Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He could only be an angel.

At least, that's what Faize thought when he first saw the blue-haired young man sitting in the otherwise empty and darkened room. Chains attached to manacles around his wrists held his arms above his head, and they, as well as the ones around his calves which kept his legs in front of him and bent to his left which happened to be Faize's right, bound him to the wall. Wings of the purest, most brilliant and beautiful of whites stretched out behind him, and they radiated a faint glow around him. Even his skin gleamed in the darkened room, his flesh as pale as a new moon. His head drooped, as if he were slumbering, and the blue of his hair . . . Faize felt reminded of Earthen sapphires. It had grown long, the other man's hair, and it obscured most of his face. Faize didn't dare to touch him, fear of incurring the wrath of this unusual person or that he'd simply disappear the way an illusion, and, as he stood there gazing, he was reminded of Sarah. She, too, possessed such an ethereal aura, but she also belonged to a clan called the Sacred Wing, which, to Faize, explained why her aura seemed so light and delicate, so heavenly. Why this man (was he a Featherfolk, too, like Sarah?) glowed, Faize couldn't say, but he knew when he saw blood, bright and red, trickling from the blue-haired man's wrists that he couldn't leave him there to whatever fate awaited for him on this ship.

It had started out simply enough. When Edge and Reimi accepted their positions as officers of interplanetary transport, Faize chose to stay with them rather than join his fellow Eldarians as they emigrated to Lemuris. Technology wasn't something he could easily give up, and he also wanted to make amends with Edge for his actions on Nox Obscurus. It still baffled Faize why Edge had wanted to save him that day and how they were even able to make it out of the crumbling palace. The facts were, however, what they were – through some miracle he and Edge managed to reach the safety of the transfer symbol and leave with everyone else – and it was that kindness he wanted to repay as often as he could, to prove to his captain and his best friend he was worthy of that kindness and forgiveness. Living on Lemuris, he wouldn't be able to do that and to satisfy his thirst for knowledge and for creating. Faize wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, as the humans liked to say, when it came to his second chance so he stayed, and he served under Edge as both his communications officer and friend.

They'd been serving as members of the interplanetary transport agency for less than a year when Faize intercepted a faint signal, which sent everyone at the agency into a tizzy. The origins of the signal were unknown at first, and no one could even say with any kind of certainty whether it was a distress signal or otherwise. Because of that uncertainty surrounding the signal, arguments broke out among his human compatriots. They were divided evenly for forming a search and potential rescue mission or leaving it alone. Those in favour of the search team also argued it could precipitate another attack on Earth, and they wanted clarity on the matter of the signal. The ones who didn't want to bother with the signal felt it could have been nothing. Why waste time, effort, and money on something that could turn out to be nothing, they asked. Faize personally thought both sides presented valid points, and he himself found he wanted to know more about the signal and who could be sending it and from where it was coming. He couldn't keep his curiosity contained, either, when he and Edge were together and talking.

Finally, Stephen D. Kenny, war hero and President, ended the arguing. He, too, wanted to know where the signal originated from and whether or not it was a potential threat to his beloved home. With his decision declared, everyone in the intergalactic communications department set about to the task of pinpointing where the signal was located. It'd been no easy feat, either, for the humans. They were still relatively new to intergalactic travel so there were many systems they didn't know about, but they impressed the young Eldarian with their determination and their tenacity. Within weeks, they knew where the location of the signal, and then President Kenny committed himself even more to his decision by forming the mission team. Faize remembered how his heart leapt about in his chest when Kenny appointed Edge the task of investigating the signal and what it meant for Earth.

Edge, however, hadn't been as excited as Faize, and, at first, he didn't understand why Edge remained so calm, so reserved. Commander Kenny had just handed them a most wonderful opportunity to among the stars yet he heard where they were heading, the Eldarian understood his friend's lack of enthusiasm. The signal had been located in the Arcturus system, where they had encountered the Cardianon for the second and final time. Edge had wanted to save the Cardianon. The Cardianon chose to cling to their defeated Grigori and ultimately destroyed themselves in the process. The memories weren't good ones, in Faize's mind, but they also weren't bad ones. They'd met Bacchus and learned of Crowe's status. The ensuing journey after that . . . his heart still ached from everything he endured, from the losses to his inability to keep Edge from falling apart. He promised himself he would be strong, to not let his fragile heart rule him, for Edge's sake. He wouldn't take the easy way out ever again.

Once their ship contained all of the necessary supplies and five additional crewmembers chosen by both Kenny and Edge, they launched into the stars. With all of the formalities out of the way, a sense of excitement finally started to permeate the ship's internal atmosphere. They were finally on another adventure, and the wounds that still remained between them and within them could finally be healed. At least, that's how Faize saw it, but he also knew it wasn't the same as the first time.

The new ship Edge captained was not the SRF-003 Calnus. It, like the other ships from the defunct SRF, was lost forever in the stars, crash-landed on Nox Obscurus. Faize missed the Calnus, but he also liked the new ship, the Intrepid Explorer, as much as the Calnus. For one, while the crew bunked with each other, there were more rooms. There was also a third floor, where the women stayed. Edge said it was to keep fraternization down to a minimum and to prevent any one person from sexually harassing another person. He specifically asked for such a ship for the mission. Faize knew because he'd been present when Edge made his request. It still had a recreation room, a conference room as well as storage areas for food and weapons, a battle simulator, a complete medical bay, and item creation. There was a little something for everyone, to keep the sailing smooth as it were (another human saying), and Faize found he couldn't complain too much about the Intrepid Explorer. Adventure was adventure, and his personal quest for knowledge wouldn't be contained any longer.

Naturally, the journey to the Arcturus system was uneventful in that they weren't attacked or deterred from their intended course. A few arguments broke out amongst the crew – aside from Reimi, there were three other women on board and two men; being an Eldarian, the women didn't find him quite as attractive as they found Edge, and the other two men were hardly worth noting in the physical appearances department. Needless to even think about or even to say, the women constantly wanting to be near Edge drove Reimi crazy to the point of distraction – but they were settled with a sharp command from Edge. Even Reimi, who had known Edge the longest, wasn't spared a dressing down.

"It isn't like the last time we traveled together," Edge had said when Faize asked about how strict he was being with the rest of the crew. They were alone in their shared quarters at the time. "It'd be different if we still had Myuria and Bacchus with us, even Sarah, Meracle, and Lymle, because then we'd have an added element of trust to everyone on board. And the truth is, I don't completely trust everyone under my command. I won't say who, but a few of them want my position. They'll do anything to get it, too. If I'm not careful, I'll no longer be the head of the ITA. There are some who would love to see me decommissioned completely, and I don't want that. I am where I am today because of what I've accomplished. Not because I'm someone else's ass kisser."

"Do you trust me, Edge?" To hear Edge didn't trust everyone completely cut like a knife across Faize's heart, but he understood if his friend didn't completely trust him. He'd committed the ultimate betrayal, after all, not only turning against those who cared for him and trusted him, but himself.

"Of course, I trust you, Faize." A smile followed his friend's words, and Edge reached over to grasp him gently by the shoulder. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have confided in you."

"Oh . . . Thank you, Edge."

"For what, Faize?"

'I still owe Edge that explanation,' Faize mused as he crept closer to the apparent prisoner before him. He hadn't been able to give his answer because the ship's computer systems announced they'd reached their destination in the Arcturus system, and they needed to return to their stations. Faize felt his heart starting to quicken as he approached the blue-haired stranger.
The very instant he and Edge stepped onto the bridge, one of the women – Heaven, Faize believed her name to be – brought an image up on the main viewing screen. It was of a large, round ship with a flat surface and bottom. Faize felt something inside him plummet for it reminded him of the Cardianon mother ship, except it didn't possess the spiky and "looks like it would hurt" appearance Lymle had so eloquently stated.

"Captain, we're detecting some life forms on board the ship, but not where they're from or anything," Reimi reported, her tone matter-of-fact. She didn't even bother to look at him. "I've tried hailing them on various frequencies, but I've received no response. The ship isn't in any of the registries we're familiar with. What are your orders?"

Edge had said nothing at first. He stared at the screen, a pensive expression on his face, and Faize wondered if his friend felt the same sinking feeling he'd initially had upon seeing the ship.

As Edge stared at the screen and possibly formulating his next move, Faize had decided to do some scanning of his own, and he started to type commands into his console. The last thing he wanted was to be taken by surprise by some unseen foe. The Cardianon had taught him that lesson very well. When the results returned and quickly so, he turned towards his captain.

"Captain, I'm not detecting any shields around the ship," he said. His heart felt like it wanted to leap out of his chest with each word spoken. "I've also located some empty landing docks, if you wish to investigate further."

"Dock with it? Are you crazy?"

"That's suicide! We don't know what's waiting for us on that ship."

"Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"They're not answering our hails, correct, First Officer?"

Edge's quiet voice had silenced them effectively, Reimi's reply an affirmative. Then he nodded.

"Very well. Faize, find us a landing bay. We'll see if anyone on board needs our help."

Faize had done just that at Edge's request, and he tried his best to ignore the glares coming from the other humans surrounding him. Whether they believed it or not, he knew very well what the stakes could be, having survived such instances before. Still, knowing their anger was directed at him for speaking a truth caused Faize's heart to ache. He only wanted to do right by Edge. Why could the others not see that?

A low moan brought Faize out of his reverie and back to the issue at hand. The blue-haired man before him still lived, but he wouldn't for long if he remained shackled as he was. Edge, who chose to accompany Faize over the others after dividing them into teams of two, was at least two or three doors away. He reached for his communicator as he knelt in front of the angelic stranger. The device chirped to life.

"Edge, I've found someone," Faize said in a near breathless whisper. His hands shook as he spoke, and his heart felt ready to burst from his chest. Why was he feeling so anxious? Was it because the man before him reminded him of heaven? Or did it run deeper within him? Faize drew in a deep breath to steady his hands and calm his prancing-about heart.

"You did? Where?"

Faize glanced around, noticing across the hallway a door with a large, bright red symbol. He hadn't seen any other doors like it when he started his search and felt a bit alarmed and surprised he hadn't noticed it sooner.

"In the room across from the red symbol. It's the only door like it," he said. "Hurry."

"Is everything okay?" Through the communicator, Faize heard the steady footfall of his friend walking.

"I . . ." Faize turned his head to gaze back to the one in chains. "I'm not sure, Edge. You'll understand more when you get here."

"Copy that. I'm on my way."

In a matter of minutes, Edge joined him in the room, and he, too, stopped to stare at the stranger in chains. Faize could tell by his expression there was the same kind of wonderment that he'd felt upon seeing the blue-haired man.

"What . . . who . . ."

"I don't know," Faize replied, shaking his head. He remained in front of the man. "I heard him moan a moment ago, but he hasn't stirred since I entered the room. Doesn't he remind you of Sarah?"

"Yeah," Edge murmured, nodding his head a little. "He does . . . I don't like seeing him in chains like that, though. Who would do something like this?"

It was a rhetorical question, Faize knew, one he didn't have to answer. Edge had such a strong, kind, and compassionate heart. He reached towards the manacles around the stranger's wrists.

"I wish I knew," he said. "I'd like to know why they would do such a thing in the first place."

"Let's get him out of here," Edge said. "Maybe he can tell us once he's regained consciousness."

"I'm sure that he could," a familiar, feminine voice said. "Need a hand in freeing him?"

Startled, Faize felt like he could have leapt from out of his skin, and he leapt to his feet. His hand automatically reached for his rapier, and Myuria smiled. In her hand, she held her symbologist's staff, and she had it poised for attack.

"Good to see you haven't completely dropped your guard in uncertain situations," she said, closing the distance between them. "It would make killing you that much more difficult."

"Like you'd really want to kill us," Edge replied. He nodded his head toward her in greeting. Faize also noticed the slight smile of pleasure his friend had on his face at seeing the Morphus woman. He couldn't blame Edge, really. Myuria was quite beautiful, but he felt she was a bit too complicated for someone like him. He preferred the girl from Roak who lost her life too soon or even Lymle . . . wait, had he really just thought that?

"I wouldn't," she agreed. "But some others might. They're not me, after all. Stand back, both of you. This could get a little messy if you're too close."

Faize and Edge immediately complied with her request, coming to a stop next to her, and a soft, bluish white light enveloped the Morphus woman. The chains and manacles on the blue-haired stranger started to glow as well, only with a red-hot light as opposed to the cool one surrounding Myuria. She murmured softly under her breath, in the language of symbology, before she released the spell. The manacles broke apart, and the blue-haired stranger fell forward. He and Edge both raced to keep him from hitting the ground.

As the blue-haired man fell forward, Faize noticed his wings turned translucent then disappeared completely. With them gone, he resembled a human. Astonished, Faize felt along the other man's back for where the wings would have been attached, his astonishment growing when he found no traces of where the wings had been in the first place. He also noticed there were no burn marks on the blue-haired man's wrists from where the manacles kept him bound. He wanted to ask Myuria how she managed such a feat.

"That was interesting," Myuria said. She, too, sounded awestruck, and Faize glanced up to see her walking closer to them. "I wasn't expecting that."

"I thought for sure he was a Featherfolk," Edge admitted.

"As did I," Faize said. "I wonder how come they disappeared."

"Maybe it's like a defense mechanism," Edge murmured. "So that way he can escape unnoticed by enemies?"

"It's possible," Faize conceded. "But why would they stay out when he's chained? And why is he even here in the first place?"

"I'd say let's hope he isn't some kind of criminal, brought into space to keep him from harming other people," Myuria said, "but I highly doubt that he is. In fact, I think I know why he's here in the first place."

"Why would you say that, Myuria?"

"Can you two carry him around or should we take him back to your ship first?"

Edge paused to consider his options. Faize knew they were still relatively close to their ship so taking the stranger back to it would present very few, if any, problems. To carry him to wherever Myuria had in mind while he was dead . . . well, Faize didn't exactly relish the thought. Edge glanced at Faize then at the stranger.

"We'll take him back to our ship first so he can get some medical treatment since we're still close to it," he said. "I'll have Reimi and Tony come back to the ship to monitor him. After we've done that . . ."

"I'll show you what I've discovered," Myuria finished. "Well, then, shall we get going?"

* * *

Carrying the unusual stranger back to the Intrepid Explorer hadn't been nearly as difficult as Edge originally thought it would be. When he and Faize both lifted him up, with each of them supporting him on either side, they did so with relative ease. The blue-haired man wasn't necessarily as light as feather, as the saying went, but he felt the other man's ribs through his flesh. It wasn't necessarily an unusual thing, per se – Edge often ran his hands along his sides and felt his ribs that way – but the blue-haired man's ribs were more prominent than what Edge believed they should have been in the first place. It hadn't been like dragging Bacchus through the Cardianon mother ship or hauling Faize from the crumbling Palace of Creation, and only one person really needed to carry the stranger from his private hellhole to the Intrepid Explorer.

As they walked to the ship, Myuria told them a little of what was going on with the Morphus. According to her, they, too, had intercepted the same signal as the I.T.A. and decided to investigate immediately. Naturally, she had volunteered for the mission. Her life after the collapse of Nox Obscurus consisted mostly of working with fellow Morphus talented with the compounding ability. She needed a break from some of inane, mindless chatter of her female cohorts.

"Of course, I didn't travel alone," she said, a hint of a smirk on her face. "It was agreed we could have another Cardianon incident on our hands. To travel alone would have been suicide. At least, that's what Giotto said. Quite honestly, I couldn't disagree with him. The last thing any of us want is for the Missing Procedure to start up again."

"So who came with you?" Edge asked. He knew in his heart he hoped Bacchus had chosen to accompany her, but he also realized the chances were slim. Before they'd parted ways, Bacchus confessed to him he planned on returning to his original body so he could spend the rest of his days with his wife.

"You'll see soon enough," Myuria replied in an enigmatic tone. "He'll be meeting us at your ship. He, too, is curious about this young man with us."

Reimi and Tony were waiting for them when they entered the docking bay. Standing with them was a tall man, close to seven feet, in Edge's estimation, and his ears told him that he, like Myuria, was of Morphus descent.

The Morphus man wore straight green compared to Myuria's dark blue mini skirt and bustier, and his clothes fit him almost as tightly, displaying a strong, muscular physique. His light brown hair was shorn short and neat, and his facial expression was one of stoic seriousness. Tony appeared, in Edge's opinion, to be quite apprehensive of the Morphus man. He kept glancing in a nervous fashion from Edge to the Morphus, and his hands twitched, as though he wanted to wring them together. Tony often did that when his nerves won over him. Edge couldn't say he blamed his fellow crewman. When he first met Faize, he'd felt apprehensive over his first encounter with an intelligent alien species.

'But I got over my anxiety,' Edge mused. 'I could tell right after he started to talk to us that Faize wasn't going to hurt us. He was so respectful of our fallen comrade . . .'

The three of them, upon his, Faize's, and Myuria's approach, stood straight, Tony and Reimi saluting.

"Captain," they said in unison.

"Mr. Edge," the Morphus man said a second later. The smile on his face more than crept there. It felt like it erupted, and Edge nearly dropped the blue-haired man so he could hug his friend.

"Bacchus!"

"None other," Bacchus said, bowing a little. "When Giotto asked for volunteers to investigate the distress signal, like Mrs. Myuria, I volunteered my services."

"You look so different," Faize said in wonderment. Edge imagined more than he saw how wide his Eldarian friend's eyes were at this change. They were probably as wide as his for seeing Bacchus in his organic form. "How . . ."

"A story I can regale to you later," Bacchus murmured. He then gestured to the one Edge held in his arms. "I can see you found someone in need of medical assistance. Shall I carry him on board for you?"

"S-sure . . ." Edge, with the greatest of care and ease, passed the young man over to Bacchus. A soft, almost inaudible moan escaped the unconscious man as Bacchus lifted him into his arms, but otherwise, his eyes never opened and he remained still.

"Hmmm, most unusual," Bacchus said, almost as if to himself. Edge tilted his head.

"What is?" he asked.

"It is nothing but a theory," the older man said. "I simply thought he'd have awakened from the movement of being transferred, but it appears that I was wrong."

"Why wouldn't he wake up?" Tony inquired. Edge noticed his shipmate's anxiety levels had decreased dramatically, and he now held his medi-scanner in his hands, ready to start diagnosing the stranger's injuries.

"It could be for any number of reasons," Bacchus said. He then turned to walk aboard the Intrepid Explorer. "I theorize a deficiency in key nutrients as well as proper hydration."

The two men continued their discussion as they boarded the spacecraft. Edge glanced at Reimi, and their eyes met. For what felt like an hour, their gazes were locked with each other's, and Edge thought he saw everything Reimi truly wanted to say to him. He saw the hurt in her eyes from his long overdue confession of his feelings, the pain of his rejection of her feelings towards him simply because there was another held higher in his heart than what he could hold her. The anger, he knew, was because he no longer allowed her to slap him as she pleased (or so he liked to tell himself). He couldn't afford to play favourites among his crew, even though she and Faize were the only ones he truly trusted with his secrets, his desires, his hopes, and his fears. She still longed for him, to be with him, but his heart was the one thing he couldn't give her. Unable to keep looking in her eyes, Edge turned away. To Myuria, he said, "Let's go."

"She doesn't seem too happy, boy," Myuria remarked in a casual fashion. Edge shrugged. He also noticed they were heading down different corridor, the one to the left of the hallway where Faize discovered the blue-haired stranger. No one among his crew had chosen this particular path when they separated into four different teams. Surreptitiously, he glanced in the directions his crew had gone, each entrance marked with a discreet, dark grey ribbon, the one Reimi and Tony used tied into a bow. It indicated they hadn't finished their sweep of that particular corridor, something they'd done per Edge's instructions. Faize finished doing the same for their corridor. Before they left, he wanted every inch of the ship searched. Perhaps later, he, Myuria, and Bacchus could exchange notes on what they found.

"Things aren't what they used to be," he said.

"You haven't told her how you felt."

"I did, actually."

"Oh?" Myuria glanced at him. She raised an eyebrow at him as well. "Then why . . ."

"Because I told her the truth," Edge said.

"The truth? And what is the truth?" Myuria asked.

"Exactly how much further do we need to walk?" Edge asked. He kept his gaze straight ahead, noting there were no doors in this corridor. Rather, the walls were plain with the occasional monitor with a readout in a language he couldn't quite understand. His translator couldn't decipher the symbols and words written, and it reminded him of how extraordinary the Cardianon language had been upon his first encounter. It frustrated him to not have the distraction he wanted, no, that he needed from blurting out the truth to Myuria about how he truly felt about her and about Crowe. It didn't help he knew that she was unattainable for him when all he wanted to do was lose himself in her embrace. He still felt the pang of loss for his best friend's, his greatest rival's, and his first true love's death.

"You didn't answer my question, boy."

"Myuria," Faize said, breaking his silence, "I believe it would be best if it weren't discussed here. There are more pressing matters at hand, wouldn't you agree?"

"I do agree," Myuria said reluctantly. She then exhaled, a heavy sound. "It shouldn't be too much farther. There's a room to the left with a pale blue symbol painted on the door. It somewhat resembles a healing symbol to me, but I doubt very much that's what whoever built this ship had in mind. That's our destination."

It didn't take them long to reach the room Myuria mentioned, and it certainly didn't take Edge long to figure out what she meant, either. Indeed, the moment the three of them stepped into the room, Edge knew why his Morphus friend didn't believe the blue-haired stranger to be a criminal. If he was, he certainly didn't deserve the horrors he now saw.

The room itself appeared to be that of a medical bay. Its circular design didn't allow for many beds – there were eight total, each standing about five feet in the air. They reminded him of the twin-sized beds he saw in old movies, the ones not destroyed in the war. On each bed were metal shackles, one set for hands, the other for feet. Monitors no bigger a personal computer screen were next to each bed as well as what Edge guessed to be medical stands for I.V. bags. That in and of itself was not so horrifying to him nor was what he saw the reason for Faize trying not to gag.

Five of the beds weren't empty. Strapped in each were the still forms of humanoids, their faces ashen and grey, and their bodies stripped of any and all clothing. Their eyes, what little bit remained from each, were wide with terror. Long, surgically precise gashes sliced each victim from the end of their throats to the place where their torsos met their hips, exposing their innards. The flesh from their faces and hands were gone, and blood spatter covered the walls next to the beds. A few were missing fingers and toes. One person's intestines were draped from one of the long gashes to the floor, and a ghastly smile had been carved into the muscle on his face. Edge knew he didn't need a video to figure out what had happened.

"I'll . . . I'll see if I can download any data," Faize said in a strangled tone. "Maybe I . . . I can find something . . ."

He let the thought trail off, and Edge turned to face him. It was better than looking at the gore displayed for anyone to see.

"You don't have to, Faize," he said. The entire time he spoke, he couldn't stop thinking about that final battle, when he and Lymle called out the young Eldarian's name. They learned a bitter truth in those moments, about how they hadn't saved everyone involved in the ritual to resurrect Asmodeus. No one except Faize had known the truth, and Faize had kept it to himself. In a cold, yet calm voice, Faize explained that not everyone could be saved. There would others, people they'd never meet, who would die, people who deserved to live, and they couldn't save everyone. It was a bitter truth to accept. Edge knew as much, but to see this level of torture . . . it had to be tearing at Faize, and if Edge could spare him any further agony . . .

"I know," Faize said, his voice barely inaudible. His face, which was normally pale anyway, was even whiter than before, and red tinged his violet eyes. Edge reached out a hand to him, and Faize offered him a faint smile. "I . . . I want to do this, Edge. I . . . I need to . . . I want to understand how . . . why, even . . . I just . . . I'll start downloading that information. I'll be all right. I promise."

The young Eldarian spun around and marched himself to the computer. All the while, Edge didn't fail to notice the slight trembling of Faize's body and the way his friend clenched his hands.

"It's my fault," Myuria said, stepping next to him so the two of them were shoulder-to-shoulder. He caught a faint whiff of her perfume, and he fought the urge to reach over and touch her. She was the only one he dreamt of since Crowe's death and they parted ways. "I forgot about what he went through on Roak and after he left Aeos. I didn't even think . . ."

"No . . ." Edge shook his head. "Don't blame yourself, Myuria. You're not the only one who forgot. I really don't want him to download anything that could upset him, but at the same time I can't protect him from this. He'd find out about this sooner or later. I don't want him to feel like we're keeping anything from him just because of what happened. It just . . . annoys me that I can't take away that pain from him and that I can't protect him from these horrors."

Myuria grasped his shoulder, and she offered him a faint smile.

"All you can really do is be there for him and to remind him that he doesn't need to suffer alone . . . that you'll always be there for him when he needs someone," she murmured. "That's all you can really do for anyone."

Edge nodded.

"It's going to take us a few days to thoroughly search this ship," he said. "I don't know what you and Bacchus have found so far, but I'd like for us to share any results. Reimi detected more than just one living life form on this ship."

"Other than that young man you and Faize found, I've not encountered anyone," Myuria said. "I also don't know what Bacchus has found, but I'm sure sharing information won't be an issue. At least, not with us."

Edge nodded yet again.

"All right then," he said. "The rest of my crew will be rendezvousing back to the ship as soon as they've finished their sweeps. I've called for a meeting two hours after that. You and Bacchus are more than welcome to join us."

"The download is complete," Faize said. Edge blinked. His young Eldarian friend stood a few inches away from he and Myuria, a baffled expression on his face.

"That was quick," Myuria commented.

"Indeed," Faize said in agreement. He held his datapad in hand. "There wasn't much to download from this particular console, it would seem. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"Were you . . . able to find out anything?" Edge asked, hesitating a little. Faize closed his eyes for a moment and then offered a single nod of his head.

"There . . . were the records of how the five in here died," the Eldarian began. "A very brief video, if you will, and there's something on it I find both interesting and peculiar, if you will. It would seem as if their captors were interested in experimentation on their subjects. I can't quite tell who or what the captors are, but at least one of the subjects on the bed is a human man . . . or was a human man." Faize's gaze trailed to the dead form in the center of the five bodies. "But that isn't what I find peculiar or interesting."

Edge waited patiently as Faize joined he and Myuria. His friend's gaze remained on the five dead bodies for a few seconds. Faize then closed his eyes, exhaled with a sad, soft sigh.

"The way they died isn't interesting at all," he continued. As he spoke, his eyes opened, and he turned so he was shoulder-to-shoulder with both Edge and Myuria. "They were like insects or Earthen frogs for their captors to be dissected. In fact, that is what I'd say they were to their captors."

"It has been known to happen in the science world," Edge said, albeit with a great reluctance. Studying insects was one thing. Killing as the way to study was something else entirely.

"Yes, it has. Earthlings aren't the only ones curious about their environment or the creatures they encounter," Faize continued. "So what they were doing isn't necessarily peculiar or interesting, just . . . disturbing."

'He's stalling,' Edge reasoned. 'Why? There's no reason to stall like this. We're all friends here.'

"So? What's so interesting and peculiar?" Myuria asked. Edge had just opened his mouth to ask the same thing.

"Forgive me," Faize said. "I realize I'm delaying. It's just . . . not only is what I saw both interesting and peculiar, it's . . . baffling. The victims, as they were being tortured, weren't begging with their captors."

"But they were begging," Edge interjected, his tone flat and void of any emotion.

"Yes," Faize said. "They were begging for their lives, I would surmise, but they were looking in this direction and at this wall in particular. In seeing it now, I'm not entirely sure I understand."

Faize then pointed, and Edge glanced in the direction in which his friend gestured. It was the wall opposite of where the five victims were, a plain white steel wall with no bed in front of it and nothing to either side.

"I find it puzzling," Faize said, his tone low. "The video itself doesn't show what it is they're looking at or whom they're begging to, so it's puzzling as to why they'd be looking over here."

"And not at their actual tormentors," Myuria said. She shifted her stance and folded her arms across her chest. Edge couldn't help but notice the way her breasts bounced as she moved. He tried his best to pretend he didn't notice and to keep from swallowing hard because of her proximity. He didn't want her to know he was checking her out, admiring her, and wanting to do more than just wish. Instead, he kept his gaze on that plain, white steel wall, trying to figure out why five people would look at a wall and beg for mercy. Edge took a step closer, studying the wall.

"It doesn't make sense, does it, Edge?" Faize asked.

"No," Edge replied. He frowned as he continued to step closer. Faize was right. It didn't make sense for five people to stare at a plain white wall and beg for mercy. "Why would they look here? Why not at their tormentors?"

When he was close enough to reach out and touch the wall with his hand, Edge stopped walking. Since Faize had mentioned and since he started to try and figure out the question of why, something about the plain white wall bothered him. It was something he couldn't quite place a finger on, either, something he felt he should have figured out already. An idea started to form in his mind, and he turned to face Faize and Myuria once more.

"Faize, is there any way to pan the view around on that video?"

"I suppose that there could be," Faize said, his expression becoming thoughtful. He tapped his chin with his forefinger. "I can study it more when we return to the Intrepid Explorer."

"Good," Edge said, nodding his head once. "Also, if there's an audio to it, find it. As much as I don't want to hear people begging for their lives, I realize I don't have a choice. I want to know what was said to them in their final moments."

"What are you thinking, boy?"

"Did you think of something, Edge?"

"Yeah . . ." He turned to face the wall again. "Why look here to beg for your life when those who are torturing you are right next to you unless . . ."

"Unless there's someone standing there," Faize said, pointing directly at Edge.

"Watching you being tortured," Myuria added.

"Exactly," Edge said. "Someone stood right here and watched the entire time."

"Then I guess the even more disturbing question," Myuria said, her voice low, calm, and deadly, "is who would stand there and watch such horrendous acts?"

Chapter Text

"So you see," the blond-haired man said, his spear pointed towards the ground. He hovered in place, wings of pure electricity allowing him flight, and Luther glared at him, trying to refrain from spitting his blood out of his mouth, "it is nothing personal. It's simply how things are meant to be. Very few can defeat me, no matter in which dimension they dwell. Foolish mortal. You were a challenge, I will give you that, but you still were no match for my might. What possessed you to believe you could fight me and win?"

This time, Luther did spit the blood from out of his mouth. The watery red substance landed just below the strange angel's feet, but he seemed to either not notice or not care about such an action. Instead, the man backed away a few feet, a smirk on his face. Luther's hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword. Once their battle began, his spear had proven useless, heavy, and unwieldy so, as quickly as he could, he created a sword for himself. Oddly enough, it looked very much the Divine Avenger blade the data known as Fayt Leingod had wielded in their battle. He rose so that he could face his opponent one final time, his footing unsteady, but Luther fought his weariness. He leveled his gaze at the stranger and pointed his blade at the man.

"Because there have been those who have defeated you, Gabriel Celesta," Luther said. For most of the battle, rage had burned through Luther like a white-hot and long-enduring ember. It had clouded his thinking, but now . . . now he felt in control of his rage and battle lust. He'd already lost a battle to the data Fayt Leingod because he allowed his rage, anger, and frustrations to control him. He was not about to allow himself to lose to this otherworldly being for the same reasons, given he'd already won over the other who attacked him. He was tired. He wanted to rest before he continued on his mission.

"You know my name." Gabriel sounded impressed. "Very few know that when they challenge me. You honor me, mortal."

"I only know it because I know who sent you and the other I have fought," Luther replied. Strength returned to him slowly the longer he stood, and his mind felt clear, unfettered. "I know what it is the ones who sent you seek, and I am not so inclined as to give them such a thing."

"The other?" Gabriel tilted his head and frowned. "Of what other do you speak?"

"The woman, of course," Luther replied. He swung his sword in a semi-wide arc before pointing it directly at the celestial being. "She had no name to give me, but I am no fool. I can tell that you and she are among the same kind. Your wings give you away."

The blond paused for a few seconds, glancing at the wings on his back. His attention then returned to Luther.

"I know of no other like me," he said, "but that doesn't mean I am the only one. However, it hardly matters in the end. Come now. Let us finish this game once and for all."

"I agree," Luther said. "Let's end this."

With spear and sword raised, the two clashed. The force of their collision sent sparks of gold and blue flying in all directions. If he were the kind to be distracted by such things, Luther might have thought such a sight to be quite beautiful. Their fight possessed a certain kind of elegant and deadly grace between the parries and thrusts meant to not only maim but to kill as well. Sparks fell every time their weapons met, dancing across the floor only to disappear whenever a booted foot landed on top of them.

However, Luther wasn't the kind to be distracted by something as simple as the beauty of sparks. When he decided upon a course of action, he let nothing deter him from what he wanted, and what he wanted most in those moments was to find two people. One of those people was the data known as Fayt Leingod. The younger man possessed great destructive capabilities. Luther knew of this not only because of his encounter with the blue-haired teen, but also because he'd gone back to review some of the data leading up to the moments of Fayt's manifestation of power. He needed to know the kind of power he would face again the moment he found the other, and the information he found not only astonished him but impressed him. Fayt's destructive capabilities far exceeded anything anyone could have imagined. They rivaled even Luther's powers, and, the instant he realized the other could have destroyed him with more than relative ease, Luther asked himself why hadn't Fayt gone that far in that final battle. The challenge had been there. Why hadn't Fayt taken every opportunity available to defeat him? Luther intended to find the reasons as to why the younger man held back. He simply needed to find the younger man and capture him so he could ask.

The other person he wanted to find, well, he wasn't sure of the individual's name. He wasn't even sure which species the person belonged to, but Luther harbored no doubts he'd find the person he sought, this Apostle of Creation. This individual had created just as much damage and havoc in his precious Eternal Sphere as had Fayt Leingod, and he intended to correct such an injustice as quickly as he possibly could. Only Gabriel Celesta, an angelic being from yet a different dimension from his world and the Eternal Sphere, stood in his way. The only other one who could stop him already lay defeated in his office. Her defeat had led to his current predicament, but Luther hardly had the moment to care. His survival, his beloved Eternal Sphere were at stake, and he was not about to lose.

"Not for long, though," he murmured. In the same graceful and elegant way he'd witnessed Fayt Leingod use his blade, Luther brought his weapon down in a wide arc and bringing up a current of air to shield him from Gabriel's attack. His blade sliced through the upper half of the celestial man's spear, and, at the same time, he pushed forward. The destruction of his weapon shocked Gabriel and Luther's attempt to send him flying or stumbling backwards worked. The other man staggered, and he rushed forward, blade pointed directly where he believe the other man's heart to be. Gabriel couldn't recover fast enough.

His momentum carried him forward, and he felt as the blade pushed through Gabriel's armor and then his flesh with very little resistance. Blue eyes stared at him in shock and . . . relief, and blood started to trickle from his mouth.

"Congratulations . . . mortal," he said. "You have done what no one else has ever done . . . not only have you . . . defeated me . . . you have killed me . . . there is no one alive who can say that."

"Good," Luther said with a low growl. "Then there is no one who can compete with me."

Giving Gabriel one final shove, the angelic man slid off of his sword and onto the ground. Blood pooled from the wound. A smile graced the man's features, and he stared at Luther as his life drained from him. Just before he stopped breathing, he spoke for the final time.

"You seek . . . the Apostle of Creation . . . and the warrior known as Fayt . . . Leingod . . . look . . . for . . . Maverick . . ."

With those final words, Gabriel drew in one last breath and let it out. The light and life in his eyes vanished, but Luther wasn't about to take any chances. Too much depended upon him succeeding in finding Fayt Leingod and the Apostle of Creation. He couldn't afford any further distractions. Summoning up the Explosion symbol, he watched as the fire enveloped the angel's body, incinerating flesh, clothing, and hair. When it burned out, nothing left of Gabriel Celeste, and Luther nodded with satisfaction.

"Thank you," he said. "You've just made my search a tad bit easier."

xXx-Wizards-xXx

Belzeber slammed his fist into the console, more than angry at what had just transpired. He'd just watched the fight between the otherworldly being Gabriel Celeste and Luther, and he couldn't believe that Luther had won. The smarmy bastard won! Not only had he won against Gabriel but the one who simply referred to herself as the Ethereal Queen. Both were incinerated beyond any hope of resurrecting them for future use.

"How the hell did he do it?" he screamed. "How could he have defeated both of them like that?"

"Judging by your reaction, the outcome of Gabriel's confrontation ended in Luther's favor," a woman's voice remarked. Belzeber whirled around to face her. Shaking with rage, he pointed a finger at her.

"This is all your fault! You said that both this Ethereal Queen and Gabriel Celesta could defeat him," he shouted. "You said it! I know you said it! But they didn't! He didn't just defeat them! He killed them! KILLED THEM! There is no stopping him!"

"Perhaps there isn't," she said. "Perhaps there is. We still haven't explored every angle just yet."

"Oh, you have more, Miss Saionji? This is news to me," he sneered. "How much longer do you think it will before he realizes that I have allied myself with you to destroy my father's company? Luther might be insane, but he isn't a fool! He is on his way to find Fayt Leingod and the Apostle of Creation as we speak!"

The woman stepped into the room. She was decidedly beautiful, Belzeber thought, with her long, brown hair pulled into a pony tail, the tight-fitting black leather short shorts, white tank top, but he didn't dare let his guard down around her. She was just as deadly as she was beautiful.

"I'm sure Luther won't have as easy of a time as he might think," she said, folding her arms across her chest. She walked towards him until they were the span of a single hand away from each other.

"Gabriel told him who to look for, Renee," Belzeber said in a flat voice. "He said Maverick."

"He did? Huh. How strange," Renee said. "He said Maverick."

"Yes. He said Maverick."

"But not a year or anything else . . . Just Maverick."

"Isn't that what I just said?"

Renee smiled and leaned in close. Belzeber tried to not inhale a deep breath – her perfume intoxicated him every single time she leaned in close, but he'd never acted on his fantasies where she was concerned. Like most others in their lines of work, Renee knew how to fight, and she wouldn't hesitate to gut a man for touching her against her will.

"That," she murmured, "could be a problem . . . or it could be a gain."

"How do you mean?"

"Well," she said, tilting her head to one side, "he's still stuck in the Eternal Sphere, is he not?"

"He is," Belzeber confirmed.

"And Fayt Leingod is still trapped in the past? Specifically in the year 15 S.D.?"

"Yes."

"Well, it should take some time for the drugs we gave him to wear off . . ." Renee leaned in close. "And they should still hamper his powers of Destruction for some time, even after he regains consciousness, correct?"

"That's what they were designed for," Belzeber replied. "You were quite specific on what those drugs needed to do."

"Then we should be fine . . . unless you'd . . . rather we take some precautions?"

"Precautions are necessary when it comes to Luther," he said. "You've never worked with him. You're the competition, Renee."

"True . . . well, we know where Fayt is as well as the old Apostle of Creation . . . Luther does not, and I think I know how we can keep it that way. Even if he were to find them, it wouldn't do him any good. He'll still be too late to stop us. Will you let me know as soon as the servers for the Eternal Sphere are operational again?"

"That depends," Belzeber murmured. Renee tilted her head to the other side.

"Oh? On what?" she asked. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her hard and snug against his body.

"On what you intend to give me for services rendered," he said. "And don't ask me what I want, Renee. You already know what I want."

Without waiting for her to respond, Belzeber kissed her, hard, long, and rough. For as long as he could remember, he'd always wanted her. He desired to taste her, to feel her, to own her, but fate had not been so kind to him when it came to her. Her family owned a different and competing information and gaming company, which had separated him from her the moment they were chosen to go to work for each. His desire for her had become unbearable until Luther had designed the Eternal Sphere project. It was the one thing Belzeber had liked out of Luther's ideas for it had allowed him to create a likeness of Renee in the game itself. The girl, named Reimi, even possessed her same prudish attitude and ability to overcome any and all illness.

Except time had passed, and time must have changed a few things about Renee. Rather than resist him, she encouraged him. She pulled and tugged at his clothing while he proceeded to lift her shirt up and over her head. Before long, they were both naked and bathing in the glow of the computer monitor, panting and moaning like animals. It felt heavenly, it felt wonderful, and it excited him to have her naked against him and to feel her writhe in pleasure under his touch. When they were done, there were scratches on his back, bite marks and bruises on her neck and breasts, and blood and seminal trickling from between her legs onto the floor. There were some tears in Renee's eyes, but Belzeber didn't care. He'd gotten what he wanted from her.

"How much longer before the servers are back up?" she asked in a choked voice. To that, he shrugged and then pulled on his pants.

"I'm not sure . . . it's taking longer than expected," he said. "I don't think Blair trusts me with that kind of information just yet, the fool. She's still under the belief that the Eternal Sphere is alive and should be left alone."

"Given the rumors I've heard about you, Berial, and Azazer losing to some of them, I can see why she'd think that," Renee said. She'd just reached for her shorts and started to pull them on over her legs. Scowling, he reached over, grabbed her by the hair, and yanked.

"They got lucky," he whispered in a dangerous time. "That's all it was. And they are nothing more than mere programs. When I have control over the company again, they will know their proper places. You will be wise to remember your place as well. Without me, your company will be reduced to nothing."

"And without me, you won't ever gain Sphere 211 back," she spat. Belzeber almost backhanded her for her words, but he restrained. Already, people would question the bite marks on her neck. If she ended up bruised, there was no saying what she would tell others of their encounter. Instead, he smirked, an idea coming to him. In truth, he already had what he wanted when it came to business. On the other hand, though, there was still more that he wanted from her. He wondered how good it would feel to tie her up as he had his way with her.

"Oh, that isn't quite as true as you might think, my darling," he said with a slight sneer. "Luther's stuck in the Eternal Sphere, and I already know how I can make it so he'll never be able to return. I also know that, with Blair in charge, it wouldn't take me long to dispose of her and take my rightful place as the company's president. When it comes to business, I no longer need you while you still need me to remove the one thing that has made Sphere 211 such a success."

"And if it were to slip to Blair what you've done?" Renee said. "Before you dispose of her? What then?"

"I doubt you'll let it slip to Blair what I've done and what I'll continue doing," Belzeber murmured. "After all, if I go down, so will you. I am not quite as foolish as you believe me to be, Renee. Now, if you wish to know when the servers are back up, you will continue to give me what I want, when I want it."

"You drive a very hard bargain," Renee said. "One might even call it extortion."

"As if you haven't done whatever was necessary to get what you want," Belzeber said, scoffing. "I know better than that, Renee. You are the fool if you think I don't know every misdeed that you've ever done."

"Touché," she said. He let go of her, and she stood, pulling her shorts up. Her breasts bounced as she moved. "I suppose then I have no choice but to pleasure you . . . for now."

Belzeber reached over and halted her from putting on the rest of her clothes. Sliding one arm around her waist and fondling her bare breasts, he offered a smile.

"Think of this as a mutually beneficial arrangement," he murmured. "After all, we're both getting what we want from each other. You can't deny that you wish to see Luther dead as much as I do. That is our ultimate goal, is it not?"

She turned her head towards him and smiled.

"Why, yes," she replied. "I believe that it is."

"Good," Belzeber said. "When the workday is finished, we'll meet in my home and . . . continue what we've started."

"It will be as you wish," Renee said.

xXx-Warriors-xXx

"I think you have some explaining to do."

Edge nearly jumped out of his skin at hearing Myuria's voice. The room he shared with Faize was darkened, an indication the young Eldarian had yet to return. With the blue-haired stranger still unconscious, Faize had decided to assist Bacchus and Tony in determining why the man had yet to wake. It was worrisome, in Edge's mind, for Bacchus and Tony had already determined the stranger to be human, and he knew humans didn't survive long without food and water. When he'd left the medical bay, Tony was prepping some I.V. lines to keep fluids and nutrients in the blue-haired man's body. The lights to his room turned on within seconds of Myuria speaking, and, when his eyes adjusted to the brightness, the Morphus woman lay stretched out on his bed.

"Huh?"

"You," she said, pointing at him, "have some explaining to do. I thought what I said was pretty clear."

"It is," Edge said with hastiness. "It's just . . . I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"You said earlier that you confessed how you felt to the girl," Myuria answered. "Naturally, when you said you'd have no problem marrying a childhood friend, I'd assumed it was Reimi because we knew that's how far back you two go as friends. Given the sadness and anger I saw on her face when we returned to your ship, it wasn't what she wanted to hear from you. Then, when we were in that medical room, you kept looking at me so you have some explaining to do. What did you tell her?"

Edge sighed, already exhausted and not just from searching the ship. He wasn't entirely sure Myuria would understand, but he knew she wouldn't let up until she had her answers. Her doggedness in hunting down Crowe for misguidedly thinking he'd killed her husband proved as much to him.

"It's like I said," he murmured, walking slowly to the bed. Once he reached it, he sat down next to her. "I told her the truth . . . that she wasn't the one for me."

"She wasn't the one?"

"No . . ." Edge shook his head. "She wasn't the one, still isn't the one. Don't get me wrong. I care about her a lot, I'd do anything to protect her, and I do love her . . . but she's always been like a little sister to me. And, when I got to thinking about it, I realized it hurt that she hadn't trusted me with her deepest, innermost, and darkest secret."

"The truth behind her natural healing abilities?"

"Yeah," Edge said, nodding. "That. I mean, I get why she didn't want to say anything, and I don't blame her for it, either. It just . . . hurts to think that she could never trust me enough with it. That's all. Plus . . . when I said I wouldn't have a problem marrying a childhood friend, I wasn't thinking of Reimi."

"You weren't?"

"No. I was . . ." He inhaled a deep breath then let it out. "I was talking about Crowe."

"Crowe?" Myuria sounded surprised but then, from the corner of his eye, he saw her shake his head. "I should have known your feelings of loyalty towards him stemmed from something more than just friendship. Though, I could've sworn you told Arumat he was your greatest rival."

"You heard that, huh?" Edge smiled a little. "Yeah . . . I did say that . . . and it was true . . . but he was also my best friend . . . and lover."

"You mean . . .?"

"Crowe was the one I wanted to be with and who I was thinking of when I answered that question," Edge murmured. He stared at his hands. "Not Reimi. I know it's what you guys thought . . . I know I should have said something sooner . . . but I just didn't have the courage."

"You're telling me now," Myuria said. "Isn't that taking courage?"

"Yeah . . . I guess so . . ."

"And you were honest with Reimi when you told her how you truly felt," Myuria continued. "That had to take a lot of courage on your part. You could have lied to her."

"I'm a lousy liar," Edge admitted.

"So I've noticed." He half-thought he saw her smiling at him. "I guess that means you'll now tell me why you were looking at me earlier?"

"You'll laugh at me," he said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes . . ."

"How will you know if you don't tell me?"

"Because I already know how you'll react," Edge replied. Myuria sat up and slid her arms around his shoulders.

"Are you sure . . . Edge?" she whispered. Her lips were dangerously close to his ear, and he shivered at the contact, not only of her arms around him but her breath against his skin. Slowly, he turned his head so they faced each other, their noses touching and their lips inches apart.

"Myuria . . ."

"If I had to guess as to why you were watching me earlier but trying to pretend that you weren't," she said, "I'd say that you have feelings for me, despite your confession about Crowe . . . Am I wrong?"

Edge shook his head 'no' as she wasn't wrong, though he wouldn't confess that he wished she hadn't noticed him staring at her in the first place. He didn't trust himself to speak. He knew he could barely think with her so close to him. The scent of her alone caused his thoughts to scatter in a thousand different directions. It felt the same way to be around her as it did Crowe, and it hit him as to how confusing it was. Edge wanted to taste her, to touch her, and to feel her against him in all of the ways that mattered. Their lips, already close to each other's, pressed together in a tentative yet scintillating kiss. The contact alone sent a jolt of electricity running through Edge's body, and he wanted more. He turned to face her, to reach for her and hold her against him so he could fulfill his desires.

His hand had just touched on her cheek as hers had done with his, their kiss deepening, when a loud explosion threatened to deafen them and the room shook. The force sent Edge nearly sent flying off of his bed.

"What was that?" Myuria asked. She looked around, wide and wild-eyed.

"I don't know," Edge replied, standing up. His heart hammered in his chest, but no longer because of Myuria and what they'd been about to possibly do with each other. "But I intend to find out."

He reached for his communicator. At the same time, Faize's voice crackled to life over the intercom.

"All hands report to the bridge! This is an emergency! I repeat, all hands report to the bridge! This is an emergency!"

Those were the only words Edge needed to hear. While Faize sounded calm, chances were, it was only an act on the Eldarian's part. Whatever was happening had to be serious if he was calling for everyone to return to the bridge.

It didn't take Edge long to reach his destination. He'd dashed all the way from his room to the bridge. Once he got there, he saw Faize at his station, typing commands at a furious rate.

"Report, Faize." He, too, took his place at his station, looking at the readouts appearing in front of him.

"There's been a catastrophic event in the main engine chamber of the ship," Faize answered. "We need to get out of here and we need to get out of here now."

"How the hell did that happen?" Edge asked. He punched a button on the console then repeated what Faize had said just mere moments before. Then he, too, worked at a furious rate to get The Intrepid Explorer moving and to a place of relative safety.

"I don't know," Faize answered. "But I can tell you that a power surge in the engine room preceded about two explosions, one that we felt, and it set off the reaction. There are several fires burning right now. One more explosion, and we're done for. Whatever secrets this ship contains, no one wants us to know about it."

"Do we have any data on this ship at all other than what you got in that medical bay?"

"Plenty," Faize replied. He held up several disks. "I just haven't analyzed it yet"

"Good. Now let's get out of here."

"Edge, what's going on? Why . . .?"

He heard more than he saw the rest of his crew stepping onto the bridge. He didn't even bother to look at them to explain.

"We need to get out of here before the ship explodes," he said. "Get to your stations now before we become space dust."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Myuria asked.

"Find a station and hold on tight . . . that's about it," he said. "Faize, how much longer before those fires reach the main reactor and the ship explodes?"

"Less than five minutes, and then they'll hit the main fuel supplies," the Eldarian replied. "Whatever triggered the power surge was quite direct. We do not want to be here when that happens."

It felt like it took hours to get the ship out of the docking bay. Edge glanced up once to see what was taking place through the ship's bay windows. Fires were burning along the walls where the wires and circuit boards ran. As he piloted the ship out of the docking bay, a difficult task given how unstable the area had become – metal beams and panels crashed around the ship – the communications console built into his station crackled to life.

"Mr. Edge . . ."

"Not now, Bacchus. We're dealing with a bit of a situation right now. If you can, secure our friend and yourself. It's going to get a little bumpy."

"Very well then. I understand. When you get a moment, please come to the medical bay. It is important."

"Will do . . . Faize, get our shields up. We might be able to escape this ship but I doubt we'll escape the shockwave of the blast."

Precious seconds later, he watched the strange ship as the internal structure collapsed in on itself, the metal twisting and glass shattering. Fires spread from section to section, and Edge increased the speed they flew from the doomed vessel. It took as much time to get away and put what Edge estimated to be about a quarter of a mile away from the doomed ship as it did for the reactions to reach the engine's core and ignite the fuel systems.

"Main explosion has occurred, Captain. There's a shockwave from the blast coming towards us," Faize announced. "It'll reach us in thirty seconds. Prepare for impact."

He'd just finished speaking when The Intrepid Explorer rocked and rode out the shockwave. Edge clenched his jaw tight and continued to pilot the ship away from the explosion site.

"Shields are holding . . ." Faize's voice sounded strained. "Captain, I'm detecting a strain on our engines from the shockwave . . . shields are down ten percent."

"The communication relays are fried, Captain!"

"Hold steady, everyone . . ."

Edge fought with the controls to keep the ship from spiraling out of control. Then, the rocking and shaking started to subside until both ended. Willing himself to relax, Edge let go of the controls and exhaled a deep breath.

"I think . . . we're in the clear," he said. "Status reports."

"Shields are holding at eighty-five percent," Faize said. The sounds of fingers dancing across keyboards filled the bridge. "Life support systems are fully operation, but the engines have taken some damage. We still have propulsion, but we won't be able to engage the warp drive to get back home."

"The long-range communication relays are fried," Reimi added. "We can communicate with each other on the different levels but not with Earth or Moonbase."

"Navigations are operational."

"All other systems are operational, Captain."

Edge leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. He inhaled a deep breath.

"All right, so everything works but the warp drive and long-range communications . . . Faize, you, Heaven, and Celeste, check the extent of the damage to the engines. Find out if it's something we can repair or if we're going to have to limp home. Reimi, you and Tony see what you can do about repairing the long-range relays. If the engines can't be repaired by us, we're going to need to contact home to let them know that we've taken damage. I'd rather not limp home if we can avoid it." He powered down his console and the auto-pilot before he stood up. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the medical bay."

No one protested, and no one argued with him. He felt bone weary as he walked as fast as he could to the medical bay. The day had been long and interesting with more questions than answers, and he hoped Bacchus would have something for him.

"What is it, Bacchus?" he asked, the door to the medical bay sliding open to allow him entry. He looked to where the Morphus man stood and stopped, his eyes widening and his jaw hanging open slightly.

Bacchus stood next to the bed where the blue-haired stranger rested. Only, the young man wasn't asleep. He was in a sitting position, staring at the wall opposite of him. He didn't even look in Edge's direction. From where Edge stood, he heard how labored the young man's breathing was and the half-whimpers escaping him. His eyes were as wide as Edge's but not out of shock. Edge saw fear in the young man's eyes, fear and horror, but it was at something only he could see. Beyond his breathing and the fact he sat up, he didn't move. In watching him for a few scant seconds, Edge believed he didn't dare move because of whatever had put the fear into his eyes. He snapped himself out of his temporary stupor and approached them.

"How long as he been like that?" he asked.

"He has been sitting up since a few seconds before I heard the first explosion," Bacchus answered.

"What exactly happened?"

"Well," the other began, "after we brought him on board, I ran some tests to see if I could deduce why he hadn't awoken right away."

"I remember hearing something about that," Edge said, nodding. "You thought he might have been drugged?"

"Indeed," Bacchus replied with a nod. "And it turned out to be true, though I'm still running tests to determine the exact kind of drug used on him. It is like nothing I've ever seen before, and I find I don't care for not knowing."

"I can see that . . . Then what?"

"Well . . . in an effort to counter the drugs in his system, I followed a suggestion from Mr. Petrillo before he and Miss Reimi resumed their duties and administered a small dose of adrenaline to him, based, of course, on his body weight. When that did not appear to be enough, I started to filter out the drugs through the use of fluids. A thorough examination has revealed he's suffered a great deal of torture. There are many scars, old and recent, along his body. He awoke and sat up in the moments leading up to the explosion and Mr. Faize's call for everyone to return to the bridge, a glow of light surrounding him. In those few seconds, wings appeared on his back, much like Miss Sarah's . . . then they disappeared, and he is as you see him now."

"Wings, huh? Faize and I saw wings on him when we first found him," Edge murmured. "They disappeared the moment Myuria set him free. Is there anything else that you can tell me about him?"

"There isn't much else at this moment," Bacchus said. "I've been collecting data on him since he was brought on board, but I've only analyzed a small portion of it. Given what I've learned about humans, I can tell you that he's around twenty years of age and no ordinary human at that. The rest, however, would be mere speculation."

"And what do you speculate he's endured?" Edge asked.

Bacchus didn't answer right away. His gaze fell on the blue-haired man, who started to tremble a little.

"More than what his mind can process at this moment," he finally answered. He searched for an extra blanket and wrapped it around the younger man. "He's still feeling the effects of the drugs, I'm sure. And that he is in shock from everything. It would be best to allow him to speak when he feels strong enough rather than push him for details he might not remember right away."

"I'll be sure to let the others know then," Edge said, fighting back the urge to scream and sigh at the same time. His attention, too, was now on the young man, and pity and sympathy for whatever the stranger had endured surged through him. Cautiously, he reached out a hand to the younger man (though not by much, it would seem) but then pulled his hand away. "Will you help Faize in running diagnostics on the engine? They sustained some damage in the shockwave, and we won't be able to use the warp systems to get home. I trust my crew, but a second pair of eyes won't hurt. I need to know if we can repair them or if we're going to have to send out an S.O.S."

"Of course, Mr. Edge. Might I ask that you stay with him and alert either myself or Mr. Petrillo of any changes?"

"Yeah." Edge nodded. "I can do that."

The moment he and the stranger were alone, Edge sighed and sat in the second bed and stared. The shaking had ceased a little, and exhaustion crept in on the stranger's face. His fear and horror had subsided a little, and some life returned to his eyes, which were green, just like his eyes, Edge noticed. He also saw that the stranger now gazed at him.

"Wh-where am I?"

The voice that spoke was barely above a whisper. For a second, Edge thought he'd imagined it.

"Pardon?"

"Where am I?"

"On board a ship called The Intrepid Explorer," Edge replied. He slid off the bed to join him. "I'm the Captain, Edge Maverick."

"I've never heard of The Intrepid Explorer," the man said. He still sounded weak, but it was evident to Edge it was passing and quickly. "Is it a new ship?"

"Yeah . . . I'm sorry, but could you please tell me your name?" Edge asked. "I feel strange not knowing it."

"Why do you want to know?" Suspicion laced his voice, and Edge thought he knew why. He hadn't forgotten what Bacchus had told him about the wounds on the other man's body and how he most likely obtained them.

"So I don't keep calling you stranger or blue-hair," Edge offered with a slight smile. "I'm not out to hurt you. I want to be your friend, but there are things I also need to know."

"And my name will be a start?"

Edge nodded. The other paused for a moment, considering. Then he nodded.

"It's Fayt . . . Fayt Leingod."

"Well, Fayt," Edge said, smiling. "Let me be the first to welcome you aboard The Intrepid Explorer, the U.S.T.A.'s and I.T.A.'s finest."

At those words, Fayt livened up a little more. He also looked a bit alarmed, in Edge's opinion.

"You said the I.T.A. . . . as in the Intergalactic Transport Agency?"

"Yeah . . ." Edge nodded again. He tilted his head out of curiosity. Most on Earth still didn't know much about the I.T.A. and its mission statement, and he found it odd that Fayt knew. Something about the way he reacted bothered Edge. The last he knew, President Kenny hadn't released any kind of statement to the public, though it was something he didn't intend to keep secret, like the S.R.F. After the incident with the Eldarians losing their home world of Eldar, the President didn't want to find himself in the same situation as Shimada had thanks to the Phantoms and the Missing Procedure. "I'm in charge of the I.T.A. as well as the Captain of this ship. What do you know about the I.T.A.?"

The moment he asked the question, turmoil appeared in Fayt's eyes, or at least, to Edge, the other man seemed conflicted. About what, he wasn't entirely sure, but he suspected it had to do with what he knew over what Edge knew. Something about this situation felt like déjà vu to him, and he shook his head.

"Don't answer that," he said. "Whatever it is, I don't want to know, okay?"

"You really . . . don't want to know?" Fayt asked. It was his turn to tilt his head.

"I'm sure," Edge replied with a nod. "I have a feeling that, while I won't like the answer, I'll like its consequences even less."

"All right," Fayt said. His eyes shimmered with relief, and he relaxed. "I won't tell you. It would be too dangerous for me to do so anyway."

"I can accept that," he said, some of his suspicions confirmed. "What can you tell me about that ship you were on? We had to leave its docking bay rather quickly. When we first approached, we detected more than just your life sign yet we saw no one as we searched the immediate area."

"If you're wondering if there was anyone worth saving on that ship, the answer's no," Fayt said. He turned away. "Beyond that, I don't know all that much . . . just needles and floating."

"So what happened to the crew?" Edge asked. He then wanted to kick himself for asking. He'd forgotten about the drugs Bacchus mentioned in his report and the fact he and Faize had found Fayt chained and unconscious.

"I wouldn't know," the other man answered. "I don't even really remember being on that ship."

"And I knew that," Edge murmured, shaking his head. "It's that . . . whoever else was left on that ship didn't make it off before the engine's core went critical. My ship isn't doing so well, either, thanks to the shockwave following the blast."

"That's . . . odd . . ."

"How so?"

"Well," Fayt began, "if any of the crew were still alive, they would have answered any communication attempts or have greeted you the moment you docked. That would be standard procedure for anyone."

"Right," Edge said, nodding his head once. "And we did try to hail them. No one responded, and the only person we found was you."

"And you don't find that odd?" Fayt asked.

"I . . ." Edge stopped, the realization of Fayt's words hitting him. It was odd no one had answered Reimi's attempts to contact the ship, and it was even odder the only person they encountered, alive or dead, was Fayt. Even after witnessing the horror of what happened in the medical bay of that ship, there should have been someone other than Fayt left alive.

"You do," Fayt murmured. "It took you a moment but you do . . ."

"Yeah . . . Well, I guess the answers I'm looking for are on the disks Faize has," Edge said. He stood up. "I'll let you get some rest. You don't look like you're at one hundred percent just yet."

"I don't want any more rest," Fayt murmured. He stretched and started to slide towards the edge of his bed. "I feel like I've been cooped up for too long."

"I don't think you should . . ."

"I'll be fine," Fayt said. He grimaced as he continued to move, but he didn't stop, either. Edge felt his heart beating hard in his chest. His hands were slick with sweat, and he reached for Fayt, to keep him from possibly hitting the floor. "I just need to get up for a while . . ."

He wobbled a bit after his feet hit the floor, and Edge held his breath. Fortunately, for Edge's piece of mind, the other man remained standing. It took him several more minutes to take a few steps, but he managed, gaining strength the longer he remained on his feet and moving.

As he observed Fayt, Edge thought about how inactive the other man had been during his captivity, and it didn't surprise him as much as he thought it would to see the other up and about. He couldn't quite explain it, but something about Fayt reminded him of himself and how he didn't like to be inactive. Satisfied Fayt wouldn't hurt himself by being up, Edge nodded and relaxed a little.

"How long has it been since you've had anything to eat?" he asked. Fayt paused, his expression thoughtful, and then he shrugged.

"I don't remember . . . I wasn't being starved, but I don't remember . . ."

"All right then," Edge said. "Let's get you something to eat and situated in a room. Just take it easy for a while longer, okay? I don't want you to pass out from overdoing it."

"I don't think I'll be able to push myself too hard just yet," Fayt replied. He winced but then it passed almost as quickly as it appeared. At least, Edge thought it passed, but he thought it also possible that Fayt simply was pushing himself beyond the pain and weariness he had to be feeling. Something about the other man's behavior reminded him of Faize after the events on Roak. He made a mental note to have his crew help keep an eye on the younger man. If there was one thing Edge knew with any certainty, it was he didn't want a repeat of that incident ever again. To realize that he'd failed his friend on so many levels still didn't sit right with him, and Edge felt he'd be paying for those mistakes until the day he died.

'Best to not take a chance with him,' Edge decided. 'His recovery hasn't even started yet.'

He'd started to reach for Fayt when the door to the medical bay opened with a near silent whoosh. His attention never wavered from the other until Fayt looked at who had entered the room and reacted. The blue-haired man's eyes widened with a small variety of emotions – fear, anger, hatred, and shock – and he scrambled away from Edge and from the newcomer as quickly as he possibly could. He also began to frantically look around the room, as if seeking something, anything to protect himself.

"Get away from me!"

Surprised and more than a little worried by this reaction from Fayt, Edge turned to see who had entered the medical bay and put such . . . intense emotions into the other man in such a short span of time. His jaw dropped when he saw Reimi standing just inside the door, her expression one of alarm and befuddlement.

"I beg your pardon?" Reimi asked. Edge returned his attention back to Fayt.

"Get away from me!"

It was then Edge saw the faint glow of blue surround the other man. He recognized the light for what it was: the power of Symbology.

'I thought I was the only human who could cast,' he thought, forgetting what Bacchus had told him about Fayt not being a normal human in those scant few seconds. At the same time, he rushed towards Fayt, hoping to disrupt the spell before the other man could finish. The last thing he (and the crew) needed was for a spell to cause further damage to the ship's systems.

It didn't take him too long to reach Fayt, but, from the charge of energy in the room, the other was very close to completing the symbol. Wherever Fayt had come from, some things had obviously changed. If Edge had to guess on the other man's abilities, they were perhaps on par with his, at least when it came to firing off spells. Of the symbologists he knew, Sarah had the best range of spells, followed closely by Lymle and Myuria. Unfortunately, the Sacred Wing wasn't very fast at casting. Why that was, Edge couldn't say with any kind of certainty, but there was one thing he knew. Thanks to Sarah's slow casting abilities, his speed to reach an enemy in a battle had increased.

His hand, palm out, connected with the flat of Fayt's belly. He heard the sound of air leaving the other man's lungs. In an instant, the charge filling the room dissipated and Fayt slumped against him, gasping for breath and toppling towards Edge. He caught the other in the process, refusing for even a second to allow someone who'd been ill-treated, as Fayt obviously had been, to hit the floor.

"Edge? What's going on?" Reimi asked. The heels of her boots clicked on the floor as she approached them. "What was that all about?"

To that, Edge could only shake his head, and he glanced at Fayt. The other man leaned against him, his cheeks flushed and he panted. He truly didn't know what had come over Fayt, but something about Reimi had triggered fear and anger within him.

"What happened on that ship?" he murmured.

xXx-Rogues-xXx

"Maverick, Maverick," Luther muttered. His side stung from where that strange being's spear grazed it, but he chose to ignore it for the moment. It wasn't poisoned, and it wasn't exactly life-threatening, either; merely irritating due to the sting. He could push aside his annoyance at the injury for the time being and focused. There were more pressing matters at hand that he needed to rectify and quickly at that. First on his list was finding Maverick. The name was the only clue he had as to where he could find Fayt Leingod and the Apostle of Creation.

It was a familiar name to Luther, though he couldn't begin to place the how and the why. With the Eternal Sphere's creation and eventual hostile takeover by viruses and anomalies, so many heroes had risen to the task of defeating those who would destroy it. However, most of those heroes possessed the last name of Kenny, not Maverick . . . but Maverick still had its own merits . . . if only he could get the Eternal Sphere's servers to cooperate with him.

For about ten minutes or so, Luther jabbed his fingers into the air, searching for the server's mainframes. He knew they were there. He could hear the faint beeping of the computers attempting to come to life, but they refused to respond, to appear as he needed them to do.

When they refused to appear after the ten minutes had passed, Luther paused and frowned. Someone was trying to keep him from accessing the Eternal Sphere's mainframes, and he believed he knew who.

"Blair, it does not matter what you do, I will have access to the servers. I must have access . . ." He tilted his head. "Or do you wish for me to remain here? Forever?"

He received no response, but then Luther didn't expect one, either. Instead, after his little tirade against his sister, he closed his eyes. He drew in a deep breath and stilled his mind. It was an exercise technique someone had taught him a long time ago, a young man with blue hair and green eyes.

'Much like that piece of data, Fayt Leingod,' he mused.

Luther's eyes flew open. Had he . . . recreated the one who had meant so much to him? Was that . . . why having Fayt stand against him hurt as much as it had?

'He would not have tolerated my decision, either,' Luther mused. His chest ached. 'And here I thought I was over him. I thought . . . I could forget . . . but he haunts me, even to this day.'

Luther's shoulders slumped. Too many thoughts, too many distractions whirled around in his mind. He needed to get away, to clear away his doubts and insecurities. He needed to find Fayt and the Apostle of Creation before they caused anymore harm to the Eternal Sphere.

'Roak. I can head to Roak,' he told himself. He didn't dare speak his thoughts out loud. Belzeber, and whoever was backing that slimy-assed weasel, was undoubtedly listening and observing everything he was doing. His attempts to contact Blair, in hindsight, were pathetic. 'Put the location process on hold for a moment. I need to . . . need to . . .'

Pain erupted in his chest along with a flood of fear that didn't belong to him. Blue hair and green eyes flashed in front of him, along with a vision of Renee Saionji. Luther lifted his head, shocked and angered. When had she gained access to the Eternal Sphere?

'No matter.' He growled. 'I will end her. And I know precisely when the esteemed Saionji family had the most notoriety. Roak . . . I must go to Roak. And the when will be perfect.'

He raised his hand, and one of the computers finally reacted to the command. With some expert coding and encryption programs in place, Luther typed in the commands he needed to go where he wanted.

'Belzeber, you're too easy to read. And it will be your downfall.'

xXx-Wizards-Warriors-and-Rogues-xXx

Blair lowered her head. A few tears formed and fell down her cheeks. She stood alone in his Workspace, Luther's security protocols firmly in place. She'd allowed no one to dismantle them, not when so much rode on her shoulders.

"I am so sorry, Luther," she whispered. "But, because of what happened, I won't be able to bring you back. I am so sorry."