It's some time in the afternoon. I woke up slowly, seeing if Elly is there. She was sleeping beside me, a content expression on her face. I decide to leave her asleep, just watching her for a minute while my body woke up. After a moment of watching her, I slowly stood up. Elly yawned and rolled over, remaining asleep, ad I silently walked outside of the room we slept in to the main room to see what the situation was. 

Resna, superior of Electricity, was laying on the couch in her cat form, silently watching Rose and Elektra play. Elektra is the hero lunos of technology, daughter of deities from two universes, Resna of this, and ORDER of mine. Elektra was playing with my mortal daughter in her birth form. Her true heart, the object where her energy is concentrated, is clear, as she's still young.

Rose saw me and ran towards me, happy. She greets me. "Daddy!"

I smiled to see Rose. "How are you this morning, Rose?"

She gave me a questioning look. "Morning? But.. it's early afternoon..." Elektra switched to her older form, and nodded to confrim what Resna had said.

I felt awkward just then, having so far overslept. "Oh... Wow. I have no more sense of time anymore." 

She smiled. "You sleep a lot daddy! Does mommy make you take naps too?"

Not sure how to respond, I just said "Well, not exactly... It's just, sometimes, I way oversleep..." 

"Oh... Ok."

Looked to Elektra "So... Haven't seen you around much recently." I gave her a friendly smile. "How are you?" By now, I've gotten used to adressing powerful deities so informally, since they're so often in the den.

Resna rolled over onto her back, stretching, as Elektra responded to me. "Well, I've been looking around through technology and internets... It's been... A varying experience..."

Rose smiled. "It must be cool being able to do that!"

Elektra nodded, and responded "Well, it does have its advantages... As well as downsides..."

Curious, I asked in follow up "Oh? What do you mean?..." Rose, sharing in my curiosity, asked right after "Downsides? How could anything that cool be bad?"

"... I'd rather not talk about it..." She was still shaken over up over something she saw on the internet. While exploring awhile back, she encountered some pornography... She wasn't even a month old at the time.

Resna yawned from on the couch, and spoke to Elektra telepathically "{Elektra... I told you not to worry over it until you're older...}" Elektra responded with telepathy. "{I know, but... I just can't stop seeing it...}" Resna responded "{....focus on other things... like playing with your friend...}"

"{Alright.}" Elektra looks to Rose. "Would you like to resume playing now?"

"Sure." Rose responded happily.

"Alright"

I Smile, leaning against the wall. Resna stretches, then leaps off the couch, transforming into her humanoid form. "...Gabriel I need to go do some errands for my father.. mind watching Elektra?"

Though I'm not sure how to look after the child of a deity, I assume it wouldn't be wise to deny the request of one, so I just nod. "Sure. As long as she stays in this plane of existence. I can't follow her if she goes elsewhere."

Resna looks at Elektra. "Elektra.. stay where Gabriel can watch you, ok? I need to do some errands for your grandpa." Elektra nods. "Can do." Resna smiles. "Alright.. I'll be back in a day or two. Bye~!" She then vanished completely.

A shadow started to drift in from the entrance. It's barely noticeable, unless directly looked at. It seems like just a trick of light, however.

Rose looks to Elektra and asks "So... what do you want to do now Elektra?"

Elektra thinks for a second, then responds "Hmm... Not sure..."

The shadow creeps up the wall behind me. It starts to slowly take form, yet I don't notice a thing, watching Elektra and Rose, while also lost in thought. Rose sees out of corner of her eyes, though, and tries to warn me. "Uhm... Daddy? Something is uh... behind you..."

The shadow quickly takes form, revealed to be Dark Gabriel. He grabs me with one hand by my necklace and shouts "Surprise!" I jump in surprise, but I get choked by my necklace, letting out an odd yelping noise before slipping off the couch as he lets go.

Rose is as surprised as I am. She shouts "Daddy!" 

Elektra backs away, in fear. Dark Gabriel's energy was strong in DARKNESS, the enemy of her father.

I quickly scrambed to get up, and took a defensive stance. "What do you want here?!" Dark Gabriel is naturally my enemy.

He was amused by how quickly I got defensive. "Heh... Let me make this quick. You're going to die this night, and I'm here to make sure of it."

Rose runs over beside me. "Don't you dare hurt my daddy!"

I glare at him. "Is that a threat?" I look to Rose and Elektra. "Get out of here, quickly. I would never forgive myself if you get hurt."

Dark Gabriel tells them "No, girls. Why don't you stay right here?" He knows me, being my opposite, knowing I'd never unleash my full abilities when it would endanger the safety of innocent children. 

However, Rose spits a burst of fire at DG, hoping to repel him. It merely angers him. "AY!! How dare you!" He jumped out from behind the couch and slapped Rose hard across the face.

"Rose!" I kneel down to Rose to see if she's alright. "You alright?"

She doesn't seem too badly hurt, considering all he could have done. "Ow! I-I'm ok..." Though she is annoyed and angry at him.

Once I'm sure she's okay, I look up to DG, giving him an angry glare. "How can you hurt a child like that?!"

Dark Gabriel, thinking the fact he's my opposite would be a decent explanation. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Just fight me, and leave every one else out of it."

"Oh. I'm not here to fight you... In fact, I come bearing a gift..." He pulls out a small box, and tosses it to Rose gently.

Rose, surprised, catches it. "Huh? A present?"

"Open it."

Rose, not sure whether it is safe or not, looks to me. "Should I open it daddy?"

I look to DG. "What is it?"

"Don't worry. It won't hurt your little girl." In a mocking tone "since the children are so innocent."

I growl at DG, and look to Rose. Just be careful, Rose..."

"Uh.. ok..." she opens the box, and it appears to be empty. "It's empty..." With that, DG disappeared suddenly, leaving a note in his place. "...Daddy... It's empty..."

"... There has to be some reason for this..."

Rose notices the note. "He left a note..."

Elektra, who has been standing off to the side in fear, comes up to me. "W-what just happened?..."

"I don't know... What does the note say, Rose?"

Rose picks up the note and reads it. It reads: "Congradulations, little girl. You just killed your dad. The box had a deadly disease that only effects him. He'll be dead by the rising moon. DARKNESS ETERNAL!" Rose, whimpers, her eyes widen ...Dad?...

Unaware, I ask. "What is it?"

"What is a... disease? It doesn't sound good from this note..." She knows how to read, but she still needs a bit more of an education. Though, being less than a year old, she's far ahead of the curve in human standards.

"Let me see that." Takes the note and reads it. My eyes widen, and I drop the note, frozen in fear.

Suddenly very worried. "... Daddy?"

"... I'm doomed... I'm going to die... Slowly and painfully..." I sit on the couch. Normally I wouldn't talk about my mortality to someone so young, but... I was too scared to be silent about it.

Rose starts to feel horrible about herself. "W-what?! W-what did I do daddy?!"

I try to comfort her. She didn't know what she did. "... You did nothing... Just... Go get your mom..." Panicking, Elektra disappears somewhere just then.

"D-daddy... I-I'm sorry..." She walks to go get Elly. I start to immediately feel weak, my elemental energy dropping. "Well... So much for a calm day of watching kids..."

Elly runs out of the warm rooom she was sleeping in to where I was. "G-Gabriel?! What's wrong?!"

"... It's... Dark Gabriel came by just now..." I don't know how to tell her. How I told Rose wasn't how I wanted to tell Elly.

Remembering Dark Gabriel, she became more worried. "W-what did he do?!"

Slowly I tell her, nervous. "... Released a deadly virus... I'm going to die soon.."

"G-gabriel!!! N-no..." Her eyes start to tear up. "Y-you're gonna.. d-die?"

I nod, tearing up as well. "I'm sorry..." I try not to break down crying. I knew the seriousness of the virus. I'd be dead in a few hours, and I didn't want my mate and daughter's last memories of me being seeing me as a weak, scared child.

"...T-there needs to be a cure... Right?" I shake my head no. "T-then... we need to g-get a cure... t-those scientists.. they.... the ones you said.. t-they could make one.. r-right?"

"... I really hope so..." I cough.

"...T-then let's go... R-right away..."

Rose then walks over to us. "Mommy... I feel tired... Can I take a nap?"

Elly becomes even more worried now. "Gabriel... Would this... Disease... Is it... Contagous to me and Rose?"

"It's designed with the sole purpose of killing me, so..." Then my eyes widen. I realize Rose has half my gene set. "It is to Rose... But, it won't kill her..."

"Rose... You're coming with us to get the cure..."

Rose is incredibly scared for her life. She asks fearfully "Mommy... Am I gonna... Die?"

She tries to reasure her. "No.. No one is dying.. We're staying together... Even as she speaks she is holding back tears.

"... I know it'll all work out... But, until then... I want you two to know I love you very much..." I'm fighting tears as well, as my own mortality sets in hard.

Elly whimpers, scared. "Come on Gabriel... We need to get to those scientists.. Where is the lab?"

"... Space... I have something that can help you get there..."

"What is it?"

I reach in to my pocket, and give her a small device. "This... It sends a signal to the ship constantly... Concentrate, and you'll feel exactly where it is in space..." Coughs again, it hurts my throat a bit. I'm starting to feel dizzy. "Ow..."

Elly whimpers again in fear for me and Rose. "Ok Gabriel... let's do this quickly..." She uses the device. The device sends out a general fuzz of energy that can be sensed by her. Nothing happens yet.

"... You have to use it on Earth... This world's too far..." I feel a bit itchy so I scratch my arm. Fur falls off as if its barely attatched. My eyes widen in surprise.

Elly ignores the energy fuzz, turns back to Gabriel. "T-then l-lets get to Earth!"

"Alright..." I stand up, a wave of headache pounding in my head, my body just collapses under me and I fall to the ground. The virus has gotten to my muscular and nervous system now.

"G-Gabriel!" Eyes wide in surprise from my sudden falling.

"... I have no idea... I slowly stand up. "Just... Go without me..." I can't even stand, I'm out of balance. I just settie and kind of pull myself back on to the couch.

"N-no way I am leaving you to die alone!" 

"... I won't die if you can get a cure... I cough again, just a small bit of blood in my mouth. I taste blood.

She settles and decides that she has to go alone. "...Rose... Stay here with your father... I-I'm going to get the cure... Gabriel..." Elly whimpers a moment, then composes herself. She speaks in a determined voice. "I WILL get the cure... don't worry..." She hurriedly leaves the den. Watch as she leaves, my fur starting to fall off without being touched.

As a scared child, Rose asks me "D-daddy... W-what's gonna happen to us?"

I can't tell her I'm going to die. I know she'll be safe, so I decide to only tell her that part. "... If Elly doesn't get us a cure... You'll be fine... Just, stay strong... You'll be better in the morning..."

The answer doesn't completely satisfy her. "B-but what about you, daddy?"

I still can't straight out tell her. After a minute, I finally say "... I need you to promise me something..."

"W-what daddy?"

"... That whatever happens... You'll be strong, and look after your mother... And remember that I'll always love you..."

"O-of course daddy..." I hug her closely, weakly, starting to cry. My mortality completely setting in to me. This could be the last day I spend with my family, and I'm already too weak to do much more than suffer this disease. "...D-daddy..."