Malkara would be in her lab with the door locked as she reviewed her notes one more time. She knew that if anyone found out what she was planning to attempt, they would stop her immediately by force, but she was determined to try. She glanced at a vial she had been working with, its contents oozing pitch black. "Is this worth the attempt...I've gone over the experiment multiple times, yet there's still a high risk." She sighed. "This is the only shot I have left," she added before glancing at the time. "Right...24 hours. I hope they get the message," was the last she muttered before typing in a timed command that would ping Jennifer 24 hours after it was entered with specific instructions. Once everything had been set in place, she loaded the single vial into a syringe, taking a deep breath before hitting enter on her keyboard and injecting herself with the concoction. The moment the liquid entered her system, she collapsed to the floor. The link between her and Tod reacted as she intended, as he suddenly dropped. Their vitals were stable, but outside forces would be unable to wake or interfere with either of them. [Message sending directly in 23 hours and 59 minutes] "Jennifer. If you're reading this, go to my lab and use the antidote for Black Poison sitting on my desk. The serum I've used has been heavily modified and would lock me and him in his subconscious memories. It won't be perfect, but it was a bold attempt to reach the real him." --------- Tod would wake to an entirely different world, but it seemed familiar, nonetheless. Once he got his bearings, he would notice two things: there was no hint of the Fae Queen's magic, and it appeared he was in a very old-looking medical facility. If he looked closely, a calendar on the wall would likely make his blood run cold...it was back during World War 2. The area felt unsettling, almost abhorrently wrong, but he was able to move about freely. Tod would have been asleep at the time they had done this, but the thing that Malkara did not take into account was the fact that History had a very bad habit of dumbing down things, making them less scary, less... terrifying for the reader. As a famous American poet once said amid the first civil war in America. "Future years will never know the seething hell and the black infernal background of this war -- and it is best they should not-- the real war will never get in the books." Through his eyes, he woke up in the middle of a field during Operation Barbarossa, having dropped into a foxhole to catch a nap, but through everything that he had gone through, he looked down, seeing himself still in the Waffen-SS uniform he had grown to know way too well, kind of like a second skin. "Well," he said, his accent back in the same German-like accent that he was never known to use, at least, not too often anymore. He knew he was alone, he knew he was behind enemy lines... but this night, as his eyes turned upward toward the pillars of smoke rising in the distance, seeing the red moon hanging in the sky, his heart sank, as he knew what was coming. "Gott mit uns" he muttered, picking up his MP-40 and his Mosin, preparing to move forward as the occasional roar of artillery screaming from the sky echoed off in the distance. He would move past multiple casualties. Bodies of comrades he had long forgotten lay about with limbs removed, as the dirt was stained with a seemingly endless amount of blood. It would quickly become apparent that this reality was twisted farther than he had originally expected, though, as the facility nearby would reveal a mostly broken sign. What he was able to read would immediately register in his mind that it didn't belong here, Briarthorn Analytics. The fennetiger would move forth, rifle in hand, he did not stop to mourn the dead, but did move further through this hell, until he stopped, seeing an unusual logo. "What manner of Soviet drabble is this?" he asked himself. he knew where he was, he knew this was Kiev, and knew all he was sent here to do. Kill the enemy, gain supplies and information, and spare not a one. As he flipped through his booklet of known Soviet businesses, organizations, and units, he couldn't find a clue to what it was, until he hit the last page, where he saw his handwriting. "Don't forget me - Briarthorn is not the enemy, do not argue against it." - Tod Cursing this nonsensical shit, he took out one of those pyro devices he had gotten from the Halftrack to burn this hospital to the ground once he was done scouring, before hearing the sound of breaking glass crunching under a boot from behind. "Got a lot of nerve, red, to show yourself to the SS," he said, turning to face who it was. He will see a familiar figure, though it took a few moments for him to realize who she was, the red-haired skunk holding her gun directly towards his head with a grin upon her face. "On your knees, dog." The old him and the current him would likely conflict as he remembered her once she commanded him down to his knees. Her accent would be distinct as well, Japanese. The fennetiger would freeze as he saw this familiar figure, only to quickly fire his rifle, blasting down the barrel of it and jamming her weapon. the fennetiger then threw the bolt back, racking another shot before he snarled. "You don't belong in this world. why are you here?" he asked pointedly. "I am not obeying your orders, so go back to whatever hole you crawled from." The fact that he didn't kill her was enough proof that the Tod she knew was real, and not the demonic beast that everyone saw before them. "Nice shot, you petulant little slave to the regime..." She mocked, though before he could fire the next shot, she seemingly blinked out of view, reappearing behind him with a knife to his throat. "I thought you were good at taking orders." The fennetiger would elbow her hard in the ribs, then grab the knife, stabbing it right beside her head as he landed on top of her. "Fuck off you apparition!" he snarls. "You should not be here, you don't exist yet, you don't deserve to be in this hell" She chuckled, though it sounded slightly distorted, "Whatever do you mean, Tod? You were so quick to embrace your old self..." Would be all he heard from her before she reached up, retrieved her knife, and embedded it into his side. He winced, then reached down and yanked it free, only to throw it hard to the side before punching her between the eyes. "I said you don't exist yet, this isn't your world, this isn't your time, your war, begone!" he demanded. "Please... before it's too late..." "Too late, you say?" She said back with an eerie smile, the blood from his wound sapping his strength quicker than it should have. It wouldn't take long before darkness began creeping into his field of vision. It would feel like the release of death for several moments, only for him to regain consciousness, handcuffed to a chair, his sister standing in front of him. He seethed a little, the tip of his boot stabbing a nearby corpse, the blood from it being drawn to his wound, before it was healed, but he did fall victim to the blade's poison, before he snapped awake. He was now inside the hospital, he was going to siege, eyes focusing before landing on Malkara. "Wrong person, you know." he sighed, then rolled his neck a little, cracking the muscles within. "I'm not in control of my actions, you know this already, I'm sure, so why the sudden tie down, hm? Do you want us both to die when we run out of time?" She turned to face him, but her expression was much softer than the one that had just tried to kill him. "I know you're not in control, that's why I did this." She replied, her voice sounding normal at that time. "Then you'd best hurry, because if you run out of time? You'll not like what comes next," he warned in a very cryptic and dangerous tone. "Please, hurry." Much to his surprise, she stepped aside, revealing a screen. She left the room without undoing his restraints as that screen turned itself on. He would see himself back out on the field as if she never appeared, the event he was warning about playing out before his eyes. He would look at the screen, his eyes squinting at it for a moment, but the moment he saw the time hit 1:11, it would happen like so many times before, so many ticks onward, but his heart sank as he knew what was coming for them as the entity did not like trifling. But, that would come after it seemed... once it realized it had been duped. Malkara would be nowhere to be seen as this entity he was seemingly afraid of appeared, smashing the screen and turning directly towards him. "Where is your friend, little one?" growled the entity as it appeared from the screen, crawling free of it before standing over him, towering as the faceless shadow stared down at him, only two white eyes seen in what could be perceived as a 'head'. "Does she know just what happens to visitors that visit us during playtime?" it asked, trailing a claw under his chin. "Leave her alone!" barked Tod. "It's me you want, not her; she's only here to show me the error of my ways!" "Oh you poor soul... don't you realize that won't matter?" it asked with a laugh that could be felt hard in their chests. A shot would ring out through the room before that entity noticed the unwelcome guest. Before Tod's eyes, it would strangle his sister by the throat, wasting no time and ending her life as her body falls limp at his feet. Tod would hear the shot ring out, then see the being turn to her, only to turn on her. "NO!" he bellowed out as his world began to warp and shift again, his eyes burning red as he looked on at the one he had come to know way too well. "You did not need to do that!" he barked, before his vision would be sucked down a very dark tunnel. History would repeat, as the two of them awoke in the same foxhole, side by side, Tod holding a hand on the Mosin as he stood first, his heart pounding hard in his chest as he looked around, seemingly paying no mind to her. "Oh, you've really done it now..." he said shakily to Malkara. This time around, it seemed as though it was actually her as a look of fear painted across her face. "Tod, what's going on?" "You made it angry," was all he said, sitting down on the edge of the foxhole crater, rifle beside himself as he held out a gloved hand to her. "Now you will learn the reason why no one ever dares enter my dreamscape... You could have picked a better memory than... Kiev..." he said with a wince. She took his hand and sat beside him, "I didn't exactly pick the trajectory..." She admitted. "I'll explain what's going on if you explain to me what that being was." He sighs. "Welcome to my hell. The first battle of Kiev, only... much, much worse. The entity is me, well, more like the thing I keep sealed away inside of me, and demand I never let it loose... it saw you, and wanted to kill you, but I don't know why you're still here," he said, looking down. "In my time, this hospital was my objective, loot it for information and supplies, then burn it to the ground, simple enough, right?" he grits his teeth. "Sadly... something was hunting me this night I did not anticipate... that night, I was alone as the forward scouts had either fled or were killed by the Soviets, which... they unleashed the Undead on us that night. Specifically? Me." he took a deep breath. "This entity haunts my memories, my dreams, my soul, hunting me forever, as it wants to return... I never let it win, but now, I have you here with me, and seeing it grabbed you? It has your power level, and will be much stronger." She listened intently before looking away from him, "Then it seems as though my plan worked as intended." She replied rather bluntly. "I suppose I should start with letting you know that this is no dream." "I figured... otherwise you'd not be here..." he sighs. "What did you do?" She took a deep breath before letting out a shaky sigh of her own, "I intended to help you remove the side you've always been running from so you'd be able to fight the fae magic easier. The way I did so, though, was a bit unconventional... I spent the last couple of days reconfiguring the Nano machines that made up the last dose of Black Poison. My theory was correct in assuming it would transfer through our link, but it seems that there were multiple factors I didn't account for. We are both stuffed in this world for the next 23 hours... The moment I injected myself, we both fell. I left instructions for Jennifer when the time came, though." "You realize that this world has consequences... right?" he asked, looking at her. "If you were to die in this-" he motions around them. "-You'd have to fight it all over again, and if it gets enough of my energy, and yours too, it'll become unstoppable." he sighs. "But we have two hours to find a spot to hide in before they arrive." "This world was supposed to be of my own creation, allowing you to face your past. I'm not sure what went wrong." "Isn't it obvious, little toy?" asked a voice from above them, the figure towering over them on top of the hospital. "You didn't enter a world of your design and creation, no, no, you entered MY playground with Toddles there, and now... you're both my prey," it mocked, chuckling darkly. "Prepare yourselves, if you wish to survive the night, or you will die a horrible death again, and again, and again, until I have had my fill of your powers... which will reflect perfectly in the waking realm." "Don't you dare touch her again!" shouted Tod at this figure. "It's ME you want, not her, let her leave in peace and you can have me!" "Tut tut... You think I will pass up the opportunity to double my power?" it asked, then grew a hand down to grab Tod by the throat. "Let me remind you of what you are, the real you, child." It then slammed Tod down before letting him go. She snarled and knelt to help her brother up before the entity faded from view, being replaced by shadow-like copies of themselves from earlier. They would see one of the shadows shooting down the barrel of the other's gun before a physical struggle ensued, though Malkara didn't remember any of this. "What the hell have I done?" She whispered shakily. "You wanted him to face me, truthfully, did you think you could win against the order he swore an oath to so long ago?" it hissed from all around them. "Fall, and you shall feed me, survive till dawn, and I shall give him a prize. Deal, mortal?" "Fuck your prizes" said Tod, standing up. "Let the red moon burn bright, as I stain the ground crimson once more." As that was said, they would notice that the bodies of the fallen would begin to contort, staring at them with soulless yet vicious intent. Malkara attempted to tap into her powers to no avail as her true self was still on the floor of her lab... One of the risen then pulled her towards it and vanished from Tod's view. She wasn't dead, but that wasn't good. "Fuck!" shouted Tod as he quickly dove into the foxhole, grabbing the MP40 and blasting the one that came after him, twisting and doing the same to a second, then third, then fourth, fifth, before having to reload, backing up slowly toward the hospital as he eyed the halftrack, he knew his objective, but he also knew if he didn't fight, he would die. "I'm going to fight you until dawn!" he barked, not letting up for a second on the pressure. Wave after wave would march towards him until it seemed he had returned each of them to the grave, his surroundings becoming eerily quiet. His attention would then be gained by a scream, and he recognized her voice coming from within the hospital. He would be quickly scavenging ammo where he could get a second to grab it, constantly feeding the SMG before he heard the scream, taking off into the hospital and running down the halls, hunting through it for where the screams were coming from, all the while trying to keep his head about him. Her scream seemed to echo through the halls until he came across a locked door, the image of her being surrounded and restrained to a medical chair being seen through the window of the door, the entity letting out more laughter as if to mock him. "You think that little iron door is gonna hold me back?" he said, grabbing hold of the doors with his claws, the grating sound of metal being ripped apart being heard throughout the entire battlefield as he ripped them off the hinges, stepping inside before raising the Mosin, firing one, then two, then three shots at the creature. The shots would connect, slowly turning to him. "Such a naughty child you are, tell me, did Erika cry when you bit into her?" it hissed, before Malkara would see the result of his actions, a punishment she would not like one bit as the creature's claws would impale Tod to the wall, only to disembowel him right before her eyes, the creature eating him alive. It then turned back to her, seeming to try and decide on what to do with her now. She was in shock as her mind didn't quite know how to comprehend what the creature had just done. She then desperately attempted to break free of her restraints. The creature then leaned in close, she would feel a sharp pain in her chest suddenly hit, then she would see her vision being sucked down a tunnel, before she'd hear a dull 'thump' in her ears as she woke back up... in the foxhole, next to Tod. They had been reset. Again. She remembered what had happened there; her fear had gotten so bad her heart gave out, and now, it had won another round. "Son of a bitch..." said Tod, rolling his neck in anger. "Well, that could have ended better!" That same fear resonated within her as she took a quick, cautious step back from him. Her eyes darted around before she seized a gun from one of the deceased and steadied her aim... Her mind played cruel tricks, as she saw the creature instead of his true self. Tod raised his hands. "No no, no, that's not it, that's me, stop," he said quickly. He knew fear as well, but he wasn't about to get shot by her. She briefly hesitated, her voice quivering as she told him to prove it. Despite this being a bastardized world, he knew that her sharpshooter abilities would have likely been intact. "Kira, you know it's me, the real me..." he said, using her old name to hopefully jar her from that madness. The gun slowly lowered, though the creature still swirled mockingly in her mind. "Scared like a mouse... truthfully, delicious to see," said the creature around them, then it would appear on top of the very vehicle that Tod needed to get access to to complete his objective. "My ghouls will not play nice now. I hope you're ready, mortal." it chuckled. The moment that Tod heard that, he would storm toward the creature. "You think this is fucking funny?!" he snarls. "Face me, face me right now!" he demanded loudly. The creature would melt before his feet, choosing to adopt a new strategy after having infiltrated his sister's mind. The two of them would see another one of the shadow beings from before as it took a new form... Showing first the distinctive golden rings. This caused him to recoil somewhat. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" he roared, charging this entity and going in for a kill on it, not about to face that nightmare again. Kilerk dodged, knocking Tod to the ground before he slowly stepped towards his wife, Kira frozen in fear. "You allowed this dog to come between us..." Tod laughed loudly, then stood back up. "Hey, glowass, you want a fight? Don't fight her, FIGHT ME!" he demanded, then before Kira could realize it, Kilerk would be thrown like Loki through a wall after Tod pretty much warp punched him through it. Then, she'd realize... the demon was stronger, but she also had access to some of her powers, which meant this might be an even playing field after all. It took a moment for her paralysis to wane as her signature energy would form thin white needles of void, impaling the void daemon to the ground in front of her brother. "He didn't come between us, YOU DID!" She snapped, showing Tod that her awareness had returned. "You're a coward, Kilerk, truthfully, you lost everything because of your own actions, your own ignorance, your own malice..." he hissed, hand resting on a signpost as he waited for the inevitable charge. The creature taunting them would get an unpleasant surprise as Malkara began to draw energy from her own brother, glaring towards the recreation of her deceased husband before it was ripped to shreds without her making a step, blood pooling around Tod's feet. This creature's quest for power might have just gotten a little more interesting. The two of them would get a moment of peace before the next round began. the night was not over yet, but it was close, as the creature pulled all the stops to try and send them yet again to another early grave. The undead slowly rising as they did not shuffle or walk at them like last time, no, these fuckers charged, and they also had void abilities to boot, uh oh. "Catch!" shouted Tod, tossing her an SMG before diving for one of his own, dodging all manner of hell. She caught the gun and started firing defensively at anyone who got near. For once, things seemed to be going well until one of them got a bit too close and sank its teeth into her. She staggered back and killed it, but Tod made a grim realization: the bite was venomous. Tod saw this, only to yell loudly as he got swarmed, the fennetiger grinning one last time at her. "If I'm to die, you bastards come with me!" he yelled over the chaos, before KABOOM, his body disappearing with a miniature horde on top of him in a fireball. She attempted to hold them off as long as she could before their wound would sap her strength completely, dropping her to her knees as she too got swarmed. The two of them would reawaken, though not together this time. It seemed as though time had skipped ahead because they found themselves inside the burning hospital that Tod had ignited. "Shit, shit, shit!" said Tod, quickly making his way through the smoke and fire as he searched for her, hoping they would both make it out of there alive as he knew that things were about to get really, really bad... Kira covered her muzzle, moving forward as fast as she could. Both of them would be tasked with stepping over charred remains, each face resembling those they loved, until they eventually reunited, flames blocking the exit! Tod would have to ignore the fact these remains looked like Rosa, Sachi, Xavier, and more, it hurt him to no end, but the moment they both reached the exit, he had to think quick, which he did, throwing a chair through a window beside the door before climbing through first, then dragged her through onto the other side, coughing a bit from smoke inhalation as well as the fumes from the accelerant that had lit everything on fire in such a short period. "R-Right..." he said between gasps. "N-Now we need to run. Now." She gave a weak nod as she tried to clear her lungs from the smoke, taking his hand and following the best she could until they found somewhere to hide. He would lead her to the halftrack, helping her up and into the vehicle before climbing into the driver seat, fidgeting with the ignition before it got going, the fennetiger then hitting the accelerator as they sped up quick to 40 miles per hour, just as shells came raining down over the area they were previously in, obliterating anything that remained. As they drove down the road, dodging craters, wrecks, and other obstacles, they would come under fire from all directions, bullets pelting the armored halftrack as it kept on chugging, seemed this challenge was simple: Dodge the fucking Red Army. She used what was left of her strength to form a void shield around the vehicle, allowing Tod to get them clear for now. Tod would continue to run the machine hard, dodging everything from light to heavy, to tank shells to God knows what else. He would keep rolling until the fact that this machine had horrendous fuel economy kicked in... which they stopped in some manner of neighborhood, away from the majority of the Soviets and artillery fire, for now. Kira hopped out of the vehicle, quickly making her way into one of the houses and finally catching her breath. Tod wouldn't be too far behind, before he flinched, slamming the door shut as their ride exploded in a fireball from a tank shell smacking it in the ass, holding up a finger to go 'shh' as he could hear Stalin's Death Fridge slowly creeping closer. She kept silent until the coast was clear, wrapping her arms around Tod as she began to break down. This was a stark contrast to her usual behavior, and he could tell that this place was taking its toll. "This is all my fault... In trying to help you set yourself free, I've only managed to make everything worse. We might be able to hide out until dawn, but Jennifer won't get the call to administer the antidote for at least another 20 hours." Tod would hug her close, panting hard as he tried to regain his composure after nearly being slapped in the ass by a KV-2. He knew this place was as he described it, his own personal hell, and here she was in the midst of it as well. Which only made his resolve to hopefully fix this ahead of time somehow more potent. "Listen to me..." he sighs and looks her in the eyes. "We're going to make it... We managed to survive this long without issue, we need to think our next move carefully lest we die again... and go through this, again... I know you're afraid, I know you're scared, I know you're wanting to blame yourself, all you wanted to do was free me from that shitbag of a shadow that I keep hidden away for very good reason... can I blame you? Eh, sure, yes, I can blame you for trying, but it was a valid effort and I can't hate you or blame you for it... now..." he pats her on the shoulder. "Welcome to the war, you're gonna hate it..." he looked at the sky from one of the windows, seeing that dawn was still much too far away to effectively say this was over yet. "It wasn't just your demons I was trying to help you fight... I know what happened to you, Rosa, and I found what was behind that poster. Your desperate plea was heard, and we are actively trying to find you. Considering we're trapped here until Jennifer wakes me, we might as well make the best of it. What all can you tell me about what's happening in the real world?" She asked as she wiped a tear. "I was hoping you were able to find what I left there," he said, sighing as he settled down on a chair next to a bed. "As far as me? I was snuggled down in bed for the night when you barged into my nightmare, thus... I don't know, I would imagine I am being left alone in the command center of Barkov itself, and I know where exactly it is, but... you know, if people suddenly busted down the door without proper planning, given the place is shielded against every single fucking thing we have in our arsenal, well..." he shrugs. "You need to find the front door, and it's not a 'traditional' bunker complex either, they use some fashion of spell to move things in and out, something... ancient." "That at least gives me something to go on...where is the bitch that caused all of this?" "The bitch..." he sighs. "Last I saw, headed to AV, but where exactly? I don't know." he then ponders for a moment. "Said she was going to go get a present for me." he then settles back in his chair. "As for the Panda, Shi, she's not on anyone's side but whoever pays her the most. Which, the moment my 'evil' side joined Barkov, she stopped serving him, and started serving me, so use that to your advantage if you wish," he said with a soft clearing of his throat. "And... yes, Barkov has access to things I wish he didn't because of Shemira, but I'm trying not to cause casualties. I might be a spectator to my sins, but I can still influence the effort to shoot a bitch or not." "Didn't seem that way when your radioactive shot sent me into the side of a cliff." She snarked. "If she truly is headed for our home, though, I can only assume that Panda helped her get there. I'll be looking into that now that I'm back at home, but I will say that there have been quite a few developments on our end as well. Vix has garnered the ire of the entire galactic council..." "Well, I should mention I have a limited influence at times, when things happen, welp..." he shrugs. "I... do apologize for that, but, eh... You know, I can't do much about it," he sighs, then looks up. "Striking Mount Sinai would set off a world war you know, so one has to be clandestine about it, and I don't mean plausible deniability levels of it either, a small team to fuck everything up, not an orbital strike... even though that wouldn't do anything anyways because the bunker complex is two miles down in the earth." She was mentally taking note of everything he said, "A bunker beneath Mount Sinai? Glad to know we're in the wrong country..." She groans. "Yup, and the Ottomans don't even realize it because they don't see an entrance, though Barkov still has troops held up in not only Pakistan, but Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, which Kazakhstan is also where the void portal is, which has yet to be secured... but also know he knows of one other portal, but I don't think you wanna freeze your ass off to get to it." "My guesses are either Siberia or Antarctica." She chuckled before pressing more, "I've started peace talks with the UN and the United States in an attempt to get more backup against Barkov. Might as well let you know now rather than waiting until you are free..." She sighed. "Close, it's at the very tip of Argentina, like within stone's throw distance of Antarctica," he said with a stretch upward. "Oh, those lot are back? Good luck, I know the US loves me, but the UN wants to grill me like a fish." "Be thankful that your wife is fixing that, then. After finding out that this debacle was due to dark magic, she has stepped up." "Oh?" he raises a brow at that. "What'd she do?" "She is the one in charge of the strike force that is tearing through Barkov's men at the moment. Last I checked, she was also able to reinstate your deal with the United States." "Good, good... maybe after this, we will have a semi-powerful ally on our side," he said with a chuckle. "As for that 'strike force', I am gonna say it, Ravenwood has some really scary tactics behind it, able to take down a whole country with only three SUVs? That's purely an American tactic turned up to 11." he then stood up and wandered over to a window, peeking out to see what the sunrise looked like, seeing no glow on the horizon yet. "Still a ways to go... but, yeah, wanna know a secret?" "Go for it." She nods. "Jonathan Foxtrot is a former Ravenwood agent. He fought with us during the Second American Civil War, and now he's in charge of things. No one seems to realize he's also a Magi." She smiled at that, "Never would have guessed. You have far more connections than I gave you credit for. Getting back on track, though, what can you tell me about this fae?" "She is... well..." he takes a deep breath, then starts rattling off all that had happened to lead up to this nightmare, him getting the trinket, him slowly and surely turning to the dark, him being pulled into her realm after an incident at a movie theatre he did not want to take blame for, then her coming to AV, then all hell breaking loose as his darker side took over finally, and then current affairs. "I'm assuming the affection you were showing with her was also her doing?" "No I totally wanted to fuck that Wendussy" he says in a sarcastic tone. "Of course it was... I mean I might be a dog, but I know better than to fuck someone that's obviously a power player and a psychopath," he adds, then rolls his eyes. "Rosa isn't crazy." "You realize Jennifer had to prevent the sun from freezing over..." She nods, "She and her kits are fine. Through her nearly dying, though, we did come across a way to free you from this mess...Abney." "Wait wha?" he blinks in surprise. "Mmhmm, Abney has been allowed to flex his powers under Jennifer's supervision. He broke Shemira's enslavement over Morgana with ease." "Oh wow..." he says in honest surprise. "I suspect he's had hiccups as well?" "A few, but it's manageable." "Then it should be fine... although, you may wanna contact the names on the special list in my safe, they might be able to help too." "Rosa has already set that in motion, though, you're not going to like our plan to subdue you..." She nervously grins. "Hm... which is?" "Who would be a better adversary to the Vampire King than an ancient Lycan, and I don't mean Ming." "Oh for fucks sake... she sent him?!" "Desperate measures." She laughed. Tod chuckles lightly. "It's been a while since I fought Carl then..." ---------- In the real world, people would start to notice Malkara's disappearance, as well as the inability to wake Tod. "Leave him be, he overexerted himself the other day," said Shi, shooing away a few soldiers who wished to try and wake Tod from his slumber. "How the fuck did he overexert?" asked one of the Lieutenants with a raised brow. "Now that's a very good question, maybe because he just had to blow up an enemy encampment with his abilities?!" she replies aggressively. once the two walked off, she looked in on Tod, wondering if he was even alive. ——— There would be a visitor in Malkara's lab... which, seeing everyone else was doing as they do, they would go unnoticed as the young Coyfox sits on her chest, waiting to see if she wakes. Xavier would notice the empty syringe on the floor near her, along with a countdown timer on her main computer monitor. [18 hours remaining] Xavier would see the syringe, then sigh, then close his eyes as he called for help, only to yelp when he got his wish, the snow fox appearing out of thin air in front of him. "How do you even do that?" he asks. "I teleported," she said, a lie to keep him safe, but she did look down at Malkara, then at the computer, narrowing her eyes as she wondered what she had done this time. She knelt down, checking her over vitals, but didn't try to cheat this situation yet. "Xavier, do you wanna go get Miss Erika?" she asked. "Nuh... I don't wanna leave Auntie Yamora alone," he said with a pout. "Alright... I'll just have her called up here then," she said, tapping her head device. ---------- "So I am sure you noted a theme with those on that list..." said Tod, checking his watch quietly. "A bit, yes." "Yeah, that was the very unit I raised personally to be mine, and mine alone. The third supernatural hunter corps, the finest of the fine, combining magic, supernatural, psyker and anything else I can damn well get my hands on. Void wasn't a thing until 2040, so no void users exist in there..." he said with a chuckle. "And they're all alive still, so I imagine they evaded the purges pretty well." "Certainly impressive." She replied before their peace was destroyed, the window shattering as a single gunshot would have been heard. He would quickly learn where that snipe landed as Malkara fell forward into his arms. She was somehow still alive, but the bullet had gone clear through her left shoulder; she was out cold and bleeding fast. Tod growled, then pulled his Mauser from its holster, peeking out the window before firing back at the sniper, putting a round right in their hand. After that pest was unable to fight, he went over to her, sighing as he began to work on her injury. "Little shit..." was all he muttered, using the bedsheets to make bandages, thankfully they were clean. He managed to stop the bleeding, only for his mind to start playing tricks again. The blood would begin to shift to a dark black color before he heard multiple voices echo through the house; "You can't stop the inevitable Tod...you will be her death, and she is just the start. Stop trying to protect them and fall..." "I've fought the whole Red Army before, you think I won't win?" he asked to those voices. "Gott mit uns" he said, grinning as he heard the creature scream in agony the moment he said that. He knew exactly what phrase would send it running, and seeing he could hold his own, he would use it as much as he could. He then examined the blood, seeing whatever that coloration was, it was gone now. - About two hours had passed before she finally came to, "Please tell me he didn't get another win, because I feel very weak..." Given she was still alive, and eyeing Tod as he kept watch, that said all she needed to. "Well nope, he's not winning yet, but you are hurt..." he said, seeing the peeks of daylight on the horizon, but not quite yet there. "We're almost there though..." She tried to stand, only for searing pain to shoot through her body. "Last thing I remember was us joking around." "And a sniper decided to say hello, I said hello back, and now we're alone... again" he said She gave a short nod, "Considering you've already given me all the details I need to help you, I wish I could end this hill sooner than I intended, but there's no way to reach the waking world." "All we gotta do is wait" he said, then sighed, giving a wide yawn before stretching upward. "Mmprh... no, I can't sleep" he reminded himself, before taking out what looked like an ordinary chocolate bar from his pack pouch. "How would sleep even be possible when we're already unconscious?" "Ahh welcome to the paradox of my hell, sleep is a thing that one can experience even in this place" he said with a soft chuckle, breaking off a square of the bar before eating it without question. "It's like the real world... only much more fucked up" As that one said, the two of them would hear the creaking of footsteps on the other end of the house. She still couldn't get to her feet, but soon it wasn't necessary as shadow-like versions of the two of them stood in the hallway with bone-chilling grins on their faces. Tod would see the doppelgangers in the hall, a deadpan expression being seen on his face. "Alright, you wanna play?" he hissed, stepping in front of the two shadow monsters. "Show me what you got, dandy dick!" he flares his power outward, daring them to try and enter the room. They took that dare and shifted into the room, her shadow tackled him against the wall while his shadow began to choke her weak form. The one on top of her would suddenly end up belted with seven shots from his pistol, before he kicked the one pinning him across the room, followed by him grabbing the twisted abomination off his sister and suplexing it into the floor, a distinct 'crack' heard from that one's neck before he went to reload his pistol, only to see he was out of shots. "...Oh fuck." was all he could say as he could hear the other coming quickly back for him. Her shadow noticed his unfortunate lack of bullets and changed course immediately, embedding her knife into his sister before dissipating with a laugh that sounded like Harley Quinn. He noticed the attempted killing blow, before he snarled and took drastic measures, using one of his old, old, old abilities to keep her sustained, she'd be bedridden, meaning he was their only defense, but she'd not die, even if they shot her several more times... now if he died, she would too. The way he did this, he poured his own blood into her new wound, making it impossible to die unless he did first. She would be still, but breathing shallow, though his drastic move reflected in the real world, spiking her blood pressure to dangerous levels and leaving Jennifer with a decision to make...Wait out the timer or wake her now. Tod would then prepare himself, knowing what comes next would be a disaster, as off in the distance, he could hear the clanks of tank treads coming. Meanwhile, Jennifer noted the spike in blood pressure, deciding to take the yellow pill and administer a drug that would lower it back down just a little, she knew it was meant for foxes, but she was desperate damn it! She wanted to end this nonsense, but at the same time... knew she might interrupt some grander picture if she did. The tank would roll right up to the house and Jennifer would notice the medication having little to no effect. Jennifer knew it wasn't the best choice, foxnip that is, but she had to try... frustrated, she just kept an eye on her, hoping whatever this shit was, was worth it. - "Oh fuck..." was what he said, taking cover as he kept out of sight, knowing it'd not discovered their position yet, but the moment he heard the cannon belch off a round into the house across from them, he knew it'd be only a matter of time before they were got, if they didn't move... so, he picked her up and tucked her into a carry, quickly sneaking out the back as he wasn't about to get nuked that way, only to flinch and duck as he almost got spotted by a squad of Reds down below on the street. It wouldn't be long until he noticed the house had been surrounded. He took a breath, keeping quiet as he tried the old T-Rex tactic, knowing he was going to die if he wasn't careful, only to make a run for it across the roof tops as he carried Malkara with him on his back, dodging every manner of hail from the Reds down below as he tried to avoid everything he could, his eyes turning upward just in time to see a Stuka dive into the fray and drop a 500 kg in the street. "Ah fu-" was all he could say as he jumped across the street, just as the bomb went off and flattened several buildings, managing to disappear in the chaos and hide among the ruined structures now to avoid detection, or so he hoped. The neighborhood was leveled in seconds before he heard the taunting laughter of his demon nearby. "She is only holding you back..." He choked back a reaction as he knew the moment he said anything, they'd be found, holding a hand over his mouth as he checked his watch nervously... three more minutes. "Would you really put her life above your own boy?" Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. He would gulp, but say nothing still, eyes darting around as he made sure it was still safe. Once those three minutes had passed, a loud alarm would blare over Jennifer's phone with the message sent the day before. - "Jennifer. If you're reading this, go to my lab and use the antidote for Black Poison sitting on my desk. The serum I've used has been heavily modified and would lock me and him in his subconscious memories. It won't be perfect, but it was a bold attempt to reach the real him." The moment the alarm was sounded in the real world, the snow fox would administer the antidote, looking at the other two she had with her, hoping this insanity would come to an end soon. Tod would keep quiet just as the sound of the church bells rang across Kiev, but would be short lived as a black clawed hand reached into their hiding spot, dragging Tod out by his neck. "You insolent little whelp!" growled the monster. "You... win this round, but know this, you will not escape me forever, I will see you again soon~" was all Malkara could hear as she saw the keynote tunnel sucking in her vision again, followed by her snapping awake in the real world with Jennifer, Xavier and Erika looking down at her. "She's awake!" said Xavier happily. Tod would have shot awake as well, the both of them trying to catch their breath and sort out what their memories allowed them to keep. Once Tod was awake, he rubbed his eyes, trying to figure out what all had happened, before he sighed, hearing the distant voices of his allies questioning him as he didn't wanna speak. "I'm fine..." he groaned out after a few minutes. - Malkara stretched, sitting up slowly before wincing at the subsequent headache. "If you're going to yell at me at least try to do so in a quiet manner...It didn't work as intended, but I did find him." Malkara then would get subjected to a fate worse than death, lots of licks and nuzzles from Xavier. Jennifer shook her head and said nothing, just crossing her arms as she waited for her to tell what she had found out. Erika seemed interested as well, the young-looking girl kneeling next to the coyfox and her as she tried to remove the attacking feral from her chest. Once she was done getting tackled she brushed herself off and attempted to stand only to find herself back on the floor embarrassingly. "Some of the information is fuzzy, but I do know that his handler is in Aurora. Also that he's in some kind of magically shielded bunker we would not be able to break into...I can't quite remember the exact location, but he says the entrance magically moves and we were looking in the wrong country." Jennifer nodded, documenting a few things in her notes as she listened. "Alright." she said, then closed the small notebook before sighing. "At least you're still here..." "I knew you would get my message." She replied with a weak smile "I found you long before the timer sent it" she said, then looked at Erika. "You two, don't be shy." "Hello miss Yamora, I am Erika, it is a pleasure to meet you finally." she said, offering out a gloved hand to her. "Xavier has told me much about you" she added, her accent was distinctly german... which might clue in her past some. She rubbed her head slightly before giving it kind smile towards the young girl and shaking her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, though I do wish it was under better circumstances." "Oh it is no trouble" she said with a kind chuckle. "I am merely here to help, I heard you needed a way to find this devil, therefore, I am your key" "The only other detail I can remember is a mountain, but I will say that once we're able to track this place down, you and Abney are going to be very useful." "Ah yes" she smiles, then dotes a little on Xavier. "This one is quite affectionate, is he yours?" She scratched him behind the ears before explaining that the one they're hunting is his father. "Oh?" she looked puzzled, looking down at Xavier as the coyfox just grinned up at her. "Father definitely has some interesting kids" she muttered Xavier headtilts at her for a moment. "So you're my sister?" he asked curiously. "Oh no no, I am not his child, merely... um..." she ponders, trying to word it right. "...after war, he said to call him Father, not... the other word?" she gave a nervous smile, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. - Back at the bunker, Tod's memories would be cloudy as well, but he remembered the mention of his old Lycan comrade. Tod would be getting bombarded with questions, being checked medically, and other things, but he did remember the mention of the Lycan that he was being hunted by, giving a sigh as he didn't show any reaction other than annoyance from that fact.