A storm rolled through the island, ravaging the lands below as torrents of rain poured from the skies, lightning striking at random intervals as well, and the power would suddenly go out for the entirety of a neighborhood. And with it, the cameras went dark as well. It wasn't until morning that the services of said camera network in that particular neighborhood would be restored, Tod working personally on them to make sure they worked as a few had been utterly fried like a piece of chicken from the lightning strikes. Though his work would be interrupted as the EOC would get a call from out of the blue, a family in fanatical panic as they had found their child dead in her room. A simple ID check would find this girl was not only the new head of the Cheer squad for Rowanbranch, but was one of the children that had been torturing Xavier for these last few weeks, having been spreading lies, slander and other issues about the coyfox all across the net to further undermine him, and his family. The last message on her phone was "The storm is pretty nasty, I hope the power comes back on soon" to what one would assume is her boyfriend, and before that were messages back and forth, talking about various things, including Xavier. If one did a number check, this was the very same number that the "I'm going to wear you like a scarf, coyfox" message had come from. What on Earth had happened to this child? There were no visible wounds, no signs of forced entry, not even a hint of anything being amiss, it was just one second she was alive, the next, dead... Something didn't feel right in the air about all this, and now, it was time to figure out what had gone wrong. Tod was seemingly absent in mind with the question of finding answers from the new cadaver, just puffing on a cigarette as he let the EOC do their jobs, not yet stepping into this investigation as he wasn't going to do everything forever, it's what these bluebells were paid for, right? With no signs of forced entry look would be placed upon the family as the first suspects, but first, an inspection of the corpse as they now needed to find a cause of death Examination of the body would show no signs of weapon usage, no signs of self-mutilation, but the cause of death was apparent once the medical exam had begun: Heart attack. With a simple cause of death being a heart attack, the EOC would inform the family of a sad moment of death in her sleep from a heart attack. they did cross-examine her body for the potential cause of the heart attack, such as high blood pressure and other factors A full breakdown of the body's looks would yield... almost nothing. Almost because they would find a fine red dot on the child's stomach, no bigger than a tick's head, it would be very hard to see even with trained eyes, but it definitely was there. As for medical history of this cheerleader turned corpse, she had been sucking down energy drinks, coffee, and other stimuli based drinks like they were water, and had been informed twice now that she should steer clear and stay away from such things. Toxicology would show that yes, there was caffeine in her system, but not enough to cause a cardiac event... right? Surely she hadn't sucked down so many monster energy drinks that she had become hypersensitive to it. With both the high caffeine intake the red spot most likely indicating an ulcer from energy drink consumption followed with heart attack they inform the family that it was because she drank too many caffeine drinks and went to sleep. with the vast changes from high to low in her heart rate it made her heart stop thus leading to the heart attack and ending with her death The parents were, naturally, devastated to no end, having just lost their only child to a very bad habit they had tried multiple times to help her kick, but sadly, this was the result of very bad life choices on behalf of the girl. Tod had heard everything, saying nothing in regards to this whole debacle, just standing outside as he let the officers do as they do, smoking his cigarette as he wondered idly if he should try and dial back on his own bad habits, given the circumstances. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tod would yawn, waking up as he went for a bit of a treat today, as it was a school day, he didn't have to worry about his kids right now, so where was one to go with no work to do? There was a movie theatre at the forestry district, which was a pass-through to the airport district, and judging by the menu on display via his phone, he was in for a wild ride. A new horror movie was premiering at this moment in time, and he had to go see it. "Well, off I go," he says to himself, getting in his truck and driving off that way, soon arriving at the multiplex this theatre was at, for a cute little building, it sure could hold a good handful of people in the three view-screen rooms. Seventy each per room, and his ticket planted him in the middle chamber, the other two were... well, kids' movies. The Bluey movie and The Misadventures of Mister Foxx. Whatever this movie was, he noted that it had the rare R18+ rating on the ticket, so he had to wonder what manner of movie it was, and with the basic bitch name of "The Culling", it did perk his brow some. Popcorn acquired, soda acquired, candy acquired, and thank fuck they didn't have that gimmick of "ULTRA 3D" in this, otherwise he might be tempted to yeet the projector. He entered, finding his seat, sipping quietly at his drink... strawberry Fanta. The movie began, but the thing that piqued a brow was the stark warning that was included. If you, or someone you love, has pre-existing cardiac conditions, blood clotting issues, or any other hematologic condition that may spike during moments of adrenal response, please, for the love of all that is Holy, LEAVE NOW. After that warning, and a few people left, the movie began, feeling oddly like the beginning of a similar film... Nightmare on Elm Street? Only, well, more futuristic. All was good so far, the plot was heavy, the story was flowing correctly, no jump scares so far, but it was definitely building higher and higher as this picture ticked on. The story of the movie began with a small town somewhere in Cascadia, a basic batch of disappearances had been plaguing the town for the past month, and tonight, the tenth victim was reported missing. The victim was a child, while the others were teens or adults, and all of this was whirring about amid a particularly cold autumn just a week before Halloween. It followed the story of a group of youngsters that varied from age 10 to age 22, who seemed to have a knack for investigating crimes and other mysterious goings-on. Though this would take a turn for the dark, dangerous, and mysterious as something lurked in the darkness of the woods. It called to the youngest first, drawing them into the woods, an unseen force guiding them, goading them further onward, until... A bloodcurdling scream cut through the dark of the theatre chamber, loud and powerful enough to cause one hell of a reaction, people jumped from their seats, screamed as well, and even a few ran from the room looking as if they had seen the devil himself pop out of the screen, but a few... weren't so lucky. That one scream was enough to send the ones stuck in their seats into shock, color drained from their face as cardiac arrest set in from fear alone, and amongst these unfortunate few? Tod. The movie was cut suddenly, and the lights were brought up, as the theatre workers were in shock that they now had seven people in their building, suffering from blood clotting issues and cardiac arrest, the lot of them trying their best to stabilize all those in trouble. "It certainly lived up to its name, didn't it?" mocked a voice in Tod's mind, but that wasn't Deathsong, it was... something else. As the world went dark, he could hear nothing else, just the laughter of this unknown she-witch that had spoken to him. The EOC was gonna be fucking busy with this mess. By the time the EOC arrived, Tod would be gone, no trace left. Opportunity struck amid this series of unfortunate, sudden deaths, all of which seemed to center around Tod's presence. Morgana knew that her plan had finally set in. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tod would wake several hours later, very much alive. It was apparent that he was no longer in Aurora, trees towering above him tall enough to block out the sunlight. Black thorny vines gave way to a being radiating with dark magic. Upon her throne, Shemira glanced down with a sinister grin before that same voice was heard, "Do not be afraid." Tod would open his eyes and shake his head. "That... was pretty wild..." he mutters, only to flinch when he sees this unusual being suddenly emerge out of the blue, only to sigh as he recognizes the voice. "I wonder who you might be, hm..." Shemira tilted her head, "An ally if you would. Kneel," she calmly commanded. He just rolls his eyes at that. "Another one... right, right..." he stretches first, then kneels. Rather than getting upset, the Fay chuckled at the Fennec's hard-headed demeanor. "Tell me, Tod...how did it feel to deal with your family's tormentors personally?" Tod just narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't know what you mean. It's just a series of unfortunate incidents I have no hand in," he said, keeping his mind far away from there just in case a certain someone was listening in. "Relax...your sister has no access to intrude in my domain, speak freely." Shemira urged. He flicks an ear. "I figured there was some fashion of dimensional shitfuckery going on here..." he sighs. "Fiiine... I guess it feels normal for me to just put a bunch of wild dogs back in their place. I took five of them, that'd be enough to make sure the specter of death is present enough to scare the rest into hiding, or to turn themselves in. For they don't know what might befall them next if they continue. I don't enjoy it, it's merely a job I've not done in a very long time, and it became a mere..." he grits his teeth, his accent changing some. "...bit of pest control." She stood, cupping a hand beneath his chin softly, "That's better. You claim you did not like it, though your lack of hesitation begs to differ. Be honest, you enjoyed the feeling of no longer being held back, caged like a wild beast, only to finally taste freedom once again. Hmm?" "I do not see myself as a mere animal," he said with a chuckle. "Sure, it feels good to flex my muscles without much risk of consequence, given I did plenty of work, plenty of research to ensure no one in their right mind might think it was me. Sure, the first may have been caught if that case fell to an off-worlder, as they might have realized it was Sylotoxin, a deadly algae toxin that is not native to Earth, but it denatures so quick after ending the life of those affected it'll never be detected anyway, all you get is a pinprick... and I made it look as if that was an ulcer. The other four, flash-banged myself with the movie. I honestly did not expect to be that powerful, but here we are, what kind of monster, truthfully, would hurt themselves, to kill their prey?" "An intelligent one. You don't want these actions to link back to you, correct? What better way to conceal your intentions than by victimizing yourself in the process?" Shemira mused, "Rise." He stands, then stretches again for a moment, his back popping a few times. "Correct, and truth be told, it'll take a lot to figure it out," he smiles. "I don't underestimate those I grind against after all, I know they're intelligent, but they have no clue what they're keeping locked away." She stepped closer to him, her eyes black as night, "Then perhaps I could help you fashion a key. Surely you would be much happier embracing your true nature..." she replied, her words almost ensnaring his curiosity. "I don't need to realize my true nature," he said with a sigh. "What is it you seek from me, hm?" "A deal. You see...my Flare crystal has allowed you to show the side of you that others would fear. I used to be the same, hiding behind those who were beneath me, such as Princess Morgana, until I decided to take what was mine. I simply wish to help you do the same. Fear grants power and respect if you know what you're doing. I can help you end your little war and rise to power, if you wouldn't mind having me stand by your side." He heard such a thing, it greatly amused him that someone of her kind would want to meddle in the affairs of something that didn't even concern her, then he just smiled. "A fae wishes to step into the affairs of someone like me... Are you asking for the worst possible outcome for yourself?" he asked honestly, then took out the trinket from his pocket. "You know... I am aware of this thing being bound to me, but don't know what it does, certainly you'd not try to upheave me, right?" She laughed, "Of course not, my little pet...it's been ages since I have found someone near enough to my power to catch my interest. Morgana was weak...easily subservient. You, though, the fact that I'm offering to help you should tell you something. That crystal merely lowers your self-restraint, and it will continue to grow stronger as you do. Tell me, wouldn't you enjoy the sight of Barkov or Conrad falling at your feet, begging for a mercy only death can grant?" Tod chuckles softly. "Those two are just thorns, merely wild animals that need to learn their place. You know what they say about tigers, right?" he smirks. "I suppose if you wish to involve yourself in my escapades, then by all means, I could always use another boot to the neck of those two. Surely, you understand once they are gone, and I get what I want from them... you will have to smile, because" he turns to face her fully. "You're never truthfully dressed fully without one." "I believe that can be arranged, if you were to assist me as well. When I mentioned ruling by your side, the first step would be freeing me from this realm...surely a small price to pay?" Shemira added softly, "Shall we return to your world?" "Of course, though, not in the same spot... surely you understand that my sudden disappearance would have sent alarm bells ringing throughout the entirety of that world I come from, so I need to be more... ahem, discreet, so to speak. Unless, of course... this is all some fashioned dreamscape and I'm still on the floor, twitching like a fish" She tilted her head, "No, I've brought you here in your entirety, so discretion would be best...though you must understand, I've never been able to leave on my own. Do we have a deal?" she asked, extending out a hand. He smirks, then grasps her not by the hand, but the arm, yanking her into a hug. "We do," he chuckles, an oddly and weirdly friendly side for someone who could easily tear her arm off if he wished. She was unfamiliar with this kind of affection, but welcomed the embrace before she whispered, "Thank you." "Well that was a trip" said Tod, coming out in the middle of damn nowhere in terms of location, thankfully near a trail that led through the woods. "Welcome to my domain, I guess," he said proudly. "It's mostly woods in this area, but I assure you, you'll like it here... you'll see everything soon enough" Shemira followed closely behind, trying to wrap her head around the fact that someone had truly released her from her prison. Her form shifted into something a bit more fitting for her new surroundings. "I look forward to seeing what you have in store." The moment that they had re-interred Aurora, though Isabella would wait in the middle of the night with an ear-piercing scream. She couldn't explain why, but she could feel the fae Queen's power. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Malkara would be at home typing a few things on her computer while her children were finally asleep. She noticed that her brother had been oddly quiet for a while, but she brushed it off, thinking he was busy with more war antics. The moment that Malkara was done putting her children to sleep, she'd hear a gentle 'tap-tap-tap' on the window, one look over, and she'd see Rosa standing on the balcony. How the fuck she got up there is anyone's question. Thankfully, the fennec wasn't being super noisy or rackety. "Care to explain why you're 10 stories up? The last time I checked, you weren't able to fly, and we do have an elevator..." she chuckled. "I need two favors from you," said Rosa, stepping into the room and closing the sliding door quietly behind herself. "One, I need you to take care of Isabella for a little while. Two, I need you to keep an eye on Tod." She took a deep breath. "Isabella needs a break from home, and I figured she'd like to stay with your lot for a little while, and as for why Tod is needing to be kept an eye on? He'll say otherwise, sure, but... he's unwell. And I fear he'll get worse." "You're asking me to bring another demon into my home? That goes a bit beyond a simple favor, Rosa, and what's wrong with Tod..." Malkara asked in return. "You're gonna say I'm insane, but it is the truth..." she said. "I believe the 40s are coming out in him again." "I'm going to need more context..." "The old him. The one that rocked a continent, is possibly coming out again in bits and pieces again in him. Any kind of conflict is driving that old him to the surface, driving him to a possible mental crack and... well, do you really want to deal with The Left Hand?" she asked. "No need to intervene, unless he's gonna outright gonna kill someone that doesn't deserve it, but please, pleeeeease, keep an eye on him." She gave a look of disbelief before rolling her eyes slightly, "Honestly, Rosa, do you not remember the device that had a hand in his behavior back then? Are you sure you're not overreacting?" "I'm faaairly sure I'm not overreacting." she said with a wince. "Because that device didn't come out until 1950 or so. Before that? He was pureblooded evil." she sighs. "If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, if I'm right, then we had a stalemate before he could even do anything about it." Malkara sighed, "If you insist... I still would like an answer about your little demon child though. What's wrong?" "Well now that is out of the way..." she sighed in relief, but held a hand on her stomach, gripping at it a little. "I just believe Isabella needs more friends, for one, for two, seeing with all the drama surrounding Xavier, she needs a stress outlet, and well... the youth center doesn't seem like a good 'fit' for that, so I wanted to offer you take her in for a week. I'll happily pay you if you demand it." "I know nothing of this demon's powers. How can you ensure my children's safety if I were to agree?" She stated bluntly. "Then let me introduce you to her first?" she said, only to wince hard in pain, whispering something to herself that wasn't able to be heard. "I suppose I will meet with both of you tomorrow, then, but it is far too late for me to bring someone into my home right now. Why does it seem like you're in pain?" She asked, raising a brow. "I'll accept that answer then." she said, then tensed, getting an 'oh shit' look on her face as she tried to divert. "Er, no reason!" she said, turning slightly toward the window-door. "The truth...Don't make me force you to speak I'm tired." she stated flatly. The fennec just gave a nervous laugh, only to collapse to her knees. "Ffh..." she huffs, the distinct panting beginning, as Malkara had seen this before in Taylor... nature strikes again. "I'm fine, I..." she takes a deep breath, then sighs haggardly between pants. "...I'm in season again. My body sucks. So I'm sorry for the worry... I was trying to ignore it until it finally kicked me down the stairs." The Queen gave a smirk, "Seems as though I'm not the only one that needs to be doing something in relation to your husband...Take the elevator down and go home, Rosa." Rosa tried to stand, but dropped again, giving a snort of frustration. "Eeeh..." she groans in frustration, then after a few tries, stands. "Thank you." she said with a quick bow, leaving quietly as Malkara would note that on her floor was a few drops of silver. Thankfully, easy to clean up with a rag. Once Rosa was gone, Malkara simply knelt down with a rag to remove what was left behind. Malkara would notice as she cleaned up the small droplets that there was a sweet smell in the air, floral in a way, but also reminded her of her favorite sweets as well, but the real kicker was the unexpected flushing feeling she got... her body feeling suddenly warm and touchy for no reason. A warning would come to mind about Rosa's species: Estrus pheromones were mildly intoxicating for both males and females. Admittedly, she wasn't horny, but the feeling was weirdly welcoming as it relieved pain and stress temporarily. She smiled and chuckled to herself, choosing to use this opportunity to finally get a good night's sleep. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Tod and his new queen exited the forest area, they were met by Morgana, who seemed genuinely surprised before she dropped to one knee and lowered her head in silence. Tod just stops, then looks at Morgana with a soft chuckle and smile. "Well hi, look who I found" he said, motioning to the Queen with a soft smile. She remained silent until Shemira allowed her to speak, showing Tod how strong her control over the ex-Princess truly was. "Welcome to Aurora, my queen." "Yeah, which way is out?" he asks. "We've sadly been walking for hours... and I'm starting to become a bit sad I can't show her majesty this island other than..." he grunts. "Trees..." "It seems as though I was correct when telling you about his power, my lady. I'm truly glad to see that you're able to enter this realm freely." She stated a bit hesitantly before hearing Tod. "The road is not far from here, but unfortunately, I do not have a transport available as I wasn't expecting to run across anyone. I'm truly sorry." She added. Tod would easily be able to pick up on the drastic change in demeanor from his employee while she was in Shemira's presence. "It is quite alright Morgana, I am not mad, more... sigh, disappointed in my own efforts to find civilization, but I guess I lucked out." he smiles, then walks on with a soft smile. "So, I guess we will have to wait for my truck..." he mentioned. Shemira shifted into a form that took inspiration from some of the deer they had passed by before wrapping her arm around Tod's, motioning for her vampiric slave to show them the way out. She wasted no time in leading the two of them back out to the road, which was nearly 20 minutes away. Sure enough by the time they had arrived at the edge of the road, the truck would be waiting right there with no sign of anyone else, Tod chuckling as he liked the fact his truck had autonomous driving ability, but he wasn't gonna explain it. "Alright..." he opens the doors to the back, offering to the two to enter the back. "Hop on in, and we will be on our way, you'll be surprised to know this manner of transport does not require horses" "Certainly an interesting design for a carriage, but I trust you." She said quietly as Morgana helped her into the truck. Tod hopped up into the driver seat, waiting until the two were settled in before turning the ignition key, looking around some to make sure the coast was clear before beginning to drive, not trying to hurry home, but wished to take some time to show them around. Morgana had returned to silence while the queen seemed interested as the island passed by the window. "If you have any questions, do let me know" said Tod, showing every square inch of the city he could, everything from the towers, to the school, to the shops, to the hospital, to the homes, and so on n so forth... "I wouldn't know where to begin, considering the centuries I'd spent trapped within my realm, everything here looks extravagant." "Oh it can be..." he chuckles, then stops at a red light. Whilst this tour of the city and such was going on, Isabella had been dropped off at Malkara's after having introduced her to her and showed all she was capable of and then some, Rosa bowing and taking her leave as she was still limping. She could hear the quiet snickering of Taylor from somewhere in the penthouse, hoping she'd be smart and divert. Isabella would quickly run after Rosa and cling to her arm. What she said next would probably come off as concerning: "She is here!" Rosa paused at that, closing her eyes as she said nothing, but instead, left a note in her hands: I know she's here, it's obvious she's here, I can smell her actually, please stay with the Queen and stay safe, I will be fine, I love you Isabella, you're my kit, after all. She hesitantly gave a nod before going back into the penthouse without a word. "Do I even want to know what that was about?" Malkara asked. Rosa sighed. "I've got to take out the trash." was all she said in a cryptic fashion, heading for the elevator as she held a hand over her stomach. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, the truck would be pulling up to Tod's house as the tour concluded. "And we arrive at my residence, it isn't much to speak of for a 'castle', but I assure you, it is more than it seems." he said with a kind smile. She quietly glanced around as she took his hand, heading inside. Tod would smile, holding her hand as they headed inside, clicking the lightswitch as he heard a shuffle from the living area. "Ah, I see someone is actually awake at this hour." he said, kneeling down to Xavier before hugging him close. "Hey son, how're you doing?" "Hi dad, I'm fine, who're they?" he asked, eyeing Morgana and Shemira, wiggling out of Tod's grasp before waltzing up to Shemira, nose twitching as he looked up at her. She simply glanced over, allowing her new king to explain to the young feral. "This is Xavier, my son, do not worry, he doesn't bite, and he seems rather curious about you" he smiles. Xavier however, was not only getting a feel for their scents, their measures, but was skimming their thought patterns, it wasn't obvious he was, but eventually, he backs up a step, sitting down. "Hello, I am Xavier Vlodovic, I take it you're Dad's new friend?" he questioned. "I suppose that is one way to put it. My name is Shemira." She finally spoke, her tone sweet enough to calm any anxiety in the room. She then bent down slightly to pet the young kit. Xavier smiled, leaning in and allowing the pettings. "Shemira, that's a pretty name, if I am to be honest." he chuckles. "Also, you're super cool... what manner of anthro are you?" he asked. "Xavier, I'm going to work, someone broke the vault door ag-" said Aku, pausing for a moment, seeing Shemira's form, his eyes narrowing before he politely bowed quickly. "Excuse my intrusion, did not realize we had guests, I'll be on my way though" he said, carefully worming by the lot of them and out the door to head over to the bank, once he was out of earshot, he muttered. "A fucking Wendigo is in the house... well, Malkara hopefully won't mind me spending the night over there!" he said, noping at the thought. "Simply a creature of the forest, young one," she chuckled. Things seemed to be going well until Rosa made it home. Her first alarm bell would be Morgana standing outside the front door. Rosa would see Morgana outside, cracking her neck quietly as she walked up. "Hi Morgana." she said, then went to go inside. Morgana stepped between Rosa and the door, "Perhaps you should head back to work for now, ma'am." She stated calmly. "Work hours have concluded, Morgana, I'm tired, and I do not wish to sleep in the woods." she said flatly. "Please let me in." She gave a sympathetic look, knowing that what was about to come next was not going to be pretty, as she stepped aside. Rosa pats Morgana on the shoulder, then enters, yawning some as she clicked something in her pocket, hearing Tod talking to someone in the interview area, peeking around the corner and spotting Shemira and Tod cuddled up there on that couch. "Well hello there..." she said simply in greetings. Shemira glanced over to Rosa and gave a sickly sweet smile while still cuddling close to her husband. Xavier would also be seen in this strange woman's arms. "Evening. Darling, you certainly have quite a few people living here," she mused. "Ah, Rosarisi!" he said happily, standing and walking over to her, hugging her close and tight. "Welcome home dear, come, come, I want you to meet a new ally of mine, and a dear friend" he said, leading her over to the couch, sitting down again next to Shemira, but kept Rosa at his other side. "Shemira, this is my wife, Rosarisi, and Shemira is my newest ally in this conflict, and is quite... well, heh, talented at what she does." Rosarisi nods slowly, then smiles. "Pleasure to meet you Shemira, I am Rosarisi Rose I, Crown Princess of course, I take it you're my husband's newest mate?" she asked, her words were polite, calm, no way suspicious at all. "You could say that. Pleasure to meet you, Rosarisi. It is nice to meet another noble." She replied as she wrapped her arm back around Tod. In her mind, she didn't take this fox as a threat but more as an irritating obstacle. Rosa nodded, then smiled. "Mind if I take Xavier upstairs?" she asks, offering to take him from Shemira. "So you two can be in peace for the time being?" "If you insist." She replied as she kissed Xavier on his nose, her magic shattering any bit of suspicion he would have. Xavier would laugh lightly at the kiss, then smiled as he cuddled into his mother's chest, curling against her as she went up the stairs, once the bedroom door shut, he would look up at his mother. "Are you okay mommy?" he asked. Rosa heard the question, then sighed. "Yeah, but you're spending the night in Taylor's fort." she said, kissing him on the lips before connecting the device she had in her pocket to his collar, hitting the green button before poof, off he went. She then would grab three more from the dresser drawer, connecting one each to the sleeping babies, and doing the same after loading them into baskets, once she was done with that, she would settle down on the bed, plotting her next move. A very, very big warning sign would begin to take place outside, as over at Malkara's place, she would start to see her breath as these "special deliveries" suddenly appeared without a single noise, but would have a note that read: I am in a lot of trouble, guard these ones with your life, do not come after me, I fucking mean it! While Rosa got most of her kids out of the way, there was one factor she hadn't accounted for, as Sachi's door would open, and she would wander out to get a glass of water. Rosa heard the door, despite the room being soundproof, she could still hear outside, which meant there was a new problem... ticking timebomb had already begun, and things weren't about to go the right way. "Uhh...Dad?" Sachi asked curiously after a yawn. "Yes?" he chimed, looking over at Sachi curiously. "Who is that and where's Mom?" She asked, wondering what her father was doing with someone random. "Mom is upstairs, and Shemira is my newest ally, and dearest friend" he said with a smile. The young girl took a cautious step back upon hearing that looking to see if she could make her way upstairs. She was stopped in her tracks, though, as the other woman started to speak, "Pleasure to meet you, young lady...Is something the matter?" Shemira chimed. It was as if her words carried an unnatural weight behind them. "Um...no. Dad, can I talk to you for a minute, please?" Sachiko attempted to reason with the situation despite the aura radiating from that room. "Yeah, Tod, can I speak to you about something?" said Rosa from the top of the stairs, her breath merely coming out as small puffs of white steam as she eyed his position through a fucking wall. Tod eyetwitched a little. "Alright, alright..." he sighs softly. "Be back soon." he said, starting up the stairs. Sachi was thankful that Rosa appeared at that moment because it allowed her to run up the stairs and into her parents' room, awaiting Tod. Shemira, however, was no fool as she sat up on the couch, waiting to see how this played out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tod would enter as Rosa stood at the door, letting it shut behind her as she pointed at him. "Explain who she is, please, she's... sweet, like, Romano-levels of sweet, where did you find her?" Tod glared at Rosa. "And what business is it to you what I do when it comes to making allies to end this bloody war?" he questioned right back. "It is my business because you married me, Tod." she stated flatly. "Allies are all and good, and I don't even mind it if you took another mate, it's tradition for us Vulperai to do so as we're communal, but she gives me predator vibes..." "Something about her was making me uncomfortable, too," Sachi added. [BRIARTHORN SECURITY ALERT - CODE RED: FIMBULVINTER DETECTED] would suddenly pop up on Malkara's devices. Tod growled lightly. "I don't have to explain every single thing to you Rosa, I'm allowed my own secrets, my own personalized life, I don't have to be watched every single second for something out of the ordinary" "Oh?" said Rosa, deciding to drop a grenade in his cereal there. "Then what's that in your pocket?" she smiled wide, knowing that already. "None of your business, witch!" he snapped suddenly. Rosarisi smiles wider, oh that's what she wanted. "Tell me. Or I'm going to make you tell me. Kitten~" her tone was sickeningly sweet, but also very much venomous. Tod would hear his sister ring through his mind after she noticed that alert, "What the actual hell is going on, because that's the second warning I've gotten from your wife...Not to mention the surprise additions to my home." All Malkara would hear is something akin to TV static blare back as she could hear Tod and Rosa arguing vocally. "I'm not telling you shit, Rosa, you're out of your bloody mind because all I have is my phone, and other various trinkets and doodads in my pockets." he said aggressively. "And why send the kids away hm? Hmm??" "Because I know you're unwell." she said flatly. "And I know what made you this way, Tod." she added, stepping forward. Tod would suddenly do something he had not done since the opening of the island, he summoned out his own powers, not only did the powers of his vampirism come out, but so did the black crystal powers, which would send alarm bells right to Malkara. "Go on." said Rosa, her eyes glowing blue suddenly. "MAKE MY DAY!" she said, a device clattering across the floor and landing at Sachi's feet as she stood her ground, matching power for power. Sachi quickly bent down and took the device before her own shield went up, the look on her face actually terrified. Malkara, however, quickly teleported directly beside Rosa. "THAT IS ENOUGH!" she shouted. Unfortunately for her, with Tod summoning this much power, the crystal within his pocket began to resonate in a manner that even the Fay Queen didn't understand. "I don't think so." said Tod with a loud snarl, the very same rumbling growl a Tiger made, enough to shake even the most hearty of opponents to their core. "You want to stand in my way? You want to prolong this bloodbath?" he questioned, then raised his hand toward Rosa, a black sphere appearing at his fingertips as the crystal in his pocket did something very uncharacteristic, it amped his power suddenly, as the sphere grew twice as large as he let it fly. Rosa raised a hand, countering with a blast of ice power as she sent Tod tumbling out a window, the pink haired one disappearing as she teleported, jumping into reality right above him as she dropkicked him right in the nuts. Tod screamed, then kicked Rosa aside, only to send shadow spikes shooting through the ground, racing after her. Rosa suddenly did the same thing with her own ice, narrowly avoiding the shadow spikes as she grinned. "I'm not backing down, kitten" she mocked. "DIE!" he roared, unleashing a hailstorm of shadow balls upon the fennec. During all this, Malkara would notice something... there, on the desk, was Deathsong. She might wanna grab that or it might give him more ammo! Malkara gave Sachi a look that was easily understood before she grabbed the book and went out to see what was unfolding. Sachi left the area, though she was very shaken. Shemira, on the other hand, simply stood in the door frame at the front of the house, watching in amusement. The moment Deathsong was touched by Malkara, it would speak, yawning. "Oh hello there." it said in a surprisingly polite fashion. "Want to stop this before it levels the island? Same, same, I should have warned you, but here we are. Let's do this, or you know, let Rosa kick his daisy-chaining ass." Tod would suddenly do something even his abilities hadn't been able to do previously, a hard palmslam into the ground caused a shockwave, but in its wake, it left black void crystals scattered about the ground. It seemed whatever the hell Tod had influencing him, was going above, beyond, and then some with him. Rosa was shot backwards right into Cynthra's house, crashing in through the window before she spat up blood. "Oh that's not fair" she said, looking up at the ceiling before flipping to her feet again, leaving without a word to the terrified residents inside, using a bit of a mix of her powers to cause lightning to hit Tod, seeing the weather of the island was now out of control on top of it all. Tod collapsed, the crystal amulet rolling out of his pocket, before he picked it up, holding it in his hand as his eyes burned crimson with a hellish fervor that hadn't been seen since the dark times in Europe. He then began to channel the dark powers into the crystal, which as he did so, he targeted Rosa, but Malkara knew what was coming way ahead of time due to Tod's link to her, as she knew if she didn't somehow shield herself and fast, she'd be hit by it too due to the shock! She quickly separated the two of them with her own abilities, caging them both in place while glaring directly down towards Tod. The amount of power it took for her to restrain two of them, though, caught Shemira's attention very quickly as her gaze moved up towards Malkara. Tod would glare back now at Malkara. "Bad move." he snarled, the crystal shining like a star in his hand as it amped his powers again, and then the virus in his body only served to make it even worse, which shattered the cage, Tod appearing in front of Malkara as he tried to knife hand her through the stomach, only for a shot to ring out, hitting Tod in the neck. Rosa's cage would drop as she aimed again with her pistol, firing a second, third, fourth time, pelting Tod with those blue bullets as she turned his attention back to her. "Come at me bro!" she said, firing the remaining rounds into him as he advanced quickly on her, throwing the gun at his face before she saw what was coming. Tod's hand sliced right into Rosa's ribs, piercing through and coming out on the other side, his form motionless as he didn't escape unpunished, as he had been impaled by ice spikes a second before he got her. Rosa's form fell backwards off his arm and hand, remaining motionless as she bled out on the ground. Tod however, was not done, his body twitching, followed by him breaking the spikes, slowly turning his gaze back to Malkara. As Malkara saw this all unfold, she would see Rosa suddenly disappear in a flicker of white feathers. Shemira took this opportunity to run over to Tod, seemingly worried for him. She helped him to his feet before whispering something in his ear, "Claim her as your own, my king." Her words wrapped around his mind despite his bloodlust. Malkara saw this before directing her abilities towards her instead, as needle-like fissures of pure white energy erupted from the ground around them. Her words echoed down from the balcony with a mix of pure rage and power. "Release him." Just as Tod was about to retaliate with another powerful attack, his eyes went wide, a shadow shield appearing around him and Shemira as a 30mm Depleted Uranium Anti-Tank shot came screaming into the scene, slamming and exploding violently against the shield. Rosa wasn't done yet, which begged the question: was that the real Rosa that got murked? On top of The Red Queen, Rosa had climbed through the skylight with her Anti-Fuckyourshit rifle, and had sent that shot screeching down range at Tod, only to curse as she saw the shield catch it, loading another into the chamber, realigning the shot to hopefully kinetically flip him backwards. Taylor had warded the penthouse, and was keeping everyone safe within, as was Aku who was amping his wife's abilities on top of it all. Shemira clung to Tod, acting afraid. Malkara was silent as she attempted to use the link to try and reason with him. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but do you really wish to kill those that you love? You saw the look on your daughter's face or the pain that you caused Rosa." "Perish." was all she got as a response, before a lightning strike hit his shield, followed by another, then another, a second shot landing in front of him as it worked, he went backwards, crashing onto his back in front of none other than Jennifer... As the snow fox looked down upon Tod, she would lower her blade to his neck. "Submit, or I will make sure you do not get up..." she warned, but the moment she demanded this, a portal would open under Shemira and Tod, throwing them far away from AV, into a 'very safe place' from this fight. "Damn it!" she growled out, then glared up. "...I don't know where you went, but I'm gonna find you, and when I do, I'm going to fucking make sure you're no longer a threat!" Meanwhile, this portal had opened in the most unexpected of places, the previously dead void assassin just flipping a dagger end over end as she stood next to the one Tod had sought all along: Barkov. "Welcome to my headquarters Vlodovic, but before you do go trying to kill me, I have a proposition for you..." he smiles, pointing at the fennetiger. "Join me, and we rule this world together, for the glory of Mother Russia." Tod would chuckle darkly, as Shemira would notice something fall to the floor, then... CRACK! The Amulet would break in his hand as he crushed it, but the moment he did, he did something truthfully unexpected, he smiled at Barkov. "...Welcome home, Comrade Barkov." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rosa would have saw the portal, before rolling onto her side and unlocking her control pad, accessing the Ravenwood network before typing in a command, which Malkara would get a notification on her device the moment she hit enter. [Authorization for Tod Vlodovic L5/O5-1 has been hearby revoked]