrong side? she thought. What she should do eluded her, all her decisions were very difficult now. However, it was very easy now to decide to hate the Red Queen with all her heart and soul.

What does she mean by "bad people?" From the point of view of many in the world, that could mean any of us. It was true that from some perspectives, Callisdrunians were a very immoral people, some more than others. The "small" city could have been any one of thousands of flyspeck villages in Callisdrun. The larger city, though.... Erzsebet's mind quickly cycled through cities in Callisdrun that could be called "large." There were quite a few, but there were some that were much larger than the rest. A look of horror came to her face and another tear trickled down from her green eyes as she realized that for all she knew, the "larger" city could have been her hometown of Drun. Her family... and she had a lot of that, could all be ashes right now. Drun was the center of Callisdrun's culture, of its religion, as well.

Perhaps it was Callisdrin she thought. A thought only slightly less grim. Callisdrin was not as nice a city as Drun, though larger, and with more business. It was also the capital. If it had been destroyed, Callisdrun as a nation was decapitated. That would mean that the King and Parliament were dead, as well as everyone in the royal family except perhaps Princess Bente and Prince Carl, leaving the government and consequently the military in shambles. It was a horrid possibility.

Another awful loss would be that of Istengrad, the city on the Plains of Sorrow. Erzsebet had been there quite a few times, but still found it an odd, yet charming place. More depressing than either of its larger sister cities, though, for obvious reasons. If it was no longer there, Callisdrun's border would be completely open, allowing raiding parties from Altar Rang to stream in. A chilling prospect, even to one used to the cold.

Erzsebet mentally went over all the other possible losses. Aydindril [OOC: Yes, Callisdrun has a city named Aydindril, look on the map], Budapest, Gothenburg, Bergen, Sorgrad, Misand, which was a city she did not much care for, the people there really had no idea what it meant to be called Callisdrunians, Teledrin, Narvik and several others.

She considered killing Dyszel right then. She had trusted the woman, and only to be told this? Dishonorable. She had disgraced her family, if they still lived, and her country, by being fool enough to trust foreigners. Honor demands that my life end as soon as my duty is done, then.

"How could you?" she said calmly, but coldly. The tears belied her emotions, though. "Not even in the depths of the Great Northern War did we ever kill our own people, even if it would have given a strategic advantage. What am I to tell the King, or anyone else, depending on who is still alive. Parliament will see this destruction and demand that Callisdrun surrender. If Parliament still exists, that is. After all," she said eyeing the holographic manifestation of the hated Red Queen, "many words are subjective, perhaps even arbitrary. 'Bad' is one of those words."

Rounding on Dyszel, she managed not to scream at her. "This is a cruel thing to do, ask me to confide my most painful memories and then tell me that parts of my nation were destroyed by what I suppose could be called 'friendly fire.' I don't even know if I can continue," she said, getting out her axe, her centuries old axe, holding the handle out to Dyszel. If one felt they had been dishonored enough, in ancient custom, one could ask another to kill him/her. Only vampires would ever have even thought of this in modern times, though.

The Red Queen was about to destroy the weapon in Erzsebet's hand when Der Fuhrer looked toward her and shook her disapproving of the action.

She took the axe from Erzsebet and placed in on table, while speaking in her usual ice cold demeanor. "Resume your seat."

She stood up now, her back erect, her military training showing now. "Look around you Miss Erszebet. You are in a war. You must take sacrifices to overcome your enemy; hence the old saying that there is no winners in a war. Take a close look Miss Erszebet. Before you speak to me of destruction and loss, take a close look at my nation. The sacrifice I made to take ensure my allies safety. I trust from here on you will think before you speak and make accusations as bold as you have.

"For a long time now, I have taken the entirety of the war on my nation's grounds to see to it that my allies remained unhurt and their nations protected. I allowed my nation to be destroyed. It was I who ultimately allowed the release of XGN T2. In times of war, you will learn the meaning of unselfish sacrifice. Selfishness in war leads to more destruction then combined acts of selflessness.

"You suffered two loses, yes, you are hurt. But you need to quickly learn that you cannot dwell on hurt in times of war. Accept your loss and take the vengence out on our new enemy. If they had not attacked, we would have no reason to retaliate.

"My most trusted ally Inferno betrayed The Reich when he turned to Dante and took out The Red Queen. We wasted no time in harping about this; rather, we collected ourselves and found alternative means to fight our war. You must now do the same."

She stood aside her chair staring at Erzsebet without emotion, the Red Queen staring off blankly at distant wall.

Richard, despite the confusion and small amount of fear he felt; found his own peace in C9's welcoming smile. He lost himself for a moment in her eyes, such a simple thing.. such a powerful statement from a woman who saved those rare smiles for him. He hadnt seen her truly smile at anyone but him, the smiles she gave to lesser men in her eyes were teeth barings, and carried eviller intent.

"Back together are we?" Richard spoke to Mathias looking down at his beloved, hand-covered crotch, "that MUST hurt, does it feel as if your eyes are going to pop? That kind of pain races through your very core. I would help out, but there is nothing I can do, and there are more pressing matters at hand. I guess its lucky that the fiery woman didnt have a knife in her hand when she plunged her fist into your testicles."

Richard gave a fake, but believable chuckle at the circumstance.. doing anything to keep his mind off of the impossible that had them in its grip.

He decided that there was nothing to do but rest until the inevitable confrontation between the party and an angry dictator who was likely heading their way; so he slumped down against a nearby wall, giving Dante an apologetic look, and sneaking Mathias disparaging ones.

Dante's labored breaths relaxed more and more as he slowly regained some control over his body. He stood up then, slowly, shaking and grabbing at Mathias for support, who did indeed lend support as he released his manhood to help Dante to his feet.

Dante looked to C9, a look unknown to those who onlooked. "C9, it never works......'I'm living...heh...well half living...' proof of that."

He released his death grip of Mathias's shoulder that he up to that moment used to support his weight. He looked to Mathias, "Let's go. We have a lot to do."

Mathias nodded, suddenly reminded of the cool and laidback attitude of the beloved Atticus Ruhmanah. He lowered his head in thought as he walked back toward his room, Dante following in a painful limp.


C9 glared at the back of their heads, but did not make a move to follow them. "Asshole," she cursed beneath her breath as she stared with pure malice at Dante.

"Alright C9.. what do we tell Der Fuhrer when she comes to see us here and Mathias and Dante have run off?"

Richard sighed with a touch of exasperation, "Damn it, why did they have to leave?"

He then yelled randomly at no one who could hear him, "DAMN IT! GET BACK HERE YOU COWARDS!!" then put his head back against the wall, beckoning C9 to sit next to him.. she gave him a non-committal look, so he said, "there is nowhere we can go. I was hoping that I could find more time with you, but not while we're expecting a visit from someone who will likely be rather upset at our disappearance.. not when we've lost the man she needs, and another man she wants to talk to."

When she did not say or do anything, Richard stood up, sighed again, and looked inward for a way out of this predicament.. already planning what he would say if he were questioned by Der Fuhrer.

C9 stood there comtemplating her next move. Realizing the Der Fuhrer left Erzsebet not that long ago, she imagined they would not be done their 'private' discussion......The Red Queen was bluffing. If it had been a serious misdemeanor, Der Fuhrer would have been there immediately or had The Red Queen take action against them.

She grinned as she sat next to Richard. Slowly, she leaned over toward him and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him forward into a deep passionate kiss. She closed her eyes as she let the passion flow from her. When she released him, her eyes shone as she stared deeply into his eyes.

"Richard......forget them. Forget them all. Maybe you are right. Let's get out of here," she said quietly as she continued to stare deeply into his eyes.

The Red Queen was about to destroy the weapon in Erzsebet's hand when Der Fuhrer looked toward her and shook her disapproving of the action.

She took the axe from Erzsebet and placed in on table, while speaking in her usual ice cold demeanor. "Resume your seat."

She stood up now, her back erect, her military training showing now. "Look around you Miss Erszebet. You are in a war. You must take sacrifices to overcome your enemy; hence the old saying that there is no winners in a war. Take a close look Miss Erszebet. Before you speak to me of destruction and loss, take a close look at my nation. The sacrifice I made to take ensure my allies safety. I trust from here on you will think before you speak and make accusations as bold as you have.

"For a long time now, I have taken the entirety of the war on my nation's grounds to see to it that my allies remained unhurt and their nations protected. I allowed my nation to be destroyed. It was I who ultimately allowed the release of XGN T2. In times of war, you will learn the meaning of unselfish sacrifice. Selfishness in war leads to more destruction then combined acts of selflessness.

"You suffered two loses, yes, you are hurt. But you need to quickly learn that you cannot dwell on hurt in times of war. Accept your loss and take the vengence out on our new enemy. If they had not attacked, we would have no reason to retaliate.

"My most trusted ally Inferno betrayed The Reich when he turned to Dante and took out The Red Queen. We wasted no time in harping about this; rather, we collected ourselves and found alternative means to fight our war. You must now do the same."

She stood aside her chair staring at Erzsebet without emotion, the Red Queen staring off blankly at distant wall.

Erzsebet resumed her seat slowly, with an air that seemed to indicate she was doing so because she felt like it, not because she had been told. "Since you seem to want my services, I suppose that will have to wait," she said, meaning the business of the axe. "When all this is over, I may allow you the task of ending my life, as I don't think Knut would be able to do it."

Struggling to keep her voice level, she moved on to the matter at hand. "You think to lecture me on the meaning of war?" Her voice was not accusatory, merely sad. "Callisdrun is a land of tragedy, and Moroii are a people of tragedy within a land of it. Death does not compare to what the Altar Rangians did to us. We have seen worse. We train in a neighboring anarchy, a land in which there is constant, brutal, warfare. However, though I am willing to sacrifice my own life, not that much of it remains anyway, and I am sure you are as well, it is not either of our places to sacrifice the lives of others. You say that I suffered two losses. That is untrue. I suffered the losses of the combined non-military population of those two cities. Each one of them was a person, someone with a mother, a father, a sister or a brother. As Callisdrun's ambassador to the Reich, each one of them is my responsibility. As a member of the Callisdrunian military, my utmost duty is the protection of my people and my home. My loyalty first and foremost, is to them. You must remember that. I am loyal to you because our nations are allies and united in our cause. My loyalty will hold fast as my loyalty to the gods, as in my country, the shame of betrayal is worse than death. However, know that what I just mentioned, our united cause, is the reason for my loyalty, and the only one until you prove yourself as a person to me."

What she left unsaid was that she knew, or could imagine Dyszel's struggles, but that the deed committed was bad enough to negate those. She also seemed to imply that she wanted to be fond of Dyszel as a person, wanted to be able to trust her with everything, not just business, but that would have to wait until Dyszel gave her a reason.

"Now, which cities were destroyed? And you have not said what happens if the government surrenders. If that happens, you will have lost an ally, and gained a captured land, which you will then have to send people to occupy and govern. Me and my fleet will be useless, as well as Admiral Andersen's, unless you annex Callisdrun and absorb our military into yours." She spoke the first sentence warily, but the rest in a very matter-of-fact voice. "I'm not saying it will happen, I'm just telling you what could possibly happen."

Der Fuhrer did not look at Erzsebet as she left the room, leaving the axe on the table before her. "I am done with discussions. You have not only insulted my people and soldiers, but myself. Thank you for your time. You may leave now."

She opened the door, the sounds of her footsteps residing down the corridor as the door closed shut behind her. Amidst the scene, The Red Queen clasped her hands over her mouth and shook her head sadly at Miss Erzsebet.

Disapprovingly, she began, "You made mommy mad. You shouldn't insuinate such things around people like her. She cares more about her people then you've given her credit for and she's seen things....oh has mommy seen things....that are horrible. Our nation is large, massive even and since it was established, we've known nothing but a constant state of war. You should hold your tongue around her."

She sat for a moment before standing up, straightening her dress. "You think your people are the only ones who matter? Selfish leader! Selfish selfish lady. Oh what mommy gave up for others......."

She walked towards the door, turning around again and facing Erzsebet, "You were just the luckiest person in The Reich and you blew it. Mommy doesn't make private meetings and ask about personal situations unless she wants to be friends. Friend to mommy.......friend to Der Fuhrer......you would've been so lucky. So many secrets in this region and you gave them all up of a moment of thoughtlessness."

She left the room, walking what appeared to be through the doors and vanished as easily as she appeared.

Even after she left, her voice rang in the room in an exact mimic of Erzsebet, "and the only one until you prove yourself as a person to me."

She laughed, a menacing evil laughter, "You should be the one proving yourself to her. She needs to prove herself to no one anymore; she already as proven herself above all others."

Richard did not have time to think.. as they both sat down on the hard floor; he became fully aware of every fiber of her being which had physical contact with him.

'What an odd sensation... my mind is fuzzy.. how can this happen with mere contact?'

As C9 sat down, she gave him a smile which cleared his head of any obscene notions of dictators, and holographic, all-powerful little girls.. looking into her eyes and seeing the truth of everything within, he felt the world melt away, and his mind gave in to a lack of concious thought.

Her kiss caught him off guard, he didnt expect anything in the world to feel so right. What likely lasted but a moment, felt like an eternity. Any question in his mind as to whether or not his previous thoughts about C9 were appropriate flew out of the window, and he kissed back; pulling her in closer with a softly placed hand to the back of her head, and an arm around her waist.

When the moment was snatched away from him, he found that he could not break his gaze into her deep eyes.

She spoke.. her voice sounded different, more throaty, more sensual; and it filled his mind with images that he should not have had. Finally, swallowing to clear his throat, Richard spoke somewhat clumsily, "We can go anywhere you wish to go, C9," not hiding further intent in his voice.

He then imagined leaning in for another kiss, but thought better of the notion; instead, he stood up, and lifted her onto her feet as well.

C9 led him to the door, holding his hand tightly, as if afraid to let go of this feeling she was having. She guided him down the stairs and across the massive foyer. She stopped before the doors and pulled him in for another passionate kiss.

As she pulled away and smiled at him, her eyes shining with excitement, she opened the door and pulled him outside. Before they could get a glimpse of the world around them, a massive explosion sounded, as if the mansion had just been vaporized. C9 flinched, waiting for death, which would not come, again.

She opened her eyes to realize that the blast, which sounded much similiar to a 'sonic boom' was the side effects of The Red Queen's weaponary. She looked to Richard, a glimmer of sheer pleasure peaking into her eyes.

"Callisdrun," she whispered at first, then practically screaming in excitement, "Callisdrun! Eradicated! Alex's orders!"

Her mind was blazing with excitement, anticipation, and happiness.....what more was better? Her mind raced as she silently thought, "Serves you right bitch. Oh Erzsebet.....this is too damn good. Revenge is sweet!"

A blast rocketed the air with intensity as Richard shielded his eyes against its glare. Bombs had not been hard for him to handle, but C9 said that this one was tied to The Red Queen; and he had to tally another fear in his mind.. another way that lives could be ended on mere whim.

"What does it all mean? I get a distinct feeling that everyone else is far too busy to notice two bodies leaving this wretched, dread-filled mansion.. but I dont know about the various levels of protection that The Red Queen has enforced on a place that she calls home," Richard said, looking out the door at an expanse of nothingness, and feeling a bit of dread about where this all was heading.

Stealing another look at C9 filled him with resolve to push forward, and not give up under the massive strain of what might be.. instead, thinking more of the two lives he most wanted to preserve most at the moment, so that they could explore notions that they had not had time for quite yet. He gave her a comforting smile, and allowed himself to lose his inhibitions for another passionate kiss, a hobby that he was afraid he would become rather addicted to.

"So.. Callisdrun has been destroyed.. we need to get out before Der Fuhrer turns her gaze to us, and our plans. We need to avoid the inevitability for a while. You know a way to get us out, I can tell.. please, lead the way," he said with a trusting smile, not daring to let go of her hand, the fear he felt threatening to overcome his logic, and common sense.

As C9 guided him around the side of the mansion, toward a place unknown, she smiled at him and held his hand with the same tightness as before. She continued on, unsure whether or not she should leave, but uncaring at this point.

She turned to face Richard, walking backward and smiling pleasently, when she pulled him in for yet another kiss. Lips locked, eyes shut while visions of a night together fluttered through her mind, she heard the cocking of a gun nearby.

Startled, but unwilling to break from Richard's lips, she looked to her right. Sure enough, a large muscular man in a black suit and dark reflective sunglasses stood here, a man hoisted over his left shoulder as his right hand held a pistol aimed right at them both.

"Do not move. Who are you?" his deep rather masculine voice demanded coldly.

Richard was far too lost in C9, in the moment, to notice a man standing nearby. He swallowed hard in a vain attempt to gather his wits about him after such passion.. still locked in their embrace, Richard slowly lifted his hands wide of his body in the air and placed them behind his head before taking the risk of disengaging from C9's glistening lips.

For a fleeting moment, he thought about lying to this man; but the solidness in his stance, the unflinching way that he carried his person, the terrifying absence of emotion in his voice told Richard that other avenues would need to be explored. He felt... nothing from the stranger; which was a first. This was not a man to fuck with.

Standing up straight, if he was to be killed, it would be with honor, Richard spoke with simple clairity, betraying nothing in his voice, and looking the man directly in the places where his eyes would be were it not for the sunglasses, "I am Richard of Adyndril.. but you knew that," he finished, but did not take his eyes away from the darkness of the mysterious man's frames.

His one fleeting desire was to grab a hold of C9's hand again, to face this new threat together; but he sadly had to refrain. He could feel her warmth next to him, and it would be comfort enough.

The man looked from one to the other before placing his gun back into a holster underneath his suit jacket. He stood there for a moment, unmoving, the reflection of a stunned Richard and C9 in his dark shades.

He moved forward, C9 flinching and stepping back some, obviously unwilling to allow him within five feet of her.

Defiant and cocky, but obviously scared, her voice broke from the lips which were moments ago locked in passion, "Wh...who the hell are you?"

The man did not grin, as would be the common reaction of most people in his position. Rather, he continued to stare at them both, his head straighforward, making it impossible to see who or where he was looking at behind his shades.

"Richard of Adyndril, why do you assume I knew that?" he asked, his cold apathetic voice sounding as if since birth he had been devoid of any emotion at all.

For a moment, silence settled, the deathly silence of The Dictatorship. No cars sounded, no planes in the distance, no trains, no murmured conversation, no children yelling in jest and play, no parents yelling, no dogs barking, and most of all, not pitter patter of mice. It was indeed a desolate waste land. The only sound the broke this silence was a faint ominious howl of a distant wind off the nearby ocean, which carried on farther then it would in any other nation.

Completely disregarding C9's question for the moment, he addressed Richard again. "Why do you assume I knew that?"

Richard was not used to fear, but this man was steadily drawing it out of him. He did all that he could to remain steady under his calculating gaze.

"The man you have over your shoulder, you knew him.. and not personally. Men in your profession are in a position to know, are they not?"

The man regarded him coldly still and asked, "why would you assume I knew that?"

Richard swallowed, betraying his frayed nerves to the man standing in front of him, "a dead or unconcious man on your shoulder looks like a target to me. The manner in which you carry yourself shows a complete lack of fear, and bores into my very bones. You want truth? I assume that you know who I am because I assume that you know the names of everyone who was in that mansion. It does not mean that I am right, but what I see rarely betrays me. I assume that you are a killer, and very talented at what you do to put bread on the table."

His words having been said, a pall hung in the air; deathly quiet that he had no right to be in. Richard continued to stand straight, and put the full weight of his effort behind doing so under the threat that he could feel with every fiber that existed in his being.

As they approached Mathias's room, Mathias held the door open for Dante to enter first. Holding his composure, he walked into the room and allowed Mathias to then enter and close the door firmly, locking it so that they would not be disturbed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Dante collapsed, the pain from his hip shooting throughout his body. He was not on the ground long though when Mathias helped him up and guided him toward his bed. After helping Dante onto the bed, he gently removed his gun on tossed it onto the bed as well, while grabbing the bottle of Bourbon he was knocking off rather quickly.

He grabbed a glass from a small bar he had in the corner of his room and poured a glass, which he offered to Dante.

Dante stared at the glass......he had not had a drink for quite a while. He shook his head, declining the glass, remembering the last time he drank heavily he shot himself. Instead, he hoisted himself onto the bed some more and looked at Mathias, seriously looked at him, the pain in his eyes, the feeling of failure that composed his mein, the way too visible scar on his neck......

"Mathias......um......how.......your......err......I am not too good at being subtle. Your neck? What......" he said as he lowered his head ashamed that he was bringing up someone else's flaws.

In that same apethetic coldness the man spoke again, "Richard of Adyndril," he repeated before continuing, "I will remember that."

Least did Richard know, that in a matter of a few minutes, this man before him would know his entire history and everything about his nation.

He now moved closer, walking toward C9. "And you? I take it that you are the infamous C9 or shall I say Lady Bortniansky? What are you doing with a man like him? More your taste? Or are you using him for power as well?"

C9 looked to Richard, terrified; this man was cutting a shaving a string inside her that would snap at any moment. How did he know that? How did he suspect? Who was he?

Scared, "wh....who the hell are you?" her voice trembled as she moved toward Richard for comfort and protection.

It was bright. Uncomfortably bright, Istvan Farkas thought. And the light's brightness was irritating to a Callisdrunian Moroii such as himself, with sensitive skin and eyes. He tried to sit up, and failed the first four times or so. He muttered a curse under his breath before finally being able to get up. He quickly, or as quickly as was possible, gathered in the sights of his surroundings. Then the memories flooded back to him. "Fuck," he said, in English this time. Using the wall to steady himself, he got to his feet.

He appeared to be in a hallway. Remnents of a skirmish dotted the floor. Where is everybody? he asked himself in his head. His sense of hearing, despite his pounding head, was not diminished, nor was any sense except sight, because of the brightness. He slowly walked down the hall, towards the noise he could hear faintly below. He kept to the main hall, though there were many smaller halls and doorways that split off from it. Perhaps one of these was a shortcut, but he did not want to get lost.

As he finally reached a floor with people on it, he saw numerous troops from his country. Not just his own, but Berserkers, presumably from the fleet. Some of his own 5th guards hugged him when they saw him, exclaiming their worry about him and their relief at seeing him. Istvan was a bit dazed.

The general then went and sat down. After a few minutes, a proud but broken-looking Admiral Erzsebet Sorvik came to him. She was crying, though she made no sound with her voice. Oh boy, this can't be good. It was hard to make Sorvik cry these days. Some called her a bitch, but Istvan knew the truth.

"You must end it," she said, her voice somehow steady.

"What do you mean," Istvan replied, perplexed, though he had his suspicions.

"My shame," Erzsebet said quickly, handing him her axe.

"You can't be serious." Istvan was shocked. Something horrible must have happened. Something very horrible.

Erzsebet then told him the entire story of her meeting with Dyszel. Istvan merely nodded, letting her speak. When she was done, he asked "Have you spoken to Knut?"

Erzsebet looked at him with a sarcastic expression. The general was amazed by the vampiress' ability to make that face at a time like this. "Of course, but you know as well as I do that he couldn't do it," she said.

"I don't think it's a very good idea, myself," Istvan said, quite seriously. They then began discussing whether or not Erzsebet should end her life. Istvan did not want her to insist so, he had always liked the woman, as far back as when she was a little girl who went by "Erzsy." He did not want to be the one to carry out the deed, but he did not want to dishonor her further either. He hoped he could talk her out of it.
__________________________________________________

Knut had heard all about Erzsebet's discussion with Dyszel, as Erzsebet called her. Erzsy had not even asked him to end her life for her, as she had told him she was going to request General Farkas to do it. No matter what, he could not allow it to happen. However, they both outranked him.

It would not do to be seen crying, but right then, he wanted to cry his eyes out. Erzsebet was half-mad now, he knew, but she was still the love of Knut's life. He couldn't let her do this, though the dishonor was great. He had no idea how to stop her, short of tying her up and taking her axe away, and that would be so shameful to her that she might just die from the shock! No, of course not, but he wouldn't be surprised. What can I do? He raced over the possibilities in his head, until one struck him. It was a half-mad measure itself, but he was desperate for her.

He ran away from the medical facility, looking for someone who outranked Erzsebet. He found her, ironically, walking back to the medical facility.
Quickly going to one knee a few paces in front of her Foreigners do that bowing thing, he rose and fell in beside, and a little behind her.

"Fuhrer," he said, quite obviously in need, but just as obviously driven by his determination, "I desperately need your help." Knut was an honest man, he was not going to pretend that he didn't need it.

Richard was still unsure as to whether or not he was destined to die today, but was scared.. not for himself, but for the woman whose fear was apparent on her face. He knew just then that despite her obvious worry for herself above all else, he could not feel any other way about the woman that he craved to shelter within his arms. Feeling made his blood boil with the need to protect her. The man was so close.. he could see a vein pumping in his neck.. smell death that the shadowy figure could not disguise; and he knew his suspicions were correct. The raw deadliness of the man was the only thing which kept Richard's mind so completely away from the thought of escape by any means necessary. Richard and C9 would be captured, questioned, and possibly tortured; his fear for her was as palpable to him as was his own heartbeat. He wanted her to live.

C9, being questioned already by the man with the dark sunglasses; was frightened at what was implied by those piercing queries. She came to him in a moment of weakness, and he stood by her so that their shoulders were touching. He sent every bit of strength that he could muster through that bond, and gave her a look that he hoped would give her willpower as well.

Looking at the man's eyes again, which were focused on C9, but saw everything; Richard awaited an answer.

Der Fuhrer did not stop her pace or look at the man speaking to her, as her rage welled. "How dare she make those insinuations about me? About what happened? What right does she have? Does she know about what happened? Does she know what kind of man Dante was?" her mind raced, as she barely took notice to the man.

The desperation in his voice did lead her from her thoughts though enough to listen to what the man was asking for. "Please. You ask for my help, next time ask kindly. I take the desperation of your situation has clouded your politeness when addressing not on a national leader, but a regional one at that. Tell me what it is you need," she finished, as she continued to walk toward the medicial facility.

The man stepped toward them, his bulky muscular mass overshadowing C9 now. "I am the man you fear most Lady Borniansky. I am the man you've had nightmares about since childhood. I am your worst fear C9," his cold apathetic voice sounded, lacking a complete sense of enjoyment that normally one would receive from being in this position......his face cold and ruthless.

He now turned to Richard. "Have you told Lady Borniansky about Miss Kahlan yet Richard of Adnydril? I would think she has the right to know if you two plan on falling in love."

"My apologies," Knut said humbly. "I did not mean to offend." He didn't either. He didn't like to needlessly offend people. Most people who had met him thought of him as a very good guy. The few who did not usually did not deserve respect anyway.

"The situation is a bit complicated. You see, my lady love is about to die, at her own will." He could tell that Dyszel was upset. After what Erzsebet had told them, in what she had thought would be their last meeting, he thought he knew why. "I can tell that you're not happy, and I am afraid that what I say will only make you more mad, but I must say it, because a life more dear to me than my own depends on it. After your discussion with Admiral Sorvik, though I know her as Erzsebet or Erzsy, she came and told me about it, and how she was shamed and dishonored." He spoke quickly, but clearly, still in a voice that while firm, was at the same time humble. Some people had wished they had "his skill for using the right voice," but he quite frankly did not know what they were talking about. He spoke his feelings.

"She's not entirely sane. We in Callisdrun all are very conscious of whether or not what we do is honorable. Since her calamity, she has taken to an ancient interpretation of this code of honor. She feels it is all she has left. She said to me that she was going to have her life ended because of the dishonor she says you heaped upon her, shaming her to her bones." His voice was the same, it was plain that he was not accusing Dyszel of a damn thing, just telling her what was going on. "Though I trust her word, her version of events may be distorted, as it is with anyone, becaue we all see things differently. I want to hear you say what the situation looked like to your eyes, as it may give me a greater understanding of why this is happening and how I can keep from losing her."

Knut was normally quiet, but a likable fellow. Though a military man, he had a kindly face, and it could be guessed that he had a warm smile, though now his face carried a look somewhere between worry, desperation and total anguish. "Please, Der Fuhrer," he asked, looking her straight in the eyes. Though he was afraid of Dyszel, in a way, his eyes said that didn't matter to him, that love and devotion overcame any fear he had. It was a haunting look.

Der Fuhrer did not stop as she listened to the man, the medicial facility in sight. She only stopped outside the doors, her hand on the handle as she half turned to face him, a serious look on her face.

"Give me a minute," was all she said as she opened the door, motioning him in first, as custom in Dictatorship traditions of hospitailty.

Once inside, she looked around, the facilitiy oddly empty except for a sole guard who was standing in the corner at attention the moment she entered and a half asleep Destiny, who was sitting by the table Alex still remained unconscious on.

"Damn," she said as she turned out of the room, knowing well enough without having to demand what had happened. Her anger rose tenfold though at the thought of the incompetence of C9. Dante was too valuable at this point to lose. If C9 had touched a hair on his head.....she would hunt that bitch down and tear her to pieces, literally.

"Take me to Erzsebet. Hurry, we have a lot to do," she said as her memories wondered back to the day Mathias tried to kill himself.

"Kahlan is none of your concern. Marriage isnt always a bond, not when it is arranged," Richard said, now with anger and alarm fixating itself on his features, "Kahlan was a bane to the man I used to be; furthermore, her actions were becoming a bane on the nation that I lead. She has her own agenda. We are divorced in every way but legally, C9 will understand, or she will not."

Richard looked at C9, whose face had gone a bit stony; he knew that he would have explaining to do. An apologetic look entered his face, and he felt guilty for not mentioning Kahlan before.

"There wasnt time... thats unimportant now. What im trying to say is, I dont idly kiss women without meaning it. Kahlan..." Richard cut off after a look from the man who was somehow able to draw fear from a woman who didnt have the capacity to feel much of it at all, and certainly drew it from him right then.

Knut followed her to the medical facility, and then when she told him to take her to Erzsebet, he responed "Of course."

He walked quickly, though he did not run. One still sensed urgency in his step though.

When approached the corner of one hall way, Erzsebet could be heard pleading with General Farkas to kill her. They veered in and out of English and Callisdrunian, both being fluent in both. "If you will not do it Istvan, I shall take the less honorable way of ending my own life. Please, it is better if you do it, it will mitigate more of my shame."

Knut walked around the corner with Der Fuhrer Dyszel right behind him at that point. He could see that though Erzsebet's voice had been steady, tears streaked her beautiful, pale cheeks, and she was still shedding more.

Der Fuhrer looked into the face of Erzsebet, her eyes closed as she briefly pushed back the flashback the same look of failure in Mathias's face. She would need to act fast again, but could she show emotion to these people? Could she betray emotion in such a time?

"Miss Erzsebet," she said firmly, slowly advancing forward, as not to intrude if she were not welcome. "Let us talk. I heard you were upset. I would prefer to talk in privacy though if you do not mind."

She held out her hand, as a gentleman often does to escort a fine young woman to the dance floor. "Come with me please."

The man spoke again, more threatening as before, colder, deeper, betraying all positive emotion, "That's where you are wrong Richard of Adnydril. It is my business. That is my business.....to know everyone else's business."

He stepped forward, C9 flinching and shaking. Was he really who she had nightmares about? But that was just fake, wasn't it? That man wasn't really real, was he?

The man did not smile, grin, frown, or even twitch as he looked down on C9. "Scared C9?"

C9 suddenly pushed away from him and backed up, stumbling over a rock and landing hard on the ground. "But.....you.....NOT REAL," she yelled. She tried to scramble back as he stood there unmoving, unflinching, unyielding.

He stepped forward again, C9 leaving out a horrified scream that chilled bones. "RICHARD! NO!" she screamed, her frantic scrambling turning to whimpers as the man began to progress toward her again.

Erzsebet, somewhat confused, got up and followed Dyszel. Despite the tears, her expression was not one of a weakling, but of someone who could not tolerate either failure in herself or the shame of it.

Knut watched, outwardly expressionless, though his eyes belied his relief, as Erzsebet cautiously and lightly took Der Fuhrer's hand and followed her.

The captain knew enough not to interfere. He had done his part, and though Knut wished he could do more, intruding on their woman-to-woman chat would probably not be of any help.

Instead, he turned to Istvan Farkas. "Thank you," he said, shaking the genera's hand. "I know it was a hard position to be in, as it is so dishonorable to refuse, but she had to be stalled." After shaking Istvan's hand, he cupped a hand to his mouth and started to weep, despite himself. "My lady," he said, choking back sobs and tears, so that the words came out almost as a croak.

Der Fuhrer guided Erzsebet toward the massive foyer, but once there, they continued forward to the right side of the mansion and entered a kitchen. Der Fuhrer pulled out a wooden chair for her to sit in and motioned for Erzsebet to sit.

She then went to a massive cherry wood cabinet with ornate glass doors and opened it, removing a bottle from within. Opening a bottle of The Dictatorship's finest, she poured two glasses, handing one to Erzsebet and taking one for herself as she pulled a seat close to Erzsebet.

"Now, my dear, let us talk. First, hand me your axe. If our discussion here fails, I will honor your requests and perform the act myself, if you will have me do such."

Erzsebet nodded as she handed her almost millenia-old axe over. She was quite surprised by Dyszel showing up. I didn't think she'd care after all that she thought. And how did Knut? she didn't complete the thought and instead took a sip.

The tears, still not dry, made a slightly glimmering sheen on her cheeks. Erzsebet looked attentively at Dyszel over her glass, her fangs clinking slightly on its edge.

"But WHY??" Richard yelled the last word in fear and confusion, he did not fully understand why he was suddenly this man's business; who he was working for became a point of intense curiosity.. it couldnt be Der Fuhrer.. she could kill him with a mere command at that ghastly technology of The Red Queen.

C9 was so scared.. it ripped him apart. He lost his control. Drawing his sword, the one given to him by his father as per his birthright, Richard felt suddenly calm; as if he were moving in between time. He brought the tip of it down to kill, it was a mistake that he should not have made. Instead of fear he hoped to see from the man.. no.. the creature standing in front of him, he saw scenery, a lack of a man.. Richard's own speed was agonizingly slow to the man who he noticed had moved at least 6 feet back. Suddenly, the tip of his trained blade arced through the air and hit nothing.

Richard heard two gunshots, and the world spun as he fell to the ground. There was a terrible pressure in each of his arms; and he knew that he was losing a lot of blood. The man hadnt shot to kill, but Richard felt his life slowly ebb away. Fear of death kept him concious, as he looked into the impassive eyes of the assassin. All he wanted at that very moment was an embrace from the woman that he had failed.

'C9.'